Free Speakers Chicago is a pro bono speakers bureau. Every presentation on this page is free to book, with no fees, no honorarium and no mileage. Browse the topics below and request a guest speaker for your next meeting, workshop or community event.
Synopsis: 65% of businesses fail because of three things - complexity, confusion, and chaos. To avoid failure, modern day success requires businesses to relinquish expired “best practices” and embrace modern marketing and sales frameworks while leveraging fundamentals to succeed. Breakdown: • The 3 Cs Causing Marketing Strategies to Fail & How to Avoid Them • Improve MarketingOps Using the D.A.R.T.
In this powerful keynote, Jason explores the reality of mental illness including, anxiety, depression and suicide while offering practical strategies for managing mental health. Deeply personal, honest and insightful, Jason shares his story of overcoming years of childhood trauma that led to decades of struggles with depression, anxiety and eventually teetering on the edge of suicide. Equal parts personal and
You don't have the team you thought you did? Neither did I for many years until I finally discovered the secret to forming the team I always dreamed of. I'll tell you what you need to do for you to get your dream team too.
Manufacturing leaders know the feeling: fix one problem and two more pop up. It’s exhausting, expensive, and strangely familiar. This talk explores why so many plants fall into “Whack a Mole Leadership,” where quick fixes replace real solutions and teams spend more time reacting than improving. Through relatable stories from the plant floor, John shows how small leadership habits can
Personal Branding is identifying your assets, characteristics, strengths, and skills as an individual. Understanding Personal Branding will provide advantages in your participant’s personal and professional lives. Branding is a mix of how you present yourself and how others see you. It is important to be aware of how you are viewed. During this lively and enlightening personal branding discussion, participants
Research consistently shows that the way we present ourselves influences confidence, credibility, hiring decisions, promotions, and earning potential. Drawing from years of experience helping thousands of professionals transform their wardrobes, Certified B Corporation CEO Sarene Alsharif explores the science behind first impressions and explains how intentional style can become a strategic business advantage. Participants leave with practical tools for building
Breaking the stigma surrounding men and their emotional well-being, Jason encourages open conversations about men’s mental health and self-worth. Society often teaches men to suppress their emotions, leading to silent struggles with mental health issues. In this extremely vulnerable keynote, Jason discusses how childhood trauma and an absent father led to years of internal struggles with masculinity, anger issues and
Black|Line's "Digital Disaster" presentation explains how many businesses are failing to create and maintain some of their most valuable assets, their digital ones. Mr. Jankovsky explores what "Digital Assets" are, why they are important to a business/organization and how to avoid becoming a "Digital Disaster". The presentation can be made to fit a 30-60 minute format and can be tailored
Are you a small business owner or professional that struggles with networking? Are you tired of attending networking events, and walking away empty handed? Are you starting to think that networking events are a complete waste of your time? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this presentation is for you! In this presentation, Master Certified Coach
Albert Einstein once said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Einstein believed you have to think about things differently and three rules, inspired by his work, provide us with the means do so. No one knows what will happen in the future. But, following these rules can get your business ready
Life is difficult. Our lives are constantly "under construction" and so are our goals and dreams both personally and professionally. What happens when life throws you a curveball you didn't expect? What do you do when it feels like all is lost and you want to give up? This session tackles the reality and fear of defeat. Focuses: • How
Every plant wants lower turnover and higher engagement, but most overlook the one thing that drives both: leadership consistency. When expectations change from manager to manager, employees feel unstable — and instability sends people looking for the exit. This talk dives into how leaders shape culture through everyday behaviors. John shares practical, real‑world examples of how aligned leadership creates trust,
Why Settle For Less, When You Can Be The Best? Many people settle for far less than they can have or achieve. Complacency becomes their biggest enemy, as disappointment becomes the norm. Knowledge is not power, APPLIED knowledge is power, and learning this application, can change the life out come. Financial advisor, author and inspirational speaker, Robb Hill has for
A culture by chance is the welcome mat which invites variation into a business, hurting performance and results. On the other hand, a culture guided by choice helps prevent variation that hurt results. Get insights on how to make sure your organization’s culture enhances your value proposition and the customer experience instead of eroding them. Including a close look at
*COVID-19 Update* I have conducted several online webinars and Zoom-based conferences for small groups and would be happy to do so for your organization as well. Most people know that they should have a will, but why? When should you have your first will drafted? What is the difference between a will and a trust? How do I make sure
If you thought the student loan bubble was only a Millennial problem, think again! The trillion dollar student loan bubble is bursting. This eye-opening program details the depth of this country’s student loan crisis, how it is spreading beyond the millennial generation, and why it is becoming your problem as well.
If you are looking to dramatically increase your sales, make more money with less effort, and build a sales system that produces predictable results, then this presentation is for you! In this presentation, Master Certified Business Coach Tom Kelly covers the 5 shifts that you need to make in how you approach your business so that you can attract what
Black|Line's Security Essentials presentation focuses on the most common computer security issues facing people and businesses today. The talk describes the 4 primary threat categories and a series of technologies and best practices to protect yourself. The presentation can be made to fit a 30-60 minute format.
Old ways don't open new doors. We hear two things consistently these days: everybody sells or everybody is in sales. Nobody wants be sold. The question we ask ourselves is how do these two things coexist? The traditional way of selling leaves your prospects wanting something different and you, wanting more prospects! In The Games Buyers & Prospects Play session,
If you're nearing retirement or already retired you need to understand how taxes (including the new 2018 changes) impact your retirement income, as it may be possible for you to pay less in taxes on your hard-earned dollars. Since each person's tax situation is unique, and the tax rules can change year to year, it can be challenging to get
Learn how to establish a system whereby your organization can systematically improve its funding via the estate plans of potential donors. Most nonprofits receive periodic and inconsistent donations via this revenue stream, but I will explain how to utilize planned giving programs to improve fundraising across the board, not only via bequests. A small investment of time and resources on
The way you tell the story of your business or organization is all that matters to your customer. Today, customers want to be more engaged with the companies in which they do business and organizations' they support. The story is the reason they buy or donate. It is what they will share with friends and family when asked about where
According to the Social Security Administration: 94% of the Baby-boomers are not prepared for retirement. The sad reality is that retirement is a financial position not an age. Far too many people think of retirement in terms of time however; that is only half of the equation. Retirement is time+money and so many people miss the second part “money”. There
Business owners, retail or service-based, all say the exact same thing. ‘We need more customers so we can earn more money.’ It’s tough out there for business owners in 2021. Jean Kuhn “has the backs” of business owners and delivers the hard facts, the truth and some laughs, on what it takes to become the leader in their industry and
It seems that lately, our inner resources are being taxed to our limits and it feels like relief is a long way away. In just a few minutes Dr. Sassetti will teach you simple, efficient stress reduction techniques. These techniques can be implemented immediately, practiced with minimal effort and give you much needed respite from the extraordinary stressors we are
The democratic party has seen a rise in candidates who declare themselves to be "democratic socialists". What does that label reallty mean? And what can we expect from those candidates? This presentation explains what labels such as "democratic socialist" and "social democracy" really mean, why these candidates are rising withing the democratic party, and what their rise means for the
What if the greatest danger isn't failing at the life you want—but becoming successful at a life you never truly wanted? This talk begins at the end: imagining ourselves looking backward and asking what we regret not saying, risking, loving, becoming, or pursuing. From there, we explore the hidden bargain so many of us make—trading authenticity for approval, possibility for
Right-wing populism is rising in many western nations, but here in the US it is beginning to actually threaten our democracy. This presentation points out why this is happening uniquely here in the US: Because the country is becoming a true multi-racial democracy, a transformation that no other country is undergoing. And the US constitution actually empowers the minority that
The fashion industry is one of the world's largest polluters—but the solution may already be hanging in your closet. In this engaging TEDx-inspired presentation, Certified B Corporation CEO Sarene Alsharif reveals how repairing, tailoring, and rethinking the clothes we already own can reduce waste, save money, support local jobs, and create a more sustainable future. Audiences leave with practical actions
Dr, Sassetti has created a curriculum of how to be at your best to do your best. By creating a healthy body along with a focused and resilient mind, anyone can position him/herself to perform at optimal levels, no matter what the endeavor. Any audience will learn the importance of the relationship between the body and mind and how a
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