SPEAKING
I grew up as an introverted, shy-kid. Even talking to a girl felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown. I was scared of being judged by people when I speak, and had fear of rejection. This continued till my 2nd year of my undergraduate. Then, I had an awakening and wanted to make a dramatic transformation. I was tired of living such a life.
In 2011, I decided to spend $3000 of my own money to go to a software conference. YES, people thought I was crazy for putting in my own money instead of making the company sponsor me. But unfortunately, they had run out of budget, and I really wanted to change my boring life and do something out of my comfort zone i.e., speaking to strangers at a conference.
“So I took a leap of faith and decided to invest in myself.”
At the conference, I networked with many speakers and attendees and took a lot of notes. I experienced talks which had great speakers and some not so good ones where speakers were literally reading from a paper. Thanks to the bad talks, I got the necessary boost to my ego. I concluded that anyone could speak at a conference if you are willing to put in the time and effort.
In 2011, I read books on giving great talks and recorded myself speak. I made my wife, who is a state-level debate champion, critique my video and speaking style. I should say this is one of the few occasions she took advantage of and gave me a feeling that I was a contestant in American Idol, berated by Simon Cowell. In 2012, I started speaking at small meetup groups and events. Then in 2013, after 7 months and 23 trials runs with various groups of people to get feedback, I finally gave my first conference talk.
“Mine was one of the best talks at the conference, and the rest is history.”
That one decision to invest in myself made me who I am today, i.e., an international keynote speaker who inspires people. Consistency and mindset change is the key to succeed in anything.
This is what separates the majority of people who think of being legends from those who become one by doing the work. I wanted to be a great speaker and not a shitty one. So, I decided to put in the effort.
“To become a legend, you need to start doing legendary work.”
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2021 READERS’ FAVORITE SILVER MEDAL WINNER!
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How do I provide value?
I know what it takes to give great talks. Doing a 360-degree transformation from being an introverted, shy kid for 20 years to becoming an international keynote speaker who has spoken at over 100+ conferences takes a lot of time, effort, dedication, and a certain level of charisma. I learned the hard way that you need to earn respect and privilege to be a great speaker from the community; it is not something you engrave on a crown and wear it.
My expertise is giving a customized talk to ANY audience. All my talks are based on my real-life experiences, research, and lessons I have learned not only from working across various industries, job roles, and domains in the past decade; but also stems from my learnings from childhood. I embarked on a journey to discover my passion and true identity.
My mindset for giving great talks is simple. I consider it as writing, directing, and producing a movie. It is an experience filled with great storytelling, drama, humor, and captivating the audience. I prepare for all my talks as if I am giving a TED talk. On btw, I did give multiple TEDx talks.
If you want an experienced speaker, who knows what it takes to move any audience, I am YOUR GUY.
“Ordinary is easy but being extraordinary takes effort to stand out of the crowd. You need to go the extra mile”
MY TEDX TALKS
“He’s the “Average guy” one of the greatest motivational speakers that I’ve had the opportunity to speak with and feel inspired to continue my journey.”
— Yola Bastos, CEO, Life Coach, Podcast Host
SPEECH TOPICS
WHY AM I THE BEST PERSON FOR THIS TOPIC?
Wrote an article on this topic for InfoQ which is one the biggest publications in the world - The Three Symptoms of Toxic Leadership and How to Get out of It
I was a Toxic Leader and came out of it and now I help other leaders do the same
Gave a TEDx talk on this topic which has close to 100k views
Humanizing the Toxic Leader: The Secret Key to Healthier Work Cultures
No one is born a toxic leader but anyone can become one when our stress reaches a tipping point and our insecurities are triggered.
It’s time we take the shame off of the toxic traits we all have and become aware of the three primary symptoms that can lead us into toxic leadership, so we can address our own. When we do, we build stronger relationships, establish trust and transparency, and set the path for positive change in ourselves, our teams, and our work cultures.
Key Takeaways
How do we become toxic leaders?
The three symptoms that lead to Toxic Leadership
How to come out of being a Toxic Leader?
How organizations can reduce Toxic Leadership?
WHY AM I THE BEST PERSON FOR THIS TOPIC?
Gave a TEDx talk on this topic which has 100K+ views
The Positive Side of Comparison: 3 Steps to Use Comparison to Fuel Your Growth
Everyone who has told you not to compare yourself to others is wrong. Comparison saved my life and it could improve yours if you let it.
We are failing people by not teaching them the positive side of comparison and the useful effects of knowing, taking what you see and using it as motivation. In fact, research has found that upward comparison, i.e., comparing yourself to other people who you perceive to be “better than you are,” actually helps motivate you to achieve similar success.
Being able to understand upward comparison and use it as a strength, is a tool that is not only backed by research, but could help to save a lot of lives.
Key Takeaways:
What are the different types of comparison?
How to embrace upward comparison?
Three steps to use upward comparison to fuel your growth
WHY AM I THE BEST PERSON FOR THIS TOPIC?
Wrote a best-selling book on this topic “Skyrocket Your Career: The No Bullsh*t Approach to Find Your Dream Job, Be Successful in It, and Transform into a Rockstar”
My book is the 2021 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner
Your Personal Brand Is Your Super Power: Differentiate Yourself in the New Normal
Unlearn everything you know about your career and jobs. It is time we adapt to the new normal.
You have worked in a company for over a decade. You have been loyal, faithful, and put in a lot of hard work to do your best job over the years. All of a sudden, things like COVID happen and you get laid off or you do not get that promotion. Now what? How do you handle unexpected situations in your job and bounce back from it? How do you show your boss that you are special? This is a common narrative we are hearing these days and people are starting to realize that, there is no stability in their careers and they have to start looking ahead to the future.
Your personal brand will be the single most important thing that will set you apart from your competition, and I will teach you the tips, tricks, and tools to build it and thrive in the career you love.
Key Takeaways-
Understand and learn strategies to adapt to the future of work
How to build your personal brand?
How to set yourself miles apart from your competition?
WHY AM I THE BEST PERSON FOR THIS TOPIC?
Wrote an article on this topic for InfoQ which is one the biggest publications in the world - Becoming More Efficient and Productive in a Distracted World
In 2018, I suffered severe burnout and had to be admitted to the ER. Since then I have used productivity and mindfulness hacks to reclaim my life
The Path to Stable Mental Health – Preventing Burnout with Productivity and Mindfulness Hacks
We are still in the midst of a pandemic and barely able to balance work and life. We have priorities and deadlines at work, at home, and in our personal lives. We have this feeling where we are working on multiple tasks all day long and at the end of day when we review our work, we realize we haven’t accomplished anything concrete.
The main reason for this is, our work and home environments are filled with distractions from having unnecessary and unproductive meetings, people constantly checking their messages on phones, emails, and slack channels to our day to day distractions we face from our family members who are trying to co-exist in the same space as you.
As a result, we feel demotivated, less productive, and burnt out by the end of the day.
Burnout is a serious issue and is attributed to a lot of mental and health issues. I was one such person who after working around the clock and helping people 24/7 ended up getting admitted to the hospital. How do we prevent this repetitive cycle from happening on a daily basis? This is where mindfulness and productivity hacks can help. Use these hacks to be highly productive at work and in your personal life and be your best self to your organization and the loved ones around you.
Key Takeaways
Why is mental health important and the current state of burnout in the industry
Different productivity hacks to preserve your mental and physical health
Lessons learned practicing these strategies
TAILORED TALKS
WHY AM I THE BEST PERSON FOR THESE TOPICS?
I have spoken at 100+ conferences, given 2 TEDx talks
I have written 100 articles+ on various topics - My Publications
I can also give tailored talks based on your audience on various topics that relate to leadership, career advancement, entrepreneurship, communication, mental health, microaggressions at work, productivity and motivation.
Below are some of my work in those areas
8 Ways To Curb Microaggressions In The Workplace, HR.com, January 2022
7 ways to breathe new life into your IT leadership career, CIO Magazine, January 2022
3 Ways to Reflect on the Past Year and Plan for the New One, Small Business Currents, January 2022
3 Things you can do right now to find a job in 2022, Ms.Career Girl, January 2022
5 ways to ace any virtual interview, Kivo Daily, December 2021
5 steps to get hired before the holidays, The Enterprisers Project, November 2021
The Three Symptoms of Toxic Leadership and How to Get out of It, InfoQ, October 2021
6 Ways to Convince Your Boss to Continue Working From Home interview, Entrepreneur, October 2021
Four Ways To Manager Stress During Job Search , Ms.CareerGirl, September 2021
The five things that will get you far in a job interview, FOX25, August 2021
3 Mindsets High-Performing Business Leaders Use to Create Growth, Entrepreneur, June 2021
3 Daily Habits That Make Jeff Bezos More Productive Than You, Entrepreneur, May 2021
Becoming More Efficient and Productive in a Distracted World, InfoQ, March 2021
How to Build Trust Through Inclusive Leadership Development, CEOWORLD, January 2021
9 Ways to Give Effective Feedback as a Manager, CareerAddict, January 2021
5 ways to take a mental break from work, Addicted2Success, September 2020
7 ways to build a diverse and inclusive work environment, The Good Men Project, August 2020
How new graduates can find their dream job under any circumstances, Thrive Global, July 2020
How to Make An Accountability Partner Relationship Work For You, The Good Men Project, July 2020
“Raj is a true inspiration! He is one of the top keynote speakers we have ever had. He talks about unique topics not everybody talks about and wraps it up in a great performance filled with humor, great storytelling, and charisma. “
“He has a great stage presence and energy. Off the stage he is a great human being and one of the nicest people I have met in my entire life. “
— Uwe Gelfert, Visionary Event Coordinator, Organizer of the largest software testing conference in the world.
FEATURED SPEAKER AT
TV Interviews
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LIVE TALKS
How To Reduce Toxic Leadership
PODCAST
How to build your Personal Brand?
“I would recommend Raj to anyone planning a conference and in need of a software testing pro with excellent presentation skills.”
“As an experienced conference programmer, I have had the opportunity to work with many presenters. In the past few years I have had the pleasure of working with Raj in the Software Testing community. He has prepared a number of excellent presentations for STP, and has proven to be a real pro in front of an audience. His hands on experience as a practitioner in his field and his passionate delivery of his subject matter have resulted in excellent customer feedback of his presentations. Raj is easy to work with and always shares his experience at a conference beyond the classroom.”
- Rich Hand, Project Songwriter and Consultant
What People Are Saying
“Raj is among the top speakers I have had the pleasure to see live.”
He combines deep knowledge in his material with passion and brilliant audience engagement. Raj is also an inspirational and motivational person, one that after attendees reads his content or attend his sessions can immediately use his advises in their real life challenges”
- Eran Kinsbruner, Chief Evangelist
"Charming, energetic and practical are words that come to mind when I think about Raj’s content writing and speaking skills.”
“I was impressed by Raj’s ability to ignite an audience. Whether it was a small user group or hundreds of people on a webinar or in a conference hall, the audience always appreciated the research, real world examples and humor in his presentations”
- Francis Adanza, VP, Marketing at Vector
Raj’s Headshots
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“I’m so impressed by his keynote!”
“I’ve never had the pleasure of listening to @epsilon11 (Raj Subrameyer) speak before today and all I have to say is, DANG! #AgileTD.”
- Jen, Conference Attendee