Hello, my name is Connor. As a professional speaker, I show busy professionals how to leverage humor and philosophy to reshape their response to uncertainty-enabling them to move forward with resilience and purpose.
About Me
I hold a degree in philosophy, a Master’s in Organizational Leadership, and spent fourteen years in the Marine Corps as a helicopter pilot and team leader. After the military, I explored stand-up comedy, found a lasting home in improv, and built a career in project management and coaching. Today, I’m a full-time professional speaker blending humor, leadership, and timeless wisdom to help people navigate uncertainty, strengthen teams, and respond better to uncertainty—so they can live with intention and a little more laughter.
"Last year he spoke to the USDA Veteran Employee Organization and to this date it has been the favorite speaker we have had."
Biography
I’m a professional speaker focused on helping people respond to uncertainty with resilience, clarity, and laughter. I’ve been speaking professionally since 2024.
I joined the Marine Corps in 2004, where I spent fourteen years as a helicopter pilot and leadership officer. I served in operations and recruiting roles, and quickly learned that even high-stakes situations could be made lighter—and more effective—with the right mindset and a well-placed laugh. It was in the cockpit and in front of Marines that I first started pairing discipline with humor as a leadership strategy.
After transitioning out of the military in 2017, I did what many veterans do—I tried to figure out what “normal” life looked like. I’ve worn a number of hats since then: youth director, house flipper, project manager for a custom home builder. From the outside, it might look like a scattered path, but each step sharpened my understanding of people, performance, and what it means to stay grounded when life goes sideways.
I’d always wanted to try stand-up, and a few years of doing it taught me a lot about timing, connection, and reading the room. It was fun—but improv comedy is what really hooked me. The unscripted, real-time nature of it felt like a mirror of everyday life. I started revisiting philosophy too. I’d majored in it years earlier, and I found that Stoic thinking, paired with a sense of humor, offered a powerful combination: perspective when things get heavy, and permission to lighten up when they don’t have to be.
I now speak to teams and organizations about how to apply these tools—humor, philosophy, and presence—when the stakes are high and the future feels unclear. My audiences have included educators, first responders, federal agencies, hospitality leaders, and financial professionals. I’m especially passionate about bringing this work into the corporate space, where uncertainty is constant and culture matters.
Offstage, I’m married to Rachel and we have four kids—Jack, Hank, Ellie, and Amelia—plus a small dog named Graham, who was supposed to be Ellie’s responsibility (but, as these things go, now belongs to Rachel). I coach a lot of youth sports and once led our U13 girls team to three straight championships—not to brag, but banners hang forever. I also follow the English Premier League and root for whichever club has the best shot at taking down Manchester City.
"You are an amazing raconteur!"