Dave Mitchell

Dave Mitchell founded the Leadership Difference in 1995, and ever since over 450,000 people have attended Mitchell’s “enter-TRAIN-ment” seminars on topics that include leadership, customer service, selling skills, and personal performance enhancement. His clients include Allstate Insurance, Bank of America, Universal Studios, Hilton Worldwide, Janssen/Johnson and Johnson, Novartis, Sub-Zero Wolf Appliances, Electrolux Appliances, Trek Bikes, Walt Disney World and the CIA. In July 2013, Meeting Professionals International selected him as Best Speaker of the Year at their World Education Congress in Las Vegas. In September 2015, Meetings and Conventions Magazine named Mitchell one of the Best Speakers of the Year.

Mitchell is the author of four books. "Live and Learn or Die Stupid!" focuses on personal contentment and performance excellence. "The Power of Understanding People" was released in December 2013 by acclaimed publisher Wiley and was immediately named Best Business Book of the Month by Amazon. "The Power of Understanding Yourself" was released on January 7, 2019, also by Wiley, and was an Editor’s Pick by getAbstract and named Top Read by Training Magazine. His fourth book, "Peak Performance Culture: The Five Metrics of Organizational Excellence," was released in September 2020 on Wiley and is used as a textbook for organizational development in colleges around the country.

Mitchell has a Master’s of Education degree from the University of Illinois and is a certified Advanced Wine Sommelier. After failing to achieve his dream of playing professional baseball, Mitchell went on to a successful four-year career as a coach at the Tee Ball level.

Mitchell lives in the Walla Walla Valley wine country with his wife of 38 years, Lori; has two adult children, Brooklyn and Slade; three horses, and Miles and Mingus – the canine security system (and Jazz tribute).