Talks That Get People
Laughing,
Then Thinking
Keynotes and workshops on failure, perfectionism, and engagement, built on 30 years in professional clowning, comedy, and corporate training. For audiences from 50 to 5,000.
In 2023 I delivered a keynote to 5,000 Toastmasters members at their international convention in the Bahamas. The book signing line afterward ran two hours.
I don't say that to brag. I say it because I know what it feels like when a talk actually works — when people leave with something specific they can use, not just a feeling that was nice. That's what I try to build every time.
My talks tend to involve clowns, failure, banana-spit juggling, and research citations. Sometimes all four in the same story. The audience response is usually some combination of laughter and recognition — which is, I think, exactly what a good keynote should produce.
Topics
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NO JOKE: Engaging your Audience Like A Clown (Not The Creepy Kind)
The most engaging speakers aren't the most polished. They're the most present.
A 1966 study found highly competent people who make visible mistakes are rated more likeable than flawless ones — the Pratfall Effect
Audiences leave with a framework, techniques for tomorrow morning, and a new relationship with the moment they've been trying to hide
30–60 min. Conferences, professional development days, leadership offsites
"Don was an absolute hit with members and attendees. They lined up for two hours afterward to meet him."
-Laura Amman, Toastmasters International
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NEVER LOSE HOPE: A Talk on Failure
Starts with a prom-night kiss disaster. Ends on a street corner in blue face paint, just fired by Blue Man Group.
A framework for the kind of failure you can't spin — where you did your best and it wasn't enough
Backed by research and by Shackleton's 1915 Antarctic expedition
20–45 min. High schools, colleges, at-risk youth programs, organizations navigating change
"Don is a total pro... his three tips for using failure from the world of the clown had our students engaged, humored, and moved."
-William Gray, Health Careers Academy
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PERFECTLY IMPERFECT: Overcoming Perfectionism With Three Tips From the Clown
Perfectionism is Silicon Valley's dirty little secret — and the clown and the lean startup model share the cure: focus on process, not result.
Three tips: Act Dumbly, Learn Dumbly, Believe Dumbly
Includes the story of prepping a banana-spit juggling act for a Cirque du Soleil tour in two months without knowing how to juggle
30–60 min. Tech companies, startup events, innovation teams
"Don's keynote was phenomenal — deep research, current business issues, and immediately actionable advice, wrapped in fascinating and hilarious stories."
-Collin Sommerhauser, SAP Hanahaus
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INNOVATION THROUGH LAUGHTER Workshop
Play differently first. It's the faster route to real innovation.
Builds through psychological safety, unconditional support, divergent thinking, and root-cause framing
Teams solve a deliberately ridiculous fictional problem using the same process they'd apply to a real one
Google's research on 280 teams found psychological safety the single distinguishing factor between high- and low-performing teams. This workshop builds it in an afternoon
2–3 hrs, up to 50 participants
"What a joy to have Don host our virtual team building event! ... We all learned, laughed, and are ready to work more cohesively."
-Katie Lechner, Global Head of Search UX Research, Google