Reviews of Our Speakers

“Thank you for taking the time to travel to Cleveland for our 2024 Leadership Retreat.  Your inspiring session was truly ‘awesome’ and was the perfect closing to our retreat.  You brought great energy and helpful insights to the 300 Cleveland Clinic leaders.” -Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, CEO & President, Cleveland Clinic

“Neil exceeded expectations.  His message is relevant and timely… if not urgent.  His delivery is authentic and engaging.  His recommendations are immediately actionable.  Our team translated his talk into action the very same day… and it immediately showed!” –Janaye Taylor, Associate Director, Event Strategy & Operations, Alexion Pharmaceuticals

“We were very pleased with Neil’s program on ‘The Subtle Art of Happiness’ at our System Leadership Meeting. On our 10-point rating scale, he received a score of 9.39.  Some of the audience comments included:

• He was energizing and the message is timely and relevant. SO helpful.
• I LOVED The Subtle Art of Happiness presentation. Neil was super engaging and had me feeling encouraged.
• Learned many new habits that I will be applying to workplace and my personal life.
• Neil imparted information that I will implement in my personal and professional life. 1000 minutes–I’m using two for me.
• I like Neil’s two minutes a day practice. I will be doing the night one where I put my phone away and read two pages out of a book every night before bed.
• Took away the Forest Bathing and how to bring that into your day.”

– Ochsner Health System

“Neil was incredibly attentive and intentional about delivering a message tailored to the needs of our group. He shared valuable insights with humility, humor, and authenticity. He was inspirational and thought provoking. People were moved to laughter and tears at different times throughout his presentation. They were 100% engaged the entire time he spoke, and have continued, even a month later, to talk about the lessons they learned from him. I’ve heard lots of feedback and interest in beginning practice of the “2-minute morning” routine and I think everyone really appreciated having these types of practical suggestions. I could not be more happy with the outcome! Neil is truly amazing!” —Healthy Families America

“The audience was completely tuned into Neil – his words and presentation. Even at the early hour of 7AM, looking around the room, the audience was locked into his story. I have already heard of so many people putting the 2-minute mornings into practice (including myself!), as well as taking time to get outside mid-day and shut down early at the end of the day.  I cannot recommend Neil enough following his presentation: it was everything we hoped it would be and more!” —Novo Nordisk

“Neil, I want to thank you for your talk yesterday . I know you said you were nervous because it was your first live speech since before the pandemic – well I can tell you did not miss a beat. It was like the virtual world never happened! Your talk was so impactful in many different ways for so many people yesterday. The amount of research you brought and delivered through simple, accessible habits and tools for people was astounding. One way or another, they were all able to relate through their own personal experiences. We need to have you back soon!” — SVP Marketing, Novo Nordisk

“Cannot say thank you enough. You were outstanding – it really was like our own therapy session and so very cathartic. I know our people felt seen by you – the vulnerability in the comments demonstrated that you immediately built up trust in a way that was truly phenomenal and unique. Bottom of my heart – THANK YOU!” –Sarah Comstock, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, Ally Financial

“He was a fantastic choice for our conference. He was engaging, energetic, very relevant topic, and most importantly his content resonated really well with our team.  They are still singing his praises! The discussion on his content is being talked about all over the business this week, which is a strong indicator of a successful keynote. So yes, he definitely met our expectations.”  —Christine Infilise, Vice President, Quadra

• Neil was an amazing and innovating speaker. The way he used the Zoom format as a tool versus a restriction was incredible and created such an engaging session.
• Neil was phenomenal, not just because he was an engaging speaker, but he gave tangible actions we can take and avoided one-liners and cliches. He spoke about his raw experience, which resonated, and gave easy to implement actions. Also LOVED how connected our team felt through these sessions, as we lifted each other up virtually while sitting at home.
• Neil was amazing – simple exercises I’ll continue on in life!
• Neil was my favorite speaker throughout the entire RISE series. He held the most raw discussion about being your real self in the workplace and learning how to find your happy. I really really REALLY hope that my colleagues and leadership continue to hear his messages and implement the changes he recommends so that we can build a better culture.
  –Audience comments, Johnson & Johnson Vision

“Neil exceeded our very high expectations and we are hearing his name and work referenced across the organization, at all levels, on a regular basis.  We could not be happier with how he closed our meeting and left our audience on such a high note.  His presentation style, expert use of a virtual environment and tools, content, and takeaways are all contributing to internalization of his materials and message and commitment to lasting change – personally and professionally – at a time when we all needed it more than ever.” –Kelly McQuillan, Sr. Global Brand Manager – OASYS® Reusable, Johnson & Johnson Vision

“Neil was very well received by our audience. We’ve heard nothing but positive comments. Our theme for the event was ‘Beyond You,’ and Neil beautifully illustrated how a shift in perspective toward gratitude can help us to achieve this. He offered three simple practices to begin achieving a positive perspective and challenged our audience to choose one. I do believe our audience left intent on doing so. We appreciated Neil’s warmth and wit, his connection to and interaction with our audience, his vulnerability in sharing his personal triumphs, tragedies and lessons learned, as well as his straightforward approach to achieving the ‘awesome’ in each one of our lives. Well done!”  – AdvoCare International

“Neil was fantastic!!! I cannot recommend him enough. He was engaged on the pre-call and nailed the presentation. Everyone loved it. They laughed, some cried, and everyone left with something actionable.  I think the following review I received from someone who has seen every Thrive Talk we have had sums it up:

‘I thought he was one of the best we’ve had in years in being an engaging storyteller who distilled latest science into a few simple lessons through a heartwarming and funny delivery.'”
–Allstate

“Neil Pasricha was one of my best picks to date as a keynote speaker! He opened at our National conference and brought the audience into a positive mindset from the get-go. Even weeks later, people have still be talking about what a great presenter he was. From start to finish Neil was baked in for our event; starting with the prep call where he went in depth on the types of questions he asked to get to know our company and audience, all the way to him actually mentioning names of our clients he previously met in the elevator and gym during the start of his presentation. As an event planner, those types of touches are unique to a speaker and show that he truly values what he does. If you’re looking for fun, interesting, motivating, AND thoughtful then look no further than Neil for your keynote!” –Director, Meetings & Events, Kestra Financial 

“Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with some fantastic Keynote Speakers and Neil by far exceeded my expectations.  Not only was he able to exude a dynamic stage presence while delivering an applicable and easy to understand message, he was able to do this while creating a true human connection with the audience through a level of humility that is rarely seen.  On top of that, he was also a pleasure to work with in preparation for the event through his approachability and flexibility when partnering with our team. If I had three thumbs, I would give him THREE THUMBS UP!!!” –Katie Johnson, VP | PR & Communications, United Capital

“Neil is a dynamic speaker that easily connects and engages with his audience.  The concept and idea of The Book of Awesome resonates is such a way as to not only cross industries, but cross generations.  It is a welcome respite to our daily lives.  We would also say that our teams loved everything Neil shared about the “The Happiness Equation” and the simple yet highly actionable steps we can all take daily to “choose happiness” by putting our actions first.  Truly took a lot away from this presentation and would highly recommend to others!” — Al Reid, Managing Director, Saatchi & Saatchi

“Neil Pasricha brings a flavor all his own. His story is both honest and motivational. It allows the audience to draw parallels to their own life and realize that they too can take charge of their life and the changes going on around them. We would love to work with Neil again and will work our client portfolio to promote him and his personalized services.” – Centrifuge Media

“I have only the most wonderful things to say about everything!  You and Neil were both extremely receptive and very willing to work with our team through the entire process and I cannot thank you enough for making everything so easy for us!  The conversations we had with Neil beforehand were all excellent and Neil himself is honestly a wonderful person.  He was so inspiring to listen to and his energy was amazing!  Neil captivated our audience and I have only received positive feedback about him.  Numerous people have stopped to tell me that they hung onto every word he said and thinks his message was exactly what they needed to hear.  Hiring Neil for our event was 100% the right decision and I don’t have a single negative thing to say about it.”
–Aetna

“Thank you again for participating as a Thought Leader during our Executive Leadership Forum.  Your presentation, Happier People, Healthier Associations, aligned perfectly with the theme and was the right mix of humor, research, and thoughtful strategies to implement moving forward. We’ve received so many thoughtful comments from participants regarding their overall feedback; much of what was shared and discussed made an impression that will hopefully make a difference in both the personal and professional lives of those who attended.” — ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership

“Neil was phenomenal!!!!!  I was already very grateful that we were able to have him a part of our weekend but after meeting him and experiencing his presentation, I am in awe of his generosity to share his expertise and positive energy with our physicians and staff.  I have included the feedback we have received so far from our attendees below (with more positive feedback to come, I am sure).” —Mary Zamuda, Wellness Manager, Kaiser Permanente

“We recently used Neil at an all employee event.  Given some recent changes in the company, including a move to a new office, there was some trepidation and apprehension within the organization.  Neil’s talk was exactly what we needed.  He was very helpful in putting things into the right context, and created an immediate positive buzz.  He is insightful, evidenced based and practical when it comes to making changes to increase happiness and ultimately productivity. Now we’re all hooked on his books, and are already planning for a future “Pasricha tune-up”.”
— Brian Hilberdink, Country President, Novo Nordisk

“Neil,  I can’t thank you enough for being a part of our Speaker Series.  Your session was such a huge hit….it was energizing, inspiring, thought-provoking and really resonated with our employees.  I’ve received so many emails from employees thanking me for bringing you in, saying how you were their favorite Speaker Series to date and that they were inspired to make some real shifts in their life. It was also such a pleasure to meet you and work with you – thanks for the incredible work you are doing in the world! — Rachelle Diamond, Global Culture, LinkedIn

“Neil joined the Audi Executive Team across the United States and his happiness lessons were the highlight of the show, engaging dealer associates, and invigorating the audience. He is always on point, thought-provoking, and receives near-perfect ratings. Listen to him!” –Peter Donnellan, Director, Audi of America

“It is rare to find a speaker that can ignite such passion and unify the audience on a common theme that transcends generation and function. Please keep writing books. Yours changed my life.” – Britta Lesaux, Executive Director, 3M

“Neil is a rock star! He visited the Googleplex and everybody loved his models for living happier lives!” – Rachel O’Meara, Sales Executive, Google

“Neil Pasricha was the highlight of the day. From my perspective, the highlight of the year at Microsoft! What a genuine, authentic, inspiring person. He connected with the audience and made our themes come to life in the best possible way. He arrived early and stayed late – talking to everyone and inspiring all of us.” – Rekha Rao-Mayya, National Technical Director, Microsoft

“Neil Pasricha was a 10/5. He knocked it out of the park! He was so humble and easy to work with. He is super engaging and had the audience glued. I would recommend him to anyone. He is very gracious and stayed behind to sign books and connect with people.” – Sangeeta Bhatnagar, GTACC

“Neil has such great energy and his positivity is incredible and infectious. We’ve held our event for years and thanks to Neil we had the best one so far!” – Pam August, Organizational Development, WestJet

“Dale Carnegie was last century. Stephen Covey was last decade. Neil Pasricha is what’s now.” – Susan Cain, Author of Quiet

“With simple effortlessness, Neil renders complex ideas easily memorable and everyday practical.” – Col. Chris Hadfield, Former Commander of the International Space Station

“When Neil Pasricha talks, leaders of all levels and backgrounds stop what they’re doing… and listen.” – Howard Behar, Former President, Starbucks

“The interactions, trust, healing, laughter, camaraderie, sadness, and vulnerabilities that come with taking care of patients are gifts to be enjoyed and appreciated. Sadly, the prism where we can see these qualities becomes rapidly clouded. There is real role for Neil’s work within health care. The more penetration his philosophies have, the more satisfaction, quality, and longevity we’ll see.” – Dr. Mark Shapiro, Sharp Healthcare