speaking


Although I’ve been working on my listening skills and I don’t like to admit that I am a“talker”, for over 20 years I have cultivated my practice as a professional speaker.With expertise in the fields of:‍

I leverage my diverse background and experiences along with well-crafted storytelling to connect with a large variety of audiences.

bookings

If you are interested in working with me towards an upcoming workshop, seminar, key-note, facilitation, or speaking engagement, please contact tasha@jaredsmith.ca.

Please share some background information with us regarding your event, your group, and your goals. We look forward to working with you.

past speaking engagements include:

TEDx: Training with the Navy SEALs  
CEO Forums: Workshop
TEC/Vistage: Session Speaker
Lululemon Men’s Practice Event: Keynote
Vimy Ridge Academy: Commencement Keynote
Alberta Business Family Institute Gala: Emcee
Rocky Mountain Business Seminar: Keynote
Entrepreneurs’ Organization Canadian Chapter Retreat:Keynote
YPO Chapters’ Retreat: Keynote
Junior Achievement Hall of Fame: Emcee
F*ckup Nights Stories of Failure: Panelist
Edmonton City Police Event: Keynote
Fountain Tire National Summit: Keynote
Chamber Small Business Week: Keynote
Rotary Canada National Conference: Keynote
Taskify Business Launch: Panelist Moderator

sample topic: strategic marketing (when hope isn’t a strategy)

Buyer behaviors are changing daily in response to Covid-19, new communication methodologies, from ZOOM meetings to Insta-stories to LinkedIn groups. Smart organizations (both retail and b2b) are in the mix, engaged online and offline with their audiences and their audiences' centres of influence. However, with the proliferation of online and offline media, some interesting phenomena are occurring.

More than ever before:

  1. Audiences are tuning out and filtering information
  2. Audiences are skeptical of direct, biased sources of advertising and
  3. Audiences are levering social networks to inform their decisions

During this session you will learn how to:‍

  1. develop a dashboard of relevant metrics in order to evaluate marketing strategies against objectives
  2. understand how to determine your organization's "unique differentiation" in the marketplace and
  3. build a marketing strategy that flies in the face of mass, direct forms of advertising

Participants will gain strategic growth insights that can be leveraged to organically grow into new markets, cultivate work from existing clients and optimize marketing mix allocation/spend.

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sample topic: effort, discipline, teamwork, grief, and training with the Navy SEALs

In early 2014, Jared Smith felt like he was in control of his destiny. His marketing business, Incite, was thriving with over 30 employees and clients across Canada. He was the Chair of the Mayor's Roundtable and held board positions with The U of A, the Entrepreneurs Organization, and the Edmonton Oilers' Community Foundation.

His family was healthy, he was a senior martial arts instructor and his future prospects felt strong. And then, one morning, he received a phone call - and everything changed. He suddenly found himself in unchartered waters. 12 months later, Jared and 10 of his closest friends were on a 5-day torture fest, fighting for their survival with a group of

Navy SEALs at a U.S. military training facility in San Diego. During this inspirational talk, Jared will tell us why he volunteered for this madness and how it helped to reshape his perspective in life.

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sample topic: planning forward (future-proof your business)

Led by the exponential rise of new technology, businesses are experiencing an increasingly fast-changing and competitive environment.

“Planning Forward” will provide participants with a unique perspective on how to future-proof their businesses in order to remain competitive, viable, and sustainable.

Jared Smith, the session leader, brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and wisdom to organizations, small and large that attend his seminars. His unique presentation style encourages participants to evaluate their strengths and better understand the value they bring to their customers.

Designed for those of us who have an entrepreneurial mindset, Jared will lead participants through content and exercises that:

  • explore how an entrepreneurial, growth mindset can be used to your advantage as you navigate new ideas and competitive forces
  • discuss pathways to potentially disrupt your own industry
  • help to expose the powerful technological forces at the doorstep of businesses
  • discuss ways to leverage new technology and new ways of thinking

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... Read more
View all sample topics

About Jared

For 20 years, Jared Smith, a Canadian-based business advisor, professional speaker, martial artist, and community ambassador, has been guiding various organizations across different industries. His most valuable contributions are in the realms of business development, relationship building, and growth strategy. Known for his work with purpose-driven leaders, organizations and social-impact projects, Jared has also cultivated other passions and is an accomplished adventure seeker, self-defense instructor, motivational speaker, and published author.

Jared's Speaker Bio

Testimonials

Andrea Rice, North America Community
lululemon
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I’ve worked with Jared on many occasions for various lululemon events and experiences. Jared is often a chosen speaker at local lululemon experiences for the connection, inspiration, and motivation he provides any audience through meaningful talks in and around his unique experiences in life.

Our brand has heard first hand about the lasting impact he has on many internal team members and external community members who have been fortunate enough to attend one of his talks. Jared shares his message with passion and humor, the audience is engaged by the energy he creates, and everyone leaves touched, moved, and inspired by his story. Lululemon is so grateful for the contribution Jared has made to our community and we look forward to having him speak again and again at events in the future.

Gord Stretch
Vimy Ridge Academy
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When we approached Jared with the possibility of him providing a keynote speech at our event, he was immediately enthusiastic. He had some great ideas for the speech that worked out beautifully. On the night of the event, Jared arrived early and looked sharp. His delivery was dynamic and fun, his message was clear, and his timing was perfect. Clearly, he gauged his audience flawlessly and had them riveted from his opening to closing remarks.

I’ve been putting together similar events every year for 13 years, and I believe Jared’s keynote speech was the best we’ve had. Simply put: dynamite!

Jessica Culo, President
Express Employment Professionals
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We had the pleasure of having Jared Smith as our keynote speaker, at an event that we hosted for our clients - a large group of business owners and business leaders.Jared is naturally engaging, inspiring, and genuine. Our guests not only found his message to be relevant, but also really enjoyed his presentation style, his energy, and his sense of humor. Speaking personally, the team members I had there in attendance continue to reference his story. He definitely makes an impact!

Dr. Larry Ohlhauser, MacKay CEO, Forum Chair
MacKay

Forum ChairJared has presented to my peer to peer MacKay CEO forums on a number of occasions. He was rated highly by my members as a result of his content, presentation style, and relevance to their business and helping them accelerate their performance as a CEO. Always happy to have him return.

Tom Shearer, Broker/Owner
Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate

Jared Smith is a speaker that is able to connect to a large audience with ease. His anecdotes are relatable, meaningful, and touching. My team left his presentation with information they could use in their day to day work along with a heartfelt message.

In preparation for his talk, Jared researched my company, found out what our intended message was, and tailored his talk to our needs. I would highly recommend Jared to friends and colleagues.

Nelson Tonn, Vice President
Fountain Tire

At our Fleet Symposium, we invited our largest customers and we wanted an engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking keynote. Our customers were delighted and thought that Jared delivered on all accounts through his high-energy, humorous, story content. We would definitely recommend Jared for your next event.

Shauna Feth, Executive Director
U of A School of Business

The Alberta Business Family Institute at the University of Alberta School ofBusiness has happily engaged Jared for our annual Signature Event as our Master of Ceremonies for several years. Jared has elevated our event with his professional manner, engaging personality and witty storytelling. In addition to his MC'ing skills, which are considerable, Jared is also an avid promoter of the event through his own connections and networks and a collaborative partner who provides ideas and feedback in order to support an even better event next time!

Cst. Brendan Fonteyne
Edmonton Police Service

Last fall I approached Jared with an idea to host a wellness night for members of the EPS. Jared was very enthusiastic about the idea and not only made himself available to speak but also to assist with the planning and coordination of the event. Jared helped bring my idea to life and impressed each person in attendance with his humble approach and outlook on the world. Even months later, I have people who missed the event ask me about Jared and his speech. It was wonderful working with him!