Be Happy First: Resilience and Breakthrough Performance In Times Of Change

After Neil Pasricha’s wife left him and his best friend suddenly took his own life, he crash-landed in an empty downtown bachelor apartment. Just twelve months later, he was working directly for the CEO at Walmart, running the International Academy of Digital Arts and Science’s “Best Blog in the world”, and had just published The Book of Awesome which stormed the New York Times bestseller list and sold over a million copies. The lesson was clear: resilience, change, and growth can come from times of challenge. This inspiring talk is for anybody looking for simple practical ways to lift performance to new heights. In Neil’s case, he realized before life could change, he had to change. Leadership ultimately comes from within. When company execs would ask him “How did you get so happy?” he’d share the secret is to “Be happy first” and let the mindset you cultivate ultimately enable your success. Neil’s presentation leaves audiences with five clear tools they can use to achieve their biggest goals. (Past clients include: Uber (marketing), Momenta (bioscience execs), University of Texas (students and faculty).

Building Trust in Distrustful Times: 3 Ways to Increase Trust With Customers

According to the Edelman Trust Barometer trust in media, business, and government are at an all-time low. We have never believed less, agreed less, or trusted less. Yet, building trust, and developing the community that surrounds it remains imperative for any organization, influencer, startup or brand. So what are the new ways to build trust and community in an era of mistrust? Highlighting current business examples, learn about what works, what doesn’t, and how to figure out who to really believe and rally behind. With his signature humor, New York Times bestselling author Neil Pasricha, shares three modern ways organizations can build more trust:

• Finite Over Infinite: In an era of infinite choice, the value of curation skyrockets
• Human Over Algorithm: In an era of bots, we trust brains
• Go All In, Show All In: The more chips you push into the middle, the more we buy your hand

Lead Yourself First, Before You Lead Others

Which company is #1 on the Fortune 500 today and has been for more than a decade? Walmart. The retail behemoth’s rise to half a trillion dollars in sales with over two million employees spread across the globe has been well-documented. But what hasn’t been documented is how they develop, nurture, and grow leaders up through those ranks. Neil Pasricha served as Director of Leadership Development inside Walmart for the past ten years – working directly for two CEOs and partnering with Harvard Business School to develop the first global executive program inside the retail giant. Join him as he shares a window into what his research and work reveal about what truly makes leaders tick and walk away with clear takeaways on how they can drive you and your teams. How do you lead a team of two, two hundred thousand, or even two million people? It starts with yourself. Let Neil show you how.

The Subtle Art of Happiness

Why can so few people at work genuinely say, “I love my job”? Gallup reports 87% of the global workforce is disengaged. But what if there were subtle, secret weapons that could turn employees into their most powerful, engaged, and productive selves? It’s not crazy talk. It’s actually happening. Using his unique blend of counter-intuitive research and sidesplitting stories, Neil illuminates a clear path forward into workplaces where people show up inspired, do great work, and leave with full minds and full hearts. Raw, hilarious, and heartwarming, this is the perfect keynote to kick off or close your conference with the ultimate high. Past clients include: Audi (national dealer teams), AstraZeneca (sales agents), and TD Bank (top global leaders).

The Science of Positive Growth Mindset

Does great work lead to happiness? Or… does happiness lead to great work? Neil Pasricha shares counterintuitive research-based answers in this fun, fast-paced, research-grounded tour of the emerging neuroscience and positive psychology landscape. He challenges your audience by asking: “Would you press a button and have 31% higher productivity, 37% higher sales, and 300% greater creativity on Monday morning?” When heads start nodding, he shows how to get there. Based on fresh research Pasricha published in Harvard Business Review together with the latest in neuroscience and positive psychology, this speech is not true motivation – it’s application. Perfect for left-brained, analytical, or even skeptical audiences. Past clients include: Google (engineers), Kaiser Permanente (physicians), Citigroup (investment bankers).