Speaking Engagements

“Over twenty five years I built and led an organization. I learned the value of story telling in building leaders, teams and organizations. You too can do it, if you just pay attention to a few simple rules.”

“It’s far more important to move people than to impress them with facts.”

“Become the you that you can’t yet imagine.”

“Don’t try and impress people with your achievements. Show them that you care.”

30 Years of Experience

Norm has been delivering keynote speeches to a variety of audiences, including professional service firm retreats, university professional schools, the Canadian Bar Association and provincial law societies. Norm was also a lecturer at his alma mater, McGill University.


MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES

This speech was given as a keynote at Ryerson University’s 2022 conference. The audience was virtual. Feel free to laugh at the jokes.

TEDx TESTIMONIALS

 Nic Berry

“One of the most incredible moments of storytelling I’ve ever listened to.”

Doug and Candace Bishop

“One of the best TED talks I’ve ever heard! Thank you (and Uncle Harry) for sharing your life story and being such an inspiration.”

John Coley

“This is so inspiring”

Ravana Shikhali

“Thanks profusely for sharing great ideas with the people of the world!”

Niomi White

…tears are coming down my eyes..an awe-inspiring speech.

Paul Alter

“If Rabbis could deliver sermons as elegantly and as inspiring as your TED talk, it would be standing room only in the main sanctuary.”

KEYNOTE TESTIMONIALS

Kati Varga | Marketing Manager
Grant Thornton LLP

“Our audience was engaged throughout Norm’s presentation, and all appreciated his sense of humour, candor, and pragmatism. Feedback from the session was overwhelmingly positive with many guests remarking that the content was thought provoking and entertaining.”


Ian Brenner, CPA, CA | Partner
Interim Management & Executive Search, FARBER

“Norm’s engaging, passionate and insightful presentation to our partner group provided rich reference material for our strategic retreat. With Norm’s ability to tell a story, delivered with humour and at times a raw openness, we were able to take the learnings on the growth and decline of an iconic professional services firm and challenge ourselves to find the right path through the typical challenges of building a successful business.”


Christian Sarailis | Host
Avrio Retreat September 2019, Quebec City

“Inspiring presentation.” Norm’s generosity and availability allowed the participants… to ask their questions, interact with Norm and …improve their leadership and management approach in their own firms.”


Sean Bernstein
Minute Box

“Norm joined us a keynote speaker at the Legal Innovation Summit at Fireside in September 2019. From his years of experience leading a national law firm, he has a deep understanding of how lawyers’ minds operate and what it takes to build a law firm in the 21st century.”


David Christian | Partner
Thorsteinssons LLP

Your talk was well-received and provoked a discussion (even among the sceptics) that will continue among us for some time.”


SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS 2021-2022

August 2022

Stratford Festival Lobbytalk

February 20, 2022

TEDx address at Ryerson University: Becoming the Person You Can’t Imagine

November 12, 2021

Keynote address at private law firm retreat, San Francisco

APRIL 27, 2021

Taking the Steps to Become Great
Can-Tech Law Roundtable, keynote
June 21 Leigh Richardson

February 18, 2022

Keynote lecture at U of T Law school on building your career from the ground up

November 17, 2021

Private book club event: Ophelia

Speaker, 3rd annual Marvin Caplan Book Festival, Hamilton, On

APRIL 7, 2021

Thompson River University Lecture

Speeches 2020

January 29- Professional development – law firm- How to lead

February 20- Professional development- law firm- improving communication skills as a professional; how to get and keep clients

March 5- Schulich-Osgoode lecture: What you need to learn to become a successful professional Postponed due to Covid 19

March 23 – Private book club event- Odell’s Fall meet the author-ppd to April 20 Postponed due to Covid 19

April 1- Canadian Bar Association- Leadership of practice groups- panel-Postponed due to Covid 19

April 7- Iriquois Ridge High School- on the creative writing process- Odell’s Fall-making Shakespeare accessible Postponed due to Covid 19

August 11. Stratford Festival speaker series. How Shakespeare reset my life Postponed due to Covid 19

November 4 Managing Partner Keynote- Vancouver, B.C.

2018 -2019 Speeches

Private book club event, Jan 24, 2018

Private law firm event- “The Importance of Culture and Values in Organizations”, Feb 13, 2018

Cavanagh LLP Professionalism Series University of Ottawa- Keynote, Feb 14, 2018

Osgoode Law School “Career Development”, Mar 7, 2018

University of Ottawa “Career Development- Issues for Students to Consider”, Mar 20, 2018

Ontario Bar Association- Managing Partner Round Table, Apr 19, 2018

Burnie Consulting Round Table- Keynote, Jun 4, 2018

Legal Innovation Summit, Walden Ontario, September 7,2019

Avrio Adocati,Keynote Address, September 20,1019 Quebec City

Private law firm retreat – keynote, Sept 15, 2018 Webinar, Career Development, November 14,2018

Webinar, Building a Firm, November 21,2018 Webinar, Learning to Lead, November 28, 2018

Grant Thornton, Vancouver, Client Event, January 24,2019

Farber corporate retreat, Keynote, June 2019


Speaking Topics

LEADERSHIP

How to build a professional service organization from the ground up

The three tricks to a solid foundation

The Three Cs at the core of building

The Rule of Thirds

Charting towards the Horizon

Why everyone in the organization needs to see themselves as a leader

SKILLS

Delegation

Running an Effective Meeting

Selling

Perception versus Reality

MOTIVATION

Starting Over

Bouncing Back from Failure

Overcoming Fear

The Mystery of Uncle Harry’s River

Storytelling as a foundation to motivating

Chasing the Horizon

Imagining the Future

Understanding What You’re Selling

Contact us to schedule a keynote speech at your organization: