Holly Hoffman
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Marie Robinson
Holly Hoffman was the last remaining member of the Espada Tribe and the last woman standing on Season 21 of CBS’ hit reality show “Survivor Nicaragua”. Through that experience, and others throughout her life, Holly was inspired to share her message of survival.
A professional motivational speaker and the author of Your Winner Within, Write Yourself a Note and Three Step Stride. Holly acknowledges that life is made up of challenges, and we are oftentimes faced with situations that seem insurmountable. But within each of us is an ability to focus our thoughts, emotions, and energy to succeed—if only we have the knowledge, tools, and discipline to do so.
A native of South Dakota, Holly’s writing and speaking not only offer encouragement and optimism but a roadmap for self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment. Readers and audience members alike walk away inspired to light the fire of successful living within themselves.
Today, Holly is a recipient of the Certified Speaking Professional designation, and travels across the country and internationally, speaking to a wide variety of corporations, associations, universities, schools and women’s organizations. Holly inspires her audiences to take opportunities and focus on faith, attitude, determination, confidence, desire and perseverance.
Brad Montgomery
For business speaker Brad Montgomery, a funny thing happened on the way to law school. After graduating from Brown, his college “side hustle” of professional drumming, street magic and comedy clubs led him to performing on cruise ships and even the prestigious Hollywood Magic Castle. Brad turned his love for the stage into his life work of becoming a successful keynote speaker who helps people feel valued, appreciated, respected and recognized. He never made it to Law School!
Brad is an entrepreneur, author, and podcaster. As a business keynote speaker, his expertise is increasing performance by focusing on the people side of the business. He speaks about harnessing the science of social and emotional support to encourage, support and retain their people.
Brad is a Certified Speaking Professional — the highest earned designation from the National Speakers Association. He is also a member of the Speakers Hall of Fame, an elite group of 150 inductees worldwide.
His diverse client list ranges from Fortune 500 companies to smaller leadership groups in rural health care and groups of educators across the USA. He even spoke to the IRS where he withheld 30% of his best ideas. His background in entertainment is still very present in all his business presentations. Whether he’s telling funny stories, sharing his innate and impromptu wit, or blowing audiences minds as a mentalist – he’s definitely not your standard “talking head” speaker. He’s fresh. He’s funny. He’s unique.
He has three awesome kids and an amazing wife of over 30 years. Brad loves playing jazz and funk and then heading out for roller hockey. And in an emergency, Brad can ride a unicycle while juggling.
Kelly Swanson
Kelly Swanson is an award-winning storyteller, comedian, hall-of-fame motivational speaker, Huffington Post Contributor, and cast member of The Fashion Hero television show. She is also author of Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale, The Story Formula, and The Affirmation Journal for Positive Thinking.
She was a featured entertainer for Holland America Cruise Lines, and has keynoted major conferences and corporate events from coast to coast. Both of her one-woman shows – Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale and Southern Fried Gossip – are being booked in theaters all over the country. In July of 2022 she was inducted into the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame.
Kelly’s wacky wit and powerful stories have charmed hearts and tickled funny bones for over 20 years. In addition to her role as a funny motivational speaker, Kelly teaches people how she does it by sharing what she has learned about connecting and engaging to have more influence in business, through the use of one tool – strategic storytelling.
Sharing her own powerful journey through story she will show you the power in your own story – laughing the whole way.
Morris Morrison
Drawing purpose and inspiration from his faith, family and motivation to energize individuals & communities, Morris Morrison and his team is obsessed with building Stronger, Smarter, Kinder human beings. As CEO of StoryMaker Brands and owner of Windmill Park Media, Morris Morrison is a world-class DISRUPTION Speakor & Author, who’s journey began in New York City before a doctor’s words changed his life forever, after being orphaned a second time.
DISRUPTIONS early in Morris Morrison’s life uncovered a unique brand of engagement that explodes & connects with audiences of all ages and backgrounds, with an unforgettable message that sounds like a Hollywood movie script. Leaders from many fortune 500 company’s, Non-Profits and churches throughout the world have partnered with Morris Morrison to build fearless, focused leaders that drive uncomfortable change, growth & DISRUPTION. Many audiences have witnessed his energy live on stage and in his latest book, OVERNIGHT SUCCESS: An Inspiring Story About Culture, Results and The American Dream, and content from his soon to be released book, titled: DISRUPT YOURSELF: Disrupting, Growing & Giving On Purpose.
Morris Morrison is best known for celebrating his biggest accomplishments off stage – as a Husband and Father. He also passionately serves his community through various school, church and prison involvement, along with service to organizations including Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Fellowship of Christian Athletes , the YMCA and many others. Morris is a proud brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and he currently serves as a Director for the West Virginia University Alumni Board.
Christine Cashen
People across the globe are raving about Christine Cashen and her refreshing take on everyday life. Christine is one of the few individuals to meet the rigorous induction criteria of the National Speakers Association, CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, and there’s no question that she deserves that honor; her effortless ability to pull in any audience with her remarkable insights on commonplace situations make her and her messages unforgettable. And, yes, she is also a Certified Virtual Presenter.
For 20 years Christine has shared her expertise on conflict resolution, stress management, and cultivating a happier more productive workplace.
Author of the award-winning books, THE GOOD STUFF: Quips & Tips on Life, Love, Work and Happiness and It’s YOUR Business: Good Stuff for Your Personal, Professional, and Funny Business. Christine holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a master’s degree in Adult Education. In 2016, she was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Central Michigan University.
Before embarking on her journey as a speaker, she worked as a university admissions officer, corporate trainer, and broadcaster. She is a mother of two, wife of a “hottie engineer,” and an average golfer.
Mark Mayfield
It’s pretty simple what Mark Mayfield does: he talks about very serious stuff in a very funny way.
He has one of the most diverse backgrounds in the speaking industry having owned and operated several businesses ranging from livestock production to golf instruction, and spent ten years as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C.
Mark has received rave reviews sharing the stage with a wide variety of celebrities like Peter Frampton, Rachel Platten, Andy Grammer, Colin Powell, and Bob Newhart and has introduced the President of the United States on a live, nationwide television broadcast.
He is the author of several business books and two jokebooks, and makes presentations to all types of corporations, conventions, and trade associations. He was raised on a farm, received two degrees magna cum laude from Kansas State University, and taught school before he began his lobbying, comedy, and speaking career. He has received the CSP designation from the National Speakers Association and been inducted into their Hall of Fame.
His speaker emphasis is now on mental health augmented by his latest book, “I’m Not Okay, You’re Not Okay…and That’s Okay”. In addition, he also presents on change, customer service, and teamwork, and performs after-dinner comedy shows. He is the proud father of two daughters and is also the most annoying Grandpa on the planet.
Jack Stahlmann
Hi. I’m Jack. This is a bio I wrote about myself, but I made it look like someone else wrote it, so it doesn’t seem like I’m bragging.
Jack Stahlmann’s informative and educational presentations are built around his experiences in Los Angeles as an actor, producer, director — and of course, a waiter.
In Hollywood, he launched his own production company which created several films that enjoyed international success and was an Assistant Director for the Margaret Cho stand-up show, Cho Revolution.
As an actor, his shining moment came in a co-star role on the CBS drama Cold Case, where he played a wimpy park ranger. He also appeared on Days of Our Lives and several commercials.
Jack graduated with honors at DePauw University and has been a regular contributor to The Huffington Post. He currently resides in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Ted Ma
Ted Ma is a leadership strategist, author, and international keynote speaker who helps leaders create a culture that people never want to leave. As an elder millennial who has been coaching leaders for over 20 years, he brings a unique perspective to the stage.
He’s not just another leadership expert. Ted has been in the trenches, building and leading an international sales force from scratch to over 6,000 independent agents. He combines this experience with the vibrancy and insights of his generation, offering a unique blend of wisdom and innovation in leadership development.
Through interactive speaking programs, Ted equips his audience with practical strategies to transition from outdated hierarchical management styles. Instead, he teaches a people-first approach that emphasizes employee engagement, leadership development, and career growth.
Debbie Peterson
Debbie Peterson runs a speaking and coaching business to help her audiences and clients develop a focused mindset for fulfilling professional results by harnessing the power of their thoughts.
Her audiences and clients have shared that with Debbie’s Clarity System, they experience
- More clarity of professional direction, producing better self-aligning decisions
- An increased focus for clearer, consistent action
- More momentum, keeping them motivated to achieve the next level of success on their terms.
Debbie has 25+ years in Corporate with experience in Business Administration, Project Management, and Investor Relations. She is a certified Trainer of NLP at the Master Practitioner level and has spent over ten years studying, designing, and delivering keynotes, workshops, and corporate trainings using Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) as a foundation. Debbie has presented to thousands of employees, leaders, and clients at various sized organizations.
Debbie is the creator of “The Way Forward Mentorship Program” and the “The Way Forward in Career and Life Mastery Weekend” for women leaders and emerging leaders. She is a professional member of the National Speakers Association, Women’s Speakers Association, and an author with her book, Clarity: How Smart Professionals Create Career Success on Their Terms, released in 2019.
Waldo Waldman
Known as “The Wingman,” Lt Col Waldo Waldman, MBA, CSP, CPAE is a highly decorated combat fighter pilot with 65 missions in Iraq and Serbia. A Hall of Fame Speaker, business consultant and executive coach, he is the author of the New York Times bestseller Never Fly Solo. Waldo helps organizations build collaborative cultures of trust, courage and commitment in highly competitive, rapidly changing business environments. In addition to his time in the military, Waldo has real world corporate sales and management experience and is an expert on change management, peak performance, and resilience – having broken through a lifelong fear of heights and overcoming claustrophobia as a fighter pilot.
A key message in his inspirational and high energy “Never Fly Solo” signature keynote is that you can’t reach your highest potential alone. You need wingmen – trusted partners – to help you win when adversity strikes. His compelling stories and techniques on overcoming obstacles, performing under pressure, earning trust, and servant-based leadership are extremely relevant to diverse organizations who seek to create a “One Team, One Mission” performance-focused culture of trust and collaboration.
Waldo is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Never Fly Solo and an inductee into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame, a prestigious award that has been bestowed on less than 190 speakers worldwide. A graduate of the U.S Air Force Academy, he also holds an MBA with a focus on Organizational Behavior and is the founder of The Wingman Foundation whose mission is to build funds and awareness for veterans in need. He’s been featured on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Inc. Magazine, and The Harvard Business Review, and his global clients include American Express, Hewlett Packard, Verizon, GE, The Denver Broncos, Merck, Johnson & Johnson and dozens of national associations.