Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Neal Petersen

Neal Petersen

Keynote Speaker: History-Making Extreme Adventurer, Award-Winning Author & Global Investor

Neal Petersen Biography

Neal Petersen has completed two amazing journeys in his life: a single-handed yacht race around the world, 27,000 miles, 9 months at sea, alone, in the smallest - least-funded yacht he designed and built himself. And an even more arduous trip of overcoming racial prejudice during the Apartheid era in South Africa, poverty, and a childhood physical disability, just to make it to the start line! While sharing his history-making riveting life story – life lessons and philosophy, Petersen's personal messages transform attitudes to look at set-backs and barriers in a different way. He expands the mind, with new hope and determination to break down any barrier, real or perceived, and to be better prepared to navigate and tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

Award-winning author of Journey of a Hope Merchant his autobiography Petersen shares real life examples of how he overcame insurmountable barriers by always turning set-backs and disadvantages into advantages—then into opportunities. Petersen demonstrates how success is realized—through innovation, balancing risk against return and being flexible enough to adapt to constant shifting winds.

As a world we are facing our "Cape Horn". More than any other time in history, people must be focused, have a solid strategy, create a dependable team, respect the competition and get to the finish line in the most efficient method. In this process, there will be headwinds of resistance, stormy seas of change, or just the immense challenges of having daunting objectives on a limited budget. This is a story of hope, resilience and accomplishment; it’s truly inspiring and reflects a powerful message that "In life there are no barriers ~ only solutions!"

Petersen’s keynote is a great kick-off; it’s interactive, humorous, motivational, customized to fit a theme and relevant. Using real life examples between the uncertainty of the sea and the challenges that people deal with every day, personally and professionally are riveting. Carrying a treasure chest on stage, Petersen shows how he turned disadvantages into advantages.. Images also bring his story to life and enhance the experience. For larger audiences lightning, thunder and fog are part of the experience.

Petersen can deliver keynotes, full or ½ day leadership programs and team-building option following the keynote. He can also facilitate, leadership workshops and breakout sessions and he will be engaged in conversations with attendees until he leaves for the airport. Petersen is affordable and easy to work with.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Neal Petersen and other top speakers and celebrities.

Neal Petersen Speaking Topics

No Barriers - Only Solutions (VIRTUAL)

Since the pandemic many employees are not traveling as they did before and virtual keynotes are the continued alternative. Neal Petersen takes virtual attendees on a journey around the world through his experiences of turning every barrier into an opportunity to achieve his dream. Neal shares how, through the power of a dream, through perseverance, dedication, true grit - and never letting anyone place a label on you, he created his philosophy - In Life There are No Barriers ~ Only Solutions!

Neal is a world-class adventurer and your virtual keynote may deliver from a backdrop of mountain vistas surrounding his Caribbean home - or the sea, from onboard his yacht in the Caribbean. But never in front of a bookcase. He lives what he shares and it's never boring.

If you're seeking a transformative, motivating, powerful story-teller, packed with real life lessons to help attendees better prepare to navigate their future - Neal Petersen delivers, virtually, or on a stage.

Change Is Constant: It’s How You Play the Cards

Audiences will understand that you have to address the possibility of failure if one wants to achieve great things. His message will connect with audience members’ experience facing challenges – sales quotas for instance – that may seem formidable at first – until imagination, innovation and passion are applied.

With Choice There Is Consequence

Neal’s impact transcends age, gender, and race to promote the creation of leaders, life-long learners, and individuals who are mindful of the consequences their choices will have on personal, familial, community, and generational levels.

The Importance of Realizing Goals: Perseverance & Determination

Overcoming fear and facing danger and the unknown has been central to how Neal approaches his goals and his life. Audiences will walk away understanding the validity for direct correlations between perseverance, determination, passion and dedication to achieve any goal.

The Power of Positive Attitude & How It Affects Performance

Neal has always defined himself by what he can imagine – rather than how others would define him and how he sustained his dream in the face of numerous barriers is compelling.

Neal Petersen Videos

Neal Petersen - Keynote, Team Building, Workshops
Neal Petersen keynote demo
AWC 2012 Conference: Keynote Speaker, Neal Petersen

How do I book Neal Petersen to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Neal Petersen for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Neal Petersen, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Neal Petersen or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Neal Petersen for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Neal Petersen, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Neal Petersen are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Neal Petersen, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Neal Petersen speak about?

Neal Petersen is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Business, Inspirational, Goal Setting, Sales, Black Heritage, Personal Growth, Adventure, Diversity, Empowerment, Creativity, Human Resources, Authors, Overcoming Adversity, Outdoor Sports & Recreation, Customer Service, Disability, Motivational, Writing, Athlete, Peak Performance, Innovation, College, Education, Literary, Sports, Leadership, Extreme Sports, Travel, Corporate Strategy, Culture, Business Leadership, Sustainability, Business Ethics, Business Growth, Environment and Ethics & Integrity.

Where does Neal Petersen travel from?

Neal Petersen generally travels from South Carolina, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Neal Petersen?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Neal Petersen for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Neal Petersen for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Neal Petersen or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Neal Petersen is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Business, Inspirational and Goal Setting. The estimated speaking fee range to book Neal Petersen for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Neal Petersen generally travels from South Carolina, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Rudy Ruettiger, Jim Davidson and Amelia Rose Earhart. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Neal Petersen for an upcoming event.

Neal Petersen Speaking Topics

  • No Barriers - Only Solutions (VIRTUAL)

    Since the pandemic many employees are not traveling as they did before and virtual keynotes are the continued alternative. Neal Petersen takes virtual attendees on a journey around the world through his experiences of turning every barrier into an opportunity to achieve his dream. Neal shares how, through the power of a dream, through perseverance, dedication, true grit - and never letting anyone place a label on you, he created his philosophy - In Life There are No Barriers ~ Only Solutions!

    Neal is a world-class adventurer and your virtual keynote may deliver from a backdrop of mountain vistas surrounding his Caribbean home - or the sea, from onboard his yacht in the Caribbean. But never in front of a bookcase. He lives what he shares and it's never boring.

    If you're seeking a transformative, motivating, powerful story-teller, packed with real life lessons to help attendees better prepare to navigate their future - Neal Petersen delivers, virtually, or on a stage.

  • Change Is Constant: It’s How You Play the Cards

    Audiences will understand that you have to address the possibility of failure if one wants to achieve great things. His message will connect with audience members’ experience facing challenges – sales quotas for instance – that may seem formidable at first – until imagination, innovation and passion are applied.

  • With Choice There Is Consequence

    Neal’s impact transcends age, gender, and race to promote the creation of leaders, life-long learners, and individuals who are mindful of the consequences their choices will have on personal, familial, community, and generational levels.

  • The Importance of Realizing Goals: Perseverance & Determination

    Overcoming fear and facing danger and the unknown has been central to how Neal approaches his goals and his life. Audiences will walk away understanding the validity for direct correlations between perseverance, determination, passion and dedication to achieve any goal.

  • The Power of Positive Attitude & How It Affects Performance

    Neal has always defined himself by what he can imagine – rather than how others would define him and how he sustained his dream in the face of numerous barriers is compelling.

Neal Petersen Videos

Neal Petersen - Keynote, Team Building, Workshops
Neal Petersen keynote demo
AWC 2012 Conference: Keynote Speaker, Neal Petersen
Neal Petersen NAHU Standing Ovation Keynote
No barriers: Neal Petersen at TEDxUniversityofNevada

Neal Petersen Reviews

  • Everyone loved Neal Petersen's presentation. He really captivated the audience and was so high energy (which is always needed for fear of the afternoon slump!). He was so kind and took time to really interact with attendees after his session and really challenged everyone to keep thinking about the questions he asked and lessons taught. All In all a powerful storyteller!
    Billionaires Leaders Summit - Jun 08 2022

  • Sure to give you a standing ovation. Neal is one of the most inspiring, dynamic and thought provoking speakers you’ll ever witness – he is mesmerizing. It is rare that I am asked by my senior management at IBM to immediately hire a keynote speaker when he is barely off the stage to give another keynote speech the following week - but that is in fact what happened with you Neal. And I want to thank for the extraordinary presentation you gave in San Diego to 8,000, but for the follow up presentation you gave in Barcelona to another 5,000 with virtually no prep time as well. I truly was in awe of the spirit you drove into the audience and how you made your own journey so very relevant to every person in both locations. You were nothing short of a genius! (Regarding book-signing) Our security team advised me that we had to shut it down with well over 200 people still in line after your inventory ran out which I believe was well over a thousand books. That is just a record at our events - even with some famous athletes we have used in the past. You generated some of the highest ratings and most positive feedback I have seen in many years of running WW events in this division.
    IBM - Dec 11 2018

  • I have been very fortunate to work with Neal Petersen - we brought him in to speak to 3 of our top producer meetings. He is a great speaker and he has found ways to help financial advisors take Neal's experiences and to apply it to their practices in such a way to grow their businesses through the tough times and enjoy the good times.
    AIG Advisors Group - Mar 11 2015

  • Neal Petersen delivered one of the most inspirational talks I ever heard at a corporate event. He had the whole audience enthralled as he talked about his life and how he set himself what seemed to be an impossible challenge. Impossible that is, unless like Neal, you believe there are “No Barriers".
    Qlik 2015 - Mar 11 2015

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NEAL PETERSEN

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