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We've now made it easier for you to research and save your favorite keynotes speakers. Click on the + sign to add a speaker to your Speaker List and email your favorites to colleagues and friends.

Steve Fredlund

Steve Fredlund

    • The Courage Advantage
    • Keynote Speaker & Bestselling Author
    • Humanitarian
    • Recovering Actuary

Full Bio
Speaker Fee 🛈

$10,000 - $15,000

Virtual Fee:

$10,000 - $15,000

Travels From

Minnesota

Steve Fredlund Promo Video

Steve Fredlund Promo Video

Steve Fredlund - Speakers Showcase Talk

Steve Fredlund - Speakers Showcase Talk

Steve Fredlund Speaker 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.

The Courage Advantage™: Unlocking Leadership Potential in Times of Change

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.

High-Impact Teams: How Alignment and Connection Drive Performance

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.

The Safari Way: A Roadmap to Leadership Fulfillment and Impact

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.

Covered in Should: A Humorous Look at the Journey from Being Right to Being 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.

The Curiosity Effect: Replacing Assumption with Intention

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.

Beyond the Cards: A Poker Champion’s Perspective on Decision-Making

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.

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