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Speaker Bio

Kendal Netmaker is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and gifted keynote speaker who is on a mission to empower and motivate people worldwide by sharing his story that regardless of where you come from and what challenges you face, you have the power to enact change.

From Sweetgrass First Nation, Kendal and his siblings were raised by their single mother. Life wasn’t easy for them, growing up on the reserve surrounded by poverty and few chances for opportunities, but one moment would change their life forever.

Kendal has a natural gift; he’s a master storyteller who weaves his real-life experiences into motivating lessons that everyone can use in their own lives. His heartfelt stories are impactful, and he speaks professionally to thousands of people each year on resilience, leadership, and the power of telling your story.

He is a leading entrepreneur whose passion to succeed is contagious. Kendal is the founder of Neechie Gear® – a lifestyle apparel brand that gives back a percentage of their profits to go toward funding underprivileged youth to empower them to take part in sports. He is the author of Driven To Succeed and won over 25 business awards, including being named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40® and runner-up at the YBI Global Entrepreneur of the Year.

Kendal lives with his wife and two children in Saskatoon, SK, where he continues to run his company. He delivers virtual and in-person keynotes, as well as Indigenous Consulting to brands and organizations.

Speaker Topics

DRIVEN! THE ULTIMATE RESILIENCY FORMULA

Every day we are faced with personal and professional challenges. It takes energy and perseverance to overcome these obstacles – through the power of storytelling, Kendal shares what it takes to Refuel. Recharge and Reenergize our resiliency to be successful in everything we do.

In this high-energy, inspiring keynote, Kendal takes us on his profoundly moving personal journey from overcoming life’s challenges to achieving extraordinary success. From his best-selling book Driven to Succeed, Kendal shares his Ultimate Resiliency Formula that will motivate attendees to shift their mindset to achieve their ultimate purpose for a successful life.

Attendees will gain:
• Steps to develop a resilient mindset to stay positive and focused
• Tools to set and achieve your goals
• Reprogramming your mind for success and abundance
• Creating your personal formula to stay DRIVEN!

DRIVEN! THE LEADER WITHIN

YOU are the best leader you’ll ever have. That means being the best version of yourself. Great leadership is challenging, but you will achieve success with the right mindset, tools, and practice.

In this keynote, Kendal shares practical and effective leadership strategies that everyone can implement in their daily life. He leads by example, motivating and inspiring audiences by sharing authentic stories from his own experiences. Kendal talks about the values, behaviours, and unwavering dedication it takes to lead yourself through life, both personally and professionally. Being a great leader is contagious, and you will inspire others to follow!

Attendees will gain:
• Gain deep insights into the habits of successful leaders
• Implement tools to become the leader in your own life
• Understand how to support others to be better leaders
• Leadership secrets to use everyday to stay DRIVEN!

THE FUTURE OF WORK THROUGH INDIGENOUS VALUES

The future of work will be positively influenced by Indigenous participation in the workforce. As the fastest growing population in Canada, there is opportunity for this new cohort of employees with diverse experiences to join your teams and contribute to the impact of your organization.

In this powerful keynote, Kendal takes you into Indigenous Peoples’ worldview and how it can complement your organization. Indigenous Peoples face a significantly low employment rate compared to nonIndigenous peoples – Kendal shares real-life stories on the obstacles Indigenous Peoples face while trying to secure and maintain long-term employment. He shares solutions many industries can utilize to successfully engage and maintain long-term employment with Indigenous team members. Together, we can make Reconciliation a priority in our country.

Attendees will gain:
• Deep insights into engaging the Indigenous workforce
• Understand how technology impacts Indigenous groups
• Learn best practices in Indigenous hiring and engagement
• Educating about the importance of Indigenous spirituality and beliefs

INDIGENOUS DIVERSITY, AWARENESS & EDUCATION

Indigenous peoples are the Fastest Growing Demographic in Canada, and there are over 370 Million Indigenous people worldwide in over 90 countries. We must continue to raise awareness and educate to work together for a prosperous future.

In this powerful keynote, Kendal takes you into Indigenous Peoples’ worldview and shares his heartfelt stories of living and thriving in two different worlds. He explains the importance of understanding everyone’s stories, beliefs, and way of life. Kendal’s offering is to plant seeds of hope so that we all are Working, Succeeding, and Prospering Together.

Attendees will gain:
• Deep insights into Indigenous Peoples way of life
• Educating about the importance of Indigenous spirituality and beliefs
• Understand the similarities/differences between different Indigenous groups in Canada
• Creating awareness on how to be respectful towards one another and work together

THE POWER OF INDIGENOUS STORYTELLING

In a world full of noise and short attention spans, the art and skill of memorable & impactful storytelling has never been more important. Indigenous Peoples’ key to retaining their culture and traditions has been built upon oral stories for thousands of years. With no textbooks, they have been able to retain valuable teachings that have been passed down from generation to generation.

In this powerful keynote, Kendal takes you into Indigenous Peoples’ storytelling communication and how to build a deeper connection with your customers and team members. He explains the importance of how storytelling is key to building long-term relationships for continued business growth.

Attendees will gain:
• How ONE story can improve your communication for deeper connection
• Learn the 3 ways to tell a story that creates an emotional connection with
your customers
• Why stories develop long-term valuable relationships for business growth
• Hear from Kendal’s insights on how focusing on “Story-Selling”
transformed his company

AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE ON MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS

The future requires us to adapt and move at a faster pace than what our ancestors experienced. It takes energy and perseverance to overcome a fast changing world with numerous obstacles. Through the power of storytelling, Kendal shares what it takes to take care of our mental health to succeed in all areas of life.

In this inspiring keynote, Kendal takes us on his profoundly moving personal journey that includes ancient wisdom passed down from Indigenous elders/knowledge keepers. Kendal shares his perspective on how these teachings will allow you to keep moving forward in an ever
changing world.

Attendees will gain:
• Deep insights to improve your mental health & wellness
• Tools to reduce stress at home and work
• Understanding the importance of listening to your body
• Hear how Kendal stays grounded through chaos

Testimonials

Our team had the privilege of spending time with Kendal. It was an in-depth conversation on diversity and inclusion, without being academic or unrealistic. Kendal’s authenticity in sharing his gifts created a compelling shared experience, he left us with “today is not for nothing”, “forgiving on the fly”, and the possibility of being someone’s gateway. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Kendal, I look forward to continued conversations.

Rhonda Laing, Western Economic Diversification Canada

Kendal’s keynote presentation to our leadership group was inspirational and actionable. I personally took pages of notes that I refer to regularly – it was some of the most valuable time that I spent during our conference! I really appreciated Kendal’s openness and vulnerability while using his own examples of how leading with respect and humility will help you achieve whichever goals you have for yourself. Thank you Kendal for leading by example and for sharing that example with all of us.

Curt Reimer, First West Credit Union

Kendal was our keynote for our virtual Economic Partnership Summit. His message is so important for encouraging Indigenous entrepreneurship and inspiring youth. After our session we received many phone calls that our guests grew up in a similar situation as Kendal and they were very inspired and moved by his words. More people need to hear Kendal’s message whether that be to inspire them if they are in a similar situation or for others so that they have a greater understanding of the challenges faced by Indigenous people.

Serena Sjodin, Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce

Municipalities of Saskatchewan featured Kendal as one of our keynotes for our 2021 Virtual Convention. The resiliency and adaptability that Kendal is known for was on full display, as although the format was much different than years past and undoubtedly different than what Kendal himself is used to, he was able to deliver a poignant keynote address to our members. In spite of being behind a screen, Kendal was as interactive and engaged as he would’ve been if he was in front of us in a room of 1000+ delegates. Our members heard his incredible story and took to heart his messages around strength and leadership.

Katee Galandy, Events Coordinator, Municipalities of Saskatchewan

What a pleasure to have Kendal bring the keynote address at our Tourism Workplace Leadership Conference. He is a riveting story teller with a powerful message that motivates and uplifts. His wisdom exceeds his years and he leaves you feeling inspired to be a better version of yourself.

Mary Taylor, Ash CEO, Tourism Saskatchewan

Kendal opens your mind and heart to the unlimited potential that resides within you…

Brian Tracy, Author, Speaker, Consultant

We were both raised by our mother and grandmother. We both came from poverty. If Kendal
and I can win Big you can too…

Bob Proctor, Author, Speaker, Trainer

Featured Video

Kendal Netmaker headshot photo

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