Early Adopters' Club
We just wanted to take a moment to give you a heartfelt thanks for being a rockstar member of the Early Adopters Club!
Your awesomeness knows no bounds, and we're stoked to have you on board. Keep spreading that love of speaking!
Rael Bricker
From being 6000ft underground in a gold mine, to starting an education business (that grew to have 4000 plus students) to spending years working in venture capital, Rael Bricker has seen it all. He has listed companies on multiple international stock exchanges, and his financial services group has settled more than $3bn in loans over 20 years. Rael has the unique distinction of having sold more than $1bn in mortgages from stage. Rael’s diverse work history combined with unique global research interviews with companies in more than 25 countries allows him to work with leaders and managers on growing and achieving excellence, as he has experienced the rollercoaster himself and knows how to navigate the twists, turns and loops. If you need Rael to have academic qualifications, he holds two Masters Degrees: an MBA and an MSc (Software Engineering). He is currently a Fellow of the MFAA (Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia), a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) (Professional Speakers Australia) , Past Chapter President of PSA (WA), Chair of PSA Convention 24 and a Member of AICD (Australian Institute of Company Directors). In 2018, Rael published “Dive in – Lessons learnt since Business School”
Brenda Bence
Brenda Bence is passionate about two things: branding and leadership—and how the two work together. After earning her MBA from Harvard Business School, Brenda spent 20 years building billion-dollar mega brands across four continents for Fortune 100 consumer giants like Procter & Gamble and Bristol-Myers Squibb. She then started her own business to help companies and individuals define and grow their own successful leadership brands. Now sought after across six continents as a speaker and coach, Brenda is one of only a handful of professional speakers worldwide who have earned both the Global Speaking Fellow title from the Global Speakers Federation, and the Certified Speaking Professional title from Professional Speakers Australia. As an Executive Leadership Coach, Brenda has coached almost 1,000 leaders from across 60 nationalities and 70 industries. Consistently ranked by Global Gurus as a Top 10 Coach and a Top 10 Branding Guru, Brenda is also recognized by Thinkers50 as a World Leader in Coaching and is a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches. Brenda is an avid writer, having authored 11 books that have won 50 book awards (with book #12 on the way). Brenda and her articles have been featured in more than 400 media and publications all across the world, including NBC TV, Fortune, Reader’s Digest, Financial Times, Investor’s Business Daily, Entrepreneur Magazine, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, SmartMoney, Cosmopolitan, and The Los Angeles Times. Brenda is a popular guest on podcasts and radio shows. Having lived outside her native U.S. for 25 years, Brenda has traveled to 100 countries, is an avid Mahjong player and has fuddled her way through learning six languages.
Rainer Petek
Rainer Petek is the author of ten books, keynote speaker and extreme mountaineer. As a 19-year-old, he climbed the north face of the Grandes Jorasses - one of the most difficult walls in the Alps. As a professional mountain guide, he led clients through extreme routes in the Alps and up 6,000-meter peaks in the Himalayas. Since 1998 he has been working with international companies and managers from Germany to Silicon Valley facing leadership & change challenges. Rainer Petek has given keynotes worldwide - in 27 countries on five continents so far.
Thierry Ferrari
We all have several lives and this is what makes it rich. I discovered the theater that I still practice at the age of 15, started my professional activity at 16 as a market gardener, then a nurse, a soldier in the National Navy and in particular in the Marine Commandos unit, trade unionist, trainer, actor, entrepreneur of several companies, president of an association of more than 14,000 members and even shareholder of a national holding company of more than 300 employees. Today, after more than thirty years of experience, my expertise touches the field of the stage, the company, and the accompaniment in the mental preparation. I have built myself a new playground in the conference field. So, I carry around my artist's suitcase from which I take out a certain number of tools. Actor in life as on stage, I find my energy in all of my actions. In Greek, energy means force in action. The human is a fabulous machine. You are the most powerful person you know if you realize it. My goal is to support you in this awareness! So A C T I O N
Mathieu Boinet
Forced to discover active life very early, Mathieu began his professional career at 16 years old. Humble beginnings as a self-service employee and turned, at 18, to the building trades. Over the years, he discovered an unlimited curiosity and innate manual skills. This will allow him to add to his range of skills, trades such as: wood carpenter, aluminum, pvc, boilermaker, locksmith, welder or even metal carpenter... Thus, during more than 10 years of building, he will satisfy his thirst for learning by practicing many manual trades to become team leader and site manager. Following health problems, he will see his professional career take a new turn. First of all, by becoming an employment counselor and then evolving as a senior executive in a multinational cleaning company and finally in charge of a temp agency. However, one question will remain: "How can I help move the world forward?" » This is how after a work accident from which he miraculously emerged unscathed in 2013 and a 2.5 cm metastasized tumor in 2014, his decision was made, I quote: Never again will I suffer my life! Mathieu therefore chose to train in NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) at the EFPNL school. School from which he comes out with a master's degree and the double NLPNL & INLPTA certification, (French-speaking and international certifications) guarantee of the quality of his training. From that moment, Mathieu, who in the past knew how to cultivate a spirit of enterprise and leadership, boldly launched himself as an entrepreneur and supported companies in achieving their goals. In 2018, Mathieu was spotted for his audacity and perseverance by Michel Poulaert. Michel is a French international speaker certified CSP specialist in optimism. He will integrate Mathieu into his school in February 2019 to train him in public speaking and pass on all his knowledge. On this occasion, the young lecturer will finish and publish his first book: “Your life in your hands – Before, I was like you! » This book in which he traces in detail his incredible journey and shares his tools to help his readers on a daily basis. He will end his training with a very remarkable performance at the prestigious Grand Rex in Paris in front of an assembly of 350 business leaders, decision-makers and speaker agencies. This allows him, today, to be in demand at the events of the largest French companies. So to the question: “Who is he? ”, we will tell you that Mathieu is an enthusiast who has proven to be an outstanding speaker. From the day he became aware of his skills and his talent as a speaker, he made the choice to contribute and help the world around him grow. Starting with the business world. His story, as atypical as it is fascinating, recorded in his first book, shows us that: No matter where we come from, our environment or our surroundings, it is our choices that determine who we are and what we are able to do. Audacity, optimism, perseverance or even pugnacity are only extensions of our motivation! The only person who sets the limit of what is possible is us!
Sally Foley-Lewis, CSP
Sally Foley-Lewis inspires and skills managers to be high performing, purposeful and productive. Obsessed with leadership and professional development that ensures people reach their potential, Sally’s presentations and programs positively impact confidence, leadership and results. • 2023 Asia Pacific Stevie Award Silver – Thought Leader of the Year • 2023 Woman to Watch in Management – Women in Biz Global • 2021 USQ Outstanding Alumnus of the Year – Business and Enterprise • 2021 A.I. Influential Businesswoman - Winner - Most Inspirational Leadership Development Specialist (Australia) • 2021 ROAR Success Awards – Silver Leadership Award • 2020 Gold Stevie Award – Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Business Services • 2020 Bronze Stevie Award – Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Consumer Services • 2020 Breakthrough Speaker of the Year by Professional Speakers Australia Also, named a LinkedIn Top Voice, she is also a global Certified Professional Speaker, and has authored multiple books. The drive to support and skill middle managers comes from her own diverse roles, CEO and senior leadership experiences. Sally delivers presentations, keynote speeches, workshops and coaching – live online and face-to-face - to skill managers, boost productivity, engagement and self-leadership. Blending 20+ years of working with a diverse range of people and industries, in Germany, the Middle East, Asia and across Australia Sally has extensive qualifications, a wicked sense of humour and an ability to inspire and energise.
Dr. Yaniv Zaid
Known to the world as "Doctor Persuasion", economist and attorney Dr. Yaniv Zaid acts as a business consultant to government departments, private firms, and public organizations. He holds a PhD in law and utilizes his rich knowledge and experience to help others achieve success. Dr. Zaid is recognized worldwide as an expert in the fields of public speaking, marketing, sales, negotiation and persuasion, and placed 3rd in the 2003 world ranking of public speakers. Following 20 years of international success, Dr. Zaid is the author of 11 best seller books - including "Public Speaking", "Creative Marketing" and "Sales Bible" - and is often invited to lecture and consult around the world.
Susan Luke Evans, CSP
Susan Luke Evans is a leadership consultant and communications expert. She is among 10% of Canadian speakers within the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers to hold their highest earned designation - the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and is among less than 1% within the Global Speakers Federation to hold the Global Speaking Fellow designation. Prior to establishing her speaking and consulting practice, she was the CEO of a financial services support company. She executed a 5-year start-up plan in 3 years, distributed dividends a year early, and led a highly successful subsequent merger. Susan started her professional career as an educator, teaching in both Alaska & Hawaii. Her practice assists leaders who want to elevate their messages to create flexible, engaged, and agile workplaces and in the process maximize their ROI (Return on Influence). She believes that everyone should LIVE a great Story to build their Legacy. You can find out more about how to provide positive, sustainable influence by reading her International Best Seller, Return on Influence: the New Currency for Leaders. She serves clients in over 50 countries on 6 continents. She has held numerous leadership positions in national and international professional and philanthropic organizations.
Kristin Arnold
Award-winning author Kristin Arnold is an expert in the area of leading workplace teams – helping leaders and their teams create the best solution that everyone can get behind, be excited about, and act upon…All done in a short amount of time. Over the past 30 years, she has worked with leaders and their teams in all 18 identified sectors of the US economy and 147 different industries ranging from manufacturing and mining to financial services and the arts and everything in between. She has spoken to over 250 organizations in a dozen countries around the world such as the Million Dollar Roundtable, Mercedes Benz (USA and Canada), Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar, Johnson & Johnson, just to name a few. She has worked with over 16,000 leaders and 450 distinct teams delivering practical, real-world insights, tools and techniques to help their teams to be extraordinary. Kristin is considered to be the foremost expert on moderating panel discussions and emceeing events. She is the author of seven books, a contributing author to myriad other team-based books and the lead author to a ground-breaking white paper on the value of an EmCee. Kristin has a MBA in Marketing Strategy from St. Mary’s College of California. She has also earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation from the National Speakers Association and the Certified Professional Facilitator | Master (CPF|M) designation from the International Association of Facilitators.
Stephen Tweed, CSP
Stephen Tweed is an internationally known health care and business strategist, award winning professional speaker, author, and strategic business coach. He is CEO of Leading Home Care ... a Tweed Jeffries company, and Founder of The Home Care CEO Forum. Stephen has been speaking professionally for over four decades, and has been a member of the National Speakers Association in the US since 1985. He earned the prestigious designation, CSP, in 1993. He served as President of NSA in The US in 2002-2003, and as Chair of the Board of the NSA Foundation from 2009 to 2013. He was awarded The Cavett in 2012. Currently, Stephen serves as Chair of the Cavett Selection committee.
David Gomez
Bestselling author of seven books in Spanish, four translated into English. Differentiation specialist and keynote speaker with 100+ presentations per year. Sales & Marketing Global Trainer for women-owned SMEs with the American NGO Vital Voices. Has authored more than 1700 publications and his weekly newsletter reaches more than 50K subscribers. Born and raised in Colombia, South America.
Chris Montel
Woman of action, Chris Montel, started her professional career in the field of sport, going through competition and then working in several multinationals. As she climbs the ladder, she discovers that without an assumed Leadership, it is very difficult for a woman to achieve her full potential. Since then, she gives conferences and coaching around the themes of Leadership and Mindset, and actively contributes in the field of entrepreneurship.
Elizabeth Jeffries, CSP, CPAE
When leaders need more clarity in thinking, renewal in their work, and hope for their future, Elizabeth helps them get unstuck and break through to new outcomes! Elizabeth Jeffries, RN, CSP, CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame is an award winning professional speaker, executive coach, and published author. She works with physician leaders and C-Suite executives who want to enliven their organizations, select and onboard great people, and turn ALL their leaders into high performers! Her clients include academic Schools of Medicine, health systems, post-acute health care organizations and service businesses. An experienced coach to scores of C-Suite executives, Elizabeth is a master in asking the tough questions and processing leaders to think bigger, work differently, and break through to new outcomes. She’s a truth-teller and powerful facilitator of Executive and Board retreats, skillfully engaging leaders at their highest level of need. Whether the challenge is the organization, the team, or the individual executive, Elizabeth’s skills as a process coach will uncover the gaps blocking their success journey. Armed with a Solutions Toolkit™ she comes prepared with unbiased, objective, validated assessments and surveys that will open communication, create awareness, and move leaders to take action for new results. A member of the elite CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, Elizabeth presents keynote speeches and interactive learning events at corporate meetings and association conferences. She has addressed over one million people in more than 4,000 presentations in the past three decades. Keynote Speeches: - Staying Up in a World that’s Upside Down! An upbeat session on personal motivation! Renew your energy to live on-purpose, take better control of your life, and handle the changes around you with grace and humor! - Tame your Brain: Apply five discoveries that will help you master change, increase performance, turbo charge sales, and make smarter decisions! - The Leader as Servant: Discover a cutting edge, service-over-self-approach to building a culture of authenticity and a holistic approach to work
Sylvie di Giusto, CSP
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.
Heather Wright
Heather is one of the founding Directors of Advance Performance Ltd a company that has been changing the lives of delegates for over 25 years. She has a background in neuropsychology and is also a behavioural analyst. She has been fascinated in what makes people tick and reprogramming the brain to peak performance since before leaving school. Her clients span every sector from elite sports people, blue chip organisations, SME’s and the third sector she has worked within them all. Helping them to harness the potential of themselves and their teams. Heather’s energy levels and wit have gained her many admirers and followers. Her personal brand is quite simply her ‘uniqueness’ She is known for her no-nonsense approach in getting to the heart of everything she does, as well as making sure everything is practical and usable no matter what the job entails. She delivers everything in such an entertaining way she converts the cynics and makes the most complicated of concepts easy to grasp. Her training sessions fly by. With 4 black belts in 4 different martial arts Heather pulls no punches and is as charismatic as she is inspiring. A magnetic speaker in a field of ordinary, Heather stands out from the crowd and has her audiences captivated and musing at her honest humour and compelling insights. A trainer, speaker and presenter like no other, Heather has the capacity to ignite the fire within. If you are looking to arouse inner passion in your people and business, then you need look no further…
Daniel Jackman
I am the business partner of Brenda Bence working for over 15 years in the industry. I normally don't speak on the stage but am involved in every aspect of the business. We have clients and worked on six continents. We have offices in the USA and Asia (Singapore).
Chris Wildeboer
Chris Wildeboer is the CEO of Balance Central which she formed in 2009. She has been nominated for business and charity awards, co-authored a best-selling book and her passion is to create engagement to create connection, communication and productivity. In the first few years, Balance Central offered one-on-one sessions and grew rapidly through word-of-mouth referrals. In the past 10 years Chris has worked with over 1000 clients in the UK, USA, New Zealand, Dubai, Kuwait and Australia through her programs and workshops. In particular, Chris loves to work with leaders who have identified the outcomes they want their team to achieve and yet know that the bar is not yet being reached. She listens to what each person in the team needs and creates the space for the team to be more focused and committed which ultimately leads to exceeding expectations.
Rhonda Scharf
Rhonda Scharf (pronounced scarf – like the kind you wear in the winter) Insightful … humorous … entertaining … even contagious … words that are often used to describe Rhonda Scharf. A speaker with the uncanny ability to look at the normal and see something quite different. She’s a funny girl, with funny stories and a fun way to look at life as well as live life. She comes from a small town outside of a small town and her small town quirky look on life is going to make you question why you do what you do. You are guaranteed to learn a thing or two on your journey from her unique perspective. Rhonda has been a professional speaker for 30 years, has spoken in dozens of countries, has earned her Certified Speaking Professional, is a member of the Speaking Hall of Fame, is a Global Speaking Fellow, and been awarded the Spirit of CAPS which is The Canadian Association of Professional Speakers’ highest honour.
Nick Sinanan
Nick Sinanan is "Wall Street's Leading Peak Performance Strategist", with over 25 years of experience in psychological high performance, talent identification, mental skills training, decision-making, and teamwork under pressure. He has interviewed thousands of next-generation leaders on five continents on leadership, mindset, and performance and has been cited in numerous scientific articles. Nick is a true Global Citizen, who has been a key player in raising millions of dollars for health and human services organizations around the world. He is also a bestselling author, international keynote speaker, and the 2021/22 President of The Rotary E-Club of Wall Street NYC. Furthermore, he is a professional member of the German Speakers Association, Global Speakers Federation, and Virtual Speakers Association International. Nick's goal for 2025 is to serve as the “Global Charity Matchmaker” and help one billion people in need live better lives. My mission is to help one billion “heart centered humans” to become financially independent by 2030.
Harriet L. Russell
For 40 years, Harriet L. Russell has helped people work better together across cultures, with less stress and more mindfulness. Whether it's a keynote audience, mastermind group or relocating CEO, after hearing her speak, people feel collaborative, educated and self-aware. From Public Relations Manager at Sony in New York City, to translator and consultant for ABC News at the Tokyo Economic Summit, to jetting off to Minsk, Belarus hosted by the U.S. State Department, Harriet knows the importance of cross-cultural competence. Harriet lived overseas for many years in Spain and Japan and is fluent in several languages. A little known fact is in 1975, she travelled overland for six months through the Middle East on Marco Polo’s Silk Route. Decades later in her career of intercultural work, Harriet was commended by the Fulbright Commission, given an award by Rotary International for “creating friendly relations among peoples of the world”, and founded an English language library in Kyrgyzstan. On a personal note, Harriet is a pioneer. After living years in a yoga ashram, she returned to her birthplace and launched the first yoga wellness center in Ohio and the first yoga teacher certification in the Midwest of the USA. She’s a member of the National Speakers Association and Virtual Speakers Association International, presenter at the Global Speakers Summits, and served as Chapter Board member of the International Coach Federation. Her latest book is: Doing Business with Ease Overseas: Building Cross-Cultural Relationships That Last will take you on a journey within, as well as across the globe.
Dr. Lisa Jenkins Brown
Dr. Lisa Jenkins Brown is a cultural strategist and author with over 25 years of experience, including the human resources divisions of Fortune 100 companies. She is currently an adjunct professor, teaching multicultural studies and cultural diversity for the City University of New York, the largest urban university system in the United States. She is also the first woman to lead a historic church in Harlem as the senior pastor. Her passion spans the arenas of corporate America, academia, faith-based settings, and contexts of civic engagement. Dr. Lisa's passion is increasing productivity and mitigating risk by strengthening individuals utilizing The C.U.L.T.U.R.E. Connection to realize cultural competency. Her signature keynote, The F.A.I.T.H. Factor, is an inspirational presentation that inspires and encourages attendees to have faith in their ability to become agents of change in the workplace and community and also to have faith in both their abilities and their colleagues' abilities, regardless of their unique backgrounds and culture. Attendees leave with renewed energy for a transformed environment. Known for her engaging presentations, Dr. Lisa has a bachelor's degree in speech communications from Pace University, a master’s degree from New York Theological Seminary, a doctor of ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary, and has also studied organizational leadership at Boston University. She was voted one of the "Top 100 Faith-based Leaders in New York State." Dr. Lisa Jenkins Brown is a certified virtual presenter who is committed to strengthening teams through diversity while shifting our world toward unity.
Saahil Mehta
Saahil is a global citizen, a serial entrepreneur with businesses across three continents, an author, keynote speaker, a peak performance coach for leaders and a passionate mountaineer. Saahil has been running his family business in the diamonds industry for over two decades and has launched multiple other ventures into hospitality and real estate over the last decade. As an Entrepreneur and CEO juggling multiple roles, family and passions Saahil is the quintessential leadership voice today who shows fellow Entrepreneurs and CEOs how to do it all with ease for the ultimate peace within! Saahil’s unique brand of leadership wisdom inspires conscious and ambitious leaders of the world to aspire for holistic success-one which has an optimal balance of scaling your summits faster, leading an uber healthy lifestyle and enjoying wonderful personal and professional relationships while doing so! Saahil’s story begins with the backdrop of overcoming the primal human fear of judgment and breaking free from self-imposed limits to living his childhood dream and passion of scaling mountains. The journey of mountaineering which began with Kala Patthar- at the base of Mount Everest in 2010 has today made him scale most of the tallest mountains of the world including Kilimanjaro and Elbrus amongst others! His passion for mountaineering ignited his mission to enable ‘leaders to scale the proverbial mountains of their minds as well.’ As a best-selling author of his book, BREAK FREE and an international speaker Saahil enables entrepreneurs and global leaders to ‘remove clutter across all dimensions of life, discover diamond-grade clarity and scale their summits of success faster!’- thus live a Zero Regret Life every single day. Saahil loves to coach and enable ambitious leaders to navigate their health, wealth, relationships, career and life with a set of proven tools + rituals to experience the ultimate peace, freedom and abundance every day. Global brands like P&G, Dell, HP, Silicon Valley Bank, Thomas Cook, TATA group to name a few; as well as entrepreneurs focused organizations like EO, YPO, TiE, Corporate Connections across the world trust Saahil to inspire and influence their leaders to transcend themselves by imbibing some profound lessons from the mountains generously shared by Saahil in his keynote talks, workshops and coaching sessions. Saahil is a part of the MG 100 Coaches fraternity and leads the SCL training programs for Marshall Goldsmith In India and Middle East. He is a Certified Co-Active Professional Coach as well as Certified Global Speaker by Entrepreneurs Organization which enables him to deliver high impact keynotes and coaching programs to the corporates. In 2022 Saahil was honoured as Top 10 Rising Global Indian Influencers by India Today and has been a 3 time honouree in the Top 200 Global Thought Leaders by PeopleHum from 2020 to 2022.
Marta Pardo
My mission? Make motivation autonomous to make the transmission of knowledge and skills a great practice combining leadership and customer experience towards excellence. Expert in customer experience, motivation and leadership, Marta has 27 years of experience in her activity. From hotel management in France and abroad to companies such as Walt Disney Company, Marriott International, Accor Hotels, she has built an international career. Awarded for her work with the medal "Leadership in Positive Action" in Mexico, she also received the Trophy awarded by the City of Lyon for the best renovation and enhancement of Heritage for the Château Perrache hotel classified as a Historical Monument. Elected from 2015 to 2021 for the Lyon Chamber of Commerce Métropole Saint-Etienne Roanne, Marta was also a member of the Lyon airport supervisory committee and administrator of Entreprises & Numérique. She is co-president of the Women's Pole of Women Entrepreneurs in the Rhône region of France. She is a member of the Board of the Spanish Association of Professional Speakers, as well as the French Association of Professional Speakers, as a Global Keynote Speaker and Master of Ceremonies in French, English and Spanish.