Speakers with Incredible & Inspiring Real-Life Stories
Whether your meeting is focused on inspiration, or any other topic, Leading Authorities will help you find the speaker that’s the right fit for your agenda.
We all face things that make us doubt our abilities from time to time. Whether your organization is facing a difficult operating environment, a tricky restructuring, or is simply stuck in a rut, setting aside time to come together as a team and hear from someone who has been there and come out on the other side can make all the difference. The following speakers move audiences to leapfrog hurdles in their own lives. Their stories have the power to lift your team up and spark real change.
Uplift Your Teams & Spark a Change with Expert Speakers In The Field As They Share Their Stories
We all face things that make us doubt our abilities from time to time. Whether your organization is facing a difficult operating environment, a tricky restructuring, or is simply stuck in a rut, setting aside time to come together as a team and hear from someone who has been there and come out on the other side can make all the difference. The following speakers move audiences to leapfrog hurdles in their own lives. Their stories have the power to lift your team up and spark real change.
- Katie Ledecky, Olympic Champion Swimmer; 10x Olympic Medalist, 15x World Champion, 14x World Record Breaker
- Chemmy Alcott, Legendary British Skier, Four-Time Winter Olympian; BBC “Ski Sunday” & Olympic Presenter
- Chris Cassidy, NASA Astronaut & Navy SEAL
- Preet Chandi, Polar Adventurer, First Woman of Colour to Complete a Solo Expedition to the South Pole
- Darcy Gaechter, Adventurer & First Woman to Kayak the Amazon River
- Joan Higginbotham, Retired NASA Astronaut, Electrical Engineer, & Third African American Woman in Space
- Scott Mann, U.S. Army Green Beret (Ret.), Human Connection Coach, Operation Pineapple Express Mission Leader
- Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor Recipient and New York Times Best-selling Author of Into the Fire & The Way Forward
- Hakeem Oluseyi, Astrophysicist, Former Space Science Education Lead for NASA
- Ben Saunders, World-Record Breaking Polar Explorer & Repeat TED Speaker
- Lindsay Shookus, Longtime Saturday Night Live Producer
- Jeff Skiles, Co-Pilot of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, "The Miracle on the Hudson"
- John Volanthen, World Record-Holding British Cave Diver Who Played A Key Role In The 2018 Tham Luang Thailand Cave Rescue
- Tracy Walder, Former CIA Officer and FBI Special Agent, Educator, and Author
- Erik Weihenmayer, World-Class Blind Adventurer
- Jon Dorenbos, World Class Magician, TV Personality, Former NFL Pro Bowler
Keep reading for more information about each of these individuals below and click on the links below to check out each of their speaker profile pages for more specifics about their background, their areas of specialty, and get a preview of them speaking to a large audience on stage at a recent event.
KATIE LEDECKY
Olympic Champion Swimmer; 10x Olympic Medalist, 15x World Champion, 14x World Record Breaker
Record-breaking Olympic champion swimmer Katie Ledecky first grabbed headlines worldwide as the breakout star of the 2012 Olympics at age 15. As the youngest American at the 2012 Games, she showed maturity beyond her years to beat out a field of more experienced competitors and win her first of seven gold medals. As relatable as she is personable, she shares her inspiring journey from up-and-coming swimmer to the winner's podium at the Olympics, as well as lessons learned along the way about developing a winner's mentality, setting and achieving goals, pushing past obstacles, and performing beyond what you thought was possible.
CHEMMY ALCOTT
Legendary British Skier, Four-Time Winter Olympian; BBC “Ski Sunday” & Olympic Presenter
Chemmy Alcott is a four-time Winter Olympian who paved the way for British winter sport athletes and has won 44 gold medals across all of the competitions she has participated in during the course of her career. But her remarkable story almost wasn't to be. As a child, she was in a ski accident that resulted in her breaking 50 bones and nearly left her paralyzed. She went on to make a full recovery and become a legend in winter sports.
CHRIS CASSIDY
NASA Astronaut & Navy SEAL, CEO
A decorated veteran who is one of only three people ever to be a Navy SEAL and a NASA astronaut, Chris Cassidy reflects upon pivotal moments from his action-packed career across the sea, air, land, and space to demonstrate how anyone is capable of achieving extraordinary things and thriving in clutch moments when everything is on the line.
PREET CHANDI
Polar Adventurer, First Woman of Colour to Complete a Solo Expedition to the South Pole
When Preet Chandi completed a 40-day, unsupported 700-mile expedition from the coastline of Antarctica to the geographic South Pole, she became the first woman of color to accomplish this feat. She followed it up a year later by breaking the Guinness records for longest polar ski expedition by a woman and longest solo unsupported one-way ski expedition in Antarctica overall. Her story is one of shattering glass ceilings and overcoming the limitations you set on yourself to achieve big goals.
DARCY GAECHTER
Adventurer & First Woman to Kayak the Amazon River
An adventurer, record-setter, and boundary-breaker, Darcy Gaechter is best known as the first woman to kayak the Amazon River from source to sea — a 4,000-mile voyage that took 148 days to complete. As she relives the journey across the Amazon, she empowers audiences to "do the undoable" and shares how having an "expedition mindset" can present opportunities for success in any endeavor.
JOAN HIGGINBOTHAM
Retired NASA Astronaut, Electrical Engineer, & Third African American Woman in Space
A former NASA astronaut, Joan Higginbotham is a trailblazing electrical engineer who, in December 2006, flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-116 to become the third African American woman to travel into space. Over the nearly 13-day mission, she joined the seven-member crew to continue construction of the International Space Station (ISS), embarking on four space walks and operating the station’s robotic arm.
SCOTT MANN
U.S. Army Green Beret (Ret.), Human Connection Coach, Operation Pineapple Express Mission Leader
Lt. Col. Scott Mann served in the military for more than two decades. As a U.S. Army Green Beret, he specialized in highly complex special ops missions in do-or-die environments where everything was on the line and there was little room for error. Following his retirement, he answered the call to serve once more when he led a grassroots mission that resulted in the rescue of more than 1,000 Afghan allies amid the chaos of the U.S.'s withdrawal from the country.
DAKOTA MEYER
Medal of Honor Recipient and New York Times Best-selling Author of Into the Fire
After risking his own life to provide cover for more than 30 soldiers during a battle in Afghanistan, Dakota was the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since 1973. His motivational talk draws on incredible stories and visuals that move audiences to reexamine their own lives and fight for accountability and achievement.
HAKEEM OLUSEYI
Astrophysicist, Former Space Science Education Lead for NASA
Despite growing up in some of the country’s roughest neighborhoods, Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi turned away from the negative influences that were all around him and, instead, chose to pursue his passion of becoming a world-renowned astrophysicist. Three degrees and twelve patents later, he is an inspiring testament to what can be accomplished when you push past the naysayers to achieve your dreams.
BEN SAUNDERS
World-Record Breaking Polar Explorer
Ben Saunders’s incredible feats of endurance challenge conventional wisdom and prove what can be accomplished through ambition, passion, and a refusal to quit. Best known for leading one of the most ambitious polar expeditions in a century, he was the first to successfully complete an epic, 105-day, 1,800-mile trek on foot to the South Pole. A speaker at three TED conferences, Ben uses stories and stunning visuals to illustrate and justify his beliefs that “No one else is the authority on your potential” and “Impossible is just someone’s opinion.”
LINDSAY SHOOKUS
Longtime Saturday Night Live Producer
The recipient of multiple Emmy and Peabody awards, Lindsay Shookus keeps audiences hooked with highly entertaining stories from 20 years working behind the scenes with celebrities and the cast of SNL as she navigated the pressure cooker of producing live TV. Her stories are filled with valuable lessons on building lasting relationships in a fast-paced world and finding life's best lessons during its hardest times.
JEFF SKILES
Co-Pilot of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, "The Miracle on the Hudson"
A bright, 20-degree afternoon in January of 2009 quickly turned into a fight for survival as U.S. Airways Flight 1549's engines failed following a collision with a formation of Canada geese. With no other options left, Skiles and Captain Chesley Sullenberger made the decision to land the plan in the only open, flat space available — the Hudson River. The decision saved the lives of all 155 passengers on board and continues to be a case study for how anyone can successfully navigate a crisis.
JOHN VOLANTHEN
World Record-Holding British Cave Diver Who Played A Key Role In The 2018 Tham Luang Thailand Cave Rescue
In 2018, John Volanthen led a daring mission to rescue a team of Thai youth soccer players who found themselves trapped in a perilous situation inside Thailand’s Tham Luang cave for several weeks. Reflecting on his experiences working alongside his dive partners, Volanthen shares valuable lessons in leadership, resilience, teamwork, and risk management that can be applied to any endeavor. The story of the rescue has been adapted into books, documentaries, and the Hollywood movie Thirteen Lives, in which Volanthen is played by Will Ferrell.
TRACY WALDER
Former CIA Officer and FBI Special Agent, Educator, and Author
When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity. Graduating with a history degree, she would spend the next four years as a covert operative for CIA’s Counterterrorism Center, assuming aliases, thwarting terrorist attacks, and debriefing terrorists at black sites. In speeches, Walder shares her riveting story with audiences, and according to Publishers Weekly “opens a window into life in two of America’s major intelligence agencies.”
ERIK WEIHENMAYER
World-Class Blind Adventurer
Despite losing his vision at age 14, Erik Weihenmayer is an accomplished climber, paraglider, skier, and kayaker who never allows blindness interfere with his passion for pursuing an exhilarating and fulfilling life. At age 33, he became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest — an incredible story of determination and perseverance that has been featured on The TODAY, Oprah, Good Morning America, and many more major media outlets. In his talks, he teaches audiences to follow his path and lead a "No Barriers" life, or a life without self-imposed limitations.
JON DORENBOS
World Class Magician, TV Personality, Former NFL Pro Bowler
Jon Dorenbos's road to becoming an NFL all-star and world-class magician who finished third on season 11 of the hit show America's Got Talent was far from easy. As he wows audiences with a captivating magic show, he shares his powerful personal story of overcoming unimaginable childhood tragedy. His story is proof that, no matter the circumstances, anyone is capable of working their way out of difficult situations to become their best self and make an impact in the world.
Topics Our Speakers Can Cover
Our roster of diverse speakers covers a wide range of inspiring topics, from building mental resilience to teamwork, change management, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. They draw upon their life experiences to create keynotes that are both relatable and authentic, educating and engaging their audiences. Here are just a few of the trending topics that our speakers can cover:
- Overcoming adversity: Our speakers use their own experiences to motivate and inspire audiences, showing that even the most challenging circumstances can be overcome.
- Mental resilience: Discussing the importance of seeking help, coping mechanisms, and stigma reduction, our speakers share their experience living with anxiety, PTSD, depression, etc. to inspire strength and stay motivated.
- Leadership and teamwork: Our speakers can discuss the importance of communication, collaboration, and mutual respect in achieving common goals, drawing upon their experiences of leading or working in a team and the lessons they learned along the way.
- Future of work: With the unpredictability of the past years and the need to prepare for the challenges of 2023, our speakers can help audiences adjust and pivot to remote working and virtual operations in a post-lockdown world.
- Personal development: Through sharing their personal experiences of growth and development, our speakers can emphasize the significance of self-reflection, self-care, and lifelong learning to their audience.
Sharing personal experiences, struggles, and triumphs allows speakers to convey authenticity and vulnerability that can deeply resonate with audiences. By leveraging the power of storytelling, speakers can create impactful dialogues with their audience that inspire personal growth, social change, and strengthen a sense of community.
Real Life Stories You Can Learn From
The speakers who incorporate personal anecdotes and relatable instances into their presentations, regardless of whether the audience has encountered similar situations, are the ones who achieve the greatest success. From world-class athletes and cancer survivors to leading futurists and CEO’s, our diverse roster of speakers will share their valuable insights to motivate and inspire any audience. Learning from speakers who inspire through their real-life stories can offer numerous benefits to any event. The authenticity of their experiences establishes a bond between the speaker and the audience, cultivating empathy and understanding. This connection, in turn, motivates the audience to take action, leading to positive change and personal growth. Moreover, hearing real-life stories can make complex topics more accessible and engaging, facilitating the audience's comprehension and retention of the information shared. By learning from speakers with real-life stories, audiences can foster empathy, inspire action, and promote personal growth. That’s why, inspirational speakers are the perfect fit for any event including annual meetings, sales conferences, or live broadcast events.
What to Expect When Booking with Leading Authorities
At LAI, our team of experts is dedicated to collaborating with our clients to create meaningful events for any occasion. With our diverse roster of speakers, we cover a wide range of topics, from business and leadership to personal growth and development, ensuring that we have a speaker for every need. We take pride in our personalized and customized approach to each client, tailoring our services to meet the specific needs and preferences of our clients, which sets us apart from our competitors. Our team handles every aspect of the event planning process, from speaker selection and booking to logistics and on-site management, making the process seamless and stress-free for our clients. We understand that organizing an event can be overwhelming, which is why we offer ongoing support and resources to ensure that our clients' events are successful and impactful. This includes post-event follow-up and feedback to ensure that our clients are satisfied with our services and that their events met or exceeded their expectations. When you choose LAI, regardless of the keynote speech your event desires, you can trust that we will work closely with you to create an exceptional event that your attendees will remember for years to come. In addition to booking speakers with LAI, we leverage our sister companies LAI Live and LAI Video for any event management, event production, marketing video campaigns, and documentaries.
Book an Expert Speaker and Hear Their Inspiring Stories
Book a Motivational Speaker with a Memorable Story
If you're looking to book one of our motivational speakers for your next event or simply want to learn more about our services, we encourage you to explore our website and browse our roster of exceptional speakers. Our team of experts is always available to answer any questions you may have and provide you with personalized recommendations based on your event's needs and objectives. Contact us today to get started on creating an unforgettable event that inspires and motivates your audience. For more information about these motivational speakers or to browse through our list of moving speakers with similar “unreal” true stories, visit our motivational speaker list page or explore our inspirational speaker list page.
Contact our team to find out more about unbelievable individuals, to check out their speaking fees and availability, or to book any of these speakers to speak at your next event or conference.
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