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13 Best Motivational Speeches for Entrepreneurs (2024)

Who couldn’t use a few of the best motivational speeches for entrepreneurs?

Business can be hard. Heck, life can be hard.

We’re all on a journey, and we’ve all been down in the dumps before, wondering if what we’re doing is really worth it.

Wondering if what we’re doing is really making an impact.

But, it’s important that we’re always moving forward. This is a lesson that I learned early in life.

I remember I was around 4 years old, and I was learning to ride my bike with my uncle and my father.

Of course, I fell off multiple times while I was learning to cycle, and I remember the time I cut my knee pretty badly.

At that point I really just wanted to quit and go home. But, my family told me: “you can’t quit now, you’re almost there. Just try it once more!”

You’ve probably heard that before too, right?

So, I got back on that bike. I didn’t want to, but you just need to power through and face your challenges head-on.

Sure enough, that was the first time that I rode that bike without any help.

After that, I was so glad I kept moving forward and that I never gave up.

Now, that probably wasn’t the motivational speech that you expected when you clicked on this article, but it’s evidence that we can do so much more than we think we’re capable of when we’re spurred on by others.

And that’s exactly why we’ve created this article – we’ve listed all of our favorite motivational speeches here, because we already know how much more you can achieve with a little bit of extra motivation .

So, let’s jump into it!

Post Contents

Will Smith – Pursuit of Happiness

Al pacino – any given sunday, steve jobs – 2005 stanford commencement speech, matthew mcconaughey – university of houston speech, sheryl sandberg – harvard business school motivational speech, sylvester stallone – balboa speech, arnold schwarzenegger – famous motivational speech, richard st.john – 8 secrets of success, eric thomas – i can, i will, i must, denzel washington – fall forward, key takeaways, want to learn more, 13 best motivational speeches for entrepreneurs.

Considered one of the best motivational speeches, this famous motivational speech from the 2006 film, Pursuit of Happyness , features Will Smith and his son playing basketball.

At the start of the clip, you’ll see Smith’s son (his actual son, Jaden Smith) playing around with a basketball, and he shouts out, “I’m going pro!”

After hearing this, Smith decides to try and level his son’s expectations, mentioning that he himself never really excelled at basketball, so his son shouldn’t expect to either.

His son is visibly disappointed by this comment, and Smith notices this.

Smith then proclaims: “don’t ever let somebody tell you that you can’t do something, not even me.”

“You got a dream, you gotta protect it. You want something, go get it. Period.”

This motivational speech is a special one. Even though both Will and Jaden Smith are acting, they’re still father and son, and you can see how this scene reflects their own family dynamic.

It’s a short motivational speech, but it’s one of the best motivational speeches of all time, in our opinion.

Al Pacino’s speech from the American Football drama, Any Given Sunday, is next up on our list.

This famous motivational speech really gets your blood flowing – perfect for watching before you tackle a difficult day .

The motivational speech revolves around the idea of inches being so important in American Football, even if we have the tendency to overlook them.

He talks about the different ways that his team can gain advantages over their opponents, even if it’s only an inch at a time.

He proclaims: “when we add up all those […] inches, that’s what makes the difference between winning and losing”.

This point is applicable throughout life, too – it’s the people who go the extra mile who tend to find success more often than not.

And sometimes, you won’t notice it at first, but like Pacino mentions, it’s the sum of all the small parts which lead you to victory.

Motivational speeches like this one pump you up when you need it most.

Steve Jobs, one of the key figures behind tech giant Apple’s success, is next up on our list of the best motivational speeches of all time.

In his 2005 Stanford commencement speech, the former Apple CEO dives deep into his own journey as an entrepreneur , and he speaks openly about the issues that he’s faced along the way and how he overcame them.

During this classic motivational speech, Jobs talks about how he was actually a college dropout and that this was one of the most important times of his life. 

He mentioned that he dropped out of college to take classes that he was truly interested in, rather than studying topics he wasn’t deeply passionate about.

One of those classes that he took up after dropping out was calligraphy. He was so compelled by the high standard of handwriting.

To many, this might seem like a strange choice, but he connects the experience that he gained from that class to the font choices that he installed on Apple computers.

If Jobs had never taken that calligraphy class, he wouldn’t have cared so much about a seemingly small detail, like fonts, but Apple was the first company to add different typefaces to their operating systems. 

He goes on to say: “You can’t connect the dots if you’re looking forward, you can only do it looking backwards. So, you need to keep moving forward and hope that the dots align somehow.”

The key message from this famous motivational speech is that we’re always learning. We’re always growing and finding out new information. It’s all about what we choose to do with that information that really defines us.

As Jobs said: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

Next up on our list of motivational speeches is Matthew McConaughey, with his commencement speech at the University of Houston.

The Oscar-winning actor delivers some very pertinent points during his speech, but the one that stuck out for me was how he spoke of joy being a “constant approach”.

McConaughey said: “Joy is always in process, it’s always under construction.”

He spoke of how he was previously judging his success on metrics that he thought were important to him, like the number of academy awards he won, or the amount of money his films grossed.

But, it was only when he decided to focus on the whole process of creating a film, and enjoying every aspect of it, that he found true success in those metrics.

It turned out that, when he took everything one step at a time, and truly enjoyed his craft, he found that things just fell into place.

“Define success for yourself.”

Find what you want to achieve, and enjoy the entire journey – not just the high points, but the lows too.

Matthew McConaughey ended up delivering one of the best motivational speeches from the past few years.

Sheryl Sandberg, the American entrepreneur, tech executive, author, and current COO of Facebook, is the next addition to our list of the best motivational speeches with her talk at the Harvard Business School in 2012.

Besides talking about her own experiences as an entrepreneur, and her work at Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg, Sandberg mentions a very pertinent idea. One that we can all do well to remember.

“Motivation comes from working on things that we care about.”

This is certainly true for entrepreneurship – those who are running businesses and working to tackle problems that engage them are more likely to find success.

And, according to Sandberg, it’s so important that we continue to work, because that’s the most important thing.

All in all, this is one of the best motivational speeches for students that we’ve seen.

Rocky Balboa , played by Sylvester Stallone, is a famed character best known for his courage, hard work, and determination.

In Rocky Balboa, the sixth film in the Rocky franchise, Stallone delivers one of the hardest-hitting motivational speeches of all time.

Stallone starts off the motivational speech by saying: “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows.”

He goes on to talk about the value of hard work and commitment and emphasizes that “it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”

As an entrepreneur, this motivational speech really hits home. There will be struggles on your journey to success , but as Stallone says, it’s all about “how much you can take and keep moving forward, that’s how winning is done.”

Remember this when your back is up against the wall – winners never give up!

This is one of the most iconic motivational speeches. You’ll often find it in motivational speech mashup videos on YouTube or even on Spotify.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian-American actor, entrepreneur, politician, and former My Olympia, is next up on our list of the most famous motivational speeches for entrepreneurs.

He starts his motivational speech with a simple, powerful message.

“Work your ass off.”

Schwarzenegger then discusses how having a goal was so pivotal for him on his journey to success in a variety of fields.

He also talks about how “only a quarter of people really enjoy what they’re doing in life.”

Schwarzenegger also believes that everybody should be constantly working to get closer to their main goal and properly utilize every hour of their day.

“Imagine if you worked on a business every day for an hour . Imagine how further along you would get.”

This is perhaps the most important message from this motivational speech – it’s down to us to make the most of our limited time on earth. And this message, which everybody can get behind, is why we believe this is one of the best motivational speeches of all time.

Next up on our list, we’ve got an infamous TED talk from Richard St.John – also one of the shortest motivational speeches that we’ve ever seen, but it sure is impactful.

St.John mentions at the start of the video that this talk is a condensed version of 7 years of research (including research from more than five hundred interviews with successful professionals).

One of the most interesting points that St.John mentions is that if you want to be successful at something, you need to “put your nose down in something and get damn good at it.”

But, the most motivational part of St.John’s speech for us was where he talks about passion.

He said: “if you do something you love then the money comes along later.”

This section of the motivational speech is especially relevant for entrepreneurs – if you’re building a brand , then try and be invested in it as much as possible – a commitment to the cause will really help you find success in the long run. 

When you’re trying to find success, you need to love what you do!

Eric Thomas is a fantastic speaker, and in this classic motivational speech, he empowers us to believe that we can always get through adversity, no matter what the challenge is.

Thomas repeats this line throughout the speech: “I can get through this. I will get through this. I must get through this.”

He also cleverly uses our loved ones as a source of inspiration in this motivational speech.

He asks us to focus on the 3 people we love the most and challenges us to question our own decisions regarding motivation.

“You gotta think about those people every day.”

“You have some days when you think about hitting the snooze button? […] The days you don’t feel like getting up, just think about them.”

Instead of being lazy and complacent, we need to think about our loved ones and question what they’d think if we were procrastinating 24/7 .

Honestly, it’s fine doing something for yourself, but knowing that you’ve made your loved ones proud just makes everything feel 10 times better. This is one of the main messages from this motivational speech. 

And that’s why this is one of the best motivational speeches of all time. It takes the onus away from working for yourself and instead focuses on putting in the work for people you couldn’t bear to let down.  

Elon Musk – USC Commencement Motivational Speech

Elon Musk is an icon of inspiration for countless people worldwide. Known for his out-of-the-box thinking and visionary technology, Musk shows us that anything is possible if we put our minds to it.

In the USC Commencement motivational speech, Elon immediately demonstrates his tendency to break away from the status quo. He tells us he was advised to stick to 3 items that he wanted to mention, but he’s going to share four.

Elon tells his listeners that they need to work proportionally to the accomplishments they want to achieve. “If you want to start a company, you need to work super hard.”

Elon’s speech here is compelling because it’s so authentic. He doesn’t talk about being lucky or following your gut instinct. Musk tells us that great things come from an equally astronomical amount of work.

Musk also acknowledges the power of great people, “all a company is, is a group of people that have gathered together.” Elon says that if you want a great company, you need a great team.

Musk’s third point is to “focus on signal over noise.” In other words, concentrate on developments that make the product better, “don’t just follow the trend.”

The final piece of advice from Elon’s speech? “Take risks.” Jump into new opportunities and pursue different things.

Ed Shereen – Being Weird is a Wonderful Thing

Ed Sheeran might not be the first person you think of when you visualize the world’s greatest thought leaders. Yet, he constantly moves millions of people with his music and his words.

At the 9 th Annual American Institute for Stuttering Benefit Gala, Sheeran talked about how Eminem helped him overcome his speech impediment.

Sheeran admits to being a “very, very weird child” with a birthmark on his face, large glasses, and no eardrum on one side of his head. He says that “stuttering was actually the least of my problems when I went to school,” but he found it extremely difficult.

Sheeran notes that not being able to express himself in the right way was his biggest concern with his stutter. However, when his dad bought him an Eminem CD when he was young. Listening to it helped him to learn how to speak fast and accomplish his stutter.

Ed’s insights are a great source of inspiration for entrepreneurs learning how to deal with the stress of public speaking and believing in themselves.

Now, Ed believes that “being weird is a wonderful thing”. He asks us to “embrace yourself, embrace your quirks, and embrace your weirdness.”

Jim Carrey – Maharishi University Commencement Motivational Speech

Jim Carrey’s commencement speech at the Maharishi University is filled with so much wisdom it’s difficult to decide which to focus on.

Perhaps the most important statement Jim made for entrepreneurs and business leaders was that “fear” will always be a big player in our lives. However, Jim notes, “you get to decide how much.” You can spend your life in fear, or you can follow your heart.

Jim says that countless people choose their path out of fear. They stick to what’s safe and easy because they’re afraid to ask, “what if?” However, Carrey says that the only way to live is to ask the universe for what you need.

Jim Carrey invites his listeners to “risk being seen in all of your glory.” He says that our job isn’t to figure out how we’re going to reach success, but to simply “open the door in your head” and walk through it when the time is right.

“You will fail at something. Accept it.”

In the last entry on our list of the best motivational speeches, Denzel Washington discusses failure.

But, Washington doesn’t shirk away from failure ; he embraces it.

He says that “every failed experiment is one step closer to success.”

This is certainly true when it comes to entrepreneurship . You learn so much from everything you do, whether it’s a win or a loss.

But, the most important thing isn’t necessarily winning or losing. It’s about getting out there and giving it everything you’ve got. That’s why this is one of our favorite motivational speeches about life. 

“Never be discouraged. Never hold back. And when you fall in life, remember this: fall forward.”

So, that’s our list of the best motivational speeches for entrepreneurs.

We hope you enjoyed those clips. We just want to highlight a couple of key points present across all of these motivational speeches.

• It’s important that you love what you do . Be invested. Be present. And be the best you can be.
• Failure isn’t a bad thing . If you learn from it, and continue to move forward, it can lead to great things.
• You need to want it. Entrepreneurship, along with many things in life, can be tough. You want it bad? Prove it.

Okay, that’s all from me today. Did I miss any motivational speeches off from this list? Let me know in the comments section – I read them all!

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8 Best Motivational Speeches of All Time for Entrepreneurs

The first steps of any new venture are the hardest. From opening your doors to signing your first client, building your team to hiring your first marketing agency — every choice you make has substantial consequences for your business. 

Some choices could propel your business forward while others could set you back years or force you to close your doors.

Making these pivotal decisions is tough; that’s why entrepreneurs like yourself need to find motivation where you can. 

Seek out advice and guidance from those that have come before you. Start by watching some of the best motivational speeches that we’ve ever seen.

#1: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Speech that Broke the Internet

“I went to college. I went and worked out 5 hours a day. And I was working in construction. Because in those days in bodybuilding, there was no money. I didn’t have the money for food supplements or anything. So, I had to go to work. So, I worked in construction. I went to college and worked out in a gym. And at night from 8 o’clock at night to 12 midnight, I went to acting class 4 times a week. I did all that. There was not one single minute that I wasted.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger's speech was published on the Milligan Brothers YouTube channel on May 2, 2019. At the time this post was written, the video had already gotten more than three million views.

#2: J. K. Rowling’s Harvard Commencement Speech

“Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.”

J.K. Rowling is a well-known name in almost every household, but there was a time when that was not the case. Before she achieved success with her Harry Potter books, she was rejected by several publishers and was in a bad state financially.

Facing bankruptcy and constant rejection, it would have been easier for her to give up, but she carried on. She didn’t let her failures stop her. She used them to push her closer to success. 

You can find the text of her speech published in the Harvard Gazette.

#3: Will Smith in Pursuit of Happyness

“Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something—not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something? Go get it. Period.”

In this moving scene from the movie “Pursuit of Happyness,” Will Smith tells his son he can do anything. Smith plays a real-life character, a single father who is struggling to take care of his son throughout overwhelming adversity. 

While playing basketball, Chris—played by Will Smith—finds himself doling out some harsh criticism to his son, but he quickly recovers. After seeing the discouraged look on his son’s face, he used his harsh words to deliver a motivational speech to his son that included admitting he was wrong for what he had previously said.

#4: Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech

“And 17 years later, I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was, spending all the money my parents had saved their entire life. So, I decided to drop out and trust that it was all going to work out ok. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out, I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked far more interesting.”

Steve Jobs gave this speech in 2005 during the Stanford Commencement Address. He goes on to discuss how he fell in love with calligraphy by dropping in on a class teaching it. That one class is what later inspired him to develop typography and incorporate it into the Mac. 

#5: Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday

“I don’t know what to say really. Three minutes till the biggest battle in our professional lives, and it all comes down to today. Either we heal, as a team, or we’re gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play, till we’re finished. We’re in hell right now, gentlemen—believe me. And, we can stay here and get the s_____ kicked out of us, or, we can fight our way back.”

 Al Pacino delivers this inspiration speech in the movie “Any Given Sunday.” In this movie, the main character DAmato—played by Al Pacino—is trying to motivate the players on his football team to work together to win their game after they had suffered from three back-to-back losses.

#6: Sheryl Sandberg at Harvard University

“It used to be that in order to reach more people than you could talk to in a day, you had to be rich and famous and powerful, be a celebrity, a politician, a CEO, but that’s not true today. 

Now ordinary people have a voice, not just those of us lucky to go to HBS, but anyone with access to Facebook,  Twitter , a mobile phone. This is disrupting traditional power structures and leveling traditional hierarchy.

Voice and power are shifting from institutions to individuals, from the historically powerful to the historically powerless, and all of this is happening so much faster than I could have imagined when I was sitting where you are today, and Mark Zuckerberg was 11 years old.”

Sheryl Sandberg speaks to the Harvard graduating class of 2012 and tells her story of how she struggled to get on track with her career in the Silicon Valley back in 2001.

She explains how the timing was terrible because the bubble had crashed, and companies were laying people off. Sheryl goes on to explain how she overcame the challenges to get to where she is today.

#7: Richard St. John’s Motivation TED Talk

“And it all started one day on a plane, on my way to TED, seven years ago. And in the seat next to me was a high school student, a teenager, and she came from a really poor family. And she wanted to make something of her life, and she asked me a simple little question. She said, “What leads to success?” And I felt really badly because I couldn’t give her a good answer. So, I get off the plane and I come to TED, and I think, “Jeez, I’m in the middle of a room of successful people, so why don’t I ask them what helped them succeed, and pass it on to kids?”

Richard St. John ​ delivered this speech as his TED talk. The video was published to TED’s YouTube channel on January 6, 2007, and it’s gotten over 2.5 million views. In this video, he provides his secrets of success in 8 words, in 3 minutes.

#8: Gary Vaynerchuck’s Hustle

“So, first of all, it’s different for everyone, but this whole notion of like, “where’s the time?” I just think people are loaded with excuses. I think that the vainer nation thinks they’re hustling, and straight to your face, I think 99.9% of you are not. Everybody has time, stop watching f_____ Lost…”

Gary Vaynerchuck’s Video “The Most Important Word Ever” stresses how important it is to utilize every single minute of your day to reach your goals by keeping up the hustle and never giving up.

Are You Feeling Motivated and Inspired Yet?

I hope you found these speeches as motivating as I did and that you’re ready to start your new venture with a renewed sense of energy and focus.

Just know that going forward, anything is possible when you set your mind on something, and you go after it with no excuses and a determination to succeed. 

Don’t let failures hold you back. Failures help to propel you forward and put you on the right path by showing you the wrong one.

At Sparkitive, we know just how important having a well-thought-out and proven plan is to the success of your new service-based business.

That’s why we created a free guide that gives you the gift of a step-by-step plan you can follow to generate new leads and turn them into long-term, loyal clients.

Get your free copy of our guide now: Fast Track Your Business: The 5-Step Marketing Plan for Professional Services Firms .

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More From Forbes

How to make a memorable executive speech: 14 expert tips.

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Executives can be called on to deliver engaging speeches in various situations, ranging from industry events to private gatherings. While you might have a lot of addresses to give as an executive, the quality shouldn't suffer because of the quantity. Speeches should engage the audience and make them think and consider new possibilities.

But how does an executive consistently deliver rousing speeches time and again? How do they engage an audience that might have heard it all before? Fourteen professionals from Forbes Agency Council share valuable tips executives should consider when crafting speeches to make them stand out in the audience's memory long after the address is over.

Members share tips for crafting and delivering an engaging, memorable executive speech.

1. Provide Value, Be Charismatic

If you use Charlie Munger's Theory of Inversion, ways by which one would forget your message would be if it provides no value, there is no enthusiasm in delivery or the thesis is convoluted. In order to have a memorable message, I'd argue, do the opposite. So, provide value, be charismatic and be concise. Your message will not be forgotten. There is no need to speak otherwise. - Phillip Hui-Bon-Hoa , Abacus Growth

2. Find One Central Message

To make your speech memorable, find one central message you want to get across. Use the three Cs to hone your message: concise, compelling and consistent. Next, use the three Ss to bring that message to life: stories to illustrate your message, statistics to emphasize your argument and soundbites to leave your audience with a power sentence they'll never forget. - Nathan Miller , Miller Ink, Inc.

3. Tell Stories That Matter To Them

Tell stories that matter to them. Don't just state facts, because as valuable as information is, it won't impact anyone without context. Share the relevance of your words and give engaging examples. Explain what your message has meant for others and what it should mean to your audience. People won't just listen; they'll share what you have to say. - Fran Biderman-Gross , Advantages

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4. Strive To Be Relatable

Be relatable. If at an industry event, tell a story that you know every person there has faced. Talk about triumph. Internally, thank your team for their wins and successes. Relating back to others evokes emotion and likens the chance that they will never forget your speech. - Nick Brucker , Sparq Designs

5. Always Be Honest

Honesty is key. I believe that as an executive, you're always trying hard to say the "right things" to the team. And in the process, you sometimes forget to speak "your truth." How do you feel? Speak the truth, regardless of how it will be perceived. This will give rise to a culture that's real and will help team members to connect with you and the rest with real, honest conversations. - Osama Khabab , MotionCue

6. Make It Interactive

Invite the audience to share their opinions and questions throughout the meeting. If your audience feels like they are being “talked to” rather than having a meaningful interaction, your message might get lost, and they may even tune you out. Actively engage your team so they remain focused. - Hannah Trivette , NUVEW Web Solutions

7. Focus On The Human Connection

No matter how important your position or the precise speech that must be delivered, you cannot leave out one element — a moment of human connection. Standing up on a stage won't get the audience to pay attention. It doesn't even matter if your message is critical. You need a human connection to make your speech matter, to make it memorable. - Dmitrii Kustov , Regex SEO

8. Bring The Right Energy

The most important thing to make a speech memorable, aside from a clear, concise message, is energy. The energy you exude while giving a speech transfers to the audience. If you bring high, passionate energy while delivering your speech, it shows your conviction behind your message. When delivering a speech, you want the audience to feel your energy; and they’ll leave saying, "Wow, what a speech." - Tony Pec , Y Not You Media

9. Make It Personal

The personal factor is definitely a big element to create rapport with an audience and a brand. Today, we care more about personal stories than general business advice. We learn and remember a lesson or a particular event when we add a personal view and experience. So, even if we represent a business, we always need to show ourselves as a person with weaknesses and strengths. - Stefano Mongardi , TheWebMate

10. Use Humor

Humor is a crucial element. You don't have to be a pro stand-up, but you do have to offer something to the people listening that isn't dry. The truth is that many of the funniest moments speaking aren't a prepared joke; they're a human, even vulnerable moment the audience isn't expecting. Stating something that's happening "right now" and "in the moment" can enliven and elevate any talk. - Danny Star , Website Depot

11. Establish A Shared World View

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12. Push The Envelope

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13. Use The Basics Of Storytelling

Giving a speech just describes the format and set-up. It is not an excuse to ignore the basics of storytelling — develop a conflict that gets resolved after going through some trouble. It sounds trivial, but the biggest impact comes from stories people remember as they can relate to them emotionally. - Lars Voedisch , PRecious Communications

14. Make Sure You're Making An Impact

One thing that is very important is making sure that you are making an impact. The impact needs to be something that is memorable, as well as something that is going to help others. Knowing that you are going to make an impact and saying something meaningful is very important. - Jon James , Ignited Results

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The 24 Best Motivational Speeches Our Employees Have Ever Heard

Published: July 19, 2023

It was halftime during one of my 7th-grade football games. And we were losing 14 - 0. With our knees planted in the grass, my team was quietly huddled, drenched in sweat and defeat. Suddenly, it was game over.

That's when our assistant coach burst into our circle and shattered our pity party, delivering one of the best motivational speeches I've heard to this day.

I can't directly quote him because he said some inappropriate things for a blog post (and, in hindsight, probably for a bunch of 13-year-olds too).

The point is he harnessed the power of words to rejuvenate a physically and emotionally drained team. And we came back clawing to win the game.

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Motivational Speech

A motivational speech can come from anywhere or anyone, but it usually has a specific audience in mind.

Whether it's a graduation speech, an all-company meeting, a championship sporting event, or a conference keynote, these speeches are designed to change how their listeners see the challenges facing them in the future.

Like in sports, being motivated at work is crucial for your performance. This rings especially true when you have a looming deadline, an important meeting, or colleagues or customers depending on your performance.

Think about the last time you felt generally unmotivated. What brought you out of that feeling? Sometimes all it takes to get you going is a good night's sleep or witnessing the benefits of your labor.

Still, other times, you might listen to someone say something that resonates with you — that alters how you've been looking at a particular task or problem.

Motivational speeches and speakers can come in all different forms, but this is the one thing they have in common — resonance. They resonate with the right listener at the right time and in the right way.

Who knows, this article is doing some for you right now. (I can dream, can't I?)

We selected 24 of the best motivational speeches from business, sports, entertainment, and other fields to help you stay motivated no matter what your work throws at you. Watch these videos if you want to feel inspired by a project.

Trust me, I was wiping my eyes after I saw them. And while the messages vary from speech to speech, they can put you in the optimal frame of mind for tackling and crushing your next big challenge.

(Disclaimer: Some speeches may contain NSFW language.)

Elon Musk: "The Importance of Never Giving Up" (2020)

Angela Ahrendts: "Leading with Empathy" (2023)

Arianna Huffington: "The Power of Sleep" (2023)

Tim Cook: "Inclusion and Diversity" (2023)

J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)

Sheryl Sandberg: "Lean In" (2021)

Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)

Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)

Matthew McConaughey: "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2022)

Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)

Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)

Oprah Winfrey: "The Power of Self-Belief" (2020)

Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)

Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)

Kobe Bryant: “The Path to Greatness" (2020)

David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)

Carol Dweck: "The Growth Mindset" (2020)

Al Pacino: "Inch by Inch" (1999)

Satya Nadella: "Empowering Others" (2023)

Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)

Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Mel Robbins: "The 5 Second Rule" (2020)

Angela Duckworth: "The Power of Grit" (2020)

Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)

The Best Motivational Speeches of All Time

1. elon musk: "the importance of never giving up" (2020), theme of speech: perseverance and resilience.

Elon Musk's "The Importance of Never Giving Up" speech about perseverance and determination is decisive.

In this speech, Musk emphasizes failing and learning from failures as keys to success. He recounts his life and career, demonstrating how he overcame challenges.

One key takeaway from Musk's speech is his advice to adopt a growth mindset.

Musk encourages listeners to view setbacks as learning experiences. He also highlights the value of perseverance, persistence, and taking risks.

Elon Musk's word serves as an upbeat reminder that perseverance, patience, and the desire to attempt things repeatedly in the face of difficulty are essential for success.

"If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it."

2. Angela Ahrendts: "Leading with Empathy" (2023)

Theme of the speech: empathetic leadership....

The "Leading with Empathy" talk by Angela Ahrendts emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and compassion in leadership.

According to Ahrendts, leaders must view their employees as whole people with lives outside of work. Leaders can instill trust, respect, and mutual support in their employees and organizations.

Ahrendts emphasizes the importance of team mission as well. Leaders can inspire their teams by connecting them to a greater goal.

She believes that working together fosters creativity, innovation, and growth.

"Leading with Empathy" is a powerful reminder that leadership requires more than technical knowledge. To truly inspire and motivate their employees, leaders must understand their emotional needs and create a supportive, inclusive environment.

"Empathy is the glue that holds relationships together, whether they are personal or professional."

3. Arianna Huffington: "The Power of Sleep" (2023)

Theme of the speech: sleep and productivity.

The Huffington Post's founder, Arianna Huffington, emphasized the importance of sleep to overall health. In her 2023 speech, "The Power of Sleep," she discusses how sleep deprivation affects our health, productivity, and happiness.

Huffington observes that we have been taught to sacrifice sleep for success. She also mentions that well-rested employees are more creative, efficient, and effective.

To address these issues, Huffington proposes a cultural shift that recognizes sleep as essential to health and wellness.

She advises individuals and organizations to prioritize sleep, avoid technology before bedtime, and create a restful sleep environment. Sleep, according to Huffington, is a necessity, not a luxury.

By recognizing the importance of sleep, people and businesses can enhance their health, productivity, and general well-being.

Arianna Huffington's "The Power of Sleep" speech in 2023 emphasizes the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleep deprivation.

It promotes a culture where getting enough sleep is essential for health and well-being.

"Sleep is the Swiss Army knife of health, it does everything."

4. Tim Cook: "Inclusion and Diversity" (2023)

Theme of the speech: inclusion and diversity.

Apple CEO Tim Cook advocates for inclusion and diversity. He has been instrumental in the company's initiatives to advance fairness and equality inside its ranks and across the technology sector.

Cook has prioritized diversity and inclusion at Apple because he believes it is proper and necessary for innovation and business success.

Unconscious bias training, diverse recruitment, and employee resource groups contributed to his success.

Outside of Apple, Cook has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights and immigration reform. He has raised awareness of these issues and advocated for social change as a business leader.

Tech leaders and others have lauded Cook's commitment to diversity and inclusion. He has raised awareness of these issues, leading to significant change at Apple and elsewhere.

"Inclusion and diversity are not just buzzwords, they are fundamental values that drive innovation and creativity."

5. J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)

Theme of speech: failure.

In J.K. Rowling's 2008 Harvard commencement speech, the Harry Potter author explored how two phenomena -- failure and imagination -- can be crucial to success.

While failure can help you understand where your true passion lies, and where you should focus your energy moving forward, imagination is what will allow you to empathize with other people so you can use your influence to do good.

“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”

"You have to understand your own personal DNA. Don't do things because I do them or Steve Jobs or Mark Cuban tried it. You need to know your personal brand and stay true to it."

6. Sheryl Sandberg: "Lean In" (2021)

Theme of the speech: gender equality and leadership.

Sheryl Sandberg's 2021 talk, "Lean In," encourages women to lean into their careers and leadership roles. She urges women to stand up for one another and themselves to overcome societal and cultural hurdles.

Sandberg highlights the need to have distinct objectives and goals and be prepared to take calculated risks to achieve them.

She also underlines how crucial it is for more female leaders to advance diversity and gender equality across all industries.

Sandberg's speech also emphasizes collaboration. She urges women to mentor other women and look for sponsors and mentors themselves.

The "Lean In" talk by Sheryl Sandberg emphasizes women's voices and perspectives in all aspects of society.

To remove barriers and foster more inclusive and varied workplaces and communities, Sandberg urges women to pursue their professional ambitions with confidence and with the help of their communities.

"We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women's voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored."

7. Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)

Theme of speech: taking risks.

Jim Carrey might make a living as the goofiest comedian around, but in 2014, he combined classic Carrey humor with unforgettable insight at Maharishi University of Management's graduation ceremony.

Jim Carrey opened his speech dishing punchlines, but he eventually opened up about his upbringing and the role fear plays in our lives. You can actually hear the amazement in the students' reactions in the video above.

“I learned many great lessons from my father -- not the least of which is that you can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

8. Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)

Theme of speech: life and career.

Considering the YouTube video of Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement speech has 24 million views, it's likely that you've seen this one already.

In the speech, Jobs plays on two themes: connecting the dots (anecdote: how taking a calligraphy class helped inspire the design of the Mac) and love & loss (anecdote: how getting fired from Apple helped inspire his greatest innovations).

Perhaps the most memorable part his speech comes at the end, when he quotes the (now-famous) lines from the final issue of his favorite publication, The Whole Earth Catalog:

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

9. Matthew McConaughey: "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2022)

Theme of the speech: discovering true happiness and fulfillment in life..

In "The Pursuit of Happiness," famed actor and motivational speaker Matthew McConaughey provides his enlightened viewpoint on obtaining true happiness and fulfillment.

McConaughey presents a genuine and approachable study of what it means to live a fulfilling life through sincere storytelling and personal anecdotes.

The speech discusses the significance of authenticity and remaining true to oneself. McConaughey encourages people to define their success rather than succumb to social pressures or external expectations.

He stresses aligning our behaviors and decisions with our fundamental values and passions.

McConaughey expresses his conviction in the power of thankfulness and the importance of living in the present moment. He encourages people to create a grateful mindset, recognizing the blessings and possibilities surrounding them.

By appreciating the present and finding joy in the journey, individuals can experience more profound happiness and fulfillment.

"Happiness is not a destination. It's a state of mind, a journey, and a choice we make every day."

10. Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)

In his 2011 UPenn commencement speech, Denzel Washington highlighted three reasons why we need to embrace failure in order to be successful. First, everybody will fail at something at some point, so you better get used to it.

Second, if you never fail, take that as a sign that you're not really trying. And third, at the end of the day, failure will help you figure out what path you want to be on.

“Fall forward. Here's what I mean: Reggie Jackson struck out twenty-six-hundred times in his career — the most in the history of baseball. But you don't hear about the strikeouts. People remember the home runs.

Fall forward.

Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments. Did you know that? I didn't know that—because #1,001 was the light bulb. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.”

11. Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)

Theme of speech: perseverance.

Last year at INBOUND, Vera Jones told a moving story about the life lessons she's learned from raising her blind son.

She explains how having faith in your future and letting it lead you toward your true purpose will help you overcome blinding obstacles.

She also discusses how following your passion and trusting your vision develops empathy, which is a critical leadership skill.

“Passionately play your position no matter how bad things get. You are significant. Why we are here is not for our own glory. Ultimately, we're here to lead and serve everybody else. By doing that, we encourage others to do the same.”

12. Oprah Winfrey: "The Power of Self-Belief" (2020)

Theme of Speech: Self-Belief and Confidence

Oprah Winfrey's 2020 speech "The Power of Self-Belief" emphasized the importance of self-assurance. She attributed her success to her unwavering self-assurance.

According to Oprah, self-belief is not about being arrogant or overconfident. She stresses the significance of overcoming self-doubt and fear, which can prevent people from reaching their goals.

Oprah used personal stories to demonstrate how self-confidence has aided her in life and work. She encouraged her audience to believe in themselves and to embrace their inner strength.

The Power of Self-Belief" reminded us how important it is to have faith in ourselves and our ability to succeed.

"The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams."

13. Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)

Best known for his role in the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, actor Charlie Day had lots of wisdom to share during the 2014 commencement speech at his alma mater, Merrimack College.

Day explained to the audience how college degrees are inherently valueless, since you can't trade them in for cash. Instead, it's you, your hard work, and the risks you take that provide real value in life.

“You cannot let a fear of failure or a fear of comparison or a fear of judgment stop you from doing the things that will make you great. You cannot succeed without the risk of failure.

You cannot have a voice without the risk of criticism. You cannot love without the risk of loss. You must take these risks.”

14. Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)

The video above is an animated excerpt from researcher Brené Brown's speech, " The Power of Vulnerability ." In the speech, Brown explores how our fear of not being good enough (among other fears) drives us to shield ourselves from our own vulnerabilities.

The alternative to wearing this emotional suit of armor: Embrace vulnerability through empathizing with others.

"Empathy is a choice, and it's a vulnerable choice. Because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something in myself that knows that feeling."

15. Kobe Bryant: “The Path to Greatness" (2020)

Theme of the speech: embracing dedication, perseverance, and a relentless pursuit of greatness..

Bryant emphasizes setting ambitious goals and working tirelessly to achieve them. Through captivating storytelling and personal anecdotes, he reveals the sacrifices and relentless effort required to excel at the highest level.

Bryant's speech is a testament to the power of hard work, discipline, and a growth mindset in attaining greatness.

The speech also explores embracing failure as a stepping stone to success. Bryant shares how setbacks and challenges can fuel personal growth and resilience.

He encourages individuals to embrace failure, learn from it, and use it as motivation to push beyond their limits.

Bryant's speech goes beyond the realm of sports, offering valuable insights and life lessons applicable to all areas of life.

His relentless pursuit of greatness and unwavering commitment to excellence inspires individuals striving to achieve their goals and dreams.

"I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.'

We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it."

16. David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)

From the opening minutes of David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon College commencement speech , in which he questions commencement speech conventions, it's clear that Wallace has some serious wisdom to share.

The crux of his speech: Many of us are oblivious to our own close-mindedness. We picture ourselves as the centers of our own, individual universes, instead of seeing the bigger, more interconnected picture.

“If you're automatically sure that you know what reality is and who and what is really important, if you want to operate on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won't consider possibilities that aren't annoying and miserable.

But if you've really learned how to think, how to pay attention, then you'll know you have other options.

It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer hell-type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred — on fire with the same force that lit the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down.”

17. Carol Dweck: "The Growth Mindset" (2020)

Theme of the speech: cultivating a growth mindset for personal and professional development..

In "The Growth Mindset," Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist, and author, delivers an enlightening speech on the power of adopting a growth mindset for personal and professional growth.

Dweck's extensive research on mindset and achievement provides the foundation for her impactful message.

Dweck explains the difference between a fixed mindset, where individuals believe their abilities are fixed traits, and a growth mindset, where individuals believe their abilities can be developed through effort and learning.

She demonstrates how a growth mindset fosters resilience, learning, and innovation through relatable stories and compelling examples.

Dweck's speech resonates with individuals seeking personal and professional development, as she provides insights into how adopting a growth mindset can positively impact all areas of life.

Her research-based approach and engaging speaking style make "The Growth Mindset" an inspiring resource for individuals striving for continuous growth and improvement.

"The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even when it's not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset."

Famous Short Speeches With Inspirational Takeaways

18. al pacino: "inch by inch" (1999), theme of speech: teamwork.

Yes, this speech is from a football movie (Any Given Sunday), but trust me: This isn't your stereotypical rah-rah-go-get-'em sports speech. It's deeper than that. It's about life, and loss, and ... gosh darn it just listen to Al Pacino.

He's pouring his soul out!

“Either we heal as a team or we're gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, till we're finished. We're in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me.

And we can stay here and get the $&#@ kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell, one inch at a time.”

19. Satya Nadella: "Empowering Others" (2023)

Theme of the Speech: Empowerment and Collaboration

Satya Nadella's 2023 lecture, "Empowering Others," emphasizes the importance of leadership that empowers others rather than focusing on personal success.

He emphasizes the importance of leaders cultivating a culture of inclusion and belonging in which everyone feels respected and able to accomplish their best work.

Nadella also discusses the significance of technology in positive development. Some of society's most important issues may be resolved by technology, but proper development and application are required.

According to Nadella, empathy and emotional intelligence are essential for outstanding leadership. He suggests that Leaders listen to and understand. their team members' needs and motivations.

Leaders can develop a culture of trust and collaboration that will help the team flourish.

Satya Nadella's "Empowering Others" provides a special message about leadership in the current day. By emphasizing diversity, empathy, and responsible innovation, Nadella encourages audiences to strive for excellence while being mindful of their impact on others and the world.

"Success is not just about what we achieve individually, but what we enable others to achieve."

20. Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)

Theme of speech: never give up.

I had to put this one next since it plays along the same themes as Denzel Washington's UPenn speech. In the scene above, from the 2006 film Rocky Balboa, the title character (played by Sylvester Stallone) is having a heart-to-heart with his son.

The advice he gives him: Don't let your failures or the adversity you face slow you down. Keep. Moving. Forward.

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.

You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”

21. Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Theme of speech: don’t let them bring you down.

Here's another speech from the big screen, this time from the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness.

In the scene above, Will Smith's character explains to his son why he shouldn't pursue basketball (because he'll end up being "below average") before having a major change of heart.

“Don't ever let somebody tell you ... you can't do something. Not even me. All right? You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”

22. Mel Robbins: "The 5 Second Rule" (2020)

Theme of the Speech: Action and Overcoming Self-Doubt

The "The 5 Second Rule" speech by Mel Robbins promotes action to achieve goals and overcome concerns and doubts.

When confronted with a decision or action that needs to be completed but you are hesitating or procrastinating, countdown from 5, and then act. According to Robbins, this method breaks habit loops that keep us unhealthy.

Counting down and taking action may assist us in overcoming uncertainty and self-doubt and moving toward our objectives. For success, Robbins also promotes mentality and self-talk.

She believes that to realize our potential, we must consciously reframe negative thoughts and limiting beliefs.

Mel Robbins' presentation "The 5 Second Rule" is a practical and efficient technique to overcome procrastination and achieve goals.

Robbins inspires listeners to take command of their lives and achieve by emphasizing attitude, self-talk, and positive actions.

"You are never going to feel like doing the things that are tough, difficult, or uncertain, but you have a choice."

23. Angela Duckworth: "The Power of Grit" (2020)

Theme of the Speech: Spirit and Perseverance

Angela Duckworth examines the significance of perseverance and resilience in achievement in her book "The Power of Grit." According to Duckworth, grit—passion and determination—is essential for long-term success and overcoming obstacles.

Duckworth addresses grit and mentality, believing that people who view challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than threats will develop resilience and determination over time.

She advocates for a growth mindset, which believes people can acquire intelligence and other qualities through hard work. Duckworth places a premium on rigorous practice to achieve skill and mastery.

She recommends soliciting feedback, setting challenging goals, and intentionally improving abilities and succeeding. Angela Duckworth's "The Power of Grit" illuminates long-term achievement.

Duckworth emphasizes attitude, focused practice, and resilience to urge listeners to acquire grit and pursue their passions with tenacity.

"Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality."

24. Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)

Theme of speech: inspiring and believing in your team.

The Miracle on Ice is still considered the biggest upset in Olympic hockey history. And for good reason. The Soviet Union won six of the last seven Olympic gold medals, and the U.S. team consisted only of amateur players.

It was obvious the Soviets were better. But, in the movie Miracle, which told the incredible story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, Kurt Russell's character — Coach Herb Brooks — knew that this game was different.

The U.S. was better than the Soviets that day. And his speech conveyed such a strong belief in his team that they pulled off one of the greatest sports moments of the 20th century.

“If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game… Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can!

Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players, every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time.”

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10 Great Motivational Speech Topics to Address Entrepreneurs

By Jesse Long

Published on: September 23, 2021

There are many motivational speech topics that are relevant to entrepreneurs

These professionals need to find ways to stay motivated every day , and they are constantly looking for ways to improve how they run their businesses and manage their employees.

So much of running a successful business is in having the confidence, drive, and motivation to keep going. Days can be long, and it takes time to become successful. When you speak to a crowd of entrepreneurs, they are looking for inspiration and techniques that will help them maintain their focus.

Take a look at the following 10 topics you can use when speaking to entrepreneurs .

Table of Contents

1. Rejection Is a Stepping Stone to Success

Rejection happens to everyone, and it hurts. It can create incredible feelings of insecurity and can make you want to give up.

It is important for entrepreneurs to embrace rejection and see it as a stepping stone on the way to success.

The key for entrepreneurs is to use those rejections to push themselves forward.

When you use this topic to speak to entrepreneurs, tell them that two-thirds of startups are able to last for a year. Those who make it face rejections and keep going, knowing that each rejection brings them one step closer to success.

At the end of the day, learning to face rejection and grow from it is what separates the strong from the weak.

This is an important topic because so many people struggle with rejection.

Most businesses require sales of products or services, and many entrepreneurs need to find customers when they first start out.

If they don’t put themselves out there, they won’t find clients, but if they do, they will surely face some level of rejection.

2. If You Don’t Try, You Can’t Win

Sometimes people are afraid of failure, so they never try to follow their dreams. You can turn this around and say that if you don’t try, you can’t win.

You can motivate entrepreneurs to try new ideas, keep going, and reach for the top in their fields.

When entrepreneurs start a business, they will experience failures along the way. The key is to stay motivated and keep trying.

The experiences along the way will teach lessons and lead them in new directions, and they need to be ready to embrace perceived failures as lessons learned and try again to reach their goals.

3. How to Set Realistic Goals

Setting realistic goals is important in every business, and entrepreneurs can benefit from speeches that teach them how to do it.

When you break it down into simple tasks, they will leave your talk with renewed confidence, ready to take action.

Setting goals is critical to any business endeavor, and some people need guidance or a fresh perspective.

Goals should have value, and they should be written out.

One way to teach goal setting is to focus on S.M.A.R.T. goals . This stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Setting these kinds of goals will pave the way to success.

4. The Importance of Teamwork

Nobody can function as an island, and when someone is an entrepreneur, they can have difficulty delegating.

However, they need to build a team  around them that works for the common goal of success. You can speak to entrepreneurs about strategies to develop healthy and reliable employee relationships.

No matter how great one person’s ideas may be, teamwork and collaboration provide more perspectives and ideas.

When it comes to business, entrepreneurs need to build and develop teams of people. They may want to engage in team-building activities to motivate everyone in the company.

There is a lot of material here that is beneficial to entrepreneurs.

5. How to Be an Effective Leader

Being an effective leader is critical to success as an entrepreneur. You can give a motivational speech that outlines what it takes.

Entrepreneurs are coming to hear a speech so that they can return to work with fresh ideas and a successful way of thinking.

You can outline specific points, such as leading by example, setting clear goals, and encouraging teamwork. You can talk about the power of positivity and good communication.

These and more are all steps to take to effectively lead. These entrepreneurs are looking to you to motivate and inspire them, and these are skills that they can use.

6. Dealing with Difficult People in Business

No matter what line of work entrepreneurs are in, they will have to deal with difficult people. This can include employees, customers, vendors, and sometimes family members as well.

It takes skill to deal with difficult people. You can give a talk that motivates entrepreneurs by explaining the types of difficult people they will run into and how to handle them.

When you give a motivational talk about how to handle difficult people. The entrepreneurs in the room will realize that this is a common occurrence and they aren’t alone.

They will feel empowered and ready to handle these people more effectively. Knowing that everyone experiences this difficulty on some level helps them to feel that they are not alone.

7. Overcoming Job Stress

Running a business has its stressful moments, and entrepreneurs need to learn how to get through them and overcome the stress.

The demands of clients, employees, family, and more can get to them from time to time. You can teach them steps to handle and overcome these stressors without spending so much time worrying.

Entrepreneurs hit the ground running every morning, and they often work late into the night. It can be easy for them to lose sight of some of the important things in life that reduce stress.

Eating well, exercising, and making time for family are all things to discuss. When you share these techniques with them, they will leave feeling motivated and ready to implement these new strategies.

8. Strategies for Focusing at Work

Sometimes entrepreneurs go into overdrive, and they lose their focus. They may also be dealing with employees who are unfocused. Focus is important, and all entrepreneurs are looking for ways to improve in this area.

They deal with online distractions, employees, customers, suppliers, and more, and it is important to learn how to focus in a way that maximizes productivity.

When you speak to entrepreneurs about effective strategies for focusing, you can cover topics such as creating a clutter-free space, getting enough sleep, eating well, and taking time away from the office.

No matter how you design your speech, the subject matter will be beneficial and will help entrepreneurs improve their life at work.

9. How to Handle Mistakes at Work

When an employee makes a critical mistake, it can be extremely difficult to handle.

Getting angry and showing your feelings may be the common reaction, but it doesn’t solve the problem.

You can point out that the goal is to fix the problem and prevent the mistake from happening again in the future. You can outline simple steps to take when there are mistakes at work.

If you provide entrepreneurs with specific strategies to handle these mistakes, they will be motivated to get back to work and implement this new policy.

Entrepreneurs are coming to you for inspiration and motivation, and this is an effective topic. It can be difficult to handle employees who make mistakes because the consequences can be serious.

The key is to teach entrepreneurs how to stay focused on the end goal of fixing the mistake and preventing it from happening again in the future.

10. How to Dream Big

Sometimes you will speak to entrepreneurs who know how to run a business, but they don’t know how to grow. They don’t know how to push past their perceived limits and reach higher.

This is a great topic, and you can teach them how to make it happen. It all starts with dreaming big and making those dreams a reality.

You can motivate entrepreneurs with stories of Henry Ford or Elon Musk. Then, proceed to teach them how to put their own dreams in motion. Explain the two things that get in the way of dreams: self doubt and fear.

When you give a talk on how to dream big, entrepreneurs can gain valuable inspiration to apply these techniques to their own lives.

Entrepreneurs range from individuals who have a two-person business to those who run large companies. When they experience the same things day in and day out, they may come to you for motivation.

You can inspire them by finding topics that are relatable and can benefit everyone, no matter what size of business they run.

When you give motivational speeches to entrepreneurs, they are looking for ways to improve their business techniques. They are looking for ways to handle their employees, stay motivated, and overcome negativity. You have a real opportunity to use these topics to that end.

The important thing is to choose subject matter that your audience can relate to, as well as lessons they can take away and strategies they can implement.

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

274 Speech Topics for Business [Persuasive, Informative]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Business speech topics in a row including company matters such as leadership and management and writing theses on strategic e-marketing for your meeting presentation.

In this article:

Informative

List of Business Speech Topics

• Your business will fail if you do not have good people skills.
• In business both short and long-term goals are important.
• Introverts are better entrepreneurs.
• Market research is a key to starting a business.
• Every business person needs a mentor.
• You must have a business plan.
• Why cold emailing potential clients actually works.
• You should send past client’s thoughtful gifts.
• You must always know your position in the market.
• You should take full advantage of social media for your business.
• It’s smart to create blog posts specific to your business.
• Word of mouth is still the best way to get you new clients.
• Working from home is the best productivity tool.
• In business, you must always deliver an experience too.
• You must know how to create your own opportunities.
• The customer is not always right.
• You will learn the most from your unhappy clients.
• You should not start a business you are not passionate about.
• Never be afraid of your competitors.
• Always trust your instincts, even in business.
• Being persistent and perseverant will work to your advantage.
• You must never bad mouth your competition.
• Failure isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you are willing to learn from them.
• Business people must keep a diary and adhere to it religiously.
• There are businesses that you can start with no money.
• Why you should turn your passion into a business.
• Marketing as an investment and not an option.
• Successful business owners delegate well.
• Unique selling propositions is not necessary for success.
• Customer surveys will improve your business.
• A business should first and foremost take good care of their employees.
• People in the business environment shouldn’t have to hide their tattoo’s.
• A dress code shouldn’t be necessary for an office.
• Smoke breaks shouldn’t be allowed.
• Brainstorming with co-workers will boost a company’s productivity.
• Team building events are key to team motivation.
• Virtual businesses will take over the retail world.
• No one should stay at a company where their growth is limited.
• IWhy working for the competitor is a good move.
• Minimum wage is unfair.
• Experience should be valued higher than qualifications.
• Employers shouldn’t have the right to ask for your social media accounts.
• French should become the business language of the world.
• Sometimes franchising your business is a bad idea.
• Written warnings are not always the best solution.
• Theft should equal immediate dismissal.
• A background check on potential staff members is a must.
• Apprenticeship programs are of great value to young adults.
• Product waste should be reused in other areas.
• Product differentiation is good for companies.
• Different cultural aspects need to be kept in consideration when doing research.
• Why having a business on the side isn’t a bad thing.
• For a physical business, location will always be key.
• Why every business should give free perks to its employees.
• Modern day businesses don’t need to promote their products.
• Corporate businesses are taking over government.
• A college degree will not guarantee success in business.
• Poor leadership will bankrupt a business.
• All businesses should go green.
• New fathers should get paid time off to help with the baby.
• Affirmative action is not right if someone is higher purely on race only.
• Employees should be allowed dating each other.
• Sexual harassment should be taken more seriously in the work place.
• Business owner’s should constantly brush up on their skills as well as send their employees for further training.
• A yearly bonus should be based on how well an employee did their job.
• Loyal customers should be treated like royalty.
• You can take negative reviews and turn them around.
• Why mono-tasking is more productive than multi-tasking.
• Businesses should never over work and under pay their employees.
• Why a business should never cut back on quality.
• Why every company should have random drug tests.
• Job hoppers are not good for your business.
• Hiring a lazy person isn’t always a bad thing.
• Your company needs to be active in social media.
• The owner of a company should be involved in the day to day running of his business.
• Employees should always feel like they can approach their bosses at any time.
• Companies should have the same set rules for everyone.
• Companies should have important dates diarised and stick to those dates.
• Keeping a person ready for retirement around will benefit younger staff.
• When hiring you should always trust your gut instinct.
• Company phones should not be used for personal use.
• Employers should never ask staff to work through their lunch break.
• Companies should have their closing dates finalised months before the time.
• End of the year functions should be for the whole family.
• You need to be iring people who speak multiple languages.
• Large companies should provide day care.
• Company vehicles should not be driven by several drivers.
• Why companies should always deliver on their promises.
• Sales should only take place if there is enough stock for a large number of people.
• Black Friday sales should be food sales.
• Why businesses should focus on creating more leaders for their companies.
• Businesses should be careful to not spam their clients with too many emails.
• Clients like businesses with good sense of humour.
• Free food makes your employees happy.
• Recruitment and staffing decisions are crucial to success.
• Enhancing return on investment …
• What is knowledge management and why is it important?
• Creative team building methods to test with your own collegues.
• Conditions for good franchising business agreements.
• Exchanges planning for the unexpected when it comes to leadership and management challenges.
• Paying bribes, why, when and why not?
• Internal auditing – a hot business topic.
• Preventing financial fraud
• Benefits of performance-related pay.
• Trends and mode factors in your branche or industry, these fashionable sales matters can be a very attractive business topic.
• Review of a popular book about a narrow-casted theme that is related to your actual tendencies you see in your niche.
• Kick start job hunting practices – telle and show them your approach of handling cases.
• Small business ideas and opportunities.
• Globalization trade opportunities as the world has come closer tied in client supply and demand structures.
• Do the background check on staff personal or B2B consultants.
• How to develop an apprenticeship program – a business speech sample topic of the category inform writing theses your public.
• Ceiling on weekly working hours?
• How to implement workers’ ideas – and go further than placing a suggestion box in the hall of the building.
• Exporting issues related with government regulations.
• The mighty power of strategy for winning in business and in life.
• When consulting and when absolutely not – what are the outsourcing policies for seeking advice by third parties within your enterprise or firm.
• Unique manufacturing methods that reduce production costs.
• Trade protectionism or deregulation, what is the top-notch strategic e-marketing plan for your company?
• Leadership and management always are hot topics for a business speech.
• Merchandise marketing business speech topics.
• Enhancing logistics and transportation are key components for economic growth.
• The psychodynamics of organizational change management.
• Trade in bankruptcy.
• How crisis communication provides policies for the coordination of communication in the event of an emergency or controversial issue.
• Top ten strategic e-marketing issues.
• Fulfillment and the rest of consumer-related stuff, in my opinion that writing theses also has to be implemented in an elevator pitch.
• Top five employer responsibilities.
• How to avoid product wastage due to churning frozen food products.
• Proven methods and insights to run successful retail business operations.
• There is more to a good job than just a good salary.
• Work tasks must adopt healthy and safe ergonomic postures for employees.
• Employees must have easy access into all the facilities of a business.
• Why you should pay your taxes.
• Turn off computers when leaving the workplace.
• The benefits of working for a large business are better than working for a smaller one.
• Corporations like to invest in the capabilities of young female professionals.
• The number of women in high positions could not be raised artificially.
• The Aging Population Hurts The Economy
• Strong unions are necessary in times of economic growth.
• Business intelligence must be used strategically.
• State antitrust laws to prevent monopolies should be abolished.
• Rising food prices endanger Asian economies.
• Real estate brokers are selling bad houses as palaces due to their creative terminology.
• Raising the salaries of CEO’s in bad economic times should be forbidden.
• Racial balance can be achieved without affirmative action.
• Performance-related pay would enhance motivation.
• A partnership is two way traffic
• Team building motivates sales managers to stay at the top of their fields.
• Employeers should have the right to dismiss employees that strike for unreasonable reasons.
• Never work with someone that you don’t trust.
• Networking: lifeblood of every entrepreneur.
• Market mechanisms could do better to help poor people.
• Asia will attain a strong and healthy growth in their global trade efforts.
• Logistics is the base of enormous projects.
• Legalization of long term illegal immigrants helps the economy.
• Candidates should be told when their resumes have been received.
• Invest with micro-credit in favellas.
• India has the best booming and emerging market.
• Night shift work has too many negative effects on employees.
• Human resources management is another word for sacking people politely.
• Debts should be consolidated.
• Home businesses ruin family lives.
• HIV positive employees ought to tell employers their status.
• All business practice some form of corruption.
• Free market policy is disastrous for Africa.
• You must find a niche for your small business.
• Employment programs are not effective.
• Employers should not have access to genetic testing results.
• The development of a business suffers because employees and managing directors want different things.
• Higher minimum wages causes higher unemployment rates..
• Companies should have a “Support the Arts” fund.
• Coaching practices in the business accelerate staff growth.
• Capitalism is not better than communism.
• Capitalism has caused the financial crisis.
• Beneath the top of the corporate ladder exists an invisible barrier for women.
• Bartering has contemporary relevance.
• Bank account holders are not protected well enough.
• Asian countries make the most innovative cars.
• Promotional phone calls and text messages from telemarketers is good for consumers.
• The mega rich do pay enough federal income taxes.
• You cannot protect your credit card from identity theft.
• Hiring cheaper foreign employees hurts our economy.
• Family leave time is a basic employee right.
• There must be more tax-effective giving strategies for charity.
• Limiting team sizes helps complete projects more effectively.
• Globalization benefits the poor.
• Support affirmative action in governmental organisations.
• Corporations will benefit from using a computer hacker.
• Integrity is everything in business.
• Women will always be victims of discrimination in the workplace.
• Professional ethics are not needed in corporate decision making.
• Wildcat strikes should be legalized.
• We should decide our own working hours.
• Effective leadership is fundamental in the business field.
• Companies should not hire employees for life.
• Workers should not be allowed to strike whenever they want to.
• Unions have caused ridiculous regulations.
• Strikers should be fired.
• Leadership skills, management qualities and reflexive abilities are all needed to become a successful business owner.
• Labor unions provide value in the workplace.
• Employer should be forbidden to track the Internet activity of their employees.
• Why finance institutions want to see a business plan.
• Adventure incentives increase employee loyalty.
• Corruption and bribery: we can’t do without it when doing business abroad.
• Strike is not the only weapon workers have.
• Solid job security is better than an uncertain but satisfying special vocation.
• Flexible working hours will reduce traffic jams.
• Outsourcing is a good solution for small business owners.
• Yes, there is a glass ceiling for women.
• Labour unions are still relevant.
• Co-workers will not work well together if they do not trust each other.
• Corporations should create and maintain an internal anti-fraud code.
• It is crucial for women to have a career before marriage.
• Labor unions have too much influence.
• General strikes harm people who are not involved.
• Employees should be tested for drugs at their work place.
• A good business supervisor takes employees seriously.

Informative business speech topics list including more than thirty items on creative accounting, time management, and flexible work arrangements and many more for a field of work presentation.

TIP : Use the words what, which, who, why and how in your central business speech idea and title. Also the words steps, methods, secrets or benefits will indicate that your presentation is about informative business speech topics.

• Ergonomics in the workspace – chairs, tables and desks, physical poses that are good for people who sit all day.
• Corporate loans and special grants for women start-ups. Yes, there happen to be lots of initiatives especially for female entrepreneurs. To start up an own company.
• Store fixtures (offer ten solid examples and their benefits) like displays, goodie racks, inventive approaches, etc:
• My checklist for going along with a partner – do not forget to ask the local Chamber of Commerce for help.
• Creative accounting and the financial accounting standards. What is right and what is wrong? What are the gray zones you have to avoid?
• Telemarketing ideas for small companies, techniques to operate on low costs per lead you get by direct marketing phone calls.
• What is copyright protection? This theme opens the way for many informative business speech topics as you can guess. The how, what and when and the legal aspects.
• How to introduce young people to selling and dealing – a mentor, a patron or are there new form of getting them on the job and let them be productive.
• B2B contracts on intellectual property – dull stuff you think perhaps, but if you make a some kind of a floor plan or roadmap for future contracts you are the boss and an authority at once in this field for many who have to struggle with this.
• When should we go outsourcing to third parties and what must the Human Resources department be concerned with?
• Product labeling.
• What if your commercial or industrial enterprise grows too fast.
• How to deal with grant-making foundations and grant writing.
• Backing up trade secrets with a signed confidentiality agreement.
• What does the International Organization for Standardization – ISO do?
• Good governance ethics and social responsibility. And what has accountability to do with it? Open the window to the outside consumer world of stay inside with closed curtains?
• Types of insurance – assets and revenues, people and liability insurance.
• Telecommuting, job sharing, part-time and other flexible work arrangements.
• Risk management under pressure in the twenty four hour economy.
• Hiring people and closing deals for the long term with highly skilled young urban professionals.
• Quality control and tracking if everything went well as you planned it should be.
• Commercial activities and industrial research – do those two mix? Is that a happy marriage? Can you aim at synergy?
• Human resources benefits and the ways to maintain and develop human skills and know-how.
• Safety programs and working conditions in relation to productivity.
• Warranties and refunds.
• Successful tendering in oter regional areas with lots of competitors you do not know well.26. Fair trade policy.
• Time management – planning, organizing, setting goals.
• Step by step starting and managing a small business.
• Training and Development – strategic thinking, negotiation, communication, risk-taking.
• Income tax for a sole trader explained.
• Methods to protect data and information against intruders.
• Does affirmative action work.
• How to handle dissatisfied customers in a nice and polite way.
• Negotiation techniques.
• How to write effective business letters.
• Unique Selling Proposition and Unique Point or positioning statement.
• Three ways to attract customer attention.
• The best marketing rules for setting prices.
• Customer follow-up techniques as after-sales methods.
• Partnership models.
• Opportunities of internet advertising.
• Amazing, successful and funny trading stories with a twist, a bite, and a moral conclusion.
• Credibility and trust is the base of a brand.
• How to use email to promote your business.
• The benefits of having a female boss.
• How to deal with breach of contract
• Important business ethics
• Examples of corporate crime.
• Types of labor disputes.
• Sexual harassment in the work place.
• Work place violence.
• How to uncover false qualifications and licenses.
• The impact of oil price fluctuations on the economy.
• Take a career break!
• Ways to improve short and long term career plans
• How Amazon started its path towards success.

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• Entrepreneurship

12 Best TED Talks of All Time (For Business Leaders in 2024)

• Bahasa Indonesia

If you're in business management or just want to learn more about business, there are many helpful business presentations online that you can learn from. One of the best sources of educational, motivational, and informational presentations for business professionals is TED Talks.

Yo u may be wondering: what are TED Talks?

TED Talks are a series of short talks on a variety of topics that are free to listeners. They are known for attracting excellent speakers with innovative ideas. Actual TED Talks differ from regular business presentations because each speaker must give their presentation from memory and they are limited to 18 minutes. TED Talks  are also a good resource to study if you're trying to improve your speaking skills .

These short, online presentations include such business-relevant topics as leadership, management, business strategy, and more. There are talks to inform, talks to inspire, and talks to entertain.

In this article, I'm sharing a collection of 12 of what I believe to be the best TED Talks for business leaders and other business professionals.

12 Best Business TED Talks

Here's a carefully curated collection of what are, in my opinion, some of the best TED Talks of all time for you to learn from. For your convenience, I've separated the TED Talks into four main areas:

• Business Leadership
• Informative
• Business Strategy

To learn even more about running a successful business, you may want to review these tutorials:

Now, let's take a look at the TED Talks for each area separately:

1. Business TED Talks on Leadership

Leadership is an important part of doing business. Here are some of the best TED Talks on leadership. Use these talks to improve your own leadership skills.

Simon Sinek:  How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Simon Sinek  started out in advertising, but has since written several best-selling books on leadership. In this TED talk, Sinek explores why some companies and individuals are successful and others are not.

In the talk, Sinek explains how successful people and organizations are different based on how they focus on the questions: what, how, and why. Hint: most people have the wrong focus when they try to promote products or ideas. Learn about that difference in this eye-opening talk.

Roselinde Torres: What It Takes to Be a Great Leader

This business TED Talk by Roselinde Torres explains why companies are failing to produce leaders. In her work as a management consultant, Torres has observed leaders in hundreds of corporate leaders and companies of all types for over 25 years.

In this TED Talk video, Torres points out that the world is now more global, more digital, and more connected than ever. As a result, traditional leadership development is no longer effective. This TED Talk explains how to develop leaders in today's world and identifies the questions you need to be asking as a business leader in the 21st century.

David Logan: Tribal Leadership

David Logan   is an author and teacher. Logan has spent over ten years studying tribes, which are naturally occurring groups that occur anytime humans get together.

In this TED Talk, Logan discusses the concept of tribes and discusses their importance in the business world and the world in general. Logan identifies the five general types of tribes that form and explains how each tribe interacts with society, including the workplace. This is a must-see talk for the thoughtful leader who wants to understand and improve their workplace culture.

2. Business TED Talks That Inform

Knowledge is power, or the so the saying goes. As a business professional, the saying is certainly true. It's important to be informed if you want to run a good business.

Susan Cain: The Power Of Introverts

As a leader, are you overlooking introverts? According to Susan Cain , you probably are. Cain is a speaker and the author of the popular book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking .

In this TED Talk, Cain explains what it's like to be an introvert. Cain also builds a compelling case for the contributions that introverts make--including the contributions of many introverts who later became famous. The bottom line: if you're overlooking introverts, you're missing out. Learn why in this informative talk.

Angela Lee Duckworth: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Angela Duckworth  teaches psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Duckworth is also the Founder and CEO of Character Lab, a non-profit dedicated to the science of character development.

While teaching school Duckworth made a shocking discovery that talent and IQ aren't the best predictors of success. Rather, success seems to be determined by a character trait Duckworth calls "grit." Learn more about what "grit" is and the difference it makes in this fascinating talk.

Kelly McGonigal: How to Make Stress Your Friend

If you're a business person, you've probably experienced stress. That's a bad thing, right? Not necessarily.  Kelly McGonigal is a psychologist who studies stress and how it affects us. McGonigal lectures at Stanford University and has written several popular books about stress. 

McGonigal's studies show that you can change the way you react to stress and the way it affects your body and life. In this startling talk, you'll learn the details about some of the potential benefits of stress and how to combat the stress's harmful effects. This TED Talk isn't only for business leaders, but for anyone who deals with stress on a regular basis.

3. Business TED Talks That Inspire

You may not consider inspiration a part of doing business, but it is. A good business professional needs to find their inspiration to be able inspire others. Here are some Business TED Talks to help you find your own inspiration.

Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work  

Shawn Achor  is a speaker and author who studies happiness. Achor has written several books including The Happiness Advantage . Achor's also founded GoodThink, Inc , an organization dedicated to teaching about happiness.

This TED Talk video uses humor to illustrate the importance of happiness in the workplace. Achor explores the outliers--people who are above average. By studying outliers, Achor examines how happiness affects achievement-namely, that optimism is an important factor in success. Do you have the right formula for success? Find out in this TED Talk.

Bel Pesce: 5 Ways to Kill Your Dreams

Bel Pesce   is a TED Fellow, an entrepreneur, and also an MIT graduate who formerly worked in Silicon Valley. Pesce has since returned to Brazil and has been named one of the "10 Most Admired Leaders in Brazil."

In this helpful TED Talk presentation, Pesce tackles (and debunks) five common success myths that may be holding you back. Whether you're thinking of starting a business or want to tackle a passion project, this talk can help you identify faulty thinking and untrue perceptions that may be holding you back.

Matt Cutts: Try Something New for 30 Days

Matt Cutts became famous as the head of Google's web spam team and as a member of the search optimization team. Currently, Cutts is the acting administrator of the  United States Digital Service --an organization that manages technology projects for the U.S. government.

In this short inspirational TED Talk, Cutts encourages listeners to conduct a 30-day experiment of trying something new. Cutts also shares personal experiences on the impact of completing a 30-day challenge, which include improved confidence and energy. This talk will make you want to start your own 30-day experiment--and it can make a real difference in your life.

4. Business TED Talks on Strategy

Business strategy refers to the way that you achieve your goals. In these talks, you'll learn some new techniques to help you improve your business strategy.

Linda Hill: How to Manage for Collective Creativity

Linda Hill is a business professor at Harvard University and the chair of the Leadership Initiative. Hill has written several popular books and received several awards for innovation.

Cr eativity and innovation are important for any business. In this engaging TED Talk, Hill explains that the typical management style doesn't work if you want to encourage creativity and in novation in your organization. The talk also points out that true innovation is the result of teamwork and not individual genius. Learn how to encourage creativity in your own organization with the techniques Hill shares here.

Seth Godin: How to Get Your Ideas Spread

Seth Godin is an award-winning blogger, entrepreneur, and popular author. Godin is perhaps best known for this blog , which is known for short but insightful posts on a wide variety of topics. 

This TED Talk video explains why spreading ideas should be part of your winning business strategy. According to Godin, those who successfully spread ideas are the ones who can actually implement changes. Godin covers the effects mass media has had on the spread of ideas, but goes on to explain that attempts to spread ideas aren't always successful. Mass marketing no longer works. In this Business TED Talk, learn what causes ideas to spread and how you can use the spread of ideas for your own business marketing.

Susan Colantuono: The Career Advice You Probably Didn't Get

Susan Colantuono founded Leading Women , a consulting firm for companies who want to close the gender gap in business. Leading Women has worked with dozens of organizations around the world to encourage women's leadership development.

In this business TED Talk, Colantuono tackles the tough question of why there are so few women in upper management. The talk identifies three key elements that companies look for in leaders and explains why women often don't demonstrate one of those key competencies--even though they may have that ability. If you're a woman in business or if your business wants to advance women, this TED Talk video is a must-watch.

Create Your Own Professional Business Talk

Even if you don't speak for TED Talks chances are good that, as a business professional, you'll need to give professional presentations. If you do need to give a professional presentation, consider using a professional presentation template to give your presentation an extra degree of professionalism.

You can find presentation templates on Envato Elements or GraphicRiver . Or browse through these presentation roundups to find a presentation template that appeals to you:

You may also want to check out our eBook on presentations: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations .

The presentations eBook is free when you subscribe to our newsletter.

There are plenty of online resources for business leaders, including many from TED Talks. I've just shared some of the best TED Talks for your business. Now it's time for you to use what you've learned. Or, perhaps you'd like to share your own business knowledge by creating your own professional presentation. Why not start today?

Editorial Note: This content was originally published in 2018. We're sharing it again because our editors have determined that this information is still accurate and relevant.

35 Speeches by Iconic CEOs

From Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to Apple's Steve Jobs

What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

by Carmine Gallo

Summary .   

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

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10 Of The Greatest Leadership Speeches Of All Time

The world may be dominated by social media these days, but we should never underestimate the power of a great speech..

In fact, despite the prevalence of Facebook and Twitter, videos of some of the  greatest leadership speeches are still immensely popular. Here are 10 examples of fantastic, motivational speeches that will show you why.

1.    Martin Luther King: I have a dream

Any article featuring inspirational speeches must include this ground-breaking speech. 

On 28th August 1963, Martin Luther King addressed a crowd of over 250,000 . In it, he calls for an end to racism and equality for all. In 1999, this speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.

2.    Steve Jobs: How to live before you die

In 2005, Steve Jobs gave a Commencement Address to Stanford University that will leave you with goosebumps. It’s a brilliant speech, and also a great lesson from one of the most influential presenters in history.

3.    President Obama: Seeking a new beginning

In June 2009, President Obama gave a rousing speech at Cairo University . This speech shows Obama at his best, building a fantastic rapport with his audience.

4.    Randy Pausch: The last lecture

Carnegie Mellon Professor, Randy Pausch, gave his last lecture to a crowded auditorium. 

This presentation is about achieving your childhood dreams and it’s a great one to study for tips on building a connection with your audience and really getting them on your side.

5.    Rosalinde Torres: What it takes to be a great leader

In this incredibly inspirational speech, Torres describes 25 years of observing great leaders at work and then shares ways to learn how to lead .  

6.    Bill Clinton: 2008 Speech to the Democratic National Convention

If you’re looking for an example of fantastic communication skills, look no further than this former US President . This speech shows how great content, teamed with exceptional delivery, can really bring the house down.

7.    J.K. Rowling: Harvard Commencement

Commencement addresses are always very inspirational speeches and this is no exception. Rowling immediately gets her audience on side, inspiring and delighting as she goes.

8.    John Wooden: The difference between winning and succeeding

As the coach of UCLA basketball team, John Wooden led his team to record wins that remain unbeaten. In this speech, he redefines success with incredible simplicity.

9.    Richard St. John: 8 secrets of success

In this amazing TED Talk, Richard St. John delivers an incredibly motivational speech asking why people are successful. Is it because they’re clever, or lucky ?

10.    Nelson Mandela: Inauguration speech

When you’re thinking about leadership speeches, Nelson Mandela’s inauguration speech in 1994 must be on the list. Mandela was the first democratically elected president of South Africa. He led his country through the end of apartheid and into a united history they had never seen before. 

These 10 examples of leadership speeches show you just how powerful the spoken word can be. These speakers are all experts in their field and captivate their audiences to give incredible, motivational speeches, which lift and inspire . 

Want more inspiration? Get motivated by other brilliant famous team leaders here . 

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Entrepreneur Motivation – Self Made Motivational Speech

Entrepreneur is a motivational speech & music track by fearless motivation, produced to inspire self made individuals and business owners or those inspired to become self made to greatness..

Download Entrepreneur Motivation  – Motivational Speech by Fearless Motivation – Music Track on  iTunes  |  Google Play  or  Amazon MP3 From The NEW Motivational Speeches Album: TODAY IS THE DAY – Get it On  iTunes  |  Google Play  or  Amazon MP3 Script Written by:  Nick Macri Speakers:   Josiah Ruff , Horace Brown

Lyrics – Entrepreneur Motivation – Self Made Motivational Speech | Fearless Motivation

What does it mean to be an entrepreneur? In a world of inaction, over-promising and under-delivering Every second man seems to claim himself and entrepreneur.

An entrepreneur is someone that would never call himself an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is someone that is happy to work, while all others are out partying.

The entrepreneurs drug is success He is addicted to success. And finally the entrepreneur knows one simple fact: “I will make it, maybe not immediately but absolutely and definitely”

You have to hustle… You have to think outside the box… To make things happen when it seems impossibly difficult for anything to happen. To continue to get up off the canvas when you are beaten down relentlessly.

WIN or LEARN. I never lose! I will succeed, not immediately but absolutely and definitely. I will take action when others hesitate I will think big when others don’t I will sacrifice when others won’t I will dare to dream of greatness when others fear it. I will outwork my competition DAY and NIGHT. I am the captain of my fate, the master of my soul The boss of my dreams, the king of my goals

You have to be a leader To be unique To be hungry always, and never satisfied Proud but never satisfied

To be followed by the competition To take criticism and negativity and use it to fuel your greatness To survive the storms and the tough moments To be humble in the good times

It is sacrificing your TODAY for a better TOMORROW It is living a few years of your life like others won’t so you can spend the rest of your life like others can’t.

That sacrifice, The dedication, The commitment, the DISCIPLINE… Only rare human beings have these qualities… Only the very best among us.

Then there is failure… Because we all know it is coming, it is human nature. I mean, find me a successful human that has never failed… You can’t, they don’t exist…

The only difference between the extremely successful among us, in any field, and the unknown… The only difference: The successful guy didn’t give up. He found a way, when there seemed to be no way. The other guy… He threw in the towel.

Failure is simply learning another way not to do something There are great lessons in failure.

When it comes to success there is rarely ever a time when luck comes into play. Hard Work however always comes into play.

There is no greater satisfaction i life than that of hard work paying off. No greater satisfaction than knowing you are self made.

TAKE ACTION
 – When all others are sitting on their hands. The great difference between the “somebody’s” and “nobody’s” very often only comes down to WHO IS WILLING TO TAKE ACTION. Who is will to put in the WORK. The grind

. ARE YOU WILLING?

8 Responses

Love! Love! Love!

Thank you Nichole 🙂

It’s the best ever motivational speech ever.Thank you very much for creating it.

Thank you! Much Appreciated! #teamfearless

LOVE this speech! It is very motivational and I will definitely refer to it during my journey of owning a business! Thank you for sharing this piece!

amazing speech and i love the background music ,i want to download it. can u guide me how can i get the background music of this video …

We haven’t released the background music for this one yet. All other background music tracks can be found here: https://www.fearlessmotivation.com/background-music-best-epic-instrumentals-cinematic-music/

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Business Speech

Business speech generator.

In relation to the upcoming 90th Academy Awards this March 2018, you may have known of Leonardo DiCaprio. It took him at least 22 years and 5 attempts before finally winning an Oscar in 2016 with as he starred in the movie The Revenant . Among all his other nominated movies for best actor, there was one particular motion picture that brought out the best of him as a ruthless and determined salesman. And that was The Wolf of Wall Street  which was released in 2013. You may also see motivational speech .

• Inspirational Speech Examples
• Speech Outline Examples

To give you an idea on what the movie is about, DiCaprio stars as real life Wall Street stockbroker Jordan Belfort. Under the employment of a certain Mark Hanna (played by Matthew McConaughey), he begins to learn that a stockbroker’s only job is to make money for himself. He runs out of a job after Black Monday and finds himself under the new employment at a boiler room brokerage firm specializing in penny stocks. Little by little, he starts to make a small fortune thanks to his aggressive pitching style and the high commissions. You may also see introduction speech

Fast forward, he and his neighbor Danny Porush founded Stratton Oakmont, an “over-the-counter” brokerage house that practices the pump and dump scam in Long Island, New York making money illegally faster than they anticipate. Thanks to the valiant efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), his company was closed and under his reduced prison sentence started hosting seminars on sales technique. You may also see thank-you speech

Despite its dishonesty, it is a proven fact that he was one heck of a sales personnel. Even before Stratton Oakmont, he sounded convincing enough to let a client purchase penny stocks from him because of his persistence. Just like any other speech, business speeches have to be thought out and must inspire the people those working for you. You may also see informative speech

Examples of Writing an Inspirational Business Speech

Here are three examples of writing an inspirational business speech which will aid you in delivering one for your company or for a client.

Know Your Audience

It is critical to have a good understanding to know who you’re going to be speaking to. If not, there will be no common ground that you and the audience to stand on and vice versa causing misunderstanding. Try to conduct a bit of research about them so that both the audience and you have something that you share with each other. You may also see special occasion speech .

Most likely, your audience will come from the business or general public sector likely your audience depending on the type of clients your business caters to. Here are some questions that the speaker should try to research on:

• What’s the job function of the  aud ience members that represent the businesses sector?
• What’s would be the s ize and i ndustry of those companies if your listeners represent different companies?
• Do they have pressing concerns?
• What is the age range of the audience?
• Are your audience members present clients, prospective clients, or a mix of both?

If it so happens that you will be delivering the speech in a conference room, chances are that you can ask the event organizer on the demographic of your attendees. From there, you will be able to get an idea on how to adjust your content according to their preference to allow the audience to comprehend better. Just as there are countless of types of audiences, be sure to adapt and adjust to their cultural differences. You may also see presentation speech

Know Your Subject

Just because you are the speaker, it does not mean that you can just rely on what you prepared for your speech and deliver it as it is. It does not hurt to do a little more research on your topic. The more knowledgeable you are about something, the better. Do not feel threatened or intimidated when the audience will raise a question. Find the time to entertain the question. Your audience may know something that you do not. It is serves as an opportunity to gain insight from them as well.You may also see welcome speech

Have a Vision

Purpose. The heart and soul of the business speech. Not just the content alone, but the direction you would want your audience to follow after listening to you. Do not be a “garbage-in-garbage-out” kind of speaker wherein at the end of the day, your audience does not do or has not learned anything from that speech. But be that kind of speaker to leave a lasting impression to your audience to make them follow in your footsteps to allow them to become just like you may also see self-introduction speech

We hope we aided you in creating an outline for your own future business speech. Convince that client and close that sale with our examples on how to write a business speech.

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Create a Business Speech outlining your company's vision for the future.

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Business Speech Examples

The next great rhetorical piece that can be used as an example for one’s speech is Mark Zuckerberg’s 2017 commencement address at Harvard University. This performance is to the great extent similar to the previously mentioned one as it is also based on the speaker’s personal experience. Nonetheless, it also has several significant distinctive characteristics such as the humorist appeal of the speech and Zuckerberg’s ironic attitude to himself and his path to success. Such approach also appears as extremely effective due to the fact that jokes and fun stories about speaker’s personal experience that sometimes, even seem absurd, engage the audience in the speech and make them see the speaker as someone who is not much different from them; therefore, the public sympathizes him/her and perceives the information fully and freely.

Finally, the third outstanding business speech example is Bill and Melinda Gates’ 2014 Stanford Commencement Address. This piece is distinctive from the previous two due to several reasons, and the most obvious of them is the fact that there are two equal speakers that share the stage and the responsibility for their words. Both of them have different appeals as Bill is more measured and precise talking mainly about the facts while Melinda chose another approach to the audience and focused on the emotions and real-life situations. The combination of these manners created an extremely effective business rhetorical piece and displayed that a successful speaker should incorporate both of these methods in his or her performance.

All things considered, after examining and analyzing the listed examples of the successful business speeches , one can conclude that there are such key characteristics of an outstanding business rhetorical performance:

• it is based on speaker’s personal experience;
• it is not too serious and includes humorist appeal displayed in jokes and irony;
• a speaker is sincere and eager to share his/her personal experience with the audience;
• a speaker is not distant from the audience, and his or her speech includes points that listeners can relate to;
• a speech combines both fact-based and emotional appeals.

Referenes Bill and Melinda Gates’ 2014 Stanford Commencement Address. (2014). YouTube. Retrieved 26 June 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wug9n5Atk8c Elon Musk Incredible Speech. (2014). YouTube. Retrieved 26 June 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QygpaIJclm4 Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Commencement Address. (2017). YouTube. Retrieved 26 June 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmYv8XGl-YU

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Speech on Business World

Navigating the business world can feel like exploring an intricate maze. It’s brimming with challenges, opportunities, and constant evolution. Your understanding of it can shape your success.

Think of it as a game of chess, where strategic moves matter. You need to know the rules, the pieces, and how they interact. It’s a fascinating journey, wouldn’t you agree?

1-minute Speech on Business World

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Business is like a giant wheel that keeps our world turning. It’s like a big game of trading cards where you swap what you have for something you need. And the goal? To make sure everyone gets what they want and needs.

Let’s imagine a world without business. It’s like a birthday party without cake, or a football game without a ball. We wouldn’t have the clothes we wear, the food we eat, or the toys we play with. That’s how important businesses are!

Now, let’s talk about the people in business. They are like the captains of ships, steering their businesses through calm and stormy weather. They make tough decisions, solve problems, and always look for new ways to make their products better and cheaper.

Businesses also help us learn and grow. They invest in new ideas and innovations. They are like the big trees in a forest, providing shade and shelter for new, smaller plants to grow.

In conclusion, the business world is a bustling marketplace of ideas, goods, and services. It’s a world that keeps us moving forward, creating new opportunities and better futures for all of us. So, let’s celebrate the business world, for it is the heart of our society, pumping life into every corner of our world.

2-minute Speech on Business World

Business is the engine that drives the world. It’s like a big machine with many parts. Each part has a job to do. Some parts make things, like toys or clothes. Other parts sell those things in stores. Still, others move those things from one place to another. All these parts must work together so the machine can do its job.

Imagine a world without business. There would be no shops to buy food or clothes. There would be no factories to make phones or cars. There would be no trucks to bring things from faraway places. Life would be very different, and not in a good way. So, you see, business is very important.

Businesses also give people jobs. When you grow up, you might work for a business. You could be a doctor, a teacher, or a firefighter. Or, you might start your own business. You could open a restaurant, a shop, or even a farm. Whatever you do, you will be a part of the business world.

Now, business is not just about making money. It’s also about helping people. Businesses make things we all need, like food and clothes. They provide services we all use, like healthcare and education. And they solve problems that make our lives better. For example, some businesses are finding ways to clean our air and water. Others are creating new medicines to keep us healthy.

But running a business is hard work. It’s like a game of chess. You must think ahead and make smart moves. You must take risks, but not too many. You must work well with others and treat them fairly. And you must never give up, even when things get tough.

So, remember, business is not just for grown-ups. It’s for everyone. Even kids can start their own business. You could start a lemonade stand, a dog-walking service, or even a YouTube channel. The possibilities are endless.

And who knows? Maybe one day, you will be the one running a big business. You could be the one creating jobs and solving problems. You could be the one making the world a better place.

We also have speeches on more interesting topics that you may want to explore.

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Elon Musk's battle for free speech is getting expensive

• Brazil's Supreme Court seized over $3 million from X and SpaceX on Friday.
• The funds taken from Elon Musk's companies settle fines incurred from refusing to obey court orders.
• The company accounts, which were frozen, have been reinstated after the seizure.

Elon Musk was forced to put his money where his mouth is on Friday when Brazil's Supreme Court ordered banks to seize over $3 million from financial accounts owned by X and SpaceX's Starlink to settle fines incurred by Musk's social media platform.

The Brazilian Supreme Court, in a  statement  on Friday, indicated that Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the seizure of $1.3 million from an X bank account and $2 million from a Starlink account.

De Moraes levied the fines against X after the company refused to appoint a legal representative to respond to government requests to remove accounts or specific posts on the platform. The targeted accounts were affiliated with " digital militias " that de Moraes says have been methodically spreading misinformation supporting ousted far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro .

"After the payment of the full amount that was owed, the justice considered there was no need to keep the bank accounts frozen and ordered the immediate unfreezing of bank accounts/financial assets," the Brazilian Supreme Court's statement said.

The company accounts, which had been frozen, have been reinstated. Still, the seizure indicates that Musk will face significant financial costs to sustain battles over his stated goal of protecting free speech online.

Musk himself has a far-from-perfect track record on protecting speech rights — including complying with requests to restrict content from the increasingly authoritarian governments of Turkey and India — but even the most reluctant supporters of Musk say he has a point in Brazil, as the Brazilian justice has taken a more extreme stance to address disinformation than other democratic leaders.

Some of the far-right groups de Moraes has sought to restrict online have argued that Bolsonaro's loss in the 2022 election was caused by election interference and supported a mob that stormed Brazil's Congress to start a military coup that would have seized control of the country's government.

Like the US, Brazil has enshrined speech protections in its constitution, but the Brazilian government has wider discretion to ban certain kinds of speech than the US government.

Musk has countered that the individuals targeted by de Moraes' legal actions have not been convicted of a crime, and therefore, the Brazilian judge's attempts to restrict their online activity amount to censorship. In retaliation for the actions taken against X, Musk has goaded the Brazilian justice online, comparing him to Lord Voldemort from the "Harry Potter" franchise and suggesting de Moraes' legal orders amount to violations of Brazilian law that should lead to the judge's imprisonment.

What does this have to do with Starlink?

The battle between Musk and de Moraes has escalated for months, leading to the seizure of funds from X and SpaceX. While the connection between the social media site's legal woes and the satellite communications company's responsibility for the former's fines is tenuous, de Moraes has dragged both companies owned by Musk into the fray.

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Musk's refusal to comply with court orders to remove specific content from his social media platform led to de Moraes threatening to issue an arrest decree against Rachel Nova Conceicao, a representative for X, prompting Musk to close X's office in Brazil .

De Moraes then ordered  X banned from Brazil  — a demand that SpaceX's Starlink initially refused to comply with before reversing course and blocking access to the platform from its constellation of internet-providing satellites after its license to operate in the country was threatened. Other internet service providers in the country readily complied with de Moraes' order to block the platform, avoiding similar actions by the judge.

Legal analysts have questioned de Moraes' move to force Starlink to pay fines levied on X, given that the companies' only connection is that the same person owns them.

"Starlink is a different company. Belonging to the same economic group doesn't mean it is also responsible for a debt it did not take part of. It didn't even have a chance to defend itself," The Associated Press reported Brazilian jurist Lênio Streck said on social media. "What could Starlink have done to avoid what other company did?"

Representatives for X and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Watch: Photos show Elon Musk hanging out with Jared Kushner at the World Cup final

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Trump plans to launch his sons’ crypto business on Monday, 50 days before Election Day

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, Thursday, Sept.12, 2024, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump plans to deliver remarks next Monday about cryptocurrency and the launch of the company World Liberty Financial , a crypto platform controlled by the Republican nominee’s sons Donald Jr. and Eric.

His speech will come 50 days before Election Day, an extraordinary use of dwindling campaign time to promote a personal business. The Republican former president has long mixed his political and business interests and marketed sneakers, photo books and Trump-branded Bibles during his 2024 campaign.

“We’re embracing the future with crypto and leaving the slow and outdated big banks behind,” Trump said in a video posted Thursday to X, the social media site that will also host his address on the subject at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday from his Mar-a-Lago home.

As part of his presidential campaign, Trump has pledged to turn the United States into the “crypto capital of the planet,” raising red flags that he could use the federal government to help support a business tied to his family.

Cryptocurrencies are forms of digital money that can be traded over the internet without relying on the global banking system. The trading often depends on online marketplaces that charge fees for transactions, so that the cryptocurrencies can be exchanged for U.S. dollars and other currencies.

Trump opposed crypto during his presidency, but he has since warmed to the sector. He has suggested the government create a strategic reserve of Bitcoin and has vowed to block the creation of a Federal Reserve-administered Central Bank Digital Currency, a digital form of central bank money that would be available to the public.

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Harris and Trump Offer a Clear Contrast on the Economy

Both candidates embrace expansions of government power to steer economic outcomes — but in vastly different areas.

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By Jim Tankersley

Jim Tankersley has covered economic policy in presidential elections since 2004.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump flew to North Carolina this week to deliver what were billed as major speeches on the economy. Neither laid out a comprehensive policy plan — not Ms. Harris in her half-hour focus on housing, groceries and prescription drugs, nor Mr. Trump in 80 minutes of sprinkling various proposals among musings about dangerous immigrants.

But in their own ways, both candidates sent voters clear and important messages about their economic visions. Each embraced a vision of a powerful federal government, using its muscle to intervene in markets in pursuit of a stronger and more prosperous economy.

They just disagreed, almost entirely, on when and how that power should be used.

In Raleigh on Friday, Ms. Harris began to put her own stamp on the brand of progressive economics that has come to dominate Democratic politics over the last decade. That economic thinking embraces the idea that the federal government must act aggressively to foster competition and correct distortions in private markets.

The approach seeks large tax increases on corporations and high earners, to fund assistance for low-income and middle-class workers who are struggling to build wealth for themselves and their children. At the same time, it provides big tax breaks to companies engaged in what Ms. Harris and other progressives see as delivering great economic benefit — like manufacturing technologies needed to fight global warming , or building affordable housing.

That philosophy animated the policy agenda that Ms. Harris unveiled on Friday. She pledged to send up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance to every first-time home buyer over four years, while directing $40 billion to construction companies that build starter homes. She said she would permanently reinstate an expanded child tax credit that President Biden temporarily established with his 2021 stimulus law, while offering even more assistance to parents of newborns.

She called for a federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries and for new federal enforcement tools to punish companies that unfairly push up food prices. “My plan will include new penalties for opportunistic companies that exploit crises and break the rules,” she said, adding: “We will help the food industry become more competitive, because I believe competition is the lifeblood of our economy.”

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