Joe Roberts

The Skidrow CEO - Motivation and Leadership Expert
Vancouver , British Columbia

What Joe is Passionate About

Mental Health & Addiction – Seeing possibility, not probability 

Mental Health and Addiction impacts every one of us. We all face adversity, challenge and change. But not everyone has the resiliency needed to survive life’s toughest days. How do we talk openly about addiction and mental health? How do we collapse judgement through transparency? How do we help others face their problems head on? In this keynote, Joe shares his story of redemption from a life long struggle with addiction and mental illness.

In 1989 Joe was a homeless drug addict on the streets of Vancouver. With the help of family and community champions, Joe’s life transformed. As you walk with Joe through the tough streets of East Vancouver in the 1980’s, you will experience the depths and degradation of a former homeless drug addict, to the triumph of a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist.

By looking through a research based behavioral change model, participants will evaluate their current state of resiliency and learn how to shift unproductive habits while developing a possibility mindset. Everyone leaves with tools they can use immediately to build resiliency and create their own inspired results. Joe’s is a treasured Canadian whose life story embodies the resiliency of the human spirit. His message is inspiring, energetic, humorous, honest, raw and unforgettable.

In this session you will learn:

• How to Support the Person: Challenge the Behaviour

• Empathy Centred Leadership Tools

• How to Conduct “Tough Stuff” Conversations

• Vulnerability: Strength from Weakness

• How To Meet People Where They Are

A Push for Change - How to lead, inspire and engage on purpose 

Apathy. Disengagement. Underperformance. How do we inspire and engage people with purpose driven leadership to embrace change? The notion of walking across Canada pushing a shopping cart to inspire change seemed impossible. But after four years of planning, 17 months and 9064 KM of walking, The Push for Change was completed and delivered valuable lessons about the power of social change through community engagement. In this keynote Joe takes you on an epic adventure from the planning stages, the aggressive pre-trek training schedule, and the campaign logistics up to the launch day. On May 1st 2016 Joe and Team Push for Change hit the road traversing the entire Trans Canada Highway from St John’s, NL to Vancouver, BC.

Joe will share the extraordinary experiences of walking 24km every day, rain, snow or shine. Meeting icons like Walter Gretzky and Michael “Pinball” Clemons, inspiring over 100,000 students during 457 community events ending with a private meeting with the Prime Minster of Canada. Participants will leave with tools they can use immediately to inspire employee and community engagement. They will learn how to tackle big projects and stay focused by tapping into their deeper sense of purpose driven leadership. Joe’s message is authentic, humorous, honest, raw and unforgettable. His masterful delivery combined with high energy and self- deprecating humour will have you shed a tear while making you laugh ‘til it hurts.

In this session you will learn:

• Resiliency Tools needed for the long game

• How to reframe setbacks while staying committed

• How to inspire Employee and Community Engagement

• How to harness purpose driven leadership

• How to lead teams towards Social Change

How to build resiliency one step at a time  

Every one of us is confronted by adversity, challenge and change. We face it with our families, work, health, and finances. Success in the face of adversity and change depends on our level of resiliency.

In this keynote, Joe teaches how to build the resiliency needed to overcome life’s challenges and embrace change. As you walk with Joe through the tough streets of East Vancouver in the 1980’s, you will experience the depths and degradation of a former hopeless, homeless drug addict, to the heights and triumph of a successful entrepreneur. Using a research based behavioural change model, participants will evaluate their current state of resiliency and learn how to crush unproductive habits while developing a high-performance mindset. Participants leave with tools they can use immediately to create their own inspired results. Joe’s is a treasured Canadian whose life story embodies the resiliency of the human spirit. His message is inspiring, energetic, humorous, honest, raw and unforgettable.

In this session you will learn:

• How to build resiliency despite the world around you

• Applying the A.I.R. Model for behavioural change

• Why failure is predictable and normal

• Seeing possibility : How to reframe a limiting mindset

• How to convert failures into assets

• The 3 most important things to know about engaging people

Why You Need Joe

Today Joe Roberts (aka The Skidrow CEO) is an award-winning Inspirational Keynote Speaker armed with unwavering determination and 20+ years of speaking experience. His mission has been, is, and always will be to instigate a ripple effect of positive change everywhere he goes by reminding people of their unlimited potential.

When Joe was homeless in Vancouver he made a promise if his life was spared he would pay it forward.  He did just that in the form of triumphantly pushing a shopping cart a staggering 9,064 kilometers across Canada in the name of youth homelessness prevention. This very act birthed a national awareness campaign called The Push for Change, inspiring fellow Canadians to create ripple effects of transformation in the lives of at-risk youth throughout the country.

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Why You Will Love Joe

We are exceptionally pleased with having chosen you for our closing keynote address; it was a formidable task indeed. You took us on your life journey that was filled with energy, humour and moments of tears. Far more than a “motivational speech” your authenticity rang true to all and spoke to each of us at a personal and professional level.

CEO, The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse

Your presentation was absolutely thought provoking, powerful and very moving. It was very motivational for the group to hear what happens when “things go right.” I heard personally from numerous officers in attendance that they were emotionally impacted by your message and so very proud to be a police officer.

J.V.N. (Vince) Hawkes
Commissioner, Ontario Provincial Police

Joe did an excellent job in closing out our conference; our CUMAM members were very impressed with his story and would definitely recommend him as a conference speaker. He also brings great insight on leadership and has a whole learning program that he does around that as well.

Executive VP and ACEO, Credit Union Managers Association of Manitoba

I want to thank you and Marie on behalf of Canada. I can’t express how inspired and proud I am of the example you have set to make our country a safer place for young Canadians.

Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada


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