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Amplify Your Sales Speaker

Amplify Your Sales

5 Tips on Sales to make 2021 better than ever

 About

Click here to receive your Customized List of the Best Speakers on Sales

Our Sales Speakers have used their knowledge to adapt and create actionable and engaging presentations on how organizations can pivot to embrace the opportunities presented by the pandemic.

Ranging from Virtual Keynotes to Fireside chats, all with interactive elements, let our Sales Speakers help your 2021 Sales Conference.

We work with some of the best Sales Speakers in the speaking world and asked them all the same question:

What is your number 1 sales tip? 

Here’s how they answered:

  1. Say Yes to Misfortune – Scott McKain

Scott McKain, Dynamic Speaker on Innovation, Sales & Customer Service - The Sweeney Agency Speakers Bureau

Saying “yes” implies a course of positive action. The predictable expletive, “No!” can fill up our time and energy because saying “no” is
frequently a commitment to an unproductive struggle that reinforces helplessness and inertia.

Responding positively to problems is the prerequisite to overcoming bad things that occur so we can break down our challenges and move forward.

People thrive on challenges, and are the winners who get things done.

Scott McKain is a Dynamic Speaker on Innovation, Sales & Customer Service.

 

2. The 80/20 Rule – Tim Sanders

Tim Sanders - Renowned Communication and Leadership Speaker at The Sweeney Agency Speakers Bureau

Some great advice we received from Tim Sanders, VP of Customer Insights for Upwork just after starting The Sweeney Agency:

“Don’t think about sales or closing deals, just position yourself so that whenever you can help someone you help them, without any expectations. 20% of the people you help you’ll never hear from again, but that won’t matter because you will certainly hear back from the other 80%. They will remember you and your incredible help and that will create such great relationships
that you will build both a great business and a great life.”

Tim Sanders is a renowned Communication and Leadership Speaker.

3. A Vision of the Future – Ryan Estis

Ryan Estis - Speaks on Business Performance, Leadership and Sales - The Sweeney Agency - Coronavirus

Communicating compassionately, consistently, confidently and courageously is precisely what is required during a crisis. Our research has found that two of the biggest drivers of engagement and commitment from employees are confidence in their senior leadership and confidence in the future of the
organization.

Now is the time to model scenarios to create a long-term plan and vision for your business, fully aware that you will be agile enough to adapt when new information is available or the landscape suddenly changes.

Ryan Estis speaks on Business Performance, Leadership and Sales.

 

4. Be Indiana Jones – Sterling Hawkins

Innovation Keynote Sterling Hawkins The Sweeney Agency Speakers Bureau

At the climax of Indiana Jones & The Holy Grail, the Nazis are turned to dust after selected a gem studded chalice they believe to be the Holy Grail. Indy chooses a simple wooden cup that is in fact the true Holy Grail.

In the context of business, most of us scramble to have the “right” message on social media or want to make things look a certain way. The same optics that make the false grail so beautiful.

This is a powerful lesson: the substance of something, is ultimately infinitely more important than what it looks like. Optics may present a short term gain but will always lose in the long run and at a macro level.

Sterling Hawkins is a leading speaker on Breakthrough Innovation, Tech Entrepreneur and Leadership Expert.

5. Ask Open-Ended Questions – Diana Kander

Diana Kander, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Speaker, The Sweeney Agency

Your customers’ natural inclination is to be nice, not honest. Open-ended questions give your potential customers the option to respond very honestly and to fully explain the problems they’re
facing (that your product may or may not solve).

Ask leading questions that broadcast the answer you want to hear, such as:

  • “Are you…”
  • “Will you…”
  • “Won’t you…”
  • “Didn’t you…”
  • “Can’t you…”

Diana Kander is an Entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker on Innovation.

Get in touch to book your next great sales speaker.

Lior Arussy Speaker

Lior Arussy

Leading Global Expert on Customer Experience & Customer-Centric Transformation

 About

  • Lior talks about How organizations can create and execute a profitable customer strategy.
  • Audiences will explore the success (and some failures) of leading brands in their pursuit of profitable, lasting customer relationships.
  • Lior Arussy is hailed as one of the leading global authorities in the fields of Customer Experience, Employee Engagement, and Strategy Execution. He is a best selling author & regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal.
  • Past clients include: IBM, Accuity, Mercedes Benz, Cognizant, Cisco, KIA and Great Wolf Lodge.

Lior Arussy is hailed as one of the leading global authorities in the fields of Customer Experience, Employee Engagement, and Strategy Execution. He is a Corporate Culture expert, a ‘success accelerator’ - and a proven, passionate change agent. Called a “triple threat of transformation” by William Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company magazine - Lior has helped many of the world’s top brands achieve unprecedented goals in customer satisfaction, growth - and profitability. Among these are Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Thomson Reuters, HSBC, E.ON, FedEx, SAP, and the University of Pennsylvania - to name a few.

His insights and methods have been successfully put into practice in over 200 corporate transformations worldwide, making Lior not only a forerunner in the field - but a proven practitioner. And that’s what truly sets him apart - where other speakers simply talk of change, Lior makes it happen time and time again. As inspiring as he is passionate, Lior’s unique and critical voice continues to drive people across the globe to achieve their ultimate success.

Lior spent the first part of his career in various executive positions at world-leading firms, such as Hewlett-Packard. It was at this stage that he recognized the old, traditional methods of change management were flawed - and simply didn’t work for most companies. Lior took it upon himself to create a different methodology - one which recognizes the key to truly driving a company’s change for success, is in putting its most important resource at the center of its transformational efforts: its employees. The idea being that, in order for customers to choose your product and get the most out of it, you not only have to have an exceptional product - but a great, dedicated, happy team that stands behind that product’s success.

Lior’s methodology enabled Mercedes-Benz to reach the much-coveted #1 position in customer satisfaction. Another client, a European logistics corporation - leapt from 3% annual organic growth to 44% annual organic growth in just two years!

In 2003, Lior founded the Strativity Group - a strategy firm specializing in customer experience consulting, employee engagement programs, journey mapping, and business growth. In addition, he has written seven books on business strategy, customer experience optimization, and achieving the ultimate success. Lior's latest book Next is Now: 5 Steps for Embracing Change - Building a Business that Thrives into the Future (May 2018, Simon & Schuster), and his self-published Exceptionalize it! (2015) - which has sold over 30,000 copies to date. He has also written over 300 articles for publications around the world, including the Harvard Business Review, and Chief Executive media - for which he is a regular contributing author. As well, a multitude of magazines and media outlets have cited his work including MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, CRM Magazine, Smart CEO Magazine, Inc. magazine, Financial Times, The Times of London, and  ABC.

Lior currently resides in New Jersey with his wife and five children. He completed his undergraduate degree at Case Western Reserve University - and received his MBA from Weatherhead School of Management.

He is a self-professed chocoholic.

Jay Baer Speaker

Jay Baer

Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker and Best-selling Author on Customer Experience, Customer Service, Business Growth, and Marketing, and Event Emcee & Host

 About

Jay Baer is a business growth and customer experience expert, advisor, researcher, author, and analyst. He has spent 30 years helping more than 700 of the world’s most iconic brands, including Nike, Oracle, Salesforce, Bentley, and The United Nations, gain and keep more customers.

A 7th-generation entrepreneur, Jay has written seven best-selling books on marketing and customer experience, and founded five, multimillion-dollar companies. Jay is an inductee into the professional speaking hall of fame, and travels globally teaching business growth principles to in-person audiences.

For three consecutive years, Jay has been voted a Global Guru for internet marketing and customer experience.

Jay has also hosted more than 800 podcast episodes and created 7 shows, including Social Pros, twice named the #1 marketing podcast.

A lover of plaid suits and a hater of red tape, Jay is also the world’s #2 tequila influencer, publishing 25 videos per month on Instagram, TikTok, and beyond.

Jay can elevate your corporate meetings and events with exclusive, custom tequila tasting experiences — perfect for engaging and entertaining teams and clients.

Jeanne Bliss Speaker

Jeanne Bliss

Top Keynote Speaker on Customer Service, Besting-selling Author

 About

Jeanne Bliss helps companies and people become the best version of themselves. She guides them to define, build and live the behaviors and actions that will fuse customers to them, and ultimately create deep and memorable relationships.  Creating these deeper relationships has been Jeanne’s singular mission for over 35 years.

Often referred to as the “Godmother of Customer Experience,” she is one of the foremost experts on customer-centric leadership. She pioneered the role of the Chief Customer Officer, holding the first ever CCO role at Lands’ End, Microsoft, Coldwell Banker and Allstate Corporations. Reporting to each company’s CEO, she moved the customer to the strategic agenda, redirecting priorities to create transformational changes to each brands’ customer experience. She has driven achievement of 95 percent loyalty rates, improving customer experiences across 50,000-person organizations.

Her ability to effectively guide leaders and companies to earn customer-driven growth is based on these experiences as a practitioner for over 35 years working across organizations to unite the C-Suite and organizational silos; as well as guiding over 20,000 leaders around the world to understand that improving lives should be their most important strategic vision.

Jeanne is the Founder and President of CustomerBliss, and the Co-Founder of The Customer Experience Professionals Association, and she has delivered over 2,000 speeches and workshops for nearly every business vertical in B2B and C2B companies on how to build the roadmap toward these deep and genuine customer experiences that earn passionate advocates both inside and outside of your business.

Jeanne is also a Bestselling Author of Chief Customer Officer, Would You Do that To Your Mother?, and Chief Customer Officer 2.0.

Book Your Next Great Speaker in 5 Easy Steps Speaker

 About

Did last year's speaker knock your socks off? Not sure where to go next? Let our team of experienced professionals help you find your next great speaker. 

Here's a quick guide to help you get started:

Find A Theme

Decide on a theme or topic for your event.

Going through a period of transition? Looking to shake up your creative? Building trust within your teams? We have great speakers on all of those topics.

Having trouble? Check out our IDEA GENERATOR for inspiration.

Get in Touch

Get in touch with your Event Date & Theme.

We will ask you some key questions to find the perfect speaker for your live or virtual event.

We pride ourselves on our personal touch. We are small team of dedicated professionals with over 20 years experience. When you call us, you speak to us directly... and quickly.

 

 

Shortlist

By now, we have a great idea of what you are looking for and will send you a shortlist of exceptional speakers.

Each speaker will be vetted with YOUR event in mind, along with our personal thoughts on how that speaker can inspire your attendees.

Let's talk

Futurist Keynote Speaker Mike Walsh at The Sweeney Agency Speakers Bureau

From the shortlist, you've narrowed it down to two great speakers. Let's discuss your needs to help make the final decision.

With over 20 years experience, you can trust us to provide all of the information you need to choose the right speaker.

We work with you to find the best format for your presentation, including live streams, Q&A sessions and even follow up programs to ensure maximum engagement for your key stakeholders.

The Details

We will facilitate a call with your leadership team & our speaker to do a deep dive into your business to make sure their presentation really hits home.

As trusted experts, you can rest easy knowing our experience will guide you every step of the way.

get in touch

Get in touch to book your next great speaker.

Kevin Brown Speaker

Kevin Brown

Marketing Executive and Speaker on Accountability & Leadership

 About

  • Talks about how great brands deliver excellence to nurture customer relationships
  • Audiences learn how to achieve greater results by eliminating “ordinary" thinking and mastering the habit of excellence.
  • Former marketing executive who built a little-known family business into the #1 franchise in their industry with annual revenues exceeding $2 billion.
  • Past clients include: American Express, Delta Airlines, Nationwide, H&R Block, PayPal, New York Life, Million Dollar Round Table, Southwest Airlines, Merck, Atrium Health

Kevin Brown’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 helped transform SERVPRO® from 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 30 Motivational Speakers in the world for 2024 according to Global Gurus’. Kevin entertains, inspires, and challenges people to show up every day and make a positive difference at work and in life!

Check out Kevin Brown additional speaking video here.

David Brownlee Speaker

David Brownlee

Customer Experience, Communication, and Leadership Expert

 About

David Brownlee is the CEO of The Brownlee Group, LLC and founder of the Rockstar Customer Service Training Program. He is a two-time, number one, best-selling author of Rockstar Service, Rockstar Profits and Customer Service Success and has been featured in Time Magazine, People Magazine and others. He is a former business coach and seminar leader for Tony Robbins and has conducted over 5,000 one-on-one coaching sessions with business owners and executives.

He has trained over 2M businesses and individuals from his online courses, keynotes, live events and coaching programs. His clients range from small businesses to large companies – from Harley-Davidson, and Oakley to Google and LinkedIn.

David is a serial entrepreneur and sold his first company in 2005. He then moved to Central America with his wife to take a break and learn his 3 s’s…Spanish, Salsa and Surfing. One night when coming home from dinner in a taxicab, David and his wife were kidnapped at gunpoint. David was robbed, beaten and stabbed in the leg.

After making it through that horrific experience, David decided in that moment, that life is short and dedicated himself to helping others. He looks at this life event as a “blessing” because it has led him down the path to be here with you on your journey.

David believes that we all deserve to be successful in life and business. He also believes that each one of us has the power to create a positive ripple effect of kindness and respect for one another through our interactions. We make this impact, one person at a time.

He currently lives in San Diego, CA with his wife and two children.

Fun fact: David is the biggest winner in the history of the Hollywood Squares Game Show on CBS with Whoopi Goldberg.

Colette Carlson Speaker

Colette Carlson

Author & Motivational Speaker on Human Behaviour and Communications

 About

Colette Carlson: Human Behavior Expert | CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame | Leadership & Communication Expert | Creator of The Human Edge™

The Human Edge™

Colette Carlson helps leaders and teams strengthen the human skills technology can't replicate—trust, empathy, presence, resilience and influence.

A Human Behavior Expert and CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame inductee, Colette combines research, humor, storytelling and highly interactive experiences to help people communicate more effectively, collaborate more deeply and perform at their best.

Why Book Colette Carlson?

Colette addresses one of today's biggest workplace challenges: people are more connected technologically, yet often more disconnected personally.

She shows leaders, teams and sales professionals how stronger human connection translates into greater trust, engagement, collaboration and performance.

Her presentations are energetic, funny and highly practical. Audiences don't simply listen—they participate, connect and leave with strategies they can immediately put into action.

What Makes Colette Different?

  • CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame inductee
  • Certified Speaking Professional (CSP)
  • Master's Degree in Human Behavior
  • More than 20 years working with organizations worldwide
  • Trusted by organizations including Microsoft, FedEx, Costco, Procter & Gamble and Fidelity
  • Combines humor, storytelling, research and audience interaction
  • Conducts extensive pre-event research and audience interviews
  • Deeply customizes her presentation to the organization, audience and event objectives

Why Is Colette Right for Your Audience?

Colette is an excellent choice when organizations need people to communicate better, build trust and strengthen the relationships that drive results.

She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales meetings, corporate events, association conferences and organizations experiencing change.

Book Colette when your audience needs to:

  • Build stronger relationships and trust
  • Communicate with greater influence
  • Collaborate more effectively across teams and silos
  • Strengthen resilience during change
  • Create greater engagement and belonging
  • Connect across different generations and working styles
  • Protect the human advantage in an increasingly AI-driven workplace

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

  • Better equipped to build trust quickly
  • More intentional about how they communicate and connect
  • Ready to strengthen collaboration across teams
  • Better able to navigate difficult conversations
  • More resilient when facing change and uncertainty
  • Equipped with practical strategies they can immediately apply
  • Energized to bring greater humanity to the way they lead and work

Keynote Programs

The Human Edge™ Because Influence Begins With Connection, Not Code

In a world increasingly shaped by technology and AI, Colette shows audiences why human connection has become a critical competitive advantage.

She explores how trust, empathy, presence and emotional intelligence strengthen leadership, teamwork and performance—and gives audiences practical ways to put those skills into action.

Ideal for leadership conferences, corporate meetings and organizations navigating the future of work.

Impactful Leadership

Great leadership isn't simply about communicating information. It's about creating the trust and connection that inspire people to act.

Colette helps leaders communicate with greater clarity, listen more effectively, strengthen relationships and create cultures where people feel seen, valued and motivated to contribute.

Ideal for leadership meetings, management conferences and organizations focused on culture and engagement.

Sales Success

Customers have more information, more choices and more technology than ever before. What still differentiates great salespeople is their ability to create genuine human connection.

Colette shows sales professionals how to build trust, listen more effectively, strengthen relationships and communicate in ways that create greater influence.

Ideal for sales kickoffs, national sales meetings and customer-facing teams.

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

The right keynote needs to do more than entertain your audience. It needs to connect directly to the challenges they are facing.

Colette is particularly committed to customization, conducting discovery conversations and audience interviews so her presentation feels relevant to the people in the room.

Contact us to:

  • Confirm Colette's availability and current fee
  • Identify the keynote that best supports your objectives
  • Discuss customization around your audience and organization
  • Explore keynote, workshop and interactive formats
  • Receive comparable recommendations if another speaker may be a stronger fit

Contact The Sweeney Agency to discuss booking Colette Carlson.

 

Conference Plans Changed? Speaker

Conference Plans Changed?

How to Plan a Great Virtual Event

 About

Click Here to Receive Your Customized List of Speaker Ideas

Virtual Events can:

  1. Reach a wider audience
  2. Offer a great experience at a much lower cost
  3. Create long term impact with recorded elements that allow for content to be watched over a period of time
  4. Have an increased impact over time, as viewers re-watch, discuss and connect over social media and other channels

And, most importantly: offer the ability for inspiring and impactful presentations to connect in a one-on-one way, directly to the attendee.

WHO is your audience?

Who are your virtual event attendees? Are they across a specific group within your organization, or are you serving clients across a wide range of levels? Determining who you are speaking to will help you determine a format for your event that will captivate your audience.

WHAT is your key message?

Are you focusing on change? Innovation? Leadership?

Creating a single focus or mission will allow you to hone in on the type of speaker(s) you need to engage your audience and help event producers to format the event into a dynamic program that balances inspiration with information and audience interaction.

WHAT type of event suits your audience?

  • Virtual Conference
  • Webinar
  • Hybrid Event

Virtual event technology has come a long way over the last few months, offering a huge range of different options from pre-recorded webinars, to multi-day virtual conferences, to hybrid events with some attendees in the audience while the event is live streamed.

OUR ADVICE

A COMBINATION of live and pre-recorded elements will allow your virtual event to run smoothly and stay on time.

Many of our clients are also opting for multi-day virtual conferences with shorter segments spaced over a few days.

This allows some flexibility for attendees in different time zones and accommodates different teleworking situations for attendees, allowing them to tune in when it is convenient.

WHERE? It’s all about Tech.

Virtual meeting technology has exploded over the last few months as teleworking became the norm.

Consider your needs:

  • Interactive elements like breakout rooms, polls & Q&A
  • Seamless blend of live & pre-recorded elements
  • Ability to replay segments
  • Live tech support

If you plan for rain, it’s likely the sun will shine…

Tech isn’t perfect so don’t forget to test, rehearse and have a back up plan ready to go for your virtual event.

Pro Tip: Think of a virtual presentation like a podcast. Viewers can view the content multiple times and refer back to it.

  WHEN? A Date… or Dates?

As we have all noticed, our attention spans for meeting in real life versus meeting online are a lot longer.

When deciding on a date, consider spreading your virtual event out over a few days, with a variety of speakers, interactive elements and information.

The benefits of a multi-day format:

  • Viewers watch content fresh for a short period every day
  • Allows attendees in different time zones to stay on top of the content
  • Attendees can review & re-engage with content

Virtual Event Checklist:

Is your event?

  • Interactive?
  • Informative?
  • Able to be rewatched?

WHY? Pandemic 2020

Just because you are online instead of in person, it doesn’t mean you are missing out on connection.

Using the technology that we have become so accustomed to over the last few months, our keynote speakers have the ability to connect to your viewers one-on-one, in a way that was impossible in live events.

FIND YOUR WHY…

What do you want the audience to leave thinking at the end of the presentation?

Apply this question to all the presentations and segments in your event to create a cohesive, impactful virtual event.

  HOW? Virtual Event Checklist

To wrap it all up

  • TECH: Find the right tech platform & don’t forget to test drive before your event
  • AGENDA: Use a mix of live and pre-recorded segments, mixed with interactive elements, to ensure a smooth flow of events & audience engagement
  • ANTICIPATION: Build up your event with emails, teasers and sneak peeks into what content will be offered
  • NETWORKING: Create and encourage online chat functions, an event specific hashtag or even a dedicated event page to allow attendees to network virtually. Maximize the networking opportunities offered by your tech platform.
  • EXTEND YOUR IMPACT: A dedicated social media page is a great place for attendees to connect after an event to discuss ideas and implement some of the learnings from the event.

Offer a password protected, limited time recording of keynote presentations to continue the conversation long after the virtual event has ended.

Continue the conversation with post-event touch points like emails or questions based on the key presentations.

To find a GREAT Speaker for your Virtual event, get in touch.

Get Your Customized List of Speaker Ideas Speaker

 About

Get Your Customized List of Speaker Ideas

Simply fill out the form below and we will be in touch with a customized list of ideas for your event.

It's that simple.

James H. Gilmore Speaker

James H. Gilmore

Co-Author of The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater and Every Business A Stage, Speaker on Strategy and Customer Service

 About

James H. Gilmore specializes in provoking executives to think more richly and constructively about growth and innovation. Combining imaginative business thinking with practical analytical tools - Jim excels at helping businesses conceive new ways of understanding customer needs and adding value in the marketplace. To direct new strategic thinking and foster greater corporate ingenuity, Jim leverages insightful frameworks drawn from his world-renowned expertise in three innovation disciplines:

First, Jim challenges organizations to think beyond goods and services as a means to overcome commoditization - and engage customers with truly new forms of output. His highly influential work, The Experience Economy: Work is Theatre & Every Business a Stage, now published in fifteen languages - literally wrote the book that spawned worldwide attention in experience design, experiential marketing, and customer experience management. Gilmore's thinking on the subject is unparalleled in terms of challenging businesses to explicitly create value in two customer currencies: the importance of their time and the desire to achieve personal transformations.

The second innovation area in which Jim assists businesses is in mass customizing products and processes. He is co-editor of Markets of One: Creating Customer-unique Value through Mass Customization, which addresses how to best pursue customized offerings in the face of increasingly fragmented markets. Jim challenges businesses to go beyond mere customer satisfaction (the gap between what customers expect and what they perceive they get) - to focus on the new innovation metric of customer sacrifice (the gap between what customers settle for and what they want exactly) in uncovering new innovation opportunities. Not limited in any way to consumer businesses, Gilmore argues this metric in particular holds the key to creating value in B2B relationships.

The third arena of innovation directs businesses to consider a whole new consumer sensibility in today's marketplace - namely the desire for authenticity. Jim's most recent book, Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want, outlines how authenticity must be managed as a distinct business discipline if any innovation is to find a receptive buyer. Here Jim addresses ways for businesses to innovate that go beyond appeals to availability, cost, and quality - outlining the deliberate steps needed to gain the perception of authenticity and a reputation as real.

Jim has worked across a wide array of industries. His work in experience innovation has included helping a number of hospitality clients, technology firms, equipment manufacturers, restaurant chains, and medical care businesses. He has helped both goods manufacturers and service providers incorporate principles of mass customization into their operations. Jim's work in helping organizations render authenticity has primarily focused on travel and tourism, real estate development, and urban renewal.

Jim is co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP and a Batten Fellow and Adjunct Lecturer at the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia. He is a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an alumnus of Procter & Gamble, and before co-founding Strategic Horizons LLP was head of CSC Consulting's Process Innovation practice.

Jeffrey Gitomer Speaker

Jeffrey Gitomer

Author of The New York Times bestsellers The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling, Jeffrey offers expert advice on understanding your customers and increasing your sales

 About

Jeffrey Gitomer is a creative, on-the-edge, writer and speaker whose expertise on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development is world renowned. He is known for presentations, seminars and keynote addresses that are funny, insightful, and in your face. Jeffrey gives audiences information they can take out in the street one minute after the seminar is over and turn it into money.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The New York Times best sellers The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Black Book of Connections, and The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude. Most of his books have been number one best sellers on Amazon.com and have appeared on major best-seller lists more than 500 times and have sold millions of copies worldwide.

Jeffrey gives public and corporate seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts live and virtual training programs on selling, YES! Attitude, trust, customer loyalty, and personal development. His customers include Coca-Cola, US Foodservice, Caterpillar, BMW, Verizon, MacGregor Golf, Hilton, General Motors, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, AmeriPride, NCR, IBM, Comcast Cable, Time Warner, Liberty Mutual, Principal Financial, Wells Fargo Bank, BlueCross BlueShield, Carlsberg, Mutual of Omaha, AC Neilsen, Northwestern Mutual, Church Mutual Insurance, MetLife, Sports Authority, GlaxoSmithKline, The New York Post, and hundreds of others.

Jeffrey's syndicated column, Sales Moves, appears in scores of business journals and newspapers in the United States and Europe, and is read by more than four million people every week. His WOW website, Gitomer.com, gets thousands of hits per week from readers and seminar attendees. His state-of-the-art presence on the web and e-commerce ability has set the standard among peers, and has won huge praise and acceptance from customers.

Sylvie di Giusto Speaker

Sylvie di Giusto

Former Corporate Executive, Inspiring Keynote Speaker on Power of Choice, EI in Sales and Leadership

 About

International keynote speaker, Sylvie di Giusto, brings her expertise from a successful corporate career in Europe to every presentation. Formerly the head of a management academy and innovation hub, she developed innovative programs for high-end education with never-before-used training methods. As the Chief of Staff for the Chief Human Resources Officer of Europe’s largest tourism and retail group, Sylvie also coordinated all group-wide human resources teams and activities. Prior to that, at a consultancy firm, she implemented online and in-person training and development initiatives for Fortune 100 companies. Well versed in the study of social and cultural norms, personal beliefs and values, as well as cognitive biases and thought patterns, her 20 years in learning and development leaves a deep understanding into how ‘The Power of Choice’ impacts an organization’s sales, leadership and growth.

Now, extraordinary leaders and professionals at many of the most respected organizations and associations in the world—from American Express to American Airlines, Hilton to Nespresso, Microsoft to Prudential, and even the US Air Force—trust Sylvie to help them make the right decisions that grow their brands and bottom lines. Building on her five cornerstones of Modern Emotional Intelligence—visual, behavioral, verbal, digital, and social intelligence—Sylvie gives her audiences ‘The Power of Choice’ a conscious decision-making framework that allows us to understand our perceptions, choose our behaviors, and determine our best outcomes.

She is the author of The Image of Leadership, Discover Your Fair Advantage and the upcoming Make Me Feel Important, in which she leads you deep into the customer experience and shows you how to make every interaction count. Sylvie takes your organization on an entertaining, spectacular, and thought-provoking journey through the brain, the mind, and from the unconscious to the conscious—and ultimately to the heights of personal, professional, and organizational success.

Amanda Gore Speaker

Amanda Gore

CEO of The Joy Project, Communication & Performance Expert, Author and Huffington Post Columnist

 About

Amanda Gore is an Australian living in the USA. An author, USA Hall of Fame speaker, business woman, CEO of The Joy Project and a Huffington Post Columnist, she has won many awards, including Educator of the Year and Keynote Speaker of the Year from the National Speakers Association.  

She works with organizations of different sizes to help boost engagement of teams, create cultures of joy and joyful people, manage change fatigue and bring humanity back into leadership and work.  

With the rise of mental health issues, Amanda believes that joy is the antidote to burnout and has been shown to increase productivity, sales, and well-being. In her presentations, she blends humor, science, and life experience to teach practical tools and skills for personal and organizational growth. She focuses on helping people feel good about themselves which leads to positive changes in all areas. 

Originally a physical therapist with a major in psychology, Amanda blends research in neuroscience, epigenetics, positive psychology, quantum physics and emotional intelligence with funny stories to help organizations achieve better performance by aligning with values and mission and creating joyful workplaces and people. Through her funny, interactive and engaging presentations, Amanda breaks down barriers, opens hearts and minds, and inspires people to action. 

Her presentations are funny, energetic, entertaining, and engaging, and she is dedicated to inspiring and facilitating lasting change while people laugh and learn. 

Click Here to Watch Amanda's Virtual Presentation

Scott Greenberg Speaker

Scott Greenberg

Business Motivational Speaker Helps Leaders & Franchisees Engage Employees, Serve Customers and Grow their Business

 About

  • Talks about customer service, management, and employee engagement, and how the human factor drives bottom-line results in business.
  • Audiences learn how to operate in a way that makes the most impact on customers and colleagues and ultimately, the most money, your culture must excel in three critical areas: the way people think, the way they lead, and the way they serve.
  • Author of The Wealthy Franchisee: Game-Changing Steps to Becoming a Thriving Franchise Superstar
  • Past clients include: McDonalds, Great Clips, Anytime Fitness, GNC, Wyndham Hotel Group, National Shoes Retailers Association, Re/MAX, Lyft, Columbia Sports Wear,  Principal Financial Group, National Property Management Association.

At the core of every thriving business lie the human elements of leadership, culture, and employee engagement. Scott Greenberg is the catalyst for a new kind of business transformation—one that balances the scales between strategic prowess and human empathy, the interconnectedness of profit and people.

Author of Stop the SHIFT SHOW and The Wealthy Franchisee, Scott delves into the human factors of business that directly impact performance. He helps leaders think at a higher level with a peak performance mindset that keeps emotions in check and yields the clearest, most productive perspective possible for business growth. He helps them lead more effectively so they can hire, train and develop their teams into a high-performance workforce. Improving business from the inside out, he co-created an innovative management diagnostic and leadership tool, 30-Second Leadership™, that enhances employee mindset, skillset and performance.

As a former multi-unit, international award-winning franchise owner for best management and customer service, Scott’s programs are a harmonious blend of wit, business acumen and human-centric leadership. He stands at the intersection of hard strategy and emotional intelligence, offering a holistic approach to business transformation that is practical and relatable.

Scott’s books, keynotes and online trainings aim to elevate not just the metrics, but the people behind them. As a sought-after author and international speaker, Scott ignites audiences with engaging, high-energy and customized programs that leave audience members with proven strategies and long-lasting inspiration. He is the expert organizations call on to boost performance and elevate their teams.

Sally Hogshead Speaker

Sally Hogshead

Branding and innovation expert, author of Radical Careering, one of advertising’s most celebrated thinkers.

 About

  • Speaker on Innovation in Branding and Marketing
  • Talks about: How TO Fascinate: From First Impressions to Lasting Value
  • Author of the New York Times bestseller, FASCINATE: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist
  • Past clients include: Cisco, Human Business World, Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation, Wall Street Journal

Sally Hogshead is a Hall of Fame speaker, international author, and the world's leading expert on fascination. Growing up with the last name Hogshead would give anyone an unconventional point of view. After graduating from Duke University and starting in advertising, Sally was named the most successful junior copywriter of all time. At age 27 she opened her first agency, and went on to conquer the worlds of branding and marketing.

Over the past decade, Sally's research has uncovered surprising trends. In today's distracted world, people have a 9-second attention span. With only 9
seconds to communicate value, we must use our advantages to immediately break through. Sally teaches how to break through the distraction and competition by creating moments of intense focus.

When you fascinate a customer or employee, you create exciting moments of connection. Your listener is far more likely to remember and value you.

In her research, Sally has measured over 100,000 people to identify a scientific approach to personal branding.

A few findings in Sally's research:

  • Your personality uses identifiable patterns of persuasion
  • When you fascinate customers, they're more likely to trust and respect you
  • Fascinating brands can charge up to 4x more than commodity brands
  • Companies that fascinate employees have higher productivity
  • Women will spend more to be fascinating than they spend on food and clothes combined ($338/month)

Rather than measuring how you see the world, Sally measures how the world sees you.

Sally's first book was Radical Careering: 100 Truths to Jumpstart Your Job, Your Career, and Your Life. She toured the country as a spokesperson for CareerBuilder.com, teaching how to apply strengths at work.

Her next book, FASCINATE, was published around the globe, earning Sally a frequent spotlight in major media including Today Show and the New York Times. The press describes Sally as a marketing icon who has changed the face of North American advertising.

In 2013, HarperCollins will publish Sally's new book, How The World Sees You: From First Impressions to Lasting Value.

Few keynote speakers blend a research-based message with the high-energy delivery required to inspire big audiences. Sally is a 2012 recipient of the coveted
CPAE award for lifetime achievement in speaking excellence. Recent clients include Intel, Cisco, Million Dollar Round Table, GE, New York Life, YPO, and Intuit. Her audiences ranging from Fortune 500 CEOs to entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia.

Click Here to Watch Sally's Virtual Presentation

David Horsager Speaker

David Horsager

Author, Global Trust Expert, and Speaker on Leadership, Customer Service, Innovation and Sales

 About

  • David is a leading authority on leadership, customer service, innovation and sales and how TRUST is the common thread that weaves success into every business relationship and endeavour.
  • Teaches audiences an actionable framework they can use immediately to build trust and solve their biggest challenges
  • Inventor of The Enterprise Trust Index™, director of the annual study—The Trust Outlook™, and national bestselling author of The Trust Edge.
  • Past clients include: FedEx, IBM, MDRT, Nationwide, New York Yankees, Pfizer, Toyota, Verizon

Click Here to Watch David's Virtual Presentation

David Horsager, MA, CSP, CPAE is the CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute, national best-selling author of The Trust Edge, inventor of the Enterprise Trust Index™, and director of one of the nation’s foremost trust studies: The Trust Outlook™.  David is a leading authority on leadership, customer service, innovation and sales.

His work has been featured in prominent publications such as Fast Company, Forbes, The Huffington Post and The Wall Street Journal. David has advised leaders and delivered life-changing presentations on six continents - with audiences ranging everywhere from FedEx, Toyota and global governments to the New York Yankees and the Department of Homeland Security.

Phil M. Jones Speaker

Phil M. Jones

About Phil M. Jones – Bestselling Author and Speaker on Persuasion, Influence, and Sales 

 About

  • Phil’s unique philosophy of using specific word choices to teach people “Exactly What To Say” in order to influence, persuade and drive outcomes, has made him one of the most practical and in-demand business experts & speaker.
  • Audiences leave with specific tools to build great relationships with clients and win more business.
  • Author of the “Exactly” book series with more than 1 million copies sold. Has delivered 3,000 presentations in 57 countries across five continents, training more than two million people (both sales and non-sales professionals, leaders and experts) to learn how to have more influence, confidence and control when steering their conversations.
  • Past clients include: Accruent, Citizens Bank,  DHL, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Microsoft, ReSound, SHRM, Volkswagen

An entrepreneurial success story and founder of 5-multimillion-dollar companies, Phil M Jones is Strategic Advisor to pioneering leaders of the world’s biggest brands. The author of 7 best-selling books including the “Exactly” Book Series with over 2 million copies sold, he is the Producer of the “Most Listened To” Audiobook of all time and Innovator of the highly coveted “How to Persuade” audible production. To date, more than 800 different industries, across 59 countries and 5 continents have benefited from his input. Phil recently joined a long list of global leaders who serve in residence at High Point University’s Access to Innovators Program. The program at HPU connects students with industry leaders for networking and mentorship opportunities. He joins Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph and many others.

Phil M Jones thinks and acts differently. His precise insights around communication, added to a proven personal pedigree of peak performance and a richness of real-world experience mean that Phil is the kind of thought-leader whose council is sought by other thought- leaders.

He believes with passion that the answer to increased success, in every area of life, is to ask better questions, focus on QUALITY of conversation as well as quantity and that quite often, the difference between you, and all the others, is knowing Exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to make more of your conversations count.

Entering the world of business at the tender age of 14, with nothing more than a bucket and sponge, he went from single-handedly washing cars on weekends to hiring a fleet of friends working on his behalf, resulting in him earning more than his teachers by the time he was 15.

His early career was dynamic and challenging including leading experienced teams of sales professionals through his early twenties, as well as guiding Premier League Football Clubs to maximize sponsorships and licensing agreements, in addition to helping grow an independent real estate business to a revenue in excess of $240m with a sales team of just five.

After several years of being one of the most in-demand young sales leaders in the UK, Phil decided it was time to dedicate his future to helping others to succeed. Ever the entrepreneur, Phil started his training and consulting business from scratch in 2008 and has grown a deep body of work that showcases his core belief that changing your words can truly change your world.

Best known for his international best-selling book, Exactly What to Say – The Magic Words for Influence and Impact and his vast experience as a professional speaker at conferences and events, what is often overlooked is the strategic intellect he provides behind the scenes for some of the world’s biggest brands to understand their critical conversations and the success language required to maximize their effectiveness.

To date, more than 800 different industries, across 59 countries and 5 continents have benefitted from his input. Trusted by dynamic and aspiring leaders in Healthcare, Real Estate, Automotive, Financial Services, SaaS, Home Improvement, Retail and many more – Phil is the kind of expert that achieves his success through the people he supports and adores seeing other people shine.

Click Here to Watch Phil's Virtual Presentation

Brett King Speaker

Brett King

Author of Bank 2.0 and speaker on financial services and the customer experience

 About

Brett King, the best selling author of the groundbreaking book BANK 2.0, is the founder of the first direct mobile bank in the US and UK (Movenbank) and a strategic advisor to the world's leading financial services organizations. He is an International Judge for the GSMA Global Mobile Awards, the Asian Banker Retail Excellence Awards and for the MiddleEast Business Achievement Awards.

A speaker at global events for financial services and innovation, King is a sought after expert on
innovation, technology disruption, customer experience and channel distribution strategy. He publishes regularly in his role as industry advisor on The Huffington Post, Internet Evolution, FinExtra and his personal blog Banking4Tomorrow.com. He has recently been featured on Bloomberg TV, BBC, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, etc.

King also a runs a niche strategic advisory firm, User Strategy and is a Board Advisor at Geezeo, a leading software services provider for banks and credit unions. He also advises IAFM, the International Academy of Financial Management (previously known as the American Academy of Financial Management). As one of the founders of IAFM, one of the world's fastest growing professional associations with more than 200,000 members, associates and affiliates in 145 countries,King was instrumental in the development of the worldwide certification training provided by IAFM.

Previously, he led the Asia division for Modem Media/Digitas (part of the Publicis group) managing revenues in excess of $10m per year and a 100 to 150 staffpersons. King was also the Director of e-Business for Deloitte Consulting with service line responsibilities in the technology integration arena across the Asia region, particularly within the financial services practice. He is working with global banks like HSBC, BMO, TD, RBS and others as a strategic advisor, and also provides thought leadership to leading service organizations like Sapient, WiPro, Oracle, Microsoft and others.

Doug Lipp Speaker

Doug Lipp

Former Head Trainer Walt Disney University and author of The Changing Face of Today’s Customer. Customer service speaker.

 About

  • Doug talks about how Disney continues to capture and inspire the hearts and minds of thousands of employees around the globe through an unwavering devotion to the core values established by Walt himself. 
  • Audiences will discover how they can apply these leadership, teamwork and innovation lessons to catapult their organizations to the next level.
  • Doug is a distinguished international consultant, eight-time author, and former head of training at the legendary Disney University.
  • Past clients include: McDonald's, Verizon Wireless, Google, Best Buy, Merrill Lynch and Hyatt.

Candid. Passionate. Relevant. Doug Lipp is on a crusade to help organizations strengthen their corporate culture, boost business performance, and unapologetically, have fun while doing it.

Doug is a distinguished international consultant, eight-time author, and former head of training at the legendary Disney University. His latest book is the best-selling Disney U: How Disney University Develops the World’s Most Engaged, Loyal, and Customer-Centric Employees.

At age 29, Doug’s celebrated talent catapulted him to the helm of the legendary Disney University training team at Walt Disney corporate headquarters.  Fluent in Japanese, Doug also helped Disney open its first international theme park as a member of the Tokyo Disneyland start-up team.

Drawing on his 30 plus years of combined experience at Disney and in private practice, Doug inspires and challenges hundreds of organizations worldwide. In presentations, he shares how Disney overcame spectacular strategic challenges to unleash one of the most improbable success stories in corporate history.

Through riveting examples and powerful, relevant stories about innovation, service, value and leadership, Doug pulls back the curtain and reveals the behaviors, tools and attitudes that are representative of cultural excellence at Disney and other great institutions. He also discusses common organizational traps that undermine companies and impede their ability to build a thriving and sustainable culture.

Scott McKain Speaker

Scott McKain

Best-selling Author and Dynamic Speaker on Sales, Innovation & Customer Service

 About

  • Talks about distinctive customer service to differentiate yourself in your industry and the marketplace
  • Audiences learn how to separate themselves from the competition by distinguishing their value in the marketplace
  • Author of  ICONIC: How Organizations and Leaders Attain, Sustain, and Regain the Ultimate Level of Distinction
  • Past clients include: BMW, Colgate, Fidelity Investments, Intel, Kaiser Permanente, Sobey’s, UBS

Scott McKain is globally recognized as an authority on how organizations and professionals create the distinction required to attract and retain customers and employees.

Scott’s presentations benefit from over three decades of experience, combined with his innate talent for articulating successful innovative ideas. McKain has spoken and consulted with leaders of the world’s most influential corporations, presenting his business strategies in all fifty states and twenty-two countries... from Singapore to Sweden; from Mexico to Morocco… from the White House with the President in attendance - to conferences in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

McKain’s latest book, released by an imprint from Simon & Schuster, titled “ICONIC: How Organizations and Leaders Attain, Sustain, and Regain the Ultimate Level of Distinction” was released to rave reviews from the world’s leading executives and thought leaders - and was named a “Top Ten” pick of the year by Forbes.com.

Scott’s unique platform style has earned him induction into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame - and his remarkable content earned him membership (along with Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar, and Og Mandino) - as one of only 24 selected for inclusion in the Sales and Marketing Hall of Fame. He is currently Corporate Educator in Residence at High Point University - named by U.S. News & World Report as the nation’s “most innovative” university.

Click Here to Watch Scott's Virtual Presentation

Blake Morgan Speaker

Blake Morgan

Customer Experience Futurist, Keynote Speaker and Author

 About

Blake Morgan was called “The Queen of CX” by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Her newest book is called “8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules For Building Business Around Today’s Customer” coming out July of 2024. Her bestselling second book is called “The Customer Of The Future: 10 Guiding Principles For Winning Tomorrow’s Business” (HarperCollins), identified by Business Insider as one of the top 20 books executives are reading. In 2021 the book won a top 5 spot on Book Authority’s list of the “Top 100 Future Of Technology Books of All-Time.”

She was called one of the top 40 female keynote speakers by Real Leaders Magazine. Blake is a guest lecturer at Columbia University, the University of California, San Diego as well as adjunct faculty at the Rutgers executive education MBA program. She has worked with companies like Coca-Cola, AT&T, The Federal Reserve Bank and many more. Blake contributes to Forbes and is the host of The Modern Customer Podcast.

She lives in the Southern California with her husband, their two children and two dogs.

Mark Sanborn Speaker

Mark Sanborn

International Speaker and Best-selling Author of 8 Books on Leadership Development and Team Building.

 About

  • Mark talks about how leaders can lead best with clarity, intention and consistent action.
  • Audiences leave with specific advice on three essential areas of focus for leaders in today's world - culture, inspiration and emotion - and the tools to create powerful changes within their organizations.
  • Mark Sanborn has been called one of the top leadership experts by GlobalGurus.org. He is also a best-selling author and a member of the the Speakers Hall of Fame.
  • Past clients include: Costco, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, FedEx, Harley-Davidson, Cisco, KPMG, Morton’s of Chicago, New York Life, RE/MAX, ServiceMaster, ESPN, GM, IBM, Avnet, Sandvik and John Deere.

Mark Sanborn is the president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea lab for leadership development and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Mark is an international best-selling author and noted expert on leadership, team building, customer service and change. GlobalGurus.org lists Mark as one of the top leadership experts in the world.

Mark has given over 2,600 presentations in every state and 14 countries. He has authored eight books and more than two dozen videos and audio training programs. His programs are taught by Crestcom International in 90 countries and he is an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis.

Mark’s book, The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary is an international best-seller and was on the New York Times, Business Week and Wall Street Journal best-seller lists. His other books include 1) You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere Can Make a Positive Difference, 2) The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do, 3) Up, Down or Sideways: How to Succeed When Times are Good, Bad or In Between, 4) Fred 2.0: New Ideas on How to Keep Delivering Extraordinary Results and 5) The Potential Principle: A Proven System for Closing the Gap Between How Good You Are and How Good You Could Be and his newest 6) The Intention Imperative: 3 Essential Changes That Will Make You a Successful Leader Today (anticipated release, Oct 2019).

Mark is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame, a member of the exclusive Speakers Roundtable representing 20 of the top speakers in the country today and a past president of the National Speakers Association.

Mark’s list of clients includes Costco, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, FedEx, Harley-Davidson, Cisco, KPMG, Morton’s of Chicago, New York Life, RE/MAX, ServiceMaster, ESPN, GM, IBM, Avnet, Sandvik and John Deere.

“We each know how good we have become,” Mark says, “but none of us knows how good we can be. One of the most exciting opportunities we get each day is to pursue our potential.” Mark Sanborn challenges his audiences with this message and provides insights for extraordinary living.

He lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with his wife Darla and sons Hunter and Jackson.

Ken Schmidt Speaker

Ken Schmidt

Authentic Leadership and Customer Loyalty Expert; Senior Role in Harley-Davidson Turnaround; and Author, Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance

 About

It’s an impersonal world, where so many products and services are seen as easily-replaced, indistinct commodities. Whether you stand out or get lost in the crowd is a choice. A mindset. Ken Schmidt faced those same challenges himself and gained acclaim for his role in the extraordinary turnaround of the legendary Harley-Davidson Motor Company. That transformation was based on a change in mindset and a focus on answering three key strategic questions. While times have changed, what humans want and need from the businesses they buy from and work for hasn’t.

In his high-energy speeches, Ken inspires companies and individuals to shift their thinking and ride a path to success by becoming memorable – not for what they do or what they make, but for how they connect with people.

Ken is author of Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance. He’s also host of the Tailgating with Geniuses podcast and co-founder of Torque Sessions Leadership Training. In all of his endeavors, Ken brings an unconventional perspective that helps organizations and individuals reframe how they engage with their marketplace.

Ken Schmidt’s career in the motorcycle industry began in 1985 as a specialist in corporate positioning and media relations for the then-struggling Harley-Davidson. He was tasked with helping the company restore its image, improve its competitiveness, and create demand for its motorcycles. Within a few short years, sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles skyrocketed, and the company returned to prominence as one of the most respected, profitable, and frequently reported-on companies in the world.

In 1990, Ken became director of Harley-Davidson’s corporate and financial communications, serving as its primary spokesperson to the media and the financial communities. He frequently appeared in mainstream and business media to offer insights on nontraditional communications, customer attraction, and brand-building. His expertise and success at Harley-Davidson ultimately led to consulting assignments and speaking invitations from all over the world.

In 1997, Ken left Harley-Davidson to take an ownership position with a highly successful Chicago-based marketing firm, VSA Partners. In addition to Harley-Davidson, VSA served a virtual who’s who of the world’s best-known brands. In 1999, he sold his portion of VSA to start his own business, Ken Schmidt Company, to combine two of his greatest passions, motorcycling and speaking. He uses motorcycles as a metaphor to expose people to proven ideas and concepts they’ve likely never imagined.

After all he has accomplished, Ken remains committed to his philosophy of standing out, taking risks, and having fun in both his personal and professional life. He says, “Never do what’s expected, make yourself as noticeably different as possible, and have a lot more fun than you’re supposed to.”

Ross Shafer Speaker

Ross Shafer

Emmy Award-Winning Network Talk Show Host, Best-selling Author, and Hilarious Change Expert

 About

  • Ross talks about how professional and personal success follows from one's commitment to being accountable--when we are the architect of our own life, we will have more time, money and happiness.
  • Audiences learn that they can no longer blame “government regulation,” “the economy” or “the competition” – or “changes in management" -- for their discontent. Focus on what you can control. Personal growth and opportunity always emerge from realizing that nobody cares more about your career and success than YOU do. Be accountable – and you won’t have to wait for anybody to elevate your position in work and life.
  • 6-time Emmy Award Winning TV host, comedian, and writer; Author of 9 Business Books & Entrepreneur
  • Past clients include: ACE Hardware, Aflac, Hilton Hotels, Hyundai, iPipeline

As a popular headline comedian and 6-Time Emmy Award winning TV host, Ross Shafer has been a lifelong student of human nature. He says, “I have been eternally fascinated by the laughter and tears business.”

To date, Ross has hosted (5) network TV shows, (Match Game on ABC, Love me, Love Me Not on USA, The Late Show on FOX, Days End on ABC, and Almost Live on NBC).

As a serial entrepreneur, Ross has rescued (23) businesses from bankruptcy and turned them around for a tidy profit. To that end, he has leveraged his business savvy to write and produce (14) Human Resource training films on Customer Service, Motivation, Leadership, and Peer Pressure, and has authored (11) books; Cook- Like-A-Stud, Nobody Moved Your Cheese, Customer Empathy, The Customer Shouts Back, Are You Relevant? No More Customer Friction, Grab More Market Share, Absolutely Necessary (coauthored with Michael Burger), Behave Like a Startup, Success, It’s on You, and Rattled (co-authored with Allison Dalvit).

Today, Ross is the funniest and most sought after corporate keynote speakers on the subjects of Customer Friction, Personal Growth, Reinvention, Resilience, and Market Relevance.

Ross is the beaming father of three children and “Papa” to four grandchildren.

Click Here to Watch Ross' Virtual Presentation

Andrew Sobel Speaker

Andrew Sobel

Leading Keynote Speaker on Sales & Client Royalty

 About

Andrew Sobel is the leading authority on the strategies and skills required to earn lifelong client loyalty and build trusted client partnerships. The most widely published author in the world on this topic, he has written four acclaimed, bestselling books on business relationships: Power Questions, All for One, Making Rain, and Clients for Life. His newest book, Power Questions, shows how to use powerful, thought-provoking questions to win new business, build relationships and influence others. He has also published over 100 articles and contributed chapters to four books on leadership, strategy, and marketing. All for One was voted one of the top 10 sales and marketing books of the decade by a major marketing publication.

Andrew has worked for more than 30 years as both a strategy advisor to senior management and an executive educator and coach. Many of the world`s leading companies number among Andrew`s clients. These include established public companies such as Citigroup, WPP, Xerox, Experian, Hess, Cognizant, UBS, and Lloyds Banking Group; and also many privately held professional service firms, including Booz Allen Hamilton, Towers Watson, Bain & Company, Booz & Company, Spencer Stuart, Fulbright & Jaworski, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, and many others.

His articles and work have been featured in a variety of publications including USA Today, The New York Times, Business Week, the Harvard Business Review, Strategy+Business, and Advertising Age, and he has appeared on numerous television programs such as ABC`s World News This Morning and the Fox Strategy Room. One of his articles, "The Beatles Principles," was featured in major newspapers and media in over 20 countries around the world.

A former Senior Vice President and Country Managing Director with Gemini Consulting (formerly the MAC Group), Andrew lived and worked in Europe for 13 years and speaks four languages. He graduated from Middlebury College with honors and earned his MBA from Dartmouth`s Tuck School. He is president of Andrew Sobel Advisors and Executive Director of the Client Leadership Forum, a best practices consortium of international services firms. Andrew has been married for 30 years and has three children.

Simone Sweeney Speaker

Simone Sweeney

Former Fortune 100 Executive, Keynote Speaker on Marketing and Retail

 About

Simone Sweeney is a globally recognized retail strategist and executive coach with over 25 years of experience shaping some of the world’s most iconic retail brands—including Apple, The LEGO Group, and Motorola. A visionary leader with a rare blend of creative insight and operational rigor, Simone helps businesses reimagine what’s possible in physical retail—and then delivers it, at scale.

With a career spanning more than 60 countries, Simone has led retail expansion and transformation for multinationals across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. At Apple, she spearheaded consumer engagement and experience strategies for over 100 stores across 11 countries, driving market-leading product launches and new store openings. At LEGO, she masterminded the global retail development strategy, scaling the brand’s store footprint to 1,000 locations and pioneering immersive in-store concepts that fueled rapid growth and brand love—particularly in key markets like China, the Middle East, and Mexico.

Simone’s work at Motorola saw her launch over 400 branded stores and shop-in-shops across 18 countries, while managing field merchandisers and marketers in 28 markets. She truly understands the complexity of delivering best in class brand and product engagement while maintaining consistency and maximizing revenue. Her career is a masterclass in strategic execution, local market adaptation, and the power of in-store storytelling to drive consumer loyalty.

Today, Simone combines her retail expertise with her passion for leadership and human development. As an executive coach and consultant, she partners with organizations to not only build compelling retail programs—but also to grow the people who lead them. Her keynotes weave together insights on global retail trends, innovation, and leadership—leaving audiences inspired and equipped to evolve.

Hamish Taylor Speaker

Hamish Taylor

Award-winning CEO and Global Keynote Speaker on Entrenching the Customer in the Heart of All Activities by Creating The Customer Promise

 About

Hamish Taylor has a CV that the Times describes as “takes some beating.” His energetic, thought-provoking and humorous keynotes are based on a rare combination of real stories - and a fantastic ability to inspire audiences with tailored advice and practical tools. Regularly featured in broadcast media, today Hamish acts as an advisor to some of the world’s largest companies (and even Governments) - assisting with specific innovation projects, customer focus and/or people leadership.

Hamish is an award-winning CEO whose career has taken him from the international consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, consultancy firm Price Waterhouse and British Airways - to become CEO of the channel tunnel railway Eurostar, and then CEO of Sainsbury’s Bank… all before he was 40! In all cases, he left behind a record of significant business growth triggered by a willingness to challenge the normal way of doing things - so much so that his advice and assistance is now sought by organizations all over the world in many different industries.

As the self appointed “chief dumming down officer” in each of his roles, his approach is simple - but highly effective in delivering breakthroughs.

  • The first thing that has to change is the way you look at your customers (both internal and external) - if you look at your customers the same way, you will get the same answers and keep doing the same things
  • Secondly, you need to use your customer insights to create a new leadership tool - a simple “customer promise” as a platform for ALL future activity that puts customer benefit at the heart. Your customer doesn’t care about what you do, but about how they benefit as a result of what you do - so use this as your key purpose
  • Thirdly, you must look to other environments and industries if you want breakthrough ideas - for product, service, process, leadership and much more. The Inspired Leaders Network dubbed Hamish the “Master thief” due to his track record in this area
  • Concentrate your major energy on changing the way you engage with the team that will deliver the customer promise

Hamish’s keynotes will demonstrate the major breakthroughs that can be achieved by changing your approach. Hamish’s message can be tailored to a variety of topics and levels within an organization.