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Marilyn Sherman

Hall of Fame Speaker | Peak Performance Expert | Helping Leaders Take Their Seat of Success in the Front Row

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Marilyn Sherman, Hall of Fame business keynote speaker, has spent her career inspiring people to get out of their comfort zones and take their seat in the “Front-Row” of life and leadership. As founder of UpFront Presentations, Marilyn has helped audiences around the world—from Fortune 500 companies to international universities—to embrace change, elevate performance, and lead with purpose. Known for her engaging storytelling and relatable humor, Marilyn delivers powerful keynotes that combine hope, heart, and actionable tools people can use immediately. Her signature message challenges audiences to stop settling for the balcony or general admission and instead claim their Front-Row Seat at work and in life. 

 

Meeting planners and executives consistently praise Marilyn for her customization and connection with every audience. Attendees often say, “She was talking directly to me,” or “She’s so much more than a motivational speaker—she’s a catalyst for change.” Marilyn is a proud member of the National Speakers Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame (CPAE)—a distinction held by fewer than 200 speakers worldwide. She’s also the author of four motivational books, including “Why Settle for the Balcony?”“Whose Comfort Zone Are You In?”, and “Is There a Hole in Your Bucket List?” 

 

In addition to inspiring audiences with motivational keynotes, Marilyn also conducts workshops on reducing conflict in the workplace with strategies on communicating with confidence. When she’s not on stage, she’s producing her popular Front-Row Friday videos—weekly moments of hope and inspiration for people ready to live and lead from the front-row. 

Speaking Topics

Front-Row Success: How Top Performers Never Settle For Balcony Seats

Desired Outcomes: Increased sales, increased employee engagement, more motivated workforce, bigger results. 


How do you motivate your teams to show up and give their best effort every day? According to a recent Gallup poll, 60% of today’s workforce are emotionally detached from their work and 28% are miserable. Now is the perfect time to help your teams re-engage, re-inspire, and re-ignite their passion for their work. Marilyn has figured out what it takes to motivate even the hard to motivate audience. From car salespeople, to medical supervisors, to IT professionals, the most common phrase Marilyn hears after this keynote is “You were speaking directly to me and I needed to hear this today.” This dynamic program is ideal for an opening or closing keynote because it has the perfect blend of inspiring stories coupled with actionable items that attendees can use immediately. 


People walk away ready to implement success strategies based on her S.E.A.T. of Success formula: 

  • SEE the outcome you desire. Top performers know that success begins with a clear, articulated vision. You must see the end-result first so you are inspired to make decisions that will support moving you in the direction of your dreams.
  • Be ENERGY focused toward your vision. Instead of focusing on time-management to accomplish what you want, focus instead on Energy Management. Don’t waste your high-energy time with low impact distractions. And certainly, learn how to set boundaries with others who want to sabotage your time by asking you for favors at any time during the day.
  • ATTITUDE adjustment. We all know that people do business with people they know, like and trust. And, people with a positive, optimistic attitude are MORE likely to be trusted and certainly liked by others. If you want to sell a product, a service, or an idea, try adjusting your attitude to be optimistic and positively project what you want.
  • TENACITY at MAX Capacity when faced with adversity. There are obstacles all along the path to the front-row. Marilyn inspires attendees to handle adversity with courage, compassion, and kindness. 

Communicating For Results: From Conflict To Cooperation

Desired Outcomes: Clearer communication, less conflict, higher performing teams. 


There is a heightened tension in the workplace lately and there is more potential for conflict. Yet, no one likes conflict and most people would rather avoid critical conversations in order to keep the peace. However, conflict-avoidance never works. But how do you confront someone without having a constructive conversation escalate into workplace drama? Marilyn shows you what to say, when to say it, and how to say it in order to resolve potential conflict situations before people get too upset. Plus, teams are so much more effective when people are straightforward in their communication without harboring any resentments from past unresolved conflict. This presentation will have you walking out knowing that you have the tools to keep your cool when confronting others, or even when you’re being confronted by someone else. Oh, and by the way, you will now know what to say to the bully, so they won’t bother you again. You will be able to tell it like it is but in a way that brings people together and does not alienate or divide. 

Managing Change For Optimal Results: Are You A VICTIM, VACATIONER Or VOLUNTEER?

Desired outcomes: Identify behaviors that help not hinder change, increase communication with teams, decrease workplace stress associated with change. 


Organizations are encountering change more than ever before. But how are you managing and navigating that change? People default to one of three mindsets when faced with change: victim, vacationer, or volunteer. If you are a VICTIM to change, you feel and act like people are out to get you and you take change personally. You don’t feel your voice matters, so you never speak up. If you are a VACATIONER, you are dis-engaged and wait for others to make the conversions necessary. You don’t pay attention until it’s crunch time, then you try to ask for help with urgency and last-minute stress. The third and obviously most valued mindset is one of a VOLUNTEER. This is where you are totally engaged, ask good questions, and are resourceful in making the change a success. This workshop addresses how you can manage victims and vacationers and help your team become volunteers to navigate change in order to increase the likelihood of success. 

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Testimonials

"The entire conference was an enormous success, but many people commented specially on how outstanding, motivational, and thought-provoking your presentation was. We believe all who saw you were deeply inspired and benefited greatly from your expertise and guidance!"

"Thank you Marilyn for your time, energy, and most importantly, sharing what you love with us! Some comments: “I really came away thinking about my work differently, I want to be as effective as I can be. The keynote speaker and the personal accountability to be a better, more highly effective leader was excellent!’ Thank you again Marilyn for inspiring others to be better than they were yesterday!"

"On behalf of Boston Market Corporation and our national catering sales team, I want to thank you for your outstanding motivational program “Whose Comfort Zone Are You In?” Your program was the highlight of our national sales meeting. Our team enjoyed your sense of humor and I heard many great comments: She was great…inspiring…that was awesome….and certainly motivating! I also appreciate how easy it was to work with you and your organization! Thank you for your professionalism; we were extremely pleased with your services. I would highly recommend you and your programs to anyone I know that is looking for a motivational speaker!"

"Wow! You were truly amazing at the SFM conference in Montreal. Your talk on getting a ‘Front-Row Seat in Life’ was right on target and so pertinent for our audience. I don’t recall any other SFM closing keynoter who received better reviews (or attendance) than you. Our members really connected with your message. Your presentation will go down in history as truly inspiring."

"Just a note to thank you for your fine effort the other night at our annual meeting. Your presentation was dynamic, informative, and in talking to some of the managers afterwards, they all said they enjoyed it."

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