David Okerlund
Hall-of-Fame Motivational speaker who offers a look at the dynamics of personal success
David Okerlund
Hall-of-Fame motivational speaker who offers a look at the dynamics of personal success
David Okerlund, a passionate, award-winning, speaker incorporates years of experience as a hospital administrator, national sales manager, newspaper columnist, and communications coach into his messages. With his mastery of emotional intelligence and situational empathy, he touches audiences in a way that they will never forget. Your organization will leave renewed and inspired and if they are like most of David’s past clients they will be asking to hear David again.
Maybe the best way to describe David Okerlund is to read what one of the speaking legends of all time, Nido Qubein, said after he hired David to speak to the students of High Point University and then to over 1,000 corporate leaders at the annual Thanksgiving Luncheon he personally sponsors. Nido said, “He was outstanding! Both times.. His message was right on target and he is the easiest to work with. I admire him and I appreciate your recommending him.” President Qubein’s son, Ramsey Qubein, Account Executive of McNeill Lehman added even more by commenting, “David Okerlund’s presentation was a mesmerizing experience for our audience, and he certainly created an impression that many are still talking about today. His mix of humor and poignant stories made it a memorable occasion. We appreciate his professionalism and genuine style. They loved him!” How do you categorize a speaker who has accomplished the following:
• He’s a rare, cross-over speaker who can deliver a powerful, tone setting keynote - followed by a wide variety of seminar programs - and then set the place on fire with a humorous after-dinner banquet address. As one person commented, “David Okerlund has the passion of Zig Ziglar, the depth of knowledge of Covey, and the humor of Bill Cosby, and it doesn’t get much better than that!”
• David has given over 2,500 speeches to over 1,000,000 people without one disappointed client.
• Twice he finished in the final three of the World Championship of Public Speaking, a contest of over 20,000 individuals from over thirty countries.
• He taught speech and debate at Oxford University in England and was asked to debate Patrick Buchanan at the prestigious Oxford University Debate Club.
• He was inducted into the International Hall of Fame for Speakers in 1984.
• He helped design a class in Persuasion and Ethics for university graduate students in Minnesota.
• David Okerlund has been described by Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith and others as the “best personal speech coach in the United States.”
• David has written three books with a fourth book, The 7 Traits of Dynamic Leaders in Leadership Roles due to be published this year.
- He has won more speaking contests in his lifetime than any other professional speaker on the market today.
• He founded The Creative Communications Institute, an organization dedicated to assisting individuals and corporations with their communication needs.
• David has served as a personal communications coach for corporate executives, political figures, passionate beginners, Miss America beauty contestants, and celebrity figures like Ozzie Smith, Frank Robinson, Tony Little, and others.
• He is a poet, a newspaper columnist, and a pretty fair tenor.
NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED IN THESE SUBJECT AREAS:
• LEADERSHIP TRAINING
• CHANGE/CHAOS MANAGEMENT
• COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• PERSONAL MOTIVATION
• EMPLOYEE ENRICHMENT
• SALES TRAINING
• HUMOR
MOST REQUESTED PROGRAMS:
“Managing the Margins of Greatness” ( The difference between good and great )Over the years David has been able to observe the leadership styles and habits of many Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller, more intimate organizations. He has taken those observations and matched them up against three unquestionable persons of greatness in modern America, Warren Buffet, Thunderbirds’ Commander Ron Mumm, and baseball’s great Ozzie Smith. And from their input, David has digested their vaulted secrets of success into 4 core values that are the linchpins of personal and organizational success.
“Teaching the Mummy How to Dance” ( The dramatic shift in leadership styles brought on by change and chaos )Over the last ten years David Okerlund has been presenting leadership programs from Anchorage, Alaska to Cairo, Egypt. However, what he presents now is one of the most dramatic transitions in concept and material he has ever experienced. As he states, “The goals are still the same. It’s the methods of achieving those goals that have gone through a polar shift. Unfortunately, the vast majority of managers and leaders are ill equipped to utilize the vital strategies necessary.”
“Sacred Cows Sometimes Do Make The Best Burgers” (How to create a positive mindset about coping with change ) “There comes a time in the life of every organization where you need to change to reach the next level of success. Miss that moment, you will begin to decline.” Andrew Grove, Intel
David takes the best from Michael Vance, Robert Kriegel and John Kao, weaves a little of the legendary concepts of Marcus Bach’s serendipity, and has put together a very humorous and enlightening keynote that can set the stage for any conference that needs a high octane kickoff. He confronts his audience with their reluctance to change but does it in such a warm and passionate way that it is not intimidating. It’s fun, funny, and highly informative!
“Vision, Passion, & Pluck” (How to master the art of vision questing)To get anything significant accomplished today, one must have a clear vision of what the outcome will actually be. Then one must master the art of drawing others into that vision where they claim ownership and become as committed as you to bringing it to fruition. That is a leadership tool that can be learned and used whenever you seek to move others into a higher level of motivation and commitment. And that's exactly what this program teaches!
