Jay Acunzo

Biography

Jay Acunzo is waging war on conventional thinking. As a digital media strategist at Google, he pushed marketing executives and practitioners more rapidly into the digital age in ways that benefitted companies and careers. He held multiple leadership positions at high-growth tech startups, including Head of Content at HubSpot and Vice President of Brand and Community at the venture capital firm NextView Ventures. On the side, Jay created the award-winning podcast Unthinkable and co-founded Boston Content, the northeast’s largest community of content creators and marketers.

Courses at Harvard Business School have cited Jay’s work, as have writers at The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fast Company, Forbes, and more. Salesforce has called him a “creative savant” and named him to the city of Boston’s “50 on Fire” list.

Today, Jay is the founder of Marketing Showrunners, the author of Break the Wheel, and a decorated show host and executive producer. Marketing Showrunners teaches brands how to make original series, such as Against the Grain, a documentary series launched in partnership with the tech company Help Scout. As the host, director, and writer, Jay traveled the country searching for brands that put people over profits and community over shareholders and helped spark a movement of for-profit businesses that seek to use capitalism for good. You can find the series at helpscout.com/atg.

In a world where “storyteller” has become a buzzword, Jay understands how to tell great stories–stories that entertain, surprise, teach, and push people beyond conventional thinking toward their best work. He believes his job is to hand out compasses, not maps with directions drawn on them. This equips audiences to walk into any scenario they face, get their bearings, find their true north, and feel empowered to proceed confidently and in the right direction.

Videos

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Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

Playing Favorites: How to Drive Bigger Results through the influence of your ideas, not the Volume of Your Marketing

The hardest truth to embrace today is that we compete with everyone creating content today — not just our industry peers. In that world, it’s tempting to strap ourselves onto the marketing hamster wheel and try to shout louder, hype harder, and produce endless content.

This is an exhausting race to the bottom. You don’t need broader reach or bigger budgets than everyone. To stand out and drive business, you need to resonate deeper. Whether you’re the biggest or best is irrelevant. You need to be their favorite.

In this empowering yet practical talk, author and brand consultant Jay Acunzo will take you inside the techniques used by the world’s most effective storytellers and thought leaders to inspire action in others. You’ll walk away ready to compete on the power of your ideas, not the volume of your marketing or size of your budget.

When your audience makes choices, they play favorites. The question is: are you one of them?

You will learn:

The most important question to ask to differentiate your brand and your content.

A visual framework to assess where you are, where you want to be – and what’s in the way.

Techniques to apply today to make it immediately clear why others should care about your message.

Testimonials

SMART, FUNNY, AND ENTERTAINING. JAY IS THE SPEAKER YOU HOPE YOU'LL GET WHEN YOU SETTLE INTO YOUR SEAT.

– Doug Kessler, Co-Founder, Velocity Partners (B2B Agency of the Year 2019, via The Drum)

I WAS LITERALLY SAYING TO OUR EVENT MANAGER, WE HIT IT OUT OF THE BALL PARK WITH THIS GUY!

– Veronica Martinez, Sales Coordinator, G3 Communications

I MEAN, IF WE’RE ALL CRYING IN THE FIRST KEYNOTE, I AM GOING TO SAY B2BSMX IS A SUCCESS.

– Annette Falvo, National Account Director, Demand Gen Report

Jay is among the top speakers at Content Marketing World every year...each time we ask him back, the scores come back better and better. An original thinker and dynamic presenter, Jay is becoming one of the "must-see" speakers at any marketing and communication event.

– JOE PULIZZI, FOUNDER, CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE

The first thing I heard at the conclusion of Jay’s presentation was that attendees were looking at things from a different perspective. I can’t say enough about Jay’s presentation! He really knocked it out of the park. He connects to the audience in a real way, making it a conversation, not a speech. You feel involved and drawn into his stories.

– JACQUIE FRANCISCO, MANAGING PARTNER, THE BRAND ESTABLISHMENT

Jay’s was the best session I’ve ever attended in my 25 years of conferences! (I grew up watching my parents do keynotes.) I had so much energy and aspiration walking out of there!

– CHRISTINA KAY, EVENT ATTENDEE, MARKETO MARKETING NATION SUMMIT

Jay Acunzo is relevant, thought-provoking, and entertaining. While Jay is a sought after speaker with a big resume of experience, he is also approachable and eager to tailor his presentations to the audience’s needs. He provides realistic and actionable takeaways that all levels of professionals want to implement.

– JULIE HUVAL, HEAD OF MARKETING, BECK TECHNOLOGY

As a speaker, Jay has an incredible ability to relate to the audience and perform with impeccable polish. He is a seasoned speaker, and it shows. As a host, I was particularly gratified with the reaction from the attendees, who stayed well past the end of the event to speak to him and have been contacting me personally to thank me.

– DEVIN BRAMHALL, VP MARKETING, ANIMALZ

Booksby Jay Acunzo

Break the Wheel

The Creator's Compass

For Meeting Planners

Photos

Speaker Documents

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Blog Posts

Stop Stressing! Find Your Perfect Stress Management Style

✨ Eliz Greene addresses the complexities of stress management, highlighting the importance of recognizing and...

Why Do People Get Harley-Davidson Tattoos? Building Unwavering Brand Loyalty

🏍️ In a world where brand loyalty can seem fleeting, Ken Schmidt, former Director of...

Achieving 3 Daily Wins: Leadership Lessons with Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman

🎧 Tune in my conversation with Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman to become the person that...

Train Like You Fight: How To Take Pride in Your Preparation

How to handle unexpected challenges during high-stakes situations? Mistakes can be costly, but meticulous preparation...

Honoring Memorial Day and Inspirational Veteran Speakers

🎖️ In this week's newsletter, we honor those who sacrificed and those who continue to...

MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC) in Louisville, KY

🤩 The Keynote Curators was thrilled to participate in Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress...

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Reviews & Ratings

     Excellent  
     Based on 56 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   Waldo Waldman 
 May 19, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I’ve been Speaking professionally for 21 years and work with the largest agencies in the world. I’m a Hall of Fame keynote speaker and a New York Times best selling Author. I have can honestly say in full confidence that Seth Dechtman and his team at Keynote Curator is the best agency I have been honored to work with.
I’ve witnessed Seth’s client focused relationship skills On multiple occasions. His clients love him and he’s detail oriented and has great communication skillls.
But most importantly, I’ve been on the receiving side of his servant, focused leadership style. He treats me like a valued partner and emulates everything a wingman is.
  
 
       
   David Allison 
 May 17, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Seth and the Keynote Curators team are tenacious and determined to do right by their clients and their speakers. I appreciate our relationship so much, and highly reccomend this group to anyone looking to book a speaker for an event.
  
 
       
   Meir Statman 
 May 10, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. It is wonderful to join Seth in helping people reflect on their financial and life well-being and enhance them.
  
 
       
   Trevor Wilde 
 April 24, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This was an amazing experience. the Keynote Speaker we had was perfect for our event and will definitely be having another for our next one!
  
 
       
   Sandro Forte 
 March 22, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Brilliantly hosted, with great content. An absolute ‘must add’ to any podcast list!
  
 
       
   Jon VanDeventer 
 November 18, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I've been working with Seth at The Keynote Curators for over 3 years. I always look forward to our meetings because of both his professional expertise and his enjoyable, engaging personality. We have fun during our virtual meetings while developing innovative strategies and accomplishing goals. It's obvious from working with Seth over a number of years that he is always making event planning and booking services an easy process and providing responsiveness that sets him apart. He's an excellent partner who gets invested in your business and collaborates through every step of a process that can sometimes feel overwhelming.
  
 
       
   Jason Galaska 
 November 7, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Seth and his team were fantastic to work with in 2023 and we look forward to working with Keynote Curators to find potential speaker matches for our events in the future.  Thank you, Seth, for your professionalism!
  
 
       
   Hailey Wilson 
 October 23, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A Treasure Trove for Anyone Involved in Speaker Selection!

As someone deeply involved in the intersection of marketing and technology at AImpact, I find the process of selecting the right keynote speaker to be a critical part of any successful event. Seth Dechtman's "The Keynote Curators" podcast is nothing short of a godsend for anyone facing the challenges and opportunities that come with this task.

Seth brings an almost poetic understanding to the power of words, acknowledging that a speech isn't just a scheduled event but a transformative experience that can change the dynamics of an entire room. His enthusiasm for the craft is contagious, making each episode a joy to listen to.
  
 
       
   Nicole 
 September 14, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Seth is super knowledgeable about the needs of meeting planners to have a successful event and partners with you to find just that right fit!
  
 
       
   Duncan Sigurdsson 
 August 28, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Working with Seth Dechtman and The Keynote Curators is always true partnership.  In the three plus years that we have been involved in various projects, I can tell you that they always deliver.  We have done some really cool stuff together.  Any meeting professional, conference planner or event producer will greatly benefit from partnering with The Keynote Curators.  High praise to Seth and his team.