Learn about the power of Slow in powerful and inspiring keynotes
UK
Leader of the Slow Movement focusing on slowing down to boost performance, creativity, health and leadership
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"Carl was great. He was easy to partner with. He ensured that he understood the context of the event to be able to deliver to it. He was able to engage the audience in his speech and was approachable for the audience members to talk to him post the event and get his ideas/ perspectives"
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To achieve peak performance in a fast world, you have to slow down – Carl Honoré
Described by the Wall Street Journal as “an in-demand spokesman on slowness,” Carl travels the world to deliver keynotes that put time and tempo in a whole new light. His talks are dynamic, inspiring, informative and full of humour, and his audiences range from business leaders, entrepreneurs and sales professionals to teachers, academics and medical practitioners.
In his global bestseller, In Praise of Slow, Carl chronicles the global trend toward putting on the brakes in everything from work to parenting. The Financial Times said it was “to the Slow Movement what Das Kapital is to communism.” His second book, Under Pressure, explores how to raise children in a fast world and was hailed by Time as a “gospel of the Slow Parenting movement.” Carl’s latest book, The Slow Fix, shows how to tackle complex problems in every walk of life. Translated into more than 35 languages, his books have landed on bestseller lists in many countries.
Carl starred in BBC Radio 4’s The Slow Coach, in which he helped frazzled, over-scheduled people slow down. He also presented a television show called Frantic Family Rescue on Australia’s ABC 1.
Carl is an advisor to Jack Media, which makes messaging apps, and sits on the Board of Trustees of Hewitt School in New York City.
Huffington Post called Carl “the godfather of the Slow movement.” Newsweek described him as “an international spokesman for the concept of leisure.” ABC TV News called him “the unofficial godfather of a growing cultural shift toward slowing down.” CBC Sunday Edition said Carl is ”inarguably the world’s leading evangelist for what has become known as the Slow Movement.”
Carl’s first language is English, but he also presents in French, Spanish and Portuguese (and sometimes Italian).
See keynotes with Carl HonoréWe are entering a golden age of ageing. From powered clothing to precision surgery, technology influences our lives to a tremendous degree. To make the most out of the longevity revolution, we need a radical rethink of what it means to grow old – from the workplace to our personal lives. Join speaker Carl Honoré who offers you this keynote to find out how we can age better – and feel better about ageing.
In the 21st-century workplace, faster is often considered better. But that’s not always the case. In this powerful keynote, speaker Carl Honoré shares his important message, which might sound counterintuitive at first: to succeed in a fast-paced world, you need to slow down. Mastering the clock is about choosing when to be fast and when to be slow. During the session, Carl shows you how to do this by telling you how top companies and entrepreneurs of the global economy are speeding up by slowing down.
Sometimes a quick fix is just the right solution. However, most problems we face today are too complicated for instant remedies: this is where the Slow Fix comes in. Speaker Carl Honoré spent two years to travel the world and research problem solving in politics, business, health and many other domains – and now he is showing you the secret to The Slow Fix!
Slowing down has its tremendous benefits: it can bring more meaning, depth and pleasure to your life. It can boost your health, making you more productive, creative and efficient. And from from parenting to the workplace or exercise to relationships it applies to every walk of life. For this reason, in this keynote, speaker Carl Honoré draws on insightful examples from all over the world to show you how you can live, work and play better by unleashing your inner tortoise.
Childhood has slowly became a race to perfection and as a result, children, teachers and parents are all unfulfilled and exhausted. Thankfully, change is coming! Global movements such as Slow Parenting, Slow Education and Slow Kids are finding their ways to give children enough time to explore the world on their terms and be children again. Speaker Carl Honoré designed this keynote to help reinvent childhood for the 21st century, touching on themes from consumerism to technology and education to extracurricular activities. Note: Carl also offers a special keynote for teenagers.
Watch speaker Carl Honoré in action!
Carl was great. He was easy to partner with. He ensured that he understood the context of the event to be able to deliver to it. He was able to engage the audience in his speech and was approachable for the audience members to talk to him post the event and get his ideas/ perspectives
Nikunj Upadhyay
Many thanks for a superb, insightful, dynamic, fun and fully inspiring presentation! Just had excellent feedback from all participants with no exception!
Gilles Legault
Getting city lawyers to slow down is impossible surely? Carl was faced with this task at our latest Life With Law event, and succeeded in every way. Carl captured the whole room’s attention with his thoughts on The Slow Movement. His talk resonated with everyone in slightly different ways, but we all left wanting to find our inner tortoise.
Amy Greenham
Carl was captivating! He has a rare blend of polished eloquence and sophistication coupled with vibrant and contagious energy that attendees absolutely fell in love with. Carl captured everyone's attention from the very first second and had us smiling, laughing and nodding in agreement throughout. His appeal is universal and he was the audience favourite!
Sam Makhoul
How can we ever thank you for an informative and inspiring two days at Hewitt? I wish you could see my inbox right now (actually, you don’t want to see it, because it’s the opposite of slow). It’s full of thank you messages from parents thanking me and saying that they are going to buy your books and continue thinking and reading about slow parenting. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Tara Kinsey - Head of School
What is the message you hope people take away from your presentations?
Slowing down can help all of us lead richer, happier and more productive lives.
How are your keynotes unique?
My message is profoundly countercultural and counterintuitive: The best way to get ahead in a fast world is not to go faster; it’s to slow down. Instead of using PowerPoint, I entertain and persuade with a performing style that is fun, dynamic and inspiring. With my rich international experience, I am able to draw on evidence and stories from around the world and make my message relevant to audiences in any country.
Who or what is your biggest source of inspiration?
Every day people from all over the world email to say that reading my books or hearing me speak has helped them change their lives for the better. That is extraordinary inspiration.
Can you explain briefly why it is important to slow down?
When we get stuck in fast forward, everything suffers – our diet and health, our relationships, communities and the environment, even our work and the economy. The Slow movement offers an alternative to today’s roadrunner culture. Being Slow is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace; it’s about doing everything at the right speed.
Slowing down at the right moments can bring more depth, pleasure and meaning to our lives. It can make us more efficient and creative. It can help us conquer stress. It can make the economy more sustainable. The Slow movement is a cultural revolution in the making. By unleashing our inner tortoise, we can all work, play and live better.
How do you relate the concepts of pleasure and purpose in your keynote?
Pleasure and purpose are two sides of the same coin. One of the greatest pleasures is finding and following your personal mission in life. Slowing down is an essential part of making that happen. It is only by taking time to listen, observe and think that we are able to find our true purpose. Taking a slow approach can make life more pleasurable in every other way, too, because it helps us enjoy each moment thoroughly. As Mae West famously said: “Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.”
How do you prepare for your keynote presentations?
By spending a lot of time learning about the event and the audience beforehand. Though the Slow philosophy is universal, the message can be delivered in many different ways. I make sure the content, tone and style of my keynotes are tailored to fit the needs of each audience.
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