Available to book
Rob Shanahan
Rob Shanahan helps organizations build high-performance, synchronized teams, drawing on 30 years photographing icons like Ringo Starr and the Rolling Stones. A leadership speaker, he created The ICONS Blueprint and is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted author.
Rob Shanahan has spent more than three decades as personal photographer to some of music's most enduring icons, including Ringo Starr, the Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney.
A professional drummer of 35 years, Rob has photographed hundreds of performers, including Christina Aguilera, Sammy Hagar, Sheila E., Elton John, Aerosmith, and Luke Bryan. He is the author of two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted photography volumes, with forewords by Ringo Starr and Sheila E. Rob is also a certified YPO speaker who has addressed organizations including Ideagen, CenturyLink, and Lumen.
That decades-long access gave Rob direct insight into how elite performers sustain excellence under pressure. He built those observations into The ICONS Blueprint, a leadership framework covering resilience and reinvention, team synchronization, and clarity of purpose. Rob now translates the discipline behind legendary performances into practical lessons for business audiences navigating high-stakes environments.
Audiences leave with a clearer sense of how to adapt after failure, synchronize teams the way a tight rhythm section operates, and build the daily habits that sustain long-term success. Through cinematic visuals and firsthand stories from the music industry, Rob makes those lessons memorable and immediately actionable.
Rob turns three decades of backstage access into a leadership story that resonates with any team chasing peak performance.
Topics, sessions and talks
Rob Shanahan spent three decades as personal photographer to icons like Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Christina Aguilera, and the Rolling Stones, watching firsthand how elite performers sustain excellence under pressure. Drawing on those relationships, Rob shares The ICONS Blueprint, a framework built around imagination, self-challenge, seizing opportunity, resilience, and disciplined habits. Through never-before-heard stories and striking visuals, he shows sales teams, executives, and creatives how to move from individual performers to a fully synchronized team.
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frequently asked questions
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To book Rob Shanahan, email rob.shanahan@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Rob's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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