Connecting People with People! We will help you find the perfect fit for your event - keynote & motivational speakers, entertainers, comedians, impersonators, emcees, athletes, celebrities, entertainers, musicians... for the same cost as going direct to the person! We have access to over 18,000+ people and can help connect you with the perfect fit for your organization's needs [and keep within your budget!] For more information on booking a speaker or our services, contact us at 913.648.6480 or email at fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

From the Jeff Hurt Blog: 'Three Conference Speaker Processes that Will Alarm You'

Jeff Hurt just posted a great blog, 'Three Conference Speaker Processes that Will Alarm You'--which brings up some great take aways regarding who makes the final decision when hiring a professional speaker for an event.
What's even more interesting is the finding in the linked The Speaker Report: The Use Of Professional And Industry Speakers In The Meetings Market... an indepth look at the speaking industry from how organizations get ideas for whom to hire to how many of those looking for a speaker use a speaker's bureau.

Interestingly enough:

'The size of the professional speaker budgets also appears correlated with the perceived value of speaker bureaus. Only 4.8 percent of organizations with professional speaker budgets of $5,000 to $20,000 find bureaus extremely valuable versus an impressive 34.4 percent of organizations with budgets over $100,000.'

Why not utilize a speaker bureau who can help negotiate costs and recommend speakers to get the most out of your event?





Futurist Jack Uldrich's Predictions for 2012

Jack Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, independent scholar, sought-after business speaker, and best selling author. His books include the best-selling, The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business, and the award-winning books, Into the Unknown: Leadership Lessons from Lewis & Clark’s Daring Westward Expedition.

He takes an interesting look as a futurist into what's in store for 2012 in his Predictions for 2012 on his Jump the Curve blog.

From Blackout Friday (facial recognition for retailers), free college classes for the unemployed, and politically charged apps, he thankfully doesn't predict the world will end.

The most interesting of the predictions are virtual grocery stores (which have already been seen in Asia) but will pop up in DC later this year and phone food sensors (developed by two Purdue students) which is an app that detects the type and level of chemicals used on fresh produce.

What's your prediction for 2012?

For more on Uldrich, or to inquire about his fees & availability, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

5 Free iPhone Apps for Counting Down Christmas

The man in the red suit will make an appearance in less than two weeks! Hopefully, you are crossing off your holiday shopping list.
Mashable gives the Top 5 Free iPhone Apps for Counting Down Christmas... 'The apps range from simple to photo-filled to pet-themed, and are perfect for kids excited about the big day.'

So fun!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Join Us January 13th for Breakfast With Roger Crawford

Please join us Friday, January 13th for a COMPLIMENTARY Accelerent/The Robert E. Miller Group Breakfast featuring: 
Roger Crawford, NCAA Division I Tennis Champion and Hall of Fame for People With Disabilities Honoree

Register Now!

Roger Crawford, NCAA Division I Tennis Champion and Hall of Fame for People With Disabilities Honoree will be the guest speaker. Roger has lived out the principles of perseverance, unshakable optimism, and overcoming adversity and eloquently communicates with audiences today. His remarkable life story is a powerful example that "Challenges are inevitable, defeat is optional!" Roger was born with partial arms and fingers.

WHEN:

TIME: 7:00 am - 10:00 am

WHERE: Ritz Charles . 9000 W. 137th Street . Overland Park


*Please note you are a guest of FIVE STAR.

RSVP by January 6th. You can RSVP by registering online or contact Vicki Landtiser at 816.308.4548 or vlandtiser@accelerent.com. If you have specific seating requests, please have those submitted to Vicki directly by January 6th as well. Please be our guest!


This breakfast is hosted by The Robert E. Miller Group.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Tom Flick Hallmark Testimonial

Tom Flick recently presented at the Hallmark Finance Leadership Forum--the event theme was "Call to Courage" and Tom was the closing speaker for the all-day event. Tom's speech was, 'far and away', and according to the folks at Hallmark, the favorite among attendees.

Tim Griffith, CFO of Hallmark Cards, had nothing but wonderful things to say about Tom's speech:

'His messages around leadership and playing to win encourage the kind of introspection that can change future results.  Without reservation, I would recommend Tom to other organizations who want to energize their talent and build stronger leaders.'

Congratulations, Tom on a job well done!

Tom has a new book in the works that we can't wait to read,  and Tom addresses over 100,000 men and women each year on high performance strategies for leadership, teamwork, change, and personal growth. His passion for raising more effective leaders is achieved by his unique gift to connect with the listener’s heart as well as their head. 

For more on Tom Flick, or to inquire about his fees & availability, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480
 

CNN Hero's: An All Star-Tribute

Did you happen to catch Anderson Cooper's 'Everyday People Changing the World' special last night?
CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute honored the Top 10 Heroes and reveal the 2011 Hero of the Year. This year's Top 10 Heroes include community crusaders from across the globe whose accomplishments range from serving pasta dinners to the poor children of their community to providing wheelchairs to people with disabilities in rural Mexico.

This year's honorees include:

  • Eddie Canales - supporting high school football players who've suffered spinal cord injuries
  • Taryn Davis - supporting a community of young military widows
  • Sal Dimiceli -helping people get back on their feet financially
  • Derreck Kayongo - collecting partially used hotel soaps to reprocess for communities in need
  • Diane Latiker - providing recreational activities for her troubled Chicago neighborhood
  • Robin Lim - helping women in Indonesia have a healthy pregnancy and birth
  • Patrice Millet - assisting the Haitian youth with his nonprofit soccer program
  • Bruno Serato - serving free pasta dinners to poor children
  • Richard St. Denis - providing hundreds of wheelchairs to people with disabilities in rural Mexico
  • Amy Stokes - connecting teenagers in South Africa with volunteer mentors

For more on these hero's and many more, go to CNN's hero page here.

Would you like to book a hero for your next speaking engagement? We can help! To inquire about fees & availability, go here:
fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

    Friday, December 9, 2011

    What's Worth Sharing with VML

    Check out this short film of  KC Ad agency VML sharing a little holiday magic with local kids at Kansas City's Union Station. If you think it's a message worth sharing, pass it on to others. For every new viewer, VML will donate $1 (up to $10,000) to Toys for Tots. Watch now at WhatsWorthSharing.com.
     
     five star speakers and trainers | fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

    Thursday, December 8, 2011

    9 Ways to Sabatoge Your Holiday Marketing Campaign

    Marketers traditionally try and hit audiences during the holiday season--but sometimes it's not always a good fit.

    To help keep marketers on track, Hubspot brings us 9 Ways to NOT Sabatoge Your Holiday Campaign.
    from not forgetting about New Year's Eve to using e-cards or cool apps.

    How does your campaign match up?

    fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

    Drs. Kevin and Jackie Freiberg: 'Nanovation'

    Drs Kevin and Jackie Freiberg bring us their latest book, 'Nanovation', a leaders “how to” on innovation and execution and how to lead in an era of uncertainty. It is now available in bookstores.

    With a new book comes their keynote: Leading Innovation in an Era of Uncertainty.  Create a
     culture where teams are hungry for change and inspired to find innovative ways to overcome
     challenges—from reducing costs, to improving quality, to collaborating with new stakeholders. You
     will get innovation strategies for collaborating, thinking creatively, turning liabilities into assets, and
     finding ideas beyond your industry.

    The Freiberg's are also bestselling authors of 'NUTS! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success'; it's sequel, 'GUTS!; BOOM! 7 Timeless choices for inspiring leadership and accountability'.

    For more on the Freiberg's, or to inquire about their fees & availability, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480


    .

    Tuesday, December 6, 2011

    Mashable: Top 10 Trending Topics on Twitter in 2011

    Mashable is the foremost authority IMO on everything social media, so of course they'd come up with
    a super snazzy infographic to give us the top trending Twitter topics of 2011.

    See it here: http://mashable.com/2011/12/06/top-twitter-trends-2011/

    While Justin Bieber-fever dominated Twitterland--the folks at What the Trend analyzed over 200,000 hashtags to compile an indepth look at what the world Tweeted about in 2011.

    The infographic includes everything from movies and TV shows to sports and news.

    What was your favorite Tweetrend?

    TED Speaks: Brene Brown, 'The Power of Vulneribility'

    Love this speech by Brene Brown, who studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In this very poignant and albeit hilarious speech at TEDxHouston, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A  talk to share.

    Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. She spent the first five years of her decade-long study focusing on shame and empathy, and is now using that work to explore a concept that she calls 'Wholeheartedness'.

    For more on Brene Brown, or to inquire about her fees & availability, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

    When Speaking to a Group, Are You in Control?

    Thought this was a great read by the Assessment Business Center blog--'Are You in Control When You Speak to a Group?'. I thought it warranted great tips for those who are both professional speakers and those who's professional speaking career was the toast they gave at their brothers wedding..and everyone in between.

    The article makes some great points--that you're never to good to ignore the fundamentals of good speaking, whether you've made 50 speeches for 50,000.

    Audiences these days are used to 'slick media' and are harsh critics when it comes to marginal presentations.

    What do you do to keep it fresh?

    Read more here: http://assessmentbusinesscenter.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/speaking-with-authority/

    Monday, December 5, 2011

    Dr. John Izzo: Stepping Up With His New Book

    Dr. John Izzo is a leading business leadership expert, a bestselling author, and a community leader. He consults and advises some of the most admired companies in the world, teaches at major universities, conducts leading edge research on workplace values, and has spoken to more than one million people across the globe from Brazil to Russia, from New York to London.

    His client organizations range from high tech to high touch, hotels to hospitals, and government agencies to entrepreneurial start-ups.

    Izzo’s latest book, 'Stepping Up: How Taking Responsibility Changes Everything' offers inspiration and practical advice on how ordinary people can step up and make a difference in work, family, community or the world. Filled with moving stories of how ordinary people accomplished extraordinary feats the book challenges each of us to step up and create change. He shows how leaders
    can create a workplace where people will choose to step up.

    For more on Dr. Izzo, or to inquire about his fees & availability, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

    Dr. Marshall Goldsmith Named Winner of the 2011 Thinkers50 Leadership Award

    Over the past decade, the prestigious, bi-annual Thinkers50 ranking (sponsored by the Harvard Business Review) has served the global business community by showcasing the top business thinkers on the planet.

    This week in London, internationally acclaimed executive educator, coach and author, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, was named winner of the 2011 Thinkers50 Leadership Award – as the World’s Most Influential Leadership Thinker.  Along with being recognized as the #1 Leadership Thinker, Marshall was ranked #7 on the list of the world’s Top 50 Business Thinkers.

    "Marshall Goldsmith is singularly persuasive, networked, and energetic. In the crowded leadership sphere, he is fixed on changing the practice of leaders for the better rather than the neatness of his theories," said Thinkers50 co-founder Stuart Crainer.

    Goldsmith, a world authority on helping successful leaders get even better, is the million-selling author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers 'MOJO' and 'What Got You Here Won’t Get You There' – winner of the Harold Longman Award for Business Book of the Year. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management (where he was recognized in 2010 as one of the school’s 100 distinguished graduates) and teaches executive education at Dartmouth’s Tuck School.

    For more on Marshall Goldsmith or to inquire about his fees & availability, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

    Thursday, December 1, 2011

    Tom Flick Has New Book in the Works

    We so enjoyed meeting Tom Flick at our showcase--he is an inspiration to all that he comes into contact with.

    Many have been anxiously awaiting for Flick to write a book, and the good news is that it is in the works and should be coming out in the Spring of 2012. He is also  co-authoring a book with John Kotter which will be a great follow up to his first release.

    Congrats Tom! The FIVE STAR team can't wait for your read!


    Flick is a former Rose Bowl Champion, Pac-10 Conference “Player of the Year” and successful NFL quarterback for seven seasons. Since 1989, he has delivered over 3000 presentations, to a who’s-who list of clients that includes Starbucks, Microsoft, American Express, Boeing, Ritz-Carlton, Shell Oil, Hallmark Cards, NASA and the US Army Rangers to name just a few.

    Personally, Tom addresses over 100,000 men and women each year on high performance strategies for leadership, teamwork, change, and personal growth. His passion for raising more effective leaders is achieved by his unique gift to connect with the listener’s heart as well as their head.

    His most highly requested topics are: 'At the Heart of Leadership' (Leadership, Vision, Sales, Communication) and 'Get to Your "Go" Side' (Change, Sales, Customer Service). 


    fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480