Associations & Conferences Keynotes
Your industry is changing faster than most organizations can keep up. The leaders who navigate it aren't the ones with the best information. They're the ones who've done the identity work that makes change actually possible.
Every association conference brings together the people who care most about an industry — the ones who show up, stay current, and are genuinely committed to leading through whatever comes next.
Sterling Hawkins builds his keynotes for exactly those people.
Not a generic leadership talk adapted for your industry. A keynote built around the specific disruptions your members are navigating, the specific identity patterns that keep showing up under pressure, and the specific threshold your audience is standing at right now.
Having worked with associations including NACS, ECC, and WERC — across industries from convenience retail to warehouse distribution to event professionals — Sterling brings the depth of preparation that makes a keynote feel personal. Because it is.
Lori Stillman, Vice President of Research and Education at NACS, described it this way after Sterling's appearance at both a C-suite event and a large industry gathering:
"Sterling's powerful keynotes prompted a transformative shift in attendees' thinking, earning the top-rated session at both events. He provided our audience with the tools to approach challenges with a different mindset — encouraging them to perceive challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles to fear."
That's what the room looks like when a keynote is built for the people in it.
Empowering Associations & Conferences
to Thrive in a Changing World
The leaders who attend association conferences are already committed. They're not there because they have to be. They're there because they take their industry seriously and want to lead through what's coming — not just survive it.
What most of them haven't had is a framework for the deepest level of the challenge — not the market forces or the technology shifts or the competitive pressure. The identity underneath all of it. The version of themselves — and their organizations — that was built for a different moment and keeps defaulting to the familiar when the unfamiliar is exactly what's required.
That's where Sterling's work begins. And where the results that last beyond the conference come from.
9 in 10 participants leave a Sterling Hawkins keynote with a personal No Matter What commitment — not an intention, a declaration. One they made in a room full of peers. One they'll still be honoring when they get back to their organization on Monday.
That's the difference between a conference session and a threshold.
WHY ASSOCIATION AUDIENCES RESPOND TO STERLING:
Built for Your Industry — Not Adapted to It Sterling's discovery process goes deep into your industry before a single slide is built. Your members know the difference between a speaker who understands their world and one who read the website the night before. Sterling earns the room because he's done the work to deserve it.
A Framework That Works in the Real World The No Matter What methodology isn't theory. It's been field-tested with leaders across six continents, in boardrooms and on mountainsides, with organizations ranging from Fortune 500 leadership teams to the United Nations. Association audiences leave with a framework they can apply immediately — in their organization, with their team, in their next hard conversation.
The Moment That Makes the Conference Matter Most sessions at a conference are good. One or two are great. Sterling's goal is to be the one your members are still talking about six months later — the moment they point to as the before and after of how they lead. That's what the No Matter What threshold experience is designed to create.
Measurable Results — Not Just Rave Reviews 97% of organizations report measurable culture change following a Sterling Hawkins keynote. The No Matter What Experience extends that impact with up to 12 weeks of tools and support that give your members something to work with long after the conference ends.
Proof From Your Peers Sterling has earned top-rated session at association events across industries. Not because he's the most entertaining speaker in the room — because he's the one whose message actually changes something.
As an author, entrepreneur and globally recognized keynote speaker, Sterling has guided countless individuals and companies to remarkable growth.
He believes we only discover our greatest purpose and realize our potential when we learn to move beyond the security of our comfort zone.
Fortune 500 companies invite him to speak to help leaders and teams cultivate trust-powered cultures to overcome adversity and reach exciting goals. Perhaps you’ve seen his TED Talk, his bestseller Hunting Discomfort, or him or his work featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Fast Company and Inc. — unveiling his proven growth roadmap drawn from his own journey back from rock bottom. You’re in the right place if you’re ready to improve your relationship with possibility (also known as uncertainty) and grow.
Meet Sterling
1+ Million
People impacted by the No Matter What Movement
Thousands
Of organizations transformed
No. 1
Best Selling Author
JOIN OUR CLIENTS CREATING GROWTH CULTURES
RAVE REVIEWS
TRANSFORMATIVE SHIFT!
Sterling's powerful keynotes prompted a transformative shift in attendees' thinking, earning it the top-rated session at both events. And provided our audience with the tools to approach challenges with a different mindset, encouraging them to perceive challenges as opportunities to overcome and drive growth, rather than as obstacles to fear. I highly recommend Sterling for his energy, passion, and ability to align organizations toward a mindset of growth.
LORI STILLMAN | VICE PRESIDENT, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION | NACS
KEYNOTES:
or association members who lead teams, organizations, or functions — and are ready to confront the identity that's been running their leadership and build the one their industry and moment require. The keynote that consistently earns top-rated session at association events because it meets people where they actually are.
No Matter What: The Identity Behind Your Leadership
For association audiences navigating significant industry disruption — market shifts, technology transformation, workforce change, competitive pressure — who need more than trend analysis. This keynote works at the level that makes change actually possible: the identity of the leader navigating it.
The Threshold: Leading Through Uncertainty and Change
For association audiences where the mandate to innovate — in their own organizations, teams, and industries — keeps colliding with cultures that default to what's already been done. This keynote builds the identity foundation that makes genuine innovation the norm rather than the exception.
The Innovation Identity: Building Cultures That Don't Settle
No Matter What: The Identity Behind High Performance Sales
For association audiences in commercial roles — sales leaders, business development teams, revenue organizations — ready to close the gap between what they know they're capable of and what they're actually producing.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN STERLING SPEAKS TO YOUR MEMBERS
THE CASE STUDY
See how industry disruption was redefined at both an exclusive C-suite event and a large industry gathering — transforming how attendees perceived challenges, producing the top-rated session at both events, and generating measurable increases in KPIs tracked months after the conference.
The conference session opens the door. The No Matter What Experience is designed to make sure that's just the beginning — with 12 weeks of customized content, tools, and support that give your members something to work with long after they leave the room.
Before the event to prepare the audience. During to maximize the moment. After to make the identity shift irreversible.
One keynote, 90+ days of impact
Tara Wilson | President | Eventsia Group x ECC
“Sterling delivered an unforgettable session! His approach was spot on and sparked remarkable engagement. ”
Jeremy Banta | Board of Directions | WERC
“Sterling’s keynote was the highlight of our conference! Everybody was energized new tools to positively impact performance and culture for their organizations.
Jeremy Banta | Board of Directors | WERC
"Sterling's keynote was the highlight of our conference. Everybody was energized with new tools to positively impact performance and culture for their organizations."
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes — and this is where the work begins. Sterling's discovery process goes deep into your industry, your members' specific challenges, and the moment your conference is designed to address. Your members will feel the difference between a speaker who understands their world and one delivering a generic talk. Sterling earns that distinction through preparation.
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Yes. Every association and conference engagement starts with a discovery call to understand your goals, your member audience, and the specific threshold your conference is designed to help them cross.
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Yes. Sterling speaks live on stages worldwide and delivers interactive virtual keynotes for hybrid and digital events. Both formats are designed to create the same No Matter What threshold experience — regardless of where your members are watching from.
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9 in 10 participants leave a Sterling Hawkins keynote with a personal No Matter What commitment — a declaration they made in the room and can act on immediately. The No Matter What Experience also provides post-event tools and resources that extend the impact of the session into their day-to-day leadership.
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Yes. While earlier booking is recommended, Sterling and his team accommodate last-minute requests regularly — our fastest turnaround was the day before. Reach out directly to discuss availability.
Your Next Conference Starts Here.
The conversation starts with a discovery call. Let's find out if Sterling is the right fit for your event — and build the moment your members will still be talking about six months later.