Speaker | Author Patrick Schwerdtfeger

Keynote Motivational Speaker on Innovation and Technology

May 162013

Conference TEDx Speaker on Business Innovation

Patrick Schwerdtfeger is a keynote speaker and leading authority on global business trends including ‘Big Data’, the Millennial Generation and the Social Media Revolution, and these trends are all drivers of innovation for corporations. Innovation isn’t about adjustment, advancement or improvement. It’s about reinvention, rebellion and revolution. True innovation is core change. It shakes the basic assumptions underneath entire business models and entire industries. The best example might be the transformation from electronic typewriters to modern day computers. It didn’t matter how much your improved your typewriters, the advent of computers annihilated the market.

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Technology and Innovation: Keynote Speech

True innovation is almost always a function of technology, so staying abreast of technological trends is key to survival. But the goal isn’t just to survive. It’s to thrive. And those who thrive are those who lead the technological change. They are the ones revolutionizing industries. They’re the ones annihilating existing business models. And what does that require? Failure. Those who thrive are always those who risk failure to introduce new products and services. Failure is essential to process of innovation. Thomas Watson, Sr., once said “if you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.”

Accepting failure as part of the innovation process sounds easy but is, in fact, very difficult for most executives to stomach, especially public companies. The trick is to ‘manage’ the inevitability of failure. The BBC created a ‘gambling fund’ for those project ideas which failed the normal screening process, and “The Office” was one of the first failed ideas to qualify. It ended up becoming one of their top grossing shows. The ‘gambling fund’ allowed BBC executives to take risks while limiting the downside. It allowed them to budget for the risk of failure, and that allowed them to innovate and thrive.

Business Speaker on Technology and Innovation

Patrick Schwerdtfeger is the author of the award-winning book “Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed” (2011, Wiley) and a regular speaker for Bloomberg TV. He spoke at TEDx Sacramento in August 2012 and was asked to come back in June 2013. He has spoken about global business trends at conferences and business events across the United States and Canada as well as destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. So if you’re looking for a dynamic business speaker on technology and innovation, please click the button below to check availability for your event date.

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Keynote TEDx Speaker on the Middle East Muslim World

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May 102013

Conference Speaker on Western Relations with the Muslim World

Patrick Schwerdtfeger is a keynote speaker and leading authority on global business trends including demographic shifts and emerging economies around the world. He has spoken in the Middle East on various occasions and has made a number of videos about Islam and the War on Terror, all designed to explain Muslim realities to Western viewers. Patrick is passionate about understanding the world from the Muslim perspective and strives to help explain that perspective to Western audiences, but the reverse is also true. Muslim audiences will benefit from Patrick’s cultural understanding and balanced approach (described in more detail below).

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Keynote Speech: Geopolitical Issues in the Muslim World

The Muslim World is mired in a religious disconnect between Islam and capitalism. Although Western nations like to refer to it as “the free market system”, the reality is that capitalism (including greed, profit maximization and sex-based marketing) goes against many of the covenants in Sharia Law. Conservative Islamic clerics do not want democracy in their countries because they know that democracy will vote in increasingly liberal policies over time. Instead, Sharia Law draws a line in the sand and would never allow public opinion to erode those values.

The problem is that the internet is bringing the cultural differences around the world much closer together. People in Muslim countries are being confronted with Western lifestyles every time they visit Facebook or Twitter. Indeed, the “Arab Spring” has been fueled significantly by social media platforms. To make matters worse, economic development across the region (and particularly in GCC countries) is bringing Western business practices along with it and it’s getting increasingly difficult for religious institutions to resist those trends.

Many Muslim clerics point to Western values as being the root of all the world’s problems. Greed fuels corruption, both domestically and abroad. Democracy erodes cultural values over time. Capitalism gives power to the most selfish among us. And this doesn’t even touch on the Muslim fury over Israeli settlements, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen. Indeed, there are a host of issues on the table but despite them all, Western values are filtering in on all sides.

Business Speaker on Islamic Countries in the Muslim World

Governments in Islamic countries need to find a balance between their Muslim religious foundation and the Western systems that have proven so successful for business and economic development. Some modernization is inevitable for Islamic societies but their core Muslim values can still be maintained in other ways. What is the definition of modern technology-savvy Muslims? The answer to that question will guide policy decisions is Islamic countries. As a keynote speaker, Patrick will focus on the current realities and frustrations in the Muslim World as well as the global trends shifting the social landscape.

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Motivational Quotes and Inspirational Quotes

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May 052013

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Patrick Schwerdtfeger maintains a video blog entitled Strategic Business Insights and you can watch past episodes (and subscribe to be notified of future ones) by clicking the button below.

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As a professional keynote speaker, I come across a lot of motivational and inspiration quotes. Here is a list of my personal favorites. Enjoy!

We are what we repeatedly do.

Aristotle

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

Mark Twain

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

Helen Keller

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Chinese Proverb

You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Zig Ziglar

The road on the extra mile is never crowded.

Brian Bartes

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Susan Jeffers

Nobody can judge effort because effort is between you and you.

Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens

Failure is not the worst thing in the world. The very worst is not to try.

Unknown Author

If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.

Thomas Edison

If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.

Thomas Watson, Sr.

Fall seven times, stand up eight.

Japanese Proverb

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

Henry Ford

The stars are constantly shining, but often we do not see them until the dark hours.

Earl Riney

Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

It’s a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.

Robert Strauss

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in ever difficulty.

Winston Churchill

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Wayne Gretzky

Do, or do not. There is no try.

Yoda, Starwars

They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Carl W. Buechner

People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Zig Ziglar

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Chinese Proverb

Life is a journey, not a destination.

Unknown Author

Special thanks to Brian Bartes from LifeExcellence, a success coach I met in Livonia, Michigan. He gave me a copy of his book entitled “Treasury of Quotes” and many of the quotes above were taken from there.

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Keynote Speaker on the Millennial Generation (Gen Y)

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May 052013

Conference TEDx Speaker on the Millennial Generation

Patrick Schwerdtfeger is a keynote speaker and leading authority on global business trends, and the emerging Millennial Generation factors heavily within them. The Millennial Generation (also referred to as Generation Y or the Echo Baby Boom because they are essentially the children of the original Baby Boom Generation) is comprised of some 80 million people in the United States, all born between 1977 and 1995. So in 2012, they were between 17 and 35 years old and already accounted for over 30% of the national workforce. That means they’re not just on their way. They’re already here! And businesses need to understand their priorities, both as customers and employees, if they wish to thrive.

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Strategic Business Insights

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Millennial Generation Definition: Keynote Speech

The Millennial Generation has very different priorities than their Baby Boomer parents. Baby Boomers are fiercely independent. They like to compete. The Millennials seek collaboration. They travel in tribes. And with today’s increasingly social internet, many Millennials have become “content creators” and “publishers” online. Many are “influencers” on social media and have impressive followings. That means marketers have to stop thinking about “target markets” and start thinking about “target tribes” and including influencers in their marketing campaigns. Because if you piss off just one influencer, you can lose the entire tribe as a result.

Millennials aren’t motivated by money the same way their parents are. In fact, it doesn’t even rank in the top 5. Millennials want a healthy work/life balance, they want to contribute to a greater cause, they want to work with friends and they want to learn and grow throughout their lives. Companies can cater to these priorities, if they only knew about them in the first place! Millennials want recognition and progress. That means HR departments need to introduce “mini promotions” so employees experience steady advancement in their careers. These are simple things that can dramatically increase productivity and reduce turnover, and that equates to increased revenue and profits as well.

Business Speaker on Millennials at Work

Patrick Schwerdtfeger is not a Millennial himself. He was born in 1971 making him part of the much smaller Generation X. But that also makes him the perfect speaker on the Millennial Generation topic. Most leadership positions in corporate America are held by Baby Boomers while most of their younger workers are Millennials. Patrick sits right between those two generations and can explain their priorities and give productive business advice in a candid and unthreatening fashion. He’s the author of the award-winning book “Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed” (2011, Wiley) and a regular speaker for Bloomberg TV. So if you’re looking for a dynamic speaker on the Millennial Generation, click the button below to check availability.

Contact Patrick today!

Keynote Speaker on Big Data (Hadoop & MapReduce)

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Jan 142013

Conference TEDx Speaker on “Big Data”

Patrick Schwerdtfeger is a leading authority on global business trends including “big data” and the challenges and opportunities of massive data management and analytics. More and more devices are monitoring more and more activities, resulting in unprecedented quantities of data as well as the insights and opportunities hidden inside it. The trick is to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) to reveal actionable insights. Patrick is the author of the award-winning book Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed (2011, Wiley) and a regular speaker for Bloomberg TV. He has spoken at conventions and business events around the world. His approach to the data analytics topic is strategic and empowering. And since “big data” discussions tend to be dry and technical, Patrick’s dynamic and engaging speaking style make him a perfect selection to end your conference on a high note.

Videos Programs Contact

Visit Patrick’s video blog and subscribe to be notified of future videos by clicking the button below.

Strategic Business Insights

Past clients include …

Recent speaking destinations include …

Contact Patrick today!

Big Data and Analytics Keynote Speech

Patrick begins his Big Data keynote program with the primary players involved. Aerospace, utilities, eGovernment initiatives, healthcare and financial institutions are all accumulating incredible amounts of data. The problem is that they don’t know how to organize it, process it or analyze it. In some cases, due to the magnitude of data involved, it takes networks of thousands of servers to run simple filters and queries (using technologies like Hadoop and MapReduce). The resulting challenge has led to entirely new educational specialties and professional occupations including data scientists and data engineers. These professionals specialize in the structuring and analysis of massive data sets.

Once the evolving trends has been introduced, Patrick’s keynote shifts to the opportunities. Algorithms are the future. The accumulation of data is step #1. Identifying patterns and opportunities (analytics) is step #2. The final step is to create algorithms that deliver actionable insights, as services, to customers and prospects. There are countless examples of this including automated stock market timing, arbitrage trading, medical diagnostics and pharmaceutical procurement, weather models, internet search engines, kidney transplant networks and even sports journalism. Algorithms are the final link between big data and revenue.

To what extent is big data a reality in any particular field? Where are the opportunities? What are the technical requirements? And how can you identify and test theories efficiently? Depending on the audience, this might include innovations in data center technology, strategies for database management, identification of key performance indicators or the recruitment of data engineers and scientists. Regardless of the implications, Patrick strives to present an empowering angle for event attendees.

The Future of Big Data

Data storage and processing power continue to accelerate. Much of the current innovation revolves around parallel processing facilitated by Hadoop and MapReduce. As such, the term “big data” will refer to increasingly massive data sets as time goes on. Databases that seem unmanageable today will be commonplace tomorrow, and data storage companies like EMC continue to expand capacity along the way. But at any one point, the organizations that are able to effectively analyze their data will be the first to exploit new opportunities via analytics and algorithms. As consumers, we can expect increasingly intuitive product or service offerings as businesses better understand what factors influencing purchase decisions.

Because of the surging demand for Big Data expertise, Patrick has created a small website dedicated to that topic. You’re welcome to visit that website by clicking here.

Contact Patrick today!

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