MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER & WORLD-CLASS ATHLETE
As a Kansas Motivational Speaker, my comeback story inspires resilience and helps people and organizations find practical ways to thrive through change and uncertainty.
Kansas Motivational Speaker
Hey, I’m Charles Clark
I was once one of the fastest men in the world. But a career-ending injury forced me to rebuild everything— my body, my mind, and my purpose. That journey shaped a message that has now helped over 700,000 people build resilience and start thriving. Event planners don’t hire me just to motivate. They bring me in because I make people feel something and then give them the tools to do something about it.
For the past 12 years, I’ve worked with top-performing teams, Fortune 500 companies, and national conferences to unlock the mindset that delivers results. My keynotes are backed by science, built for real life pressure, and designed to meet the moment. Audiences leave uplifted with practical strategies they can apply immediately to reset, take bold action, and lead with confidence. Let’s create something epic for your next event.
I’VE IMPACTED OVER 700,000 PEOPLE
WATCH THE SPEAKER REEL FOR A PREVIEW OF WHAT CHARLES DELIVERS
FIVE REASONS TO BOOK CHARLES
HIGH ENERGY
He offers high energy delivery that actually keeps your audience engaged. Your audience will leave fired up, ready to create an impact internally and with those they come in contact with.
RELEVANT
Charles crafts speeches specifically for your audience and the challenges they’re facing in life. He speaks to your audience with empathy, giving them the tools to break down barriers and create lasting change.
AUTHENTIC
Charles speaks from his heart and shares messages that are relevant to himself and his audience. He peels back the curtain on his life, allowing the audience to get to know him authentically.
RELATABLE
Charles uses his past of pain, fear and heartache to tell a story that’s relatable and impactful, challenging audiences to create change in their lives, just like Charles did.
ENGAGING
Charles’ messages are simple, impactful and engaging – the kind that keep your audience begging for more. As a part of Charles’ audience, you’re not just a number, you’re an individual person that he connects to, making his events feel more like an intimate conversation rather than a speech.
MOST POPULAR SPEECHES
CHOOSE TO THRIVE (RESILIENCE)
From the exhilarating highs of being recognized as one of the fastest men in the world, US Silver Medalist, 10x All-American, 3x NCAA National Champion and standing on the precipice of athletic greatness, to the heart-wrenching lows of a career-ending injury, Charles’ story is a testament to the human spirit’s unconquerable will. It’s a message not just about loss, but about the pivotal moments of choice that redefine our paths and propel us toward fulfilling our destinies.
Audiences of all ages and backgrounds will discover that regardless of your season—be it personal, within their companies, or the collective challenges of our times—they are merely a choice away from thriving. Charles will illuminate how making the right choices, even in the face of uncertainty, is the cornerstone of living a life that not only pursues dreams but achieves them.
In this keynote attendees will be able to:
- Emphasize the significance of thriving by focusing on controllable factors.
- Encourage investing in personal growth to cultivate a winning mindset.
- Highlight the necessity of taking responsibility for setbacks to drive positive change.
- Explore the impact of decision-making and how strategic choices can accelerate goal achievement.
- Uncover the science behind behaviors and methods to reprogram your mindset.
- Share strategies for living a thriving life and becoming your best self.
- Offer techniques for maintaining consistent habits to lead a fulfilling life and build momentum toward your goals.
THE MENTAL GAME OF WINNERS (MENTAL HEALTH)
Recognizing the difference between a mentally tough moment and a mental health moment and what to
do about it. Charles knows the highs of success and the lows of defeat. As an experienced and decorated athlete, he was familiar with the challenges life throws at us and had mastered control of his mind as well as his physical body—or so he thought!
When a devastating injury took away his future in track, this life-altering event sent him into a downward
spiral of anxiety and depression that manifested in panic attacks and a new kind of struggle, unlike
anything he had ever experienced. Understanding the stigma of mental health, he knew how important it was to change this narrative for himself and others. His relentlessness took a new turn as he dove into learning the importance of self-care and wellness practices and creating a mindset shift.
Charles has committed himself not only to becoming the best version of himself but helping others to do
the same through mental health awareness and coping skills to experience more resilience, post-traumatic growth, and well-being.
In this session on mental health, Charles will:
- Identify what mental health is and what it isn’t
- Provide tools and resources to recognize mental well-being
- Share several self-therapy techniques to lead, take control, and win in life after anxiety, overwhelm,
- and uncertainty
- Provide practical coping skills/tactics to help manage stress and optimize your performance
- Discuss the importance of self-care and its impact on your future and well-being
- Provide guidance and effective strategies for taking ownership of your mental health and wellness
- Share ways to become mentally tough and engage in a mental “tune-up”
- Explain how to change the view and stigma about mental health
- Provide ways to incorporate mental health awareness with team members, coworkers, and staff
THE “I” IN TEAM (LEADERSHIP)
What makes a winning team? Is there a difference in mindset between those who often seem to “win” in life versus those who, well, DON’T? Why do organizations, teams, and team members who all seem to be striving for their vision of success often miss the mark?
Winning teams know it takes individuals doing their part to contribute to the team’s success. Charles refers to this leadership concept from his best-selling book as the “I in Team.” Charles Clark uses his experience as an entrepreneur, NCAA 3x National Champion, and sixth fastest man in the world to help organizations and leaders develop the winning play that elevates people’s performance, buy-in, and communication to a championship level. With his work with elite athletes, Olympians, MLB teams, NFL teams, and Fortune 500 companies such as Kellogg’s, Pepsico, Amazon, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Johnson & Johnson—and more than 600,000 people—Charles understands most people fail and do not achieve their desired goals because they don’t view themselves as a key player in the game, so they struggle to take control of their life and the position they are entrusted with.
The “I” in Team session is a playbook for becoming an All-Star, creating a winning culture, and thriving business. As an authority on overcoming adversity, taking control, and winning, Charles shares concepts from his “I” in Team playbook that demonstrate how to:
- Invest in yourself to develop a winning mindset.
- Automate your life to increase productivity and free up your time to get faster results.
- Build impactful relationships among your team and create a lasting legacy.
- Take ownership when things don’t go as planned to create positive change.
- Identify the gaps that are stopping you from creating momentum and building on your success.
- Be coachable to become a top performer, foster a high-achieving culture, and become part of a winning team.
FAQS
What is Charles’ core message about?
Charles’ core message centers on the science of thriving. Thriving is both a decision and a condition. It is a state of acting and being where your mindset and your actions align with the best version of who you are meant to become. At its core, thriving is the continual choice to move forward no matter the pressure, to grow through both success and struggle, and to make decisions that elevate your future instead of protect your comfort. Charles teaches leaders and teams how to improve the quality of their thinking so they can improve the quality of their outcomes. Through practical mental performance strategies, he empowers leaders to lead with purpose, helps teams unify around a shared mission, and equips organizations to adapt, compete, and perform at a higher level so that meaningful growth happens and lasting impact takes center stage.
Does Charles speak on adaptability and navigating uncertainty?
Yes. Adaptability is one of Charles’s core topics, woven directly into both his message and his lived experience.
After becoming the sixth fastest man in the world, Charles was forced to pivot when a career-ending injury closed one chapter of his life. That transition from elite athlete to international keynote speaker was not accidental. It required clarity, identity work, and the ability to evolve under pressure. That same framework is what he now teaches organizations.
In today’s fast-moving business environment, uncertainty is constant. Markets shift. Leadership changes. Priorities evolve. Charles helps teams manage their mental state during change, focus on controllable factors, accept the process, and respond with intention rather than reaction. He teaches the mental game required to win when the circumstances are not ideal.
From rebuilding after injury to building a brand that operates among the top tier of speakers worldwide, Charles models that adaptability is not optional. It is essential. His message equips teams to thrive in uncertainty, move with clarity, and perform at a high level no matter what changes around them.
What is the format of Charles’s keynote?
Charles’s standard keynote format is a 45-minute session followed by a 15-minute Q&A.
However, this is not limiting. He adapts to the needs of the client, whether that includes extended sessions, breakouts, workshops, or additional engagement touchpoints. His goal is simple. Deliver the format that creates the most impact for your event’s mission and vision.
What does Charles’s keynote include?
Every engagement is built for alignment, impact, and measurable results.
- Unlimited pre-event calls to ensure complete clarity and alignment. These conversations allow Charles to understand your brand, language, leadership priorities, and event objectives so the message supports your bigger vision.
- A customized keynote created specifically for your organization, not a recycled presentation.
- A box of signed copies of Charles’s books for your attendees.
Charles takes the time to study your culture, your challenges, and the outcome you want to create so the keynote feels intentional, relevant, and built for your audience from the inside out.