Kelly Swanson, CSP. CPAE – Funny Motivational Speaker

336-880-7086

Award-Winning Storyteller Kelly Swanson, CSP, CPAE

Funny. Fierce.

Full of Heart.

This is the keynote they will still be talking about next year.

Funny Motivational Speaker and Storytelling Keynote Speaker

Courtney Fleming loves Master Storytelling Speaker Kelly Swanson

Kelly Swanson provided the perfect closing to our event. Her ability to use storytelling to motivate and encourage a group of business professionals is remarkable. We laughed until we cried and left the event ready to take on the next project. We look forward to using her again and again.”

Courtney Fleming | VA Bankers Association

Kelly Swanson, CSP, CPAE

Hilarious keynotes that help people flip the script.

Kelly uses laughter, powerful storytelling, and practical tools to help audiences navigate change, strengthen connection, and see what’s possible in a whole new story.

Check Kelly’s Availability
  • Speaker Hall of Fame
  • Award-Winning Storyteller
  • Clean Comedy
  • Customized for Every Audience
Choose Your Keynote

Big laughs. A message that matters. Takeaways people can actually use.

Every keynote is customized to the audience, industry, and goals of the event. Choose the message that best fits your people, and Kelly will make it feel like it was written just for them.

Keynote One

Flip Your Script

See Your Life & Work in a Whole New Story

The stories people tell themselves shape how they respond to change, challenge, and uncertainty. In this hilarious and deeply human keynote, Kelly helps audiences recognize the scripts holding them back and rewrite what happens next.

Audience Takeaways
  • Recognize the hidden stories driving decisions and behavior.
  • Reframe change and setbacks with a more useful perspective.
  • Replace limiting scripts with language that builds courage and momentum.
  • Leave energized, hopeful, and ready to act.
Best for: Change, resilience, motivation, confidence, women’s leadership, and personal growth.
Keynote Two

Connection Is Currency

Why Human Story Matters More Than Ever

In a world of automation, distraction, and constant change, people still want to feel seen, heard, and part of something that matters. Kelly shows leaders and teams how story creates the trust and connection that information alone cannot.

Audience Takeaways
  • Understand how everyday stories shape trust, culture, and engagement.
  • Communicate change in a way that people can connect to and remember.
  • Use story to strengthen relationships across teams and generations.
  • Create a greater sense of purpose, belonging, and shared direction.
Best for: Leadership, employee engagement, culture, association conferences, and organizations navigating disruption.
Keynote Three

Story Wins

Make Story Your Superpower

Facts inform. Story moves people. In this funny, practical keynote, Kelly reveals how the right story can cut through noise, make ideas memorable, and help leaders influence without pushing harder.

Audience Takeaways
  • Turn information into messages people care about and remember.
  • Use simple story structures to increase clarity and influence.
  • Connect the organization’s message to what matters to the listener.
  • Lead, sell, serve, and communicate with greater authenticity.
Best for: Leadership, sales, customer experience, communication, persuasion, and business storytelling.
The Kelly Swanson Experience

Not just a speech. An experience they’ll keep talking about.

Kelly occupies that rare space where comedy, masterful storytelling, and meaningful transformation meet. Audiences laugh hard, lean in, and leave seeing themselves, their work, and each other differently.

Clean, laugh-out-loud comedy
Cinematic stories with heart
Practical tools, not empty inspiration
Deep customization for your audience
A message that continues after the applause
What Clients Say

Funny enough to be unforgettable. Powerful enough to make a difference.

“We booked her for 36 events.”

SVP Events, e.Republic

“Over 2,000 members were mesmerized.”

Executive Director, American Payroll Association

“The highlight of the convention.”

Chairman & CEO, Auto-Owners Insurance

Let’s give your audience a story they’ll never forget.

Tell us about your event, your people, and what you want them laughing about, thinking about, and doing differently when they leave.

Bring Kelly to Your Event