The Ability to Embrace and Create Change

Innovation is constant. And our long-term success is purely a function of how well we deal with it. Sterling's speaking and stories give audiences around the world the inspiration, tools and ability to not just embrace change, but to become people that actually create it. It has reliably left hundreds of founders, investors, retailers, brands and fortune 500 companies working towards a new future that looks entirely new and not just a slightly better version of the past. 

Enter your name and email to understand how to structure your conversations to make that difference. 

As seen in...

SPEAKING

Sterling delivers impactful keynotes across the world from New York to Singapore making innovation both possible and accessible. Attendees are left with the ability to create change and the inspiration to make it real in their businesses and lives. 

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MASTERCLASS

Sterling's DeltaV Method is a masterclass on how to create change and open next-level thinking through story. Stand-alone or as a follow-up to his keynote, they are relied upon by businesses of all sizes and customized to produce breakthrough results.

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EVENTS

Sterling participates and hosts innovation-based events all over the world. Startups creating new futures for us to live into often participate and join the events. Join us in the movement of creating something entirely new!

Keynotes with Impact. Delivered by Sterling.

Sterling speaks around the world on innovation, the future of commerce and how to create personal and business change. He has hosted, moderated, and keynoted countless events including for client such as...

“I highly recommend him and we’ll definitely have him back!”
— Ravi Kanniganti, Zebra Technologies, Product & Program Leader
“Over my many years running events around the world, few if any of my 2,000+ speakers delivered as remarkable a performance as Sterling did at Seamless Asia 2017.”
— Oliver Arscott, Director, Terrapinn
“Thank you Sterling for a breath taking speech on Innovation!! Your mindset and delivery is epic and amazing and I am ever so grateful for your presentation at City Summit! Riveting!!”
— Ryan Long, Founder, City Summit & City Gala

Keynote Topics

When I show up to speak, I show up to deliver value to an audience. To give my all and really make a difference for attendees and make the conference director look like a rockstar for bringing me in. Specifics are customized to the audience for the most impactful experience possible and include technologies and demonstrations of 4th industrial revolution technologies as it forwards the intention. 

 

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The Innovation Puzzle: Examine the puzzle of innovation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most businesses don't: people aren’t built for change.

Sterling’s family grocery store went from a local market on to become the benchmark of innovation in the industry as the culture transformed to not just embrace change, but to actually cause it. Recognizing in a traditionally human-centric retail industry, where fear of change can be high and morale low, Sterling created an atmosphere of freedom to innovate with concrete methodology which not only encouraged everyday people to embrace change by involving them in the process, he ignited their spirit to actually become agents of change and facilitators of the innovation process to ignite the spirit in others.This moving talk is based on the lessons learned as Sterling worked to create a culture free to innovate first at his family’s store and then with leading companies around the world. Sterling learned along the way that before you can embrace change, you have to give up the status quo and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

 

Full “Creating the Future of Commerce” Keynote. Akolade Retail Fulfilment Summit. Melbourne, Australia. March, 2018.

Creating the Future of Commerce: In a culture of consumerism and technology, how did we get here and the surprising place we’re headed in the future to fulfill on our wants and needs.

Retail used to be different when Sterling was growing up in his family’s supermarket — it was all about customers and all about community. Walmart, Amazon and others broke that traditional mold making it all about scale, mass and technology.  With venture dollars and startups flooding the market, Sterling first worked in his family’s store and now across the global retail industry to shape how emerging technologies such as robots, drones, artificial intelligence and countless other technologies will transform how people fulfill on their wants and needs. For those in retail or interested in retail, this is a hands on roadmap of what technologies will be part of the future, who is using them already, and how to inspire a culture that that embraces change. His leadership and vision enabled retailers and their teams to step past the hype of traditional retail being dead to empower them to use technology to unify experiences and redefine what retail is. 

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Great Leaders Inspire Innovation (And Big Business Kills it): People aren’t built for change, they’re built for survival. In today’s fast-paced world, change is necessary and learning how to first accept it and get out ahead of it is the only competitive advantage.

The only constant is change. Sterling learned that first hand as he worked with retailers and brands to embrace the technologies of the 4th industrial revolution including robots, IoT and Artificial Intelligence. At the same time it required him and the companies he worked with to think differently to truly embrace technology coming together with humanity to unlock something new. And to do that, it was a special kind of skill to let go of everything we think we already know to discover what’s possible. He shows how inside of a leadership style that embraces change, transformational performance is possible and proven. Sterling shows audiences, by example, how to develop innovation thinking to gain perspective, clarity and take profits to the next level inside the 4th Industrial Revolution where anything is possible. 

Representation

Sterling Hawkins has become a master of innovation through massive changes and obstacles he has overcome in his own life. From flat broke to selling the first company he founded in 2004, from a broken family business to a successful one, and from fear of public speaking to keynoting at conferences around the world, Sterling’s story is a perfect example of how anyone can take any situation and create anything from it.  

As a business leader, entrepreneur investor and futurist, Sterling is an internationally renowned keynote speaker. As a 5th generation retailer and still very active in retail innovation, he has worked with the likes of Stanford, Cornell and the University of Texas to create the future of commerce, and today evaluates over 1,000 innovative technologies annually which are looking to dynamically transform retail and how people fulfill on their wants and needs. He has worked with countless startups, investment groups, retailers, brands and Fortune 500 companies including P&G, Mitsubishi, Zebra Technologies, Stater Bros. and more to ignite innovation and innovation thinking inside their organizations. 

Sterling has been seen in Inc. Magazine, The New York Times, ABC Money, AlleyWatch, Yahoo Finance, Forbes and other major media outlets. Living at the intersection of in-store, online and the 4th Industrial Revolution, Sterling is actively shaping the future of commerce by helping others create and respond to innovation in a way that betters businesses, communities and the human condition.

Here at the @innovationenterprise mobile disrupters conference taking a step deeper into mobile. Listening to the head of innovation for PayPal, the Senior Engineer for Expedia, the Head of Vertical Strategy for Pinterest and many other incredible individuals. Just awesome people. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What’s coming through all of it is the importance of continuing to learn, continuing to adjust (as companies and as people). There’s no way we can understand where the future will end up taking us. (PayPal and others have some interesting ideas, will tell you that). But by developing our cultures to embrace and encourage change, that’s where we can build sustainable value over time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Neha said it best so far today pulling a page out of Steve Jobs book: “Stay hungry, stay foolish. The best things in life happen when you’re not looking.”
The only way to “future proof” your business is to future proof yourself — getting really good at change, making the right sacrifices and focusing on the experience. New podcast now LIVE. Link in bio!
Reflection. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It happens even when we don’t necessarily want it to. Driving down the road. Walking somewhere. Daydreaming at your desk. But what if we step out in front of reflecting by accident and actually start doing it on purpose? Reflecting in a way to understand what went wrong. How can we do better? Why did those fires start. Why did this last shooting happen? And actively look for where WE can do something to make a difference. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s in the moments of reflecting that we can start to see, can start to create a world that we want versus the world that we’ve already ended up with.
Fear. And doing it anyway. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Skydiving is surreal!! I still cannot believe that we jumped out of a plane at 13,000 ft. Crazy that that’s a thing you can do. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I was terrified. And that’s part of the reason I did it. In the build up during checking in (asking what blood time I am and if I’d donate my organs), strapping on the gear and boarding the plane. Especially when the door opened and we were getting ready to jump. I don’t think there was a moment I wasn’t scared, but somehow found the courage to do it anyway. And it the moments to falling — nothing — it all faded away. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When the parachute opened I suddenly realized all I was grateful for (top of the list was the parachute functioning). And that it’s not a freedom from fear we’re looking for. It’s not about finding the confidence and preparedness to make fear disappear. It’s the courage to do the things that scare us in the face of fear. In the face of what scares us. Which isn’t the same thing as fearless. And in the process, we become the kinds of people that become capable of doing those things. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Thank you to @terryhawkins (no relation, weird, I know) @havilandhawkins and Chris for being part of this adventure. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Until the next one!
Tackling the impossible. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This past weekend speaking about the world’s grand challenges at @xprize! An entire organization devoted to taking on the impossible and showing the entire world otherwise. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We talked about everything from poverty to space, from species “de-extinction” to (of course) the future of food. And it was a chance to step back from the day to day. A step back from working on things. To talk about what might be possible in the future. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Without the moonshot. Without the discussion. Without someone talking about what might be newly possible, the best we’re going to end up with is a slightly better version of something we already have. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Making luck. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You know how some people are lucky? What if it’s just their simple belief that they are lucky, that they have an underlying frame of how they look at the world that gives them the opportunity to capitalize it. To actually be lucky. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And what if it worked in reverse? That if you actually believe you’re unlucky, all of a sudden opportunities dry up, simply because of how you’re looking at it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It doesn’t work at the cognitive level (you can’t just think it), it has to be a foundational belief. A belief that we can arrive at by doing new things. Taking new actions that are well outside the comfort zone and probably things you don’t want to do. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Next up for us? Skydiving! I’m terrified and it seems completely unnatural. And it’s an opportunity to shift beliefs, see something new, and be grateful for what we already have. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We have a few more spots if you’re in LA if you want to join us — this Sunday 8am! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If not, what can you do to step outside yourself to see who you might become?
Thanks for having me @goodmorninglalaland! Loved the show. And it was great talking about the possibility that lives inside of change — more to come! @jezlan @drerin.tv @robmackofficial @focustvnetwork
It was a blast delivering a keynote at the RIS retail experience summit! “Innovation” doesn’t have to be a separate part of the company. It can be (should be) foundational to everything and every one inside an organization. If everybody is thinking differently; if everybody is looking for what else they can discover; if everybody is pushing the boundaries of their comfort zone — that’s where the difference will get made. #2018RES
Words create worlds. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Words have incredible power. At least when used intentionally. When used purposefully. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Because talking comes so easily, it’s easy to forget that words are literally creating the world that we live in. They create the context for us to function. And they create us with the words we use to define ourselves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There have been many people throughout history that have changed our lives — Lincoln, MLK, Winston Churchill — through the words they used and what they did with them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I just got off stage in Austin, TX at a user conference of a public company. And through the discussion we had, through the words we used, we once again arrived at this incredible and simple fact: every single one of us can use words to create and change the world we’re living in. The trick is first recognizing it. And then doing something about it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Adventure. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I just finished the century (100 mile) bike race through Moab, Utah. It was only about 6 weeks ago I signed up, bought a bike and started training. I didn’t know if I could actually make it... and that’s exactly why I signed up. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After an 80 mile training ride I was feeling pretty good. Thought I could do it. Saw finishing the race as possible. A possibility that faded over a 4,500 ft climb in the first 20 miles of the race. 40 miles I was tired. 60 miles I KNEW I couldn’t do it. It was over for me and it broke my heart. AND I kept peddling. Peddling. Peddling. It wasn’t until we crossed the 90 mile mark that all of a sudden I KNEW I would finish. And I did. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ That’s an adventure. Things like that are adventures. Real adventures take you at least one step past what’s comfortable. Past what you already know you can do and into the chaos of the unknown. It’s on that boundary, between chaos and order, that we thrive. That we can expand ourselves to literally become the kind of people that can actually do the things we dream of doing.
Time to go to conferences? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Yes. The right ones. It was awesome to be speaking at @brandify yesterday. Even better because it was with @m_radmatthew @mrad.inc and Rhoda from @postmates (thank you @annemarie_ams for having us!) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Conferences like this matter because new possibilities are available through conversations: maybe some you’ve had before, maybe even with people you already know. But by listening to things newly, through discovering something inside conversations, you can see new things as possible. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s why Steve Jobs was able to launch the personal computer 20 years after Xerox had already invented it. He saw a new possibility with something that literally already existed. And then he did something about it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ With time at conferences. Time talking. Time discovering. You can take a step past what you already know into what could be. And just like Steve Jobs with the personal computer, then you can do something about it :)
I’m excited! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s amusing to me how often I hear people saying they’re “excited” but it sounds like they’re two steps from the grave. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you are really excited, people know you’re excited! Words aren’t necessary for it. Excited is an emotion... its way of being. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Legitimate excitement is interesting — it moves people into action through HOW we’re telling stories. How we feel about something can make the people around us feel the same way. It’s contagious. If we aren’t allowing ourselves to be legitimately moved, others can’t be moved by us. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Think... what would “excited” look like, what would it sound like without the word itself?
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