Chris Bashinelli Speaking Fee: $20,000 to $30,000

Employee burn out, stress and mental health challenges are at an all time high. “The Big Quit”, staff shortages and uncertainty about our future all fuel our state of anxiety and fear. How do we stay motivated when we don’t know what tomorrow will bring? How can we strengthen employee faith in leadership? How can when we lead our teams to success when we ourselves are overwhelmed? In this international keynote experience, Bash redefines “challenge” as an invitation to become our best selves and to better serve our organization. Creating a “People-First” culture means everything we do is driven by a desire to better serve our clients and to better serve one another. From this place, every challenge is an opportunity to grow stronger, to learn more about ourselves and to commit to our mission with greater resolve than we ever have before. Empathy is the key to transforming challenge into opportunity, overwhelm into inspiration and fear into courage. Colored by stories of resilience and perseverance everywhere from the hillsides of Western Hunan to the grasslands of Mongolia, Bash reminds us that when we put “People-First” there truly is no challenge to difficult to be transformed. Attendees will be reminded of the power inherent in a team that leads with empathy – for each other, for our clients and for our world.|It is only when every single team member, from the office manager to the CEO, feels safe to bring their whole, most authentic selves to work each and every day, that our organization can realize its full potential. As long as any single team member feels that they have to hide who they are in the workplace, we will be leaving untapped potential on the table – and our results will suffer. From his childhood “Stoop” in Brooklyn where his friends shared a combined total of over 13 nationalities, to his grandparents that immigrated to the United States from Lebanon through Ellis Island – Bash’s understanding of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is built into the very fabric of his DNA. Pulling from experiences in over 40 countries as a National Geographic Explorer, from living with nomads in Mongolia, to farming for tea on the hillsides of China, to Sumo wrestling the heaviest Japanese human being in recorded history – Bash shares in very simple steps how to create an environment where employees not only feel safe, but empowered to bring their whole selves to work – creating a culture of trust and allowing our organization to tap into the power of our shared humanity. By recognizing the strength in our diverse experiences, cultures, identities and perspectives we can fully realize the strength of our greatest asset - our people.

There are few things more powerful than the strength of human connection. Building Powerful Teams means encouraging each member of our organization to bring their best, most inspired and most authentic selves to work each and every day. Only when each team member feels seen, valued and appreciated for who they are, can we tap into the true strength of our organization. Bash has forged lifelong friendships in a matter of moments with nomads in Mongolia, Lakota activists in Pine Ridge and farmers from remote villages in China – How? By realizing that it is only when we have the courage to be real, to be vulnerable and to have empathy that we create a “safe space” for honest communication. Bash simplifies “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” to it’s essence – empathy and respect. We must create a work environment that fosters respect for all, inclusive of race, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation and even different points of view. When we do, we empower real innovation to occur – by leveraging the strength of our individual life experiences and our shared core values. We can’t afford not to be inclusive. If we all think and act the same, we will get the same result. In Bash’s one of kind, relatable style, attends will be shown how to break down barriers, build true connection and tap into the power of their teams.|We are working harder, longer and under more pressure than we ever have before – but without a mindful approach to work, one that reduces stress and renews inspiration – this type of employee output can actually worsen results. If we are to succeed as an organization we must find a way to not only manage, but transform the stresses and pressures our constantly changing world in a way that works to our advantage. In this one of a kind keynote, Bash walks attendees through the practical ways we can actually use the stresses of our work and life to empower a culture of mental health and employee wellness. Drawing from more than a decade of in depth meditation and mindfulness studies, Bash walks attendees through a powerful approach to mental wellness – one we can apply in our work and our lives here and now. From gratitude practice, to smart phone retreats, to mindfulness tips – Bash reignites our productivity, recalibrates our focus and renews employee inspiration. He shares the practical tools he’s used to reduce stress, deepen concentration, and create peace of mind – all while hosting an international television series for National Geographic, leading worldwide expeditions, and inspiring audiences everywhere from Abu Dhabi to Azerbaijan. Bash reminds us that creating a healthy workforce begins with each of us playing our part and taking responsibility over our own minds.

“Zoom fatigue”, increased hours and the dissolution between home and work have left so many of us feeling completely burnt out. How can we perform at our best when we are not feeling our best? It’s impossible. Serving our organization and our mission begins with taking care of ourselves, and that begins with how we choose to see the world . When we push ourselves beyond healthy limits, we are of very little use to our organization in the long term, and our well-being suffers greatly. Each mental health challenge we face is an opportunity to create healthier mental habits and boundaries, so that we can reduce burnout and increase productivity. Pulling from more than a decade of in-depth Mindfulness practice and firsthand experience in productivity as the Creator and Host of Bridge the Gap, Bash offers practical solutions to the mental health challenges of our time – one that doesn’t require us to get on a plane. Attendees will be guided through simple, yet powerful exercises they can bring back to the office today, so that we can reduce burnout and increase inspiration. Creating healthy boundaries allows us to do more, in less time, deepening our focus and expanding our capacity for joy. In this interactive keynote we’ll explore how gratitude practice rewires our brain for happiness, how meditation reduces stress, and how work-life boundaries empower us to be more present at home and more productive in the office. Happiness doesn’t come from success – success comes from happiness – and that begins with a healthy mindset. When we are feeling our best, we have our best selves to give.|Potential is the space between “where we are” and “where we can be”, it is our “unrealized abilities”, personally, professionally and as an organization. Stepping into our potential means understanding that it is only because of challenge, not in spite of it, that we can become our best selves. In this thought provoking keynote, colored with international stories of adventure, resilience and triumph – Bash shares the power available to each of us when we stop seeing challenge as an obstacle to success, and instead as the very vehicle by which we can achieve it. From a remote Chinese village that rebuilds after a devastating fire, to a young Tanzanian filmmaker’s unimaginable dream come true, to Bash’s own personal experience of tragedy to triumph – this talk reminds us that when we change our minds, we truly can change our world. We will only realize our potential as an organization when every single team member is committed to realizing their strength individually. This keynote experience is at once a call to action for each of us personally as it is a reminder of the impact that’s possible when we tap into the collective strength of our shared humanity.

What is your Step “Z”, the goal you feel will truly bring your life meaning? It could be a new client, a new partner, or a new home. What if you could arrive at that destination before you even begin the journey? We tend to be so fixated on our goal that we forget to examine how we are viewing ourselves. We feel that if only our circumstances were different, our goal would be attainable. In reality, we can only go as far as our shadow will let us – it’s not the circumstances that have to change, it’s us. Bash walks attendees through a scientific method for recognizing and reducing their most limiting beliefs, thereby opening the doorway to a whole new world. With total clarity, he emphasizes that the swiftest way to get from where we are, to where we want to be, is to be there first – on the inside. The best way to get from Step A to Step Z is to “Start at Step Z”. It may seem counterintuitive, but our best chance at achieving our goal is to imagine it is already accomplished. Step firmly with faith into the shoes you were meant to fill – and live, breathe, work and act from that place. From moderating a major United Nations event in Brazil at 23 years old with no prior experience, to leading a National Geographic Expedition in Mongolia when nearly all funding had been pulled one month before production, Bash shows how when we change our mind, we can change our world. The key to creating success lies not in getting what we want, but in realizing that we already have everything we need to live a happy and meaningful life. When we connect our ultimate goal to a mission that benefits others, and have unwavering faith in our potential, we will find the inspiration necessary to reach our “Step Z”.