Neil Pasricha

Former Director of Leadership at Walmart & Happiness Expert

Neil Pasricha

Former Director of Leadership at Walmart & Happiness Expert

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Biography

After graduating from Harvard Business School, Neil Pasricha spent a decade as Director of Leadership at Walmart, the world’s largest company. While there he wrote the 50-million-hit, award-winning blog 1000 Awesome Things and the New York Times bestsellers The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation which have been on international bestseller lists for over 200 weeks and sold over a million copies.

Neil’s research and books on happiness, mindset, and human potential have received attention from Harvard Business Review, The New Yorker, The Sunday Times, CNN, and BBC.

Onstage his style is an endangered species: an incredibly rare blend of raw, hilarious, and heartwarming. His high-energy, takeaway-laden, application-not-motivation speeches are often voted tops at any conference or event.

Speaker Videos

Neil Pasricha Sizzle Reel

Trust

Two Minute Mornings

Science

Swimming

Fiction

TEDx: The 3 A’s of Awesome

It Is Not What Happens to You, It Is What You Do About It

Here to Inspire, Educate, and Motivate

TEDx: How Do You Maximize Your Tiny, Short Life?

It Is Not What Happens to You, It Is What You Do About It

Three Secrets to Achieve Happiness

Speaking Reel

See Fewer Videos

Speech Topics

Be Happy First: Resilience & Breakthrough Performance In Times Of Change

As AI quickly disrupts and evolves industries the good news is you still control…yourself. You choose how to show up every day by cultivating a resilient mindset to steady and ready yourself for the future. Join New York Times bestselling author Neil Pasricha as he draws from his #1 international bestselling resilience guidebook, You Are Awesome, in this transformative session on how to cultivate positive, resilient habits to fuel long-term well-being in changing times. Stop waiting for success to lead the way. Start shaping the habits that help you grow, thrive, and create your own momentum.

Takeaways:

Learn the science behind resilient thinking and how it impacts your performance and career
A set of actionable 2-minute habits to increase resilience in the face of distraction
Strategies to create a ripple effect of positivity in your personal life and professional journey

Your Audience Will Leave With:

A reframed understanding of resilience rooted in growth
Tools to manage stress and uncertainty with more clarity and calm
Simple, research-backed habits to build steadiness into daily life
A sense of connection through shared experience and honest storytelling

The Subtle Art of Happiness

Why can so few people at work genuinely say, “I love my job”? Gallup reports 87% of the global workforce is disengaged. But what if there were subtle, secret weapons that could turn employees into their most powerful, engaged, and productive selves? It’s not crazy talk. It’s actually happening. Using his unique blend of counter-intuitive research and side splitting stories, Neil illuminates a clear path forward into workplaces where people show up inspired, do great work, and leave with full minds and full hearts. Raw, hilarious, and heartwarming, this is the perfect keynote to kick off or close your conference with the ultimate high. Past clients include: Audi (national dealer teams), AstraZeneca (sales agents), and TD Bank (top global leaders).

The Science of Positive Growth Mindset: Does Great Work Lead to Happiness? Or…Does Happiness Lead to Great Work?

Neil Pasricha shares counterintuitive research-based answers in this fun, fast-paced, research-grounded tour of the emerging neuroscience and positive psychology landscape. Neil shows how cultivating a positive growth mindset results in 31% higher productivity, 37% higher sales, 48% closer work relationships, and 300% greater creativity—and then shares how to get there. Based on fresh research Pasricha published in Harvard Business Review, this is a high-energy, takeaway-laden talk that gets audiences buzzing.

Takeaways:

A simple framework to re-engage with work that matters
3 simple tools to shift mindset from “autopilot” to “intention”
Learn to see role challenges as an opportunity to unlock full personal potential

Your Audience Will Leave With:

A simple framework for re-engaging with work that matters
Strategies to rediscover drive—without needing dramatic change
Tools to shift from autopilot to intention
A shared spark across the team that lasts beyond the keynote

Building Your Happy In The Era Of "AI Everything"

As AI quickly disrupts and evolves industries the good news is you still control ... yourself. You choose how to show up every day by cultivating a mindset to steady and ready yourself for the future. Join New York Times bestselling author and researcher, Neil Pasricha, for a transformative session on how to cultivate positive, happy habits that fuel long-term success and well-being in changing times.

In this session you can:

Learn the science behind happiness and how it can impact your performance and career
Discover simple and actionable habits that can increase resilience, boost productivity, and foster a positive mindset
Uncover strategies to help create a ripple effect of positivity in your personal life and professional journey

Stop waiting for the world and start shaping the habits that help you grow, thrive, and create your own momentum.

Lead Yourself First, Before You Lead Others

Which company is #1 on the Fortune 500 today and has been for more than a decade? Walmart. The retail behemoth’s rise to half a trillion dollars in sales with over two million employees spread across the globe has been well-documented. But what hasn’t been documented is how they develop, nurture, and grow leaders up through those ranks. Neil Pasricha served as Director of Leadership Development inside Walmart for the past ten years – working directly for two CEOs and partnering with Harvard Business School to develop the first global executive program inside the retail giant. Join him as he shares a window into what his research and work reveal about what truly makes leaders tick and walk away with clear takeaways on how they can drive you and your teams. How do you lead a team of two, two hundred thousand, or even two million people? It starts with yourself. Let Neil show you how.

Building Trust In Distrustful Times: 3 Ways to Increase Trust with Customers

Culture starts with trust and according to the Edelman Trust Barometer we have all-time low levels of trust in media, business, and government. We have never believed less, agreed less, or trusted less. Yet, building a culture of trust, and developing the community that surrounds it, remains essential for any organization, startup, or brand. So what are new ways to build trust in an era of mistrust?

With research and current business case examples Neil shares what works, what doesn’t, and how to figure out who to really believe.

This talk debuted as a SXSW Featured Keynote and includes 3 modern ways organizations can build more trust.

Takeaways:

Finite Over Infinite: In an era of infinite choice, the value of curation skyrockets
Human Over Algorithm: In an era of bots, we trust brains
Go All In, Show All In: The more chips you push into the middle, the more we buy your hand

Your Audience Will Leave With:

Habits and tools to strengthen team connection and trust
Small shifts that create big impact across morale and momentum
Renewed sense of meaning and motivation across the organization

Happy Habits: Tiny Changes, Massive Results

The only constant is change. And the latest disruption? Getting disrupted. It doesn’t help that Gallup is reporting a whopping 79% of the global workforce is disengaged. But what if there were simple habits that could be unlocked during our choppy changing times that genuinely helped employees find ballast to drive engagement, connection, and positivity? It’s not crazy talk. It’s actually happening.

Using his unique blend of science-backed models and lean-in-and-laugh stories, Neil shares simple habits and, more importantly, teaches audiences how to make them stick. In this talk, Neil shares science-backed practices contributors, managers, and leaders can use starting today that help them show up as their best selves during times of change.

Takeaways:

Research-backed habits for navigating company or functional changes with confidence
Learn why action creates motivation when facing setbacks, not the other way around
A mindset shift that makes change less chaotic and more constructive
A set of simple behaviors to lead others through what’s next — even when what’s next isn’t known

Your Audience Will Leave With:

Research-backed habits for navigating transitions with confidence
A mindset shift that makes change feel less chaotic and more constructive
The clarity and calm to lead others through what’s next

Testimonials

"Neil was phenomenal!!!!! I was already very grateful that we were able to have him a part of our weekend but after meeting him and experiencing his presentation, I am in awe of his generosity to share his expertise and positive energy with our physicians and staff."

- Kaiser Permanente

"The interactions, trust, healing, laughter, camaraderie, sadness, and vulnerabilities that come with taking care of patients are gifts to be enjoyed and appreciated. Sadly, the prism where we can see these qualities becomes rapidly clouded. There is real role for Neil’s work within health care. The more penetration his philosophies have, the more satisfaction, quality, and longevity we’ll see."

- Sharp Healthcare

"We were very pleased with Neil’s program on ‘The Subtle Art of Happiness’ to over 5000 staff at our System Leadership Meeting. On our 10-point rating scale, he received a score of 9.39! Neil was energizing and the message is timely and relevant."

- Ochsner Health System

"I cannot tell you the buzz in our meeting still after your presentation. People cannot stop talking about you and even people who have seen you for the third time, commented on how it’s just amazingly valuable every single time! Our employees saw in you what I saw many years ago in your first Ted talk and your many accomplishments since - your authenticity, strong values, kindness and your incredible wit and intelligence. You are a real talent and I feel so proud to have shared your voice with my company - I know you help our people be better."

- AstraZeneca

"Neil exceeded expectations. His message is relevant and timely ... if not urgent. Feedback has been universally resounding. Among specific comments, colleagues have recognized the relevance of his talk, his personal authenticity, his credibility (folks noted his nearly encyclopedic ability to reference his findings!), and most of all the simple practicality of his recommendations. Our team translated his talk into action the very same day and it immediately showed!"

- Alexion Pharmaceuticals

"Neil was incredibly attentive and intentional about delivering a message tailored to the needs of our group of over 2000 people. He shared valuable insights with humility, humor, and authenticity. He was inspirational and thought provoking. People were moved to laughter and tears at different times throughout his presentation. They were 100% engaged the entire time he spoke, and have continued, even a month later, to talk about the lessons they learned from him. I’ve heard lots of feedback and interest in beginning practice of the “2-minute morning” routine and I think everyone really appreciated having these types of practical suggestions. I could not be more happy with the outcome! Neil is truly amazing!"

- Healthy Families America

"We recently used Neil at an all employee event. Given some recent changes in the company, including a move to a new office, there was some trepidation and apprehension within the organization. Neil’s talk was exactly what we needed. He was very helpful in putting things into the right context, and created an immediate positive buzz. He is insightful, evidenced based and practical when it comes to making changes to increase happiness and ultimately productivity. Now we’re all hooked on his books, and are already planning for a future “Pasricha tune-up."

- Novo Nordisk