Archive

Jean Sharon Abbott

Jean Sharon Abbott was misdiagnosed as a young child with Spastic Dipligia, a form of Cerebral Palsy. After 33 years of countless doctors visits, medical procedures, unnecessary medications and surgeries, she was correctly diagnosed with Dopa Responsive Dystonia (DRD). Jean enjoys all the adventures of her new life, but wouldn’t change the journey that brought her to where she is today. Her positive attitude is highly contagious as she encourages others to appreciate the little things in life.

Jean’s powerful story of perseverance no matter what life brings will have you laughing one minute and crying the next. Since she appeared on the Today Show, Good Housekeeping, Yahoo!, and the U.K.’s “Daily Mail”, an overwhelming number of people from around the world have contacted Jean to tell her how inspired they were by her journey from “wheels to heels”.

Joe Schmit

Joe Schmit is an award-winning broadcaster, community leader, author and popular keynote speaker. As a sports broadcaster he has covered every major sporting event in the past 4 decades and has interviewed many of the biggest names in sports. He joined KSTP-TV in 1985 and has won 18 Emmys from the National Television Academy. In 2020, Joe was awarded The Silver Circle designation by the Upper Midwest Chapter of the Emmys for extraordinary contributions to the broadcasting industry. He was also honored with a National Headliner Award in 2001.

Before joining KSTP-TV in 1985, he was Sports Director for WBAY-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His career also includes positions as weekend sports anchor for KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and WKBT-TV in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Joe earned his degree in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Joe is also an author of two books: “ Silent Impact ” and “ The Impact Blueprint.”

In 2019 Joe was also inducted into the Minnesota Speakers Hall of Fame and earned his CSP designation (Certified Speaking Professional) from the National Speakers Association. Less than 15 percent of NSA members worldwide have achieved the CSP designation.

Joe is a long time youth mentor committed to advocating for a number of community organizations with Big Brothers and Big Sisters is at the top of his list. He is a past president and board member of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Twin Cities. He has raised over $3 million for the organization through the Joe Schmit Celebrity Golf Tournament which had a 16-year run. In 2000, he was the winner of the Jim Kelly Distinguished Service Award from Big Brothers and Big Sisters and in 2001, a winner of the Odyssey Award for commitment to youth mentorship. He was also honored as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) Community Leader of the Year in 2005.

In 2018 Joe was honored with the Mike Givens Distinguished Service Award for The Mind over Matter Foundation. Joe and his wife Laura also chaired a $4.5 million dollar capital campaign for VEAP, the largest food shelf in Minnesota. He is past president and board member of the Fairway Foundation and has contributed time to many other charitable organizations.

Casey O’Brien

Casey O’Brien, a native of St Paul, Minnesota, is a five time cancer survivor and widely recognized motivational speaker. After being diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, an extremely rare form of bone cancer, at the age of 13, his main goal in life has become inspiring others. After having the cancer relapse in both of his lungs in high school, he made varsity football debut as a Placeholder. He checked into the hospital for chemotherapy the following morning. He later walked on to play football as a Placeholder for Coach PJ Fleck and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Casey played in his first career Big 10 football game at Rutgers on October 19th, 2019. His first play and moment shared with Coach Fleck were covered by ESPN, ABC World News, The Today Show, and more. He spoke in front of a national audience at the 2019 ESPN College Football Awards Show after receiving the Disney Spirit Award for the most inspiring story in all of college football. He was the keynote speaker in front of 2,000 people at the 2019 Big 10 Media Days in Chicago, and his speech has now been viewed over 100,000 times. He looks to spread his positivity, unbelievable resiliency, and motivation to succeed to every group he speaks to.

Bob Sansevere

Who is Bob Sansevere? This veteran journalist, author and media personality, in describing himself, notes that, “I’m charismatic, wildly entertaining and remarkably insightful, and if you’re even a fraction as impressed with me as I am with myself, you’re going to love what I have to offer.”

What Bob can offer, in a style all his own, is something completely different from the usual suspects of inspirational speakers. That’s because Bob’s life work in the media has been an amazing three-plus decade journey across an American landscape of winning, losing and everything in between, from high school heroes to the Super Bowl. And the lessons he’s learned along the way on this journey have something everyone can relate to. In fact, with Bob it’s all about the journey. When Bob steps up to microphone, he has one and only one goal – to take everyone in the room on a journey. His journey will take you to towns you never heard of and places you want to go, full of everyday people and national celebrities, some funny, some sad – but all sharing the same simple message: Embrace the Journey.

Bob’s colorful narrative and stinging wit bring industrial-strength commentary to the simple things in life that often mean the most. His larger-than-life on-stage presence turns up the energy level in any room. He is an animated choreography of insight, anecdotes and chuckles – all punctuated, when you least expect it, by an incisive heartfelt wisdom that delivers a one-two inspirational punch that people are sure to carry with them long after they’ve left the room. Bob’s a powerhouse monologist of the first order, and can deliver a funny and thought-provoking speech that can engage and enrich people in your group — and inspire them to tap into their “inner winner.” Whether it leads to a significant work-related accomplishment or a life-enhancing achievement, Bob’s words will encourage your group to Embrace the Journey. Bob is a sports columnist and hosts his own digital radio show, “The BS Show.” Bob spent more than 30 years as a member of the KQRS Morning Show, the highest-rated morning show in America for much of the past two decades. Bob also has been a contributor to several TV news and sports shows. He spent eight years as a member of the Orono City Council and serves on the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose school board. And, with his wife, Mary, was a foster parent for more than 15 years. Bob has written a book entitled, “The Best Minnesota Sports Arguments.” And calling on his background as a multiple national champion in the horse show world, Bob has designed with Jostens, an internationally known jewelry company, official championship rings and pendants for two horse registries.

Gaye Lindfors

Is your team struggling to find meaning in the daily grind? Gaye gets it. She sees life up close—with all its grand celebrations, everyday chaos, and those “you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me” moments. Not afraid to laugh at her own mishaps, she delivers practical business and life insights wrapped in hope and humor from her journey as a successful corporate and non-profit leader, business owner, and self-proclaimed “Chief Encourager.” She reminds you that both your work and your life truly matter.

Whether you’re leading a department, volunteering in your community, managing the home front, or showing up for colleagues, Gaye understands your desire to feel purposeful. With her engaging style and thoughtful wit, she helps you rediscover joy in your everyday responsibilities and recognize the ripple effect of your contributions. Audiences leave her presentations feeling genuinely refreshed—as if they’ve hit a mental reset button—with renewed energy and clarity about the meaningful difference they make every day.

Gaye’s experience comes from diverse leadership roles: leading a human resources team for 11,000 airline employees, serving as Special Assistant to a university president, and earning an M.A. in Industrial Relations. Her leadership extends to associations, non-profits, and professional women’s organizations. As past-president of the National Speakers Association/Minnesota chapter and former Midwest Regional Director for Christian Women in Media, Gaye brings perspective from both corporate and community settings. She has authored several books, including “This is Livin’!” and “Getting My Ducks in a Row and Other Stories of Faith.”

Bruce Christopher

Psychologist and humorist, Bruce Christopher, is America’s foremost “Enter-Trainer” today. He has earned this distinction because of his high-energy style and humorous presentation of his material. He is a licensed psychologist holding degrees in Professional Psychology and Interpersonal Communications from the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas. Bruce has Enter-Trained audiences internationally because of his humorous approach to today’s hot topics which impact our personal, professional and practice lives. He combines excellent content with loads of laughter and contagious comedy.

He has been honored to speak at the Exclusive Million Dollar Roundtable Con­ference (three times!), the Royal College of Surgeons in London, the Mayo Clinic, and on the largest stage in the world.

His clients include: American Airlines, American Express, Best Buy, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Boeing, General Electric, IBM, The IRS, Oracle, 3M, New York Life, State Farm, Texas Instruments, U.S. Navy, U.S. Postal, Wells Fargo and many others.

Bruce is a credentialed professional speaker and trainer, he is a member of the American Psychological Association, the National Speakers Association, and is a practicing clinical psychologist. He has earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation (CSP), which is the speaking profession’s highest merited international measure of professional platform competence. Less than 12 percent of speakers worldwide, currently hold this professional designation. He speaks over 100 times each year and is one of the most sought-after speakers in the Fortune 500 and at the most prestigious medical and dental conventions.

His mission is: “Laugh ’till you cry…Learn ’till you change!” “I was expecting a lecture, instead what I saw was more like a stand-up comedy show with great content!”

His best-selling keynotes consistently sell out to standing room only crowds at national conventions.

When you are faced with morale problems, communication conflicts, customer service issues, managing change, need for teamwork, or just a great time of laughter. . . this Psychologist is in!

Kat Perkins

Kat is a nationally recognized motivational speaker who can deliver her message to businesses, colleges, schools of all grade levels, corporate organizations, fundraisers, and leadership conferences of all types. Kat appeared on Season 6 of NBC’s The Voice and went all the way to the show’s finals on Team Adam Levine!

She can set the tone for people of all ages and each appearance comes with a musical performance!

By booking Kat’s Fearless campaign, you can expect an inspiring experience about finding your passion, taking leadership and working with others, developing a positive attitude, and working toward your dreams. In schools, she focused on how to stay strong against bullying, as well as finding your passions, dreams, and setting goals. Your audience will leave the event with a sense of confidence, some laughs, music, and a full heart!

Kristen Brown

Kristen Brown is The Energy Phoenix! She is a keynote speaker and bestselling author, a luminary who redefines the energy of leadership in the modern workplace.
Drawing from her transformative experiences as a young widow, combined with 15 years in corporate leadership, Kristen’s keynotes have revolutionized workplace dynamics for giants like Microsoft, General Mills, Target, and many more.

With a Master’s in Integral Theory and a suite of wellness certifications, she presents a holistic blueprint for achieving unparalleled work/life synergy, resilience, and results.

Kristen’s influence spans media from Forbes to “Live with Kelly” and as one of only 360 active Certified Speaking Professionals globally, Kristen promises a keynote experience grounded in fun, expertise, and energy.
With her, your attendees don’t just observe; they rise!

Tim Gabrielson

3 DECADES OF TRANSFORMING EVENTS INTO UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES

Tim Gabrielson, a celebrated Las Vegas headliner, brings an extraordinary mix of magic, comedy, and inspiration to every event. From entertaining at theme parks to headlining at Mandalay Bay, Tim has spent his career creating moments that leave audiences smiling, laughing, and inspired.

Now, as a keynote speaker, Tim doesn’t just entertain—he transforms mindsets. Blending humor, captivating magic, and actionable insights, his presentations spark resilience, collaboration, and lasting change.

Choosing Tim means more than booking a performer. It’s about creating an unforgettable experience that energizes your audience and leaves a powerful, positive impact.