Chris Vasami

Inspirational Thought Leader, Resilience Expert, Former Professional Baseball Player & Three-Time Cancer Survivor

Chris Vasami

Inspirational Thought Leader, Resilience Expert, Former Professional Baseball Player & Three-Time Cancer Survivor

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Biography

Chris Vasami’s story proves that resilience is not something you talk about, it is something built in the face of adversity and proven through action. A former Division I baseball player at Notre Dame and Elon University who was drafted by the Colorado Rockies, Chris achieved his lifelong dream of playing professional baseball. Then in the prime of his life, he faced a far greater opponent. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and fought the disease three separate times. Those battles reshaped his identity, strengthened his faith, and forged the high-performance mindset he now brings to audiences across the country.

For more than two decades, Chris has translated elite athletic discipline and hard-earned life perspective into transformational coaching through his company, Vasami Training. His experience navigating cancer and hypothyroidism redefined how he approaches performance, blending mental fitness, resilience, lifestyle, and human connection into a holistic framework for sustainable growth. What he calls resilient personal greatness is not about hype or motivation in the moment. It is about clarity, ownership, discipline, and leading yourself before you ever attempt to lead others.

On stage, Chris delivers energy, authenticity, and practical tools that audiences can apply immediately. Whether speaking about building a winning mindset, developing a fearless edge, leading through action, or discovering purpose through adversity, he challenges people to dig differently and align who they are with how they lead. Audiences leave with renewed perspective, deeper resilience, and the confidence to step into the boldest version of themselves.

Chris lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife Paige and their two daughters. He speaks with the conviction of someone who has faced uncertainty head on and chosen growth every single time.

Speech Topics

Digging Differently: Tools for Transforming Your Life & Leadership

In this empowering keynote, Chris Vasami teaches audiences how to elevate their leadership and personal lives by making intentional choices and mindset shifts that go beyond simply working harder. Drawing on his journey as a former professional baseball player, thyroid cancer survivor, and performance coach, Vasami shows how digging deeper into identity, resilience, and purpose can unlock growth that is both meaningful and lasting. He helps people shift from pressure to purpose, encouraging leaders to show up with clarity, ownership, and authenticity in every area of life. Real, relatable, and grounded in lived experience, this session equips audiences with practical frameworks they can apply immediately to lead themselves and others more effectively.

Audiences will learn:

How to shift mindset from effort alone to intentional, impactful action.
Why deeper self-awareness and purpose-driven choices strengthen leadership influence.
Practical strategies for applying insight and resilience to both personal and professional challenges.

Chris offers a 60-minute virtual follow-up session delivered 30 to 45 days after each of his keynotes to reinforce key messages and ensure lasting impact beyond the event. Please inquire for more information.

Your Fearless Edge: Unlocking Your Potential for Greatness

What separates those who thrive from those who merely get by? In this inspiring and actionable keynote, Chris Vasami shows that greatness is not about talent or luck but about embracing a fearless edge rooted in resilience, mindset, and purpose. Drawing on his experiences as a professional baseball player, a survivor of thyroid cancer, and a high-performance coach, Vasami guides audiences through holistic strategies to confront fear, shift perspective, and lead with conviction in every area of life. Whether facing professional uncertainty, personal burnout, or unexpected obstacles, participants will walk away with tools to dig deeper, push further, and step into the boldest version of themselves.

Audiences will learn:

How to break through fear and build the mindset needed for sustained growth.
Why resilience and purpose-driven habits are essential to unlocking potential.
Practical strategies for leading with confidence amid challenge and change.

Invest in Your Greatest Asset: Building Resilient Personal Greatness

In this energizing and perspective-shifting keynote, Chris Vasami challenges audiences to rethink what it truly means to invest in the most valuable asset in any organization: themselves. Drawing from his journey as a professional athlete, thyroid cancer survivor, and high-performance coach, Vasami shares the mindset shifts and resilience strategies that help individuals and teams thrive under pressure and uncertainty. This session goes beyond productivity tips and instead focuses on what he calls resilient personal greatness—the foundation for sustainable performance and authentic leadership. When individuals lead themselves with clarity, consistency, and courage, they elevate not only their results but the culture and impact of the entire organization.

Audiences will learn:

Why self-leadership is the cornerstone of organizational success.
How to build resilience and clarity in high-pressure environments.
Practical strategies to invest in personal growth that drives lasting performance and impact.

Self-Discovery Through Adversity: Resilience, Identity & Inner Leadership

In this powerful and deeply human keynote, Chris Vasami explores how life’s most difficult moments can become the greatest catalysts for clarity, growth, and self-leadership. Drawing from his journey as a professional baseball player, thyroid cancer survivor, and high-performance coach, Vasami shares how adversity can reveal not just who you are—but who you are becoming.

This session goes beyond the idea of simply “bouncing back” and instead focuses on looking inward when circumstances feel uncertain or overwhelming. Honest and reflective, it challenges audiences to see resilience as rooted in identity and to understand that true strength begins from within.

Audiences will learn:

How adversity can accelerate personal clarity and long-term growth.
Why a strong sense of identity strengthens resilience and leadership capacity.
Practical ways to lead from the inside out during seasons of pressure and change.

Game Plan for Adversity: What Cancer Taught Me About Resilience and Human Connection

When Chris Vasami was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in his 30s, he leaned on the same mindset and discipline that had once carried him to professional baseball. In this powerful and deeply human keynote, Vasami shares what resilience truly feels like from the patient’s side of the bed, offering an unfiltered look at uncertainty, vulnerability, and identity reshaped by adversity.

He reflects on how small moments of compassion from healthcare professionals became anchors of hope during the most fragile season of his life. Blending personal story with hard-earned insight, this talk affirms the profound impact caregivers, leaders, and teams have—often in ways they may never fully see. Both inspirational and restorative, it reconnects audiences to purpose, perspective, and the extraordinary meaning behind their work.

Audiences will learn:

What authentic resilience looks like when identity and certainty are stripped away.
How small, human interactions can build hope and strengthen connection during crisis.
Why reconnecting to purpose is essential for sustaining impact in high-pressure professions.

Let It Be Done: Aligning Faith, Purpose & Performance

In this inspiring, faith-centered keynote, Chris Vasami invites audiences to explore what it means to align personal ambition with God’s greater purpose. Drawing from his journey as a professional athlete, thyroid cancer survivor, and performance coach, Vasami shares how surrender and discipline can coexist—how trusting God’s plan does not diminish excellence, but deepens it. He challenges participants to move from constant striving to intentional alignment, learning to discern purpose amid pressure and uncertainty.

Grounded in faith and practical wisdom, this session encourages leaders to integrate conviction, courage, and calling into both their professional pursuits and personal lives.

Audiences will learn:

How aligning faith and daily action creates greater clarity and confidence in decision-making.
Why surrender and discipline work together to strengthen resilience and performance.
Practical strategies for integrating purpose-driven faith into leadership and career growth.