“I believe that we are more creatively empowered in our work and play when we are listening, aware, and centered in the presence of creative tension, rather than being consumed by a state of high anxiety and self doubt that leaves us fearfully disempowered. We can learn how to use these concepts and become active participants in the moment.”
Chris Ulrich guides leaders in developing what he calls “adaptive executive presence,” drawing from his background in behavioral communication, political consulting, and improvisational performance. Ulrich believes that what separates exceptional leaders is adaptive executive presence: the ability to read any room and naturally adjust one’s energy, tone, and approach to what each specific context demands, while embracing who you are. It’s the difference between noticing subtle nonverbal cues that signal skepticism, despite nodding heads, and adjusting your approach to address unspoken concerns, versus assuming agreement and losing the room without realizing it.
He is the founder of CU in the Moment, a company that helps leaders master nonverbal communication, behavioral dynamics, and high-performance presentation skills. As a sought-after media consultant, Ulrich can be seen on CNN, Headline News, Good Morning America, Fox Business News, MSNBC, ESPN, BBC, and News Nation, where he educates viewers about behavioral dynamics and non-verbal communication. His insights have also been featured in The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and The New York Post.
This media expertise builds on Ulrich’s extensive government experience, where he refined his ability to read high-stakes situations and tailor communication for maximum impact. He served as a Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Al Gore, Issue Director to Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Lieberman, Political Analyst at the Embassy of Japan, and effectiveness consultant for Energy Secretary Chu. Over the course of 18 years, he worked closely with top-level officials, trusted to guide them on how to organize and customize their briefings for maximum effectiveness. These roles taught him how to quickly assess audience needs and adjust his approach accordingly – skills that now form the foundation of his adaptive executive presence methodology.
Today, Ulrich applies this methodology through his company CU in the Moment and as a senior instructor at the Body Language Institute. He trains executives, salespeople, and entrepreneurs to improve their executive presence using nonverbal communication principles.
Beyond traditional consulting, Chris brings the real-time adaptability of improvisational performance to his leadership training. He has studied at top improv institutions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, and continues to perform regularly while teaching classes. This expertise has also led to strategic guidance roles, including work with Edelman Public Relations as part of its creative content team. This background in spontaneous collaboration and audience awareness provides leaders with a real-world foundation to develop adaptive executive presence in any situation.
CU in the Moment provides coaching and training that focuses on body language and presentation skills. We will teach you how to be poised and carry yourself with ease and confidence. This is not a false sense of confidence, but rather a genuine representation of your true self, only better. You will learn how both your non-verbal and spoken messages are received, and how to improve your delivery. To do this, CU in the Moment utilizes body language training and improvisation techniques to prepare you to think and act quickly. You’ll also develop active and mindful listening skills, and critical and creative problem solving skills.
How do we get you out of your head and into your potential?
CU in the Moment provides coaching and training that focuses on body language and presentation skills. We will teach you how to be poised and carry yourself with ease and confidence. This is not a false sense of confidence, but rather a genuine representation of your true self, only better. You will learn how both your non-verbal and spoken messages are received, and how to improve your delivery. To do this, CU in the Moment utilizes body language training and improvisation techniques to prepare you to think and act quickly. You’ll also develop active and mindful listening skills, and critical and creative problem solving skills.
About Chris Ulrich
Chris Ulrich is a body language expert, political consultant, improvisational actor, and personal coach. He is the founder CU in the Moment, a company with a multi-disciplined approach to educating clients about body language, personal confidence, and presentation skills.
Ulrich is a media consultant who can be seen on CNN, Headline News, Good Morning America, Fox Business News, MSNBC, ESPN, Dr. Oz, Washington’s USA Channel 9, and Fox 5 DC where he educates viewers about non-verbal communication issues. In addition to his work at CU in the Moment, Ulrich is also a senior instructor at the Body Language Institute. Ulrich trains executives, salespeople, government staffers, lobbyists, and small business entrepreneurs to use the new body language to transform their executive presence. He also served as a consultant to Edelman Public Relations as part of its creative content team, leading brainstorming sessions to encourage new ways of thinking for Edelman client accounts.
Prior to founding CU in the Moment, Ulrich worked closely with top level government officials for over 18 years. He specializes in streamlining, organizing, and prioritizing the type of information that is presented to government officials through the briefing process. He served as a Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Al Gore, Issue Director to Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Lieberman, Political Analyst at the Embassy of Japan, and as an effectiveness consultant for Energy Secretary Chu.
In his spare time, Ulrich regularly performs with Jive Turkey and Nox, improv comedy troupes in Washington, D.C. He was a cast member in Capital Gym, a comedy pilot that appeared on the Food Network’s Dinner Impossible with Chef Robert Irvine. Ulrich studied improvisational comedy at the Uprights Citizens Brigade and The Magnet Theater in New York, Improv Olympic and Annoyance Theater in Chicago and Los Angeles, and the Washington Improv Theater and DC Improv in Washington. He recently earned a certification in Movement Pattern Analysis at Columbia College of Chicago.
“I believe that we are more creatively empowered in our work and play when we are listening, aware, and centered in the presence of creative tension, rather than being consumed by a state of high anxiety and self doubt that leaves us fearfully disempowered. We can learn how to use these concepts and become active participants in the moment.” ~ Chris Ulrich
