Leadership Coaching for Festival Directors & Live Event Professionals
From Someone Who's Actually Doing The Work
36 years leading in the festival and live event space | Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach
NEW ONLINE COURSE — LAUNCHING MAY 2026
Save $100 · Join the Waitlist for Festival Leadership Foundations →Recognized Across the Industry
36+
Years Leading in the
Festival & Live Events Industry
400K+
Annual Attendees Served
Across Major Festivals
◆
Billboard 2024
Touring Power Player
Meet EJ
Eugenie
“EJ”
Encalarde
Festival Leader · Coach · Practitioner
I’ve been on the production side of this industry for 36 years. Jazz Fest. The Essence Music Festival. Presidential Inaugurations. NFL events. I know what it costs to build something extraordinary — and I know what it costs the people who build it.
That’s why I became a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach and built The Leadership House — because our industry is full of brilliant operators who were never given the leadership framework to match their talent. I’m not here to teach you corporate theory. I’m here because I’m still doing this work, and I built the tools I wished I’d had.
The full story →
What We’re Not Talking About — But Should Be
You built something extraordinary.
And it might be quietly costing you everything.
I’ve been in this industry for 36 years. I’ve stood on the production side of Jazz Fest, Presidential Inaugurations, NFL events — stages that take your breath away. I know what it feels like when the crowd arrives and everything you sacrificed to make it happen suddenly makes sense.
I also know what it feels like at 2am the week before load-in, when your best department head is one resignation letter away from leaving. When you’re the person everyone needs to be strong — and you haven’t had a full night’s sleep in three weeks. When “the show must go on” stops being a rallying cry and starts being a warning sign.
Our industry talks about production excellence. We celebrate the wins. What we haven’t built — until now — is the leadership infrastructure to sustain the people producing all of it.
74% of live events professionals report poor mental health directly caused by their work. Suicide rates in our industry run 5–10 times higher than the general population. These aren’t abstract statistics — they’re our colleagues, our crews, our emerging leaders.
Source: Skiddle Industry Report, 2024The problem isn’t that festival professionals aren’t resilient. We are the most resilient people on the planet. The problem is that resilience without a leadership framework to hold it eventually breaks. And when it breaks, it takes institutional knowledge, team culture, and the next generation of leaders with it.
This industry deserves better than grinding through.
That’s exactly why I built The Leadership House.
How We Work Together
Three ways to build the leadership your festival deserves
01
Rising Festival
Leaders Workshops
For Teams · Half-Day & Full-Day Intensives
Your team is talented. But talent alone doesn’t build a culture that survives the pressure of a festival season. This intensive is designed for the room you’ve been afraid to put in a room together — cross-departmental, multigenerational, high-stakes. We use CliftonStrengths assessments and my Three Depths Framework™ to build a shared leadership language your team can actually use when it matters most.
Learn more →02
Executive
Coaching
For Directors & Senior Leaders · 6-Month Partnership
You didn’t get to this level by accident. But the playbook that got you here won’t necessarily carry you to what’s next. I work with festival directors and senior production leaders who are ready to lead from a deeper place — with strategic clarity, sustainable practices, and a strengths-based framework built for the specific reality of our industry. Not generic coaching. Not corporate frameworks. This is work built from 36 years on the ground.
Schedule a consultation →03
Speaking
& Consulting
Keynotes · Panels · Strategic Advisory
The festival industry doesn’t need another outside voice telling us what we should do differently. It needs someone who has actually done the work — on the stages, in the tents, through the crises — to bring a real perspective to the conversations that shape our future. I’ve spoken at FestForums, Folk Alliance International, the European Festival Summit, and NIVA. I bring operational depth, research-backed frameworks, and a point of view earned over 36 years of production. Let’s put that to work for your conference or organization.
Inquire about speaking →What Leaders Are Saying
Results that speak for themselves
“EJ is a bright light that brings a balanced, grounded energy to the projects that engage her expertise. She is a consummate professional, extremely patient and listens to her client and staff needs. I learned invaluable lessons working alongside EJ in the beginning of my career.”
Gina Charbonnet
GECHAR INC. · Former EJ Encalarde Mentee & ESSENCE Festival Producer
“EJ Encalarde has been an incredible coach and mentor to me. Her insight has guided me through complex problem-solving in my career and personal growth. She is frank and will tell you like it is, but she always comes from a place of love.”
Marion W., LMSW
Office Operations Administration
“This course inspired me to be more calm when speaking and listening to my coworkers. Best takeaway was EJ’s straight advice on professionalism in the workplace. My team needs more coaching classes like this.”
Anthony W.
Cultural Curation Manager
Ready to lead at a higher level?
Let’s talk →Free Resource · The Leadership House
Are you one season away
from burnout?
Start here.
The 3 Questions Every Live Events Leader Should Ask
Before Burnout Answers For Them
After 36 years in this industry, I know what burnout looks like before it announces itself. I built this free resource for the leader who is still showing up strong — but quietly running on empty. Three questions. Five minutes. The clarity your next season depends on.
Get Free Access → Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.Festival Leadership Insights
Real talk for the leaders
who keep the show running.
Practical wisdom on team dynamics, sustainable leadership, career development, and the unique pressures of leading in festival and live events — from someone still doing the work.
Recognition · Speaking · Industry Presence
Where the work speaks for itself.
