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Desi Williamson

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Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator, Motivational Coach & Entrepreneur

Desi Williamson
Travels From Travels From:
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Live Event: $20,000 - $30,000
Virtual Event: $10,000 - $20,000
More Fee Info
Categories Categories:
Categories Categories:
Authors, Black Heritage, Business, Business Leadership, Change Management, College, Culture, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Diversity & Inclusion, Education, Futurism, Human Resources, Inspirational, Leadership, Marketing, Motivational, Peak Performance, Personal Growth, Sales
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Desi Williamson Biography

Desi Williamson has a reservoir of resilience and is a master of reinvention. He has led a diverse career as a corporate sales and marketing executive, successful real estate and restaurant entrepreneur, motivational coach for the NFL Minnesota Vikings, and addiction counselor. In 2019, he became a certified facilitator of Dare to Leadä, an empirically based courage-building program based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown.

During his corporate career, Williamson was an award-winning executive with Fortune 500 companies, such as Johnson & Johnson, Rain Bird Sprinkler Manufacturing, PepsiCo, and Dr. Pepper Seven Up, where he managed multi-million dollar businesses and developed the potential in people. In 2005, he suffered a serious neck injury that forced him to undergo a risky surgery and months of rehabilitation to learn how to walk and move again. The experience inspired him to write his second book and planted the seed for what would become an entirely new direction in his career.

In 2014, with healthcare becoming an increasingly critical initiative in society, he began pursuing his clinical license as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, respected worldwide for its work in neuroscience, electrophysiology, and chemical dependency, where he specializes in group therapy and lecture. Williamson’s goal for his patients is to achieve a higher quality of life by helping them identify their triggers for substance abuse and effectively deal with inner core issues, such as shame, guilt, anger and forgiveness.

As a speaker, Williamson is focused on making an impact on audiences that will encourage behavior change and spark personal insight. He has dedicated over 30 years specializing in performance improvement, leadership, and change management. By giving people the resources to change their thinking and behavior, Williamson teaches them how to become Emotionally Available, so they can dig deep within themselves to cultivate resilience and accept accountability for their results. He is passionate about becoming a mouthpiece for an underserved segment within the healthcare industry, by helping organizations understand that, in order to change the course of healthcare for the better, it is necessary to properly treat emotional, mental, and physical health simultaneously.

Williamson’s experiences in business, entrepreneurship, sports, and clinical experience give him a wide variety of stories and examples to inspire audiences. He is the author of two books, Get Off Your Assets! How to Deal with the Challenges of Life and Win and Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way! Succeeding in the Face of Turbulent Times.

In 2004, Williamson was inducted into the “Speaker Hall of Fame,” where he joined such notable figures as President Ronald Reagan, General Colin Powell, Zig Ziglar, and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. He also earned his CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) and CPAE (Council of Peers Award for Excellence), the highest designations awarded by the National Speakers Association. His client list includes United Healthcare, Medtronic, Pfizer, SmithKline, HFMA, Canon, Nationwide, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Choice Hotels, Verizon Wireless, Sam’s Club, the Chicago Bears, and more.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Desi Williamson and other top speakers and celebrities.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/30/2024.

Desi Williamson Speaking Topics

  • Dare to lead: Transform Your Business & Your Life

    How to develop more daring leaders and courageous cultures.

    No doubt we’re living in some turbulent times and that is why we must continuously reorganize, retool and rebuild our lives and businesses from the inside out. We must understand that where there are problems there is also opportunity. This requires daring, wholehearted leaders creating courageous cultures that allow people to thrive.

    Desi Williamson brings more than forty years of business experience working with Fortune 500 companies, associations and civic organizations. He now combines that experience with Brené Brown’s twenty years of research and her work in Dare to Lead, helping organizations grow from where they are, to where they aspire to be.

    Dare to Lead teaches us that courage is a skill set that is 100% observable, teachable and measurable. This skill set impacts how you show up as a leader and how well your team performs.

    In this high impact keynote, Hall of Fame Speaker, Desi Williamson uses research, stories and examples to share the following concepts:

    • The skills needed for having tough conversations that can create a culture of change and transformation.
    • The difference between armored and daring leadership traits that either choke innovation or spark creativity.
    • The skills for creating values-driven culture that allows people to flourish.
    • The essential importance of trust and why is important to creating a courageous culture.
    • The ability to rise up after disappointment and failure and use those experiences to create a stronger culture of accountability and resiliency.

Desi Williamson Videos

  • Desi Williamson - Keynote - Choice Hotels Annual Convention
    Desi Williamson - Keynote - Choice Hotels Annual Convention
See All Videos »

Desi Williamson Books

  • Where There's a Will, There's a Way
    Where There's a Will, There's a Way
  • Get Off Your Assets
    Get Off Your Assets
  • Get off your assets!: How to unleash the power in you
    Get off your assets!: How to unleash the power in you

FAQs on booking Desi Williamson

  • How do I book Desi Williamson to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Desi Williamson for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Desi Williamson, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Desi Williamson or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for Desi Williamson

    Speaking fees for Desi Williamson, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Desi Williamson are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Desi Williamson, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Desi Williamson speak about?

    Desi Williamson is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Black Heritage, Business, Business Leadership, Change Management, College, Culture, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Diversity & Inclusion, Education, Futurism, Human Resources, Inspirational, Leadership, Marketing, Motivational, Peak Performance, Personal Growth, Sales.

  • Where does Desi Williamson travel from?

    Desi Williamson generally travels from Minneapolis, MN, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is Desi Williamson’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Desi Williamson for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Desi Williamson for your next private or corporate function.

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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Desi Williamson or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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Desi Williamson is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Dare to lead: Transform Your Business & Your Life. The estimated speaking fee range to book Desi Williamson for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Desi Williamson generally travels from Minneapolis, MN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Neal Petersen, Daymond John, Roger Crawford, Stedman Graham and Les Brown. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Desi Williamson for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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