Mike Walsh | Futurist & Authority on Digital Trends in Emerging Markets

Speaker, Mike WalshMIKE WALSH
Your Kids Will Be Raised By A.I.

What does it take to lead a 21st century company? Can we re-imagine the way we do business? Mike Walsh prepares business leaders for what’s next. A leading authority on the intersection of emerging technologies, consumer behavior, and fast growth markets, Mike brings his unique insights into the growing influence of new markets on breakthrough innovation and business transformation. He expertly distils his insights into tailored keynotes that allow any audience to influence the future direction of their industry. Below, Mike writes on the very real possibility that artificial intelligence will play a role in the upbringing of the next generation of children:

Ask someone to picture AI, and they will most likely think about Terminators, psychotic fembots or angry robots from Hollywood central casting. But what makes AI actually frightening is not that it is ‘sci-fi’, but the that it is, in fact, already deeply embedded into our daily lives. If you have a child born post 2007, chances are that they have already been shaped by algorithms and digital platforms.

Here’s my view — from toys to teaching, AI is profoundly influencing human development from childhood and beyond. When your five-year-old has a thousand more questions than you have patience to answer, Amazon’s Alexa speaking through your living room Echo speaker, will be there to respond. If not Alexa, then Apple’s Siri, or Google, through their new Google Home device. Algorithms influence what your children watch on YouTube, the content of their social feeds, their interactions on Minecraft, as well as monitoring the temperature of their bedrooms, and their sleeping, exercise and eating habits.

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Denise Lee Yohn | Branding & Marketing Expert | Speaker

Speaker, Denise Lee YohnDENISE LEE YOHN
Big-Box Retailers Have Two Options If They Want To Survive

Now more than ever, business leaders are looking for fresh ideas,new understanding, and actionable insights to jumpstart their business. Denise Lee Yohn inspires, informs, and instructs them with a completely different way of thinking about their business. In this article written for the Harvard Business Review, Denise discusses the future of big box retailers:

Big box retail stores are losing relevance, while e-commerce and specialty stores grow in appeal. People no longer want — or need — to shop as anonymous customers in large stores with shelves stocked high in aisle after aisle. As a result, big box retail must shift its strategy — from competing on access and selection to staging big experiences and providing big discounts.

The shrinking demand for big box retail can be seen in the numerous store and company closures across several categories over the last decade. Linens ‘n Things went bankrupt, as did Circuit City, Sports Authority, and Borders. Office Depot/Office Max announced it would close 400 stores this year and attempted a merger with Staples. Barnes & Noble has struggled to stabilize, and former darlings of their categories including Kohl’s and Old Navy are posting negative comparable store sales.

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Molly Fletcher – Business Leader & Negotiating Expert

Molly Fletcher - Speaker - Business Expert - http://www.kmprod.com/speakers/speaker-molly-fletcherMOLLY FLETCHER
Speaker & Former Sports Agent

 

MOLLY FLETCHER helps inspire and equip game changers to dream, live and grow fearlessly. A keynote speaker and author, Molly draws on her decades of experiences working with elite athletes and coaches as a sports agent, and applies them to the business world.

Here, Molly talks about “Why Your Personal Mission Statement Matters”

Recently I was away from home at a personal development retreat, working on crafting my personal mission statement. I was feeling great about my progress when I called my husband, who aside from handling his professional career, was handling all the normal daily issues at home with our three girls.

While I was feeling inspired, rested and focused from my time at the retreat, I could tell my wonderful husband had experienced an exhausting day.  Sometimes those long distance parenting calls can be challenging when you aren’t in the same physical location to support each other.

This call was a bit different, and this moment became a turning point for my work—all because of my personal mission statement. I want to share this process with you so you can see the great value in focusing on your best purpose, the best you, and how it benefits others—especially those closest to you.

In that phone call, I did not default to trying to fix or rescue the situation. I paused to reflect on my 10-word mission statement (To connect, inspire and lead with creative courage and optimism), which guided me to new behavior that was healthier for everyone in my family. Instead of frustration or caving in, I reflected on my mission statement. How could I connect, inspire and lead with creative courage and optimism inside this one conversation with my husband?

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Molly Fletcher – Why It’s Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself

Molly Fletcher - Speaker - Business Expert - http://www.kmprod.com/speakers/speaker-molly-fletcherMOLLY FLETCHER
Speaker & Former Sports Agent

 

MOLLY FLETCHER helps inspire and equip game changers to dream, live and grow fearlessly. A keynote speaker and author, Molly draws on her decades of experiences working with elite athletes and coaches as a sports agent, and applies them to the business world.

Here, Molly talks about Why It’s Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself

Fearless reinvention is a topic near to my heart. People often ask me about how I could leave my secure, comfortable job as a sports agent to pursue my dream of speaking and writing about reaching your greatest potential and achievement. What I think resonates with people is that I went all in. I wasn’t miserable or forced out of my old job. I was clear on what my dream was and the risk involved. When I left the agency where I had been for almost two decades, I had three keynote speeches booked that added up to about 5% of my base salary—yikes.

Did I know I would make it? No, but I was comfortable betting on myself and embracing the unknown. I had created choices for myself, but it was up to me to pull the trigger. Maybe you are doubting your ability to do the same, so I want to share what I’ve learned with you: Here’s why it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.

The clue to your reinvention is right here; pinpoint it.

We all gravitate to what we are good at, and in your current work you are doing something that springs from your passion. This thing is going to launch you to success in your reinvention. Here’s what I mean.

As a sports agent, I thrived building relationships. I love taking a raw relationship and building it into an unbreakable bond. The higher the stakes, the more I wanted to succeed, and the more I did. As I repeated this daily for multiple years, relationship building became second nature to me. When I considered leaving my career, this foundational skill gave me the confidence to believe I could get on a stage and establish an awesome connection with an audience of hundreds or thousands of people. It may have been a completely different career, but the premise was the same. To thrive, I would have to turn these raw connections into authentic relationships.

Your ability to authentically and authoritatively do what you are most passionate about is growing inside you right now. That gift is going to really blossom in your reinvention. I firmly believe and love the idea that when we follow our passions, the career follows us.

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