Motivational Keynote Speaker, Strategist & Author

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Ideation, innovation and complex problem solving are the primary areas in which I work, along with my team of consultants. That however, can take many different forms, as the needs of each client's business are unique.

As much of my work is international is scope, the projects can vary greatly between clients. My work has included: defense and aerospace, white collar fraud investigation and asset recovery, new market penetration, new product troubleshooting and launch, logistics solutions, competitor research, emergency and interim management of client operations as well as developing strategic plans.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. The vast majority of accomplished professional speakers have excellent platform skills. Ask about content. Nearly all professional speakers have 'stock' or 'canned' keynote speeches that they customize for an audience, but 90+% of the content remains the same. I write each keynote from scratch, selecting the content to match the specific needs of the individual audience.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Few motivational speakers who address business audiences have much real world business experience. I have over 25 years of senior executive and business consulting experience globally.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. What will the audience gain from your keynote?
How will this improve the ROI (Return On Investment) of the meeting or event?
Are you willing to have open Q&A period following your keynote?
What makes you unique as a keynote speaker?
Will you be available before and after your keynote to interface with the attendees.?
Will you also provide a Breakout session?
Do you sell (hawk) your products from the podium? (They should not ever do so!)
Do you perform research in preparation of your keynote? If so, what do you do?
Can we record your speech?
How else can you help to make our meeting/event a success?

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. What do they want your meeting/event to achieve?
What do they want the keynote speaker to achieve?
When in the program do they want this keynote? Opening? Mid? Closing?
How long is the audience prepared to listen to the speaker? Audiences are freshest and most attentive when they do not sit to long and not following a major meal or an open bar.
What is your overall theme and how do you want the speaker to relate to it?
How will you promote the meeting/event to raise interest? Do you want the speaker's involvement?
Do you want the keynote speaker to assist you in any manner with audience follow-up after the event?
Who will be the primary and back-up Points of Contact within your organization for the speaker.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. In part, because I have over a decade of professional speaking experience and with that, excellent platform skills. But more importantly, it is the more than 25 years of international business experience that sets me apart as a professional speaker. I have started several companies, enjoyed both business successes and failures, served on the boards of directors of corporations, nonprofits and foundations, here and overseas and consulted to some of the world's largest corporations. When I speak, it is not from something I read in a book or magazine, but from my own real life experience having been there and done it. That is what audiences want to hear, not merely theory, but actual experience speaking.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. Variety, it is indeed the spice of life. I thrive on learning and trying new experiences and things. As much of my work revolves around ideation and open innovation, being open to new ideas and ways of seeing the world is extremely important to me. Working internationally for decades with a wide variety of companies, as well as government and nonprofit organizations has filled my work with a never ending string of opportunities to grow my base of experience. With each new client and engagement, I look forward to the chance to learn still more. When we begin each day looking for the opportunity to learn, we are seldom disappointed.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Potential clients are often concerned first about fee, which is a mistake when procuring professional services. Value is the real issue - what do they receive for what they invest. Clients come to us because they need help in some aspect of their business. Receiving the needed help in the best manner, one which results in the greatest business benefits being enjoyed by the client, is my goal in serving our clientele. I specialize in providing high ROI (Return on Investment). That is what the client should focus on as it is in their best interests. When they understand this, we are in agreement.