Calvin Stovall
Calvin is the Chief Experience Officer for ICONIC Presentations, LLC. Calvin specializes in delivering high-energy, customized keynote presentations for organizations that desire to reach or maintain ICONIC status. Calvin focuses on delivering the perfect blend of business concepts, story-telling and music themes to bring home an impactful message that touches both the heads and hearts of his audiences. He has energized and motivated people nationwide with his high-content, unorthodox, and humorous platform.
Armed with more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality and non-profit services industries, Calvin’s audiences learn real-life, hands-on practical customer experience and leadership principles which can be easily applied to business challenges today. Calvin designed a practical and systematic technique called The ICONIC Framework™ to help organizations achieve and maintain iconic status in the eyes of their customers. Calvin is also host of The ICONIC Mindset podcast where he and his co-host share the secrets behind what it takes to make your business, idea or movement iconic.
Calvin most recently served as CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, a Memphis-based non-profit built on the rich legacy and tradition of the iconic 60’s and 70’s soul recording label, Stax Records. Calvin also served as marketing and brand strategist for the fundraising arm, ALSAC, for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The pinnacle of his hospitality career was his promotion to vice president of brand marketing with Hilton Worldwide where he was responsible for the marketing and public relations efforts for more than 150 Homewood Suites by Hilton hotels. While under his leadership, Homewood Suites by Hilton was voted best in class by numerous consumer advocacy publications, including Consumer Reports and recognized four times by J.D. Power and Associates for its unwavering commitment to customer service quality.
Calvin holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University and a Master’s of Hospitality Management from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
Most Requested Programs
ICONIC CUSTOMER SERVICE
ICONIC brands like Disney, Starbucks and Nordstrom understand that consistently delivering memorable customer service is the pathway to increased market share, profitability and earning the loyalty of customers. There’s a common myth that becoming iconic is reserved for Fortune 500 companies with fancy logos and huge budgets. But that couldn’t be farthest from the truth! There’s an iconic energy hidden inside of every company regardless of size and location. You just need to know the steps to get there. Take your company’s customer service delivery to the next level with this high-energy program. One of the most content-rich and entertaining presentations your attendees will ever experience. During this session attendees will get real-life, practical lessons on how to deliver ICONIC Customer Service and how embracing a “customer-centric” philosophy can set your company apart from the competition. Customer service success stories are shared and you will learn how these impactful solutions can be applied to your organization for immediate results today.
BE! ICONIC OR BE! GONE
What do brands like Starbucks, The Beatles and Al’s Breakfast have in common? They all have successfully achieved iconic status. Iconic brands have a purpose beyond money and provide a brand experience that stands out from the crowd and serves as a shining symbol of excellence to which other brands aspire. There’s a common myth that becoming an iconic brand is reserved for Fortune 500 companies with large marketing budgets. But that assumption is wrong! Even if you’re a 14-seat, diner/institution in Dinkytown (Minneapolis) any company, regardless of size and location, can achieve iconic status. Create competitive advantage by leveraging the four components of The ICONIC Framework™. During this session, attendees will not only be introduced to strategies and tactics that can help transition companies into iconic status, but also address the criticality of employee engagement and customer experience in building a brand that stands the test of time.
BARS AND BRANDS AND RAVING FANS
What is it about a great song that makes you want to hear it over and over again? Why do we crave a hook that loops within the same song? And how does a song end up getting stuck in your head? Research shows that more than 90 percent of the time spent listening to music people are actually hearing tracks they’ve listened to before. Repetition is an astounding prevalent feature of music, and it’s the same for business. Purchase repetition and sharing experiences is prevalent to the success of any iconic brand. How does your brand hit all the right notes and get stuck in the minds of customers so that they want to buy from you repeatedly and share their experience with others? During this session, attendees will learn how iconic brands like Disney, The Rolling Stones and Amoeba Music, the iconic Hollywood record store have mastered the power of repetition and hooks by continually delivering a consistent customer experience to drive repetitious purchase behavior amongst its fan base for decades.
HOW TO BECOME AN ICONIC BRAND YOUR CUSTOMERS LOVE
Harley-Davidson, Soul Train and Mitchell & Ness, a Philadelphia sporting goods store that has been stitching and repairing jerseys since 1904 — the list of iconic brands is large but not when you consider the millions of businesses worldwide that never reach that special status. Ultimately, the power of your brand lies in your ability to make an emotional connection with your customers. Research shows that 80% of buyers will pay more for a better customer experience. Even as companies have spent millions of dollars introducing new brands and protecting established ones, customers have become less loyal. The world’s throwaway mindset is why many brands rise and fall so quickly. When customers aren’t given anything meaningful to invest in, they don’t. What can businesses today learn from some of the world’s most iconic brands to make your customers love you more? During this presentation, attendees will learn how to leverage the strategies and tactics iconic brands have known for decades to win the hearts and minds of their customers for a lifetime.
SUCCESS PRINCIPLES OF ICONIC LEADERSHIP
Leaders of iconic brands like Virgin, Chick-fil-a and Story, a permanent retail shop in Chelsea NY which completely changes every 4-6 weeks, relentlessly focus on, and understand the vital link between inspired leadership and customer experience. The experience economy we live in today requires an authentic leader who can promote a customer-centered culture and paint a vivid and real picture of the brand vision for employees and customers alike. This includes the benefits your brand delivers, the promises you make, and how you follow-through after delivering upon those promises. Research shows that 70% of a brand’s perception is driven by its employees. Leaders of iconic brands understand words and actions matter more than ever before. As remarkable as these iconic leaders’ achievements may appear, the underpinnings of their successes can be modeled by any organization. During this presentation, attendees will learn practical lessons of how iconic leaders inspire employees to accomplish more than they’ve ever imagined and help companies create loyalty beyond reason.
Testimonials
"Calvin closed out our Annual Meeting with a thoughtful and impactful keynote. He reinforced our brand message, which included new company values,
and elevated his presentation to connect with the leaders of our organization. His delivery is fun and entertaining yet credible and genuine. Thank you Calvin!" - Laramar Group
“Calvin’s approach to his keynote address with the American Camp Association was spot on and I
wish other presenters would take the time to become familiar with our audience’s issues the way he did.
His address on Servant Leadership was particularly effective because of the first hand conversations Calvin scheduled with camp professionals prior to learn about their dreams, challenges, and emerging issues. This preparation, along with a genuine commitment to servant leadership, sprinkled with humor and personal stories made for and exceptionally impactful experience for our audience.” - American Camp Association
"I have had the privilege to work with Calvin on multiple events and conferences. Calvin was an integral part of our Leadership and Education conferences with Advenir Living. His ability to engage an audience and deliver a message in a fun and meaningful way is top notch. Calvin is adaptable and truly gets customer service, and his communication style reaches across all associate levels. He is a true professional in every sense of the word. I look forward to working with Calvin again in the future." - Advenir Living
"Calvin is an awesome speaker and great motivator! He brings high energy to the events and generates real excitement with the audience. He has a talent for connecting with the audience and brings them along on the journey. He is inspiring, honest, knowledgeable and genuine! The audience hangs on every word and leaves the event with a desire to take their ‘game’ to the next level. Calvin’s engagement with the audience creates a dynamic energy and enthusiasm that is infectious!" - MCR Development
"Calvin spoke at our company kickoff and blew us all away with his energy and excitement. Besides being a captivating speaker - he reminded everyone in the room why we come to work every day - to connect with our customers and help them thrive. In a fast growing company like ours, reinforcing that message is key - Calvin did that and he also brought the beat and got people out of their seats!" - TOAST