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Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D., is an author, internationally sought-after speaker, and organizational consultant who has been described as “catching what is right in the world and playfully sparking people and businesses to grow toward the extraordinary.” In addition to writing best-selling books about enduring business principles, he hosted an award-winning daily radio program in Colorado Springs, Colorado for over a decade.

Dr. Michelli transfers his knowledge of exceptional business practices through keynote presentations that explore ways to develop joyful and productive workplaces with a focus on the total customer experience. His insights encourage leaders and frontline workers to grow and invest passionately in all aspects of their life. In addition to his dynamic and entertaining international keynote presentations, Dr. Michelli provides:

• CEO consultation
• Group facilitation and team-building strategies
• Creation of open management systems
• Development of customer/employee engagement metrics
• Customized management and frontline training programs

Dr. Michelli's book, The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary, published by McGraw-Hill, regularly achieved bestseller status on the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek Magazine, and USA Today lists. He has been featured on television programs such as The Glenn Beck Show and CNBC’s “On the Money” and has conducted hundreds of radio and print interviews. Dr. Michelli’s other books include When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace which was co-authored with the owner of the "World Famous" Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. When Fish Fly was released by Hyperion and in audio book format by Random House.

In June 2008, Dr. Michelli released a McGraw-Hill book entitled The New Gold Standard about The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. The New Gold Standard takes you on an exclusive tour behind the scenes of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Granted unprecedented access to the company's executives, staff, and its award-winning Leadership Center training facilities, bestselling author Joseph Michelli explored every level of leadership within the organization. He emerged with the key principles leaders at any company can use to provide a customer experience unlike any other, such as:

• Understanding the ever-evolving needs of customers.
• Empowering employees by treating them with the utmost respect.
• Anticipating customers' unexpressed needs and concerns.
• Developing and conducting an unsurpassed training regimen

Dr. Michelli believes his greatest accomplishment is his ability to learn from the laughter and humor of his children, Andrew and Fiona.

Dr. Michelli presents on a wide variety of topics and customizes his presentations for your business or organization's needs. Before the presentation, Dr. Michelli takes his time to learn about your organization so he can interweave teachable lessons with your group’s unique situation.

Sample Keynote Presentations:

Maintaining Hope, Focus and Humor In Challenging Times: Borrowing from his experiences with companies such as Southwest Airlines, The World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, Dr. Michelli shows you how a mirthful attitude functions as a shock absorber on bumpy economic roads. In addition to offering strategies that individuals can easily apply so that they refocus from fear to productive action, Dr. Michelli identifies ways to create playful corporate cultures that attracts and retain the best workers. Get ready to learn how to adaptively regain personal control in adversity, celebrate your co-workers and customers while also increasing your profitability through humor and play.

The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (based on Dr. Michelli’s book of the same name) – In this presentation, Dr. Michelli examines how to deliver legendary customer experiences such as those offered by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. The New Gold Standard presents cutting edge leadership strategies for selection, training, and retention of the “right” staff. It demonstrates how leaders can drive staff engagement and ownership behavior which ultimately produces transformational customer experiences. Additionally, The New Gold Standard examines strategies for keeping your business relevant to changing customer needs and shifting economic times.

The Starbucks Way: Creating the Total Customer Experience

By strategically focusing and executing on the details of the internal and external customer experience, Starbucks has become an employer and coffee provider of choice. In essence, Starbucks has become a name synonymous with coffee itself. While most people see Starbucks as a coffee company that serves people, its success is based on the inverse. It is a people company serving coffee. In this keynote or workshop, based on his bestselling book, The Starbucks Experience , Dr. Michelli shows frontline workers and business leaders how to “stage” and perform on their brand’s promise. He analyzes the importance of identifying a desired emotional connection with the customer. Further, Dr. Michelli helps participants see the important distinction between “good” and “bad” profit. Lights, camera, action – the experience awaits.

From the Ordinary into the Extraordinary: Lessons for Growing People and Business

Starbucks took an extremely ordinary product and revolutionized the way people perceive and experience it. The Pike Place Fish Market has not only changed the way fish are sold but has innovated a business approach referred to as the "Fish Philosophy." Just as Starbucks has transformed the coffeehouse experience, so too can you maximize your "ordinariness" for positive impact, organizationally and in your communities. Examine how cutting edge leadership and front line workers can make a consistently extraordinary difference -- on and off the job.

When Fish Fly

When Fish Fly shares insights into the underlying principles and amazing transformation of the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market. Excerpting from his book of the same name, Dr. Michelli reels in the complete fish story examining core principles that create Pike Place Fish’s uniquely vital and creative culture. A culture that leads to excellent customer service, legendary employee morale, a fun and energized work environment, and ultimately makes a “World Famous” difference in the lives of those they serve. This presentation offers a cohesive strategy for achieving world famous results for owners, managers, front-line workers, and customers alike. If Pike Place Fish can achieve world fame from a small storefront, with zero advertising in a smelly, physically arduous profession, just think what is possible for your company!

 Change or Die! Securing Maximum Innovation and Staff Engagement

This presentation examines the primary drivers of change in the technological age. It demonstrates ways to establish flexible service and quality standards while encouraging the sharing of unique ideas and talents of employees. By making important leadership distinctions between "being" and "doing", Dr. Michelli offers a fun yet practical approach to infusing greater employee vitality, ownership and fun. It helps participants utilize essential strategies for seizing opportunities in a rapidly changing world.

Management Doesn’t Work

Admiral Grace Hooper once said “Manage things…lead people.” In the ever changing world of business, management may get things done right but leadership is about doing the right thing. In this keynote, Dr. Michelli examines important distinctions between leadership and management. He will explore the challenges of being a proactive strategic leader when most people are pulled toward reactive operational management. Borrowing from success principles in businesses as diverse as Starbucks or the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, Dr. Michelli will offer practical ideas to spark greater visionary leadership.

Enjoying Life to the Fullest by Capturing the Naturally Occurring Humor of Reality

Have you noticed that not everyone is amused by the challenges of living. In a world filled with depression, burnout and despair, it is clear that few have developed a perspective which makes the human experience enjoyable. This workshop reviews simple attitude and perspective shifts which can provide shock absorption on the bumpy road of life. It emphasizes that it is not the events of life that matter but the emotional choices we make in response to them.

Balancing Life through Play and Laughter

Borrowing from improvisational comedy, magic, juggling, mime, and music, Dr. Michelli explores playful strategies for finding more joy in your life. The importance of having a playful heart in a hectic world is emphasized.

Enjoying Life to the Fullest by Capturing the Naturally Occurring Humor of Reality
Have you noticed that not everyone is amused by the challenges of living? In a world filled with depression, burnout and despair, it is clear that few have developed a perspective which makes the human experience enjoyable. This workshop reviews simple attitude and perspective shifts which can provide shock absorption on the bumpy road of life. It emphasizes that it is not the events of life that matter but the emotional choices we make in response to them.