Ross Shafer
Emmy-winning comedian, writer, and TV Host
Ross Shafer is a 6-time Emmy award-winning comedian, writer, and TV host. In 1994, Ross began studying the cultural influences that cause some organizations to experience wild success – while others suffer embarrassing failures. Human nature and the human condition have always been fascinating to Ross, and as a result, he specializes in the study of customer urgency and empathy, personal motivation, leadership, and business relevance. Ross is also the author of nine business books, his most recent being Behave Like a Start-Up and Success: It’s On You. Ross is a National Speaker Association Hall of Fame recipient and has spoken at over 2,500 events worldwide. Unconventional and engaging, Ross can educate and motivate employees from all job types and levels.
How to Stay Relevant
This is a fun, motivational, and insightful opening or closing keynote.
Ross Shafer says, “Best practices are a moving target. Relevant leaders are able to sustain growth because they can evolve and adapt more quickly than their competition.” If you are an organization that is dedicated
to ‘making your mark’’on your industry, then developing a culture of ongoing relevance will insure your future.
Staying relevant is different from being current. Being current is awareness. Relevance is taking action to make sure you matter to your customers, your clients, your members, and your teams. If you don’t matter to your constituents, they can go away and not care if you exist. Ross says, “Our team examines (18)
different industries and we cross-pollinate trends, buying habits, and cool, disruptive practices for the
purpose of enlightening organizations to the possibilities of extreme relevance.”
Which Industries Do We Study? Financial Services, Healthcare, Technology & Software, Hospitality,
Insurance, Restaurants, Automotive, Building and Construction, Energy, Manufacturing, Retail, Trade
Associations, Agriculture, Food Processing, Fitness, Supply Chain Management, Franchise, and Direct Selling. Learning effective tactics (from outside of your industry) will ignite fresh ideas within your own
organization.
What Are Your Company’s Challenges? Recent merger or acquisition? Change in leadership structure?
Technology or industry shifts that are causing shock waves? Are your attendees slow to adjust to change? Ross is able to absorb your initiatives and dovetail them into his remarks. In fact, Ross’s engaging style is
such that attendees often come up to him and say, “How long have you worked here?”
Behave Like a Start-up: The Cure for Creeping Complacency
Has your company felt complacency creeping in? When your company first launched, did you shake the world with something new and groundbreaking? Were you the unlikely underdog that unseated the
industry leaders? Over time, have you had so much success that you’ve slowly lost your hunger? Do you find you aren’t as reactive as you once were? Maybe you are celebrating yesterday’s profits while your competitors are turning up the heat. Ross Shafer can reinvigorate your organization by sharing case studies of legacy companies who were determined to get their youthful groove back.
What can we learn from start ups? In the beginning, start ups have very little to lose because they aren’t
risking long-term relationships. Marketing and staff budgets are skinny so they have to do a lot…with a little. They don’t have the time or the resources to make things perfect so they frequently launch in Beta
Mode and they make on-the-fly adjustments to lock in new business. Start ups react with extreme urgency and an eagerness to please. They are also less intimidated by larger companies and will do ‘the
unconventional’ to go after your market share. Ross believes legacy companies can reinvigorate their
organizations by being nimble, urgent, flexible, reasonably open to risk, and eager to change tactics when
market conditions shift.
Create the start up buzz again. Startups create an industry “buzz” because they are fearless in their pursuit of credibility and unique offerings. They disrupt the market and all heads turn. In a high velocity
recommendation economy, “buzz” is important to your clients and customers. Your clients/customers/
members want to know they are partnering with an entity that will get them to the future first. Ross
describes what your organization (and teams) must do to compete against the startups that are huddling in the corner secretly plotting to steal your market share.
Ross’s experience is your asset. Ross is America’s only Speaker/Business Consultant who has won multiple
Emmys® for his work. Benefit from Ross’s experience with over 2,500 clients.
Success: It’s On You
Ross Shafer says, “We all want success in our careers and business…but too often we look for
encouragement and validation from other people.” Ross will inspire you to take charge of your own destiny when nobody is around to guide you. Ross reminds you that nobody cares more about advancing your career than you do so, you must become the leading expert on…you.
No blame. No excuses. Focus on excellence. Regardless of your personal trials or professional obstacles, assigning blame or making excuses will not improve your situation. Instead of complaining, refocus your
energies on increasing the excellence of your performance. Excellence will bring you respect and job security. Excellence is the fast track to a fulfilling life.
Regardless of your profession, becoming extraordinary defines ‘who you are’ much more than ‘what you
do.’ Excellence attracts connections and influence. Excellence increases confidence and achievement to the
point that others will offer you incredible opportunities. You just have to manage your fears and reprogram your mind to ignore your self-imposed limitations. Ross will leave you with an entirely new vision of your
capacity to succeed.
Ross Shafer: The Ultimate Emcee
Emcee: Ross hosts a select number of multi-day events for his high-end clients each year. Because Ross is a trained talk and game show host, he is the perfect choice for moderating your executive panel discussions and complex award banquets. Ross will keep the programs lively and on task; drawing on his vast experience and lightening wit to navigate (and rescue) even the most unpredictable situations.
Talk Show: Ross is adept at handling back-to-back breakout sessions that may feature a myriad of presenters. He has hosted such luminaries as President George Herbert Walker Bush, Jack Welch, Colin
Powell, Bob Dole, James Carville, Tom Peters, Marcus Buckingham, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to name
a few. Since many high profile presenters are more comfortable being interviewed by a “pro,” Ross is able to show the utmost respect from the opening introduction throughout the Q & A – yet he doesn’t shy away from the probing questions your people want answered.
Game Show: Finally, Ross is a popular favorite for hosting custom game shows. Not only do these formats
lend themselves to imparting important training information about your company (in a fun way), they also
encourage participation of the entire audience. Ask us how Ross and his game partners at (Game Show America) can create a custom “TV” show for you.
