JOHANNA MASKA
Communications Expert | Presidential Advisor | Bridge-Builder
Johanna Maska orchestrated presidential imagery for eight years, and now she brings that expertise to her readers and clients.
WHO SHE IS:
Johanna Maska is the strategist from Galesburg, Illinois who helped shape how the world saw President Obama for eight years — from the Iowa campaign to the White House (2007-2015) — orchestrating presidential events in almost every state and across 40+ countries. Maska learned early that real leadership requires resilience. That determination helped her grow a business from startup to multimillion-dollar success, speak globally, and become a national TV contributor.
Today, she's a voice Americans trust to make sense of political chaos. Whether she's on Substack helping sift through political noise or helping organizations navigate impossible terrain, Maska brings the same straight-talking, Midwestern honesty that got her from small-town Illinois to the center of power. She gets why people are frustrated, and what actually works to fix it.
WHAT JOHANNA MASKA BRINGS TO CLIENTS:
Strategic Communications: Designed and executed press strategies for NATO summits, G8 meetings, presidential addresses and more. Expert in crisis communication and high-pressure message coordination.
High-Stakes Execution: Secured critical access and cooperation in challenging environments, from chain-smoking generals' offices in Egypt to managing diplomatic channels that resulted in China’s President Xi answering a question from the US press. Coordinated a presidential address in Afghanistan just 7 weeks after childbirth when operational demands required that expertise.
Real-World Problem Solving: Anticipates problems before they become national news, manages multiple high-stakes crises simultaneously, and translates complex policy dynamics into compelling narratives that move audiences.
WHY ORGANIZATIONS CHOOSE HER:
Clients don't want another consultant — they want someone with a track record. When Johanna Maska coaches executives on media appearances, it's because she's appeared hundreds of times across every major network herself. When she helps organizations navigate public scrutiny, it's because she's handled the most high-stakes situations herself. When she advises on audience engagement, it's because she's hosted award-winning podcasts that grew to thousands of subscribers. Maska doesn't just advise on complex challenges, she's solved them.
HER UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE:
Growing up believing she was the oldest of three, then discovering at 21 that her older brother had been placed for adoption, taught Maska that every family, and every story, is more complex than it first appears. That revelation shaped how she sees people and problems: with curiosity instead of judgment, empathy instead of assumptions.
It's this perspective that informs her writing, her consulting, and her approach to every conversation. Maska brings that understanding to everything she does, knowing that the most important details are often the ones people don't immediately share.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS | STRATEGIC CONSULTING | MEDIA COMMENTARY
Ready to explore working together? contact@johannamaska.com
Follow her thoughts on leadership, politics, and finding common ground at Johannamaska.com
