Neil Ihde (Ee-dee) is a professional speaker and founder of Life IQ where he motivates organizations and teams to work, play, relate and live intelligently.

He has over 15 years experience and has worked with over 30 Fortune 500 companies including Nike, Domino's, AT&T, and Transamerica.

Neil recently achieved the goal of speaking in all 50 states. He is a TEDx speaker and his Life IQ YouTube channel is approaching a million views.

Neil and his wife Deb have two children and live in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Dynamic keynote speaker/trainer on personal and professional development topics

Neil Ihde

Negotiating with Influence Topic Summary

Solo

Full Band

Trio

In-Person

Virtual

No Covers

Some Covers

All Covers

Flexible depending on the event

Engaging & Grounded

Keynote

Fireside chat / moderated conversation

Workshop / breakout session

Host / emcee

Inspire & Motivate

Culture & Connection

30 min

45 min

60 min

90 min

Mostly Practical

Emotional Intelligence

Mental Health/Well Being

Workplace Culture

Human Resources

Leadership

Emotional intelligence is a practical skill for navigating relationships, communication, and everyday interactions, not simply a personality trait or soft skill. I explore how self-awareness and emotional regulation influence reactions, decisions, and behavior. Participants learn to recognize emotions in themselves and others and use that awareness to communicate more effectively. The content connects emotional intelligence to real-world situations such as conflict, difficult conversations, teamwork, change, and building trust.

Mental Health/Well Being in the workplace matters because employees perform at their best when they feel supported, respected, and able to bring their whole selves to work. Creating an environment where mental health can be discussed openly helps reduce stigma, strengthen relationships, and build a culture of trust and belonging. Ultimately, supporting mental well-being benefits both individuals and organizations by improving engagement, resilience, productivity, and overall workplace health.

Workplace culture shapes how people communicate, collaborate, make decisions, and ultimately how they experience their work. A strong culture creates trust, accountability, engagement, and a sense of belonging while helping people feel connected to something bigger than themselves. Ultimately, culture isn’t what an organization says it values—it’s what people experience every day.

Human Resources is essential because people are the foundation of every successful organization, and HR helps attract, develop, engage, and retain the right talent. It creates the systems and culture that support employees while helping organizations navigate challenges, change, conflict, and growth. Ultimately, effective HR connects people strategy to organizational success, helping employees and the organization perform at their best.

Leadership is about more than a title or position—it’s about influencing people, building trust, and creating an environment where others can succeed. The focus is on practical tools that help leaders communicate effectively, navigate difficult situations, hold people accountable, and bring out the best in their teams. Great leadership requires self-awareness, emotional intelligence, courage, and the ability to turn good intentions into meaningful action.

Neil is very, very good at what he does. He won over a tough, intelligent crowd through his engaging presentation style and his entertaining storytelling. Neil clearly spent a great deal of time researching our organization, which earned him instant credibility and demonstrated to our group that he had tailored the discussion to our specific interests and needs. Our data-hungry group was impressed with his depth of subject matter expertise and his ability to explain concepts in layman’s terms. He delivered on everything we asked, and more. Well done!

Scott Brubaker, Alvarez & Marsal

Neil took on such a guiding role in working with my nurses in management positions.  I knew I wanted someone that could provide them information and knowledge on the use of the MBTI assessment. What I didn't know, was that Neil would engage the members, interact so fully, and truly provide an exceptional experience for them.  We always take the opportunity to see how well our members felt the presenter did -and out of more than 40 speakers, Neil ranked #1 -and I have some pretty amazing speakers!! Truly respect the knowledge and collegial attitude that you brought to the ANNA conference.  Thanks again Neil!!

Dr. Hazel Dennison, American Nephrology Nurses Association

Neil Ihde's keynote on dealing with difficult people was nothing short of transformative for the Apartment Association of North Carolina’s annual conference. In a world where navigating complex interactions is inevitable, Neil's insights cut through the noise and provided actionable strategies for managing even the most challenging individuals. His emphasis on self-reflection, coupled with practical tools, empowered us to approach difficult situations with confidence and composure. Our attendees left the session equipped with a newfound sense of resilience and a toolkit of practical skills to apply both to their personal and professional lives. Neil's session was a game-changer, offering invaluable guidance for anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of human interaction with grace and effectiveness.

Kristin Goins, Apartment Association of North Carolina

As a speaker, Neil was incredibly engaging, posed insightful questions and concepts, and had our attendees laughing the entire night. Neil understands the credit union industry and the unique strengths and challenges we face as an organization and the dynamic relationships amongst management, co-workers, and members. He uses research-based statistics and personal stories to reiterate the importance of emotional intelligence necessary for a healthy and productive workplace. Neil’s knowledge, delivery, and actionable takeaways of his keynote presentation will leave you motivated to apply these principles to your organization the very next day.

Janelle Black, GECU Credit Union

Working with Neil Ihde was a wonderful experience. He was easy to talk to and really wanted to ensure he met our needs. His fresh, unique approach to leadership garnered comments from my membership like, “Wow, I have never thought about it like that before,”  and “He gave me ideas I have never heard.” Comments like that are a planner’s dream, and we are bringing him back for our larger convention in the fall!

Tracy Alter, NM Health Care Association/NM Center for Assisted Living

Neil Ihde recently spoke at a C-level conference we host every year. He delivered an inspiring and practical presentation on Essential Leadership Tools During Challenging Times. His presentation style was engaging and his content was well-targeted. Neil is both approachable and insightful. Several attendees stopped by to speak with Neil after his session which is always a great reflection of how well the presentation went. Thank you, Neil!

Crista Hassett, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC)

We chose Neil to guide our leadership conference of our company's approx 50 managers/leaders and I'm extremely happy we did so. Neil worked in a manner that truly had the best interest of our people in mind...How they understood themselves and their individual strengths AND how they could better understand and serve their teams. Neil focused on discovering our leaders' strengths--and increasing their 'awareness' of their talents and those of their team. His presentations were sharp and salient, a blend of what guides our heads--and our hearts. His material was never 'canned,' but was quickly absorbed by our group. I think the greatest benefit of Neil's influence was that he 'grew our desire to be a team.' Neil left a wake behind him of enthusiasm, of an openness to new insights of how we can lead, ...and of hope.

Paul Treinen, Big Stone Therapies

Neil did a fantastic job presenting at our national conference!  The room was packed out and people were standing in the back and sitting in the aisles. He has a down-to-earth style and his content and examples are relevant and relatable. Attendees were abuzz with what they learned from his session.

Rob Worth, Advanced Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine

I was so pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable and beneficial this process was for our team. Neil is truly a master of his craft. He is able to read the room and keep individuals engaged through humor, personal stories, and data that is interesting and makes you want to know more. Expectations for the day were exceeded. We all left wiser, more attune to how our peers tick and think and we bonded as a group. Even individuals that were a bit skeptical about the process left saying that Neil was a perfect fit for our team and were thankful for the way in which he facilitated the session. It was a fun and eye-opening experience for all.

Mary Beth Schultz, Hiebing

Neil was very engaging both in content and delivery. He encouraged participation right away and people were eager to share their stories/experiences. He had clearly done his homework regarding our company, products, and initiatives, which impressed management and got their attention from the beginning. With direct references to our organization, he was able to drive his points home and provide useful takeaways. Many people continued the conversations he had started for the rest of the conference!  As opposed to some speakers that present unrealistic, lofty goals, Neil's ideas were received by the audience as attainable and easy to implement in our day-to-day lives. Overall, Neil has a gift for presenting, interacting, and empowering his audience. Thank you!

Neil Ihde

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