Spending much of his early life growing up in Saudi Arabia, Sean Bott developed a scorching sense of humor. He began his journey into the delicious art of magic at the tender age of 12 by learning and then performing hypnosis, psychology, and stagecraft at his local library. One quirky magic shop, a degree or two, and more than three pounds later, he can now say he’s been blowing minds, making people gasp and laugh, all while eating curly fries, for over 15 years. Sprinkle on some pit stops at Second City in Chicago to keep his funny skills on point and you’re left with a one-of-a-kind mind reading experience. As you can imagine, all of that heat combined with some childhood trauma, a birth Mom still at large (maybe the rain forest?), and two really weird stepmoms, has given him some anxiety. He has studied cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and self-compassion, feeding his interest in the world of clinical mental health counseling. As that journey continues, Sean combines that knowledge, personal experience and mind-reading, to show us how to create warm connection with other humans quickly and authentically.
Whether building deeper relationships as a leader, working with clients, onboarding new employees, or retaining great talent, the tools Sean Bott provides, creates spaces of belonging faster and easier than ever before. When Sean engages with your people, from start to finish, his focus is on understanding their pain points and working together towards your desired outcome.
Working with over 1,500 associations, corporations, and universities worldwide including companies like Dell, Google, and Disney, Sean Bott has brought curated content, mind-blowing moments, and bucketfuls of laughs (not chicken) to thousands.
“Through my study of empathy, psychology, mentalism, and comedy, I provide positive skills and awareness for others to create connection and belonging. I draw on best practices in cognitive behavioral therapy, self-compassion research and social psychology to create an applicable, cohesive tool-set that is actionable, and implementable.”
At home, Sean Bott is owned by two cats, two kids, and a spouse. He’ll walk on a treadmill – sometimes – and he eats hot soup in the summer.
Attract, keep, and build thriving talent, teams, & organizations.
People don't leave companies, they leave management (and really bad jokes). Often people trudge along in jobs where they feel unseen, and where their best efforts go unrecognized. They feel invisible. Then they leave. The tools in my signature keynote, clinically proven through various therapeutic modalities and self-compassion research, will teach your people how to make others feel understood, connected, and valued. People stay, contribute, and thrive where they are seen. Layer on truly memorable mind-reading moments and a few solid dad jokes, and this keynote will be the signature event your people refer to again and again.
Audience Takeaways Include:
- Three easy tools that build lasting relationships in team and client culture
- Combat employee erosion, quiet quitting, and rage applying
- Build empathy muscles for transformational leadership in a diverse workforce
- Inspire employee discretionary effort; from meets expectations, to exceeds expectations
- Laughy tears, because it doesn’t hurt (it actually helps!)
Ideal Audience: CEO's, franchise owners, business owners, leaders at any level, boards and associations, people in HR or talent development roles. Also appropriate for meeting planners and showcases.
Solve negative company culture, employee burnout, and uncertainty by empowering leaders with resilience, energy and creative solutions that pivot companies from Survive to Thrive! The tools I teach in Survive to Thrive, tackle head-on the under-current of employee erosion that affects company productivity, successful change management, and quiet quitting. From entry level to C-suite leadership, I will empower every level of your organization with effective tools to navigate an ever-changing world. Through research supported skills, your people will worry more effectively, and learn to thrive in uncertainty. As a people-expert and dead ringer for Jack Black(ish?), I will deliver these powerful tools with warmth, laughter, and wonder.
Audience Takeaways Include:
- Prevent Burnout and increase Loyalty, Productivity, and Innovation
- Change the focus from Problems to Possibilities
- Learn simple, effective Descalation Tools
- Transform "change anxiety" and uncertainty to Solutions and Resilience
-Hey, everything is going to be okay.
High-performing teams share the hardest 8% of conversations. Learn how connection and courage drive team success for event professionals.
Read More
Keynote speaker Magie Cook shares how shifting your mindset transforms adversity into power and turns setbacks into stepping stones for success.
Read More
Planning a bank, fintech, insurance, or wealth management event? This definitive guide to the Best Leadership Speakers for Financial Services Conferences shows you what works now: selection criteria, vetted speaker ideas, comparison snapshots, sample agendas, buying tips, FAQs, and direct links to relevant resources on The Keynote Curators (TKC).
Read More
Mindfulness isn't mellow—it's a performance system. Discover practices, top apps, and keynote speakers that turn well-being into results.
Read More
Looking for the Best Leadership Speakers for Healthcare Conferences? You’re in the right place. This 2025 guide is written for hospital and health-system leaders, payer/provider teams, life sciences and medtech planners who need keynote speakers...
Read More
AI creativity is reshaping business success—discover why creative thinking matters more than technical skills in today's automated workplace.
Read More