Free Speakers Phoenix is a pro bono speakers bureau. Every presentation on this page is free to book, with no fees, no honorarium and no mileage. Browse the topics below and request a guest speaker for your next meeting, workshop or community event.
Before Mrs. Rosa Parks' Montgomery, Alabama arrest, lynchings, assassinations and legislative tactics set the scene for America's Civil Rights Era. Why were 4 Mississippi murders by known assailants that occurred the same year her arrest not well known? A 1957 Constitutional Crisis rocked the nation centering around the school segregation issue. Sit-ins, demonstrations, marches and sacrifices created headlines that have
Salary negotiations can be intimidating, but it’s a critical discussion to have. For a new employee, successfully negotiating a salary can set a positive precedent for your career. Learn negotiation skills that will result to more confidence, satisfied results and a win-win for all.
Too many people are waiting — for the right time, the right resources, or permission they'll never get — while their dreams quietly collect dust. Dr. Deitra C. Payne, achievement and accountability coach and a woman who won big on Let's Make a Deal after surviving one of the hardest seasons of her life, knows exactly what it takes to
After decades of building, leading, and sometimes losing – what comes next? For many people over 50, the answer feels unclear. The career is winding down. The identity you built around what you did is shifting. And no one’s talking about it honestly. John Franklin Wiley knows that moment. He’s reinvented himself more times than he can count – from
Have you ever been with family members trying to piece together fragments of your ancestor’s stories? It happens to every generation, eventually these special stories are forgotten. Can you imagine, the sense of pride, if you could look into your ancestor’s legacy book telling their stories in their own handwriting? Most ancestry and genealogy programs motivate you to learn and
I hear it all the time. "I'm in pain, but that's normal because I'm getting older." But, no, being in pain is not normal, and in this presentation, I discuss how you can take control of your pain and increase your production both at work and in your life.
You started it. You grew it. Now it can’t grow because of you. It’s not a failure – it’s a pattern that hits the best founders. John Franklin Wiley has lived this as a CEO and helped dozens of owners break free of it as a strategist. In this candid, story-driven talk, John unpacks why founder dependency is the #1
Similar to any company, it's important to have a board of directors that can offer diverse perspective. A personal board would serve as the same purpose. The best part is it's intended to benefit YOU! In this session, we will discuss why having a personal board of directors is important, what role they play and how to be intentional about
Healthcare decisions rarely affect just one person. A hospital stay, Medicare transition, unexpected medical bill, prescription change, or long-term care need can quickly place pressure on an entire family — especially adult children who are helping aging parents while also protecting their own household and future. This educational presentation helps families and professionals understand the predictable moments when healthcare decisions
Cyd West, a specialist in business and linguistics, presents ways to enhance our communication skills that are pertinent to every leader whose workforce feels affected by recent events and headlines. Today’s headlines: • Layoffs have decimated Cotech. Many of the remaining workers are immobilized by fear of losing their jobs through more layoffs or even company closure. John Powers, the
Great leadership is about awareness, intention, and how leaders show up in moments that matter. Conscious Leadership invites leaders to step back from the noise of daily demands and view situations with clarity, perspective, and purpose. Drawing from the concept of The Leadership Balcony, participants learn how to rise above reactive behaviors and lead from a grounded, intentional state. Leaders
The healthcare system in America is a confusing process to navigate. This session will help you better understand how the system works. You will walk away with key strategies that will help you get the most out of your healthcare dollars. We will also discuss strategies and resources that will help you negotiate effectively with the health care providers if
We live in a world obsessed with data, metrics, and analysis. But the most consequential decisions – the ones that change a career, a company, or a life – almost never come from a spreadsheet. They come from the quiet knowing that something is right before you can prove it. John Franklin Wiley has spent 40 years operating at the
Trust is the foundation of every high-performing team, but it doesn’t happen by chance. The Chemistry of Trust explores how leaders and teams intentionally build trust through daily choices, behaviors, and practices. Participants will dive into the five key elements of trust that create thriving, collaborative, and resilient teams. Through engaging discussion, research-backed insights, and real-world examples, attendees will learn
In 2009, John Franklin Wiley walked into a 150,000-square-foot abandoned hospital with no funding, no staff, and a vision that made everyone nervous. Within a few years, it became River of Refuge – a fully operational transitional housing campus for homeless working families. This talk isn’t about nonprofit work. It’s about what happens when you lead from conviction instead of
Change disrupts more than workflows; it disrupts the brain. When people experience change, uncertainty and resistance often follow, not because they’re unwilling, but because their brains are wired to seek safety, predictability, and meaning. The Human Side of Change equips leaders with a human-centered approach to guiding others through transition with clarity and connection. This session explores the neuroscience of
Gratitude isn't just a feel-good buzzword — it's one of the most well-researched drivers of mental resilience, productivity, and personal success. Dr. Deitra C. Payne, creator of a published gratitude journal and a passionate advocate for the transformative power of thankfulness, makes the science accessible, relatable, and immediately actionable for any audience. She blends academic research with personal story to
Ground your exploration of climate action within your specific faith tradition, or learn about interfaith approaches to faithfully cherishing creation. This presentation will be created to meet the identified objectives of the faith or interfaith community providing the invitation. Climate is a topic that can touch all areas of our lives, from the most personal and daily decisions about having
In this session, Mike shares the best 12 years of consulting with business owners on how to build a sales force with the right incentive and accountability systems to get results. Owners will learn how to stop the frustrations of wondering; “is he working hard?”, “Am I over paying them?” or “Is she as committed to win as I am?”
The gap between where you are and where you want to be isn't talent or luck — it's mindset. Dr. Deitra C. Payne, a former college professor with over 15 years of experience in human resource management and coaching, breaks down the science of mindset shift and why gratitude may be the most underestimated success tool you're not using. She
You’ve spent a lifetime accumulating money for your retirement. You’ve saved, invested, and taken advantage of workplace retirement plans. Now you have to make decisions about how to generate a steady income stream, and these decisions could have lasting repercussions. Join us for an educational workshop where we’ll focus on strategies designed to help you: • Make the most of
Research consistently shows that emotional intelligence — not academic credentials or technical skill — is the greatest predictor of success in both life and leadership. Dr. Deitra C. Payne, combining her background as a university professor, HR educator, and certified coach, breaks down the five pillars of emotional intelligence in a way that is practical, memorable, and immediately applicable. She
The self-help industry has spent decades telling you something is wrong with you – that you need to be fixed, healed, or optimized before you can live the life you want. But what if the entire premise is the problem? What if you’re not broken at all – just blocked? In this thought-provoking talk, John Franklin Wiley draws on his
Workplace bullying is one of the most damaging — and most underreported — threats to organizational health today. Dr. Deitra C. Payne, whose award-winning research paper Broken: The Harmful Effects of Workplace Bullying earned a Distinguished Paper Award at an international academic conference, brings both scholarly authority and human compassion to this critical conversation. She doesn't just name the problem
Your memory often changes as you grow older. Some people recognize changes in themselves before anyone else notices. In other cases, friends and family are the first to observe changes in memory, behavior or abilities. It may be hard to know the difference between age-related changes and the first signs of dementia, but memory loss that disrupts daily life is
Resilience isn't something you either have or you don't — it's a skill that can be built, strengthened, and called upon in even your darkest moments. Few speakers can speak to this truth more authentically than Dr. Deitra C. Payne, who lost her father and her ability to speak within days of each other, and came back to the stage
Every life has a moment where the plan stops working. A career ends. A business fails. A health crisis hits. What separates the people who stay stuck from the ones who rebuild isn’t talent or luck – it’s the willingness to pivot without losing yourself in the process. Drawing from his own experience rebuilding across multiple industries and life stages,
The most effective leaders of our time aren't just strategically sharp — they're emotionally attuned, deeply human, and capable of making every person on their team feel seen, heard, and valued. Dr. Deitra C. Payne draws on over 15 years of experience teaching human resource management and coaching professionals at every level to make the case that empathy isn't a
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