Neil Pasricha

We live in a world where we’re bombarded by change, expectation, and uncertainty. News media hijacks our brains while social media tells us we are never good enough. Anxiety, depression, and loneliness rates are at record highs.

What we need is a splash-of-cold-water talk that is science-backed, story-laden, and full of laughs. Audiences learn how it is possible, despite larger tectonic plates they cannot control, to use specific research-backed tools and practices to cultivate a habit-based positive mindset every day.

Takeaways

• Research-based tools that help cultivate a more positive mindset
• The ability to identity morning and evening routines that drain energy—and swap them for ones that build it
• A simple gratitude practice to raise productivity (31%), promotability (40%), and closer work relationships (48%)

Your audience will leave with:

• Specific research-backed tools and practices to cultivate a habit-based positive mindset every day
• Action-based ways to lift performance to new heights
• Science-driven skills to show up inspired to do masterful work

For: Leaders, managers, and teams struggling to cultivate a positive mindset who need to be engaged, productive, and creative

Which company is #1 on the Fortune 500 and has been for over a decade? Walmart. The retail behemoth’s rise to half a trillion dollars in sales with over two million employees has been well-documented.

But what hasn’t been documented is how they uniquely develop, nurture, and grow leaders up through those ranks.

Neil served as Director of Leadership Development at Walmart for a decade and worked for two country CEOs while partnering with Harvard Business School to develop the first global leadership program inside the retail giant.

In this talk he shares how leaders can use science-backed practices to help themselves show up to lead teams of two, two thousand, or two million. It doesn’t start out there. It starts with inside—with yourself. Neil will show you how.

Takeaways

• A simple and actionable model to lead your self so you can show up for others
• Tools to focus your energy and increase clarity of mind
• A renewed sense of leadership confidence and purpose

For: Those who lead—or are ready to. This keynote is built for managers, culture builders, and emerging leaders who want to grow trust, lead with clarity, and help their teams do their best work.

Culture starts with trust and according to the Edelman Trust Barometer we have all-time low levels of trust in media, business, and government. We have never believed less, agreed less, or trusted less.

Yet, building a culture of trust, and developing the community that surrounds it, remains essential for any organization, startup, or brand. So what are new ways to build trust in an era of mistrust?

With research and current business case examples Neil shares what works, what doesn’t, and how to figure out who to really believe.

This talk debuted as a SXSW Featured Keynote and includes 3 modern ways organizations can build more trust.

Takeaways

• Finite Over Infinite: In an era of infinite choice, the value of curation skyrockets
• Human Over Algorithm: In an era of bots, we trust brains
• Go All In, Show All In: The more chips you push into the middle, the more we buy your hand

Your audience will leave with:

• Habits and tools to strengthen team connection and trust
• Small shifts that create big impact across morale and momentum
• Renewed sense of meaning and motivation across the organization

For: Organizations that want to create deeper connection, rebuild trust, and make work feel more human

The only constant is change. And the latest disruption? Getting disrupted. It doesn’t help that Gallup is reporting a whopping 79% of the global workforce is disengaged.

But what if there were simple habits that could be unlocked during our choppy changing times that genuinely helped employees find ballast to drive engagement, connection, and positivity? It’s not crazy talk. It’s actually happening.

Using his unique blend of science-backed models and lean-in-and-laugh stories, Neil shares simple habits and, more importantly, teaches audiences how to make them stick.

In this talk, Neil shares science-backed practices contributors, managers, and leaders can use starting today that help them show up as their best selves during times of change.

Takeaways

• Learn why action creates motivation when facing setbacks, not the other way around
• A mindset shift that makes change less chaotic and more constructive
• A set of simple behaviors to lead others through what’s next — even when what’s next isn’t known

For: Leaders, managers, and teams facing transition or uncertainty—who want to stay steady, think clearly, and move forward with confidence.

Neil Pasricha shares counterintuitive research-based answers in this fun, fast-paced, research-grounded tour of the emerging neuroscience and positive psychology landscape.

Neil shows how cultivating a positive growth mindset results in 31% higher productivity, 37% higher sales, 48% closer work relationships, and 300% greater creativity—and then shares how to get there.

Based on fresh research Pasricha published in Harvard Business Review, this is a high-energy, takeaway-laden talk that gets audiences buzzing.

Takeaways

• A simple framework to re-engage with work that matters
• 3 simple tools to shift mindset from “autopilot” to “intention”
• Learn to see role challenges as an opportunity to unlock full personal potential

Your audience will leave with:

• Strategies to rediscover drive—without needing dramatic change
• A shared spark across the team that lasts beyond the keynote

For: Leaders and teams who feel stuck, scattered, or disconnected—and are ready to reignite motivation and build lasting momentum.

As AI quickly disrupts and evolves industries the good news is you still control…yourself. You choose how to show up every day by cultivating a resilient mindset to steady and ready yourself for the future.

Join New York Times bestselling author Neil Pasricha as he draws from his #1 international bestselling resilience guidebook, You Are Awesome, in this transformative session on how to cultivate positive, resilient habits to fuel long-term well-being in changing times.

Stop waiting for success to lead the way.

Start shaping the habits that help you grow, thrive, and create your own momentum.

Takeaways

• Learn the science behind resilient thinking and how it impacts your performance and career
• A set of actionable 2-minute habits to increase resilience in the face of distraction
• Strategies to create a ripple effect of positivity in your personal life and professional journey

Your audience will leave with:

• A reframed understanding of resilience rooted in growth
• Tools to manage stress and uncertainty with more clarity and calm
• Simple, research-backed habits to build steadiness into daily life
• A sense of connection through shared experience and honest storytelling

For: Organizations supporting people through uncertainty—who want them to feel capable, focused, and ready for what’s next.