Standing Ovation Motivational Speaking

Neal Petersen is an award-winning author, solo “Around Alone” racing yachtsman, global investor and so much more. Few people have realized their dreams, but even fewer have raced solo around the world and in a yacht he designed and built himself! It is an unparalleled adventure, the longest, most extreme race known to man - 27,000 miles, nine months at sea ~ alone!

Neal is one of the most inspiring, dynamic and thought provoking speakers you will ever witness, he is mesmerizing. His presentation takes you on a journey from his personal struggles and childhood, of just being able to walk, to becoming the first black man to race solo around the globe, and in doing so breaking down every barrier put before him. Neal's story of conquering political issues and the oceans of the world will challenge audiences by opening the mind, with new hope and a determination to break down the barriers, real or perceived, that now exist and to take adversity head on and demonstrate that with determination and hard work you can achieve your goals.

In sharing his high-impact extraordinary adventure, Neal delivers a powerful message that, "In life there are no barriers ~ only solutions!"

As a unique and gifted storyteller, Neal has over fifteen years experience internationally delivering his history-making keynote to corporations such as IBM over a dozen globally, Cisco, AIG - multiple, Oracle, National Governors Conference, CitiGroup, Intel - multiple, Microsoft – multiple, MDRT and all standing ovations. His inspirational/business keynotes are based on real life experiences which set him apart from speakers who speak on topics.

Neal is known for his uniqueness, high energy, subtle humor, unique delivery, adaptability and riveting content. He customizes every keynote. Plus, he is extremely easy to work with.

Our goal is to be a part of your conference to assist meeting planners in generating maximum results for their audience. We are willing to do in-house welcome videos, build excitement, media appearances, executive breakfasts and any special requests you may have to maximize audience impact. Neal’s impact is made on and off the stage – you will always find him engaging in conversation with guests post keynote and until he leaves the site.

Neal was rated the best speaker ever at IBM’s Global STGU Conference. After the opening keynote presentation to 8,000 attendees Neal personalized and sold 1000 copies of his award winning autobiography, Journey of a Hope Merchant, with a solid line out the door for six hours – a record! Unscheduled, but willing, Neal was asked to be on a plane three days later to open the sister conference in Europe to another 5000 attendees. This was history making at IBM.

Neal has a wonderful spirit and a genuine talent for storytelling. He is unique in his delivery, carrying a treasure chest on stage Neal challenges his audience to use this economic challenge to their advantage - it's an opportunity to excel by choosing a winning course, using the ever changing winds, fierce storms and unsettled seas to your advantage through perseverance, determination and dedication to reach their goals, being one step ahead of their competitors and always executing better – and never give up!

Neal’s presentations become the talk of every event – the impact and feedback is tremendous both on and off the stage.

"Neal is one of the most inspiring, dynamic and thought provoking speakers you will ever witness, he is mesmerizing."

A FEW TESTIMONIALS
"I have been very fortunate to work with Neal Petersen - we brought him in to speak to 3 of our top producer meetings. He is a great speaker and he has found ways to help financial advisers take Neal's experiences and to apply it to their practices in such a way to grow their businesses through the tough times and enjoy the good times."
Larry Roth - CEO - Advisors Group, AIG

"Neal, what a pleasure it was to be able to spend some time with you! Very fascinating! I really enjoyed your keynote and the time I got to spend with you. It occurred to me that the huge effort that you employed to launch your maritime career has now been focused into the investment arena. You have more global-macro insight than the vast majority of advisers that I have had the opportunity to discuss such matters with - for sure."
Paul Barr - FSC Leaders Summit - July 2011

"Evaluations forms all have marked Neal's presentation as exceptional.”
Bonnie Sherer" SagePoint, Royal Alliance and FSC presentations.

“It is rare that I am asked by my senior management at IBM to immediately hire a keynote speaker when he is barely off the stage to give another keynote speech the following week - but that is in fact what happened with you Neal. And I want to thank for the extraordinary presentation you gave in San Diego to 8,000, but for the follow up presentation you gave in Barcelona with virtually no prep time as well. I truly was in awe of the spirit you drove into the audience and how you made your own journey so very relevant to every person in both locations. You were nothing short of a genius by utilizing our event theme and messaging within the context of your presentation. You generated some of the highest ratings and most positive feedback I have seen in many years of running WW events in this division.”
L. Benway - IBM

“ Best Reviews I have ever received from our conference participants. I credit our motivational Opening Session presenter who received a standing ovation from our entire group. I was late requesting his attendance, but he worked with me to make it happen with ease. A great way to open and set the mood for a successful event or close out on a high note. My folks were hungry for his message and left with a sense of renewed energy and hope. I recommend -without reservation: Neal Petersen! Selfishly, he made me look so good.”
Lisa Dooley – Executive Director, WVML – (West Virginia Municipal League) August 2011

“I stepped into the General Session to listen to the featured speaker, Neal Petersen. Quickly, I was riveted to his dynamic delivery of inspiration, hope, and excitement. Neal is one of the most inspiring, dynamic and thought provoking speakers you will ever witness, he is mesmerizing. His presentation takes you on a journey from his personal struggles and childhood, of just being able to walk, to becoming the first black man to race solo around the globe, and in doing so breaking down every barrier put before him. Neal's story of conquering political issues and the oceans of the world will challenge your association, opening the mind, with new hope and a determination to break down the barriers, real or perceived, that now exist and to take adversity head on and demonstrate that with determination and hard work you can achieve your goals.”
Kaye Braaten, NACO Past President

“Neal has been the silent force of inspiration behind this business when we operated as BSSBU (Blade Server Switch Business Unit) within Nortel and the inspiration behind my starting Blade Network Technologies. I met Neal in San Diego when I was at the lowest point in my professional career. His story left more than a lasting impression on me; it changed my life. I’ve had the opportunity to hear this great man and friend tell his story three times; and I’ve read his autobiography twice. On every one of these occasions I’ve walked away with many valuable messages.
The mantra at BLADE - “No Barriers; Only Solutions” is inspired by Neal’s amazing story.”
Vikram Mehta, CEO – Blade Network Technologies

Download Neal Petersen One-Sheet.
(up-dated Dec 2011)