Joe Roberts

“Skid Row CEO” & Inspirational Leadership Speaker

Joe Roberts

“Skid Row CEO” & Inspirational Leadership Speaker

Add to List Availability & Fees

Biography

Joe Roberts embodies the power of possibility. Celebrated in national media as the “Skid Row CEO,” his astounding transformation from substance abuse and homelessness to leading executive has inspired countless audiences to believe in their own unlimited potential and create deep-rooted change in their lives and organizations.

Joe has authored four books, and his story and work have been featured in prominent media outlets such as Forbes, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, CBC, and CTV. As founder of the Push for Change campaign, Joe raised awareness and funds for homeless youth by walking the entire width of North America (that’s 35,000 steps every day for 17 months). The campaign earned him numerous accolades and, more importantly, improved federal programs for vulnerable children.

People who hear Joe speak regularly describe him as “the most inspirational speaker I’ve ever seen!” His keynotes are life-changing experiences that profoundly impact his audiences. Connecting deeply to his lived experience and hard-earned lessons, they leave empowered to re-evaluate their perspective on challenges, unlock their unlimited potential, and create positive change in their lives, communities, and organizations.

Speaker Videos

Joe Roberts Speaker Demo Reel

Joe Roberts Inspires Audience and Receives Honorary Doctorate

UNLOCK Your Untapped Potential (Powerful Speech) | Joe Roberts | Goalcast

Speech Topics

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
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 disorder and mental illness. 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 program is perfect 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

The audience will leave with:

The motivation and tools to develop empathy centered leadership and see the possibilities in everyone they meet
Simple steps anyone can take to create a safe space where people are seen and heard
Practical techniques for supporting the person AND challenging the behavior, including tools for conducting “Tough Stuff” Mental Health Conversations

To Protect & 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 underappreciated 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

The audience will leave with:

A feeling of being honored and appreciated for their work
A powerful reminder of their ability to make a difference in their community through a real-life example
A rededication and commitment to purpose and passion and tools for staying inspired and motivated despite external factors
Greater empathy and respect for the potential of those who struggle with mental health or addiction

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 audience will leave with:

A deeper understanding of why the little things matter so much and the motivation to make every small choice a good one
A greater appreciation for the importance of advocating for prevention, even if it means having a tough conversation
Tools for creating a safe space where people are not only seen and heard but also supported in their struggles

The Push for Change

How to lead, inspire, and engage on purpose

Pushing a shopping cart 9,064km 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

The audience will leave with:

Tools they can immediately use to overcome adversity and reframe a limiting mindset
The ability to tackle big projects and stay focused by tapping into their deeper sense of purpose-driven leadership
Three core things that get people and teams fired up so they can achieve literally anything!

Testimonials

“I have heard you speak twice now, and both times you successfully touched the audience in a way that only someone who has lived their story can. You taught us all that we can endure change and hardship in life and still come out victorious. Your “Skidrow to CEO” message is what the world needs today.”

- President, Justice Institute of BC

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

- Fire Chief, Town of Essex

"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

"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

"The employees and contractors attending this safety meeting were more engaged then I’ve seen them in years."

- Talisman Energy

"Our members were very impressed with his story and appreciated his great insight on leadership."

- Executive VP and ACEO, Credit Union Managers Association of Manitoba

"Rarely do we find individuals whose personal life experience has the power to motivate and move people like your story did. The way you delivered with consistency night after night and the impact you had on each room was reflected in the high level of engagement and feedback that we are still receiving. Your message was perfect, and I want to thank you for inspiring, educating, and empowering all of us."

- Vice President Strategic Accounts, AGF

"Regardless of your profession, you will easily find your personal connection to Joe's story. Those that participated in Joe's engagement told me that it was the best training they had received in their entire career. I highly recommend Joe."

- Criminal Operations Officer

"I have had the pleasure of seeing Joe speak on several occasions, and each time, his presentation struck a note with me in completely different ways, which is so impressive. His story is one of the most inspiring presentations I have ever seen, where the audience is completely engaged throughout. Joe’s ability to transform the audience from the point of laughter to where you can hear a pin drop is something that few keynotes can accomplish. I would highly recommend Joe Roberts to any organization that is looking to inspire their employees to be the best that they can be. His message is powerful and one of a kind."

- Deputy Chief of Operations

"Joe presents his triumphs over adversity and relates his experiences to the life that each of us lives every day -- bringing light to fallacies that we all possess while invoking a lighthearted humour about being human. He inspires one to forge ahead despite the gloomy clouds that might linger overhead. Through his strong yet personalized supportive messages, brought from his heart and from his experience, we can all garner the strength needed to overcome barriers and to love others and ourselves."

- Senior Policy Analyst

"He tweaked the speech to make it even more relevant to our audience; the result was a captivating keynote that triggered strong emotional reactions, that I will personally remember as one of the most inspiring speeches I have heard in my career, and that will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our teams."

- CEO