DYNAMIC SPEAKERS - Key Persons
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- Motivational Speaker & Professional Baseball Player
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- Nonverbal Communication Expert
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- Author of International Bestseller, the Happiness Advantage
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- Everest Expedition Leader, Author
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- Dean of Boston College 's Carroll School of Management
Andy Boynton is Dean of Boston College's Carroll School of Management, one of the world's leading business schools, the author of several books and co-creator of DeepDive™, the world's leading methodology for helping executives harness the power of teams to significantly improve problem-solving speed, innovation and results.
Prior to joining Boston College, Boynton was a professor of strategy at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland for 10 years. At the IMD he led a faculty team and was program director of one of the world's top ten Executive MBA programs, as recognized by Business Week.
Boynton has recently launched new research projects to explore how distinguished experts from a variety of knowledge-domains work with ideas to achieve professional success and improve their effectiveness in social networks. His latest book, The Idea Hunter: How to Find the Best Ideas and Make them Happen (Jossey-Bass), is based on this research and is co-authored with Bill Fischer and William Bole.
He has also published extensively on factors underlying high-performing teams across a variety of disciplines, including art, science, exploration, and design. His previous books include Virtuoso Teams: Lessons from Teams That Changed Their Worlds (Financial Times-Prentice Hall) and Invented Here: Maximizing Your Organization's Internal Growth and Profitability (Harvard Business School Press).
He is a 1978 graduate of Boston College. Boynton earned his MBA and PhD at the Kenan-Flagler School of Business, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He has served on the MBA faculty at the Kenan-Flagler School of Business and at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.
In addition to his publishing career and role as Dean of the Carroll School of Management, Boynton has over twenty years of experience speaking and designing powerful executive education sessions and seminars for firms around the world. He is often utilized by organizations looking to build more innovative and effective teams and his articles in this area have appeared in elite management journals such as Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, and The California Management Review.
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- Top Digital Marketing Consultant
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- CEO of Simon T. Bailey International
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- Founder of Leadership Inc
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- Deputy Executive Director
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- Expert
- Nonverbal Communication Expert
Bill Acheson is an expert in nonverbal communication. Since 1985, Bill has taught communication at the University of Pittsburgh. As a keynote speaker, he uses his knowledge of nonverbal communication - body language - to teach professionals how to project themselves with greater impact. In the process they also learn to interpret the subconscious messages sent by others.
What do MasterCard, Infosys, Bank of America, Ikea, Blue Cross, and AARP have in common? They've all had their pockets picked by Bob Arno, con artist of the conference trade. Bob provokes extraordinary audience reaction, and is that rare presenter who galvanizes any given group with human drama, invaluable advice, and comic relief.
If it takes a thief to know a thief, and you want to know the latest trends in corporate and personal security, then keynote speaker Bob Arno is the perfect choice for your next conference. Lean, lanky and a little larcenous, this infotainer is also provocative, intelligent, thrilling, edgy, and very, very entertaining. Highlight is a word liberally applied to him by his corporate clients.
Bob Arno's upbeat talks teach awareness and the importance of observation as a strategy to gain the competitive advantage in business relationships. Tactical observation skills lifted from the street are useful in the boardroom and business lunch. Illustrated with demos, brought to life with video, and peppered with humor and anecdotes, Bob Arno's upbeat talks teach awareness and the importance of observation as a strategy to gain the competitive advantage in business relationships.
Bob is a speaker, entertainer, author, and special lecturer to law enforcement agencies. He has been profiled or quoted on NPR, CNN, MSNBC, ABC's 20/20, The Travel Channel, The Learning Channel, Discovery, Court TV, in The New York Times, USA Today, Fortune, Kiplinger's, National Geographic Traveler, Law and Order, and others. He has lectured for the Police Departments of Chicago, San Diego, Houston, Las Vegas, Detroit, Honolulu, Anaheim, and many abroad; for the California Tourism Safety & Security Conference, the International Tourism Safety and Security Conference, and many others; for Kroll & Associates, RSA Security Conference and Expo, and more. He taught an accredited course at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy.
As a comedy pickpocket performer, his career spans thirty years of success on four continents. He delivers some of the longest sustained laughter in corporate show business-guaranteed hysteria. Yes, Bob is "LOL" funny, but he also delivers a gripping reality. His presentations are thought-provoking, timely, and deeply absorbing.
Bob's show-and-tell keynote presentation, Secrets of the Steal Business, is a powerful corporate edutainment experience, regularly praised as "fascinating," "educational," and "invaluable."
Bob Arno is an international street-crime and diversion theft authority. He scouts the world's major cities to track and film con artists and scamsters in action. His extraordinary footage, frequently used on news- and talk-shows, is a highlight of his presentations. It reveals creative ruses, brazen thefts, secret MOs, and techniques in identity theft never before documented. Many hours of interrogation of thieves have given Bob a unique insight into the mind and manners of identity thieves and their latest tricks-of-the-trade. Bob stresses the importance of simple and serious steps to reduce exposure and risk of ID theft.
Self-proclaimed "Cybersatirist" Bob Hirschfeld initially made his mark with a popular humor web site awarded a prestigious Top 100 by PC Magazine. He followed this by establishing himself as a business satirist and was profiled in USA Today and The Wall Street Journal for his success.
That's why companies like Forbes, Microsoft, Honda, Shell, Cox Communications, the National Association of Homebuilders and hundreds of others have booked Bob for 15 years to bring laughter to their conferences. No matter what field of business, Bob will work closely with clients to make his customized presentation a highlight of your event with smart, witty, appropriate humor for your business audience.
Bob Hirschfeld's humor has appeared in Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and USA Today. For several years, he was a contributing writer to Jay Leno for "The Tonight Show." Jay calls Bob "one of the top satirists in the country."
Bob Hirschfeld has been lampooning technology and business at conferences for over 10 years with his "stand-up with a laptop" brand of satire. His success as a "Cybersatirist" was profiled in The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.
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- Associate Editor for the Washington Post
- Journalist
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- Founder and CEO of Futurethink
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- President of the Game Changers Inc
Boris Brott is one of the most internationally recognized Canadian conductors, holding major posts as music director in Canada and the United States. He enjoys an international career as guest conductor, educator, motivational speaker and cultural ambassador.
Currently, Boris is Conductor and Music Director of the New West Symphony in California, the McGill Chamber Orchestra in Montreal, Canada, the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and Principal Youth and Family Conductor of the National Arts Center of Canada. He is also Artistic Director of the Brott Musical Festivals, Ontario's principal classical orchestra music festival.
Internationally, Boris has served as Assistant Conductor to the New York Philharmonic under the late Leonard Bernstein, Music Director and Conductor for the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, Chief Conductor of the BBC National Symphony of Wales and Music Director of the Northern Sinfonia of England. His extensive guest-conducting appearances have been around the world. In 2000, he conducted Leonard Bernstein's The Mass for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.
In 1988, Boris was awarded the Officer of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civic honor. That same year, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law at McMaster University. Two years later, he was made a Knight of Malta. In 1992, he was selected International Man of the Year by the International Biographical Center in Cambridge, England. In 1996, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts of Great Britain. In 2006, he was appointed to the Order of Ontario.
In addition to his conducting career, Boris is a motivational speaker, presenting more than 35 talks annually around the world for Fortune 500 companies.
Besides numerous film and radio commitments, Mr. Brott has conducted, produced, and and hosted over 100 television programs on both sides of the Atlantic. He has recorded for CBC, Septre-Mace, Mercury, Pro-Arte Records and Sony Classical where CDs with the late Glenn Gould have been released.
He lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with his wife, Ardyth, who is an author and lawyer. The Brotts have three children and two dogs
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- Dean of Boston College 's Carroll School of Management
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- President, Eurasia Group, Expert on Global Politics & Risk Management
Brian has been delivering workshops and economic analysis seminars in 7 countries to thousands of business owners and executives for the last 35 years. During that period he has also been consulting with companies who need a domestic and global perspective on how to forecast, plan, and increase their profits based on business cycle trend analysis.
He is co-author of Prosperity in the Age of Decline, a powerful look at how to make the most of the US and global trends over the next 20 years. Brian also co-authored Make Your Move, a practical and insightful guide on increasing profits through business cycle changes, and noted by one reviewer as "simple, yet awesome." In addition, Brian co-authored But I Want It, a children's book that helps children learn the value of money, saving, and helping others.
He is on the Board of Directors of the Ariens Company, a global leading manufacturer of outdoor power equipment, and a member of the Investment Committee for NorthStar Financial Services, CLS Investments in Omaha, Nebr.
Brian's views have appeared in/on: the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Barron's, USA Today, CNBC TV, FOX Business TV, Knight Ridder News Services, Reuters, CBS Radio, The Washington Times, Forbes, Atlanta Journal Constitution, KERA TV, Canadian TV, and numerous other outlets. He is a regular columnist and contributing economist to national trade associations and publications.
Brian's presentations cover a wide variety of topics including short- and long-term global economic forecasts, regional economic updates, an outlook on inflation, and the relationship of political events and economic growth. He details what economic indicators executives should follow and provides proven strategies for leveraging economic forecasts at the company level.
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- Expert on Technology, Marketing, and the Internet
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- Best Selling Author & World Renowned Speaker
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- Expert Economist, Political and Financial Advisor
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- National Geographic Writer, Renowned Explorer and Author, Blue Zones
During his pursuit of developing advanced selling skills, he has been identified as one of the top 10 trainers in the country and has authored a series of books for McGraw Hill and American Management Association. His techniques have been featured in many leading publications and called a breakthrough approach in sales and management development.
He is a veteran of over 2,000 live and virtual presentations. To date, his material has been delivered to millions of sales and business professionals. Charlie's concepts are the primary training format for many mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies ranging from: pharmaceutical, medical, accounting, technology, banking/finance, insurance, healthcare and manufacturing fields.
Charlie holds a Master's Degree in Training and Development. He has been featured on the Peter Lowe Success tour and authored "Take your Sales to the Next Level," "Proactive Customer Service" and "Sales Questions that Close the Sale."
Recently he has completed a case study to determine what impedes top level sales performance, Charlie's powerful message shares the four key factors to sales success. Engaging, thought provoking, interactive and entertaining, his methods enable any sales professional to elevate performance and achieve the level of excellence.
Chris Bashinelli, better known as "Bash", was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York to Lebanese and Italian-American parents. After a decade-long acting career including an appearance on the HBO hit television show, The Sopranos, Bash decided to follow his real passion - using media to build bridges between cultures. He now traverses the globe from Uganda to Haiti as Host of Bridge the Gap, a television series featured on PBS and the National Geographic Channel, where he experience's life in someone else's shoes.
A celebrated Diversity & Inclusion and Wellness speaker, Bash has traveled the world for more than a decade sharing a message of connection and understanding everywhere from Fortune 500 Companies, to inside prison walls, to the United Nations General Assembly Hall. His world view was shaped on his childhood "Stoop" where his friends shared a combined total of thirteen nationalities. He has shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, the UN Secretary General and his mentor - Dr. Jane Goodall.
After studying Anthropology in East Africa at 20 years old, Chris Bashinelli returned home to discover his father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The death of his father sent him on an international quest to better understand the human condition and the universal qualities that lead to a happy, meaningful life. Bash has lived with nomads in Mongolia, worked with suicide prevention activists in Pine Ridge and Sumo wrestled the heaviest Japanese human being in recorded history. Through one of kind stories of adventure and authentic moments of human connection, Bash truly bridges the gap between self and other, helping us recognize our shared humanity.
Bash has spoken around the world - from TEDx, to Abu Dhabi, to Azerbaijan, at multi-million dollar corporations and Ivy League Universities. At 24 years old he became one of the youngest moderators in the history of the United Nations. Bash is a National Geographic Explorer, a UN Moderator, an Eagle Scout and has interviewed some of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People on the Planet.
Chris Blackmore is a professional magician, comedian and speaker. A popular corporate performer, Chris regularly appears (and disappears!) in shows throughout the country and the world.
Chosen to entertain thousands of guests daily at Disney in California and Walt Disney World in Florida, Chris also provides conventions and corporate events with his brand of clean and hilarious entertainment.
Moving easily between comedy and magic with a sharp gift of improvisation, he keeps his show moving and full of energy. His talent for quick wit and thought provoking humor is balanced by a charming personality that wins over audiences. His show features an interactive style of comedy is extremely popular, very professional and tactful. All this done with your positive, professional, corporate image in mind.
Chris understands the corporate culture. That is why his approach works so well. He knows when, where and how to integrate clean, appropriate humor into your important event. Chris has gained a solid reputation for designing his show around your message, combining information and illusion, magic and communication.
Chris has headlined at numerous Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos.
Chris Blackmore helps you identify and tear down the invisible walls that prevent you from working as a team, opening up magical possibilities among your coworkers.
Using hilarious and amazing magic, Chris will motivate and inspire positive change in the interaction of your business world. As a professional magician, Chris will show you how the right hand and left hand must always work together with the eyes and ears to create magic.
Chris Blackmore has literally had relationships with millions of people over the last twenty five years!
As a performer, Chris has to create an instant bond with hundreds, or thousands, of people he's never met before. As a magician, he's had to keep secrets from those people, yet share the magic like a friend.
Now Chris is going to reveal one of the most important tricks in the business world… Magical Secrets to Successful Relationships.
Chris was also one of the first surprise stars of the YouTube era, when his "Amazing Juggling Finale" video went viral to the tune of over 80,000,000 downloads. The video reprises the signature piece of his early career as an internationally acclaimed variety act, when he toured with superstars from Eric Clapton to Michael Jackson. Its internet fans included Ringo Star, who posted the video on his personal website, and Fatboy Slim, who asked Chris to star in his music video "Old Pair of Jeans", and then invited him to perform the song live with the Paul Shaffer Band on the Late Show with David Letterman.
More recently, Chris branched out from traditional stand-up to deliver his first TED talk, "Comedy Is Translation", which has been viewed by over half a million people. Invitations followed to speak at Images and Voices of Hope, an annual summit of thought leaders from across the media spectrum that explores the impact of media messaging on societies worldwide, and Chicago Ideas Week, a citywide event dedicated to "igniting change to positively impact our world", that in it's first two years has featured luminaries from Bill Clinton to Tom Brokaw.
Chris subsequently developed a full length keynote of the same title, which he debuted at the Louisville IdeaFestival in the fall of 2013. The talk explores how and why comedy works so well at overcoming our engrained perspectives, and how we can apply those lessons to be more effective communicators.
In the midst of all of this, Chris also launched the Bill of Rights Monument Project, a nonprofit dedicated to creating monuments of the Bill of Rights across America. He started the project after discovering there wasn't a single monument to this cornerstone of our individual rights and liberties. That all changed on December 15, 2012, with dedication of the Bill of Rights Monument at the Arizona Capitol, a historic first for the State and the nation.
The dedication garnered coverage in both the New York Times and USA Today. Culminating seven years of hard work, Chris is now building on that success to organize a national endowment to bring the Bill of Rights to all fifty State Capitols.
The through line connecting all these dots is Chris's passion for communication. Whether it's his unique approach to juggling as a musical art, his scathingly funny comedy about the absurdities of our modern world, or his commitment to spreading awareness of our founding principles, Chris Bliss is continually searching for new approaches to old conventions, and fresh ways of expressing them. The result is entertaining and original presentations that are as refreshing as they are captivating.
One thing is certain. To paraphrase his write-up in the Washington Post, if you're looking to laugh and think, you can't do better than Chris Bliss.
Job Titles:
- Researcher
- National Geographic Writer
- National Geographic Writer, Renowned Explorer and Author, Blue Zones
Dan Buettner is an internationally recognized researcher, explorer, New York Times best-selling author, and National Geographic Fellow. He founded Blue Zones®, a company that puts the world's best practices in longevity and well-being to work in people's lives.
Buettner's colossal research effort, funded in part by the National Geographic Expeditions Council and the National Institute on Aging, has taken him from Costa Rica to Italy to Japan and beyond. He has discovered that the way people interact with each other, nourish their bodies, and view their world impacts the extent and quality of their lives.
Buettner's National Geographic cover story on longevity, "The Secrets of Living Longer", was one of the magazine's top-selling issues in history and a made him a finalist for a "National Magazine Award". His books The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest (2008) and Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way (2010) appeared on many best seller lists and were both featured on Oprah. Buettner is also the author of The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People (2015).
In 2009, Buettner and his partner, AARP, applied principles of The Blue Zones to Albert Lea, Minnesota, and successfully raised life expectancy and lowered health care costs by some 40 percent. He's currently working with Healthways to implement the program in the Beach Cities of Los Angeles and the entire state of Iowa. Their strategy focuses on optimizing the health environment instead of individual behavior change. Writing in Newsweek, Harvard University's Walter Willet called the results "stunning."
Buettner has written for Outside, LIFE, and National Geographic magazines and has been profiled in People, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, and USA Today. He also holds three world records in distance cycling and has won an "Emmy Award" for television production.
has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity and happiness. He identified Blue Zones-places where have the greatest life expectancy and where more people reach age 100 than anywhere else. Working with a team of experts, Buettner distilled their secrets into nine common denominators he calls the Power 9™. What is the optimal diet for making it to a healthy age 90? Should you be running marathons or doing yoga? What supplements work? Does stress really shorten your life? Dan debunks the most common myths and offers a science-backed blue print for the average American to live another 12 quality years. Using National Geographic photography and a dynamic delivery, Dan takes audiences to each of the Blue Zones and leaves audience with a actionable plan to live longer, healthier lives.
Dave Barry has been a professional humorist ever since he discovered that professional humor was a lot easier than working.
For many years he wrote a newspaper column that appeared in more than 500 newspapers and generated thousands of letters from readers who thought he should be fired. Despite this, Barry won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary, although he misplaced it for several years, which is why his wife now keeps it in a secure location that he does not know about. One of Barry's columns was largely responsible for the movement to observe International Talk Like a Pirate Day every year on September 19. This is probably his most enduring achievement.
Barry has written more than 30 books, including the novels Big Trouble, Lunatics, Tricky Business and, most recently, Insane City. He has also written a number of books with titles like I'll Mature When I'm Dead, which are technically classified as nonfiction, although they contain numerous lies. Two of Barry's books were the basis for the CBS sitcom Dave's World, which can probably still be seen on cable TV in certain underdeveloped nations.
Barry lives in Miami with his family and a dog that is determined to urinate on every square inch of North America.
No two speeches of humorist Dave Barry's are exactly the same. Barry brings his hilarious sense of humor to your stage and offers up his wacky point of view on relationships, work, kids, technology, and life in general.
Professor Andy Boynton is one of the top executive development program designers and facilitators in the world and offers customized executive experiences that address strategy, organizational change, leadership, teamwork, professional career enhancement.
In this speech, Dean Boynton demonstrates how barriers to new growth pile up over time and identifies methods to unleashing new growth. Customized to the needs of the audience, the Catalyst speech will provide a short burst of management prescription aimed at topics essential to unleashing growth in many organizations:
Dianna Booher works with organizations to improve communication: leadership communication, executive presence, presentation skills, writing skills, interpersonal skills, organizational communication.
As a prolific author of 46 books, published in 26 languages, she has published with Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books, Warner, Random House, and McGraw-Hill. Her most popular books include:
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- CEO of the Human Performance Institute
Dr. Jim Loehr is a world-renowned performance psychologist, CEO of the Human Performance Institute, and author of 15 books including his most recent, The Power of Story. He also co-authored the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement.
Dr. Loehr's ground-breaking, science-based energy management training system has achieved world-wide recognition and has been chronicled in leading national publications including the Harvard Business Review, Business Week, Fortune, Newsweek, Time, US News and World Report, Success, Fast Company and Omni. He has appeared on NBC's Today Show, ABC's Nightline with Ted Koppel, The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather and CBS Morning News and the Oprah Winfrey Show.
At the core of his training system is the understanding that the stories we tell ourselves represent the single most powerful tool we have for managing energy and achieving any important mission in life. The right stories mobilize us to make tough values-based choices that lead to expanded growth and the wrong stories disengage us.
Dr. Loehr has worked with hundreds of world-class performers from the arenas of sport, business, medicine and law enforcement including Fortune 100 executives, FBI Hostage Rescue Teams, and military Special Forces. Corporate clients of the Institute represent hundreds of Fortune 500 companies including Procter & Gamble, The Estée Lauder Companies, Dell, FBI, GlaxoSmithKline, PepsiCo, and Citigroup Smith Barney. A sampling of his elite clients from the world of sport include: golfers Mark O'Meara and Justin Rose; tennis players Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario; boxer Ray Mancini; hockey players Eric Lindros and Mike Richter; and Olympic gold medal speed skater Dan Jansen.
Dr. Loehr possesses a masters and doctorate in psychology, serves on several prestigious scientific boards and is a full member of the American Psychological Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology.
Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning author of the #1 best selling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart®⎯a consultancy that serves more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies and is the world's leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training.
His bestselling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Harvard Business Review.
Dr. Bradberry is a world-renowned expert in emotional intelligence who speaks regularly in corporate and public settings. Example engagements include Intel, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Fortune Brands, Boston Scientific, the Fortune Growth Summit, The Conference Board: Learning from Legends, the American Society for Training and Development, the Society for Human Resource Management, and Excellence in Government.
Dr. Bradberry holds a Dual Ph.D. in Clinical and Industrial-Organizational psychology. He received his bachelor of science in Clinical Psychology from the University of California - San Diego.
Ed Brodow debunks the myths of success as he shows your audience how to negotiate a more personally fulfilling life. Based on his critically acclaimed book, Beating the Success Trap, Ed argues that balancing the competing aspects of your life is more important than money, fame, status, and power. With insight, humor, and self-revelation, he challenges our toxic definition of success: Instead of envying people who have more money or fame, create a balanced lifestyle that fits your own temperament and preferences. In this increasingly complicated world, success is the result of taking risks, maintaining a sense of balance, and appreciating the contribution you make to others. Your audience will walk away feeling more excited about their jobs and their lives.
Job Titles:
- Consultant and Executive Coach
- President of "the GAMECHANGERS Inc
Eric Boles is President of "The GAMECHANGERS Inc," a training and consulting company whose Leadership, Team and Personal development processes are used by some of the most recognized and successful companies in the world and have helped shape over a half a million successful leaders, managers and employees.
Eric Boles is a highly acclaimed keynote speaker, consultant and executive coach. Eric addresses thousands of men and women each year - on the subjects of leadership, team dynamics and peak performance. His clients include Starbucks Coffee Company, Boeing, Microsoft, Alaska Airlines, AFLAC, Dunkin Brands, U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army Rangers to name a few.
Prior to becoming an authority on teamwork, leadership and personal development, Eric learned many principles of team dynamics, leadership and peak performance from his experiences in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers.
Eric has presented throughout North America and Europe with audiences ranging from 5 to 20,000 people. From the boardrooms of some of our nation's most prestigious Fortune 500 companies, to our Federal and State Governments, Academic Institutions, Professional Sports Franchises and Amateur Athletic Associations, Eric has earned the reputation as a dynamic presenter, facilitator, executive coach and friend.
Eric is married to his lovely wife Cindy and has 2 beautiful daughters, Taylor and Madison.
Job Titles:
- Director and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Former CIA director and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wished he'd recruited Woodward into the CIA, "His ability to get people to talk about stuff they shouldn't be talking about is just extraordinary and may be unique."
Therein lays the genius of Bob Woodward - a journalistic icon who gained international attention when he and Carl Bernstein broke the deeply disturbing news of the Watergate scandal. The book they wrote - All the Presidents Men - won a Pulitzer Prize.
Watergate's theme of secret government is a common thread throughout Woodward's career that spawned 18 books - all went on to become national bestsellers - 12 of them #1 - more than any other contemporary nonfiction author. In the process Woodward became the ultimate inside man. No one else in political investigative journalism has the clout, respect, and reputation of Woodward. He has a way of getting insiders to open up - both on the record and off the record - in ways that reveal an intimate yet sweeping portrayal of Washington and the budget wrangling, political infighting, how we fight wars, the price of politics, how presidents lead, the homeland security efforts, and so much more. His work is meticulous and draws on internal memos, classified documents, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of interviews with most of the key players, including the president.
As a speaker, Woodward pulls the curtain back on Washington and its leaders to captivate audiences with stories that are sometimes surprising, at times shocking, and always fascinating. He blends stories that are both up to the minute and from the past (to provide historical context). Woodward speaks as he writes - crisp and concise - and helps people get behind the spin to understand what's really going on in the halls of power in an age of 24-hour news, social media, and snarky politics.
Professionally, Bob Woodward is currently associate editor for The Washington Post where he's worked since 1971. He has won nearly every American journalism award, and the Post won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for his work with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal. In addition, Woodward was the main reporter for the Post's articles on the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks that won the National Affairs Pulitzer Prize in 2002. Woodward won the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2003.
The Weekly Standard called Woodward "the best pure reporter of his generation, perhaps ever." In 2003, Albert Hunt of The Wall Street Journal called Woodward "the most celebrated journalist of our age." In listing the all-time 100 best non-fiction books, Time magazine has called All the President's Men, by Bernstein and Woodward, "Perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history."
Woodward has co-authored or authored twelve #1 national best-selling non-fiction books. They are: All the President's Men (1974) and The Final Days (1976), both Watergate books, co-authored with Bernstein. The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court (1979) co-authored with Scott Armstrong, Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi (1984), Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-87 (1987), The Commanders (1991), The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House (1994),Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate (1999), Bush at War (2002), Plan of Attack (2004), State of Denial: Bush at War Part III (2006), and Obama's Wars (2010). Woodward's other national bestselling books: The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat (2005), The Choice (1996), Maestro: Greenspan's Fed and the American Boom (2000), The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008 (2008), The Price of Politics (2012) and The Last of the President's Men(2015). Newsweek magazine has excerpted six of Woodward's books in headline-making cover stories; "60 Minutes" has done pieces on seven of his books; three of his books have been made into feature films.
In November, 2017, the online learning portal MasterClass released "Bob Woodward Teaches Investigative Journalism." In it Woodward reveals the lessons he's learned during his 45-year career, teaching students what truth means, how to uncover it, and how to build a story with it (www.MasterClass.com/BW).
Woodward was born March 26, 1943 in Illinois. He graduated from Yale University in 1965 and served five years as a communications officer in the U.S. Navy before beginning his journalism career at the Montgomery County (Maryland) Sentinel, where he was a reporter for one year before joining the Post.
Ed Brodow is the world's top speaker on the art of negotiation. He travels internationally as keynote speaker at meetings and conventions. Since 1987, Ed has enthralled more than 1,000 audiences in Paris, Madrid, Athens, Milan, Frankfurt, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Nairobi, Bogota, Sao Paulo, Montreal, Washington, and New York-plus millions of television viewers-with his charismatic stage presence, infectious humor, and practical ideas.
SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt dubbed Ed "The King of Negotiators." Forbes Magazine agreed, ranking Ed as one of the nation's leading dealmakers. He is the bestselling author of seven books including the business classic Negotiation Boot Camp: How to Resolve Conflict, Satisfy Customers, and Make Better Deals. The Director of the IRS sleeps with Ed's book next to his bed. Ed's client list includes Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, AT&T, Starbucks, Learjet, Raytheon, Philips, Johnson & Johnson, Ritz-Carlton, The Gap, McKinsey, Revlon, Quest Diagnostics, Google, LPL Financial, Bechtel, British Aerospace, McDonald's, Zurich Insurance, Exxon-Mobil, the IRS, and the Pentagon. For more than two decades, his acclaimed Negotiation Boot Camp® Seminars have set the standard for "how to make a deal" in Corporate America.
A nationally recognized television personality, Ed Brodow has appeared as negotiation guru on PBS, ABC National News, Fox News, Inside Edition, and Fortune Business Report. Followed by hidden TV cameras in New York, Boston, and San Francisco, Ed proved to American consumers that they have the power to negotiate better deals in department stores and retail malls. His negotiation strategies have been showcased in The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Smart Money, Business Week, Entrepreneur, Men's Health, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, and Selling Power.
Cambridge University Press in the U.K. immortalized Ed's signature "Meatball Sandwich" story, selecting it as their number one example of excellent story telling - acclaiming Ed's talent for setting the scene, creating drama, involving the audience, establishing credibility, delivering the punchline, and linking to the theme of the presentation. "Ed is a great story teller," agrees one of his clients, "and presents information in a way that truly sticks with people."
A true "Renaissance Man," Ed has been a US Marine Corps officer, Fortune 500 sales executive (IBM, Litton Industries), novelist, and Hollywood movie actor with starring roles opposite Jessica Lange, Ron Howard, and Christopher Reeve. "I am the only negotiation expert who has made love to Jessica Lange-on screen, that is," Ed confides with a twinkle in his eye. Clients appreciate the spontaneity, story telling ability, and rapport with the audience that Ed learned in Hollywood.
Job Titles:
- President, Eurasia Group, Expert on Global Politics & Risk Management
Ian Bremmer is a political scientist who helps business leaders, policy makers, and the general public make sense of the world around them. He is president and founder of Eurasia Group, the world's leading political risk research and consulting firm, and GZERO Media, a company dedicated to providing intelligent and engaging coverage of international affairs. Ian is an independent voice on critical issues around the globe, offering clearheaded insights through speeches, written commentary, and even satirical puppets.
He is the host of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, which airs weekly on US national public television. Ian is also a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, the BBC, Bloomberg, and many other television stations around the world.
Ian is credited with bringing the craft of political risk to financial markets, creating Wall Street's first global political risk index (GPRI), and for establishing political risk as an academic discipline. His definition of emerging markets-"those countries where politics matters at least as much as economics for market outcomes"-has become an industry standard. "G-Zero," his term for a global power vacuum in which no country is willing and able to set the international agenda, is widely accepted by policymakers and thought leaders.
A prolific writer, Ian is the author of eleven books, including the New York Times bestseller "Us vs Them: The Failure of Globalism" which examines the rise of populism across the world. His forthcoming book "The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats-and Our Response-Will Change the World" comes out on May 17 and is available for preorder now. He also serves as the foreign affairs columnist and editor at large for Time magazine. He currently teaches at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University.
Ian earned a master's degree and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University, where he went on to become the youngest-ever national fellow at the Hoover Institution. He received his bachelor's degree in international relations from Tulane University.
Ian established Eurasia Group with just $25,000 in 1998. Today, the company has offices in New York, Washington, San Francisco, London, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Singapore, and Tokyo, as well as a network of experts and resources in 90 countries.
Job Titles:
- President of CO - OPPORTUNITIES, Inc
Considered a modern day business "Renaissance Man," Ira Blumenthal is the president of CO-OPPORTUNITIES, Inc., an Atlanta-based consulting company that has counseled world class clients such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, Kroger, McDonald's, Harrah's, American Airlines, Disney, United Artists, Marriott, Exxon, Walmart and others in areas related to "branding," "strategic alliances," "change management," "re-invention," "customer service" and "business development."
Ira is a published author. His successful first book, Ready, Blame, Fire! (Myths and Misses in Marketing) was followed by the nationally acclaimed Managing Brand You published by the American Management Association and printed in two languages and audio. It focuses on "personal branding" (www.ManagingBrandYou.com). Ira has also published over 200 articles on business development, change management and branding.
The former host of a popular radio talk show, "Success Talk," Ira has interviewed "success stories" such as General Colin Powell, Mario Andretti, Tommy Lasorda and other notables. He has been a visiting university professor at The University of Notre Dame and Michigan State University and was the inaugural "Executive-In-Residence" at Georgia State University's School of Hospitality and in 2012, was named Executive-In-Residence at Kennesaw State University. Before founding CO-OPPORTUNITIES, Ira was a top marketing executive at The Sara Lee Corporation and served as President of Rymer Foods, an organization he led to quantum leap growth from $90-million to over $200-million in three-plus years. He is the recipient of one of the highest honors in the food business, "The Key Person Award," and has been honored with numerous civic and professional awards… and sits on a number of boards.
Delivering over 40 speeches annually (and over 1500 in his career… to over 750,000 audience members), Ira has also served as the speaking "opener" for the likes of President George Bush Sr., General Colin Powell, Lech Walesa, the late Pakistani President Benazir Bhutto, Henry Kissinger, Tommy Lasorda, Bob Dole and others… and has lectured (and consulted) on four continents. Respected as a business development and branding leader, Ira has been quoted and featured as a "subject matter expert in numerous media sources such as "The Wall Street Journal," "USA Today," "CNN," "BrandWeek," "Entrepreneur Magazine," "Executive Excellence," "Marketing News" and more.
Serving as the catalyst and strategist working for The Coca-Cola Company and The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in their shared commitment to making foodservice an important "industry of choice," Ira is the co-founder and former Executive Director of the Resource Center For Workforce Solutions. He is also the architect of the NACS CAFÉ (Center for Achieving Foodservice Excellence), an educational institute operated by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) in an alliance Ira developed with Georgia State University, Coca-Cola, Georgia Pacific, Ecolab, McLane Foods, Anheuser-Busch and Kraft. Ira also worked for Ted Turner and his daughter Laura presiding over "The Captain Planet Foundation," a non-profit organization that focuses on the development of environmental education programs for children and schools.
On a personal note, Ira is a tireless community activist and youth coach (coached both a state and national championship team). . .and in his own youth, was a "World Cup" athlete, as well as a collegiate Football and Lacrosse coach. Originally from New York, Ira lives in Hot-lanta, Georgia with his red-head Missouri bride, Kim. He is the father of two daughters and three sons… and has two grandchildren. In sync with Ira's stellar, diverse career, his favorite quotation is "The true measure of a man is how many lifetimes he can cram into one…"
Job Titles:
- Top Digital Marketing Consultant
Jay Baer, CSP has spent 23 years in digital marketing and customer experience, consulting for more than 700 companies during that period, including 32 of the FORTUNE 500. His current firm - Convince & Convert - provides digital marketing advice and online customer service advice and counsel to some of the world's most important brands like The United Nations, Allstate, Cisco, and Cabela's.
His new book, Hug Your Haters, is the world's first modern customer service manual, showing how companies large and small can benefit from the enormous increase in online complaints and customer feedback.
His second book, Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help not Hype, was #3 on the New York Times business best seller list, and a runaway #1 Amazon best seller.
Jay speaks approximately 65 times per year world-wide, often with lessons about how businesspeople can use today's shifts in technology and consumer expectation to gain or keep more customers.
Jay's Convince & Convert blog was named the world's #1 content marketing blog by the Content Marketing Institute, and is visited by more than 250,000 marketers each month. Jay also hosts and produces the Social Pros podcast, which is downloaded 65,000 times monthly and was named 2015's best marketing podcast by the Content Marketing Awards.
A fixture in social media, Jay is the most retweeted person in the world among digital marketers, and the second most retweeted person in the world among B2B marketers. He is also an active venture capitalist, and is an investor or advisor to 15 early stage technology and social media companies.
Convince & Convert is the fifth multi-million dollar company Jay has started from scratch. Before his move into digital marketing in 1994 he was a brand marketer and a political consultant, with major roles in state, federal and presidential electoral campaigns.
Befitting his roots in Arizona, Jay is a tequila collector and maintains his allegiance to the teams of his alma mater, the University of Arizona.
Jay lives in the idyllic college town of Bloomington, Indiana with his wife and children, and travels from Indianapolis to speaking opportunities world-wide.
Jennifer James is a cultural anthropologist, lecturer, writer and commentator, who is known to audiences around the world for her innovative ideas. She works on an international level with corporations and associations helping people to meet the challenges of today's transitions. Her speeches and seminars deal with the human face of technological change and the development of cultural intelligence. Dr. James is a specialist in areas of cultural change, diversity and marketing intelligence.
Jennifer regularly receives standing ovations and is described by clients, ranging from Georgia-Pacific, Lockheed Martin, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and the national Association of School Boards, as "inspiring, incredible, thought-provoking, innovative, humorous, energizing, empowering, just brilliant" and "the best speaker I have ever heard."
She is a published author of seven books, which include Windows, Success Is The Quality Of Your Journey, and Thinking in the Future Tense. She has written more than 50 academic articles and wrote a newspaper column for the Seattle Times for 18 years. She is currently writing a book, Cultural Intelligence for Harvard Business Press.
She has been an N.I.M.H. Fellow, served on research review committees and on the editorial board of academic journals. Jennifer has received many honors including excellence in journalism awards, an International Film Festival gold medal, a Cindy Award for special achievement and was Billboard Radio Personality of the Year.
She is the founder of the Committee for Children a nonprofit organization that develops curriculums for the protection of children and the development of alternatives to violence. These curriculums, "Talking About Touching, Second Step" and "Steps To Respect" are now in taught in every state and in 37 other countries.
Job Titles:
- Motivational Speaker & Professional Baseball Player
Jim Abbott was born September 19, 1967, in Flint, Michigan without a right hand. He was an All-America hurler at Michigan; won the Sullivan Award in 1987; was the pitcher for the Gold Medal Olympic Team in 1988; and threw a 4-0 no-hitter for the New York Yankees versus Cleveland (September 4, 1993). Jim played for 10 seasons on 4 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1999.
Abbott has worked with The Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) on several initiatives encouraging businesses to hire people with disabilities.
Today, in addition to often being a Guest Pitching Instructor during Spring Training for the Los Angeles Angels, Jim Abbott is a motivational speaker.
Job Titles:
- Everest Expedition Leader, Author
John Amatt is a modern adventurer who can not only spin a great yarn, but who possesses the rare knack of turning his journeys into universal revelations that guide his readers and listeners on how to survive and prosper in the global village.
For over 30 years, John Amatt has led expeditions to remote regions of Northern Norway, Peru, Nepal, China, Greenland and has explored areas of the Arctic on six occasions, making many first ascents of previously unclimbed peaks. At the age of 20, John spent two weeks lashed to tiny ledges while making the first ever ascent of Europe's highest and steepest mountain precipice - the 5000 foot "Vertical Mile" Troll Wall in Norway.
Later in 1981, he was the leader of the 1st Canadian mountaineering expedition to Western China, which made a lightweight ascent of 24,757 foot Mount Muztagata - the highest peak in the world to have been ascended and descended entirely on skis.
Johnny Bench was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on December 7, 1947 and grew up in the small town of Binger, Oklahoma.
Johnny's childhood dream was to become a major league baseball player and his father counseled, that the position of catcher was the most direct route to that goal. Taking that advice, he was selected and signed in the 1965 amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds. After two seasons in the minors, Bench made Cincinnati's Major League roster for the 1968 season. This marked the beginning of one of the most successful careers in baseball history and to Johnny's ascension as a celebrity.
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 1989, Bench is undoubtedly the greatest catcher ever as stated by the Sporting News in late 1998, in which Johnny was named the 16th greatest player of all time - His successes include National League Rookie of the Year (1968), National League Most Valuable Players (1970 & 1972), World Series MVP (1976), 14-time All-Star, and 10 Gold Gloves. In 1980, Bench set an endurance record by catching 100 or more games for 13 consecutive seasons. Then, in 1999 Johnny received baseball's esteemed honor of selection to the All Century Tearn on October 24.
Over the years, Johnny has maintained a sense of balance by using his celebrity status to aid such worthy causes as the Heart Association, the American Cancer Society (as past National Chairman of Athletes vs. Cancer), the Kidney Foundation, Franciscan Sisters of Poor Health System, the American Lung Association, and the ‘Catch the Cure' program of the Children's Hospital of Cincinnati. He also supports the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Museum of Science and Industry in addition to the Johnny Bench Scholarship Fund, which provides funds for students to attend college in the Cincinnati area.
Johnny has also spent quite some time in entertainment, logging thousands of hours in personal appearance on television networks such as ESPN, and Fox Sports in addition to participating in events such as touring with Bob Hope's Christmas Shows, and visiting troops in the Far East during Desert Storm. He has also sung with the Cincinnati Pops, authored books, and was the host of the Emmy-Award-winning instructional show, "The Baseball Bunch."
Johnny's national broadcasting background includes nine years with CBS Radio broadcasting the National Game of the Week, the All-Star Game, the League Championship Series and the World Series as well as play-by-play on Reds' television.
Johnny's corporate involvement is evident in long term spokesman relationships, both present and past with the Cincinnati based Fifth Third Bank and national retailer, S&K Menswear.
Johnny is a symbol of winning through hard work and teamwork as outlined in his keynote presentation featuring, "The Vowels of Success* which highlights easy to remember motivational tips. A much traveled and well experienced speaker, Johnny would be a great addition to your event.
Kevin's unconventional path to business and personal success has taught him that winning in business and in life requires anything but conventional thinking. He grew up in Muskegon, Michigan where his blue-collar roots taught him the value of hard work and determination. With a streetwise aptitude and a never quit attitude, he worked his way from the front lines in business to the executive boardroom.
Kevin understands what drives organizational excellence and customer loyalty. He knows first-hand how great brands think, feel and act. He is a branding and culture expert with a 30+ year career in franchise development. He spent the last 20 years of his corporate career as part of a leadership team that built a little-known family business into the #1 franchise in their industry with annual revenues exceeding $2 billion dollars. Since 2016, he has traveled the world pursuing a mission to share The HERO Effect® message with as many people and organizations as possible.
The HERO Effect® is a simple philosophy that separates world-class organizations and high-performance people from everybody else. Kevin is passionate about helping people expand their vision, develop their potential, and grow their results. And, as the father of a child with autism he knows firsthand how the principles of true success reach beyond the boardroom and into the lives of real people facing the challenges of everyday life.
As a highly sought-after keynote speaker, Kevin has had the privilege of speaking to a wide variety of organizations including American Express, Delta Airlines, PayPal, ExxonMobil, Nationwide, H&R Block, Sprint, Ernst & Young, Million Dollar Round Table, Merck, Booz Allen Hamilton, and many more.
Kevin is the bestselling author of The Hero Effect® (2017/2019). In his second book, Unleashing Your Hero (Harper Collins Leadership/Nov 2021), Kevin shares how the heroes who transformed his life are people just like you. People who were willing to use their gifts and abilities to serve others at a high level. This book is a guide to help everyday people discover and unleash their hero at work and in life.
Kevin has received numerous honors, including being named one of the ‘Top 10 Keynote Speakers of 2021' by SpeakInc; one of the ‘Top 41 Motivational Speakers Who Can Energize Any Sales Team' by ResourcefulSelling; among the ‘Top Customer Service Speakers' by Eagles Talent Speakers Bureau; one of the ‘Best Keynote Speakers of 2019' by NorthStar Meetings Group; and an elite and in-demand ‘Gold Star Speaker' by GDA Speakers.
Job Titles:
- Best Selling Author & World Renowned Speaker
As one of the world's most renowned motivational speakers, Les Brown is a dynamic personality and highly-sought-after resource in business and professional circles for Fortune 500 CEOs, small business owners, non-profit and community leaders from all sectors of society looking to expand opportunity. For three decades he has not only studied the science of achievement, he's mastered it by interviewing hundreds of successful business leaders and collaborating with them in the boardroom translating theory into bottom-line results for his clients.
As a premier Keynote Speaker and leading authority on achievement for audiences as large as 80,000-Les Brown energizes people to meet the challenges of the world around them. He skillfully weaves his compelling life story into the fabric of our daily lives. The thread is forever strengthened, touting why you can't afford to be complacent and to aim high, achieve and actively make an impact on the world.
Les Brown never tires of using his energies to transform the world, well-beyond the podium and public appearances, meshing traditional and social media to empower his audiences. Hundreds of thousands are watching him on YouTube and tens of thousands interact with him regularly on Facebook. He has a keen way of turning what he touches into gold. Over 20 years ago, he won a Chicago-area Emmy® for his unsurpassed fundraising pledge drive for the Public Broadcasting System. Followed by several bestselling books and hosting popular national talk shows on television and radio.
Addressing audiences from Denmark to Dubai, Canada to the Caribbean, Les Brown is invited back again and again for his powerful message and the ability to connect deeply with people from all walks of life. It isn't just his great smile and his way with words that motivates people to take action like never before; when people face roadblocks or adversity it is the depth of his knowledge on achievement that creates lasting results.
Les Brown's straight-from-the-heart, passion and high-energy, motivates audiences to step beyond their limitations and into their greatness in many ways. Over the past decade, Les has expanded his role from keynote speaker to Master Trainer, creating the kind of workshop learning experience that got him committed to personal-and-professional development many years earlier. His charisma, warmth and humor have transformed ordinary people into extraordinary achievers by using his own life, and his in-depth study of others' challenges, to build an understanding of what works, what doesn't work, and why.
Revered as an icon by his colleagues, Brown received the National Speakers Association coveted Council of Peers Award of Excellence (CPAE), and ultimately, its most prestigious Golden Gavel Award for achievement and leadership in communication. Toastmasters International also voted him one of the Top Five Outstanding Speakers. Worldwide. Legions of followers flock to stadiums and arenas to hear a man who never stops believing that with proper guidance and training you can achieve anything you desire in life.
A stumbling block in elementary school was when he was mistakenly declared, "Educable mentally retarded," teachers did not recognize the true potential of little Les Brown. However, he used determination, persistence and belief in his ability to go beyond being a sanitation worker to unleash a course of amazing achievements including broadcast station manager, political commentator and multi-term state representative in Ohio.
Les Brown is committed to motivating and training today's generation to be achievers and leaders as he introduces new audiences every day to It's Not Over Until You Win, Up Thoughts for Down Times and Fight For Your Dream. Les Brown's audio series, "Choosing Your Future," remains his all-time bestseller for its acclaimed impact worldwide.
In business as in real life there are always going to be ups and downs. However, where there is a will, there is always a way to achieve amazing results for your organization when Les Brown fills the room with his high-impact, customized message and standing ovation performance!
Les Brown's approach to a more and more diversified American workforce is grounded in the great possibilities in such a work force. Rather than seeing diversity as an obstacle to overcome, Les challenges leaders to create an atmosphere of openness to great possibilities, and treat diversity as an opportunity.
Job Titles:
- Founder and CEO of Futurethink
Once you've broken all the rules and launched your career by writing an instant classic management book, what do you do for an encore? If you're Marcus Buckingham, you dedicate yourself to understanding what makes world-class managers tick, bottling it, and sharing it with the world.
Marcus first conquered the bestseller lists in 1999 with First, Break All the Rules. While the title may imply an iconoclastic streak, his continuing plea for managers to break with tradition has nothing to do with rebellion; instead, he argues, rules must be broken and discarded because they stifle the originality and uniqueness - the strengths - that can enable all of us to achieve our highest performance.
His latest book, StandOut, has launched not just a new strengths assessment but an entire productivity platform based on a new research methodology to reveal your top two "strength roles" - your areas of comparative advantage. StandOut goes beyond description to give people practical innovations that fit their strengths, and provide managers and leaders with quick insights on how to get the best from each member of their team.
Marcus has worked with the world's most prestigious companies, including Facebook, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, Microsoft and Disney, to name just a few. His compelling message has also drawn attention from numerous media outlets. He has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Larry King Live," "The Today Show," "Good Morning America" and "The View," and has been profiled in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fortune, Fast Company, and Harvard Business Review.
Michael quips, "I was a poor student because I suffered from ADD-HD (Attention Deficit Disorder in High Definition). Eventually, I learned to turn my daydreams into worthwhile dreams." Michael Broome earned a BA from Appalachian State University. Through independent study, he designed his major in leadership and public speaking and was twice elected student government president. Upon graduation, he started several entrepreneurial endeavors (one was selling cookware door-to-door) and began addressing any crowd composed of two or more. Since 1979 he has addressed over 3,000 audiences throughout the world.
Michael chose the speaking profession because of his passion to inspire people to maximize their potential, be servant/leaders, achieve a life balance …and he loves the applause. His commitment to training is demonstrated by the Broyhill Leadership Conferences of which he is founder and president. Over 29,000 participants from throughout North America have attended these weeklong conferences where they are taught the principles of achievement. For many, it is truly a life-changing experience.
Donald Trump is creating an entirely new American Presidency, breaking most rules and setting a new non-traditional course. Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward is now turning to the 45th president, putting him in context and addressing what is going on behind the scenes and what to expect.
Woodward speaks to the critical questions: How did Trump get to the White House? What are his true intentions? What can be believed? What positions are real? What information can be trusted and what statements and tweets really reflect where he is going? Can he deliver? Who will support or attempt to thwart him? Who does he really listen to? And what may it all mean?
No one knows the American presidency as well as Bob Woodward, the Post's veteran reporter-historian, who has written #1 bestselling books covering all eight of the last presidents from Nixon to Obama. Only someone with more than four decades of explaining and understanding the American presidency with his signature aggressive but fair and non-partisan reporting can quickly provide a timely portrait of Trump. The 45 th president comes to an office which, as Woodward demonstrates, has an increased and astounding concentration of power.
In 2014, Robert Gates, former director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense, said of Woodward, "He has an extraordinary ability to get otherwise responsible adults to spill [their] guts to him . . . his ability to get people to talk about stuff they shouldn't be talking about is just extraordinary and may be unique." Therein lays Woodward's unique gift.
Studies have proven what we all intuitively know to be true: laughter brings people together and makes them feel great. And no one delivers laughs to corporate audiences as consistently and cleverly as Scott Bloom.
Whether you need a professional emcee, a world-class awards host, or an out-of-the-box guest speaker, Scott provides an insightful, interactive, laughter-packed experience that energizes your audience and transforms your event.
Scott is a veteran comedian and television personality who has built a reputation as the "go-to" choice for business humor, having hosted hundreds of events for companies such as FedEx, Ford, IBM, MetLife, Pfizer and Verizon. Scott makes it his business to immerse himself in the specifics of your business and your event. That's how he's able to talk like an insider about your organization's products and people, buzzwords and acronyms.
In addition to his work as a highly respected emcee and comedic keynote speaker, he has had a successful career in television. Scott has been featured on Comedy Central numerous times, and was the host of his own weekly VH1 series. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
Job Titles:
- Author of International Bestseller, the Happiness Advantage
Shawn Achor is the New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage and Before Happiness. He spent 12 years at Harvard, where he won over a dozen distinguished teaching awards, and delivered lectures on positive psychology in the most popular class at Harvard. Shawn graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and earned a Masters from Harvard Divinity School in Christian and Buddhist ethics.
Shawn has since become one of the world's leading experts on the connection between happiness and success. Shawn has now worked with over a third of the Fortune 100 companies, and with places like the NFL, the Pentagon and the U.S. Treasury. To do his work, Shawn has traveled to 51 countries, speaking to farmers in Zimbabwe, CEOs in China, doctors in Dubai and school children in South Africa. Earlier this year, Oprah Winfrey did a two hour interview with Shawn on the science of happiness and meaning. His research on happiness made the cover of Harvard Business Review, his TED talk is one of the most popular of all time with over 8 million views, and his lecture airing on PBS has been seen by millions.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Simon T. Bailey International
Success Magazine calls Simon T. Bailey one of the top 25 people who will help you reach your business and life goals through practical advice and specific tactics. He joins a list that includes Oprah Winfrey, Brene Brown, and Tony Robbins. His expertise focuses on change, leadership, and customer experience. He's worked with over 1,500 organizations in 45 different countries. As an innovator, educator, executive advisor, and author, he shapes the lives of men and women around the world.
Prior to founding his company, Simon held the role of Sales Director for the world-renowned Disney Institute and worked in hospitality and tourism for 20 years. His strategies drove the acquisition of an Orlando-based healthcare system and catapulted a hospitality company to be ranked #1 in customer service on Expedia.
Bailey is the author of Shift Your Brilliance: Harness the Power of You, INC and Release Your Brilliance: The 4 Steps to Transforming Your Life and Revealing Your Genius to the World.
Simon emboldens individuals to impact the world by sharpening natural talents. Outside of his learning and development programs for organizations, Simon's consumer-facing Lynda.com courses powered by LinkedIn have been viewed by more than 600,000 people in 100 countries.
When Simon is not working, he spends quality time with his two active teenagers, roots for the Buffalo Bills, and is an avid moviegoer. He believes his most important role is to be a great dad and to volunteer in serving the least, the last, and the lost men in society.
Stacy Allison brings a vast range of experiences and knowledge to her energetic and dynamic presentations. Stacy is best known as the First American woman to summit Mt. Everest. She is also president of Stacy Allison General Contracting, a residential building company. She serves on the Board of Trustees of National University and is the Chairperson for The Oregon Lung Association's fundraiser, Reach the Summit. Remarkably, she is also a successful author and committed mother of two.
At the age of 21, Stacy began major alpine climbing in earnest and achieved rapid success. Within a year, Stacy reached the top of Alaska's Mt. McKinley, the highest point in North America, and was part of the first successful women's ascent of Ama Dablam, the 22,495 foot peak known as Nepal's Matterhorn. These accomplishments provided the groundwork for much greater accomplishments.
Stacy was the first American woman to top Pik Communism, at 24,600 feet, the tallest peak in the Russian Pamir Range.
On her first attempt on Mt Everest, Stacy did not summit. She describes the challenge: "The worst storm in forty years trapped us in a snow cave at 23,500 feet for five days. Turning back can be the most important yet difficult decision of all, particularly when there is so much pressure to succeed." Stacy reflects, "If you see yourself as trying to beat the mountain, eventually the mountain will win. You don't conquer mountains, you cooperate with them." Stacy returned to Mt. Everest with the Northwest American Everest Expedition. On September 29, 1988, after twenty-nine days on the mountain, Stacy became the first American woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the world's highest mountain at 29,028 feet.
Stacy then went on to become the leader of a successful K2 expedition, the world's second highest mountain, considered to be the most difficult peak on Earth to climb. Three of the team of seven made it to the top; after an accident to the third, in keeping with her view of teamwork and leadership, Stacy and the others descended. "In any endeavor, leaders should inspire members of the team with a passion for success, " Stacy says, "but within the framework of team effort. One of the most crucial things to realize, feel and remember, is that when one team member succeeds, the entire team succeeds."
Stacy's experiences extend well beyond the mountains. She also owns and operates Stacy Allison General Contracting. She and her team of builders specialize in high end restoration. Stacy and her team, steadfastly preserves the charm and integrity of classic old homes while achieving financial success. In the spirit of giving back to her community, Stacy Chairs the American Lung Association of Oregon's largest fundraiser, Reach the Summit.
Stacy's first book, Beyond The Limits: A Woman's Triumph on Everest, is a suspenseful, triumphant adventure story. Her second , Many Mountains to Climb; Reflections on Competence, Courage and Commitment is an exciting anecdotal account of climbing challenges practically applied to help you plot your way more surely to professional and personal success. Stacy also contributed a chapter on Leadership in the book, Upward Bound, published by Crown Publishing.
Stacy's mission is to motivate people to move beyond limitations and reach for their dreams. She challenges her audiences to lay the foundation for risk taking by accepting full responsibility for their lives. She also emphasizes the importance of recognizing and valuing everyone's contribution as a team member in life's pursuits.
Mountains, though seemingly a planet apart from the world of business, are a rich source of practical insights for executives, managers and individuals alike. They are high-altitude laboratories for leadership, team dynamics, risk-taking, vision, and change management. Stacy combines her mountain experience with her business knowledge to create keynotes that consistently hit the mark to inspire and provide tremendous take home value
Job Titles:
- Expert on Technology, Marketing, and the Internet
Terry Brock is more than just a social media marketing speaker, or a technology trends expert. He packs his presentations with "Gee Wiz!" joy for gadgets, solid business strategies to build relationships, and inspiration to try new things to improve the bottom line.
He is a syndicated columnist with Business Journals. This 43-paper network stretches across the US and reaches decision makers, business owners and people serious about doing business. With over 40 million pageviews each month, these publications tap into Terry's expertise and funny style to bring value to readers. Terry continues to bring this knowledge to his audiences when speaking and sharing state-of-the-art ideas applied with fun, entertainment and powerful applications.
Terry earned an MBA in marketing and is focused on real-world business applications. He leverages his background in journalism and education in live presentations all over the world including: Mexico, England, Australia, Russia, Ireland, China, Japan, Thailand, Argentina, Indonesia, Nigeria, Singapore, Bermuda, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, and even Texas! He is a virtual presentation expert, allowing him to break the bonds of distance and time to serve clients according to their needs.
Terry wrote the book on Klout, and works with organizations to design social media relationship marketing strategies that are measurable and implementable. He is a syndicated columnist with Business Journals around the US where he writes his weekly column, "Succeeding Today."
A master at his craft, Terry earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association and was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame (a designation awarded to less than 1% of speakers in the world).
When Skype needed someone who could work with them in social media, video interviews, PR work and more, they brought Terry on as Chief Enterprise Blogger. He coordinated a host of functions helping this international company to focus on business applications for what was known largely as a consumer-only product.
AT&T came to Terry when they needed help with their largest blog, Networking Exchange Blog. He became the Editor-in-Chief for that distinguished publication coordinating a staff of over 100 geniuses in areas of social media, Cloud Computing, Mobility and Security. He was able to handle both technical and soft skill issues to help AT&T begin the process that resulted in over $2 billion in sales.
From social media to mobile office applications, Terry brings a wealth of knowledge and a sense of history to empower even the most timid user to explore new possibilities.
Terry Brock is the co-author of a forth-coming book (October, 2013, McGraw-Hill) . This book is particularly relevant for professional speakers, coaches, authors, and other thought leaders. Many buying decisions today are being made by Klout Scores. Many people are also losing job opportunities because they have a lower Klout Score. Hollywood directors and producers are now looking at one's Klout Score to determine which actors they will cast for certain parts.
In this easy-to-understand presentation, Terry will share specific step-by-step ways to raise your Klout Score. If you use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, or other social media platforms, this is a must-hear presentation. Discover what works and what doesn't work in the world of social media as it relates to your Klout Score.
Job Titles:
- Director Business Development
Tiffani Bova is the global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) and author of the forthcoming book Growth IQ: Get Smarter About the Choices that Will Make or Break Your Business (August 14, 2018; Portfolio), which was chosen by Inc. Magazine as one of four new business books you should read before the end of summer. Tiffani, a top influencer in Customer Experience, Digital Transformation, the Future of Work, and Sales, is a regular contributor to Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Marketing Matters on Wharton Business Radio - SiriusXM and Huffington Post in addition to a variety of industry-leading podcasts on sales, marketing and digital business.
Her own podcast "What's Next! with Tiffani Bova" has featured guests from Arianna Huffington to Dan Pink, became one of the top 100 business and marketing podcasts on iTunes in 2017, and won top Sales and Marketing Podcast by Top Sales Magazine. Tiffani was also recently recognized as one of Inc. Magazine's 37 Sales Experts You Need to Follow on Twitter, a LinkedIn Top Sales Influencer, a Brand Quarterly Magazine Top 50 Marketing Thought Leader, and one of the most Powerful and Influential Women in California according to the National Diversity Council.
Having delivered over 300 keynote presentations on sales transformation and business model innovation to over 300,000 people around the globe, Bova is also highly sought-after keynote speaker, and she has earned accolades from the best leaders in the technology world including HP, IBM, Amazon, Oracle, SAP, Oracle, Cisco, and Microsoft for her cutting-edge analysis and her skill at inventing bold strategies for growth.
Prior to working with Salesforce she was a VP, Distinguished Analyst and Research Fellow at Gartner. Bova has also lived in the fast lane of high tech, leading sales organizations, driving growth and creating durable competitive advantages at Sprint, Inacom, Interland (web.com) and Gateway Computers. Throughout, she learned how to lead sales and marketing teams in hotly competitive markets, created some of the first cloud-based channel programs, and completely reinvented "go-to-market" tactics in several hardware and services businesses. Her high-velocity years at the front lines also gave Bova the hands-on expertise executives crave in their strategic partners and made her an authentic, passionate and brilliant advocate committed to her clients' success and prosperity.
Job Titles:
- Author
- Economist
- Expert Economist, Political and Financial Advisor
Economist Todd Buchholz "lights up economics with a wickedly sparkling wit," says the Associated Press. The former White House senior economic advisor, Tiger hedge fund managing director and best-selling author has jousted with such personalities as James Carville and Ben Stein. His lively and informative speaking engagements have earned him a place in Successful Meetings Magazine's "21 Top Speakers for the 21st Century, and his best-selling books on economics and financial markets have been widely translated and are taught in universities worldwide.
Todd Buchholz, author of the classic New Ideas from Dead Economists and New Ideas from Dead CEOs, reveals why we need competition to keep us going and going strong. Weaving in everything from neuroeconomics to evolutionary biology to renaissance art to General Motors, Buchholz will convince you that the race to compete has not only made us taller and smarter, it's what we love and need. In this provocative keynote presentation, Buchholz explains why laid-back firms get entangled in their own red tape and why contented CEOs end up driving their employees to bankruptcy court. While Buchholz argues that businesses need internal competition, he shows how to inspire creative competition, rather than a shark-infested culture. This is a cutting edge presentation that defies and shreds conventional wisdom.
Todd Buchholz brings to life history's greatest CEOs-from Steve Jobs to Ray Kroc to Akio Morita, Estée Lauder to Tom Watson Sr.-and shows how their lives, leadership and lessons can inform and inspire us in today's chaotic marketplace. How did Sam Walton help create the "scissors economy" and go from being the owner of a single dime store to the CEO of Wal-Mart? How did Estée Lauder, a working-class woman from Queens, convince the shoppers at Saks to buy her cosmetics? How did the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 eventually lead to A.P. Giannini's success as America's greatest banker? In this speech, Buchholz answers these questions and shows today's business managers how to deploy their entrepreneurial secrets to benefit their companies in today's hyper-competitive global economy. He uses his experience as a White House economist, Harvard scholar, and Wall Street professional to show investors what kinds of CEOs to invest with and what kinds of companies to steer away from. In addition, Todd lays out a forecast for the economy and the financial markets. Audiences come away from this keynote presentation with a fresh understanding of the competitive pressures we face today, and a road map to finding success.
Job Titles:
- Founder of Leadership Inc.
Ty is the founder of Leadership Inc., a speaking and training company with a mission to empower individuals and organizations to challenge their status quo, cultivate exceptional relationships, and compete in extraordinary ways. He's changing lives - one leader at a time.
Major General (Retired) Vincent Boles was commissioned from the ARMY ROTC program at Niagara University as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1976. He has served in a variety of assignments over a 33 year career, to include Command at every possible level and a number of combat deployments.
His final Army assignment was as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G4 on the Army Staff in the Pentagon, where he oversaw Logistics Operations and Readiness for the 1.1 million Soldier force to include the surges into Iraq and Afghanistan.
Retiring in 2009 to Madison, Alabama, he established Vincent E. Boles, Inc., a leadership and logistics consulting practice, speaking and working with corporate and association groups around the nation and overseas on the subject of Leaders and their team's "Best Getting Better". His audiences have included: Deloitte; Fidelity; USAA; Ernst and Young; AIG; The United States Secret Service; The Boy Scouts of America and The American College.
He is the author of 4-3-2-1 Leadership: What America's Sons and Daughters Taught Me on the Road from Second Lieutenant to Two-Star General. Now in it's 3rd printing, a recent review of the book commented:
"He didn't write this book exclusively for the military audience and he does us all a great service by putting these leadership lessons into one volume and sharing them."
In 2011, he was inducted in the US Army Ordnance Corps and Niagara University ROTC Halls of Fame. He serves as an adjunct professor of Leadership and Logistics at the University of Alabama Huntsville and the Defense Acquisition University - South.
For nearly two decades, Walter Bond has been a premiere expert on peak performance. Walter's mastery in two different global industries has made him an authority on peak performance. Walter has delivered his entertaining and dynamic message to companies and associations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. Clients include Accenture, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, The Dwyer Group, Allianz, Amway, GNC, Hilton, Medtronic, UPS Store, Radio Shack, Red Robin and many national associations.
Walter's passion for personal development has been anchored by his professional basketball career. Although a reserve throughout his college basketball career at the University of Minnesota, Bond miraculously enjoyed an eight year career while spending time as a shooting guard for teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons. This is where he learned peak performance truths that he has also applied to a wildly successful speaking career.
Bond's college basketball career did not say NBA at all. Only hard work, dedication and commitment got him there. That mentality is what he wants to share with your audience. Whether it's a new product launch, hitting sales goals, gelling as a team Bond is passionate about sharing his 31 Truths to Boost Peak Performance.
In 2013, Walter appeared as the host of The Food Network's show Giving You The Business. Walter was chosen over numerous candidates because of his infectious personality and franchise business experience. Episodes featured restaurants such as Saladworks, Famous Familia, Toppers and Jersey Mike's.