Click here to download everything below.
Or simply click on the one-page document you want to download:
Formats: Keynote or breakout – live or hybrid
Sample audiences: All-employee groups, small business owners, gaming industry
Sample events: Sales summit in Las Vegas, marketing association annual meeting
Life is filled with decisions, including many we have to make with limited information. The happiest and most successful people in life are those who have clarity on the experience they want to have, ave the emotional intelligence to understand other people, recognize and embrace the ups and downs that are a natural part of their life, and have the courage and intentionality to make decisions aligned to their desired experience.
This is true in relationships, work, leadership, volunteering, school and every other part of our life.
And it is also true in the world of poker.
Steve Fredlund is the Founder and original host of the RecPoker podcast, has built relationships with top professional players and industry professionals, and has won more than 30 live poker tournaments. Steve is also known as The Safari Dude, a sought-after keynote speaker and leadership coach who invites people to life, work and lead “The Safari Way.”
Whether you are a poker player or not, this talk will help you become better at the game of life – with the goal of helping you become more successful and happier.
After this talk, the audience will:
Formats: Keynote, breakout or workshop – live, virtual or hybrid
Sample audiences: All-employee groups, independent workers, solopreneurs, students
Sample events: Agent training, school assemblies, chamber of commerce gala
Do you know the pain that comes from being unhappy even in the midst of your good life? On paper everything is great, but inside you are a bit of a mess? You tried so hard year after year to do the right thing, believing those right choices would lead to a happy life; yet here you are with that external good life and internal discontentment. Steve knows that feeling all too well and was fortunate to figure out how to escape what he calls, “The Good Life Trap.”
As a recovering long-time actuary, Steve conducted his own research and has studied what truly drives our happiness – not those momentary bursts of laughter – but that core contentment that brings us joy, assurance and confidence in knowing we are the heroes of our own epic adventure, living the life we want, with the people we need. This is “The Safari Way” and it will change your life.
Steve’s passion combined with several experiences leading East African safaris results in a fun, entertaining and insightful talk that will be discussed by audience members for years to come and they pursue their authentic epic adventure.
The Safari Way is a movement of individuals, teams and organizations around the world who are finding greater happiness and success. Through the lens of an African safari, Steve shares insights from his research as an HR actuary through the lens of his epic travel adventures. HIs speaking motivates and empowers audiences to become personally more happy and collectively more collaborative and effective.
After the talk, the audience will:
Realize the similarities between their life and an African safari
Understand how the data proves that alignment & connection are the drivers of happiness
Have clear steps to recognize and escape the Good Life Trap
Have clear steps to take immediately to begin their journey to greater happiness
Formats: Keynote, breakout or workshop – live, virtual or hybrid
Sample audiences: All-organization and all-team groups
Sample events: Team events, new employee orientation, association conferences
Steve Fredlund is a long-time actuarial leader who analyzed data on more than 150,000 global employees. The analysis is clear: our happiness at work is not tied to our manager or the success of the company – and it’s also not tied to our pay, bonuses, benefits, flexibility or recognition.
Wait, what? We love those things! Surely they make us happier! Well, we prefer them; all things equal we want more of them; and while they may give us a momentary excitement, they do not actually change our happiness. They do not make us more productive or engaged or cause us to stick around longer.
So what is it? What drives our happiness at work? Alignment and connection.
We become happier when we are excited about the organization’s vision and values; or when our job responsibilities are aligned with our strengths and passions. We are happier when we feel connected to the organization or team’s mission, feeling like we are an important part of something bigger than ourselves. We are happy when we feel connected to other people in the organization; a sense of belonging; a sense of mutual caring and respect.
Alignment and connection are what driver our happiness which results in greater productivity, engagement and retention. Our happiness is not tied up as much as we think in the success of the company, our manager, or our pay, bonuses, benefits, flexibility or recognition. The data could not be more clear. Our happiness is tied to our alignment and connection.
So, if you want to be happier – it’s time to work on alignment and connection. That is The Safari Way – along with accepting the reality that, like every safari, our work is going to be filled with ups and downs, highs and lows, knowns and unknowns. Trying to insulate ourselves from that is ultimately going to create great unhappiness, but this is the very nature of a safari (both in Africa and at work), and it is unavoidable.
The happiest people lean into the ups and downs, recognizing it is just part of the nature of work. And rather than avoiding it or getting frustrated by it, happier people realize that it comes with the territory when you are living an epic adventure. There would not be epic stories and heroes without the ups and downs, highs and lows and unknowns. Happier people embrace the swings as part of their great epic adventure. It’s the same for us at work – rather than cursing the swings, embrace them; accept them; lean into them – yes, solve them as best you can, but know that’s what make you heroic and your story epic!
Steve is known as “The Safari Dude” because he has led several safari trips to Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. He learned the importance of clarity, intentionality and accepting the unexpected on these African safaris; the same traits that brought him success in Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and entrepreneurial endeavors.
Throughout this fun and energetic presentation, Steve uses engaging stories from the Serengeti to relay critical insights about how we can become happier at work.
The Safari Way is a movement of individuals, teams and organizations around the world who are finding greater happiness and success. Through the lens of an African safari, Steve shares insights from his research as an HR actuary through the lens of his epic travel adventures. HIs speaking motivates and empowers audiences to become personally more happy and collectively more collaborative and effective.
After the talk, the audience will:
Understand the real reasons why they like some jobs and not others
Recognize the key drivers of their happiness and unhappiness at work
Be equipped to know how to increase their happiness at work
Formats: Keynote, breakout or workshop – live, virtual or hybrid
Sample audiences: Managers, small business owners, nonprofit leaders
Sample events: Leadership gatherings, association conferences, new manager training
Steve Fredlund is a long-time actuarial leader who analyzed data on more than 150,000 global employees. The analysis is clear: productivity, engagement and retention are driven by alignment and connection; alignment with the organization’s vision and values and connection to other people and the mission. Even more shocking is what does not drive results: SKAs (skills, knowledge, abilities), salary, bonuses, benefits, flexibility and recognition.
These are surprising, largely underutilized insights. We keep hiring based on SKAs because that’s what we have always done, that’s how Human Resources supports us, and that’s how our automated systems are set up. These systems can be efficient and help us CYA, but the reality is they don’t work. The skills, knowledge and abilities of those entering our organization is not correlated to their productivity, engagement and retention.
Steve is known as “The Safari Dude” because he has led several safari trips to Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. He learned the importance of clarity, intentionality and accepting the unexpected on these African safaris; the same traits that brought him success in Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and entrepreneurial endeavors.
Throughout this engaging presentation, Steve uses stories from the Serengeti to relay critical insights about leadership and building powerful teams.
The Safari Way is a movement of individuals, teams and organizations around the world who are finding greater happiness and success. Through the lens of an African safari, Steve shares insights from his research as an HR actuary through the lens of his epic travel adventures. HIs speaking motivates and empowers audiences to become personally more happy and collectively more collaborative and effective.
After the talk, the audience will:
Understand what does (and does not) drive productivity, engagement, and retention.
Be challenged to evaluate hiring, onboarding and performance management methods.
Be equipped to cultivated alignment and connection within their team.
Formats: Keynote, Breakout or Workshop — Live, Virtual or Hybrid
Sample audiences: Executive leadership, business owners, nonprofit directors
Sample events: Leadership conferences, association annual meetings, corporate gatherings
The average US office worker is productive only 31% of their day.
Only 36% of employees are engaged.
Nearly 25% of employees voluntarily leave their job every year.
These statistics are daunting, especially when considering they are the most critical people-based drivers of organizational success. Improvement in these results significantly helps the bottom line. But how can we move the needle, especially considering the hiring and engagement challenges most organizations are facing?
Steve Fredlund is a long-time actuarial leader who analyzed data on more than 150,000 global employees. The analysis is clear: productivity, engagement and retention are driven by alignment and connection; alignment with the organization’s vision and values and connection to other people and the mission. Even more shocking is what does not drive results: SKAs (skills, knowledge, abilities), salary, bonuses, benefits, flexibility and recognition.
Most leaders don’t realize what the data tells us about employee motivation; but the great ones do. Powerful organizations are filled with these great leaders who cultivate alignment and connection.
Steve is known as “The Safari Dude” because he has led several safari trips to Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. He learned the importance of clarity, intentionality and accepting the unexpected on these African safaris; the same traits that brought him success in Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and entrepreneurial endeavors.
Throughout this insightful presentation, Steve uses engaging stories from the Serengeti to relay critical insights about building a powerful organization.
The Safari Way is a movement of individuals, teams and organizations around the world who are finding greater happiness and success. Through the lens of an African safari, Steve shares insights from his research as an HR actuary through the lens of his epic travel adventures. HIs speaking motivates and empowers audiences to become personally more happy and collectively more collaborative and effective.
After the talk, the audience will:
Understand what does (and does not) drive productivity, engagement, and retention.
Be challenged to evaluate hiring, onboarding and performance management policies.
Be equipped to supplement their leadership training programs to cultivate alignment and connection.
Keynote or Breakout
Are you ready to take your life to the next level? Join Steve Fredlund, the Safari Dude, for an exciting keynote presentation about discovering and pursuing your authentic adventure. Steve has three decades of experience in corporate, nonprofit and entrepreneurial environments, as well as years of safari experiences in East Africa, and his message will provide you with the insights and confidence you need to live an Epic Life.
Steve will guide you through the Epic Life Revolution, a movement of individuals from all walks of life who are clarifying their vision, creating life strategies, making more courageous decisions and getting the “right peeps in their jeeps.” Our lives are already adventures – filled with ups and downs, highs and lows, and unknowns – but with Steve’s guidance, your adventures can become epic!
Experience Steve’s unique blend of fun and interactive storytelling and learn how to make your life an Epic Adventure! Unleash your inner explorer and embark on an epic life journey today!”
After this talk, the audience will:
Format: 30 to 90-minute keynote or breakout
Target Audiences:
Keynote or Breakout
Do you want to become a more successful and happier leader? Are you tired of dealing with unproductive, disengaged employees who don’t stick around? Steve Fredlund (The Safari Dude) has the answer — Get the “Right Peeps in Your Jeeps”!
For three decades, Steve has been a leader in corporate, nonprofit and entrepreneurial environments. His actuarial analysis of Human Resources data uncovered surprising insights about employee behavior including what actually drives productivity, engagement and retention.
Through compelling personal stories from African safaris, Steve will challenge your current understanding about the “peeps” you need in your “jeep” and help you identify who they really are. He will share the methods given to his coaching clients to find, attract, invite, onboard and connect them to become part of your epic team – fully aligned and on mission together!
Great leaders are on an epic adventure. Discover their powerful secret about building productive and engaged teams who stick around and work together.
After this talk, the audience will:
Format: 30 to 90-minute keynote or breakout
This program can be dialed up or down between humor and information, making the customized talk perfect for:
Join the thousands of leaders, event organizers and others connected with the Safari Dude striving to make their adventure more epic!
Leaders with a clear vision, optimal strategies, and the right people are flourishing. Study this guide, make a few changes, and you will be on your way to a more epic adventure!