How to Lead Through Change | Chad Foster Change Management Keynote Speaker | Blind Ambition
The amount of positive praise I received after [his] message was truly remarkable and nothing like I have ever seen from a guest speaker at a sales conference. [His] messaging around staying positive, not being bitter, own your outcomes and do not let people define your vision perfectly resonated to our sales kickoff theme of “Double Down!” I look forward to our future discussions with [him] and to extend [his] “blind ambition” message with our customer and partner community!
Post Keynote Outcome: We had a very good Q1…over 40% in YoY growth and we are looking to do the same for Q2 so the team is exceeding and achieving expectations.
- Chief Revenue Officer, Technology Company
What Makes Chad Different?
Every organization is struggling with the current velocity of disruption, but what most leaders don’t realize, is that the current rate of change is the slowest it will be for the rest of our lives. Now, more than ever, organizations need to IGNITE people’s RESILIENCE, accountability, and INNOVATION—leading to resilient organizations that create more customer value by adapting and spotting the opportunities created by disruption.
Most people believe resilience is an idea, but it’s really a set of learned behaviors. Chad has spent the last TEN-plus years unpacking the anatomy of resilience — what allowed him to thrive after going blind at 21-years-old. He built software Oracle said was impossible; directed financial strategies that generated billions in revenue, industry-leading margins, and countless jobs; was the first blind executive to graduate Harvard’s leadership program; and became a black diamond downhill skier and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Practitioner — all with his eyes closed. Many thought leaders on resilience and change offer platitudes that create zero sustained impact on people’s behavior. Due to Chad’s firsthand experience with personal transformation while building massive enterprise value, Chad inspires action, ignites accountability, and unlocks potential by breaking down the anatomy of resilience at a practical level — providing tried and tested tools that empower people to emerge from setbacks stronger, sleeker, and resolute to succeed.
From Fortune 500 events to global leadership summits, Chad has shared the stage with thought leaders like Adam Grant and Simon Sinek—delivering keynotes that do more than inspire—they ignite real, measurable momentum.
Connecting inspiration to implementation™, Chad enables your team to embody the mindsets and beliefs for success, while adopting the narratives and stories that will change the meaning of the challenges they experience. They’ll have the tools to remain comfortable in the face of discomfort, equipping your organization to turn disadvantages into advantages, and your obstacles into opportunities.
Book the keynote speaker who proves "impossible" is just someone else's limit.
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Change is coming for you - fast, hard, and on its own schedule. Tech shifts. Market meltdowns. Trade war whiplash. Life doesn’t ask for permission to turn everything upside down. The scary part? The current rate of change is the slowest you’ll experience for the rest of your life. No kidding.
Here’s the thing: you don’t rise by avoiding change - you rise by owning it.
I’m Chad E. Foster - a change management keynote speaker who didn’t just study resilience. I live it. I went blind at 21 and became more successful than I ever was when I could see. Harvard-educated exec. Billion-dollar dealmaker. Keynote speaker change specialist. I’ve empowered leaders at large organizations like Google, Fidelity, and Salesforce with my Blind Ambition Framework™, and I’m here to show your team how to thrive when the world goes sideways.
I have shared the stage with transformation heavyweights like Adam Grant and Simon Sinek—leaders known for helping organizations rethink, rebuild, and rise. But while others talk transformation, I deliver a mindset built for it. My keynotes show teams how to lean into discomfort, adapt under pressure, and lead when the playbook’s on fire.
Let’s kill the myth - resilience isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build. One mindset shift, one story, one action at a time.
And yeah, it can be taught. I’ve taught it on stages around the world. I’ve lived it in boardrooms, in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, on ski slopes, and in every challenge that tried (and failed) to break me.
HERE’S HOW WE BUILD IT:
1. TELL YOURSELF THE RIGHT STORIES
Facts are facts. But the story you tell? That’s yours to write. I could’ve told myself blindness ended me. Instead, I told myself it made me. Both are true - but only one moves you forward.
Truth: You become the story you tell.
Research says: People who reframe adversity outperform peers by 23%.
You don’t get to pick your circumstances, but you do get to choose how you show up. I didn’t just “accept” blindness - I figured out how to make it look good.
Stop fighting waves. Start riding them.
3. SEPARATE FACTS FROM STORIES
Some things you can’t change. But your attitude? Your approach? That’s all you.
What’s fact, and what’s just fear talking?
4. CONTROL YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
There’s stuff you can’t touch - and stuff you can. Focus where it matters.
Make the unchangeable work for you.
Change what’s yours to change.
Science backs it: Focusing on controllable factors boosts well-being by 40%.
After losing my sight, I could’ve checked out. Instead, I checked in - hard. I went deep, found my True North at Harvard under the leadership of Bill George, and turned pain into power. Now, I help organizations like yours thrive through change, disruption, and everything in between.
BOOK A RESILIENCE KEYNOTE THAT ACTUALLY MOVES THE NEEDLE.
I don’t do soft. I don’t do sugar-coated. I do real. And I deliver results.
Your team won’t just leave inspired - they’ll leave ready. To own change. To lead through it. To win because of it.
Need a change keynote speaker or leadership keynote speaker who inspires action, transforms behavior, and powers performance? Let’s go!
Keynote Programs
Explore our programs to see which one can help your organization create a
culture that unleashes leadership potential to maximize individual and
company performance.
"He just has this way of speaking to you that makes you want to get up and get going, and do something about your success, your happiness, and your future."
To inquire about speaking, call 855-GET-CHAD and press Option 1 to connect with Brandy Gibson at Executive
Speakers Bureau.
What is a Great Keynote Speaker?
Not just stories. Not just entertainment. It’s about connection, clarity, and calling people out - to step up, think bigger, and get uncomfortable enough to change.
How do I do it? Well, I went totally blind at 21, and I didn’t just adapt - I went from blind and broke to leading billion-dollar deals, building software Oracle said couldn’t be done, and started battletesting myself with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taking on black diamond slopes with nothing but a guide and grit - all with my eyes closed. As a high-impact sales keynote speaker, leadership keynote speaker, and change keynote speaker, I deliver keynotes to titans like Google, Salesforce, and Fidelity that don’t just inspire - they transform.
1. IMPACTFUL STORYTELLING
I don’t just tell stories - I live them. I take your audience inside the moments that tested me, broke me, and built me.
This isn’t just about what happened to me - it’s about what’s possible for them.
They’ll see themselves in my story - and they’ll see a way forward they never saw before.
2. ENTERTAINING DELIVERY
Nobody remembers boring. I bring the laughs, the surprises, the raw emotion - and yeah, the edge.
If they’re not engaged, they’re not learning.
I make sure they feel it: the humor, the heart, and the hit-you-in-the-gut truths.
Research backs it up: Emotional engagement significantly boosts retention.
If you want a ‘bless your heart’ speaker who leaves your people unchanged, don’t book me. But if you’re ready to break through barriers, eliminate the excuses, and get your audience fired up to own their outcomes, then let’s talk.
As a top-rated business keynote speaker, I’ve got the passion and the playbook to power your performance. Let’s get started.
A great keynote speaker moves audiences—but a truly transformative one does more. I’ve shared the stage with masters like Simon Sinek and Adam Grant—voices renowned for purpose, psychology, and leadership. I combine that same clarity with the charisma and hustle of keynote speakers like Daymond John—delivering keynotes that are authentic, actionable, and unforgettable.
Get a Free Chapter from Chad's Bestselling Book
Blind Ambition™
If you don’t feel like you’re reaching the levels of happiness that you see others enjoy, or your goals seem out of reach, you’re not alone. Life is too short for regrets. Learn how to use your mindset to reach your most daring dreams. Chad’s stories and lessons will inspire, empower, and prepare you to face uncertainty with hope and optimism. Want to be mentally tough, strong, resilient and prepared to adapt and thrive in changing circumstances? Self-confident to become your best you? It’s time to break free from the self-destructive thoughts that hold you back.
Ready To Turn Your Biggest Obstacle Into Your Biggest Advantage? The stories we tell ourselves either limit us or propel us towards our goals.