Paul Epstein became the go-to fixer for NBA teams, NFL franchises, and league executive offices because he’s mastered the come-from-behind win. He recognizes that victory comes from the inside, and requires an All-In culture empowered by a growth mindset and a belief that we all have unlimited potential – when we double down on our strengths, gifts, talents, and passions.
Today, people and organizations everywhere are struggling. Maybe you’ve lost sight of the fuel that motivates, inspires, and pushes you forward— or maybe you never found it. It’s purpose, and the feeling of leading with purpose is more thrilling than you can imagine.
Maybe your lack of purpose is manifesting in terms of traditional achievement— you’ve fallen behind in sales, your culture is a mess, or your growth has stalled out. Maybe you just can’t seem to turn your vision and goals into momentum and purpose. You know the What, but you just can’t seem to find the Why.
Or maybe you’re excelling, but success has let complacency creep into your work or your organization. So you start playing defense— reactive, on your heels, the market dictating terms – and once you start playing defense, it’s difficult to stop.
Paul’s background in cultural transformation and helping organizations find their Why can help you discover and amplify the power of purpose within your company, culture, and personal game plan.
Speaking Topics -
The Power of Playing Offense in Defensive Environments
Leading with Confidence during Uncertainty
Global upheaval, unrelenting change, and economic uncertainty have us all playing defense.
The result: confidence gaps that drive defensive mindsets and actions at organizations all over the world. But what if you had a playbook for playing offense — proactively pursuing and achieving meaningful goals and breakthrough performance — while everyone else is sheltering in place?
This is exactly what Paul delivers in this flagship keynote inspired by 15 years of leading teams in the NFL/NBA and his bestselling book, The Power of Playing Offense: a Leaders Playbook for Personal and Team Transformation.
Every audience member will walk away with a 5-pillar Playing Offense framework and WIN MONDAY playbook, curated for universal insights and actionable takeaways to implement in any industry or organization.
Key Takeaways
- Inspire your team to leverage purpose as a driver of commitment and performance
- Cultivate a culture of resilience to endure any climate of heavy change and uncertainty
- Understand the best and ‘next practices’ of trust building, collaboration, and growth
- Know what the greatest leaders do, and how to scale these behaviors across organizations
- Identify the keys to attracting, engaging, and retaining talent with confidence
- Takeaway Resource for Attendees: Paul’s 52 Week Action Plan to WIN MONDAY
Making Better Decisions Faster
How to Overcome Paralysis and Inspire Action
Even the most elite performers can rush to bad judgements, become paralyzed by indecision, or get worn down by decision fatigue.
In this keynote, Paul reveals the streamlined three-step process he’s used to turn around major sports franchises — from the locker room to the boardroom. Avoid decision traps, move forward clear and confident, and make the best out of your MVDs: Most Valuable Decisions.
Discover the key to making fast and effective decisions for the questions that keep you up at night:
- Should I choose Strategy A or B?
- Which candidate should I hire?
- What should I spend my time on?
- Do I take this deal, or call it off?
- What are my goals for next year?
The secret? The Head-Heart-Hands equation: a simple and repeatable process that taps into the power of our three most basic human tools for making better decisions faster.
Key Takeaways
- Flip fear and uncertainty into clarity and confidence
- Empower leaders and talent to become highly decisive, aware, and intentional in their actions
- Acquire an operating framework designed for speed, efficiency, and winning time back
- Build high-trust teams through heightened authenticity and collaboration
- Leave with a playbook where everybody knows what to say “yes” to and what to say “no” to
- Takeaway Resource for Attendees: Paul’s 52 Week Action Plan to WIN MONDAY
Scaling Championship Culture
Leadership & Growth Insights from the NFL & NBA
Culture can only scale when EVERY person in it takes full ownership, accountability, pride, and a commitment to daily excellence.
That’s the spirit of a champion, and culture (when done right) is our ultimate competitive advantage.
This keynote is inspired by Paul’s 15 years as a culture-building practitioner in the NFL & NBA (including multiple national awards for his work as Founder of the San Fracisco 49ers Talent Academy), then stress tested across his training and consulting practice to deeply examine: what do the greatest cultures in the world have in common?
The biggest needle moving insights are revealed in this talk.
Warning: this is not a classic ‘top down’ approach to culture. This is a framework where every individual owns their local culture, feeling seen, valued, and recognized.
As a result their buy-in, performance, and contributions skyrocket as individuals, and it spreads deep and wide through your organization.
Welcome to a championship culture, that scales.
Key Takeaways
- Learn the nuances of culture building for a team of 50 vs a team of 50,000.
- Understand the keys to a YES IF culture over a NO BECAUSE culture, inspiring growth and collaboration across teams
- Scale a values-obsessed team that can endure any market disruption or adverse environment
- Discover future-proof insights around recruiting, engaging, and retaining your star talent
- From organizational to individual purpose, learn to align and connect both
- Takeaway Resource for Attendees: Paul’s 52 Week Action Plan to WIN MONDAY
Closing the Confidence Gap in Sales
A Masterclass to Build Momentum and WIN
Sales is the lifeblood of every organization. Without it, there is no business to operate. No people to employ. No purpose to fulfill. No impact to ignite in the market.
CONFIDENCE is what makes it all possible.
Paul realized how confidence can be the ultimate separator and competitive advantage needed to win as a sales leader in the NFL and NBA, breaking the all-time Super Bowl revenue record, surpassing billion-dollar goals while opening new NFL stadiums, and transforming cellar-dwelling NBA teams from 28th in league revenue to 2nd within a single season.
This keynote unpacks exactly how he and his teams did it. The lessons and insights are industry agnostic and universally applicable.
It’s the perfect blend of sales mindset and winning psychology, coupled with tactical toolkits to maximize confidence and achieve breakthrough performance…immediately.
Key Takeaways
- Learn the best practices of elite performers and how they separate from the pack
- Identify the confidence gaps that get in the way of optimal and sustainable performance
- Discover the needle-moving habits and rituals required for daily growth and success
- Understand the secrets and tactics of overcoming adversity and navigating uncertainty
- Acquire a process to unlock your mindset, lead with authenticity, and drive purposeful action
- Takeaway Resource for Attendees: Paul’s 52 Week Action Plan to WIN MONDAY
