Ross Shafer

Six-Time Emmy Award-Winning Comedian, Network TV Host & Best-Selling Business Author

Ross Shafer

Six-Time Emmy Award-Winning Comedian, Network TV Host & Best-Selling Business Author

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Biography

Ross Shafer is a six-time Emmy Award–winning comedian, network TV host, keynote speaker, and business author who has rescued 23 companies from bankruptcy and worked with more than 3,000 corporate clients worldwide. His unique background as both an entertainer and turnaround CEO gives him rare insight into leadership, relevance, and customer loyalty.

On television, Ross became a household name as host of The Match Game (ABC), The Late Show (FOX), and Almost Live! (NBC). His comedy roots and quick wit have made him a trusted emcee and entertainer for Fortune 500 companies, where he combines humor with deeply researched business strategies to inspire audiences.

As a business thought leader, Ross has written 10 best-selling books, including Nobody Moved Your Cheese, Customer Empathy, No More Customer Friction, and RATTLED. His proprietary WOW vs. POW method has revolutionized how organizations think about customer experience—showing that loyalty is built not by flashy perks but by eliminating the frustrations and pain points that drive people away.

Ross’s influence has reached companies like Apple, Microsoft, Hilton, Toyota, FedEx, Adobe, Charles Schwab, and United Airlines, along with countless associations and government organizations. His work has been featured in national media, and in 2025 he joined Joel McHale and Jaylen Brown in honoring his longtime friend Bill Nye at Nye’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony—an especially full-circle moment since Ross was the one who first coined the name “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”

Whether he’s delivering a funny and unforgettable keynote, hosting a corporate event, or authoring game-changing business insights, Ross Shafer is a proven expert at helping organizations stay relevant, build loyalty, and thrive through change.

Speaker Videos

Demo Reel

How to Motivate Your Teams

Success is Your Responsibility

Why Has URGENCY Replaced Service?

America's Funniest Leadership Keynote Speaker

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Speech Topics

How to Sell Your Brand Identity & Customize Your Sales Story

A funny and unforgettable keynote by six-time Emmy-winning comedian, TV host, and business author, Ross Shafer.

Takeaways:

Authentic, Emotional Storytelling – Ross will teach your teams why telling an interesting story proves you care about your customers. Great stories explain why your company matters more than a competitor with similar products or services.
How to Weave Your Personal Story into your Brand Story – Many people in your audience strive for World-Class success. Ross uses his own life story as a blueprint for how they can achieve it, too. Want a hint? You will learn how Ross coached (and launched) Bill Nye, the Science Guy.
Create Compelling Stories Your Customers Repeat to Their Friends – We live in a recommendation economy (Yelp, Trust Pilot, Trip Advisor, Amazon Reviews, Anji, et al). Your customers use such forums to either brag about you - or undermine your brand credibility. Ross will show you how to create positive, memorable stories your customers cannot wait to share.
You will Never Run Out of Stories – Ross can teach you a reliable and ethical way to harvest fresh ideas from outside your industry. When you know Ross's secret, you will be able to create an endless supply of interesting tales that will help grow your organization.

How to Sustain a Relevant Culture

A fun and engaging keynote for Future-Proofing your organization.

Takeaways:

Relevance Is a Moving Target – A truly relevant culture must be constantly curated. Your organization needs to be nimble enough to adapt on demand. Ross will inspire your teams to replace complacency with out-of-the-silo thinking. Ross will share his tactics for breakthrough solutions.
Customer Expectations Have Evolved – In his book, No More Customer Friction, Ross Shafer reveals research, which shows why his WOW vs POW customer experience coaching escalates satisfaction scores. Cracking the code evolved by preventing customer gut punches, fixing reckless disappointments, and eliminating inexcusable blunders..
The Relationship Secret that Builds Instant Rapport – Ross shares a TV talk show technique that generates instant trust and loyalty. No fluff here. Just consistent results.
The Final Moment of the Transaction Determines Loyalty – Loyalty hinges on the emotional story you tell in the last few moments of every transaction. Beware: the wrong post-sale survey can undo an otherwise perfect engagement. Ross will reveal how to craft closing interactions that can cement customers for life.

Wow-ing Customers Doesn't Guarantee Loyalty

Ross explains why eliminating the POW moments (organizational failures, unforced errors, feeling neglected) raises satisfaction scores more than many WOW “gestures."

Takeaways:

Real-World Experience – Ross will explain how he rescued 23 companies from bankruptcy simply by delivering honesty, resolving problems quickly, and focusing on fun.
Proven Thought Leadership – Ross takes this subject very seriously. He’s written 5 best-selling books on the Customer Experience, 16 human resource training films on customer effort, customer empathy, and reducing customer friction.
Research-Driven Simplicity – Traditional loyalty strategies no longer work like they did in the past. Ross’s method simplifies customer satisfaction by removing the pain points, making it easy to train frontline teams to execute WOW vs. POW smoothly. The C-Suite loves the results.
Engaging Style – Ross’s energetic style—fueled by humor, storytelling, and real-world examples—makes complex customer strategies easy to understand and implement. His fast-paced, inspiring keynotes resonate from the C-suite to the sales floor. The WOW vs. POW method is simple, scalable, and effective.

Virtual Keynote Options

Option A: Ross customizes a 30–40-minute keynote aligned with your goals, using visuals and videos for engagement.

Option B: Ross prepares tailored content based on your event goals, answers live questions, and connects his case studies and stories directly to your objectives.

Clean, Corporate Comedy Show

Ideal for after-dinner entertainment.

Ross’s material is non-political, non-controversial, and 100% HR-safe.

Audiences love his quick-witted stories about misadventures and successes.

Ross Is Your Ultimate Emcee

Ross brings polish and energy to multi-day events. A seasoned talk/game show host, he effortlessly moderates executive panels, interviews celebrities, and recaps sessions to keep your audience engaged.

Testimonials

"I can’t express enough the positive impact Ross had on the group today. His presentation was outstanding! His unique ability to deliver such a dynamic message in that casual manner it truly unbelievable. Our CEO commented to me that it was the right message for the times we’re in."

- Hyundai

"I wanted to thank you for speaking at our event—twice! Your presentation seems to have been quite the memorable highlight, as a sampling of comments from our post-conference survey included: “Ross Shafer was fantastic!”; “Ross Shafer and the Passing Zone were the best guest speakers I’ve ever seen”; “Ross Shafer was a great speaker, very real in his approach”; “Ross Shafer was very inspirational and gave me some ideas for personal improvement toward the customer experience that I will definitely explore.” And really, the comments just went on and on. Thank you for spending time with us and reminding us of the importance of creating memorable experiences for our customers."

- Wells Fargo Bank

"GREAT SPEAKER, GREAT PRESENTER! Could’ve listened to him all day! Really good information on how to communicate with anyone and everyone! He was hysterical. I loved it. He really got some energy going. I thoroughly enjoyed Ross’s unconventional look at customer service. I will definitely use some of his ideas when I get ready to survey departments and end users in my new organization. I’ve already downloaded his books that he offers online and I couldn’t wait to see his 2nd session. I hadn’t planned on going, but after seeing him in the general session, I knew I had to see him again. He was the highlight of the conference, he was fantastic!!"

- National Association of Purchasing Card Professionals

"Ross is a very entertaining, thought-provoking speaker that captivates your audience from the moment he takes the stage. Every attendee I spoke with had nothing but great comments about his session."

- Credit Union Direct Lending

"Ross was great. I took a number of things away with me from his presentation. He was motivational and inspirational without being preachy and canned. Feedback from the attendees has been extremely positive. I will be recommending him to a number of my fellow meeting planners."

- Anderson DDB

"The client was extremely happy working with Ross and that part of the program went flawless. The onstage interaction with Supervisor Paul Biane & Ross was awesome & the audience seemed to connect well with the program. Looking forward to the possibilities and many, many thanks for Ross’ ‘stellar’ involvement working with our client!"

- Star Way Productions

"Your presentation was absolutely superb! As a branding expert, I always encourage my clients and audience members to be authentic in what they do. You exhibited that authenticity throughout your entire presentation. Plus, you had me laughing and learning…the perfect combination."

- Heard Above the Noise

"I wanted to send a personal thank you for participation in our Distribution Leadership Forum. Your message was outstanding! You integrated everything from the previous day and half so well it was as if you had been attending our meetings for the last couple of years. I really appreciate your attention to detail and involvement in the Forum. In addition, all the feedback I have received from the participants has been extremely positive. I wish you continued success, and I hope to have the opportunity to visit with you again in the future."

- Allstate Insurance

"Ross was a complete hit at our conference. I have never heard so many attendees wanting to have a speaker back again and soon. Everyone really enjoyed Ross. We appreciated him coming to our conference and hopefully look forward to seeing him again."

- Energy Insurance Mutual Limited