Learning in Thin Air Everest Keynote

What is it that separates success from failure? What allows some leaders and teams to achieve greatness where oheres stumble? Today’s business envirnonment is more complex than ever and presents a series of mountains, which must all be scaled. While there is always a leader breaking the trail to the top, they cannot do it alone. Great success comes from the synergy of great leadership, teamwork, and personal focus. 

This presentation will introduce models and concepts in the areas of leadership, vision, change management, communication, circles of influence, personal accountability, personal drive, team development and goal setting while blending them into a highly engaging, motivational and entertaining story. 

Scott’s keynote can be 60 or 90 minutes in length. The 60-minute vesions shares the story of Scott’s ascent of Everest and the tools and strategies that created success. In the 90-minute version Scott is able to start with a story of failure and the leadership and team learning came from it. The contrast of two makes for a very compelling message. 

Achieving The Outrageous Keynote

Never one to be idle, in December of 2016 Scott completed a 960km unsupported ski to the South Pole. Scott is not the 7th Canadian to ever accomplish this and one of less than 100 people in history. Along with this achievement comes a new keynote “Achieve the Outrageous.” In this presentation, Scott will share the story of his punishing 44-day expedition across some of the most hostile ground on the planet. As always Scott will punctuate this adventure with learning and application. Whereas his Everest presentation “Learning in Thin Air” has a strong team focus, “Achieve the Outrageous” is aimed at helping the individual within the team perform at their peak. Any company, leadership team, departmental team or individual seeking to achieve a big goal will benefit from this presentation. Scott will share his insights into goal setting, overcoming adversity, perseverance, and so much more. 

Keynote Workshop

Take your next training workshop to a higher level. Scott has revolutionized the training program by blending a motivational keynote and a training workshop. Custom designed for your group, this half- or full-day workshop integrates Scott Kress’ extremely popular keynote with a custom array of activities, models, tools, theories and strategies that meet your learning and development goals. The riveting story makes this workshop highly engaging, and the content makes it valuable to your team and your organization. 

Summit Team Building

Scott demonstrates that the tools he uses to find success in the mountains are the same tools that each member of the audience can start to use in their workplace. Scott’s presentations are high-energy, engaging and passionate but most importantly they are relevant to the challenges faced by organizations and their teams today.

The Results:

• Motivate and inspire your teams
• Set and achieve stretch goals
• Meet challenges with new enthusiasm
• Engage leaders to build high performance teams
• Understand how to flourish within change and ambiguity
• Encourage ownership and accountability for results
• Create big-picture thinking and generate interdepartmental collaboration

Scott Kress was the opening Key Note for the AceTech Ontario Annual Retreat.  He was a fantastic speaker and, for the first time ever at one of our events, obtained a perfect 5 out of 5 rating from every single one of our attendees that filled out a survey.  His topic was incredibly interesting and his presentation very engaging, both because Scott is an excellent speaker and because his adventures are riveting.  But beyond that he was able to consistently tie back the lessons he learned on the mountains to relevant business concepts relating to personal growth, leadership and team building.  I would highly recommend Scott as a speaker in almost any business environment.  Here are a few comments from AceTech Ontario CEOs in attendance;

• “Entertaining, relevant, and applicable.”
• “Very good speaker and great way to analogize to the business world. 5 out of 5 from me!”
• “5 out of 5 for me, Scott was great, most excellent way to really kick off the conference!!!”
•  “Both engaging and relevant”
•  “5 out of 5!!! Excellent presentation with compelling messages that van actually be used immediately”
•  “The personalized book was the icing on the cake.   Very well done, informative and fascinating”
•  “Very relevant for me personally and in business”This was a 5 in my opinion. Extremely interesting, thought provoking and an engaging presenter. Just excellent!”

– JoAnn Dizy, Executive Director, AceTech Ontario

Scott Kress addressed our conference with his 90 minute keynote message followed up with a workshop designed to apply his presentation content directly to our work environment.  In terms of pure entertainment the presentation was well worth the money we paid.  Scott’s stories kept us riveted.  It was not only what he was saying but it also had a slight physical effect with many of those in attendance.  We really did “feel” what Scott was talking to us about…listening, hearing AND seeing it…his presentation completely touched on a few senses!!

However what I also found very beneficial were the number of takeaways that were perfect segues into vibrant group discussions immediately after.  These discussions led to solid actions that my team and I will be plowing through in the weeks ahead.

I will also say that the way Scott Kress delivers his presentation is really first class.  He does remind me of the “guy next door”…your friend next door…that has a blockbuster not so next door story for you!

In sum…great for the entertainment alone…throw in the group work after and it is a one plus one equals three presentation!

Highly recommended. (except to my competitors…oh what the heck they should experience it too…will make us all better!)” – Ben Kawa, National Director, Sales & Strategic Relationships, First National Financial

As the adage goes… The road is littered with failed or distracted companies loaded with plenty of I-Q, it is often the E-Q that propels success or kills it!  In a life-changing experience, you gain invaluable insights and learn to think differently.  Scott Kress masterfully connects with the audience and navigates them to a place where the audience gains from his breathtaking and harrowing experiences climbing Mt. Everest.  Warning!  Your team will leave with real lessons and valuable takeaways that will give your company the very edge needed to successfully run and grow right past your competitors! – Roger Woolsey, CEO, Million Air Aviation

I recently saw Scott Kress speak for a group based on his “Learning in Thin Air” theme. He was funny, relevant, customized! As a fellow keynote speaker, I was also carefully watching — Scott had a rapt audience who were hanging on every word. Being in the industry, I know that motivational mountain climbers are a dime a dozen when it comes to keynotes. But there aren’t many who combine the exhilarating story of achievement combined with deep, relevant business insight. Scott teaches Leadership for the EMBA and Omnium programs at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, the MBA program at the University of Edinburgh, and other programs that focus on business strategy. His “Learning in Thin Air” keynote isn’t just a story of adventure and daring — it challenges you to think in a unique way about how to align your business and leadership team for all the challenges that the global economy is bringing your way each and every day. – Jim Carroll, globally recognized Futurist, Trends & Innovation Expert