Reviews of Our Speakers

“Shawn was AMAZING! Beyond all expectations. I knew he was going to be funny, but I did not realize HOW consistently funny. And a total class act.  We’ve already had numerous comments and emails from people practicing their three grateful things.” — Aimee Harris, VP, Brand Management, Primrose Schools Franchising Company

“Shawn Achor set off a ripple of happiness in our audience that will continue to spread. His masterful storytelling transforms listeners, and his message of community connection is just what we needed to hear.” —Carolyn Gan, Program Director, Conference for Women

“Thank you SO much for all of your help leading up to the event and on site! Shawn’s talk was fabulous and my teammates in attendance all said it helped get them ready and excited for the day – it was exactly what they needed.” — Jenna Fitch, Community & Conference Content Director, New Hope Network

“Thank you so much for joining us as our Thrive Talent Career Week keynote speaker! We have been receiving so many positive and appreciative notes from employees who were either prompted to think of happiness differently, or were reminded of happiness ‘practices’ they had forgotten. Your talk helped galvanize the employee expectations set out by our CHRO and made them feel real. For me personally, it was a career highlight, and I will be forcing my entire family to watch the replay! ? We are already brainstorming ideas for implementing your suggestions, and we’ll be looking forward to seeing more of your work as it unfolds. I hope we have an opportunity to cross paths again.”  —Elaine-Marie (EM) Bohen, NetApp Director of Talent Enablement 

“Shawn was amazing, kind, and generous with his time and knowledge on-site. Our team was enamored, as were all of our audience members. His presentation was funny, engaging, and insightful. Is Shawn a comedian disguised as a scientist/researcher? It takes a special person and industry leader to make information, that might otherwise get lost in a peer reviewed journal, come to life for vast and diverse audiences in a way they can relate to and find meaning. The room was also at maximum capacity – the fire marshal had to cut us off. We would HIGHLY recommend Shawn as a speaker!” – Jenna Fitch, Community & Conference Content Director, New Hope Network

“Shawn’s presentation exceeded our expectations (both for those of us that put the program together as well as our attendees). We already knew from the TEDx video that he was a dynamic presenter but then to meet him in person and have him be so down to earth and genuine was a big bonus. This was particularly beneficial for us with our group being so small (approximately 25 people) and the main goal for them to connect and learn from each other. Having Shawn kick-off our event set the tone for the next two days. There were several attendees over the next two days who referenced different portions of Shawn’s session and would comment on how they started their day with their gratitude’s. Many also plan to read his book to help them with the process for setting new habits.”  — Threshold Group

“We can’t thank Shawn enough for making this year’s Johnson & Johnson OCMO Leadership Team meeting such a success. His presentation was a highlight of our event. Our meeting objectives focused on audience engagement, leadership skills, structured networking and fun – Shawn helped us achieve all of these and then some. I’ve already witnessed my colleagues engaging in the happiness habits, and I’m practicing them myself!” — Johnson & Johnson

“Your presentation was uplifting, entertaining and enlightening.  What a refreshing topic, and one that should be shared with all!  Our group is made up of highly accomplished managers with years of experience.  They can be a tough audience to say the least, but you completely captured them with your positive energy, your research and humor.  Undeniably, Shawn Achor has made a difference on my professional and personal life to be happy!” –Medivation

“Shawn’s presentation on The Happiness Advantage was excellent.  Everyone in our company, from Welders and Machinists to Engineers and Executives, thoroughly enjoyed the subject matter and take-home value provided by The Happiness Advantage presentation.” –Zeeco, Inc.

“Shawn’s presentation on happiness was absolutely amazing! Funny, engaging, smart, optimistic, and practical, Shawn inspired us to shift the way that we look at the world, and to make simple yet powerful changes in our own lives. His uplifting message had a positive impact on those who attended – the feedback we’ve received has been extraordinary, and people are still talking about his presentation!” —Goodwin Procter LLP

“Shawn was the ideal choice and the perfect change of pace.  He was hysterical, engaging and had the whole audience focused on how to make positive changes in their lives. ”–Insurance Industry Hedge Fund Investing Summit

“Thank you, and thank Shawn, again for creating such a valuable educational aspect of our congress. So many of the attendees came to me and said how wonderful his presentation was and how they plan to incorporate his teachings into their lives… it really was fantastic.” —Les Clefs d’Or USA

“An amazing event! It was such fun and so stimulating to have Shawn at Facebook! As we strive to help the world become more open and connected, remaining positive and grateful for meaningful and productive relationships is essential! Shawn’s ideas and research is very insightful to us as we think about our mission. Thank-you! –Facebook

“Shawn Achor is an infectious speaker and can captivate an audience. He’s appearance was truly meaningful to my YPO members. I can already tell based on their responses that they have valued what he has said and are using it in their everyday lives. Thank you for making this possible!” –YPO-WPO America’s Gateway

“We invited Shawn to come speak to our most productive and successful financial advisors and we were uncertain about how he would be received. However, not only did the audience hang on his every word, but they have been asking us to bring him back to speak to their best clients and prospects. Overall, Shawn was a highlight of our conference and a huge success.” –UBS Financial Services Inc.

“Shawn Achor and his staff were well prepared, responsive and easy to work with leading into our meeting. When Shawn concluded his session…all our expectations were met!” —South West Benefits Association

“We have used Shawn globally to deliver workshops for our Managing Director and Executive Director audiences (both individuals and intact teams); as an estimate he has presented to close to 1000 people at this level at UBS. We are pretty selective about who we would put in front of this level of audience but Shawn never disappoints. The feedback from the seminars he has run for us is amongst the best across any of the training courses we deliver (from memory over 95 per cent of this audience would recommend the training to peers). Shawn has partnered exceptionally well with UBS to tailor his materials and research to our needs. He is always open to feedback and ideas.” —UBS

“Shawn hit it out of the park in both of his presentations. He was sandwiched between two other 20 minute presenters in the opening general session and he stole the show. The pre-event preparations were excellent, too.” —VHA, Inc.

“Shawn Achor brings the science, research, and factual data behind why happiness happens and teaches how to reproduce happiness. Shawn will bring a new perspective on happiness by presenting a new lens that eliminates traditional “normal” worldly view on why we are happy, in exchange for a scientific, fact based, process any person can use to create real happiness in their own life.” —Jimmy John’s

“Shawn brings energy and actionable ideas to countless research studies with flawless delivery!” –MorganStanley SmithBarney

“Shawn Achor was simply amazing! His message is universal and sound…there’s not a person I know that couldn’t benefit from it! I’ve had several of our attendees tell me he’s the BEST speaker we’ve ever had…and I’ve been putting on these shows for almost 10 years!” —PSAV Presentation Services

“Harvard lecturer Shawn Achor is funny, self-depreciating, and devastating to my notions of what his field is all about. He’s got research that makes the “genes + environment + potential for success” model look like an idea only Flat Earthers could harbour. Even better, he’s got tips for how we can improve our brains. By the time he starts talking about “activation energy” and tells us we can prime our brains for enhanced achievement by doing one simple activity every day, I’m butter to his knife.” —Boston Globe

“Our expectations for Shawn’s talk at our recent H.R. Conference was quite high, given what I had seen of his “TED” talk and having read much of The Happiness Advantage – and all those expectations were exceeded! While I knew the content would be powerful and anticipated the delivery would be engaging, I underestimated the positive impact it would have on the audience beyond the conference. The attendees have been quite energized and have begun taking actions to be happier and more grateful in their own lives. Further, while the learning will be applicable at our workplace, I think the attendees felt the impact was transferable to all aspects of their lives (and their families).” —The Wendy’s Company

“I would like to pass on again a sense of the incredible impact you had on everyone following your presentation. I have been overwhelmed by the response which is universally positive. Everyone is going off to read your HBR article, watch your TED talk or buy your book! Some had even downloaded it to their Kindles before they left the building.” —The British Land Company PLC

“A short note of appreciation for the outstanding, insightful and inspirational presentation at our Senior Leadership meeting. You have an uncanny ability to modify the content to the audience, and the result is impactful.”–Adobe

“Shawn was the highlight of our entire event! Absolutely the best presenter we’ve ever seen at any conference, anywhere. He is a top-tier presenter, has undeniable content backed with data, relates to everyone on a personal level, and motivates and inspires everyone to improve themselves both at home and professionally.” —Mindshare Technologies

“On behalf of the ASHRM membership, I want to thank you again for speaking at our conference. We received very strong positive feedback. I knew from your book that your research and thoughts would complement our work, but the reality of it far exceeded our expectations. Great jokes. Perfect timing. Meaningful, usable take away tips. Just perfect.” —American Society Of Healthcare Risk Management

• “I really liked the Happiness talk by Shawn Achor. It was really great to see all the research he has done, and all the practical ways that you can use his findings.”
• “I hope to positively affect my team by using some of the things discussed in the happiness talk to make our workplace just a little brighter.”
• “The speaker on happiness was fantastic. He mixed humor, personal experience, and science into a great presentation that really affected me.”
  –Zappos.com, Inc. employees

“The members and guests of MHCA were treated to a fine presentation when you keynoted our Fall Conference. When selecting our speakers, we strive to find those people whose passion will inspire our members to higher performance and personal growth. Your message certainly did both. Clearly you have touched the heart of MHCA by describing ‘The Happiness Advantage.’ Thank you so much for your message.” –Mental Health Corporations of America (MHCA)

“Shawn Achor scored 4.63 out of 5, the highest score of any speaker who presented over the 3 days of our Summit. Below are just a few of the many positive comments from the audience.”

• “By far the best speaker of the conference. Shawn was thoroughly engaging, got his points across and was motivating.”
• “Lots of good takeaways and ideas for work and life.”
• “I can’t wait to go back and implement some of his changes. He was very captivating to listen to and his content was useful as well.”
• “Funny, engaging, interesting and life changing.”
• “I really thought the content and spirit of the presentation were excellent, and having a call to action at the end was also good.”
  –Intel

“Shawn Achor is a talented and engaging speaker. He has the ability to reach his audience through a unique combination of humor and real life experiences intertwined with results from his extensive research on happiness that brings credibility and validity to his message, which should resonate with any individual or company that values continuous improvement and strives for peak performance. I highly recommend Shawn Achor as both a speaker and an author. I am happier as a result of Shawn’s positive influence on my life and family.” —Corning Credit Union

“Shawn was phenomenal! His topic and style of delivery was very well-received by our audience of highly technical and analytical staff. The time flew by and the people I spoke with later in the day had some takeaways to implement to improve their positivity as leaders. We are thrilled that he was able to kick-off our leadership offsite with such a powerful message.” —SRC

“Shawn’s keynote presentation at our customer conference exceeded our expectations. Attendees really enjoyed the way he interjected humor into his discussion and encouraged them to test his theories onsite. His research and suggestions on how to develop positive habits definitely inspired our customers and staff to recognize how their actions–and those of everyone around them–can directly impact their level of happiness.” – Ultimate Software

“Excellent. By far the best speaker we have ever had in any company meeting I have attended. He was funny and entertaining and best of all, gave us advice that we can easily follow, if we choose to do so. He was brilliant and I am so grateful to CCC for bringing him in to speak with us.”

• “Really enjoyed Shawn Achor and I am excited to read his book.  I want to say thank you for giving us a speaker that was more focused on us then the company!”
• “Awesome.  I liked how it was not just a lot of fluff.  He clearly had a lot of science to back up his assertions.”
• “Very dynamic and wonderful speaker – already trying some of the things he mentioned Fun-fitness-doubler-3 gratitudes.”
  -Comments from Copyright Clearance audience members

“Our expectations for Shawn’s talk at our recent H.R. Conference was quite high, given what I had seen of his “TED” talk and having read much of The Happiness Advantage – and all those expectations were exceeded! While I knew the content would be powerful and anticipated the delivery would be engaging, I underestimated the positive impact it would have on the audience beyond the conference. The attendees have been quite energized and have begun taking actions to be happier and more grateful in their own lives. Further, while the learning will be applicable at our workplace, I think the attendees felt the impact was transferable to all aspects of their lives (and their families).” –The Wendy’s Company

“We invited Shawn to come speak to our most productive and successful financial advisors and we were uncertain about how he would be received. However, not only did the audience hang on his every word, but they have been asking us to bring him back to speak to their best clients and prospects. Overall, Shawn was a highlight of our conference and a huge success.” – UBS Financial Services Inc.

“Shawn’s presentation was uplifting, refreshing and challenging. He made us see that happiness is a choice.” – Inter-American Development Bank