Month: February 2020

In 2008, keynote speaker Vishen Lakhiani, founder of Mindvalley, had a problem. Even though he had founded Mindvalley in 2003 (now one of the top online learning platforms in the world), he was still a struggling meditation teacher, barely eking out a living in Malaysia. That’s when a chance encounter with a top thought leader led him to dream bigger.

After that insightful moment, Vishen never taught a meditation class again. In 2010, he started A-Fest, the festival that connects “change-makers and visionaries who are driven by epic ideas to impact the world.” However, things really changed when he started to question the rules (or brules as Vishen calls them) and began living by his values.

By dreaming bigger and following values, Mindvalley’s revenue increased by 50% for three years in a row. Then in 2016, Vishen brought this same philosophy to the world with The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, which became a New York Times bestseller.

Here are two ideas from Vishen’s book to get you started on your own journey.

Stop following the brules.

We all live by brules even though we don’t know it. Brules are “bullshit rules,” according to Vishen. These brules are based on what we think society wants from us. Brules follow the do/be mechanism. We must do something in order to be something. For example: We must buy a house with a two-car garage to be successful or we must have a big title on our business card to be a leader. Following the brules leads to anxiety and dissatisfaction because how we live is not based on what we personally value.

Instead, we all need to flip the order of how we approach life. Vishen says we need to be in order to do. For example, being happy leads to doing things with joy. Being patient allows us time to do things well. Start from a place of being and doing things will follow naturally. Research in happiness also confirms this. People who are happier are more healthy and successful.

Dream bigger.

The reason why many of us don’t achieve more success in our careers or create anything extraordinary is we play it small and safe. When you play small, you only achieve small things. When you play it safe, you never risk failure nor achieve anything great.

However, when you set bigger goals, just beyond your current capabilities, you achieve bigger things. Once you dream bigger, Vishen says, you will find you don’t need to be motivated or pushed by anyone. Your vision will pull you. People will be drawn to you and your goals.

For many people, Vishen says, these goals are possible when we feel our world is safe. When we feel safe and secure, we give ourselves the freedom to try bigger things because it’s okay to fail. In fact, Vishen suggests businesses set a few goals in which failure is 50% likely. Then you know you are aiming big.

So if you want to lead a happier and more rewarding life, stop following the brules and dream bigger. You might be surprised at what happens. If you are interested in learning more about keynote speaker Vishen’s ideas, check out his talks on YouTube, read his book, or book him for your next event.

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This article was originally published on BigSpeak Feb 20, 2020

After months of research and planning, BigSpeak has launched the first Carbon Offset program within the events industry. Like all bureaus in the keynote speaking industry, we are in the business of moving people across the world to spread their insights and encourage positive change.

While keynote speaking is an important part of making the world a more interconnected place and facilitating the exchange of ideas across nations and cultures, it ends up adding carbon emissions when you account for flights and other travel methods. As a company that strives to be as green as possible, from reusable kitchen products in our offices to carpooling/biking incentives, the unavoidable issue of airline travel for our speakers never sat well with us.

We finally decided to do something about it. Since a carbon offsetting program had never been done by a company like ours, it took months of planning, consultations, and research into what would be most effective. Finally, we teamed up with 3Degrees, a renewable energy and climate services company, to tackle our carbon footprint and counterbalance the carbon emissions we create as a company.

We started small, measuring the footprint of our offices and employees, from commuting to travel, and then measured the more impactful numbers, like speaker travel via flights and ground transport.

Counting 1,600 flights and 3,200 gas car rides from our speakers, 265 workdays of employees commuting, plus an added 10% buffer to cover any unforseen circumstances, we came to a grand total of 2,187 metric tons of carbon emissions to offset in 2020.

BigSpeak will be financially supporting 3Degree in their carbon offset projects that are the equivalent to planting 36,450 new trees and growing them for 10 years, taking 464 cars off the road for a year, or not using 5,063 barrels of oil.

BigSpeak President Barrett Cordero said BigSpeak took the eco-friendly leap for a handful of reasons— “Firstly, for our children and their children. Period. Secondly, as a business that emits carbon, we have a responsibility to clean up after ourselves. And finally, we want to help lead our industry forward, so others do the same. Carbon offsetting is not just for the big Fortune 500, small and mid-size businesses can do it too. It’s cost-effective and easy to facilitate. It seems obvious and honestly, I’m a little surprised we didn’t do it sooner.”

This is a major milestone for BigSpeak as we continually find new ways to reduce our environmental footprint. From the establishment of the Green Team in 2019, which can be thanked for the momentum on the carbon offset program to buying our snack in bulk thereby eliminating packaging, BigSpeak is always tweaking processes to cut out junk and reduce waste. As we encourage others to do the same, we also encourage others to help guide our efforts with new ideas, creating a community that uplifts each other and our planet.

We hope that by taking the lead in environmental protection within the speaking industry other bureaus across the country will follow and together we will all move in the right direction.

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This article was originally published on Bigspeak  Feb 17, 2020

until just now, but we love the message and want to embrace the attitude with full force. According to research, Random Acts of Kindness make you happier, healthier, and more energetic, not to mention these acts make someone else’s day.

There are lots of great ideas to be kind out there. However, we encourage you to try these great ideas inspired by  BigSpeak Speakers. Take a play out of their books and join the love train.

Empower others. 

BigSpeak keynote speaker and social justice warrior Barb Stegemann has made our ever-expanding globe a small world with her line of Peace Perfumes through her company The 7 Virtues. After seeing the challenges farmers in Afghanistan faced, Stegemann crafted a line of perfumes, sourcing all ingredients from farmers trying to rebuild their economy in a war-torn country.

When you purchase one of her Peace Perfumes, you empower farmers to rebuild their local economies. Whether you want to try out a new and unique scent or just gain inspiration from Stegemann’s story, we hope you feel the joy of empowering others.

Call your mom. It’s good for you.

Call your mom. It’s easy to say you’ll do it later; even easier to forget. Calling a family member or close friend is a random act of kindness that gives back to you. Happiness expert and Harvard researcher Robert Waldinger, says fostering a close network of family and friends is the key to longterm health and happiness. He would know. His conclusions come from more than 75 years of data on what gives someone the happiest life.

While work can be demanding (and making sure you have enough time to listen to your favorite podcast on the way to work can be tempting), making time to call your mom (or another loved one) will put you on the most direct path to happiness. It’ll make your Mom’s day too.

Spread positivity. 

Emotional intelligence speaker Shawn Achor, another Harvard happiness expert, suggests spreading positivity. He says one of the nicest things you can do for someone is believe in them.

As a random act of kindness, share a positive sentiment with someone. This can be done in any way at any time, whether it’s holding the door for someone to subtly send a message they are wanted in that space, sending a thank you note, or simply telling a friend or stranger something you like about them.

When positivity is infused into an individual, a team, or an entire company, monumental change can be achieved.

Turn an empathetic cheek. 

In a similar vein, sometimes the kindest act you can perform is to understand someone. Someone might just need you to listen and not judge. Or it might be seeing an event from another person’s perspective.

Emotional intelligence experts Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry and Bill Benjamin believe empathy is the best way to create individuals, teams, and companies with a healthier culture. When you see things from another person’s point of view, you make the other person happier, form a stronger relationship, and open yourself up to a new world of possibilities.

During this Random Act of Kindness week, we hope you try one of these acts on for size, or get inspired to spread kindness in other ways.

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This article was originally published on BigSpeak Feb 18, 2020

Resolutions may be tough, but the new year is the perfect time to take stock of what is working and shed anything dragging you down. The key to meeting your goals in 2020 could be looking at things from a new perspective.

Marketing expert Dean McFlicker‘s TEDx Talk, “How To Get What You Want” lays out an evocative and informative how-to guide to getting great results in life and business.

McFlicker is an award-winning producer and director of television marketing at NBCUniversal where he has created campaigns for some of the most successful shows on TV, including This Is Us, The Voice, America’s Got Talent and all of NBC’s live musicals. As an SVP and Creative Director for NBC Marketing’s Original Production Group, Dean has a unique role that combines creativity and executive leadership. As a speaker, he uses his insider insight to translate techniques from film, TV, and Broadway into practical business tools applicable to any industry.

In his TEDx Talk, he shares his approach to a problem-solving as a methodology called the Producer’s Perspective:

“In life, you can produce the story you want to unfold by filtering situations through a lens at specific areas of film production. Regardless of what business you’re in, you can use the Producer’s Perspective to help decision-making and for organization and efficiency.”

As we begin 2020, it’s an interesting point of view because if all the world’s a stage, your life hack may be to think like a producer.

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This article originally appeared on BigSpeak on Feb 5, 2020

Not all top keynote speakers will cost your firstborn child. Some established and up-and-coming speakers provide great value for modest fees. Whether you’re looking for someone to keynote your event or just lead a productive workshop, these speakers all have rave reviews from audiences and clients. These keynote speakers under $10,000 can motivate, inspire, and teach you how to be more productive, lead better, and provide excellent customer experience.

Barb Stegemann

Barb Stegemann is a motivational speaker, social entrepreneur and Founder of 7 Virtues perfumes who will fill your audiences with confidence in their lives.

Bill Benjamin

Bill Benjamin is an emotional intelligence, performance, and leadership expert who can help companies perform and lead better under pressure.

Danny Bader 

Danny Bader is an inspirational speaker who teaches audiences the principles for leading more purposeful and productive lives.

Dave Mochel

Dave Mochel is an expert in well-being and mindfulness who helps companies foster more positive personal and cultural practices.

Elise Mitchell

Elise Mitchell is a leadership speaker, bestselling author, and C-Suite consultant who was named a Top Speaker to See by The Huffington Post.

James Lloyd

James Lloyd is a motivational humorist and customer experience expert who uses his insight and knowledge to engage audiences and train teams.

Jane Chen

Jane Chen is a social-good entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of Embrace, a social enterprise that aims to help the 15 million premature and low birth-weight babies born every year, through a low-cost infant warmer.

Jones Loflin

Jones Loflin is a change management speaker who teaches practical solutions to inspire individuals and change unproductive organizational behaviors.

Mark Allen

Mark Allen is a motivational speaker, six-time Ironman world champion, and the co-author of the award-winning book Fit Soul, Fit Body: 9 Keys to a Healthier, Happier You.

Max Brown 

Max Brown is an “all-star” keynote speaker and leadership coach who runs high-rated leadership programs.

Michael Lombardi

Michael Lombardi is a leadership expert, media analyst, and former NFL executive of Super Bowl winning teams who teaches companies how to win together.

Mike Hourigan

Mike Hourigan is a much sought-after and entertaining negotiation, safety and change management expert.

Nagin Cox

Nagin Cox is a Spacecraft Operations Engineer for NASA/JPL who is a leading speaker on science, technology, and women empowerment.

Paul Krismer

Paul Krismer is a positive psychology expert who teaches the practical application of positive emotions as a means of achieving corporate and personal excellence.

Patrick Houlahan 

Patrick Houlahan is a former US Marine fighter pilot and motivational speaker who helps teach audiences the leadership principles necessary to succeed.

Rennie Curran 

Rennie Curran is a former NFL player and CEO of Game Changer Coaching who teaches clients how to improve their leadership, career performance, and personal branding.

Srinivas Rao

Srinivas Rao (aka “Srini”) is a branding and creativity speaker and host and founder of The Unmistakable Creative, where he’s interviewed over 700 extraordinary people ranging from bank robbers to billionaires.

To learn more about these great keynote speakers, contact BigSpeak Speakers Bureau today.

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This article originally appeared on BigSpeak on Feb 4, 2020