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Getting scammed out of your business investment feels terrible. It feels like every doubt you've ever had was right all along. Jess Ekstrom faced that exact moment when a fraudulent manufacturer ran off with her loan for Headbands of Hope. Instead of quitting, she discovered something critical. If an idea itches like an unreachable spot between your shoulder blades, the real solution comes from scratching it. That relentless discomfort separates ideas you abandon from the ones you build into million-dollar companies. Jess Ekstrom is a 2x social entrepreneur, bestselling author, and Forbes Top Rated speaker who transformed a $300 grant into Headbands of Hope, now the official headband provider for the NBA and WNBA. Her work has been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and Forbes. Beyond building businesses, Jess founded Mic Drop Workshop to empower more women to share their message as public speakers and authors. Challenges in business arrive when you least expect them. Jess lost her first production loan to fraud and had every reason to walk away. But the problem she was solving kept nagging at her. That's when she realized great ideas feel like an itch you can't ignore. If you care enough about the problem, you'll do anything for the solution. The best innovations come from problems you refuse to leave unsolved. Here are some of her lessons on how to turn business challenges into breakthroughs: • Name the itch: identify the problem that drives you bananas when it goes unsolved • Own the experiment: take responsibility for ideas that might fail and learn from every outcome • Scratch relentlessly: if the discomfort persists, that's your signal to keep going • Tell the real path: share the messy truth instead of the polished version Jess succeeded because she refused to let fraud, doubt, or failure define her next move. The moments that feel like validation for quitting are often the exact moments that reveal what you're really made of. 🎤 Hire social entrepreneur and bestselling author Jess Ekstrom for your next event: https://thekeynotecurators.com/speaker/jess-ekstrom/ 📺 Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/g4vjKD2NjZ4 📅 Want to discuss bringing Jess to your event? Schedule a time: https://calendly.com/thekeynotecurators/15minthekeynotecurators ✉️ Have questions? Email me: info@thekeynotecurators.com 00:00 Why Getting Scammed Validated Every Doubt 01:17 The Itch Test: How Real Ideas Feel 02:33 From Fraud to $300 Grant: The Scratch That Built a Business 03:18 Why Speakers Need to Tell the Messy Truth "If the best ideas come from an itch, that means like the best solutions will come from the scratch." — Jess Ekstrom "It's honestly a pet peeve of mine, I'm sure that you've seen with speakers and where it is, like the story always had the linear path, and I think that it's our responsibility as speakers to not focus on putting ourselves in the best light, but rather what's the best way to serve the audience." — Jess Ekstrom #challenges #optimism #business #entrepreneurship #jessekstrom --- Bringing people together to exchange ideas and hear from thought leaders who educate and inspire is what you do best. Curating the world's most impactful speakers for events is where we shine. For two decades, The Keynote Curators has worked with event and conference planners to guarantee they hit a home run when it comes to the main stage. As your trusted partner, we listen carefully to event objectives and go to work quickly, accessing the industry's largest network of speakers so that you have the most compelling speakers to choose from. We provide insight, offer advice throughout the decision-making process, and take care of every detail once the right speaker is selected, ensuring your event is unique, memorable, and goes off without a hitch. Find out for yourself why planners choose The Keynote Curators to deliver results and make planning a breeze. Contact our office today. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://thekeynotecurators.com/ CONNECT WITH US: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2883493/ Our breadth of expertise expands into and beyond the following sectors and topics: SAMPLING of SECTORS SERVED: Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Business, Manufacturing, Human Resources, and more. TOPIC SAMPLING: Disruption, Innovation, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, Change Management, Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Overcoming Obstacles, Economic Forecasts, Future Trends, Inspiration/Motivations, Customer Experience, Mindfulness, Women in Business, International Affairs, ESG, Corporate Culture, Peak Performance, Empowerment, Environmental Policy, Social Justice and many more.
YouTube Video UExYVGxHSGs2M2xMZ2JTOExOLVBFTlhEendNZHFXQW5PbS43NTE0OTlBQUVGODc5RUFE

Turning Business Challenges Into Breakthroughs

Most keynote speakers think the path to more event bookings is getting funnier, more polished, and more technically perfect. Bruce Turkel @BruceTurkel explains why that's completely backwards. Bruce has keynoted for Fortune 500 companies worldwide and founded Turkel Brands, working with Discovery Networks, Bacardi, American Express, and more. His book All About Them hit Forbes' top ten business books list, so he knows what actually gets speakers hired—and keeps them working. Here's the truth: You absolutely need world-class craft. But that alone won't get you booked. In other words, being technically great is just the price of admission. The mindset shift that changes everything? Understanding that events aren't stages for your performance—they're vehicles designed to transmit values, initiatives, and outcomes. Your job is to serve that vehicle, not showcase your skills. • Master your craft at a world-class level (it's necessary, just not sufficient) • Use stagecraft to transmit messaging that makes 2,000 people feel like you're talking to each of them • View yourself as part of a vehicle, not the main attraction • Remember that audiences don't separate you from the event—you either add to the experience or take away from it The speakers who build sustainable careers aren't always the most talented. Instead, they're the ones who understand their role is bigger than their individual performance. If you're a speaker trying to book more gigs or a meeting professional selecting talent, this perspective changes how you approach everything. Watch the full conversation for more on what actually creates impact at events. 🎯 Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/pBK-KFxIwKc 🚀 Transform your event with keynote speaker Bruce Turkel: https://thekeynotecurators.com/speaker/book-bruce-turkel/ 📞 Let's discuss your event's messaging strategy: https://calendly.com/thekeynotecurators/15minthekeynotecurators 📧 Connect with us: info@thekeynotecurators.com 00:00 Why Improving Your Craft Isn't Enough 01:04 Stagecraft as a Vehicle for Messaging 02:15 Tell Your Story About Their Life 02:47 Events as Vehicles for Transformation 03:47 Speakers Must Support the Greater Whole "Improving your craft is crucial. You need to be at a world class level to have people pay you, to get up to talk to their people. Absolutely. But just improving your craft is not gonna get you hired." — Bruce Turkel "You are part of the greater whole, and you have to be not only respectful, but also supportive of what's going on so that the person in the audience feels even better about themselves because they're part of what's going on." — Bruce Turkel #ProfessionalSpeaking #EventSpeakers #SpeakerMindset #Storytelling #EventImpact --- Bringing people together to exchange ideas and hear from thought leaders who educate and inspire is what you do best. Curating the world's most impactful speakers for events is where we shine. For two decades, The Keynote Curators has worked with event and conference planners to guarantee they hit a home run when it comes to the main stage. As your trusted partner, we listen carefully to event objectives and go to work quickly, accessing the industry's largest network of speakers so that you have the most compelling speakers to choose from. We provide insight, offer advice throughout the decision-making process, and take care of every detail once the right speaker is selected, ensuring your event is unique, memorable, and goes off without a hitch. Find out for yourself why planners choose The Keynote Curators to deliver results and make planning a breeze. Contact our office today. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://thekeynotecurators.com/ CONNECT WITH US: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2883493/ Our breadth of expertise expands into and beyond the following sectors and topics: SAMPLING of SECTORS SERVED: Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Business, Manufacturing, Human Resources, and more. TOPIC SAMPLING: Disruption, Innovation, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, Change Management, Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Overcoming Obstacles, Economic Forecasts, Future Trends, Inspiration/Motivations, Customer Experience, Mindfulness, Women in Business, International Affairs, ESG, Corporate Culture, Peak Performance, Empowerment, Environmental Policy, Social Justice and many more.
YouTube Video UExYVGxHSGs2M2xMZ2JTOExOLVBFTlhEendNZHFXQW5PbS40M0I1Q0JCOEFGRUQ4OTBF

How Keynote Speakers Can Tell a Great Story

What keeps champions going after they've already won everything? After the trophies, the records, and the money, what makes them show up every single day? The answer is simpler than you think: they genuinely love what they do. Ross Bernstein @RossBernsteinSpeaking is an award-winning peak performance speaker and best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books who has keynoted conferences on all seven continents. He's spent 25 years studying the DNA of championship teams by interviewing thousands of professional athletes. Here are some of the examples he shares: Wayne Gretzky didn't just go where the puck was going. He understood physics, geometry, and spatial relationships at a level nobody else did. Bryson DeChambeau revolutionized golf by questioning grips, angles, and weights that had been standard for hundreds of years. Steve Jobs called people like this "square pegs in round holes," the outliers who refuse to accept "we've always done it this way." These champions aren't just talented. They're obsessed with their craft, who would do it even if nobody paid them. • Genuine passion creates voluntary effort that looks like work to everyone else • Champions study their craft at levels others consider extreme or unnecessary • The willingness to challenge tradition separates innovators from followers • Building your life around what you love creates sustainable excellence Ross travels with his wife and built a family business around this principle. He helps teams and individuals discover their own version of this passion because that's what transforms good performers into champions. When you love the game, showing up isn't discipline: you're there because you simply can't imagine being anywhere else. 🎬 Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ildz7I5VebY 🏆 Hire Ross Bernstein for your next event: https://thekeynotecurators.com/speaker/book-ross-bernstein/ 📲 Let's design a championship culture for your team: https://calendly.com/thekeynotecurators/15minthekeynotecurators ✉️ Get in touch: info@thekeynotecurators.com 00:00 Love of the Game: The Real Driver 00:38 Building a Family Business Around Passion 01:22 Wayne Gretzky and the Physics of Excellence 02:00 Square Pegs in Round Holes: Champions Who Challenge Everything "It's a love of the game. I would do this if no one paid me. I love this. I love this business. I love helping people. I love presenting. I love working with teams. I love helping, making people better." — Ross Bernstein "Wayne understood physics, geometry, and spatial relationships. Bryson DeChambeau changed everything about golf, about grips and angles and weights. And they said, we've always done it this way for hundreds of years. He said, well, I can do it differently, and I can do it better. And people thought he was crazy." — Ross Bernstein #Champions #Passion #LoveOfTheGame #ElitePerformance #ChampionshipMindset --- Bringing people together to exchange ideas and hear from thought leaders who educate and inspire is what you do best. Curating the world's most impactful speakers for events is where we shine. For two decades, The Keynote Curators has worked with event and conference planners to guarantee they hit a home run when it comes to the main stage. As your trusted partner, we listen carefully to event objectives and go to work quickly, accessing the industry's largest network of speakers so that you have the most compelling speakers to choose from. We provide insight, offer advice throughout the decision-making process, and take care of every detail once the right speaker is selected, ensuring your event is unique, memorable, and goes off without a hitch. Find out for yourself why planners choose The Keynote Curators to deliver results and make planning a breeze. Contact our office today. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://thekeynotecurators.com/ CONNECT WITH US: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2883493/ Our breadth of expertise expands into and beyond the following sectors and topics: SAMPLING of SECTORS SERVED: Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Business, Manufacturing, Human Resources, and more. TOPIC SAMPLING: Disruption, Innovation, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, Change Management, Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Overcoming Obstacles, Economic Forecasts, Future Trends, Inspiration/Motivations, Customer Experience, Mindfulness, Women in Business, International Affairs, ESG, Corporate Culture, Peak Performance, Empowerment, Environmental Policy, Social Justice and many more.
YouTube Video UExYVGxHSGs2M2xMZ2JTOExOLVBFTlhEendNZHFXQW5PbS42RkU0NDE4REJCRTMxQURD

All Champions Have This One Thing in Common

Cornell researchers found something incredible about teams: firefighters who eat together save more lives. Think about it: cooking, serving, eating, and cleaning up together? That mirrors exactly what they need to do in high-stakes situations. It's not just about food: it's about social nourishment. Chris Schembra @chrisschembra3473 is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author and founder of the 7:47 Gratitude Experience, which is built around the power of dining together. For over a decade, he's worked with Google, Microsoft, and the U.S. Navy to build cultures of belonging through shared meals. His approach is backed by Cornell's research proving teams who eat together work better together. He calls it "social nourishment"; feeding the deeper hunger that drives engagement and performance. We've all had those surprising dinner conversations where you discover common ground with a stranger. Chris has studied these moments for years and learned they're not random—they're serendipity by design. When teams share meals and exchange gratitude, they build the exact trust needed to excel under pressure, and the science backs it up. What he's learned: • Design serendipity through meals: When someone passes bread and shares gratitude for their WWII veteran grandfather, and you remember your own Navy cook grandfather, that's magic. Create opportunities for these connections around food and meaningful questions. • Use the dining metaphor: Shopping, cooking, serving, eating, talking, and cleaning up together? That's workplace collaboration. Cornell proved that firefighters who share meals save more lives because they've built trust and psychological safety to solve problems together. • Feed souls, not just stomachs: Global health reports show dining with others boosts wellbeing and life expectancy more than income or employment. If you can't pay people what they deserve right now, lean into gratitude and connection to sustain them. • Everyone has a story: People are burnt out from loneliness, not just overwork. When you let teams connect authentically, you feed something deeper, and that creates loyalty no salary can buy. The difference between eating alone and eating with others is bigger than the difference between being employed and unemployed. When Cornell studied firefighters eating spaghetti together, those shared meals directly translated to saving lives. This isn't fluff—it's science, and social nourishment builds the trust every high-performing team needs. When's the last time you shared a real meal with your team? Let us know your favorite stories in the comments below! 🍝 Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/c-GouSP0X8I 🔥 Book workplace connection and gratitude expert Chris Schembra for your next event: https://thekeynotecurators.com/speaker/book-chris-schembra/ ☕ Let's talk about building social nourishment into your culture: https://calendly.com/thekeynotecurators/15minthekeynotecurators 📬 Get in touch: info@thekeynotecurators.com 00:00 The Serendipity of Shared Meals 01:04 Why Burnt-Out People Are Actually Lonely 01:42 Social Nourishment: The Next Frontier of Wellbeing 02:33 How Firefighters Who Eat Together Save More Lives "Cornell found that when teams eat together, they actually work better together as a team, save more lives. They did a whole study on firefighters, and they proved that. When firefighters eat spaghetti in the firehouse, they actually work better together as a team, and they save more lives." — Chris Schembra "The difference in life expectancy and overall well-being. Is a higher boost in wellbeing than income or unemployment." — Chris Schembra (on dining with others vs. dining alone) #TeamBuilding #DiningTogether #SocialNourishment #WorkplaceConnection #TeamCollaboration --- Find out for yourself why planners choose The Keynote Curators to deliver results and make planning a breeze. Contact our office today. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://thekeynotecurators.com/ CONNECT WITH US: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2883493/ Our breadth of expertise expands into and beyond the following sectors and topics: SAMPLING of SECTORS SERVED: Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Business, Manufacturing, Human Resources, and more. TOPIC SAMPLING: Disruption, Innovation, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, Change Management, Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Overcoming Obstacles, Economic Forecasts, Future Trends, Inspiration/Motivations, Customer Experience, Mindfulness, Women in Business, International Affairs, ESG, Corporate Culture, Peak Performance, Empowerment, Environmental Policy, Social Justice and many more.
YouTube Video UExYVGxHSGs2M2xMZ2JTOExOLVBFTlhEendNZHFXQW5PbS5GNEUxRjk0NTE2RDgyMDk3

The Secrets Behind Happy & Successful Teams

Can ego and vulnerability coexist in high-performing teams? Confidence matters, and Jack Becker, decorated U.S. Navy fighter pilot and founder of Flight Level Solutions, knows this firsthand. Drawing from his experience landing fighter jets on aircraft carriers, Jack reveals how the best organizations balance confidence with openness. Jack Becker brings over 2,500 hours of supersonic fighter jet experience and 10,000 hours guiding Naval aircraft safely onto carrier decks. As a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet pilot, instructor, landing signal officer, and crew resource management teacher, Jack was responsible for over 21,000 safe carrier landings. He now serves as CEO of Flight Level Solutions, Inc., helping companies use peak performance skills from combat missions to achieve Top Gun-level results. When the stakes were high, Jack needed his wingman, Mordo, to believe he was the best fighter pilot on the planet when walking to the jet. That same confidence drove Michael Jordan to demand the ball with one second left on the clock. But something powerful happens when fighter pilots cross the blue line into the debrief room: honesty and openness replace swagger. The goal shifts from proving greatness to making the entire team better tomorrow. Here's how fighter pilots create psychological safety and why it matters in your workplace: • Separate confidence from defensiveness. Believe you're great at your job, but stay open to input from teammates who see things you can't from your position. • Cross the blue line mentally. Create clear moments where ego steps aside and honest review takes over. Focus purely on team improvement instead of individual reputation. • Communicate with support, not blame. Frame corrections as "I'm on your side" instead of personal attacks. This makes feedback feel like help instead of criticism. • Build trust through shared honesty. When experienced team members openly admit mistakes to help others learn, it creates confidence that feedback serves the team's growth, not office politics or ego protection. Organizations that master this balance create teams where strengths overcome weaknesses and the whole becomes greater than any individual part. When people know feedback comes from a place of "I'm on your side," defensiveness disappears, and real growth begins. 🎥 Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/ixKwVxbI6Ac 🎤 Hire keynote speaker Jack Becker for your next event: https://thekeynotecurators.com/speaker/book-jack-becker/ 📅 Ready to discuss debrief strategies? Schedule a time: https://calendly.com/thekeynotecurators/15minthekeynotecurators ✉️ Got questions? Email me: info@thekeynotecurators.com 00:00 Why Clients Focus on the Debrief 00:36 The Vulnerability Fighter Pilots Never Show in Movies 01:35 Repeat Success, Stop Repeating Failure "The whole reason that we do debrief is so we can repeat our successes and stop repeating our failures. That's why we debrief." — Jack Becker "Once we started taking the debrief seriously, that's when we became the best in the world." — Jack Becker #keynotespeaker #debrief #leadership #peakperformance #teamwork --- For two decades, The Keynote Curators has worked with event and conference planners to guarantee they hit a home run when it comes to the main stage. As your trusted partner, we listen carefully to event objectives and go to work quickly, accessing the industry's largest network of speakers so that you have the most compelling speakers to choose from. We provide insight, offer advice throughout the decision-making process, and take care of every detail once the right speaker is selected, ensuring your event is unique, memorable, and goes off without a hitch. Find out for yourself why planners choose The Keynote Curators to deliver results and make planning a breeze. Contact our office today. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://thekeynotecurators.com/ CONNECT WITH US: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2883493/ Our breadth of expertise expands into and beyond the following sectors and topics: SAMPLING of SECTORS SERVED: Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Business, Manufacturing, Human Resources, and more. TOPIC SAMPLING: Disruption, Innovation, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, Change Management, Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Overcoming Obstacles, Economic Forecasts, Future Trends, Inspiration/Motivations, Customer Experience, Mindfulness, Women in Business, International Affairs, ESG, Corporate Culture, Peak Performance, Empowerment, Environmental Policy, Social Justice and many more.
YouTube Video UExYVGxHSGs2M2xMZ2JTOExOLVBFTlhEendNZHFXQW5PbS4wNzkyRUNFNTBEQkNEMjg0

Confidence Is the Key to High-Performing Teams

What's your family's mission? Marc Koehler's daughter tattooed their family mission statement on her forearm. In his handwriting. It says "MIAGD—Make It A Great Day." That's what happens when you apply the same leadership principles at home that work in submarines and boardrooms. Marc's a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer, turnaround CEO, founder of Lead With Purpose, and bestselling author of "Leading With Purpose." He's trained over 51,000 leaders through SHRM-accredited programs and turned $1 million in Navy training into simple systems. Eventually, he applied those same principles to save his own family. He also hosts the Surfacing Leaders podcast. Here's the brutal truth Marc faced: he was creating one-page strategy plans for companies achieving 95% goal completion. His family? Operating at 10%—the success rate when you only talk about goals and never write them down. When you have 95% commitment to business goals but only 10% to family goals, something has to change. Here's how you can do it, too: • Create it together—sit down with your family (even if kids roll their eyes) and define what you stand for as a unit • Define values and goals on one page—include mission, core values, family habits, and specific goals you'll review weekly • Give weekly updates—talking about goals = 10% success, writing them = 42%, sharing with someone = 65%, while weekly updates = over 90% • Put it where everyone sees it—if it's not on the page, Marc can say no to it Marc's middle daughter tattooed MIAGD on her forearm because it mattered that much. In fact, his adult daughters still text "miagd" to each other daily. When your career starts drifting you from your purpose, you'll realize families deserve intentional mission statements, too. 🎥 Watch Marc's complete story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIhLoBWkwFY 🌟 Book purpose-driven speaker Marc Koehler for your event: https://thekeynotecurators.com/speaker/book-marc-koehler/ 📆 Need help creating your family plan? Let's talk: https://calendly.com/thekeynotecurators/15minthekeynotecurators 💌 Reach out with questions: info@thekeynotecurators.com 00:00 When Career Success Costs You Your Family 01:16 The Wake-Up Call: We've Drifted Too Far 01:57 Creating a Family Mission Statement Together 02:53 Why 95% Beats 10% Every Time 04:58 One Page for Business, One Page for Family 06:26 Adult Kids Who Still Want the Family Plan "How important is it for a business to have a mission statement, a set of values, a set of business habits, and a set of goals? Like, how important is that on a scale of one to 10? That's like a 12. How important would that be, would that be for your, for your family?" — Marc Koehler (quoting his wife) "When we just talk about a goal, we're only 10% likely to get that goal done. If we write it down, goes up to 42%. If we write it down and share it with someone, it goes to 65%. If we have to give a weekly update on it, it goes to above 90%." — Marc Koehler #Family #MissionStatement #Purpose #FamilyGoals #LeadWithPurpose --- Bringing people together to exchange ideas and hear from thought leaders who educate and inspire is what you do best. Curating the world's most impactful speakers for events is where we shine. For two decades, The Keynote Curators has worked with event and conference planners to guarantee they hit a home run when it comes to the main stage. As your trusted partner, we listen carefully to event objectives and go to work quickly, accessing the industry's largest network of speakers so that you have the most compelling speakers to choose from. We provide insight, offer advice throughout the decision-making process, and take care of every detail once the right speaker is selected, ensuring your event is unique, memorable, and goes off without a hitch. Find out for yourself why planners choose The Keynote Curators to deliver results and make planning a breeze. Contact our office today. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://thekeynotecurators.com/ CONNECT WITH US: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2883493/ Our breadth of expertise expands into and beyond the following sectors and topics: SAMPLING of SECTORS SERVED: Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Business, Manufacturing, Human Resources, and more. TOPIC SAMPLING: Disruption, Innovation, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, Change Management, Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Overcoming Obstacles, Economic Forecasts, Future Trends, Inspiration/Motivations, Customer Experience, Mindfulness, Women in Business, International Affairs, ESG, Corporate Culture, Peak Performance, Empowerment, Environmental Policy, Social Justice and many more.
YouTube Video UExYVGxHSGs2M2xMZ2JTOExOLVBFTlhEendNZHFXQW5PbS5EM0QyMDFGNzQ4ODk3MjhB

Applying Business Lessons to Your Family Life

Every moment of crisis is different than the next. Case in point: Robert J. Darling walked into the Presidential bunker on September 11th carrying a comprehensive planning kit... And every procedure in it became useless within minutes. The playbook failed. What saved the day? The infrastructure and mindset to adapt when those plans collapsed. Ret. Lt. Col. Robert J. Darling is now the CEO of Flash Emergency Management, but back then, he was a Marine—combat deployments, presidential pilot, and a White House logistics coordinator. He'd planned for countless contingencies. However, September 11th taught him a hard truth: planning doesn't prepare you for the unprecedented. Only the right infrastructure does. He had procedures for everything. Standard logistics scenarios, predetermined responses, and clear protocols. Then Flight 77 hit the Pentagon. Flight 93 was inbound. Decisions about shooting down civilian aircraft were happening in real time. Nothing in his kit covered this. What worked? The infrastructure built to handle anything: trained people who could compartmentalize emotions, communicate briefly, delegate effectively, and make calls with incomplete information when lives were at stake. And here's how you can apply those lessons to your organization as well: • Build systems that work regardless of the specific crisis—adaptable frameworks beat rigid scenarios • Train your team to separate emotions from decisions and focus on immediate priorities • Use military-style reporting: what you know, what you need, no unnecessary context • Practice deciding with imperfect information before a crisis forces you to No matter how hard you prepare, your emergency plan will likely fail. Not because you didn't try hard enough—because the next crisis you face could look entirely different from the ones you prepared for. The question isn't if your playbook survives. It's whether your people can adapt when it doesn't. Has your team ever practiced what happens when the plan completely falls apart? Share your experience with us in the comments so we can learn from each other. 📋 Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/PrpuEJvKCvY 🛡️ Book Robert J. Darling for crisis leadership training at your organization: https://thekeynotecurators.com/speaker/book-robert-j-darling/ 🗓️ Ready to stress-test your crisis infrastructure? Schedule a consultation: https://calendly.com/thekeynotecurators/15minthekeynotecurators 📩 Questions about crisis preparedness? Email us: info@thekeynotecurators.com 00:00 When the Playbook Goes Out the Window 01:28 The Infrastructure That Actually Matters 02:51 Making Decisions with Imperfect Information 04:27 Communication Under Pressure "It is a great point, Seth, because no two crises are alike. You can plan. to mitigate your threats and say, we got a playbook for this. A playbook to move the president. A playbook in case a bomb goes off. But it all goes out the window in a sense when another crisis comes up because it's not exactly the same. But what is the same is the infrastructure that you built to handle any crisis." — Robert J. Darling "If you are in a situation with imperfect information and lives are at stake, you are gonna do the very best you can based on your intuition and your knowledge. If you have time available, you're gonna start asking those around you. What do they think? What does their intuition tell them? Is there another way to handle this event? And that's great. You've got time on your side. But we always go to the clock when something happens and go, 'Is human life at risk?' And 'Do I have time?' " — Robert J. Darling #CrisisManagement #LeadershipUnderPressure #EmergencyPreparedness #BusinessContinuity #TheKeynoteCurators --- VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://thekeynotecurators.com/ CONNECT WITH US: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2883493/
YouTube Video UExYVGxHSGs2M2xMZ2JTOExOLVBFTlhEendNZHFXQW5PbS5FNUY3QTdGNUU3NjlGMjYz

What Should Really Matter for Teams During Times of Crisis

What separates a good keynote speaker from world-class performers? The answer lies in a practice borrowed from fighter pilots: the debrief. Jack Becker, decorated U.S. Navy fighter pilot and founder of Flight Level Solutions, reveals why debriefing after every keynote transforms speakers and organizations from competent to unstoppable. Jack Becker served as one of the Navy's most decorated Landing Signals Officers. He was responsible for over 21,000 safe carrier landings. As both an LSO and the Navy's top crew resource management instructor, Jack created the Brief-Execute-Debrief-Perfect model. This model helped pilots improve quickly while landing jets on moving carriers. Today, as CEO of Flight Level Solutions, he brings these strategies to keynote speakers, healthcare teams, manufacturers, and sales groups across America. The most powerful feedback Jack gets from meeting planners centers around the debrief. Clients want to know how this honest post-event review can help their teams repeat wins and stop failures. Unlike what Hollywood shows in Top Gun movies, real fighter pilots walk into debrief rooms with humility and openness, not ego. Here's why it's so effective: • Create openness and honesty. Experienced pilots talk about their mistakes so newer pilots can learn without making the same errors on future flights. • Repeat what works and stop what doesn't. The whole point of debriefing is finding what worked and what didn't, then adjusting for next time. • Build trust and confidence. When you see teammates admitting mistakes just to help you improve tomorrow, it creates deep trust across the entire team. Young pilots learn by watching experienced teammates admit failures openly in debrief sessions. When they face similar situations on the next mission, they avoid those mistakes completely. Jack stresses that U.S. fighter pilots became the best in the world only after taking debriefs seriously. The same transformation is available to anyone willing to use this process. Whether you're a keynote speaker improving your skills or a business leader building a strong team, the debrief turns everyday performance into world-class work. The question isn't whether to debrief. It's whether you're ready to become the best at what you do. 🎥 Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/ixKwVxbI6Ac 🎤 Hire keynote speaker Jack Becker for your next event: https://thekeynotecurators.com/speaker/book-jack-becker/ 📅 Ready to discuss debrief strategies? Schedule a time: https://calendly.com/thekeynotecurators/15minthekeynotecurators ✉️ Got questions? Email me: info@thekeynotecurators.com 00:00 Why Clients Focus on the Debrief 00:36 The Vulnerability Fighter Pilots Never Show in Movies 01:35 Repeat Success, Stop Repeating Failure "The whole reason that we do debrief is so we can repeat our successes and stop repeating our failures. That's why we debrief." — Jack Becker "Once we started taking the debrief seriously, that's when we became the best in the world." — Jack Becker #KeynoteSpeaker #Debrief #Leadership #PeakPerformance #ContinuousImprovement --- Bringing people together to exchange ideas and hear from thought leaders who educate and inspire is what you do best. Curating the world's most impactful speakers for events is where we shine. For two decades, The Keynote Curators has worked with event and conference planners to guarantee they hit a home run when it comes to the main stage. As your trusted partner, we listen carefully to event objectives and go to work quickly, accessing the industry's largest network of speakers so that you have the most compelling speakers to choose from. We provide insight, offer advice throughout the decision-making process, and take care of every detail once the right speaker is selected, ensuring your event is unique, memorable, and goes off without a hitch. Find out for yourself why planners choose The Keynote Curators to deliver results and make planning a breeze. Contact our office today. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://thekeynotecurators.com/ CONNECT WITH US: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2883493/ Our breadth of expertise expands into and beyond the following sectors and topics: SAMPLING of SECTORS SERVED: Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Business, Manufacturing, Human Resources, and more. TOPIC SAMPLING: Disruption, Innovation, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, Change Management, Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Overcoming Obstacles, Economic Forecasts, Future Trends, Inspiration/Motivations, Customer Experience, Mindfulness, Women in Business, International Affairs, ESG, Corporate Culture, Peak Performance, Empowerment, Environmental Policy, Social Justice and many more.
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Lessons from a Keynote Speaker on How to Debrief Projects

Here's a question that keeps meeting planners up at night: How do you create an event that gets people excited to register AND actually transforms their work when they get back to the office? Bruce Turkel @BruceTurkel has built brands for companies worldwide, and he's seen what works (and what crashes hard) when it comes to booking speakers for conferences and events. The problem? Every event now promises engagement, education, and transformation. Everything feels the same. However, the real challenge isn't filling seats—it's understanding you're actually serving two audiences: the executive who approves the budget and the attendee who shows up. Here's the framework Bruce uses: • Know your audience—the buyer who pays isn't always the person who attends • Ask the question that matters: "When this is over, what happened that made you happy?" • Balance valuable speakers (the names that drive registration) with value speakers (the experts who give actionable takeaways) • Understand timing—valuable speakers prove their worth before the event, while value speakers prove theirs after You don't just want a celebrity who tells great stories with zero practical application. You also can't book only experts that no one knows (yet!). The meeting professionals who figure out this balance? Their attendees rush to register and come back year after year. The full interview digs into how to create events that actually move the needle for your organization. It's worth a watch if you're tired of events that feel like everyone else's. 🔥 Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/pBK-KFxIwKc 💼 Hire branding and marketing keynote speaker Bruce Turkel for your next event: https://thekeynotecurators.com/speaker/book-bruce-turkel/ 📅 Ready to design your event strategy? Book a consultation: https://calendly.com/thekeynotecurators/15minthekeynotecurators 💌 Questions about balancing valuable and value speakers? Reach out: info@thekeynotecurators.com 00:00 Why Every Event Feels the Same 01:28 Customer vs Consumer in Event Planning 02:38 The Two Types of Speakers Every Event Needs 04:10 Valuable Speakers: Names That Drive Registration 06:06 Value Speakers: Experts Who Transform Businesses "The meeting planner needs to put themselves in the shoes of their. User, not their customer. Remember, the meeting planner's customer is the executive in either their company or the company that hired them." — Bruce Turkel "The valuable speaker is the name that when you show that name, people say, oh my God, they have so and so. I want to go." — Bruce Turkel #EventPlanning #MeetingProfessionals #KeynoteSpeakers #EventStrategy #BusinessEvents --- Bringing people together to exchange ideas and hear from thought leaders who educate and inspire is what you do best. Curating the world's most impactful speakers for events is where we shine. For two decades, The Keynote Curators has worked with event and conference planners to guarantee they hit a home run when it comes to the main stage. As your trusted partner, we listen carefully to event objectives and go to work quickly, accessing the industry's largest network of speakers so that you have the most compelling speakers to choose from. We provide insight, offer advice throughout the decision-making process, and take care of every detail once the right speaker is selected, ensuring your event is unique, memorable, and goes off without a hitch. Find out for yourself why planners choose The Keynote Curators to deliver results and make planning a breeze. Contact our office today. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://thekeynotecurators.com/ CONNECT WITH US: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2883493/ Our breadth of expertise expands into and beyond the following sectors and topics: SAMPLING of SECTORS SERVED: Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Business, Manufacturing, Human Resources, and more. TOPIC SAMPLING: Disruption, Innovation, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, Change Management, Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Overcoming Obstacles, Economic Forecasts, Future Trends, Inspiration/Motivations, Customer Experience, Mindfulness, Women in Business, International Affairs, ESG, Corporate Culture, Peak Performance, Empowerment, Environmental Policy, Social Justice and many more.
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The Two Types of Keynote Speakers Your Event Needs

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