Speaker Bio
Gair Maxwell didn’t follow a safe or conventional path to get where he is today… not since the day he was fired from a two-decade career, with the news plastered on the front page of his hometown paper. Few back then, would have bet a plug nickel that he would rise from the ashes of the unemployment line and become an internationally-recognized author, speaker and entrepreneur. His story is one of going from flat broke to flat out successful; earning national awards from high level CEO organizations and sharing conference stages with business superstars such as Richard Branson and Gene Simmons.
If nothing else, Gair has the hard-earned cred from investing 10,000+ hours learning how to reinvent, recreate and blaze trails of one’s own making.
Described as a shock stick of energy, this self-made, self-starting outlier, discovered tried-and-true methods to forge a new destiny; inspiring thousands of people and companies to build the business, life or brand they deserve. Combining fanatical levels of research, multi-media demonstrations, hustle, heart and in-the-trenches experience (with a twist of humour!), Gair has shown multitudes of individuals and organizations how to dream bigger, eliminate needless drama, build brands that stick and turn wishful thinking into concrete action and results.
Beginning in 2006 when Gair’s counter-intuitive theories on “Branding With Distinction”™ were first applied, some independent business owners were astounded to see their enterprises grow more than 10-fold over a 5-year period. Some of those theories were sprinkled through his critically acclaimed book, Nuts, Bolts And A Few Loose Screws, which first appeared on book shelves in 2010. A former broadcaster, Gair racked up more than 10,000 interviews and 30,000 broadcasts in a two-decade radio and television career. The son of a former pro golfer, Gair struggles to break 90, grooves on ’80s classic rock and became a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers back in the ’70s. A serial fitness buff, he also completed his first marathon in 2005 with less than a week of preparation.
Like we said, the path he follows leans sharply to the unconventional…
Speaker Topics
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
“How can you WIN in the long run if your rate of reinvention is slower than the rate of market change?”
Today’s warp speed, rapidly-changing world demands the ability to “re-invent” has become more of a necessity than a choice. In this riveting, highly interactive presentation, international speaker & author Gair Maxwell reveals universal secrets of successful reinvention; whether it’s an established company that needs to pivot and plot a new course, a business looking to re-position and re-brand or a community that needs to inspire renewal while battling evil forces of protectionism, blame, and bureaucracy.
With an experiential, multi-media approach, Gair will divulge secrets and stories you’ve never heard … and will never forget. You will discover common patterns identified by a Depression-era Austrian economist that explain what separated Kodak, Sears and Blockbuster from Apple, Amazon & Netflix and how to avoid a similar fate. Drawing on insights that range from the famed Pony Express to Henry Ford, the D-Day landings, the rock band KISS and the Moneyball era Oakland A’s, THE REINVENTION CODE™ inspires people and organizations to fashion a new future liberated from the past.
In this captivating, hands-on program you will discover:
– The #1 success strategy of “The Great Reinventors” and how clarity of vision trumps technology, tilts the playing field and helps you enjoy an unfair advantage.
– Four Cornerstones of Reinvention as it applies to innovating your product/service mix, entering new markets, altering your brand or transforming your self-image.
– A practical framework to unleash the power of inquiry to ask the right questions that identify and focus on solving real problems – not the distractions.
– How to “re-purpose the proven” and apply time-tested lessons from the world’s most innovative, customer-focused organizations.
– Why a start-up, streetfighter’ mentality characterized by scrappiness, determination and resilience is essential to building a culture of fresh thinking and new ideas.
– Five Strategies to Win for any Business Model – now and in the future.
In this Keynote/Workshop you will learn:
-How any brand can be reinvented, reignited & realigned to boost revenue, increase market share and build shareholder equity.
-Specific reasons why most marketing tactics and ad campaigns are wasted efforts; yielding minimal results despite maximum cost.
-Why Brands of Distinction™ consistently outclass & outperform competitors wearing mere “badges of ownership”.
Fortunes are made and companies sold way above asset value, primarily through the intangible strength of a compelling brand. But, why are some firms like an Italian sports car builder or an American motorcycle maker wildly successful at leveraging their brand while others squander buckets of time and money only to look like everyone else as hard-earned marketing dollars go down the proverbial drain?
Join Gair Maxwell on THE BRANDING HIGHWAY™ and discover how certain companies he has worked with grew more than 5-10 times their original size in less than 4 years… while setting themselves apart from competitors and slashing their advertising budget! You will see why developing a brand involves much more than picking colors, a logo or spewing empty promises of “features, advantages and benefits”. Learn universal secrets of iconic brands such as Ferrari and Harley-Davidson, how they can be adapted to your market and fuel the hearts and minds of loyal customers, despite a saturated advertising world (online and off) jammed and crammed with the escalating clutter of “white noise” and “ad-speak”.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
It’s NEVER a lack of knowledge that squashes great ideas, kills momentum and stops people and organizations dead in their tracks. Not when we’re choking each day on readily available knowledge with 90% of all the information in the world created in the last two years alone. So why do so many of us fail to pull the trigger on big, small and often necessary changes we all want to make in our lives, companies or careers? Is there a secret to consistently cross that metaphorical bridge between Talk and Action? A proven way to link the best of our intentions to the completion of our best work?
Based on a 2006 global experiment involving 32,000 subjects, Gair Maxwell reveals why THE KNOWING-DOING G.A.P. exists and how to close it with new mind-to-muscle patterns that inspire growth, initiative and renewed purpose for one’s cause, company or personal mission. No more excuses. No more inertia or irrational fears. Just deliberate steps and a simple framework to unleash untapped organizational power and human potential that often lies dormant in all of us.
In this high energy Keynote/Workshop you will discover:
– Why the need for “perfection” is the sworn enemy of optimum “performance”.
– Proven and practical neuroscience that links wishful desire to ruthless execution.
– Four universal factors that separate “blue-sky dreamers” from action-oriented “doers”.
As much as people and organizations like to talk about success, the truth is very few achieve their full potential. In many cases they’re often unaware; trapped on a treadmill of self-defeating behaviours, unable to see and explore possibilities just outside personal comfort zones. But, when attendees envision the metaphorical bridge between talk and action for what it really is, crucial first steps are taken. A new journey begins.
THE KNOWING-DOING G.A.P. has been lauded by conference organizers as “the picture-perfect message at the perfect time.” As an event opener, it sets the stage for active participation and personal accountability for the entire conference. As a closer, it serves as the “big bang showstopper” that unifies overarching themes and activates attendees for the post-event “real” world.
Priceless insight worth “KNOWING”. A practical, interactive experience worth “DOING”!
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” LEONARDO DA VINCI
In this seminar you will learn:
-Three Hazardous Attitudes that Trigger Human Error
-The Real Impact of Sleep Deprivation
-Warning Signs that Signal Danger Ahead
Safety is more than policy or procedure. It’s a state of mind.
What if more than 80% of all workplace accidents could be prevented by knowing the thoughts, behaviors and attitudes that precede them? Workplace Safety & the Reptilian Brain is a seminar devoted to understanding the deeper connection between what happens with the way we think prior to any calamity caused by human error.
Internationally acclaimed author and speaker Gair Maxwell takes your safety culture to the next level by sharing the latest research and first-hand observations from diverse fields and industries such as aviation, medicine and transportation. This is NOT your typical safety seminar filled with redundant stats and a finger wagging facilitator spouting “do’s and don’ts”. Highly interactive and at times entertaining, this program provides practical tools and techniques for better decision-making when danger lurks just around the corner.
Keeping employees safe isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s one of the smartest long-term investments you can make in your company. Discover how you and your team can leverage our “gears between the ears” with Workplace Safety & the Reptilian Brain.
In this seminar you will learn:
– How to reimaginate & rescript a consistent “WOW” Customer X-PERIENCE.
– 3 ways to deliberately plan and purchase ‘Word of Mouth’.
-Secrets to recreate the magic of Disney with the systems of Starbucks.
The real service mission of any business is NOT just to get the customer in the door, but to make sure they come back again and again. Even a 5% increase in customer retention can boost profitability by 25-100%. REINVENTING THE CUSTOMER X-PERIENCE helps owners, managers and troops in the trenches ‘land on the same page’ to sell bigger orders, attract new customers, and most importantly generate consistent, repeat (and profitable) business.
If work is theatre and every business a stage, internationally-acclaimed keynote speaker/author Gair Maxwell helps you develop standing ovation strategies to create customers for life. Expect to challenge the norms of your own industry with an explosive mix of newfound energy and creativity that translates into specific, doable action steps ready to be implemented Monday morning.
Gair customizes every presentation to speak your company’s language and be aligned with your objectives. Notorious for having people on the edge of their seats with an over-the-top rope engaging style, he helps attendees discover how to unearth memorable and meaningful “living the brand” moments (even if you’re on a $10 ad budget) with REINVENTING THE CUSTOMER X-PERIENCE!
In this seminar you will learn:
-Why most companies & families manufacture their own dysfunction.
-How to detect, defuse & destroy the omnipotent “Drama Triangle”.
-A reinvented approach to leadership without title, tenure or talent.
There is a universal desire for teams at work or home to want to be “on the same page” or “rowing in the right direction”. Problems arise, however, when people have different ideas of what should be written on that page or where the canoe should be headed. In order for any whole to become greater than the sum of its parts, clear expectations and personal boundaries are crucial. However, those expectations and boundaries are often at odds with flawed assumptions, archaic thinking, unwritten rules and conflicting agendas, generating endless mini-dramas full of empty excuses, dropped balls and pointed fingers. And you already know how a lot of these movies end.
“DEATH OF THE DRAMA FACTORY” breaks new ground by focusing on what everyday people can do to eliminate time wasting, energy sucking spirit & hours from any company or family. In a provocative, tell-it-like-it-is fashion, Gair Maxwell helps attendees develop higher levels of leadership thinking, initiative and personal accountability, crucial to organizational or interpersonal success. His highly engaging style sets a positive tone for tough choices required to foster a unified, cohesive unit that works together and laughs together as opposed to a status-quo subculture of isolated, disruptive grumblers.
Is now the time to send human-created mayhem packing? Are you ready to create a new pact with your team and boost levels of energy, engagement and execution? Step up to the plate … and take a swing with an unconventional learning experience entitled “DEATH OF THE DRAMA FACTORY”
In this seminar you will learn:
-The invisible glue of any organization
-How “labeling” and the “drama triangle” will make or break any team
-Ways you can lead without a label
Is there an “I” in team? Gair Maxwell thinks so.
In a provocative, entertaining fashion, Gair challenges the way teams are expected to work together, allowing the whole to become greater than the sum of its parts. Those expectations often clash with traditional wisdom, unwritten rules and conflicting agendas, generating subcultures and mini-dramas full of empty excuses, dropped balls and pointed fingers.
The “I” In TEAM breaks new ground by focusing on what everyday people can do to achieve higher levels of leadership thinking, initiative and personal accountability, crucial to the success of any organization and the brand it represents.
Ready to hit home runs with your team and boost trust, commitment and collaboration? Step up to the plate … and take a swing with an uncommonly unconventional learning experience discovered through The “I” In TEAM.
In this seminar you will learn:
-Why most “re-branding” efforts are doomed to fail from Day One.
-Key factors that link your marketing promise to frontline mindsets.
-How to turn Vision into Action and avoid “Disconnected Brand Disorder”.
The business case for a vibrant internal brand is compelling. According to Gallup, robust cultures that foster high levels of employee engagement trigger 27% higher profits, 50% higher sales, 50% higher customer loyalty levels and 38% above-average productivity. From Apple to Zappos, the world’s most successful brands have found a formula to infuse their DNA into marketing messages as well as company culture. But, no matter how much proof in the business pudding there is, many companies still struggle to find the right recipe that makes for a great-tasting brand at every employee or customer touch point.
BRANDING @ 360! shatters mission-statement mythology and inspires CEO’s and senior execs to reinvent the way they get marketing, operations and HR singing from the same song sheet. International author/speaker, Gair Maxwell reveals branding blind spots that occur when companies keep telling people how great they are (in marketing/advertising) without that story being lived (on the front line); where employees wield the power to keep customers coming back and tweeting the word – good or bad.
WARNING: This highly interactive and eye-opening keynote/workshop has been known to make some CEO’s squirm in their seats as they wrestle with discomforting clarity required to inspire positive change. BRANDING @ 360! allows high-flying eagles to soar above me-too, mission statement parrots and run circles around competitors. With provocative insights, real life examples and practical tools, Gair leaves attendees buzzing with ideas locked and loaded; ready to rock Monday morning.
Testimonials
“Friday’s presentation was simply amazing!. We certainly started PD class with a wild and thunderous bang! Thank you so much!”
“Let me start by saying how much I thoroughly enjoyed your sessions in Maui! Your wisdom, engagement and style is infectious and inspiring.
I do not believe in coincidences, and with that said I am most grateful for the opportunity to have shared the moment and stage with you. It may have appeared as a teachable moment for the crowd, however for me it was so much more. In the few “mili seconds” that each step took, I experienced inner dialogue running through my head that should have shook me to my knees, while at the same time my spirit was cheering me on because I have always had a burning desire to reach the top!!! I will remember that experience as being a defining moment in my life, thank you!”
“Thank you for an excellent and thought provoking morning. You rank #1 on my list of speakers—I hope to book you for my new Sarasota group (and will then include CE 2020 members who missed hearing you.
Today, I was proud to declare and share our Canadian heritage. Stay in touch bro.”
“Gair – what a fabulous presentation. Thank you – surpassed all my expectations. We received 100% positive feedback from the audience we spoke with on their way out last night and from email TQs we are receiving ongoing today. Donnica and I enjoyed working with you and hope we have the opportunity to do business with you again.”
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