About Adair

Teacher, speaker and author Adair Cates empowers and inspires others (and especially teachers) to be their happiest and best selves. In the last eight years, she has taught in six schools from middle school to community college, written a book, started her own business and been genuinely unhappy as an educator. Today, she is a happy, full-time teacher who travels the world sharing stories, examples and tools to inspire teachers and other audiences to stop living “in tension” and to start living with intention. Her book, Live with Intention: Ten Steps to Creating the Life of Your Dreams, presents readers with the blueprint necessary to live a successful and fulfilled life.

Adair has been speaking to audiences since the third grade! Today she presents to groups of all ages and backgrounds, from high school students and educators to non-profit organizations and business professionals. Adair values clarity, appreciation and human connection, qualities that shine through in her interactive and practical presentations.

Some of her past clients include: AmeriCorps, Banana Republic, JHM Hotels, Silpada Designs, Mountain BizWorks, University of North Carolina at Asheville and the North Carolina School Counselor’s Association. She has appeared as a featured guest on numerous radio and television shows and continues to make regular media appearances relating her passion, living with intention, to many current topics and events.

Adair has an MA degree in Spanish education from Appalachian State University and a BS degree in Journalism and Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has taught Spanish in middle school, high school and college for over six years. Adair is one of Bob Proctor’s LifeSuccess consultants (from the blockbuster movie and best-selling book The Secret) and has trained with many of the giants in the motivational industry. She and her musician husband Chris are co-founders and owners of Synergy Shift, a company who’s primary intent is to empower and inspire others to be their happiest and best selves. They live in Asheville, NC with their dog Mozart two cats Lionel and Wario.