Billy-McLaughlin-Dallas TX

Billy McLaughlin captivates his audiences with keynotes that combine real-life stories of struggle and triumph with Emmy Award-winning music, disarming wit and humor.

“Billy was fantastic! Hearing his story really puts things into perspective. I can’t imagine a better way to open a gathering.”
— comment from attendee at recent event.

Gain an inspirational outlook on change, diversity and self-esteem.

Change is everywhere and dramatically on the rise, which makes it hard to keep up, stay connected and engaged with others. Everyone experiences change differently, but that does not mean you have to go it alone. Billy helps you find the courage to face change head-on and feel the hope that accompanies it. He inspires you to reinvent yourself and rise above your current challenges. More importantly he helps you realize the vital part you play in what is happening around you.

More Keynote Topics are available upon request. Here are some of Billy’s most popular Keynote presentations and their descriptions:

New Ways to Do It: The Road to Reinvention

Simple, frank and funny, Billy McLaughlin shines a mirror on all the unseen artists in the room, especially you. From the day you were born, a new signature was imprinted onto the world. Life experienced through the eyes, mind and touch of every new generation has its own expression and communicates its own meaning. Artists embrace this notion. Finding “New Ways to do even the most ordinary things is the challenge we are all given. All that has been created so far cannot compare to what is yet to be introduced by people with unique perspectives and capabilities—people such as you. If it feels like the world is changing fast these days, it’s because of all the new creative inventions happening around us. Billy encourages you to step out of your spectator’s seat and recognize your ability to take an active role in designing the future that you have imagined.

Setback before Success: Accepting the Challenge that comes with Change

Billy shares insights into the problems facing professionals today through stories from his personal experience. In a straightforward, down-to-earth style, McLaughlin deals with complex issues in an understanding and often humorous way. He presents no charts or technical jargon, only practical advice based on first-hand experience of what he has discovered in his life and business. A master of reinvention, McLaughlin takes his audience on a journey from skyrocketing success to total failure and back again; a road that he now helps others to navigate in their business endeavors. He combines solid, actionable advice with exceptional music and an entertaining style for an unforgettable experience that will change your perspective on the challenges you and your organization face.

Doing More With Less – Making an impact with all that you’ve got!

Are you asked to do more with less? Budget cuts, re-organization, ownership changes and shifts in the economy all create an environment of expectations for results that are seemingly unattainable. Yet, as dramatic and painful as circumstances may be, they come with a gift: self discovery. Having endured a condition that took away his health and career, Billy McLaughlin understands the importance of celebrating this gift. He demonstrates the marvel of discovering what you CAN do with the resources you HAVE when you stop focusing on those you’ve lost. It might require you to think upside-down or “left-handed”. It might require that you stop focusing on what is broken or how you can’t do something “the way you used to”. Billy shows you how you can make meaningful change for yourself and your community when you move out of the mindset that everything is broken. By realizing what still works and what still matters, you can make a significant difference, regardless of the obstacles. Listen to Billy’s story; you, too, will choose to be a “difference-maker”!

Stop Listening to Experts!

You are not a beginner – don’t act like one! Stop waiting for validation outside yourself. You know better than anyone around you what needs to be done even if no one around you thinks it is possible. If Billy McLaughlin had listened to experts the music you are about to hear would never have been created – it is precisely this music that went on to earn Billy his first Emmy Award in July of 2013. His message of succeeding under continuing challenges is filled with emotion, humor and valuable takeaways. Billy’s keynote talk with just the right amount music will help you become the confident expert you know that you are – and show others around you the new paths that must be taken for you and your organization to succeed. Who did Steve Jobs listen too? Not for entry level employees.   Organize – Execute – Enjoy!

Life After Diagnosis

Whether in healthcare, business or personal challenges, understanding and having a diagnosis for what you are facing is a critical step towards your future. Diagnosis may be unwelcome news, but it doesn’t have to be final. When diagnosed with focal dystonia, Billy McLaughlin was actually relieved to know what was wrong with him, despite the fact that the prognosis for his musical career was grim. He put into action the words of Norman Cousins….” Accept the diagnosis, reject the verdict!”
Billy has created this program especially for business, foundations, healthcare professionals, Insurance professionals and individuals who have been affected by sudden, future-changing events. He takes them along with him on a personal journey from diagnosis to self-discovery, which led him to a new and more exciting phase of his business development and career building future.

Tuning into Change

Change is good, or at least that’s what we often hear. No matter how good it should be, change can be tough. Billy McLaughlin is the maestro of change. His life’s journey has led him from being a virtuoso guitarist—one of Billboard’s “Top Ten”—to coming to grips with a career-devastating condition that robbed him of his guitar-playing ability until he found his way back to the stage with Emmy-Award-Winning success. Billy shares his insights on change from a musician’s perspective. Through a mind-bending mix of music and storytelling, he transports the audience from an old path of resisting change to a new one of engaging with it. As Billy says, “Change is at the heart of what musicians do. We constantly tune to find harmony: first with ourselves, then with each other.”

The Grit to Evolve

It takes years to become good at what we do. Then suddenly without warning, what we do isn’t so great anymore—we’ve been outdated! Reinvention is the key to remaining relevant in today’s rapidly changing environment. Billy demonstrates the art of reinventing and how to do it not just once, but continuously. Requirements include grit, stamina and a proven process for success. Billy McLaughlin knows what it takes to come “back from the brink” by reinventing his craft, his product, his industry, and himself! Through the example of music and the process he uses to create it, Billy will be your guide on the road to reinvention. Along the way, you’ll discover the joy and innovation that results when you keep your wheels turning in the right direction.

The Young and the Rest: Discovering the Harmony in our Differences

Our barriers to communication multiply by our differences in age, race, gender and education—which is not even close to being an exhaustive list! How can we break down the obstacles to communication that seem to pop up everywhere? Join Billy McLaughlin as he cracks the diversity code with a mix of music from the 70s and a band of Boomers, Gen-Xers and Millennials. Learn how his group created an entirely new sound from a collection of oldies through improvisation, collaboration, and the adaptation of music to fit the diversity of its players. Discover how you can crack the diversity code in your organization by collaborating with your group and rethinking the kind of “music” stored in your archives. Learn the process of harmonizing your band of players and what these techniques will do for you.