Steve Fredlund
Award-winning Keynote Speaker, Two-Time TEDx Presenter & Bestselling Author
Steve Fredlund
Award-winning Keynote Speaker, Two-Time TEDx Presenter & Bestselling Author
Biography
Steve Fredlund is an award-winning keynote speaker, two-time TEDx presenter, and bestselling author of Do the Unright Thing: Memoir of a People Pleaser. With a background spanning three decades as an actuary, executive, entrepreneur, and nonprofit founder, Steve brings a rare blend of analytical insight and heartfelt storytelling to every stage.
His journey took an unexpected turn after leading humanitarian efforts in East Africa, where he gained profound insights into life and leadership—and realized that doing everything “right” isn’t what leads to fulfillment or impact. That revelation sparked his mission to help others discover what he calls the Courage Advantage™—the everyday courage to move beyond expectation, lead with authenticity, and live in alignment with what truly matters.
Through his proprietary frameworks and powerful keynotes, Steve equips leaders and teams to navigate change, strengthen connection, and perform with greater purpose and impact.
Known for his laugh-out-loud humor, relatable storytelling, and ability to make complex ideas simple, Steve has inspired audiences across Fortune 500 companies, healthcare systems, credit unions, nonprofits, and global communities. Offstage, he enjoys disc golf, poker, and enduring the highs and heartbreaks of Minnesota sports.
Speech Topics
The Courage Advantage™: Unlocking Leadership Potential in Times of Change
Equip your leaders with the courage, clarity, and confidence to perform at their best—especially when everything is changing.
In a world that won’t stop shifting, even the most capable leaders can feel stuck or overwhelmed. In this inspiring and practical keynote, Steve Fredlund introduces The Courage Advantage™—a proven framework for unlocking greater impact and resilience through everyday courage. With humor, stories, and actionable insights, Steve shows how courageous leadership strengthens trust, clarity, and connection. Audiences leave with renewed energy and a clear path to lead boldly through uncertainty.
Key Takeaways:
- Lead with everyday courage. Learn how to turn ordinary moments into courageous decisions that build trust and resilience.
- Find clarity in chaos. Apply a simple model to lead decisively through uncertainty and constant change.
- Unlock your full potential. Equip yourself and your team to show up with confidence, connection, and renewed energy.
High-Impact Teams: How Alignment and Connection Drive Performance
Discover why alignment and connection—not perks or pay—are the real drivers of productivity, engagement, and retention.
Despite decades of effort, many organizations still struggle to boost engagement and performance. The problem isn’t effort—it’s focus. Drawing on his experience as an actuary and workforce analytics leader, Steve Fredlund reveals surprising research that shows the strongest teams aren’t defined by talent or benefits, but by alignment (to mission and values) and connection (to one another). Through data, storytelling, and humor, Steve helps leaders build cultures where people belong, believe, and bring their best every day.
Key Takeaways:
- Redefine what drives results. Discover why alignment and connection—not pay or perks—create lasting engagement.
- Build belonging and belief. Strengthen cultures where people feel seen, valued, and united by shared purpose.
- Turn insight into action. Use practical tools to align individuals with mission, values, and each other for measurable performance gains.
The Safari Way: A Roadmap to Fulfillment and Impact
A captivating journey that helps audiences rediscover purpose, fulfillment, and joy in how they lead and live.
Based on Steve’s humanitarian and safari experiences in East Africa, The Safari Way™ explores what it truly means to live and lead with purpose. Through vivid stories, laughter, and insight, Steve invites audiences to step out of the comfort zone and back into the adventure of meaningful leadership. He shares a simple, actionable roadmap that helps individuals and teams align who they are with what they do—bringing more authenticity, energy, and impact to work and life.
Key Takeaways:
- Rediscover your purpose. Reconnect who you are with how you lead for greater fulfillment and impact.
- Embrace the adventure. Step beyond comfort zones and re-ignite the spirit of curiosity, courage, and wonder.
- Live and lead authentically. Follow a proven roadmap to bring more joy, energy, and meaning to work and life.
Covered in Should: A Humorous Look at the Journey from Being Right to Being Extraordinary
A funny, heartfelt journey from expectations to authenticity—and from doing everything “right” to discovering what’s truly extraordinary.
For much of his life, Steve Fredlund did everything he was “supposed” to do—followed the rules, made good decisions, and kept everyone happy. But over time, he realized he was covered in should—buried under expectations that left him restless and unfulfilled. In this humorous and poignant keynote, Steve reflects on his own journey from doing what was right to embracing what was real. Through laughter, storytelling, and raw honesty, audiences see themselves in his story and leave inspired to wash off the “should,” reconnect with what matters most, and step boldly into their own extraordinary.
Key Takeaways:
- Recognize your “shoulds.” Identify the hidden expectations that quietly limit fulfillment and authenticity.
- Laugh, reflect, and release. Use humor and story to shed perfectionism and rediscover what truly matters.
- Choose the extraordinary. Leave ready to live and lead from authenticity instead of approval.
The Curiosity Effect: Replacing Assumption with Intention
Unlock collaboration, innovation, and trust by replacing assumption with intentional curiosity.
In a world that rewards speed and certainty, curiosity has quietly become an endangered skill. Yet it’s curiosity that drives innovation, deepens trust, and fuels courageous leadership. In The Curiosity Effect, Steve Fredlund helps leaders rediscover the power of asking better questions—at work, in teams, and in life. With humor and practical insight, he explores the three levels of curiosity and how to apply them to dissolve assumptions, resolve tension, and strengthen collaboration. Attendees leave with a repeatable process for leading with curiosity that connects, inspires, and transforms.
Key Takeaways:
- Trade certainty for curiosity. Shift from fast answers to better questions that unlock innovation and trust.
- Apply the three levels of curiosity. Master a repeatable process to dissolve assumptions and strengthen collaboration.
- Lead with intention. Foster a culture where curiosity fuels connection, creativity, and courageous growth.
Beyond the Cards: A Poker Champion’s Perspective on Decision-Making
Learn how world-class poker strategy reveals smarter, braver leadership decisions in high-stakes environments.
Whether at the poker table or in leadership, success comes from reading people, managing risk, and making confident decisions under uncertainty. In Beyond the Cards, poker champion and leadership strategist Steve Fredlund shares what the game teaches about clarity, courage, and trust. With entertaining stories and relatable insights, Steve connects poker psychology to real-world leadership—helping audiences evaluate risk, manage emotions, and decide boldly when the stakes are high. Because in both poker and life, success isn’t about the cards you’re dealt—it’s about how you play them.
Key Takeaways:
- Decide with confidence. Learn how to manage risk and emotion to make smarter choices under pressure.
- Read people, not just data. Build awareness and trust by understanding motivation and behavior.
- Play your best hand. Apply poker-tested strategies to lead boldly when the stakes are high.
Testimonials
Related Speakers
)
High-Energy Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur, High Performance and Leadership Expert, & Best-Selling Author of Confident By Choice
)
)
)