Top International Motivational Speaker

Michael is a dynamic top international motivational speaker, author, and adventurer known for his unique and inspiring approach to personal and professional development. A native of Germany and bilingual in both English and German, Michael has captivated audiences across the globe with his captivating stories and powerful messages. His most notable achievement, How to Travel the World for Free, chronicles his extraordinary journey where he embarked on a mission to travel the world without spending any money. Through clever strategies and incredible resourcefulness, he demonstrated the importance of resilience, creativity, and a mindset of possibility—key themes he brings to his motivational talks.

Michael has been featured on major platforms, including an appearance on The Tonight Show, where he shared his incredible journey alongside pop star Katy Perry. His ability to speak to audiences across cultures has made him a sought-after speaker in the US, Europe, and Asia. Whether motivating corporate teams or inspiring individuals, Michael uses his international experiences to help others break free from limitations and pursue their own dreams with determination and confidence. Based in the United States, his bilingual background allows him to connect with a diverse range of audiences, making his message universally impactful.

Table of Content:

1. US-based and speaking availability in the US, Europe, and Asia
2. Bilingual guest speaker in English and German
3. International and intercultural experiences with over 100 countries having traveled to
   
4. Guest on The Tonight Show, Today Show, MTV, PBS
5. Unique life story and challenge background e.g. How to Travel the World for Free
6. Complimentary book signing for conference audiences
7. Complimentary mini-workshop added to the keynote
8. TEDx keynote speaker
9. Interactive, humorous and encouraging public speaker on leadership, change, motivation, sales

How important is the topic of change for corporations nowadays?

Michael: The corporate world has gone through several steps of change. Industrialization was the huge change the corporate world experienced in the 19^th century. Several recessions during the 20^th century have required companies across the US and around the globe to embrace huge changes in the structure to pretty much survive. Starting in the mid-20^th century, and especially after the communist breakdown in 1990 and China rising on the world stage, globalization began changing markets, industries, and opportunities for small and big businesses. This required intense change management strategies to produce for an international market and deal with different consumer requirements and different cultures.

The start of the 21^st century has brought the next wave of required changes to the corporate scene. Digitization has completely changed corporate structures, sales paths, consumer habits, products, and opportunities all over the world.

Digitization has enabled companies to produce and managers to lead their teams without personal appearance, instead using digital communication. The opportunity has been vast with new business models like Airbnb, Uber, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. But the pace of change has sped up immensely. Corporations plan in shorter cycles because the digitization has caused a higher competition and a faster reaction mode. This requires constant change management.

I often explain that nothing remains the same. Change management is no longer a six or twelve month project anymore; rather, change management is continuous and constant! If you want your product to succeed long term, you have to constantly embrace change. If you really want to be a great international motivational speaker for more than a year, you better improve and continue to change, otherwise the title will be gone by tomorrow!

Do companies have a hard time surviving?

Michael: A huge example from Corporate America in the 1990s is Kodak. Kodak used to be the world leader of photography and film. I remember my parents back in Germany in the 1990s used to take 24 photos when they went on vacation in the summertime each year. There wasn’t even a question or a real choice to use another brand. Kodak was the film and Kodak was the photo. That’s how I grew up!

Why did Kodak lose its market dominance so rapidly in the 1990s? Photography became digital, and some Japanese companies quickly turned that new development into business. Due to the fact that Kodak was so big and so strong, the management teams could never believe that they would have to embrace major changes one day. So Kodak lacked any real change management strategies.

I remember watching an interview with their Vice President at that time. He mentioned that Kodak would publish some digital photography options soon, but there wasn’t a real strategy to change the entire business model of the company. It did sound to me like ‘we’ll do that digital photography soon, but we will stay the same.’

And this lesson needs to be learned from Kodak: Nothing will remain the same! Industries, technologies, and products change all the time, so companies have to go with it.

It sounds that change can be a lot of stress and pressure? Do you agree?

Michael: Change can be stressful if the workforce is not guided professionally, but it can be a pleasure if everyone has the right mindset. Change can be a hurdle for many because we have to leave our comfort zone, experience certain discomfort to learn new things, and accept the lack of security around how the future will look.

But the best motivational speaker who works internationally knows how to motivate crowds with keynotes and workshops to enable them to embrace change as a desired attitude in life.

The key for an international motivational speaker is to inspire others on how to overcome obstacles. Emotions seem to be the major obstacle making change processes often look like something that might take things away from us. But by overcoming fear and concerns, we easily realize that change is something that supports us and our situation to gain comfort, knowledge, success, money, and time!

Just take Tony Robbins as a great example. He has constantly been changing his content and marketing; nothing remains the same with him, and that’s why he stays on top of the game. He delivers one powerful speech after another. I closely watch them on his YouTube channel, and I continue learning from his fearless change management, which continues to inspire me a lot.

Just imagine a world without change. How would it look like? We would basically still live in the stone age, use primitive tools to survive, and actually just live to survive. Modern society has become an interesting playground for all of us thanks to constant changes. Mankind is thriving through our developments and new ideas. I am grateful to be part of this process as supposedly the best motivational speaker on YouTube with a TED Talk. (Wigge laughs out loud saying these last words.)

Yours, Michael

Mai 2025: Boston, USA

Juli 2025: Leipzig, Germany

August 2025: Dresden, Germany

November 2025: Denver, USA; Phoenix USA