ABOUT

HEIDI FRYE

Speaker, Author, Podcaster, and Executive Coach

ABOUT HEIDI FRYE

Driven and achievement oriented, Heidi spent the early part of her career, winning sales accolades within Fortune 500 companies, like Xerox, Boston Scientific Corporation(BSC), and EMC. Despite her sales successes, her legacy was “developing others into superstars”. She turned this corporate development side hustle into a business when she founded UPwords Inc. in 2005, positively impacting thousands of leaders through motivational talks, 1:1 executive coaching, and team programs & workshops.

The results speak for themselves. Resembling her time in Corporate America when her trainees won President’s Club, her leadership clients boast of promotions, career accomplishments, and no more people problems. Best of all, Heidi’s clients grow. They are the best versions of themselves, professionally and personally. Whole Leadership at its best.

Heidi holds a degree in Business Administration from Wayne State University. She is a graduate of Leadership University School of Developmental Coaching in the Coach2 and Master Leadership Coaching System programs; is certified in the Integrative Enneagram and B.A.N.K.™ assessments; is a member of the International Coaching Federation, and authored the 2021 published book, The Light Switch: Plugging Into Your Core Power to Transform How You Lead.

 
Rachelle Rae Photography

UPWORDS INC

“I created UPwords Inc. (and was very excited by the symbolism!) because I loved the transformative power of positive and real interactions, and how that power positively impacts business growth, and the bottom line.”

UPwords Inc. was created in 2005 to transform leaders and stimulate business growth, leveraging leadership development services (executive coaching, training/workshops, public speaking) and executive recruiting.

Heidi Frye, with a talented network of strategic partners in place, quickly solidified UPwords Inc.’s reputation for partnership, professionalism, and results. As UPwords Inc. expanded, leaders developed, and businesses grew, a few truths emerged.

  • As Heidi’s passion for leadership development grew, her focus on recruiting lessened (only working with a few V.I.P. recruiting clients).

  • Heidi secured (a vast array of) projects she loved, built fast connections, and client loyalty, and as a result, has been the primary service provider for UPwords Inc.

Standing fully in her power, offering her ideas, perspectives, and thoughts on leadership development, Heidi’s love (and excitement!) for change, leadership, and transformation has continued to grow and evolve. As a result,

  • No two talks/workshops are ever the same—her ideas, perspectives, thoughts and theories about development work continue to expand.

  • Because she has so much to say, she wrote a book!

Heidi has delivered coaching, programs, and workshops for close to two decades. The countless client aha’s are a testament to the quality and effectiveness of her work.

She is appreciative, proud, and humbled that UPwords Inc. has been built on word-of-mouth and client referrals. She is equally grateful for her clients, their willingness to trust her and “do the work”, the bond they share, and the opportunity to BE whole-y herself in each client interaction. Her clients have affectionately teased her with the following feedback (which she already knew):

  • Heidi is unconventional. She has the freedom and personal power to do what is best and most effective for her clients. With confidence she implements new strategies and out-of-the-box thinking.

  • UPwords Inc. has really always been, and still is, Heidi Frye.

UPwords Inc. continues as the corporate structure. As the website and marketing focus transitions from UPwords Inc. to Heidi Frye, while standing in her power, Heidi looks forward to helping you stand in yours.

Whole-y HEIDI

ACTIVE, COURAGEOUS, CREATIVE, AND GROUNDED

Heidi enjoys adventure and new experiences! Despite the stomach-turning roller-coaster effect of this perfect landing, the ride was thrilling!

Lake Michigan is Heidi’s Happy Place!

STANDING OUT WITH OUTSTANDING CLIENTS

  • “Heidi is on the short list of most influential people I've worked for. The first skill set I think of, since I was fortunate to work with her early in our careers, is her professional selling skills. Simply one of the best sales people I've observed; smart, great listener, puts customers at ease, naturally gets others talking about problems and solutions. Customers love and respect her. The second talent I would note is her natural leadership ability. The early successes at BSC were driven by unique individuals who set the tone, personality and culture of the company. Heidi was one of those few individuals that set the standard, the tone, for the whole organization. Lastly, Heidi is one of the really good people in this business. Impeccable character, ethics, values and principles. The respect she received from peers and management and customers could easily be overshadowed by her down-to-earth interactive style. People are always comfortable working with Heidi, and they respect her. Happy to provide details and examples for those interested in learning more.”

    Steve Okland

    Chief Commercial Officer, Caldera Medical

    LinkedIn Testimonial

  • “I have known Heidi Frye for over 20 years, and in that time, I have known her as classmate, friend, recruiting associate, and coaching colleague. If I had to name her greatest strengths, they would be her bias for action and her desire for results. Interestingly, though the energy that propels her quickly through any task is tempered with a keen intuition that allows her to see what's going on around as she moves forward. Her clients benefit from her ability to get things moving, but she can simultaneously offer support that allows them to build their capability. If you want to move forward, get things done, and are not afraid to take on the work involved in professional development, then Heidi Frye is the coach or consultant for you.”

    Therese Marie Smith

    Director of Education & Programs

    LinkedIn Testimonial

  • “I started working with Heidi about 18 months into my tenure as CEO, and at first it felt like a bit of an indulgence but I soon realized it was essential to my growth as a leader. In the early days, she put a variety of concepts and tools in my path and they are things I go back to again and again. Now I use the time to problem solve, “unpack” my current challenges, and find a way to move forward on complex situations.”  

    Julie L. Novak | Chief Executive Officer

    Michigan State Medical Society

  • “In my experience with Heidi, she demonstrated exceptional skills in building and managing Executive level relationships within her customer accounts. Heidi is one of the most respectful and professional people I've had the pleasure work with in my career. Heidi has been very helpful in providing advice and recommendations to me on industry change and career planning.”

    George Ward

    Director IT Business Relationship Management

    Adient

    LinkedIn Testimonial

  • “Heidi brings passion, knowledge, sincerity and integrity to everything in which she is involved. Her high energy and intellect are only surpassed by her commitment to her clients. She incorporates her understanding of and experience in business relationships to deliver best-in-class coaching, training and mentoring to those in need of a leadership tune up. We often hear "it's all about leadership", and to the greatest degree, leaders set the tone for the success of the organization from business planning to employee inclusion and development. Organizations that understand the importance of how their leaders lead engage Heidi.”

    Steve Jesnek

    Business Dev. | Small Business Advocate | Key Acct. Management | Executive Coaching and Mentoring | Servant Leader | Facilitator

    LinkedIn Testimonial

  • “Working with Heidi has been transformational for me. She challenges me to think about situations from multiple vantage points and figures out how to get the best out of my team.   My growth as a leader is directly tied to working with Heidi. She is a highly effective executive coach who walks the line perfectly between pushing you and your potential, and celebrating your progress.   I love her! 😊”

    Summer Minnick Deputy

    Deputy Executive Director & CMO

    MML

  • “I was fortunate enough to get to work with Heidi through an emerging leaders training that she facilitated at our company. I’ve been in leadership positions for a handful of years, and I wish I would have had the opportunity to work with Heidi much earlier in my journey. She brought us practical and effective tools that we could immediately implement within our teams. While going through this 6-month development program there were a handful of takeaways, but the two that had the greatest impact in my professional life were: 1) gaining a deeper understanding of how to interact with a variety of people, and 2) further defining who I want to be as a leader. If you are looking to grow in your career and/or become a more effective leader, then I would highly recommend working with Heidi!”  

    SF

    Director of Category Management

  • “In just two sessions, Heidi changed my mindset. She figured out in no time that I had trust issues. I am more emotionally strong in both my workplace and my love life. Today, I am happily married and am successful in my career.”

    Neha Hackman

    CFO

  • “THE LIGHT SWITCH by Heidi Frye is both an excellent tutorial for leaders wanting to hone their leadership skills thereby enhancing their impact and an insightful guide to self-awareness. The author was clever in engaging the reader into active retrospection, which simply couldn’t be avoided, and therefore a richer experience. The thing I loved most about the book is that the insight and lessons apply not only to leaders, but to all that are involved in relationships-both professional and personal, which of course is most everyone. When I finished the book, I found wanting to read more by this author.”

    S.J., Amazon Reader

  • “What a great asset Heidi has been to our team.  We have worked with her on recruiting projects and team building initiatives.  We found her creative and insightful approach invaluable to the team.  We also have engaged Heidi as a coach to some of the key staff – always believing that we all are better with a coach.  Heidi in essence became part of our team and was able to assist key leaders in advancing their leadership approach and in turn – able to produce better results for the corporation.  I would recommend Heidi without reservation!”  

    Suzette Jaskie

    (Former CEO of West Michigan Heart and MedAxiom Consulting)

  • “I had the opportunity to be a part of Heidi's ‘Emerging Leaders’ program last year. From day one, Heidi brought so much energy, wisdom, and perspective to our group. Each person in the program had very different backgrounds, personalities, and department responsibilities – which can sometimes make workshops challenging. Heidi saw this as a strength instead of a hurdle. She challenged and showed us how to increase empathy individually and as a team. Through various tools and exercises, Heidi dug deep into what made each of us ‘tick,’ teaching us how to communicate more effectively with each other now that we had that shared knowledge. One year later, my colleagues and I still use the tools Heidi gave us! This program brought us much closer as a group, and we had a ton of fun along the way. Some may call her processes unconventional, but once we all released our egos and let our guard down, the workshops were a game-changer for our emerging leaders' group! 😊”  

    Amber Ginop

    Director of Marketing

    Hexarmor

  • “Heidi's authentic coaching gave me another toolbox of skills that helped me lead effectively.  She helped me reach my potential.”

    Principal Engineer

  • “Working with Heidi was one of the most rewarding experiences in my career.  I am a better leader, co-worker and person utilizing the skills I have learned with the short time we spent together.   She has been one of the most influential people in my life.  I would recommend her expertise to anyone inspired to invest in advancing their career and organization.”

    Juli B.

    CFO  

  • “Pat Riley said ‘Great effort springs naturally from great attitude.’   Heidi Frye’s executive coaching enlightened me to the truth behind these words.  She helped me understand where I was, where I wanted to go, and challenged me to make it happen.  Along the way she provided insight and education, while making sure that I continued to hold myself accountable.  I would not be where I am today without Heidi and highly recommend her leadership coaching to anyone focused on their own development and their team’s success.”  

    Melvin Gottschalk, Jr., MBA

  • “If I had to name Heidi's greatest strengths, they would be her bias for action and her desire for results. If you want to move forward, get things done, and are not afraid to take on the work involved in professional development, then Heidi Frye is the coach or consultant for you.”

    Consultant

  • “For the past two years Nucraft has worked with Heidi to create internal peer groups to improve our internal communications and teamwork skills.  These groups also serve as development opportunities for our associates as they learn leadership, communication and other critical skills.  Heidi facilitates these groups and the feedback has been uniformly positive from the participants.  These groups are becoming the foundation of a unique development experience that we provide at Nucraft.  We have also called on Heidi to work with several Nucraft associates individually to build important management, leadership, communication skills, and to develop a better understanding of their strengths and opportunities for improvement.  Heidi and UPwords have become a trusted Nucraft advisor.”

    Matt Schad

    CEO

    Nucraft Furniture

  • “Heidi's leadership coaching helped move me forward when I was stuck.  She was able to hold my experiences while lending keen insights in what I could do to improve my relationships and outcomes.  I don't hesitate when recommending Heidi to others.”

    Healthcare Executive

  • “I received professional coaching with Heidi for a little over a year, and it was one of the most influential times of my life.  I am much more confident with who I am as a professional, a manager and as a person.  She sees the best in you and finds a way to draw it out.  I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to meet with her.  I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Heidi’s guidance.”

     

    A.H.

  • “The UPwords Inc team dynamic workshops helped our team identify key causes of communication and work-style issues that were plaguing our group's efficiency and morale. Once we identified the root of our problem, UPwords showed us how to bridge gaps in communication, personality, and other differences. To work through our challenges, Heidi did a great job making everyone feel comfortable and keeping the sentiments upbeat and constructive even when difficult subject matter is being discussed. I strongly recommend UPwords Inc for team dynamic training because Heidi makes it fun and it actually works. Our group started as a group of individuals that were unhappy, disconnected, and inefficient. After the training from UPwords, we understood why we were having issues and we proactively work to avoid or resolve these issues. Today our morale and communication are much improved and we feel and act as more of a true 'team'. I would love to use this training with all of the teams I participate with and I look forward to more training with UPwords Inc. in the future.”

    LBC

    ARM Account Specialist

  • “In one sentence:  Heidi made me a better leader, employee, spouse and friend.  She proved to me that having a deep understanding of who you are comes before you can understand others.  She put me on a journey that gave me more control over my mind; and to not always believe what the mind thinks.  Life is about choices and when you know what you want, it’s easy come decision time.  Heidi is an outstanding coach that helped me achieve more than I thought I could, in a short period of time.”  

    J.C.

    Director of Marketing

    Meijer

  • “Heidi Frye has been a wonderful coach and a great inspiration to me over the past few years.  I was connected with Heidi for leadership coaching two years ago.  Understanding my desire for self-development and leadership growth, she worked closely with me to expand and strengthen my personal skills….an invaluable experience!  I continue to use the tools she provided to me in both work and at home.  Heidi is an extremely talented executive business coach.”

    Anonymous

  • “I have reached out to Heidi during the many phases of my management career for leadership coaching.  Her advice and wisdom has helped me identify ways to grow professionally as a individual and leader.  She is  honest, professional, and highly insightful.  I am extremely thankful for her straight-forward approach and feel blessed to have received her guidance.”  

    Lori Stokes

    Materials Manager

  • “Every once and awhile in one's career there comes a time when things start to fall apart.  Maybe you don't realize it, but others do.  Whatever made you tick before is just off and you have, for now, lost your way.  I experienced this recently and was fortunate to be introduced to Heidi through my employer.  It wasn't what I wanted to do but it was ‘recommended.’  You know how that goes.  My experience with Heidi provided me with a hopeful, trusting sounding board each week who helped me see my strengths and some of my weaknesses.  Yes, they were there.  In the six months that I worked with Heidi, her consistent, positive attitude allowed me to see needed areas of improvement in myself.  Key to this was knowing that I had let my relationships at work slip in reaction to getting the work done!  With her guidance, I was able to reconnect with many of my staff that I had ignored in some ways and found the opportunity to make my future relationships better and stronger. Time with Heidi will benefit you in your life and in your work. I looked forward to my sessions.  You will too. Working with Heid is well worth your commitment and your peace of mind, both professionally and personally, for the future.”

    F.T.H. 

  • “Heidi really helped bring our team out of our shells.  She helped us see the strengths and weaknesses in all of us and helped us to build bonds that serve our organization well today.  She challenged us and found creative ways to learn and apply new concepts.  Her coaching has been instrumental at moving us forward as a leadership team.”

    J.T.

  • “I have worked with many executive search firms across the USA and Canada. Upwords Inc. has proven to be among the best, coming through where others have failed to meet our needs. In recent searches for Business Development and sales professionals, Heidi Frye has demonstrated her ability to understand our needs and then to go out and find unique individuals with a strong technical background and the ability to effectively sell our services to a very discriminating customer base. Heidi is a delight to work with and a true professional.”

    Larry Gibbons

    VP HR

    Kinectrics Inc.

  • “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the service that you have provided Stiles Machinery for the last 15 years. Your contributions as a recruiter and consultant have been immeasurable. My staff and I have all benefitted significantly from your energy and professionalism. Personally, I feel privileged to have had access to your advice and counsel. We look forward to many more years of partnership.”

    Stephan W. Waltman

    Vice President – Sales & Marketing

    Stiles Machinery, Inc.

  • “The Department of Human Genetics would like to thank you for presenting the 'Dealing with Conflicts' workshop last weekend at our annual retreat. It was well-received and a lot of fun. Our graduate students certainly appreciated the various exercises and, most of all, the role playing. Getting into conflict resolution seemed the most beneficial to them. The students took away with them the concepts of 1) it’s good to get out of your comfort zone, and 2) pick your battles. The interactions with faculty, students, postdocs and staff created a good dynamic and also gave everyone an opportunity to get to know each other outside of the laboratory. Look forward to working with you in the future.”

    Linda M. Peasley Ph.D. & Sally A. Camper, Department Administrator Prof. and Chair

    
The University of Michigan 
Medical School 
Department of Human Genetics

  • “Heidi Frye was a top performer for many years while she was a sales representative at Boston Scientific. The reason she won the sales awards year after year was because of the professional relationships she developed with the physicians she called on. She was knowledgeable and credible and customers enjoyed buying from her and working with her. She is passioniate about her work and has incredible determination. She is successful at everything she does. With great pleasure I can give the highest recommendation for Heidi Frye.”

    Pamela T. Jerdee

    Senior Training and Education Manager

  • Heidi’s professional career begins at Xerox Corporation in the Metro Detroit area, where she earned two sales President Club wins.

  • She was recruited by a (then) small medical device company, Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC), where she sold peripheral medical devices, taught sales training courses, mentored and developed new hires, and developed the “Train the Trainer” program.

  • At BSC, she won President’s Club, the Two Year Achievement Award, and Ring Club.

  • Heidi was one of the pioneers tapped to start-up a new national BSC division, called Insurg. At Insurg, in addition to business development, she trained new hires, instructed acclaimed surgeons on new procedural techniques, and launched the Insurg National Physician Board Relation Meetings.

  • Heidi transitioned from BSC to executive recruiting for Sales Consultants, winning National Rookie of the Year (out of 300 rookies nationwide), five separate Pacesetter Club Trip wins, and Ring Club. She consulted with business owners and executives on best-practices for talent recruitment, incentive programs, and negotiation techniques, while hiring, managing, and training within her own business unit.

  • She was recruited away by her largest client, EMC, a Fortune 100 data storage company, where she closed $3 million of new business in her first six months.

  • Heidi left sales and entered into a partnership with Leadership Capital Group, a people development organization, to pursue her ongoing interest in corporate development.

  • In March 2005 Heidi created UPwords Inc. to leverage her diverse business background partnering with organizations in leadership development #Leadership. #Communication. #Development. #Change #ConflictResolution. #Teams. #Feedback.

  • UPwords Inc./Heidi secured a national Fortune 100 company training contract for 3 programs - Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Presentation Skills.

  • She successfully placed executives in the energy, medical, technology, and manufacturing industries, helping client companies grow their business by upgrading their executive search and talent strategy process.

  • Heidi created and successfully delivered the acclaimed The Open 360 Feedback Process™️ to hundreds of UPwords Inc. leadership clients, positively impacting their growth and transformation.

  • Heidi has developed hundreds of business leaders through 1:1 executive coaching, and UPwords Inc. development programs. She has designed, created, and delivered 6-12 month experiential programs (with 1:1 coaching and team development components), and facilitated retreats on a variety of topics including communication, leadership development, culture, conflict resolution, and team identity.

  • In 2021, Heidi wrote a book! The Light Switch: Plugging Into Your Core Power to Transform How You Lead guides leaders (and anyone hoping to evolve!) through an introspective initial phase of the UPwords Inc. development/coaching process.

  • In 2023, Heidi launched a podcast!! Heidi creates, hosts, and produces the Charging Up Leadership! podcast which includes all topics relevant to leaders—including individual topic segments, leadership guest interviews, and health & wellness topics

  • Heidi holds a B.A. from Wayne State University—with a major in Marketing and a minor in German. She is also a graduate of Leadership University—School of Developmental Coaching program, Coach2 and the MLCS (Master Leadership Coaching System). She is a member of the ICF (International Coaching Federation), and certified in the Integrative Enneagram, and the B.A.N.K. communication system.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SCHEDULE A CALL

Heidi is a leadership development professional who grew up in Corporate America and knows the drill. She brings years of success, business acumen, and leadership development expertise to your corporate events—keynote address, workshops, executive coaching—specializing in topics on authenticity, communication, leadership, teamwork/team-building, and transformational growth.

Click below to explore partnering with Heidi.