Kevin Vallely

Wild Success

In his Wild Success keynote Kevin Vallely shares how the wild wisdom garnered in the adventure world is just as valid for the business professional as it is for the extreme adventurer. As a world class explorer and business professional himself, Vallely skillfully combines insights from the adventure world with innovative research from the field of neuroscience to provide unique and invaluable leadership lessons.

In his highly interactive session, Kevin draws on insights from his new book Wild Success: 7 Key Lessons Business Leaders Can Learn from Extreme Adventurers to reveal that the secret traits demonstrated by elite adventurers are, in fact, accessible to us all.

Key take-aways:

• Learn how to quickly re-frame difficult experiences for better outcomes.
• Understand how to recognize challenge as a growth opportunity and as a means to
  becoming stronger.
• Discover that optimal performance is directly linked to balance in life.

The 3 Key Elements of Resilience

Kevin’s interactive keynote on the 3 Key Elements of Resilience speaks to passion and perseverance and one’s capacity to move forward regardless of setback. The keynote builds around a question Kevin was asked by a young offender while skiing to the South Pole in 2009.

On January 7th, 2009, Kevin and two teammates skied into the South Pole faster than anyone in history, breaking the world record by over 5 days. Kevin has cultivated his level of resilience and understands what it takes. His answer to the question “How do I keep going? Why don’t I quit?” will inspire and empower your audience.

Key take-aways:

•  The necessity for partnership and teamwork in achieving our goals.
•  A positive mindset will make the difference between failure and success.
•  You have the choice how you perceive life. Perspective is everything.

Bravery: The Art of Risking Failure

Bravery, for Kevin, means acting despite of fear.

In his multi-media presentation Kevin Vallely discusses that bravery is not a fixed attribute that we’re born with but rather a skill that can be learned, strengthened and practiced. Bravery is not about being a risk taker but rather a risk mitigator. He describes through his own personal
experience how, just like building a muscle, bravery and courage can be grown. Bravery will not guarantee success but achieving success will be impossible without bravery. We all have the capacity to be brave.

Acceptance:

• Acknowledge and validate your fears
• Name it / journal it
• Focus on what you can control

Build Capacity:

• Challenge yourself
• Build a strong team
• Confront negative thoughts

Take Action:

• Make a stand – help others
• Risk failure
• Fake it until you make it
• Know when to quit

On Thin Ice

Through his own eyes Vallely was witness to the changes being brought upon by rapidly warming global temperatures. Just a generation ago, traversing the Northwest Passage was nearly impossible in a steel hulled icebreaker. Today, Valley and his 3 teammates undertake the journey in a 25ft rowboat without sail or motor. The preposterous nature of his attempt speaks to the profound changes happening there. No one has traversed the Northwest Passage under human power because no one could of, until now.

Key take-aways:

• Climate change is real – facts
• Voices of the indigenous
• A call to action