I’ve been delivering keynotes and training for a decade. I’ve seen some brilliant speakers and been on the receiving end of some dire ones. Then along came COVID-19 and the rules changed.
The training world made a mad scramble for online territory and, guess what, I’ve sat in on some superb online sessions and some dire ones.
A great keynote speaker isn’t necessarily a great online speaker. WARNING! I’ve sat through hundreds of hours of online seminars. The big names and celebs are not guaranteed to deliver.
Rather than do a list of people to avoid, I’ve compiled my favourite 10 – affordable speakers who deliver a fabulous message and are guaranteed to make your staff go ‘WOW!’
I know the list will be controversial and will bruise the egos of people who think they should be on it. If you find it upsetting, get your own back by doing your own list of the top 1000 and leaving me off it!
It’s not an exact science, but here goes.
In no particular order…
- Errol Lawson[subjects: wellbeing, leadership, motivation, diversity]:
There’s something about Errol. He’s mastered the online world very quickly and is one of the handful of trainers whose virtual delivery packs as much punch as his face-to-face sessions. Just wow! - Gavin Oattes [leadership, play, motivation, resilience]:
Gav delivers an astonishingly powerful keynote that also happens to be hugely entertaining. Does it translate online? Yes indeedy! - Jaz Ampar-Farr [education, self-love, motivation, resilience]:
I like a speaker with a backstory. Jaz isn’t an Olympian or a successful entrepreneur or a celeb, she’s just authentically awesome. I don’t know Jaz very well but I’m certain I love her. - Jason Todd [3 Principles, wellbeing, business, positive psychology, happiness]:
A self-made businessman who accumulated wealth and fast cars before jacking it all in and delivering wellbeing instead. Poorer but happier, Jase is focused on one thing; making a difference to people’s lives. He delivers a range of online subjects, specialising in his world renowned ‘Be More Dog’ - Paul McGee [wellbeing, resilience, business, motivation]:
A long-time hero of mine. Paul’s been in the speaking business a long time and is STILL the best around! Class is permanent, hence his online delivery is faultless. Epic books too btw. - David Hyner [education, biz, goal setting, motivation]:
The Brummie guru of goal setting. I’m gonna say it loud and proud; David Hyner CHANGED MY LIFE! Just as good online as off. - Will Hussey [growth mindset, wellbeing, motivation, creativity, resilience]:
The most understated speaker on the list, and probably the cleverest. Definitely the most creative. I’m not sure Will knows quite how good he is? Take it from me, he’s world class. - Steve Head [motivation, strengths, impact, coaching]
I’ve lurked on a couple of Steve’s online seminars and marvelled at his ability to shape the message to fit the new format. As with all the above names, the key is simplicity of message and delivery. - Martin Burder [motivation, growth mindset, physical health, wellbeing, mindfulness]
A rising star of the speaking circuit, Martin has quickly adapted to the ZOOM world. He’s a man at the top of his game - Paul ‘Wolfie’ Field [education, motivation, positivity, wellbeing, growth mindset]:
Wolfie is one of the unsung heroes at Art of Brill. We measure customer satisfaction and with 1500 scores on the doors, the Art of Brill team is averaging an astonishing 9.76 out of 10. That’s a jaw-dropping figure. What a team! And Wolfie has never scored anything other than a 10. He’s got some miles on his clock and he’s bagged a whole lot of wisdom. The old dog has learned some new online tricks. Nuff said. - [too excited to stop at 10] Jonathan Peach [purpose, mindset, strengths, positive psychology]
JP had worked hard to become a top 10 UK speaker. Guess what, he then worked equally hard to master the tech side of things. Strong message, depth of knowledge… and he’s now added an online string to his bow.
Andy x