Chad Porter

Performance Mentor to Pro Athletes & CEO’s | Best Selling Author | Speaker

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Chad Porter Inspires the Buffalo Bills

“Chad did a phenomenal job speaking to our team and really galvanized us as we approach the season. His message and story are truly inspiring and it’s exactly what we needed to hear. He’s definitely one of the best speakers I’ve ever heard!”

~ Sean McDermott

Buffalo Bills Head Coach

Chad Porter – Motivational Speaker & Author

Chad Porter is a nationally renowned motivational speaker, author, and survivor who inspires audiences with his powerful story of overcoming adversity. After a devastating boating accident at the age of 15 that led to the amputation of his leg, Chad faced overwhelming physical and emotional challenges. Through resilience, humor, and determination, he turned his life’s hardship into a message of hope, perseverance, and triumph over adversity – touching the lives of hundreds of thousands along the way. A former lead motivational speaker for the Zig Ziglar International Team, Chad brings a unique blend of authenticity, humor, and heart to every stage he steps on. He comes highly recommended by corporate CEOs, fundraising executives, collegiate and professional athletic programs, and event planners nationwide.

To experience Chad, you experience the powerful journey of a young boy who overcame unimaginable tragedy, not just to survive, but to defy all odds and transform his pain into a purpose driven life that has inspired people around the world for over two decades. For more than 20 years, Chad finds it an honor to serve as a keynote speaker for corporate conferences; coach and trainer for individuals helping them grow personally and professionally. When working with Chad you achieve real, measurable results. His story leaves a lasting impact. Get ready to laugh until your sides hurt, cry through the emotional highs and lows, and walk away with practical tools, renewed motivation, and a clear plan to improve your life at work, at home, and within yourself.

Chad is highly sought after to speak at corporate conferences, sports teams (including the Boston Red Sox and college football programs), educators, and nonprofit organizations. His storytelling touches on themes such as:

Overcoming adversity
Resilience and perseverance
Teamwork and leadership
Attitude and personal responsibility
Faith, family, and inspiration

He is also the author of the book “Severed Dreams: Reconstructing Hope,” which recounts his life-changing experience, and the lessons learned along the way.

SPEAKING TOPICS:

Resilience: Turning Adversity into Advantage

Organizations and individuals struggle to cope with setbacks, uncertainty, and rapid change, leading to burnout, low morale, and stalled progress.

Take-a-ways

How to cultivate a resilient mindset that turns challenges into growth opportunities
Practical strategies to manage stress and maintain focus under pressure
Tools for fostering a culture of grit and perseverance withing teams

The Power of Purpose: Finding Meaning to Drive Performance

Lack of clear purpose leads to disengagement, low motivation, and misaligned priorities within teams.

Take-a-ways

Identifying and connecting to a deeper ‘why’ that fuels passion and perseverance
Aligning personal and organizational purpose to boost engagement
Creating a purpose-driven culture that inspires teamwork and loyalty

Goal Setting and Achievements

Teams and individuals will learn the power of goal setting and the easy steps it takes to guarantee you can achieve any goal you set using the goal setting formula. People like to complain about lack of time when the lack of direction is the real problem. Time can be an ally or an enemy. What it becomes depends entirely upon you, your goals, and your determination to use every available minute.

Take-a-ways

Learn the 4 basic reasons people don’t set goals
Experience the power of dreaming
Walk away with the 7-step formula for setting and achieving goals
Embrace the power of commitment

Chad’s Accomplishments Speak for Themselves

Best‑Selling Author

Authored Severed Dreams: Reconstructing Your Purpose, a memoir that reached best‑seller status shortly after its release

Lead Motivational Speaker

Served as a lead speaker for Zig Ziglar International for many years, earning platinum-level certification.
Has delivered over 30,000 person‑events and keynoted for 40–50 events annually for more than 20 years.

Acclaimed Speaker Across Industries

Addresses audiences in corporate, sport, education, nonprofit, faith, and community sectors.
Frequently booked by Fortune 500 companies, professional and college athletics teams (MLB, NFL, NCAA), school systems, and youth organizations.
Customizable Topics, include:
- Leadership
- Perseverance
- Teamwork
- Building Relationships
- Dealing With Change
- Mental Health
- Building a Better You

Highly Appraised & Endorsed

Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott praised him as “truly inspiring and one of the best motivational speakers we’ve ever had”
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney called his session “phenomenal,” noting how he “helps you take your pain and turn it into purpose”
Tom Ziglar (son of Zig Ziglar) commended the impact of Severed Dreams as “foundational to re‑igniting the spark of character”

Trusted by High‑Level Decision‑Makers

Recommended by corporate CEOs, fundraising leaders, and athletic program directors
Engaged in executive coaching, leadership development, and training across multiple industries.

Best-selling author

Chad Porter’s journey—from surviving a life‑altering childhood accident to inspiring hundreds of thousands across decades—is woven into each talk. If you’d like specific metrics, video clips, or tailored materials for your audience, just let me know!

As an author and motivational speaker, Chad Porter brings a voice that is deeply personal, powerfully inspiring, and undeniably authentic—qualities forged through his extraordinary journey of resilience after a life-altering accident. His compelling story and heartfelt delivery resonate with elite leaders and corporate audiences across the globe, earning him a reputation as a trusted voice in adversity-driven leadership. Chad’s message challenges individuals and organizations to reframe obstacles, foster unwavering perseverance, and cultivate a culture of purpose and strength.

How Chad Porter Transforms Audiences and Organizations

Through Unforgettable Personal Storytelling

Chad shares the traumatic boating accident that resulted in the amputation of his leg at age 15—but his talks go far beyond the tragedy. He walks the audience through the pain, the struggle, and ultimately the transformation, showing them how to choose purpose over pity.

Impact: His raw honesty creates instant emotional connection and empathy.
Effect: Audience members feel seen in their own struggles and empowered to rise above them.

By Shifting Mindsets Around Adversity

Rather than portraying himself as a victim, Chad reframes adversity as a launching pad for growth. He doesn’t just inspire; he equips people to:

Reframe hardship as a growth opportunity.
Find gratitude and purpose in the pain.
Cultivate emotional and mental resilience.

This shift in thinking helps individuals return to their roles more centered, grateful, and prepared to lead or contribute with renewed energy.

Through High-Energy, Relatable Delivery

Chad’s blend of humor, humility, and passion keeps audiences engaged. He’s not overly polished or robotic—he’s real, and that authenticity earns him the audience’s trust.

Key Strengths: Humor, charisma, down-to-earth delivery.
Result: People lean in. They laugh. They cry. They remember.

By Leaving Audiences with Clear, Actionable Takeaways

Chad doesn’t just motivate for the sake of emotion—he challenges people to:

Own their attitude in the face of adversity.
Lead with empathy and persistence.
Build stronger cultures rooted in trust and resilience.

Leaders and teams often walk away with a new perspective on collaboration, perseverance, and what’s truly possible.

Inspiring Organizational Change

From Fortune 500 companies to professional sports teams, Chad’s message has been credited with:

Revitalizing team morale.
Deepening empathy and trust within leadership.
Increasing engagement by reminding people of their deeper “why.”

The Result?

Audiences don’t just applaud—they act. Chad transforms passive listeners into purpose-driven individuals ready to face their own challenges with greater courage, compassion, and confidence.