Available to book
Harness the power of storytelling with Tom Shadyac, Hollywood director and purpose-driven leadership speaker. Tom equips executives to craft compelling narratives that drive engagement and cultural change, drawing from his $1.5 billion box office success and New York Times bestselling insights on authentic communication.
Tom Shadyac is a transformative storyteller who bridges Hollywood success with wisdom from his profound personal journey. As the director behind iconic comedies like Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor, and Bruce Almighty, Tom has created cultural touchstones that have generated over $1.5 billion in worldwide box office revenue.
A New York Times bestselling author of Life's Operating Manual and founder of Memphis Rox, Tom translated his filmmaking success into meaningful social impact after a life-altering accident in 2007. His acclaimed documentary I Am chronicles his journey from material excess to purposeful simplicity.
Tom helps organizations harness the power of authentic storytelling to drive engagement and create lasting change. His insights on narrative structure and emotional connection enable leaders to communicate more effectively, build stronger teams, and develop cultures where purpose and profit coexist harmoniously. Drawing from both Hollywood success and personal transformation, Tom offers practical frameworks for navigating complexity through compelling storytelling.
Audiences leave Tom's presentations with concrete tools for crafting more impactful narratives, strategies for authentic leadership communication, and renewed perspective on integrating purpose into professional life. His unique blend of entertainment industry expertise and powerful storytelling creates memorable, actionable learning experiences.
Book Tom to transform how your organization tells its story and connects with what truly matters in business and life.
Topics, sessions and talks
In this keynote, Tom Shadyac shares storytelling principles that propelled him to success in Hollywood, applying them to business and life. He emphasizes how the narratives we create influence our connections, outcomes, and organizational culture. Attendees will learn to leverage the power of storytelling to enhance engagement, ignite creativity, and foster meaningful change within their teams and organizations.
Tom Shadyac shares insights from his journey as a filmmaker and leader. He emphasizes the significance of authentic and servant leadership, highlighting the need to lead with purpose. Drawing from his experiences with renowned comedic talents, Tom provides a compelling perspective on inspiring teams, fostering resilience, and creating a work culture that values wellbeing alongside success. Attendees will learn to rethink effective leadership through Tom's wisdom gained from personal transformations and professional successes.
Tom Shadyac brings unparalleled storytelling expertise from his billion-dollar Hollywood career and profound personal transformation, helping organizations craft narratives that drive engagement and create lasting change. Book Tom to transform how your team communicates, connects, and integrates purpose into professional life for measurable business impact.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
To book Tom Shadyac, email tom.shadyac@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 Tom'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.
Tom Shadyac draws on his career as a Hollywood film director to illustrate storytelling principles, using examples from productions such as Ace Ventura and Bruce Almighty to demonstrate how narrative structure and emotional connection function in practice. He frames these principles within a personal transformation arc — centred on a 2007 accident and documented in his film I Am — to provide a before-and-after structure that anchors lessons on leadership and organisational culture.
Tom Shadyac speaks on storytelling for business and organisational culture, authentic and servant leadership, and purpose-driven work environments. He directed films including Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor, and Bruce Almighty, which collectively generated over $1.5 billion in worldwide box office revenue.
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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