We live in the age of endless excuses. Complicated projects, overwhelming to-do lists, and impossible timelines give us perfect reasons to put things off. But what if procrastination isn't really about time management or task difficulty? What if it's about something much simpler and more profound?

To find the answer, New York Times Bestselling Jon Acuff commissioned research with PhD Mike Peasley, surveying 3,000 people about living up to their potential. The results were staggering: 96% of people said they were not living up to their full potential. But if everyone knows they're capable of more, what is everyone waiting for?

The answer came down to one word that kept appearing everywhere—from boardrooms to research papers, from airplane conversations to popular movies. Everyone is waiting for permission.
Through hilarious stories, and actionable ideas, Jon unveils the four permissions that successful teams and individuals give themselves to beat procrastination and accomplish amazing success:

Permission to Dream ("What do I want to do?")

Permission to Plan ("How will I do it?")

Permission to Do ("Are we doing it?")

Permission to Review ("Did it work?")

Most people use these stages, but they get stuck.

Dreamers get stuck in the dream stage with 1,000 ideas and 0 actions.

Perfectionists get stuck in the plan stage, waiting for the perfect scenario before they begin.

Hustlers get stuck in the do stage, too busy to review if they're heading in the right direction.

Analysts get stuck in the review stage, reviewing past mistakes and predicting future failures.

Jon’s goal? To have every one of your audience members walking out of the room with a clear picture of what’s holding them back, and what they can do about it… immediately.
  
Laced with humor and filled with the practical wisdom that has led to more than 1 million books sold, Jon's "Permission" keynote answers the question every procrastinator needs to hear: "What are you waiting for?"

Overthinking isn’t a personality trait. It’s the sneakiest form of fear.

It steals time, creativity, and energy. It’s the most expensive, least productive thing companies invest in without even knowing it. When New York Times Bestselling author Jon Acuff and Mike Peasley PhD asked more than 10,000 people if they struggled with overthinking, they were shocked to discover the results. More than 99.5% of people said, “Yes.” Overthinking prevents nearly everyone from doing their best work.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if there were simple, surprisingly fun techniques you and your team could use to transform overthinking from a super problem into a superpower? What if you could take all those repetitive thoughts, which Acuff calls soundtracks, and make them work for you, not against you with a new mindset?

What if you could create new soundtracks that help you navigate change, increase productivity and win consistently?

Great results always require great actions which always start with great thoughts. Let Acuff show you how to create them with a new keynote that will teach you to:

1. Retire the broken soundtracks that have been holding you back.
2. Replace them with new soundtracks that propel you forward.
3. Repeat the new ones so often they become as automatic as the old ones.

Retire.

Replace.

Repeat.

Can tapping into the full potential of your team really be that easy? INC Top 100 Leadership Speaker Jon Acuff, thousands of research participants and the best companies in the world say, “Yes!”

The year 2020 was catnip for overthinking, but if overthinking steals time, creativity and energy, guess what your team is about to get back? Time, creativity and energy.

It’s time to start listening to a new soundtrack with Jon Acuff.

How to think about change in a world that refuses to stay still. 

By the time you finish reading this sentence, AI will be different. There will be a new platform you can barely pronounce. All the rules will be newly written and promptly broken. Organizations will be losing or making millions and everyone will be struggling to match the frenetic pace of change. 

The good news is that there's a tool more powerful than any AI platform on the planet. One that impacts your career, your team, your culture, and your bottom line. One that's been there all along.

It's called mindset

And building a winning one is simpler than you think.

New York Times Bestselling author Jon Acuff has spent years researching what holds individuals and organizations back from doing their best work. When he and researcher Mike Peasley, PhD surveyed more than 10,000 people, they discovered that more than 99.5% struggled with the same thing: overthinking. And right now, there's one thing everyone is overthinking — AI.

In this high-energy, research-backed keynote, Acuff shows leaders and teams how to stop letting fear disguise itself as patience, perfectionism, or practicality, and start building the kind of mindset that thrives in any season of change.

Using his breakthrough Soundtracks framework— the repetitive thoughts that quietly run your company's culture — Jon will help your team:

1. Retire the 5 most common broken soundtracks about AI that are quietly stalling your progress.
2. Replace them with new soundtracks that generate curiosity instead of chaos.
3. Repeat them until they become the new default.

You can't wait AI out. You can't ignore it. You can’t perfectly predict where it will go next year or even next week.

But you can build a mindset that's ready for it, and everything that comes after it.

According to a study conducted by the University of Scranton, 92% of resolutions fail. That’s a staggering number considering how important goals are to companies. You actually have a greater shot of getting into Julliard in New York City to be a ballerina than hitting your next sales goal.

Or your next budget reduction.

Or your next service rollout.

In every element of your work, goals matter. What if we could do some simple things to improve how often we finished what we started? What if we could complete the incomplete projects and tasks? What if we could get more done in a world of bottomless opportunities and endless distractions?

New York Times Bestselling Author Jon Acuff says you can. How does he know? Research, research and more research!

Jon suspected goal-completion was not luck or genetics. So, he commissioned a study with assistant professor Mike Peasley, PhD to test what it takes to turn a chronic starter into a consistent finisher. The research team analyzed 900 people over a six-month process as they worked on goals. The study resulted in a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller titled “Finish” and principles Acuff has taught to teams such as Walmart, FedEx and Nokia.

The good news is, you can learn to finish. It’s not a natural talent some people have and others do not. It can be taught.

Ever have an employee, team member or department almost finish something? Every wished you could complete more of the things you care about? It’s time to learn what it really takes!

Starting is fun, but the future belongs to finishers.

Every successful result starts with a successful mindset.

It’s not a mystery. Your thoughts turn into your actions which turn into your results.

We inherently know that, but most people don’t know what to do with that. When New York Times Bestselling author Jon Acuff and Mike Peasley PhD asked more than 10,000 people if they struggled with overthinking, they were shocked to discover the results. More than 99.5% of people said, “Yes.”

But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if you could take all those repetitive thoughts, which Acuff calls “Soundtracks,” and make them work for you, not against you, with a new mindset? What if you could:

Retire the broken soundtracks that have been holding you back.
Replace them with new soundtracks that propel you forward.
Repeat them so often they become as automatic as the old ones.

Retire. Replace. Repeat.

Can building a winning mindset really be that easy? Can we really take every thought captive? Can we really learn how to renew our minds?

Jon Acuff says, “Yes!” As we head back to the office, back to business, back to church and back to a world that keeps changing, one thing will matter more than any other for your team – mindset.

Start building yours with surprisingly fun strategies you can implement immediately.

Six months ago, “change” was something we all knew we’d need to deal with someday. It was just over the horizon. It was around the corner. We knew it would come, we just didn’t know when and we didn’t know how. Then the world got flipped upside down. Change is no longer a topic of conversation for your team, it’s the norm. The new vocabulary. The new reality. The elephant isn’t hiding in the corner of the room now. The elephant is the entire room. Every team will face a choice. Pivot or panic? The smart ones will lean into four different investments. They’ll double down on Skills, Character, Relationships and Hustle in intentional ways that bring clarity to chaos. They’ll refocus, rebuild, and relaunch to better serve their community. They’ll emerge with new tools and a new direction. Why? Because a crisis is a classroom. It’s an invitation to innovation you might not have planned for, but definitely need. Join New York Times Bestselling author Jon Acuff as he shares practical steps and inspiring insights to help your team navigate this brave new world. We all get to make a choice. Every day our team members and our communities are counting on us to make the right one. Pivot, don’t panic.

For months, the word “pivot” was the most popular word in the virtual halls of every successful company. It spoke to the need to quickly respond to an unexpected crisis. It promised a quick solution to a challenge that would last for weeks, months or at the longest a whole quarter. But the challenge was not temporary, it stretched beyond our expectations and a new solution was needed to build the new future. The best companies looked beyond the pivot and developed three tools that will steer them on the road ahead. Endurance The greatest part of a crisis is that it invites us to learn lessons about ourselves, our company and our services in ways we might not have otherwise. The best teams will emerge with new skills, new opportunities and new markets, but only if they deliberately build endurance. It starts with asking the right questions such as, “How quick is your quit?” “Who are you doing this very difficult job for?” And, “What’s on the other side of this challenge?” Flexibility In 2019, we thought we lived in a “digital world.” In 2020, we discovered what that really meant. From transitioning warehouses full of customer service technicians to an at home work force to mastering the art of curbside service, the best teams have mastered a flexibility that makes yoga masters seem stiff. The key isn’t just developing fresh expertise but also finding creative ways to expand your existing expertise to new mediums. You must eliminate entitlement, encourage experimentation and have the, “Mindset of a tourist.” Compassion The small ways you serve customers today are worth a hundred times what they were six months ago. Why? Because crisis magnifies kindness. Isolation has not reduced our need for community and connection, it’s multiplied it. The best teams know that if they’ll invest in their customers, coworkers and themselves with intentional compassion they will lay a foundation that serves them for years to come. The future is bright, but it must be built. If you’re ready to learn practical, actionable ways you can increase the endurance, flexibility and compassion your team employs, talk with New York Times Bestselling author Jon Acuff. He’s spent more than 20 years helping the best companies in the world, like The Home Depot, Viacom, FedEx and Walmart thrive in uncertain times. Let him show you what it takes to move beyond the pivot.

The rate of change gets faster and faster each day. Technology is changing, ask the taxi industry after Uber flooded phones across the globe. Careers are changing, ask graphic designers who now compete with AI image generators. Whole industries are changing, ask the hoteliers who suddenly find one million new competitors via the room-renting app Airbnb. Value systems are changing, ask millennials, 45% of which care more about workplace flexibility than salary.

Some companies will get stuck. When the New York Times asked, “Why didn’t Kodak create Instagram?” they were commenting on how easy it is for even successful companies to get crushed by the waves of change. Other companies will thrive amidst the turbulence.

Change is upon us, and, depending on how you approach it, it can be either overwhelming or an opportunity. The key is to see it for what it really is, a Do Over, a chance to reset. And if you want to navigate a Do Over, the best leaders in the world, running small businesses to massive corporations, know it takes four investments: Relationships, Skills, Character and Hustle.

The good news is, your business and your employees already have everything they need to make the best of a Do Over. 

In fact, you’ve had it for years.

Sound like marketing hype?  It’s not. 

You already have each of those four critical investments; now it’s time to amplify them and apply them in a new way.

Why?  Because your business is going to experience four real seasons of change: 
You will hit a Ceiling and get stuck, requiring sharp skills to free yourself.

You will experience a Bump, unexpectedly running into a difficult market, requiring strong relationships to survive.

You will make a Jump, requiring solid character to push through the chaos launching something new always stirs up.

You will get a surprise opportunity you didn’t see coming, requiring dedicated hustle to take advantage of it. 

The good news is that there are only four types of change you will face as a company. The great news is that there are simple, practical ways to get the most out of each.

Change is coming for all of us. 

Get ready.

Get working.

Get stuck-proof!

The rate of change gets faster and faster each day. Technology is changing, ask the taxi industry after Uber flooded phones across the globe. Careers are changing, ask graphic designers who now compete with AI image generators. Whole industries are changing, ask the hoteliers who suddenly find one million new competitors via the room-renting app Airbnb. Value systems are changing, ask millennials, 45% of which care more about workplace flexibility than salary.

Some companies will get stuck. When the New York Times asked, “Why didn’t Kodak create Instagram?” they were commenting on how easy it is for even successful companies to get crushed by the waves of change. Other companies will thrive amidst the turbulence. 

Change is upon us, and, depending on how you approach it, it can be either overwhelming or an opportunity. The key is to see it for what it really is, a Do Over, a chance to reset. And if you want to navigate a Do Over, the best leaders in the world, running small businesses to massive corporations, know it takes four investments: Relationships, Skills, Character and Hustle. 

The good news is, your business and your employees already have everything they need to make the best of a Do Over. 

In fact, you’ve had it for years.

Sound like marketing hype? It’s not. 

You already have each of those four critical investments; now it’s time to amplify them and apply them in a new way.

Why? Because your business is going to experience four real seasons of change: 

You will hit a Ceiling and get stuck, requiring sharp skills to free yourself.

You will experience a Bump, unexpectedly running into a difficult market, requiring strong relationships to survive.

You will make a Jump, requiring solid character to push through the chaos launching something new always stirs up.

You will get a surprise opportunity you didn’t see coming, requiring dedicated hustle to take advantage of it. 

The good news is that there are only four types of change you will face as a company. The great news is that there are simple, practical ways to get the most out of each.

Change is coming for all of us. 

Get ready.

Get working.

Get stuck-proof!

Jon Acuff utilizes humor and clever story-telling to engage audiences via video. Whether your attendees are participating individually or corporately, Jon can interact with viewers to make deliver the key content needed for a virtual event.

We’re living in an Experience Economy. Customer experience, or CX, drives over two-thirds of customer loyalty; that’s more than brand and price combined. This keynote shows why every member of a team is in the Experience Department and offers a memorable, proven five-step framework to attract — and keep! — superfan customers.

Audience Takeaways:

• Why the best marketing on the planet doesn’t cost anything
• How to consistently elevate ordinary customer moments into extraordinary ones
• Why superfans are the key to thriving businesses now and in the future

Why should your prospects choose your choice over every other available option? If you can’t answer that question clearly and confidently, prospective customers definitely won’t be able to. Brittany talks closing deals with Walmart, Disney, Dolly Parton, and many more to help sales professionals answer a potentially-billion-dollar question: Why do you deserve superfans?

Audience Takeaways:

• Why the most effective sales tool in human history has worked for millennia
• How to make commodity factors like pricing and timing much less relevant to customers
• What to change today to immediately improve sales performance

It’s not a matter of if your customers’ expectations will demand more generative AI solutions for CX, but when and how. In this interactive and eye-opening keynote packed with case studies and hyper-actionable tips, Brittany sheds light on how AI will (and won’t) fundamentally transform customer, employee, and executive experience.

Audience Takeaways:

• How to use AI to enable hyper-personalized interactions for their customers immediately
• Which tasks they should never perform again without AI, period
• How to use AI to better predict customer and employee needs and behaviors

When it comes to arriving at the best possible idea, whether working with clients, understanding your customers or internal team interactions, the ability to collaborate without the fear of failure is an essential skill for success.

Fearless Collaboration is a keynote designed specifically to help audiences not only hear about, but actually engage in and experience, key fundamentals used by the worlds top music makers to write & create music fearlessly.

There are No Dumb Ideas: Any idea spoken aloud has the potential to either be the great idea or inspire the great idea. Leave nothing unsaid.

Listening: Creating is proactive, requires doing, but never at the sacrifice of listening to each other first. To our teammates, our clients or our customers, they deserve our attention & often have the answer we are looking for.

Be True: Whether in music or in business, authenticity always wins. A song created with the goal of being a hit rarely has the heart to do so.

Humility: Never assume you’re the smartest or most talented person in the room. Collaborating from a place a humility creates space for each of our team member’s talents to shine & grow.

The same goes for products, clients & customers. Define who you are & be true to it. Each and every one of us has greatness & brilliance inside of us. Let’s learn to create a space where those ideas can thrive… create a space for Fearless Collaboration.

I FEEL, YOU FEEL
Learn the art of valuable connectivity through authentically feeling what you are speaking, to create instant attraction. This is one of the most valuable leadership tools you can possess.

BE AUTHENTICALLY VALUABLE.
Lead effectively by meeting that intrinsic need we all have to not feel alone and make relatability one of your greatest assets for initiating powerful relationships within the workforce.

SELL TO YOURSELF FIRST
Whether you are selling a product or selling yourself, this technique will enable you to see and feel the sale from the buyer’s perspective. When this is done, you can guarantee a sales pitch drenched in authenticity.. and authenticity creates connectivity.

YOU PAINT YOUR BACK DOOR, I’LL SEE MINE
Jimmy will show you how the most trivial details of any life can be precisely the pictures needed to create a desired connection. Through hilarious personal stories, you will see how he uses his life to make you see yours. We connect to emotion, not the specific story. Few people have lost someone in Afghanistan and also drives their truck to remember them, yet millions of people gravitated to one of Jimmy’s biggest hits, CMA song of the year, I Drive Your Truck.

MONEY WON’T MAKE YOU HAPPY, BUT HAPPY WILL MAKE YOU MONEY.
Learn how the power of joy can exponentially improve productivity and hear Jimmy’s techniques to tap into happiness more quickly and how to harness it and improve every aspect of your life, in and out of business.

When you feel a story, you see it. When you see a story, you tell it effectively. Everyone’s life is a story that has been authentically felt and therefore can be drawn upon to utilize every emotionally valuable detail to move and inspire.

The mind can be warmed up and prepared, not unlike a runner might stretch his muscles for a race. Learn the techniques Jimmy uses to free up the mind and tap into the most creative headspace. These techniques will enable you to consistently create something out of nothing.

Jimmy will show you how to break down any barriers, to free up the flow of creativity, communication, and camaraderie.

Learn to lead from a place of authenticity and relatability to create the connection necessary for optimal productivity.

Learn to connect with people, in and out of your business, more quickly and at a deeper, more valuable and sustainable manner.

Ben shares his transformative journey from the peaks of professional success to the valleys of personal struggle. In this compelling talk, he shares his experience with depression following his 2016 championship triumph and explores the profound lessons learned about the limits of external success. Discover the importance of setting healthy boundaries, prioritizing meaningful life aspects over material success, and using personal challenges as catalysts for growth. Ben challenges attendees to engage in the essential internal work that nurtures the authenticity and resilience. This session is a powerful call to redefine what true success and well-being mean in your life.

Attend an enlightening talk on maintaining focus and perspective while striving for success. Learn why achievement is a fixed and final milestone, understand how a life focused solely on highlights and attention can feel empty, and grasp the lasting importance of how others experience you over what you accomplish. This talk will culminate in a compelling challenge to redefine your version of success, emphasizing that true fulfillment comes from aligning your achievements with the way you want to feel in the end. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your approach to success and ensure lasting satisfaction in your journey.

Join us for an empowering talk on how ordinary people can become superheroes through courage and consistency, even when facing great odds. Discover the importance of caring for your community, the power of maintaining consistency in your efforts, and the essential role of self-compassion, courage, and capacity in achieving extraordinary outcomes. The talk will conclude with a heartfelt challenge to seek deeper connections within your community, consistently care for others regardless of immediate results, and embody compassion and courage, especially in tough times. Don’t miss this inspiring session that will motivate you to make a meaningful impact in your life and the lives of those around you.

Join us for an empowering talk on how ordinary people can become superheroes through courage and consistency, even when facing great odds. Discover the importance of caring for your community, the power of maintaining consistency in your efforts, and the essential role of self-compassion, courage, and capacity in achieving extraordinary outcomes. The talk will conclude with a heartfelt challenge to seek deeper connections within your community, consistently care for others regardless of immediate results, and embody compassion and courage, especially in tough times. Don’t miss this inspiring session that will motivate you to make a meaningful impact in your life and the lives of those around you.

We are the most connected society in history… and yet, we’ve never felt more alone.

We wake up and reach for our phones before we reach for our Bibles. 
We scroll through curated lives online while struggling to live presently in our own. 
We are drowning in notifications, opinions, and distractions—so much so that the still, small voice of God feels distant, almost impossible to hear.

But what if He never stopped speaking? What if the real problem isn’t His silence, but our noise?

Carlos Whittaker, bestselling author of Reconnected, didn’t just ask these questions—he lived them. For seven weeks, he stepped away from the digital world, immersing himself in the rhythms of silence, solitude, and deep community with monks and Amish farmers. No phone. No Wi-Fi. No distractions. And what he discovered was life-changing.

He also has unbelievable scientific data from the brain scans he received before and after the experiment. Through unforgettable stories and never-before-seen documentary clips, Carlos will guide your congregation to:
• Recognize how digital distraction is suffocating our souls and relationships
• Break free from the addiction to constant noise and rediscover the presence of God
• Learn what Jesus modeled about slowing down, noticing, and truly being present

The Gospel shows us that Jesus never rushed. He walked at the speed of love. He noticed people. He made time for solitude. He embraced interruptions as opportunities. But what happens when we live life so fast, so distracted, that we no longer walk like Jesus?

This message isn’t just a wake-up call—it’s an invitation.

It’s time to turn down the volume on life… so we can finally hear the voice of God.
 

Better Humans, Better Teams, Better Results: A Blueprint for Thriving Teams and Resilient Leaders

What if the secret to high-performing teams and resilient leaders wasn’t working harder—but working humaner? In a world overwhelmed by burnout, distractions, and disconnection, Carlos delivers a game-changing message: More connected, kinder people aren’t just better humans—they’re better employees, teammates, and leaders.

Through riveting stories and actionable strategies drawn from his seven-week screen-free journey with Benedictine monks and an Amish community, Carlos equips organizations with the tools to transform their culture from the inside out. He teaches how self-leadership—leading yourself with clarity and intention—creates a foundation for leading others with empathy, trust, and purpose.

In this keynote, Carlos shows your team how to:

• Foster true collaboration by prioritizing relationships over reactions.
• Cultivate self-leadership to make better decisions, model resilience, and inspire others.
• Leverage kindness and humanity as the ultimate performance drivers, building a culture where everyone can thrive.
• Move from busyness to intentional progress, reclaiming focus and purpose in every interaction.

Carlos’s philosophy—BE human, SEE humans, FREE humans—is a practical roadmap for bridging divides, fostering connection, and unlocking the full potential of your team. Attendees will leave energized and equipped to lead with empathy, collaborate with curiosity, and build a workplace culture that delivers both results and fulfillment.

Because when people are seen, heard, and empowered, they don’t just show up—they actually soar.
 

What if there was a way to show up for work, for your family, or for yourself without feeling exhausted? What if, instead of dreading talking to your coworkers the night after an election or the big game, you actually felt equipped to place your relationship above your opinion?

When it feels impossible to deny the work-life tension, Carlos offers a better way. In a 3-part, story-filled journey, Carlos will take his audience from distracted, divided, and disconnected to engaged, curious, and re-envisioned. 

His philosophy? BE human– reconnect with yourself and regain your capacity to SEE humans who don’t think like you, look like you, believe like you, vote like you, etc. and FREE humans to walk alongside one another toward common goals despite differences.

You don’t have to choose burnout or avoidance. There’s a better way. A human way.

These feel like crazy times. We’re agitated, fighting, and wrestling with big issues. It can feel like we’re less connected than ever to one another and to God. It’s a perfect storm: debilitating anxiety, crashing relationships, and forgetting what it feels like to be human.

When it feels impossible to love our neighbor the way Christ commands, Carlos will help his audience shift from “me” to “we” to “everybody” in a three-part journey to be human, see fellow humans, and free those around us. 

Your community will walk away feeling inspired to help others, hope fiercely, and experience the thrill of being fully human. Carlos uses scripture to guide his audience toward a radical path of love– one that requires us to become builders rather than demolitionists. One that gets personal. One that moves toward others in faith rather than away in fear.

Life is made of moments. What are you doing to make the most of them? In Moment Maker, Carlos Whittaker teaches you how to make each moment count, so those moments add up to a deeply satisfying life that is rich with meaning and full of purpose.

Carlos shares powerful stories and examples from ordinary life and scripture that have formed his practical and meaningful game plan for living on purpose and with purpose. In this talk, he will guide you to:

* Increase awareness of your surroundings, the people you encounter, and the needs of others
* Recognize opportunities presented by the Holy Spirit and be encouraged to seize them
* Discover how to partner with God to create, receive, and rescue key moments in everyday life
* Unlock the satisfaction of living the abundant life Christ promises

All around you there are opportunities to meet a need, shift your focus, and begin healing. It is time to become a Moment Maker.

Life is made of moments. What are you doing to make the most of them? In Moment Maker, Carlos Whittaker teaches you how to make each moment count, so those moments add up to a life rich with meaning, deeply satisfying, and full of purpose.

Carlos shares powerful stories and examples from ordinary life that have formed his practical and meaningful game plan for living on purpose and with purpose. In these pages, he will guide you to:

• Increase awareness of your surroundings, the people you encounter, and the needs of others
• Recognize opportunities that present themselves and be encouraged to seize them
• Discover how to create, receive, and rescue key moments in everyday life
• Unlock the satisfaction of living to the full depth of your life's potential

All around you there are opportunities to meet a need, shift your focus, and begin healing. It is time to become a Moment Maker.

Many of us work hard to be a “better person.” We strive to live for Christ, only to get caught in a web of bad choices and destructive thought patterns.

In Kill the Spider, Carlos shares his journey of knocking out the deep rooted issues that were hurting his relationship with others and with God. Through humor and vulnerability, Carlos will help his audience do the same and walk away with the questions and resources they need to:

* Identify the hidden spiders that haunt them–the real causes behind worry, shame, or the struggle to receive God’s love
* Clean up the cobwebs of unhealthy coping mechanisms
* Kill the spider for good by trading lies for truth

When we replace false beliefs with God’s life-giving truths, we will discover a freedom like we’ve never known before. 

Many of us work hard to be a “better person,” only to get caught in a web of bad choices and destructive thought patterns.

In Kill the Spider, Carlos shares his journey of knocking out deep-rooted habits that were hurting his relationship with others and with himself. Through humor and vulnerability, Carlos will help your team do the same and walk away with the questions and resources they need to 

* Identify the hidden spiders that haunt them– the real causes behind worry, shame, addiction, isolation, etc.
* Clean up the cobwebs of unhealthy coping mechanisms
* Kill the spider for good by trading lies for truth

When we replace false beliefs about ourselves with honesty and truth, we will discover a freedom that allows us to show up for our friends, family, and colleagues like never before.
 

Is it possible to break free from a safe, boring faith and truly live the abundant life Jesus promises? YES! You are meant to receive the abundance God promises here and now. You are not meant to wait until heaven to experience His best. 

Even in the midst of our world’s traumas and trials, Carlos will help your community 
* learn how to lower the volume of life and truly hear God 
* experience what it means to speak God’s word over your life for real victory
* discover how to pray His promises instead of praying over the problems 

With his trademark blend of humor and transparency, Carlos will share his personal struggle in coping with crippling anxiety—and how rediscovering a wild faith was the key to his freedom. That key can be yours, helping you open the door to leave mild and enter wild. 

The Ranger servant-leadership model of “My Mission, My People, before Myself” is a mind set that is taught and lived by our decorated combat operators from the Special Operations community; Army Rangers and Special Forces commandos. The Battle of Mogadishu ( Blackhawk Down ) is still the most highly decorated single battle in the history of the United States Military. The stories of selfless service are an opportunity for each leader in the audience to evaluate their personal leadership style, how it affects others, the organization and the success of the mission.

There is no greater responsibility than to lead others. So please, take that responsibility seriously and learn to lead well. Being a transformational leader requires more of you than the transactional tasks of managing metrics and making decisions. Transformational leaders must also know how to provide the purpose, direction and inspiration required to accomplish any mission for the greater good. When you learn how to motivate others to work together, you will then inspire operating excellence. As we move through the battle we will use the story to define what it really means to lead others and discuss the ideal model of the transformational leader you want to become.

The Ranger motto is “Rangers Lead the Way”. Leadership is at the core of every skill developed as a Ranger. But they will never tell you leading others is dependent upon your rank the stripes on your sleeve, the position you have, or the title you hold. Leadership is the example we set for the people we serve. And we all serve somebody.

Keni Thomas’ stories of Task Force Ranger are extraordinary examples of leadership. And, the stories are not about Generals, Colonels or Captains. For example, Private David Floyd was in charge of one person that day - himself. But his leadership and example saved lives.
In the pace of life, it is easy to lose perspective on our value to others. Make no mistake: Your presence is crucial! The individuals to the left and right are directly affected by the result of your actions. Each team is a puzzle with invaluable pieces.

There is no greater responsibility than to lead others! When you raise your hand or assume a task, you have put on the “uniform”. This is a choice you have made. Duty follows that responsibility. It’s up to you to deliver because your actions directly affect those around you. Keni Thomas helps attendees see themselves in the light of extraordinary. Because people who believe they have something to offer, who believe they have what it takes, will be the ones to rise to the occasion and step up in difficult times. It is the ultimate definition of LEADING THE WAY...

KEY POINTS OF EMPHASIS:
Leadership
Training and planning will prepare the team for the mission. But, the mission’s execution hinges on leadership - every person at every level taking care of one another. General Garrison oversaw the entire package while Private David Floyd was responsible for himself, but each carried responsibility.
“Leadership is not a position...it is the example you set!”

Team Building
No-one in the world is better at team-building than US Special Operations forces! Special operations units like the Rangers operate globally in small teams and squad-sized elements. Since every job is dependent upon the other, and lives are on the line, it’s critical each member of a team understands their value to mission success. Enduring hardship together, builds trust and instills a unified sense of purpose. These are required necessities for creating an extraordinary team. Companies who understand this become important players.

Training
Tough, realistic training demands that every team member constantly seeks to improve. You will only be as good as you prepared yourself to be. Preparation will define your performance. “Train as You Fight Fight as You train”

Planning
It wasn’t raining when Noah built the arc! A well defined plan is essential to mission success. Rangers have a very deliberate process for planning. The 5Ws..Who, What, When, Where, Why help develop a mission statement and get everyone on the same page. “Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail”

Note: Keni Thomas ends his presentation with a song accompanied by his guitar.

How elite teams avoid miscommunication and create shared understanding in real time. This breakout uses a practical team exercise built around an anagram puzzle to deliver a powerful “ah-ha” moment.

"Just because we said it, doesn't mean they heard it" Keni Thomas

We explore the biggest threat to effective communication: the false assumption that being heard equals being understood. From the battlefield to the boardroom, clarity under pressure is one of the most vital—and most under-developed—skills a leader must master. The class draws on principles from special operations communication, including the Ranger Communication Process, and reinforces the idea that effective communication is not about volume or technology—it’s about shared understanding, intent, and action. Highly recommended: Add-on access to the My Communication online curriculum to ensure the training lasts beyond the room and becomes part of your culture.

Key Takeaways:
•    Understand when communication is actually effective—not just delivered
•    Learn the core communication process used by elite military teams
•    Experience the real-time breakdown between message and meaning
•    Leave with actionable tools to increase clarity, reduce silos, and build alignment
 

Debrief to win. Learn how to lead AARs effectively to build trust, accountability, and continuous improvement. You’ll gain a powerful tool for feedback that shifts culture and empowers high performance.

"Lessons learned are just lessons talked about if nothing changes" Keni Thomas

Key Takeaways:
•    The four must-have components of an effective AAR
•    How to utilize 'Sustain and Improve' to keep emotions in check
•    Transform meetings into high-trust, high-output feedback loops
•    Real examples from military and business leadership teams
 

Turn any team into a planning machine — even for a bank robbery. Use this fun, high-stakes scenario to learn how Rangers plan complex missions using TLPs and frameworks like METT-TC, OCOKA, and PACE.

"Don't Forget Nothin!" Rogers Rangers Standing Orders

Key Takeaways:
•    Master the 8-Step Troop Leading Procedures for team planning
•    Use METT-TC, OCOKA, and PACE to adapt under pressure
•    Practice leading under time constraints and uncertainty
 

Leading Through Change We Need You When it’s Hard. A four-part series on leadership and team building. 1. LEADING EFFECTIVELY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES Leading through uncertainty. -Troop leading procedures to get people unstuck. Get us out of here. -How to lead the way out of uncertainty. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. -How to be part of the solution. 2. MISSION PLANNING and PREPAREDNESS
 How to solve your worst case scenario. -Using the military decision making process to create the best course of action. The enemy gets a vote. -How to rapidly adapt to the unexpected. It is better to have and not need than to need and not have. -How to prepare your team for the worst. Train as you fight. Fight as you train. -You will only be as good as you prepared yourself to be. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. -How to eliminate mistakes and move with a purpose. 3. TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER No one takes the hill alone. -How to instill a sense of purpose in your team. Set the example for others to follow. -Living the servant-leadership model. We are only as good as our weakest link. -Understanding your value to the team. False-motivation is better than no motivation. -Why you must keep the belly-aching to a minimum. 4. EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUALS We need a hero. We need you. -It’s your story. Who do you want to be? Someone should do something about that. -Who will you be when everyone else is pointing a finger? If you say something enough, you will believe it. -How to live up to your potential. What are we fighting for? -Discovering your “AH-HAH!” moment.

The single biggest problem in communication is assuming it happened. The ability of a team, a squad, or any military unit to communicate quickly and accurately with each other is a critical battlefield necessity, perhaps second only to military strength. Effective communication enables a leader to efficiently disseminate information so their intent is clearly understood. This enables all involved to understand their role in the mission with clear expectations. In other words, the ability to communicate clearly—to get your intent and ideas across so others understand your message and act on it—is one of the primary qualities of a good leader.

The Army Field Manual for Leader Development states
“Leaders communicate by clearly expressing ideas and actively listening to others. By understanding the nature and importance of communication and practicing effective communication techniques, leaders will relate better to others and be able to translate goals into actions”

Being heard is not necessarily being understood. There are thousands of leadership books on the shelves describing what leaders should be, know and do. However, they give little attention to the importance of effective communication and what that really means. We are drowning in communications tools, and the victim is good leadership. PowerPoint, video conferencing, e-mail, social media, are great tools, but they are no substitute for clarity. Research shows all these advances in communication capacity are actually having a negative effect on message clarity. Fortunately, the solution is remarkably simple: acknowledge the importance of effective communication and integrate the teaching of good communication skills.

This class will be a fun practical exercise to help illustrate the biggest problem in effective communication which is assuming it happened. Just because we said it, doesn't mean they heard it! Communications are effective when the recipient of your message, whether by listening or reading, understands the meaning intended by you the speaker or writer. Good communication is simple and direct, sometimes intensified by emotion, but never confusing.

Class Objectives
- Understand the importance of effective communication
- Explain the Communication Process
- Know when effective communication occurs
- Experience the “ah hah!” moment when discovering what you said is not necessarily
what they heard

Special Op training is based on this principle: You are only as good as your preparation. When the entire team embraces this philosophy, the standard is high, and the hard work is done in advance of the moment. While perfection is not attainable, it is always the goal! Tough, realistic training scenarios provide confidence in your training. The day the team is called to “Get it On”, the unit is prepared and ready. The Boy Scouts are right - Be Prepared! For those in assigned leadership, confidence in your team’s execution and abilities is built through training. General Patton once stated, “The single most important characteristic in a great soldier is self-confidence.” Self-confidence is based upon trust, and trust must be gained by situational proof. Keni Thomas’ stories of Task Force Ranger are extraordinary examples of leadership and training. 19 Americans died and 78 were wounded in one of the worst urban combat situation since WWII. Without training and leadership, many more American lives would be lost.

KEY POINTS OF EMPHASIS:

Training

Tough, realistic training is a must. Every team member must constantly seek improvement. It is an individual and team responsibility to develop the skills needed for duty. “Train as You Fight Fight as You train”

Planning

Great planning is the cure for complacency. Situational planning and awareness are a hallmark of the Rangers. “ Fail to plan, Plan on Failing.”

Leadership

Training and Planning are paramount to success, but execution comes from leadership. But, leadership is in the hands of EACH team member. “Leadership is not a position. It is the example you set” Note: Keni Thomas ends his presentation with a song accompanied by his guitar.

My Mission, My People, Myself

The Downrange Advanced Leadership school is an outdoor three day, intensive leadership and team-building experience. At Downrange we believe the most important responsibility a person can be given is to lead others. Leadership is the example we set for the people we serve. And we all serve somebody.

The Downrange servant-leadership model of “My people and My Mission, before Myself,” is a mindset that is taught and lived by our decorated combat operators from the Special Operations community; Army Rangers and Special Forces commandos. We employ the ranger-school doctrine of teaching small unit troop-leading procedures in a highly challenging outdoor tactical environment.

Downrange is a transformational opportunity for your team to train side by side with special operators and become the type of leaders men and women will want to follow! If you think you are ready to take on that challenge then come train with us. You can discover everything you need to know about this one-of-a-kind experience by visiting the new web site. www.downrangers.com

Most of us want to make a difference in this world. We want to know at the end of the day, that we matter, that we counted for something. Just like the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States military, the educators and teachers of America need not worry about that. But in a world where you are seldom thanked and your actions go unrecognized, we struggle with our sense of worth. The truth is, it’s easy to lose perspective on just how much we matter to those around us.

How do I matter? How will I count? How will I make a difference? My friends, these are easy questions to answer if all you do is lead and lead by example. Because when you set an example for others to follow, those around you take notice. I promise you they do. Whether they tell you or not, they are watching. You lead, they will follow, and the team around you becomes stronger. Thus, you have made a difference and have changed a life. The Army manual on Military Leadership FM-22-100 has a simple definition for leadership, “the process of influencing others to accomplish the mission by providing purpose, direction and motivation.” It is a simple explanation, but exactly how you go about providing the purpose, direction, and motivation necessary to influence others is a topic that can fill thousands of books and millions of pages.

I’m certainly not here to give you another lesson on how to be a better leader. I just want you to be one. While the definition may be easy, the hard work of leading is not. You will be called upon on a daily basis to rise above yourself and do what others can not do for you. Your character will be tested. You will feel the burden of leadership that comes with the job of educating a nation. I realize that most of us do not actually hold a position of leadership. But notice at no point does the definition of leadership say anything about, rank, seniority, status, tenure, hierarchy, pay-grade, pecking order, totem poles, or ducks in a row.

Remember it’s never the title or the position that defines a great leader. It is the example you set. Oz never gave anything to the Scarecrow he didn’t already have. My time in the military with the Ranger Regiment helped instill in me the daily commitment to leading by example and the absolute value of the person on your left and the person on your right. You are that person. People are counting on you. When you set an example for others to follow, the people around you take notice. Whether they tell you or not, they are watching and they become stronger because of your positivity. And that’s how you make a difference. So please, never sell yourself short and think you are just an “ordinary” individual. “Oh I’m just a school teacher” or “I only work in the front office”.

You are anything but ordinary. Out of the billions of people on this planet, there is no one else like you. You are one-of-a-kind. God created you as a unique individual, armed and equipped with special gifts to be used for the greater good of you and those around you. Take those skills, commit yourself to constantly improving them, and go out there and LEAD THE WAY!

“Wars may be fought with weapons. But they are won by men” (General George Patton)

“There is no greater responsibility than to lead others”

Leadership Practices and Decision Making

This one day course is all about the how-to’s of leading by example and developing your leadership style. Whatever your chosen profession or calling, you are being counted on. There is always someone to your left and your right and they are watching. How will you get them to accomplish what you need accomplished? If you are a person in a position to influence others, and especially if you are in charge of people, this seminar is for you. This is an opportunity to explore different techniques and evaluate your personal leadership practices. Led by retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Tom Di Tomasso, you will benefit from first-hand accounts of lessons learned about leading people under fire and in high-stress environments. Tom draws from his extensive experience as a special operations leader including the intense fighting in the streets of Mogadishu, (Black Hawk Down) and the war on terrorism where he planned and conducted high-risk raids into the heart of enemy strongholds in the most remote corners of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The full-day course includes hands-on instruction in several areas: -

Leadership 101: What it Means to Lead the Way

So now you are in charge. What does that mean? What is the difference between Leadership and Management? Why is it important? What is a good Leadership model to follow... and more.

Leadership Practices, Gaining Trust and instilling confidence.

In order for people to believe and trust in you as a leader, they have to have confidence in you. TRUST must be gained. It cannot be issued. Leadership Practices will give you tangible skills that you need to earn trust and instill confidence in others. When you are confident. They are confident and the team becomes stronger.

Introduction to the Decision

Making Process We will introduce you to the Decision Making Process, and most importantly, Problem Analysis, the first step in the Decision Making Process. We will talk about Deliberate planning versus Hasty Planning and how they are different. We will give you the tools to conduct Hasty Planning in your environment.

Practical Exercise

Putting your new skills to use, we will break into groups of 4-5 and conduct a practical exercise using the tools we discussed in the Decision Making Process. Together, we plan a mission and react accordingly as the situation changes. Groups will brief their products at the end of the class.

Keni is also available musically for your social gathering, conference send-off or attendee receptions. Wether you are looking for a high-energy full band show, or a more intimate acoustic performance, Keni and his band Cornbread are a fantastic way to entertain your people while continuing Keni’s message of positivity. Musicians and back line can be adjusted according to the feel and needs of your event.

Keni Thomas is an award-winning country music recording artist and songwriter in Nashville. He and his band Cornbread were featured in the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" and his music can be heard on country stations nationwide. He has sung the National Anthem for Game One of the World Series and continues to serve our troops with regular tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. As an entertainer, Keni has been recognized by Congress, the White House and was inducted into the VFW Hall of Fame for his dedicated work on behalf of our military and their families.

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying who will go for us and whom shall I send? And I answered, "here am I Lord, send me".