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Say It in Six!
- Berkeley, CA
- Motivational Speaker
- Travels nationwide
- $500-$7500
Overview
In a high-energy and interactive talk, I will take any company, nonprofit or team on a journey from the pharmacy where my grandfather “Smitty” inspired my love of storytelling to my creation of Six-Word Memoirs, a tool for storytelling and focused self-expression for individuals and organizations.
I'll share how Six Words is a unique way to:
• Tell the story of your job, team, and company
• Increase focus individually and among teams
• Spark creativity and get “unstuck”
• Encourage a culture in which all can bring their whole, authentic self to the workplace.
*Everyone* will leave with a tool that can immediately and effectively implemented into their life at work, at home, and at play.
6 Reviews
Our group absolutely loved Larry Smith's "Say it in Six" presentation! Larry was not only incredibly engaging but also demonstrated a unique ability to connect with our audience, many of whom he had just met. He brought a level of authenticity and ease that made his presentation stand out. Larry was a breeze to work with, always professional, and his ability to captivate and motivate our group was impressive. His approach helped me realize what sets him apart from the many motivational speakers out there. Highly recommend!
Motivational Speaker
We engaged Larry to lead a six word memoir session for our global marketing leaders at Dell. It was a fun, interactive, effective and engaging way to work on our communication impact, to get to know each other and to have some fun. This was one of the last things my team did in person before the start of the pandemic and they still talk today (2024) about how much they enjoyed it.
Motivational Speaker
Response from Say It in Six!:
Thanks, Allison. It was a pleasure to be with your group. And the interactive "Six-Word Slam" (where everyone was invited to share six words on their mission as a leader in Dell's marketing group) was one of the liveliest and most inspired "slams" I've ever had the pleasure to lead.
I've worked with Larry Smith for years, and he is a creative machine. He’s a master of storytelling — telling stories himself and coaching others to tell their own stories with more precision and style. His storytelling workshops are a little magical: fun, interesting and above all useful in helping people become better sellers and communicators.
I had a chance to work with Larry on a day-long workshop we created together for JPMorganChase training executives, so I had a front-row seat to witness how he quickly captures and delights a room.
With heart and humor, Larry presented his approach to short-form storytelling, and taught everyone in the room a new tool in the form of his Six-Word Memoir invention. He offered case studies about how others have applied Six Words to their work: building team culture, honing a short-long term mission or goal, finding focus, and more.
Motivational Speaker
Larry did a Six Word Memoir presentation and workshop for our senior living community in February and he exceeded all expectations. Larry is so engaging and fun. He inspired a room full of seniors with a range of cognitive and physical abilities to write and write and write. We did two “Six Word Slams” and the memoirs ranged from personal and touching to just plain silly. Both the seniors and the staff enjoyed Larry’s visit and want him to come back and lead another workshop. Larry is truly a motivational speaker and leader!
Motivational Speaker
Response from Say It in Six!:
Thank you, Rebecca. You and the Center were the perfect hosts. Ours was really a special afternoon — and the highlight of my week!
Hybrid teams that are looking for a way to forget they are on Zoom should hire Larry to do a "Say it in Six" workshop. Larry led a session for our global team at Autodesk that was so much fun it kept our colleagues in Asia awake and happy at 4am their time. Together we wrote three rounds of six-word memoirs and learned a lot about each other and the surprising power of Larry's short-form storytelling. We also laughed hard and often. We really needed it. Come back, Larry!
Motivational Speaker
Response from Say It in Six!:
Thank you, Stephanie. I was a pleasure to be with you and Autodesk. And three rounds at 4am (for some team members) says a lot about how terrific your team is!
I highly recommend Larry Smith as a public speaker based on his outstanding contribution to our Diversity Graduation Banquet hosted at Utah Tech University. His presentation on "Six Word Memoir" made a lasting impact on the underserved students in attendance.
Larry's ability to convey profound messages in just six words was truly remarkable. His storytelling captivated the audience, allowing them to connect with and understand the diverse experiences of our students. By sharing his own memoir and engaging our student speakers to do the same, Larry created an inclusive and fun environment for students to share their unique stories.
The impact of Larry's speech on the underserved student community was remarkable. He inspired a sense of belonging and empowerment, reaffirming their identities and encouraging them to persevere. Larry's sensitivity and empathy towards their challenges were evident throughout his speech, providing valuable insights and guidance.
Larry's exceptional ability to connect with diverse audiences and create a positive impact makes him an excellent choice as a public speaker for events focused on diversity, inclusivity, and personal empowerment. I wholeheartedly recommend Larry.
Motivational Speaker
Booking Info
Price Range: $500-$7500
Gig Length: 30 - 120 minutes
Languages: English
What to Expect
Organizations and teams large and small have tapped into the power of storytelling by inviting Larry Smith, founder of the Six-Word Memoir® project, to lead employees through an engaging, interactive presentation that’s instantly effective for internal team-building. After sharing background on the Six-Word Memoir project and reasons for its success, Smith leads the audience through personal “Six-Word Memoirs” and “Six-Word Company Mission” exercises. Everyone participates, everyone gains a better understanding of the collective strength of their team or association, and everyone leaves armed with practical ways to foster team culture when they return to the office.
Company after company report how Larry’s approach has permeated their culture and engagement long after the workshops, leading to a lift in engagement and personal commitment.
NOTE: This talk can be expanded into a 90- 180-minute workshop with multiple points of interaction, tailored to your needs.
About
Called “on a quest to spark self-expression in everyone” by Oprah Magazine, Larry Smith is the founder of the Six-Word Memoir® project, a bestselling series of books, board game, live event program, and a global movement taking place in classrooms, conferences, corporate settings, and almost anywhere people gather.
Larry has worked with teams at Levi’s, Netflix, JPMorgan Chase, SNAP, Dell, Shutterfly, ESPN, the Zen Hospice Project, Mid-Ohio Food Bank, Dress For Success, as well as philanthropies, and schools to help spark creativity, refine focus, and connect more deeply with each other and their organization's overall mission. *Everyone* will leave with a tool that can immediately and effectively implement into their life at work, at home, and at play.
Company after company report how Larry’s approach has permeated their culture long after the workshops have ended, leading to a lift in engagement, creativity, and personal commitment.
Prior to launching the Six-Word Memoir project, Larry was a writer and editor for Men’s Journal, ESPN Magazine, Yahoo Internet Life, and a founding editor of P.O.V. and Might magazines. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Popular Science, Men’s Health, Salon, Slate, Wired, and Buzzfeed. His most recent book is "A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year: Six-Word Memoirs on the Pandemic by Students, Teacher, and Parents." In a parallel but real universe, Larry is also "The Real Larry" from TV's "Orange Is the New Black," based on the book by Piper Kerman.
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GOOD WORDS ABOUT LARRY & "SAY IT IN SIX"
It’s incredible what Larry Smith can do to connect and energize a team in just a few hours. Larry’s six-word tool helped us get to know each in new, surprising, and inspiring ways. His unique approach had us buzzing, laughing, and bonded.”
—Allison Dew, Chief Marketing Officer, Dell Technologies
Larry’s talk for the Chase corporate culture team was such a great way to kickoff my team’s brainstorming in the days that followed. His engagement through the process—even impromptu work on his deck as he took the temperature of the room—made us all feel special. The next morning we had a string of unsolicited emails where people were recapping their experience in six words – so cool to see then and memorable to experience in the moment.
—Stewart B. Mondry, Assistant Vice President, JPMorganChase
Larry did a series of back-to-back Six-Word Memoir workshops for our employees to help our team members connect with their passion for the company and their stories of how they ‘Live in Levi’s’ every day. We were quickly oversubscribed for the available slots, and the workshops were a great success. Larry’s approach permeated our culture and engagement long after the workshops. Folks loved sharing their stories with colleagues, and we saw a lift in engagement and
personal commitment.
— Kelly McGinnis, SVP & Chief Communications Officer, Levi Strauss & Co.
We brought in Larry to run a Six-Word Memoir workshop for our team over Zoom. Larry was a pleasure to work with from the get go, he was super flexible with the content and in customizing the session for our team, and was engaging as a presenter and facilitator. We really appreciated having Larry run our session as it was a bright spot during this crazy (pandemic) time.
— Cindy Toh, Director, Strategy and Operations at Dropbox
Additional Booking Notes
In person:
• Microphone: An over the ear mic is ideal, but any kind but hand-held is fine.
• I like to run a video (while people are walking in, before we officially get started) and then PowerPoint (as I talk) from my Macbook. I’ll have the adaptor for a Mac-to-projector with me. The video and my presentation both require sound.
• I’d like to arrive 30 minutes early to set up the A/V.
Zoom:
Ability to be share my screen, start a Poll, and have people go into breakout rooms (optionally)
Past Booked Events
| September 11, 2024 • 2:00pm - 4:00pm | Corporate Event |
Set List
N/A
Influences & Inspiration
• The Moth
• StoryCorps
• Ira Glass & This American Life
• TED Talks
• And above all, my grandfather, a small-town pharmacist who taught me the power of storytelling to create incredible moments, connections, and communities.
Setup Requirements
Projector, mic (over the ear ideally), wireless mic or mic stand for audience participation and questions