Kurt Cobain once said, “I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.” During these uncertain and ever-changing times people are searching for the truth. With regard to speakers, we are looking for new ways to accelerate our personal power to consistently live what we give. We don’t want fake, phony, ego or pretend. And we want aspirational not pedestal. Just as our clients do.

Going forward, our businesses will hit a glass ceiling if we are less authentic. Audiences are more learned, critical and sensitive. They’ve become deep thinkers. And they expect speakers to focus on performance not popularity.

2020 was not the year anyone thought it was going to be. For some, initially, the pandemic took the microphone right out of your hands. For others it provided much-needed “be still” and “reflection” time. For Dr. James Smith, Jr., 2020 challenged him to be more authentic than he ever was in the past. It challenged him to reexamine how he ran his speaking business and how he lived his life. He determined that he had been pursuing authenticity all his life but had not reached the level he needed to make the impact that he could.

During this quick-paced session you will:

• Explore the true meaning of authenticity
• Uncover why it’s more important than ever before for speakers to be at their authentic best
• Discuss what helps and what hinders authentic expression
• Examine how authenticity can help you provide a much greater level of service and support
• Explore habits of highly authentic speakers

This is a massive opportunity for speakers. Let’s take a look at our keynotes, models, approaches, social media and business strategies to see where we can be more authentic. The old version of ourselves is not going to be relevant today and in the future.

This keynote presentation reinforces the significance of eliminating excuses, owning your choices and focusing on the positive. This session highlights the value of replacing victim vocabulary (e.g., “it’s not my fault” or "I can't believe they're doing that to me") with the personal power statement “it’s MY responsibility.”

The presentation focuses on shifting the learner’s perspective from waiting for something to happen to being accountable for what actually happens at work and in life. It’s about becoming the producers, directors, leading men and women in our life movie. Personal power, drive, courage, passion, enthusiasm, inspiration and attitude are all factors that impact one’s success. The session’s objectives will challenge learners to get out of their “performance comfort zone” and move into expanding their personal power.

This keynote underscores the value of courage, perspective and perseverance. There is nothing as powerful as a changed mindset and the focus of this presentation is to help participants uncouple fear from uncertainty and take the leap – at work and at home. Do you see possibilities or problems? Opportunities or obstacles? Glory outcomes or gory outcomes?  Innovation and creativity are based on challenging the status quo and taking risks. Learners will examine the value of creating new breakthroughs by embracing the unknown.

This keynote reinforces fresh thinking and new approaches – which are at the root of innovation. Many are still applying old tools to solve new problems. This presentation provides the fundamental building blocks for becoming more cutting-edge and resourceful. Believe it or not the answers are right in front of us. We don’t have to Google them. Successful innovators creatively exhibit common behavioral habits – and they believe in them.

During this presentation Dr. James Smith, Jr. challenges convention (i.e., keeping it real) to encourage competitiveness and growth. This presentation is designed to encourage participants to change their aim. Remember, “It’s not that we aim high and miss, it’s that we aim low and hit it.”

Today’s new opportunities call for us to aim high to be relevant and bring more value. Staying the same will not win the game!