John’s Full Story

After getting a PhD in military history and spending 10 years as a military history professor, I joined the corporate world. I have worked in several business functions, including strategy, operations, change management, and innovation. Regardless of the corporate role, I have always reverted to my training and expertise in military history to solve business problems. I absolutely love presenting, through my keynote, how businesses can leverage the power of empathy in history to build trust with customers and employees. 

I published a book on how a small group of U.S. Marines leveraged the power of empathy, in the middle of a war, to build sustainable trust in the most unlikely of places. The marines, unbeknownst to them, actually built the foundation for a business playbook on how to empathize and solidify trust with business stakeholders. After studying this group of marines for more than a decade, I applied their playbook for empathy in the corporate world, which yielded impressive business returns. 

As I realized the connection between my PhD and my business career, I wanted to share the empathy lessons with the rest of the world. Whether I am presenting in front of 10 people or 10,000, I am addicted to the excitement of transferring this knowledge to audiences. There is no better feeling than experiencing the “light bulb” moment when audiences make that connection between history and business.  This is why I decided to give keynote presentations that combined my business experience with my passions for history and teaching. 

With my history integration, I offer a unique perspective on business that you will not find anywhere else. 

When I am not preparing for or giving a keynote, I am hanging out with my wife, Rachel, and our two daughters, Charlee and Olive. You also might find me playing the guitar, working out, watching college football, or training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wherever and whenever I can.