Jonathan Eldridge

Jonathan Eldridge spent 25 years building regional markets in professional services and staffing, eventually serving as Chief Experience Officer at a consulting firm that scaled to a billion-dollar valuation. Along the way, he discovered something that mattered more than any number on a balance sheet: how leaders show up for their people changes everything.

That insight became the foundation for the CARE Framework — Connection Amplifies Real Engagement — a 12-attribute, 4-pillar leadership system that helps organizations build cultures where people feel genuinely seen, valued, and engaged. Today, Jonathan is the founder of Soul Focus, LLC, a national keynote speaker, and the national bestselling author of Struggle to Strength: How Authentic, Relatable Leadership Shapes Success.

Jonathan’s story goes beyond boardrooms. After four total knee replacements — two of which had to be redone, requiring him to relearn how to walk four times — and a 70-pound personal transformation, he discovered firsthand that the resilience required to rebuild your body is the same resilience required to rebuild a team, a culture, or a career.

Jonathan brings this rare combination — decades of executive experience and a deeply personal story of struggle and comeback — to every stage. His keynotes and workshops leave audiences with the CARE Equation, clarity on their own Premier and Focus Attributes, and a practical 13-week IT Factor micro-action plan.

Recently, Jonathan delivered the closing keynote at SMPS SERC 2026 and led a leadership workshop for Barton Malow Enterprise, working across professional services, A/E/C, staffing, HR, and consulting — helping leaders and their teams develop their own IT Factor.