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Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World 2020

Thought Leader: Lisa Bodell
July 25, 2020
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Public speaking is the #1 fear in America. That’s why Real Leaders ranked the Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the world of men and women who inspire us to become better versions of ourselves.

Actively seeking focused, key messages from high-achieving men and women across the worlds of business, athletics and entertainment will give you and your associates the tools you need to create the competitive advantage you need to succeed.

I hope that you draw inspiration from the top 50 keynote speakers below and lead your team and associates better than ever before during these uncertain times. Here are some leaders who have stayed relentless in their commitment to making a difference (digitally and virtually for now) and have found themselves needed more than ever!

#50 – Amy Purdy 

At age 19, Amy Purdy’s life took a dramatic turn. She experienced flu-like symptoms and was rushed to hospital in a state of septic shock. She was given a 2% chance of survival. After multiple blood transfusions and the removal of her ruptured spleen, doctors diagnosed her with Meningococcal Meningitis, a vaccine-preventable bacterial infection. Due to a lack of circulation, doctors amputated her legs below the knee. Amy later received a donated kidney from her father a week before her 21st birthday.  After going through this traumatic life experience, Amy decided to continue to challenge and set goals for herself.  She has evolved into a powerful inspirational and motivational keynote speaker who has been seen by millions of people, and invited to share her story with audiences worldwide.

#49 – Nick Vujicic 

Nick Vujicic started life with a rare disadvantage — he was born without arms or legs. Nick has faced tremendous obstacles in his life, but he didn’t let that stop him from finding his purpose and allowing the world to seeing his light.  Millions of people have listened to Nick and found hope, purpose, and the strength to overcome challenges — through Nick’s inspirational speeches. Nick’s passion is to inspire and equip the world to rise above adversity and overcome every disability — in heart or mind.

#48 – Chester Elton

Chester Elton has spent two decades helping his clients engage with their employees, to execute strategy, vision, and values. He gives provocative, inspiring, and always-entertaining speeches. The #1 best-selling leadership author, provides real solutions to leaders looking to manage change, drive innovation, and lead multi-generational workforces. Chester’s work is supported by research from more than 1 million working adults — that has helped him reveal the secrets behind high-performance culture and teams. He has become a highly sought-after keynote speaker, delivering more than 60 speeches each year.

#47 – Sara Blakely 

Sara Blakely is a leading entrepreneur, keynote speaker and the creator of Spanx & ASSETS.  She started with $5,000 and a dream — to become a billionaire in the (then) male-dominated hosiery industry. She has quite a story to share with her audiences, from door-to-door salesperson to billionaire. Her success has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Forbes, E!, People, Vanity Fair, USA Today, and many more. She was also named Ernst & Young’s Southeast Regional Entrepreneur of the Year and has featured as a Real Leaders cover story. Sarah speaks on topics of business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and women in business to audiences far and wide.

#46 – Lisa Bodell 

Lisa Bodell is the founder and CEO of FutureThink, that enables organizations to kill complexity, create space for innovation, and fast-track work that matters. A globally recognized innovation leader and futurist, Lisa founded FutureThink in 2003 to provide a simple approach to the otherwise complicated subject of innovation. Working with leading companies such as Google, Merck, and P&G, FutureThink has become the largest source of simplification and innovation tools and training in the world.  She’s the best-selling author of Why Simple Wins: Escape the Complexity Trap and Get to Work That Matters; and Kill the Company: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution. Through her keynote speeches, Lisa inspires an audience with thought-provoking examples and techniques.

#45 – Gary John Bishop

Gary John Bishop is one of the leading personal development experts in the industry, with a global reputation that has impacted tens of thousands of people worldwide. Gary’s approach represents a new wave of personal empowerment and life mastery that has caused miraculous results in the quality and performance of people’s lives.

He is the author of Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life and Stop Doing That Sh*t: End Self-Sabotage and Demand Your Life Back. Gary is among the best speakers in the industry, as he inspires, informs, and lights up the room with his unique delivery. He has the unbelievable knack of shifting an audience of thousands to deliver an intimate, passionate, and magically life-changing experience for everyone.

#44 – Larry Winget

Larry Winget is the “pitbull of personal development” and a six-time best-selling author. Larry has spoken to nearly 400 of the Fortune 500 companies and is in the International Speaker Hall of Fame. He is one of the most recognizable speakers in the business today. With his speeches, Larry wants to adopt the “positive attitude” motivational speaking technique, but with added common sense. Larry will make you uncomfortable, but he will make you think. He brings you back to the basics in his no-nonsense approach.

#43 – Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday is an American author, marketer, and entrepreneur who writes about stoicism. Stoicism is the endurance of pain or hardship without displaying feeling, and without complaint. Stoicism teaches you to grind out whatever you may be going through — for the greater good.

Ryan wrote an article called, Here’s The Strategy Elite Athletes Follow To Perform At The Highest Level. The coaches mentioned in this article all said they trusted this process. One of the many key takeaways from the article, and what struck me most, was an excerpt from Nick Saban, the University of Alabama football coach. Saban said he tells his team to concentrate on what they can manage. All you have to do is proceed step-by-step; think about the task at hand, and nothing else. It doesn’t matter how difficult a situation is if you can just break it down into pieces. Ryan has spoken hundreds of times about the topics in his books, and in more than a dozen countries.

#42 – Inky Johnson 

Inky Johnson is an author and inspirational speaker who used to be a football player at the University of Tennessee. He was a top player until a routine tackle turned into a life-threatening injury, and ended his career. Through his speeches, Inky talks about loving the process. His mother gave birth to him at age 15, and he grew up in tremendous poverty. Inky only saw one way out, and that was by making it to the NFL. To help him realize that dream, he took consistent action each day. That meant doing drills when coaches and players had all gone home.

Inky understands that people quit on their dreams because they don’t have pride in what they’re doing. Because when you quit, you are selfish. With his vision, Inky realized that whatever you start, you must finish. Without that fluke accident, he would have gone on to become a premier NFL player. If you’re an athlete, it doesn’t matter where you come from, it matters how badly you want to succeed, and Inky is sure to get this message across in his keynote speeches.

#41 – Robyn Benincasa

Robyn Benincasa has created a life of extreme performance by competing and winning at the highest levels of sport and business. She is an award-winning keynote speaker, a 20+ year veteran San Diego firefighter, a World Champion Adventure Racer, a 2014 CNN Hero, a Guinness World Record Endurance Kayaker, a best-selling author, and founder of The Athena Project Foundation.

Robyn is known as an inspirational force for leadership, team building, and extreme performance. Her game-changing keynotes have led her to be the #1 female speaker at Meetings.net. Robyn has motivated many teams for Fortune 500 companies, including Starbucks, Walmart, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, Yahoo, Intel, and more.

#40 – John O’Leary 

At the age of nine, John O’Leary was involved in a fiery explosion that burned 100% of his body. Given that he was only given a 1% chance to live, John fought extraordinary odds. After spending five months in a hospital and dozens of surgeries, he lost all his fingers and had to learn how to write, walk, and feed himself again. Because he persevered through such a harrowing experience, he’s able to share his life lessons to audiences far and wide. He asks them to live their lives to the fullest, embrace each moment, and celebrate the joy of life. John also channels his life experience in his best-selling book, On Fire.

#39 – Brendon Burchard

After a near-death car accident, Brendon Burchard knew it was time to make some changes to his life. Today, he is considered one of the world’s leading high-performance coaches. He is also one of the most-watched, quoted and followed personal development trainers in history.  Brendon is the author of several best-selling books, including The Motivation Manifesto, The Charge, The Millionaire Messenger, Life’s Golden Ticket, and his most recent book, High-Performance Habits. He is a sought-after speaker, sharing the stage with many other top 50 keynote speakers in this list, including Sir Richard Branson (#25) and Tony Robbins (#1).

#38 – Drew Hanlen

Drew Hanlen is the world’s top NBA skills trainer. What many people don’t know is that he’s been working behind the scenes, influencing business owners and doing inspirational talks for many years.

Hanlen is an NBA Skills Coach & Consultant, Executive Coach, and CEO of Pure Sweat Basketball, a training firm with a growing list of NBA players such as Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls) & Kelly Oubre Jr (Phoenix Suns). His basketball hero, growing up, was Michael Jordan. He would record Bulls games, study every move Jordan made, and then hit the court and practice the same moves, which helped Hanlen develop his basketball IQ. Although his dream was to play in the NBA (which didn’t happen), he still has an impact on the league. Today, he carries the same tenacity and work ethic as a much-in-demand keynote speaker.

#37 – Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin is an influential and thought-provoking analyst of happiness and human nature. She started her career in law and was clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, when she realized that she wanted to be a writer. Since then, she has authored many books, including New York Times bestsellers, The Four Tendencies, and Better Than Before. Her book The Happiness Project has sold more than one million copies, been published in more than thirty languages, and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for more than two years, including at #1. Overall, her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.

As a keynote speaker and author, she draws from cutting-edge science, the wisdom of the ages, lessons from popular culture, and her own experiences to explore how people can make their lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative.

#36 – Darren Hardy

Darren Hardy is an author, keynote speaker, advisor, and former publisher of SUCCESS Magazine. The New York Times best-selling author wrote The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster, Living Your Best Year Ever, and The Compound Effect. Hardy has been a central business leader in the personal growth and success industry for more than 20 years. He led three successful television networks that produced more than 1,000 TV shows, that featured almost every influential thought leader of our time.

Hardy has been awarded the ‘Master of Influence’ designation by the National Speakers Association in honor of his professionalism in public speaking. He is also a highly sought-after keynote speaker and media contributor with a mission to positively influence Influencers. He wants to be a guide for those who choose to be the exception.

#35 – Shawn Achor

Shawn Achor is a leading researcher on happiness. His efforts earned him accolades on the cover of Harvard Business Review. His research and work on stress, in partnership with Yale University, were published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Achor and The Oprah Winfrey Network have created an in-depth two-part Happiness Course to help individuals impact their lives and the lives of those around them with the Happiness Advantage. Shawn’s, and his PBS special has been seen by millions. He has worked with over a third of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as the NFL, the NBA, the Pentagon, the White House, and has traveled to more than 50 countries to deliver his message. Arianna Huffington has dubbed Achor, “One of the world’s leading experts on human potential.”

#34 – Tom Bilyeu

Tom Bilyeu is best known as a cofounder of Quest Nutrition. It was the second-fastest-growing private company in North America on the Inc 500 for 2014. The company grew by 57,000% in its first three years and became a billion-dollar business within five years of launching.

He is a serial entrepreneur and thought leader who can deliver impactful keynote speeches or lead breakout sessions on business strategy, brand building, mindset, and leadership. Tom regularly inspires audiences of entrepreneurs, change-makers, and thought leaders at some of the most prestigious conferences and seminars around the world, including Abundance 360, A-fest, and Freedom Fast Lane. His deep passion for storytelling, combined with his insights from building a billion-dollar business, allows him to deliver persuasive speeches that routinely garner praise.

#33 – Steve Wozniak

Steve Wozniak is a co-founder of Apple Computers. A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for the past three decades, Steve helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products: the Apple I and II and influenced the popular Macintosh.

For his achievements at Apple Computers, Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology by the President of the United States in 1985, the highest honor that can be bestowed on an American innovator. After leaving Apple, Wozniak was involved in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students.

In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology. He subsequently founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation and was the founding sponsor of the Tech Museum, Silicon Valley Ballet and Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose. In 2006, Wozniak published his New York Times best-selling autobiography, iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon. He is a sought-after keynote speaker.

#32 – Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell is an author and keynote speaker who has written numerous books, including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and David and Goliath. He is also the host of the podcast Revisionist History. His sixth book is Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know.

Gladwell has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1996, and before that, he was a reporter at The Washington Post. His books and articles often deal with unexpected research implications in the social sciences and make frequent and extended use of academic work, particularly in the areas of sociology, psychology, and social psychology. He is a frequent lecturer and keynote speaker at locations throughout the United States.

#31 – Rachel Hollis

Rachel Hollis was the owner of Chic Events — a high-end event planning company in LA — for over a decade. She started a blog to promote that business, and eventually sold the company when clients wanted to hire her to speak about marketing their products and services.

After years of building Chic Media, she has morphed the business into The Hollis Company. The company gives people the tools to make positive and lasting change by promoting a personal growth mindset. Hollis is also a #1 New York Times Best-Selling author and top keynote speaker.

#30 – Simon Mainwaring

Simon Mainwaring is the founder and CEO of We First, a strategic consultancy that accelerates growth and impact for purpose-driven brands. He is a member of the Advisory Council of Conscious Capitalism LA, the Advisory Board of Sustainable Brands, The Forbes Business Council, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London.

Simon is a sought after international speaker with engagements including the Cannes International Advertising Festival, Royal Society of Arts, SXSW, TEDxSF, NAB, Promaxbda, Conscious Capitalism, Necker Island with Sir Richard Branson, Aspen Institute and Sustainable Brands.

He has delivered keynotes at Google, Coca-Cola, General Motors, VF, Samsung, VSP Global, Toyota, SAP, Gucci, JP Morgan Chase, Timberland, VW Group, the NHL, and Patagonia. He delivers inspiring insights with engaging humor.

#29 – Seth Godin

Seth Godin is the author of 19 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It’s Your Turn (And It’s Always Your Turn). He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, change, and leadership.

He is renowned for his writing and speaking, and also founded Squidoo and Yoyodyne. Seth recently broke new ground in the publishing industry by releasing a series of four books through Kickstarter. After three hours, the campaign reached its goal and ended up becoming the most successful book project ever done through crowdfunding.

In 2015, he created the altMBA, a life-changing 30-day workshop that was part of a portfolio of seminars and educational offerings that have been attended by more than 60,000 people. He also has five TED talks to his credit. Godin is in the Guerrilla Marketing Hall of Fame, the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame, and the Marketing Hall of Fame.

#28 – Daymond John

Daymond John is a pioneer in the fashion industry but perhaps just as well known as a Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank. He is also a multiple New York Times best-selling author, branding guru, and highly sought after motivational speaker. As a businessman, he first broke through by turning an original $40 budget into FUBU, a $6 billion fashion game-changer. In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed John a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship — to focus on promoting the power and importance of entrepreneurship on a global scale.

He created his brand consulting company, The Shark Group, to reveal the secrets that made FUBU a multi-billion-dollar global brand and reinvigorated the once defunct Coogi brand into one of the most significant fashion lines. He is a charismatic speaker who brings his quintessential rags-to-riches success story of sacrifice, hard work, and perseverance to audiences worldwide.

#27 – Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy has been a mainstay in the field of motivational speaking for decades.  Before founding Brian Tracy International, he was the COO of a $265 million development company. He enjoyed widespread success in sales and marketing, investments, real estate development and syndication, imports, distribution, and management consulting.

He has consulted to more than 1,000 companies and addressed more than 5 million people through more than 5,000 talks and seminars throughout the US, Canada, and 70 other countries. As a keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year. He is the author of more than 70 books that have been translated into dozens of languages. He has written and produced more than 300 audio and video learning programs, including the worldwide, best-selling Psychology of Achievement that has been translated into more than two dozen languages.

#26 – Robert Kiyosaki

Robert Kiyosaki is best known as the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, considered by many to be the #1 personal finance book of all time. His series of books has been translated into 51 languages and sold over 27 million copies worldwide.

He is also the creator of the Cashflow board and software games that help educate adults and children about business and financial concepts. As the founder of The Rich Dad Company and Rich Global LLC, Kiyosaki believes business needs both a spiritual and a business mission to succeed, especially at the beginning. He is an entrepreneur, educator, and investor who believes that each of us has the power to makes changes in our lives, take control of our financial future, and live the abundant life we deserve.

#25 – Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson owes his fortune of approximately $4 billion to a conglomerate of businesses bearing the “Virgin” brand name, including Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic.

He struggled in school and dropped out at age 16, which ultimately led to the creation of a mail-order record company — Virgin Records. He expanded this into a record label, by first signing Mike Oldfield, who recorded Tubular Bells in 1973. Branson then signed other groups to the label, including the Sex Pistols, Culture Club, the Rolling Stones, and Genesis, helping to make Virgin Music one of the top six record companies globally. He later sold the label for $1 billion in 1992.

His entrepreneurial projects started in the music industry and expanded into other sectors, including Virgin Atlantic airlines and the space-tourism venture, Virgin Galactic. In 2010, he moved forward with his upstart Virgin Hotels and in 2018, Virgin announced its presence in Las Vegas by taking over ownership of the Hard Rock Hotel. Branson is also known for his adventurous spirit and sporting achievements, including ocean crossings in a hot air balloon.

#24 – Tim Grover

Tim Grover is the CEO of ATTACK Athletics, Inc. He is well known for his work with elite champions and Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and hundreds of other NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympic athletes.

Grover is recognized as the preeminent authority on the science and art of physical and mental dominance and achieving excellence. He is the author of the national bestseller RELENTLESS: From Good to Great to Unstoppable and creator of digital training platform The Relentless System. A featured columnist at SI.com and Yahoo.com, he also regularly appears on ESPN, Fox Sports, and other media outlets. Tim delivers keynote speaker addresses and is a consultant to business leaders, athletes, and elite achievers — any area that offers tips on how to become better at anything you do. He teaches the principles of relentless drive, results-driven performance, and mental toughness.

#23 – Ben Newman

Ben Newman is known as a powerhouse storyteller; He can be found in Top Fortune 500 boardrooms, on stages around the world, and with some of the world’s elite sports teams.

He was featured in 2018 on ESPN’s Rolling with the Tide for his work with the Alabama Football team and is a speaker and performance coach for Microsoft, AB InBev, Kansas State Football, Miami Dolphins, and Northwestern Mutual, Mass Mutual and many other elite companies around the globe. He has published several books on mental toughness, professional success, and how to drive positive changes. Newman is also considered one of the top mental toughness experts. You will also find him speaking and giving back to the military. If you are looking to connect to purpose and drive accountability in your organization, Ben will deliver.

Jocko Willink is a retired U.S. Navy Seal co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win, and host of the top-rated Jocko Podcast.

He is also the cofounder of Echelon Front, where he serves as chief executive officer, leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor. Jocko served for 20 years in SEAL teams. After returning from tours in Iraq, he was named officer-in-charge of training for all West Coast SEAL teams. In this role, he spearheaded the development of leadership training and personally instructed and mentored the next generation of SEAL leaders who have continued to perform with great success on the battlefield. Jocko is the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and numerous other personal and unit awards.

He has authored the Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual, a New York Times Bestseller, and the best-selling children’s books: The Way of the Warrior Kid, and The Way of the Warrior Kid: Marc’s Mission.

#21 – Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis is recognized as one of the most dominant defensive players in the history of the National Football League.

He led the Baltimore Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XXXV, where he was named Super Bowl MVP, and again in Super Bowl XLVII. In 2000, he became the second player in NFL history to win both the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP awards in the same year. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2018. He has drawn from these experiences over a 17-year career, along with valuable lessons from his personal life to bring a unique brand of motivation and inspiration to some of the world’s biggest companies.

#20 – Chris Gardner

Chris Gardner is the CEO of Happyness. His first book, The Pursuit of Happyness, became a New York Times and Washington Post #1 bestseller that has been translated into more than 40 languages.

That book was the basis for a film starring Will Smith, who earned a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Academy Award nomination for his performance. As a motivational speaker, Gardner shares some of the steps that he took, and obstacles he needed to overcame, to get from where he was to create the life that he wanted to live.

He introduces audiences to the concept of Spiritual Genetics, the part of each human being beyond the scope, reach or understanding of science, medicine, or technology. Chris also details the importance of the “Ps” in our lives — Promises, Passion and having a Plan. Also, the C-5 Complex — Clear, Concise, Compelling, Consistent and Committed to the plan.

#19 – Marcus Luttrell

Marcus Luttrell is a former Navy SEAL who first came into the public spotlight in 2014 after the movie Lone Survivor was released. Starring Mark Wahlberg as Luttrell, the movie details how SEAL Team 10 was assigned to a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah, a high-ranking Taliban leader responsible for killings in eastern Afghanistan and the Hindu-Kush mountains. He was the only survivor of that mission and was awarded the Navy Cross by President George W. Bush in 2007.

In 2010, Luttrell established the Lone Survivor Foundation with a mission to “restore, empower, and renew hope for our wounded warriors and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support.” The Lone Survivor Foundation has partnered with The Boot Campaign to show appreciation of America’s active-duty military and raise awareness of the challenges they face when returning home.

#18 – Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey has enjoyed unparalleled success in almost every venture she has undertaken. She is a billionaire media mogul who is best known for hosting her talk show from 1986 to 2011, launching her TV network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

Winfrey made her acting debut in 1985 as “Sofia” in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple, for which she received both an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination. Through her company’s film division, Harpo Films, Oprah has produced movies based on classic and contemporary literature.

In 2002, Oprah Winfrey was named the first recipient of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. Through her private charity, The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, she has awarded hundreds of grants to organizations that support the education and empowerment of women, children, and families in the United States and around the world. Her commitment to children also led her to initiate the National Child Protection Act in 1991, when she testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to establish a national database of convicted child abusers. As a result of her efforts, President Clinton signed the national “Oprah Bill” into law in 1993.

#17 – Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra is a prolific author who founded the Chopra Center for Well Being in Carlsbad, California, in 1995. He remains a prominent figure in the New Age Movement. He began his career as a doctor, but after becoming disenchanted with Western medicine, he turned to alternative medicine. Chopra’s 1993 release Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, turned him into a fully-fledged celebrity, selling more than a million hardcover copies.

In June 1999, Time magazine dubbed Chopra “the poet-prophet of alternative medicine” and called him one of the top 100 heroes of the century. He regularly brought his message to the Oprah Winfrey Show.

#16 – John Maxwell

John Maxwell has written more than 100 books on motivation, leadership, and personal development over the past 40 years. He helps others tap into their hidden potential by teaching and refining what everyone needs to master around personal growth — to become the people we really want to become.

The John Maxwell Company compels corporate leaders and consumers to inspire, challenge, and equip organizations to live out leadership and reach their full potential. He is also the leader of The John Maxwell Team, an organization of more than 13,000 trained and certified John Maxwell Coaches, that empower coaches, trainers, speakers, and professionals seeking to add value to others and become top leaders — in businesses and in within their communities. EQUIP is Maxwell’s non-profit organization that trains and mobilizes Christian leaders to impact families, organizations, communities, and nations worldwide. The team’s work has inspired six million leaders in 196 countries and changed hundreds of thousands of lives through his teachings.

#15 – Ed Mylett

Ed Mylett was a standout Division I baseball player and had hoped to play Major League Baseball one day, but a significant injury dealt a final blow to his athletic aspirations.

Instead, he turned his drive and determination to the business world, where he quickly climbed the ladder at WFG. Forbes has listed him as a Top 50 Under 50 with a net worth of more than $400 million. A highly sought after speaker, Mylett spreads his messages of living an epic life through his podcast #MaxOut With Ed Mylett, and he has recently published his first book, #MaxOut Your Life: Strategies for Becoming an Elite Performer.

Mylett also proudly supports charitable and community initiatives such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, the All for One foundation, and the National Leadership Foundation.

#14 – Andy Frisella

Andy Frisella is the CEO of one of the world’s leading nutritional supplement companies — 1st Phorm International, in St. Louis, MO. He also founded, and manages, five other businesses that collectively generate $200 million in annual revenue.

He hosts The Real AF podcast and previously The MFCEO Project, a business/success oriented podcast that was ranked #1 Business/Entrepreneurship/Personal Development podcast on the planet for four years straight. He is one of the highest-paid keynote speakers in the world. He has been recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on customer retention and loyalty, company culture, and the marketing techniques that it takes to build both brick-and-mortar and online direct-to-consumer retail businesses from the ground up.

Andy has written a best-selling series of children’s books that promote entrepreneurial values and the success mindset. He was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 and been featured in Forbes, INC, and Entrepreneur Magazine.

#13 – Les Brown

Les Brown has been a mainstay in the world of renowned motivational speakers for many years.  He is a highly-sought-after resource in business and professional circles for Fortune 500 CEOs, small business owners, non-profit, community leaders, and all sectors of society looking to expand their opportunities.

He is a leading speaker on achievement, and has delivered his messages to audiences as large as 80,000 people, energizing them to meet the challenges of the world around them. Brown received the National Speakers Association coveted Council of Peers Award of Excellence (CPAE), and its most prestigious Golden Gavel Award for achievement and leadership in communication. Toastmasters International also voted him one of the Top Five Outstanding Speakers Worldwide.

#12 – Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is a popular thought-leader, best known for popularizing the concept of WHY in his first TED Talk in 2009. It became the third most-watched talk on TED.com, with over 40 million views, and subtitled in 47 languages.

His 2016 interview on Millennials in the workplace garnered more than 200 million views in the first month. It led to Simon becoming YouTube’s fifth most searched term in 2017. Sinek is the author of several bestselling books including Start With Why (global bestseller), Leaders Eat Last (New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller), Together is Better (New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller) and Find Your Why and his latest book, The Infinite Game.

In addition to working with several Fortune 500 companies, he has shared his ideas at the United Nations, the United States Congress, and with senior leaders of the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard. Sinek is also an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, one of the most highly-regarded global think tanks.

#11 – Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan has been a stand-up comedian for more than 20 years and is the host of The Joe Rogan Experience, a long-form conversation podcast with guests, which has become one of the most popular shows on iTunes.

Rogan is also known for his colorful commentary for the Ultimate Fighting Championships on Pay Per View, Spike TV, and Fox. As a teenager, he earned his black belt and, at one point, held the Massachusetts full contact Tae Kwon Do championship for four consecutive years. He later won the US Open Tae Kwon Do Championship, and as lightweight champion went on to beat both the middle and heavyweight title-holders to win the Grand Championship. As an actor, he has several movie credits and was the host of the reality TV series Fear Factor for six seasons. He still performs stand-up routines and does a variety of guest speaking opportunities.

#10 – Jon Gordon

Jon Gordon is a bestselling author and keynote speaker whose work about positive leadership has inspired audiences worldwide. He is the author of 17 bestselling books, including The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First, and The Power of Positive Leadership. Gordon has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, FOX and Friends, and many newspapers and magazines.

As a highly sought-after motivational speaker, Gordon’s talks have challenged and influenced leaders in a dynamic range of industries and professions. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, Bayer, West Point Academy, and many others.

#9 – Jay Shetty

After serving as a monk for three years, Jay Shetty had one mission: to make wisdom go viral. By sharing his mindfulness-based stories with the world, he emerged as an award-winning speaker, host, author, and filmmaker. For Jay, mindfulness isn’t just a tool, but a way of life.

His videos on YouTube have had more than seven billion views and he’s followed by over 26 million fans on Facebook alone. He was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Class of 2017 for being a game changer and influencer in the media world. His podcast On Purpose ranks among the highest in the health category and explores the topics of work, love, self, and service. He makes ancient wisdom relevant through modern science, combining experiences from living as a monk in India, business school, and working as a digital strategist to formulate practical and accessible leadership techniques.

#8 – David Goggins

David Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL and is the only member of the U.S. Armed Forces to complete SEAL training (including two Hell Weeks), the US Army Ranger School (where he graduated as Enlisted Honor Man), and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training. He is the best-selling author of the book, Can’t Hurt Me.

He has completed more than 60 ultra-marathons, triathlons, and ultra-triathlons, setting new course records and regularly placing in the top five. He once held the Guinness World Record for pull-ups — completing 4,030 in 17 hours. He’s an in-demand public speaker who delivers impactful messages of personal accountability and how to go beyond motivation to achieve your personal best. Goggins has shared his story with hundreds of thousands of students across the country, numerous professional sports teams, and several Fortune 500 companies. He is also a member of the Patriot Tour, sharing the stage with Marcus Luttrell, Taya Kyle, and other retired special operators.

#7 – Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a global celebrity who first came to public attention as a champion bodybuilder. He later expanded his accomplishments to become a major Hollywood action hero, a successful businessman, environmentalist, bestselling author, and the 38th governor of California.

At age 20, he became the youngest person to win the Mr. Universe title, eventually winning five Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles. His acting credits include some of the biggest box office films ever. He broke through with Conan the Barbarian and solidified his position as an actor with James Cameron’s Terminator.  

To date, his films have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide. He became California’s governor in 2003 and had many notable accomplishments during his tenure, including the passing of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and the Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010, among many others. Schwarzenegger has received numerous awards, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s “National Leadership Award” and the American Council On Renewable Energy’s “Renewable Energy Leader of the Decade.” Since leaving office, Schwarzenegger co-founded the R20 Regions of Climate Action and is active in several philanthropic ventures.

#6 – Brené Brown

Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. Brené is also a visiting professor in management at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.

She has spent the past two decades years extensively studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and Dare to Lead. Brené hosts the Unlocking Us podcast, and her TED talk – The Power of Vulnerability – is one of the top five most viewed TED talks in the world with over 45 million views. She is also the first researcher to have a filmed lecture on Netflix. The Call to Courage special debuted on the streaming service on April 19, 2019.

#5 – Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson is better known as The Rock, a persona he developed during the heyday of his WWE professional wrestling career. He moved to wrestling after a successful college football career was cut short by injury.

Since then, The Rock has become a highly successful actor and producer, appearing in several projects, including 2001’s The Mummy Returns and 2010’s Tooth Fairy. More recent credits include the HBO series Ballers (2015) and three 2017 features, The Fate of the Furious, Baywatch, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. He is consistently ranked among the world’s highest-paid actors. Johnson made the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World list in both 2016 and 2019. In 2006, he founded the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation, a charity working with at-risk and terminally ill children. Among many other charitable activities, he has also worked with Make-A-Wish Foundation on several occasions.

#4 – Robin Sharma

Robin Sharma is one of the world’s premier speakers on leadership and personal mastery. For nearly 20 years, Sharma has provided insights to world-class companies such as Nike, GE, Microsoft, FedEx, PwC, HP, and Oracle to NASA, Yale University, and YPO. His books, including The Leader Who Had No Title, have topped bestseller lists internationally and his social media posts reach more than 600 million people a year, Sharma has been ranked as one of the Top 5 Leadership Experts in the world in an independent survey of over 22,000 business people.

#3 – Gary Vaynerchuck

Gary Vaynerchuk is the chairman of VaynerX, a media and communications holding company, and VaynerMedia, a full-service advertising agency that services many Fortune 100 clients. A highly sought-after public speaker, Vaynerchuck is also a five-time New York Times bestselling author. He also is an angel investor who made early investments in well-known companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, and Venmo. Vaynerchuck established Wine Library in the late 1990s, transitioning his father’s liquor business into one of the first e-commerce platforms for alcohol, growing it from $3 million to $60 million in sales during that time. Today, he has parlayed several successful ventures into a combined 12 million-plus following across his social media channels.

#2 – Eric Thomas

Dr. Eric Thomas is a motivational speaker and minister who heads ETA, an education consulting, executive coaching, and athletic development firm. He specializes in giving motivational talks to college and professional athletes. LeBron James credited Thomas as part of his inspiration for winning the 2012 NBA championship.

He is a regular commentator on ESPN and Fox News and has done voice-over work for Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Many of his sermons and motivational speeches are on YouTube, where they have found a large following. Thomas has also published three books: The Secret to Success (2012), Greatness Is Upon You: Laying the Foundation (2014) and Average Skill Phenomenal Will (2016)

#1 – Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins is perhaps the most well-known leadership speaker in the world. For the past 40 years, he has been an entrepreneur, #1 New York Times bestselling author, philanthropist, and life/business strategist. He is the author of six internationally bestselling books and delivered his messages of empowerment to more than 50 million people from 100 countries through audio, video, and life training programs. More than four million people have attended his live seminars. Robbins is also the chairman of a holding company with over 50 privately held businesses.

His non-profit foundation has awarded more than 2,000 grants and other resources to health and human services organizations. As part of his ongoing mission to end hunger, Robbins’ 1 Billion Meals Challenge with Feeding America has helped provide over 425 million meals in the last four years to those in need and is on track to provide 1 billion meals by 2025.

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