Top Public Motivational Speaker
Hire Keynote Speaker Michael Wigge in 2024/2025
Hire the Top Public Motivational Speaker, author, and explorer Michael Wigge. He’s recognized for his distinctive approach to professional and personal growth and inspiration. Originally from Germany, he is fluent in both English and German, which has enabled him to reach audiences worldwide. One of his most remarkable endeavors, How to Travel the World for Free, documents his adventurous journey to travel the globe without spending money. Through innovative thinking and resourceful strategies, he exemplifies the power of resilience, creativity, and a mindset that embraces new possibilities—core elements he highlights in his motivational presentations.
Michael has appeared on high-profile platforms, including The Tonight Show, where he shared his incredible story alongside pop icon Katy Perry. His ability to connect with diverse audiences across the US, Europe, and Asia has made him a highly sought-after speaker. Whether addressing corporate teams or inspiring individuals, Michael draws from his extensive international experiences to encourage others to overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams with focus and confidence. Now based in the United States, his bilingual skills allow him to engage with a wide range of listeners, ensuring his message resonates globally.
Table of Content:
The Top Public Motivational Speaker for Hire:
- Top inspirational speaker with great keynotes
- Fearless adventure stories broadcast internationally – as seen on The Tonight Show and The Today Show
- Four-times book author, former MTV Europe host, and former PBS travel show host
- Angelina Jolie called him ‘a strange but fantastic man‘
- Katy Perry called him ‘a cheap date‘ on The Tonight Show because he traveled the world for free
- Complimentary book signing and mini-training for conference audience
- Free quote for your event booking now
6 Reasons to Hire the Top Public Motivational Speaker
1. Interactivity and Humor
Michael’s presentations are anything but ordinary. His engaging style blends interactive activities with humor, ensuring that audiences are not just passive listeners but active participants. His ability to connect with people through laughter makes his messages more memorable and impactful. By involving the audience, he encourages them to think critically about their own potential and apply the lessons to their lives. Humor serves as a vehicle for learning, making his talks not only insightful but also enjoyable.
2. Very Unique Background
Michael’s personal journey sets him apart from other motivational speakers. One of his most well-known endeavors, How to Travel the World, tells the story of his quest to travel the world for free. This extraordinary challenge required ingenuity, persistence, and a willingness to embrace the unknown. His unique background of resourcefulness and creative problem-solving offers attendees fresh perspectives on overcoming obstacles. Michael’s real-life experiences resonate deeply with audiences, providing authentic lessons about resilience and thinking outside the box.
3. Over Ten Years of Stage Presence
With more than a decade of experience on stage, Michael brings a wealth of expertise to every presentation. He is skilled at delivering powerful keynote speeches, leading soft-skills workshops, and providing one-on-one follow-up coaching. His versatility allows him to tailor his approach to meet the specific needs of any audience. Whether addressing a large group or offering personalized guidance, Michael ensures that his message lands with lasting impact.
4. A Public Motivational Speaker Working Internationally
Michael has captivated audiences across multiple countries, including the US, Germany, Canada, Austria, and Switzerland. His ability to connect with diverse groups stems from his bilingual background and international experiences. Whether delivering motivational speeches in the US, conducting workshops in Germany, or inspiring corporate teams in Austria and Switzerland, Michael’s engaging style and unique perspectives leave a lasting impact.
His global presence highlights his adaptability, resonating with audiences from different cultures while addressing universal themes of resilience, creativity, and personal growth. Michael’s reach spans continents, making him a sought-after speaker in both English and German-speaking regions.
5. Practical Strategies for Real-World Application
Michael’s approach is not just about inspiring people; it’s about equipping them with actionable strategies they can apply in their daily lives. His talks are filled with practical tools and insights that help audiences tackle challenges, improve their mindset, and embrace opportunities. Whether it’s navigating career transitions, enhancing personal resilience, or unlocking creative problem-solving,
The top public motivational speaker provides practical takeaways that attendees can immediately implement. This focus on real-world application ensures that his audience leaves with both inspiration and tangible steps toward success.
6. A Public Motivational Speaker With a Track Record of Success
Michael Wigge has a long history of success in delivering motivational talks to a wide range of audiences. With over a decade of stage experience, he has built a reputation for inspiring individuals and organizations to reach their full potential. His diverse portfolio includes keynote speeches, corporate seminars, and personal coaching, demonstrating his ability to effectively connect with different groups and produce tangible results. Michael’s successful engagements across various industries make him a trusted speaker, capable of providing valuable insights and motivating others to achieve their goals.
Interview with the Top Inspirational Speaker
Michael, Where Do You Appear on Stage?
Michael: First of all, the US is my country of residency. I reside in Denver, CO, and I often go skiing in places like Salt Lake City because I just love the western United States with its laid back atmosphere, its incredible scenery, and its unique opportunities for motivational speakers—regardless if they are famous or not famous.
The United States is a corporate meeting hub with corporations from all over the world, offering so many opportunities for speakers, it’s incredible. I often speak in Las Vegas for conventions because Las Vegas, Nevada offers so much entertainment that a couple of days for conferences and workshops feels like a unique vacation.
That’s why Las Vegas has so many speaking opportunities. Corporations love to combine their training with entertainment for their employees. My latest motivational speaker video was recorded at a Las Vegas convention.
Where Do You Speak Internationally?
My gigs are booked worldwide, and I feel so blessed to have developed these opportunities that enable me to regularly deliver a speech in the US, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. These countries make about 80% of my motivational keynote speaking bookings. I am a German national and a US permanent resident, which enables me to handle several North American and European markets at the same time and speak on stage in English and German.
Germans often book me because I published four books and several adventure docu-series on German national television. Meeting planners in Germany consider hiring me as a public motivational speaker because due to my prior media presence. Event planners in the U.S. tend to appreciate my book presentations on The Tonight Show, The Today Show, PBS, and articles the L.A. Times and USA Today.
How Do European Markets Differ From the US?
There are several aspects of difference.
I would consider speaking in Las Vegas, for instance, as a kind of hometown feel. Conferences often even have this vacation atmosphere because staff and managers are often very excited to be here and finally have a bit of time off from work. For example, speaking in Germany is different, location-wise.
Usually, corporate conferences are rarely connected to an entertainment aspect like in Las Vegas. They are often set up in major conference centers in Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, or Berlin. Staff might go for drinks in the evening, but corporations don’t usually like to promote entertainment opportunities during conference days because they tend to believe that too much entertainment may be an obstacle for some to achieve their goals during a conference.
Switzerland with its natural beauty of the Alps offers these beautiful surroundings with its high class five star hotels. It’s obviously one of my favorite places to deliver my speeches and workshops. Working there as a top public motivational speaker often feels like being on a luxury vacation. I just really enjoy those opportunities so much.
One of my television docu-series is entitled “Switzerland for Free” and it was running on Swiss national television as an eight-part video series. This luckily gives me credits to work as a speaker in that market. Interestingly, meeting planners in Zurich and other Swiss cities regularly ask me if I know Tony Robbins because I do live in the States. They all have watched his videos before and would love to know more about him.
How do Fees Differ For a Public Motivational Speaker Overseas?
Speaking fees are such a discrete topic that it’s something hard to speak about because it feels like sharing a secret. But I love to talk about it to help other famous or not famous motivational speakers get encouraged to speak in their home base as well as all over the world.
The US and Switzerland are usually the best paid countries for inspiring speeches. A quality gig often gets $10,000. Famous celebrity speakers usually get way more, but there is also a huge part of the speaker scene that deals with $1,000-3,000. It all depends on the quality of your motivational video, your fame, your topics, and the current demand. These fees are obviously not just paid for an hour on stage but for a very intense process that is required to become a motivational speaker on stage.
Germany pays most of its famous motivators on stage between $3,000 and $5,000. Even with my appearances on PBS, the Today Show, The Tonight Show, all my docu-series on German national television, and my successful books, they wouldn’t pay me to speak for more than $6,000.
Some colleagues of mine in Germany earn up to $10,000, but there seems to be a cultural limit of what is appropriate for companies to invest in speakers, similar to what I mentioned earlier on in terms of location. It doesn’t seem to be appropriate for German companies to hold their company meetings in an entertainment location. Canada seems to pay their motivational keynote speakers similar fees to what Germany does. I hope this information suits you well.
Yours,
Michael
‘With the right strategy, you can achieve any goal’ – MICHAEL WIGGE
3 Questions About Top Public Motivational Speakers
How Much Do Public Motivational Speakers Charge in the US?
Most public motivational speakers usually charge between $5,000 and $20,000. Speakers below that price range often have less experience.
Who Are the Best Public Motivational Speakers?
A top public motivational speaker is Brian Tracy – also Tony Robbins. But speaking bureaus like Leading Authorities and BigSpeak present many other amazing motivational speakers with video content. Michael belongs to a top 500 speaker circle due to his unique adventure background. More on
- business motivational speaker
- referent in German
How Could I Become a Top Public Motivational Speaker?
Start producing your first motivational speaker video and practice a lot on stage with Toastmasters International. More advice on
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Keynote and Workshops in 2025
Mai 2025: Boston, USA
Juli 2025: Leipzig, Germany
August 2025: Dresden, Germany
November 2025: Denver, USA; Phoenix USA