Talks and Presentations
Overview
This page features a list of topics I can speak on for the consumer product industry, along with links to publicly available recordings of my past talks.
Topics
Drawing from my work as a futurist, I’ve curated a timely list of topics that I can present in engaging talks. I offer 1-hour webinar sessions for your event, group or organization and can also combine and customize these topics, along with additional material, to deliver a tailored presentation that meets your specific needs.
Title: 10-Year Outlook For the U.S.: A sobering if not unsettling perspective on a very difficult time ahead, but also how to find the opportunities amidst the challenges and positioning for the tremendous resurgence that follows.
Description: The U.S. has entered a significant, unprecedented and complex period that will bring about profound and seismic changes across society, culture, economics/financial markets, politics/geopolitics and the environment/sustainability…no one is insulated. But recent groundbreaking research has emerged from pioneering futurists and other subject-matter experts that has given us unmatched insight into the unfolding tapestry of the future, thereby allowing us to position ourselves and our businesses to survive and thrive. In context of this research, the current state of affairs for the world and the U.S. and the direction in which we are progressing, I will provide a sobering if not unsettling 10-year outlook for the U.S., which will be very challenging due to a confluence of factors. But the difficulties that lie ahead – which I call “The Reckoning” – will be followed by ‘The Resurgence” and a “New Normal” that could see a U.S. economic rebound the likes we have never before seen. I will provide strategies, tactics, emerging technologies and new business models to help brands transition away from the “Old Normal” we have now that is no longer working and dying, through the difficult Reckoning period, and into the New Normal for the 2030’s and beyond.
This presentation outlines key developments shaping the next few decades for the U.S. I can deliver it as a standalone talk, and much of the content is already covered in documents available on my Future Map page.
Title: The Four-Year Ultimatum: Reshore or Perish
Description: “If You Want to Sell in the U.S., You Have To Produce In The U.S.!” In my talks and futurist publications, this is the core message I keep repeating ad nauseam—and for good reason. The U.S. is facing a perfect storm of challenges: (1) massive debt and unfunded obligations without a strong growth engine to pay for it all; (2) an impending job crisis as we are just starting to realize that AI will eliminate 25% of U.S. jobs; (3) global resource constraints combined with geopolitical tensions that hinder our ability to produce what we need; (4) environmental catastrophes driven by globalized production and its contribution to carbon emissions. This is not just an economic issue; it’s a matter of national security and long-term survival. But the U.S. has a unique opportunity unavailable to any other country, which is reindustrialization. By harnessing AI, robotics, and electrification, we can ignite a multi-decade economic expansion unlike anything we’ve seen before, fixing the mess of problems we find ourselves in. But time is running out. Globalized consumer brands have, at most, four years to make real progress on reshoring—or risk severe financial and political consequences that could spell their end. This session offers a detailed, step-by-step roadmap to help brands navigate the reshoring process, take bold action, and build future-proofed, resilient operations—quickly, because time is a luxury they no longer have.
Title: Rewriting the Rules: The Future of Apparel
Description: Apparel—including footwear—is on the cusp of dramatic transformation, driven by shifting consumer expectations, emerging business models, and the rapid advancement of exponential technologies. Add to that the influence of economic cycles, political forces, and geopolitical developments, and we arrive at a critical tipping point. Much like water’s transformation into ice at a precise threshold, the apparel industry is poised for a fundamental shift that will reshape traditional brands, retail businesses, and distribution models. This session explores the confluence of factors driving this disruption, highlight key signals of the impending transformation, and discuss how businesses can navigate and thrive in the new era.
Please see my tool The Future Of Apparel that supports this talk.
Title: SEO is Dead, Long Live GEO: Adapting to AI-Driven Search Dynamics
Description: SEO isn’t just changing; it’s leaving a trail of destruction, with some brands experiencing revenue losses overnight. While SEO isn’t dead, it’s undergoing a metamorphosis into Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), driven by the rise of AI. Although we’re not there yet and will continue to struggle through the move away from SEO, there are proactive steps to prepare for GEO. This session will ground participants in consumer shifts around search as a result of AI, emerging search processes and providers, the essence of GEO, its implications for brands, and actionable preparation strategies.