Great leadership comes from real people learning how to show up better at work, especially when things feel messy or uncertain. That’s the idea behind Kinetic Talent, an Asheville-based leadership development partnership founded in 2023 by Joanne and Steve Wright. Through practical, human-centered programs, they help leaders build self-awareness, communicate more clearly and navigate change with confidence.
In this Q&A, Joanne and Steve share the story behind their business, what makes their approach different, and why Asheville continues to ground and inspire their work.
Tell us about your business.
We partner with organizations that want to grow strong, capable leaders in the midst of change. Our work includes cohort-based leadership programs, group and one-to-one coaching, workshops and facilitated summits. Everything we do is designed to be practical and human-centered. We focus on leaders showing up at their best, especially under pressure.
What distinguishes our approach is the belief that leadership development is deeper than new skills, knowledge or frameworks. It starts with self-awareness: understanding how you think, communicate, and respond when things get hard. From there, we help leaders practice clearer communication, better decision-making, and steadier presence so that everyone thrives in real work situations.
At the heart of Kinetic Talent is a simple mission: to help realign work culture toward respect and deeper purpose. We work as partners with our clients, co-creating leadership development experiences that meet the needs of their people today and prepare them for what’s ahead.
How did you come up with the concept for your business?
Kinetic Talent grew out of our years of working one-on-one as executive coaches with leaders who were capable and committed, but often stretched thin by constant change and pressure. When we were invited to work with cohorts of leaders inside two companies right here in Asheville, we were struck by how much deeper the learning went—people learned from one another, change happened faster and it lasted. So we chose to pivot toward business-to-business leadership development. The name reflects that experience: Kinetic for movement and momentum, and Talent for the human potential already present in every person and team.
What makes your business unique in its field?
What makes our work unique is that we design leadership development for the workplace as it actually exists now—not the one most programs were built for. Since COVID, work has changed dramatically, generational expectations are more varied, and in an AI-driven world it’s the human skills (self-awareness, communication, judgment, presence) that make the workplace worthwhile.
We’re deeply passionate about helping humans become better leaders, and helping leaders become better humans.
During your first year of business, what was the greatest lesson you learned?
Our biggest lesson in the first year was learning to trust our instincts about where the real value lies. When we slowed down, listened closely to our prospects and clients, and stayed focused on depth over volume, the work became more meaningful and more effective. Saying no to the wrong opportunities made space for the right partnerships to take shape.
Why did you decide to join the Chamber?
We joined the Chamber because we believe strong businesses grow best in networked communities. As a locally based firm, nothing beats the energy we feel through real relationships with other leaders in our city and region. We love it where we live, and the Chamber helps us connect deeply to what’s happening across Asheville and the surrounding area.
What is your favorite part about doing business in the Asheville area?
While most of our work takes place across the country, Asheville is where we stay grounded. We care deeply about this community and continue to invest here, learning from Asheville’s creativity and collaborative spirit. It shapes how we work. It’s such a blast to walk downtown, and almost without fail, run into someone we know.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your business?
One thing people often notice about our work is that we don’t try to look or sound like most leadership development firms. We’re a married couple of 36 years, parents of four creative adults and co-founders of this “second career” business together. If we didn’t practice the human skills we teach every day, there’s no way we could pull this off. Our sessions with companies are experiential, real and high-energy, because we believe leadership growth is something you live into, just like we did. It isn’t about knowing more. It’s about showing up differently to become that better someone.
What’s next for Kinetic Talent?
Over the next year, we see Kinetic Talent deepening our work with four to five organizations where we can have real, lasting impact. Over the next five years, we envision growing thoughtfully, becoming a trusted leadership development partner for companies navigating change, while continuing to refine and share our future-focused, human-centered approach.