Damien Horne
Damien Horne is an international recording artist who uses music to share life lessons to encourage, motivate, and inspire others
Josh Altman
Josh Altman is one of the most successful real estate agents in the Beverly Hills and Hollywood Hills luxury housing market. Josh’s clientele consists mostly of entertainers, athletes, and high net worth individuals from around the world. Josh is known for offering his clients exclusive white glove, VIP treatment. Josh has sold over $500,000,000 in residential real estate and currently has over $200,000,000 in listings. His most recent mega sale in Beverly Park sold for $21,500,000, the most expensive one bedroom ever sold.
Josh has always been heavily involved in all aspects of real estate. Altman has flipped over 10 homes with a perfect record of success and he also ran his own real estate finance company for two years before taking the next step and creating The Altman Brothers and quickly becoming one of the top agents in the business. With his well-rounded experience in all areas of the industry, Josh prides himself on being a one-stop-shop for buyers and sellers. Altman has combined his dedication and experience to making a giant footprint in the high-end luxury market. Josh’s ability to listen and understand his client’s needs has allowed him to continuously achieve his client’s goals and expectations. His personable and professional character allows Josh to build and maintain solid relationships, which explains why his business has grown mostly from referrals and repeat clients.
Due to Josh’s continuous success, he was offered a starring role on BRAVO TV’s hit show ‘Million Dollar Listing’ on Bravo. Josh Altman has become a household name when it comes to the high end real estate game. The breakout star of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing” has brought the excitement back into the real estate business.
Despite Josh’s busy schedule, he still finds time to give back to his community. Altman is very passionate about volunteering his time and money to support numerous charities and causes. Josh grew up in Newton, Massachusetts and attended Syracuse University. He was one of the kickers on the Syracuse University football team that won the Big East Championship two years in a row playing in both the Orange Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. After a short stint in NYC, he moved out to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of real estate. Josh has lived in Los Angeles for the past 11 years and currently resides in Beverly Hills.
Erik Therwanger
Erik is the founder of Think GREAT and the Think GREAT Foundation, which awards scholarships to military spouses. He draws from his experiences as a U.S. Marine, executive business leader, sales professional, and entrepreneur to help organizations achieve new levels of success. He uniquely combines leadership development, sales performance, and strategic planning into strategies and techniques that empower team members and leaders to exceed expectations.
Erik has inspired audiences across the country in nearly every industry Think GREAT is a Certified Veteran-Owned Business and Erik is also author of The Think GREAT Collection.
Steve Patterson
Steve Patterson is a veteran entertainment television and radio show host, whose energy and quick wit keeps audiences engaged from beginning to end! His ability to read a room and go off the cuff, combined with his skill to smoothly execute a show flow sets him apart as a truly unique talent.
Patterson hosts the long-running afternoon TV show Twin Cities Live, in addition to co-hosting the Donna and Steve radio show on MyTalk 107.1FM. He’s gained national recognition for his numerous appearances on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, where his subzero weather reports have gone viral. Before coming to the Twin Cities, Steve spent 4 years working for Hubbard Broadcasting in Los Angeles, California and Albuquerque, New Mexico for the company’s entertainment cable news network REELZ. During his time there, Steve served as a correspondent and anchor for the network’s daily entertainment news program, interviewing many of the biggest stars in Hollywood along the way.
Steve enjoys writing in the third person. He doesn’t think anyone actually reads an entire bio. So if you haven’t given up on this just yet, kudos! You done good, kid.
Karla Hult
Karla offers the style, substance and rich perspective of an award-winning journalist, a mother “trying to do it all,” and a dedicated daughter dealing with the darkest of diseases.
As a graduate of both St. Olaf College and Columbia University (Master’s in International Affairs), Karla has worked as an anchor and reporter in several markets, covering diverse topics that touch our community: from the international refugee crisis, to local political clashes, to those who leave a lasting legacy. She translates that education, empathy and understanding of diverse issues to delivering the most personable, compelling and passionate delivery as an emcee.
But Karla hasn’t stopped there… after losing her own beloved dad to Alzheimer’s disease, Karla uniquely captures the challenges of what she calls, “So Many Goodbyes,” saying goodbye to your loved one’s ability to talk, walk, remember. We promise… you have not yet heard an Alzheimer’s speaker describe the emotional pain, the financial toll, and the need to “savor what you still have,” with as much compassion, sincerity and power… as Karla.
And even while Karla has become a leader in the fight against Alzheimer’s, she also always reassures others on the journey, “you’re not alone.”
Candy Whirley
Have you ever wondered why it’s sooooo hard to work with PEOPLE in person or virtually? Most answers are YES!
Candy Whirley is the expert on the “WHY” of that question!
Professional nuggets about Candy: She is a speaker and business owner for 20 years, producer of several books and training programs and has spoken in ALL 50 states as well as Canada, Seoul Korea and Africa,
Personal nuggets about Candy: She has been married for 33 years, is a Grammy for 13 years, and Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleader for 3 years! A…LONG… TIME… AGO!
What Candy’s clients receive: From motivational speaking for a crowd of thousands to rolling up your sleeves and doing a deep dive workshop to helping you plan your event, live or virtual, Candy is your go to speaker. She brings tons of interaction, energy and motivation to each of her speaking engagements. Quite frankly, she can do it all! … She’s been known to move tables….wait on tables…clear food from tables….and dance on tables…NO tip necessary!
Candy works directly with her clients to customize the presentation to meet their specific needs…she is also very dynamic and interactive and will adjust as needed based upon participant interaction and feedback during the session to ensure all areas receive the right amount of attention…Remember Candy “Can”…but her presentations aren’t canned.
Amy Dee
Amy Dee is recognized by audiences across the country as a master storyteller and brilliant comedian. She combines her background in standup comedy and theatre with her RN degree and experience as a successful business owner to deliver hilarious stories and valuable content on the brain and behavior. Her message and music rise above the boundaries of gender, age, and occupation. Amy’s hilarious stories coupled with her phenomenal content propels audiences to live, act, and work better. Her authentic spirit and down to earth approach have made her one of the most sought-after speakers throughout the United States. She is truly one of the best speakers in the country at combining message and humor.
Amy’s background is as diverse as her audiences. She once ran a non-profit where she managed five hundred volunteers and organized multiple fundraisers that culminated in an eight-hour telethon.
Amy lived in Norway from 1994-2003, and while learning to speak, read and write in Norwegian, she started a photo calendar business in her home. Her company grew to become Xerox’s largest customer in Scandinavia.
Amy returned to college at age forty-three to obtain her RN degree. She was nominated for Nurse of the Year several times during her nine years as a Psychiatric RN. Amy has been a monthly guest expert on NBC affiliate ND Today. She has written four books and numerous song parodies.
Laura Schara
Nature is our greatest teacher. Laura Schara, TV host of MN Bound on KARE-11 shares stories what it’s like growing up in the wild outdoors. She highlights valuable lessons learned by spending time outdoors which gives us tools to succeed in life, increase happiness & productivity as well as skills we need to thrive in business and entrepreneurship. The wilderness provides way more than basic needs and the teacher appears the minute we step outside.
Bill Rancic
Entrepreneur, Award-Winning Author, Motivational Speaker & Media Personality
After bursting on to the scene as NBC’s first Apprentice, Bill Rancic has traveled to every part of the globe, sharing his life experiences and business acumen with tens of thousands of leaders, businesses and organizations on a variety of important topics. His expertise ranges from why some companies thrive in chaos — and others don’t — to the leadership behaviors needed in a world beset by turbulence, uncertainty and dramatic change.
What makes Bill so unique is that he is both a student and teacher of leadership and has a healthy obsession with what makes great companies and leaders tick.
Having invested nearly two decades living the topic, Rancic has authored four books. These include New York Times best-seller You’re Hired: How to Succeed in Business and Life, which examines how some companies and leaders make the leap to superior results; the enduring classic Beyond the Lemonade Stand which teaches young people empowers them with the value of both money and positive self-image. In addition, Rancic co-authored I Do… Now What? with celebrity wife Giuliana Rancic where they share secrets to a supportive love and true partnership in marriage. He also just penned his first novel, First Light.
Driven by a relentless curiosity, Rancic really began his business journey when graduated cum laude from Loyola University. He then went on to become a successful entrepreneur when he founded a monthly online subscription-based retailer. Since that time, he has inspired millions of people around the globe to work towards reaching their full potential, both in business and in their personal lives. He is currently co-owner of the RPM Restaurant Group and the Giuliana Prosecco.
Rancic appears regularly on numerous daytime broadcast and cable television programs such as Today, The View, Rachael Ray, Steve Harvey and various CNBC programs.
He currently resides in Chicago with his wife Giuliana and son Duke.
Amy Hockert
Amy Hockert is a television news anchor in the Twin Cities. She’s spent nearly 20 years as a news anchor, reporter and Senior VP with news organizations such as KARE-11, BringMeTheNews.com, and FOX9.
Amy’s personal and professional journeys are incredibly rich and diverse.
She’s spent several years volunteering at orphanages in China and helping those living in poverty in Ecuador. She is passionate about philanthropy, whether it’s overseas or in her own backyard.
Amy also knows how to re-define success when life doesn’t go according to plan. At the height of her television news career, Amy’s priorities shifted. She got married and started a family. By thinking outside the box, she successfully re-shaped various, smaller roles around her primary role as a mother of young children.
Three years ago, Amy re-entered the workforce full-time. She became Senior VP of a digital news organization where she managed the delivery/distribution of news content and assembled and oversaw the news team. And even more recently, Amy’s professional journey came full circle when she joined FOX9 as an anchor and special projects reporter.