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About
Joe Roberts embodies the power of possibility. Celebrated in national media as the “Skid Row CEO,” his astounding transformation from substance abuse and homelessness to leading executive has inspired countless audiences to believe in their own unlimited potential and create deep-rooted change in their lives and organizations.
Joe has authored four books, and his story and work have been featured in prominent media outlets such as Forbes, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, CBC, and CTV. As founder of the Push for Change campaign, Joe raised awareness and funds for homeless youth by walking the entire width of North America (that’s 35,000 steps every day for 17 months). The campaign earned him numerous accolades and, more importantly, improved federal programs for vulnerable children.
People who hear Joe speak regularly describe him as “the most inspirational speaker I’ve ever seen!” His keynotes are life-changing experiences that profoundly impact his audiences. Connecting deeply to his lived experience and hard-earned lessons, they leave empowered to re-evaluate their perspective on challenges, unlock their unlimited potential, and create positive change in their lives, communities, and organizations.
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Video Clips
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Topics
From Skid Row to CEO: Building resilience one step at a time
In this empowering keynote, Joe teaches audiences how to build the resiliency needed to succeed in the face of adversity and change by taking small, attainable steps. Sharing the story of his catastrophic failure and extraordinary success, Joe inspires audiences to see beyond their perceived limitations to overcome life’s challenges and embrace change.This keynote is ideal for anyone who is:
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Trying to adapt to significant change or disruption
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Disconnected from their purpose and passion and showing signs of burnout or underperformance
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Feeling stuck or holding onto limiting beliefs and a negative outlook
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Struggling to see their potential and ability to accomplish anything!
The audience will leave with:
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Actionable insights on building personal resilience no matter what challenge or change they are facing
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A greater understanding of the cumulative impact of small, consistent actions and the motivation to take the first step
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Renewed interest and focus in their work as they reconnect to their purpose and passion
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Tools for reframing a limiting mindset so they can see the possibilities in themselves and the world around them
The Push for Change: How to lead, inspire, and engage on purpose
Pushing a shopping cart 9,064km across Canada may sound impossible, but amazing things happen when passion aligns with purpose! Joe shares lessons learned from The Push for Change, a 17-month walk across Canada to support the end of youth homelessness. As audiences follow along with his journey, they‘ll learn practical insights for developing a purpose-driven leadership that inspires and engages others.
This program is perfect for any audience who wants to lead well but is:
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One of the 4 in 5 people that aren’t playing to their strengths in the workplace
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Unsure how to handle the issues they’re facing with their teams, such as decreased productivity, increased sick days, unmotivated staff, and internal strife and tensions
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Struggling with apathy, disengagement, and underperformance, due to burnout-out or a disconnect from their purpose and passion
The audience will leave with:
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Tools they can immediately use to overcome adversity and reframe a limiting mindset
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The ability to tackle big projects and stay focused by tapping into their deeper sense of purpose-driven leadership
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Three core things that get people and teams fired up so they can achieve literally anything!
There’s More to You Than You Can See: Collapsing mental health stigma
In this eye-opening keynote, Joe shares the critical role family and community support played in helping him overcome a lifelong struggle with substance use disorder and mental illness. Through the lens of his incredible transformation, audiences will be reminded that every person, including themselves, has enormous potential and will leave inspired to create safe spaces for others to learn, grow, and change.
This program is perfect for leaders and teams who are:
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Seeing a rapid rise in sick leave, burnout, suicide, PTSD, substance use disorder, and depression in their organization
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Experiencing productivity decreases, increased sick days, quiet quitting, unmotivated staff, high turnover, or internal strife and tensions
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Needing to build empathy-based leadership and a psychologically safe work environment
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Unaware or unconcerned about the stigma and issues surrounding mental health, addiction, and suicide
The audience will leave with:
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The motivation and tools to develop empathy centered leadership and see the possibilities in everyone they meet
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Simple steps anyone can take to create a safe space where people are seen and heard
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Practical techniques for supporting the person AND challenging the behavior, including tools for conducting “Tough Stuff” Mental Health Conversations
Safety – It’s About the Little Things: Leading and inspiring a culture of safety
In this keynote, Joe explores the connection between mental safety and physical safety and shares how anyone can connect their personal purpose to safer behavior. As Joe walks the audience through his first poor choice and how it led to a journey of degradation and despair, they will understand why people make unsafe decisions and how they can intentionally build physically and mentally safer workplaces with every small decision.
This presentation is perfect for safety leaders and teams who are:
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Unaware of the significant impact mental health can have on job performance and safety
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Lacking a safe and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health
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Struggling to pay attention to the little things, leading to potentially costly mistakes
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Unsure how they can build a culture of empathy where people feel seen, heard, and safe enough to address potential safety issues
The audience will leave with:
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A deeper understanding of why the little things matter so much and the motivation to make every small choice a good one
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A greater appreciation for the importance of advocating for prevention, even if it means having a tough conversation
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Tools for creating a safe space where people are not only seen and heard but also supported in their struggles
To Protect and Serve: The life-changing potential of every interaction
In this inspiring keynote, Joe Roberts highlights the life-changing impact first responders can have in every interaction through his own remarkable story. What was a typical distress call for Constable Scott MacLeod (another man with a gun threatening suicide) became a moment that changed Joe’s life forever. Joe’s story reminds first responders of the power of every interaction and the deep impact they have, but don’t always see, on their communities.
This keynote is perfect for any first responder who is:
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Feeling underappreciated under the weight of public hostility, negative headlines, and the growing anti-police movements
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Needing a reminder of the good work being done every day in their millions of positive interactions
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Struggling to see the potential in the people they support and serve because of burnout, frustration, or unrecognized bias and stigma
The audience will leave with:
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A feeling of being honored and appreciated for their work
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A powerful reminder of their ability to make a difference in their community through a real-life example
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A rededication and commitment to purpose and passion and tools for staying inspired and motivated despite external factors
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Greater empathy and respect for the potential of those who struggle with mental health or addiction
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Testimonials
4 people have recommended this speaker
“Joe you were the perfect closing keynote speaker for our conference. People left inspired and excited about the year ahead. Your authentic message was relevant and well timed given the challenges we face. You gave people hope and tools they can apply immediately. Participants kept telling us you were the best speaker we have ever had!”
“In my 30-year career in agriculture, I've heard thousands of speakers at farming conferences and industry meetings, but none have captured my attention like Joe Roberts. His authentic storytelling about addiction and recovery resonated deeply with my own experiences in our farming community. His brilliant analogy of the 'feeling brain versus thinking brain' and message about embracing possibilities was truly inspiring, particularly for those of us facing the unique challenges of agricultural life. His impact as a speaker is extraordinary and especially relevant to our agricultural industry where mental health support is so vital”
“Joe Roberts delivered a keynote that profoundly impacted our agricultural community. His powerful story of transformation resonated deeply with our farmers, ranchers, and ag business leaders. In an industry where resilience is part of our DNA, Joe's message of hope and perseverance struck a meaningful chord. His authentic approach to addressing challenges provided our members with practical tools for both personal and professional growth. What sets Joe apart is his ability to connect his journey to the unique pressures of agricultural life. If you're looking for a keynote speaker who can genuinely move and motivate an agricultural audience, Joe Roberts delivers Possibility!”
“He tweaked the speech to make it even more relevant to our audience; the result was a captivating keynote that triggered strong emotional reactions, that I will personally remember as one of the most inspiring speeches I have heard in my career, and that will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our teams.”
“In my 30-year career in agriculture, I've heard thousands of speakers at farming conferences and industry meetings, but none have captured my attention like Joe Roberts. His authentic storytelling about addiction and recovery resonated deeply with my own experiences in our farming community. His brilliant analogy of the 'feeling brain versus thinking brain' and message about embracing possibilities was truly inspiring, particularly for those of us facing the unique challenges of agricultural life. His impact as a speaker is extraordinary and especially relevant to our agricultural industry where mental health support is so vital”