Marty Wilson
Change and Resilience Speaker
Marty is a lively speaker who talks enthusiastically on the topics of change and resilience.
He would say his expertise arises from a professional life studying it. Partly because he was a full-time Stand-up Comic for 8 years in the UK (and nobody knows how to bounce back from adversity like an Aussie Comic performing to the Brits!). And partly because he is a relentless entrepreneur who has leapt from one successful career to another.
However, Marty isn’t just a great comic speaker, he has also developed a systematic process in order to teach people how to use humour to short-circuit their inbuilt fears and anxieties about change and sales. This leaves them able to think more clearly, stay solution focused and perform at their best.
BIOGRAPHY
If change is a type of currency, Marty Wilson has been very greedy, as his enthusiasm for breaking new ground has led to him follow his dreams and successfully launch into a number of industries.
Marty was a Pharmacist who threw away the white coat to become an Award winning copywriter, working on blue chip accounts like Coke, the NRL and launching Aussie Home Loans. He then decided to chop off his pony tail and began a comedy career full of amazing milestones. In 12 months he went from debut open mike to appearing on The Footy Show; on the way winning the prestigious Green Faces in Canberra – the only national competition judged by audience vote. Then he followed a gorgeous English nurse to the UK where he worked as a headlining artist at all the leading British and Irish comedy clubs, including The Comedy Store, The Gleeclub and Jongleurs. He appeared at the Melbourne and Edinburgh Festivals, and even at the Virgin Rock Festival in London, and appeared every in major comedy showcase in the UK; including Live at Jongleurs and The Comedy Store Live.
After marrying Allie, the aforementioned English Rose, and becoming a dad Marty moved back to Australia to become a writer and speaker. He is now the best-selling author of 18 books, writes for Reader’s Digest, the Sydney Morning Herald and a dozen magazines, and regularly appears on Sunrise. He also has a children’s book coming out called “What do you want, the truth or a good story?”
Marty’s life experience, plus his interviews with over 1000 inspirational people for his book series, has given him a unique capacity to notice some profound truths buried in the even the humblest life story; and just as importantly, the skills to pass that wisdom on with integrity, empathy and great big slabs of gut-busting humour.
Carefully weaving transformational content into comic stories to make sure your audience learns but has a great time doing so, Marty teaches delegates how to use humour to short-circuit their inbuilt fears and anxieties about change and sales. His keynotes and workshops are crammed full of scientific knowledge and takeaway tips and strategies – all wrapped up in countless hilarious stories – so your people can enthusiastic leap into the two biggest stressors of business in a less painful, far more productive way.
Australian based but a frequent traveller to UK & Europe.
TOPICS
Topics
Marty can give keynotes or arrange workshops on the following topics…
CHANGE WITHOUT FEAR
The Science of Managing Stress and Conquering Your Fear of Change
A huge proportion of people are absolutely terrified of change and will use every ounce of strength they have to fight it or avoid it (the good old fight or flight). You need to understand why, and how you can hold their hand through their terror. Marty shares his vast knowledge of all the rigorous scientific evidence that proves the best way to short-circuit fear and get your people to open up to new ideas is to use large doses of humour.
Marty reveals:
– How being scared actually changes which part of our brain does the thinking, and how this blocks our ability to listen, particularly to ideas that involve remembering new steps and processes.
– Why the best change management models often fail because they ignore the fact that they’re being implemented by human beings with thoughts, fears and emotions.
– The psychological reasons why laughter banishes anxiety and can help replace fear by bringing things into perspective
– 3 pieces of rigorous scientific research which proves that ‘staying light’ and keeping your sense of humour are absolutely essential for problem solving in times of high stress
– How extreme workplaces – like Hospital Emergency Departments – actively encourage humour to manage stress and reduce overwhelm
– Strategies stand-up comics use to manage fear before a gig, and how you can use them overcome the ‘fight or flight’ response – which is huge in times of change
– Why you have to deal with the fear in your people BEFORE you can expect them to embrace new systems, structures and methods
– The huge ROI businesses get by giving employees time to look after their health and wellbeing through times of change
HEALTHY RESILIENCE, HEALTHY PROFITS
Are your people overworked and overwhelmed? Is performance dropping, absenteeism on the rise, and disengagement becoming the norm? Or do your people just need to feel a bit of TLC and be given some simple strategies to improve their work/life balance?
Marty is a third generation Pharmacist who, along with his Accident & Emergency Nurse wife, Allie, founded Wellbeing for Nurses Magazine and created the Happy Healthy Nurse training program which services an online community of 60,000 nurses worldwide.
Marty is also the author of several bestselling books on health & resilience including:
What I Wish I Knew about Health & Fitness – with Fitness First
What I Wish I Knew about Cancer – with Tour de Cure
What I Wish I Knew about Depression with the Black Dog Institute
Marty’s programs aren’t a boring medical lecture telling you what you’re doing wrong. His tools and strategies are delivered along with mountains of humorous stories. He gives three or four tablespoons of sugar to help the medicine go down…
– Work Isn’t Meant to Be a Holiday – The Difference Between Working Hard and Burning Out
– Face Your Problems, Don’t Facebook Your Problems
– Stop Treating Your Body Like It’s A Rental Car.
– How To Set Health Goals You Can Actually Keep
– If you want to get healthier – in fact, achieve anything – you will have to set some goals. Yet almost none of us have learned the scientific basics of goal setting. In 14 minutes Marty will run through 7 revolutionary new ways psychologists have discovered about setting goals that maximize your chances of success.
– The Seven Psychologies Of Resilience
Questions For Leaders To Keep The Team Going On The Inevitable Bad Days
– When it really is hitting the fan, here are seven questions that open up psychologically proven ways to build resilient thinking.
WHAT I WISH I KNEW ABOUT SUCCESS
1000 Inspirational Interviews in One Hilarious Hour
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice for how to live an extraordinary life, what would it be?
What’s important? What’s not? What are the things that really matter?
When you think about the distilled wisdom 1000 people, that’s over 20,000 years of life experience condensed into one hilarious and fascinating hour.
While writing the 11 editions (and counting) of his bestselling What I Wish I Knew book series, Marty Wilson has interviewed over 1000 inspirational people of all ages and from all backgrounds, and asked them to pass on the secrets of their success. From footy coach Wayne Bennett to a Buddhist Nun who works with prisoners on death row in L.A., from Comic Anh Do to a mother of eleven children, from a 911 survivor to Chef Maggie Beer.
Marty’s hilarious keynote is the perfect way to start your event and get your people out of ‘work mode’ and open them up to learning new things.
In this hysterical and deeply inspirational keynote, Marty reveals…
– the 7 secret strategies that his What I Wish I Knew interviewees say are the key to succeeding in business and in life
– 3 tips that increase your ability to handle the tough times we all go through, and one of them is so easy you’ll be able to flick the switch in minutes
– 5 hilarious stories that show how vital it is for leaders in business to embrace mentoring
– How to build an internal core of values and beliefs that is untouched by outside events
– Trying things that are new is the path towards a full and meaningful life – if life has a flavour, it’s not ham & pineapple
This can work as an Opening or Closing Keynote or After Dinner Speech
TESTIMONIALS
“There are two types of speakers: those who have well-researched, actionable content that has a lasting impact on your people, and those who are incredibly motivating & entertaining. With Marty Wilson you get both. He inspired everyone at our event with some deeply challenging, well thought through strategies for how to stay resilient in the face of relentless change, and he had us in stitches for an hour. I’d strongly recommend Marty for any conference where you want to educate, motivate and give your people a great time.”
Vice President, Retail & B2B, American Express
“In today’s fast paced world where the only constant is change, every organisation needs some time with Marty Wilson. He has a mountain of deeply thoughtful, thoroughly researched content that will help your people lose their fear of change. While he is totally hilarious, humour is just one of the many tools he uses to teach new ways of thinking and feeling about being out of your comfort zone.
Marty has that unique ability to combine meaningful insights with a delivery style that challenges individuals thinking and at the same time have the room in stitches of laughter. A rare gift. I thoroughly recommend Marty to any corporate event where you are looking for fun and well researched meaning behind what you do for a living.”
Head of Global Services, Westpac.
“While Marty Wilson is a seriously funny guy, he is also a truly dynamic and thought provoking speaker. His content is thoroughly researched and built upon sharing through the lives of many, which really sets him apart from all other speakers.”
Commercial Lead – Global Brands, Pfizer Australia
“The light hearted yet thoughtful approach was the highlight of the conference. We are delighted with the extremely positive feedback we have had.”
CEO, Royal College of Nurses Australia.
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