Joe Roberts

Keynote Speaker | Author | Humanitarian
Vancouver , British Columbia

What Joe is Passionate About

From Skid Row to CEO - Building Resilience One Step at a Time 

In this empowering keynote, Joe teaches audiences how to build the resiliency needed to succeed in the face of adversity and change by taking small, attainable steps. Sharing the story of his catastrophic failure and extraordinary success, Joe inspires audiences to see beyond their perceived limitations to overcome life’s challenges and embrace change.

This keynote is ideal for anyone who is:

*Trying to adapt to significant change or disruption and enhance their resilience

*Disconnected from their purpose and passion and showing signs of burnout or underperformance

*Feeling stuck or holding onto limiting beliefs and a negative outlook

*Struggling to see their potential and ability to accomplish anything!

The audience will leave with:

*Actionable insights on building personal resilience no matter what challenge or change they are facing

*A greater understanding of the cumulative impact of small, consistent actions and the motivation to take the first step

*Renewed interest and focus in their work as they reconnect to their purpose and passion

*Tools for reframing a limiting mindset so they can see the possibilities in themselves and the world around them

There’s More to You Than You Can See - Collapsing Mental Health Stigma 

In this eye-opening keynote, Joe shares the critical role family and community support played in helping him overcome a lifelong struggle with substance use and mental health. Through the lens of his incredible transformation, audiences will be reminded that every person, including themselves, has enormous potential and will leave inspired to create safe spaces for others to learn, grow, and change.

This keynote is ideal for leaders and teams who are:

*Seeing a rapid rise in sick leave, burnout, suicide, PTSD, substance use disorder, and depression in their organization

*Experiencing productivity decreases, increased sick days, quiet quitting, unmotivated staff, high turnover, or internal strife and tensions

*Needing to build empathy-based leadership and a psychologically safe work environment

*Unaware or unconcerned about the stigma and issues surrounding mental health, addiction, and suicide

To Protect and Serve - The Life-Changing Potential of Every Interaction 

In this inspiring keynote, Joe Roberts highlights the life-changing impact first responders can have in every interaction through his own remarkable story. What was a typical distress call for Constable Scott MacLeod (another man with a gun threatening suicide) became a moment that changed Joe’s life forever. Joe’s story reminds first responders of the power of every interaction and the deep impact they have, but don’t always see, on their communities.

This keynote is perfect for any first responder who is:

*Feeling under-appreciated under the weight of public hostility, negative headlines, and the growing anti-police movements

*Needing a reminder of the good work being done every day in their millions of positive interactions

*Struggling to see the potential in the people they support and serve because of burnout, frustration, or unrecognized bias and stigma

Safety - It’s About the Little Things: Leading and Inspiring a Culture of Safety 

In this keynote, Joe explores the connection between mental safety and physical safety and shares how anyone can connect their personal purpose to safer behavior. As Joe walks the audience through his first poor choice and how it led to a journey of degradation and despair, they will understand why people make unsafe decisions and how they can intentionally build physically and mentally safer workplaces with every small decision.

This presentation is perfect for safety leaders and teams who are:

*Unaware of the significant impact mental health can have on job performance and safety

*Lacking a safe and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health

*Struggling to pay attention to the little things, leading to potentially costly mistakes

*Unsure how they can build a culture of empathy where people feel seen, heard, and safe enough to address potential safety issues

The Push for Change - How to Lead, Inspire, and Engage on Purpose 

Pushing a shopping cart 9,064km (5,625 miles) across Canada may sound impossible, but amazing things happen when passion aligns with purpose! Joe shares lessons learned from The Push for Change, a 17-month walk across Canada to support the end of youth homelessness. As audiences follow along with his journey, they‘ll learn practical insights for developing a purpose-driven leadership that inspires and engages others.

This program is perfect for any audience who wants to lead well but is:

*One of the 4 in 5 people that aren’t playing to their strengths in the workplace

*Unsure how to handle the issues they’re facing with their teams, such as decreased productivity, increased sick days, unmotivated staff, and internal strife and tensions

*Struggling with apathy, disengagement, and underperformance, due to burnout-out or a disconnect from their purpose and passion

Why You Need Joe

Joe Roberts aka The Skidrow CEO is an expert on resilience and change. Having experienced both catastrophic failure and extraordinary success Joe teaches how to overcome the roadblocks that get in the way of high performance.

He helps companies and individuals redefine what’s truly possible by confronting limiting mindsets. Participants at Joes’ events leave inspired and moved to action.

What is most amazing about Joe is that in 1989 he was living on the streets of Vancouver as a homeless skid row addict. Through perseverance, determination and his resilient human spirit, Joe pulled himself out of darkness and despair, to become a highly respected business and community leader.

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Why You Will Love Joe

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.

Commissioner
Ontario Provincial Police

You connected with people using your authentic personal experience…with both mental health and addiction, something that touches all our lives.

Area Manager
BC Hydro

Joe’s message is a true testament to the resilience of the human spirit and what you can achieve when you set your mind to it.

Fire Chief
Town of Essex, Former Board Member, OACF

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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