Thurl Bailey

Thurl, Having you speak at our September 2025 FUNFest event was a privilege. You have a unique presence. Steady, credible, and grounded. You speak from lived experience, and that carries authority without ego. Our audience connected immediately because your message centered on discipline, resilience, and personal responsibility. Themes that matter in every organization. What sets you apart is that you do not just inspire. You elevate the room. People left thinking differently about pressure, performance, and who they want to become. I would strongly recommend you to any organization seeking a speaker who brings integrity, depth, and lasting impact. Darren Nielson Founder, FUN.NGO (Finding Unity Naturally)

We had the privilege of hearing from Thurl Bailey at our annual leadership conference. Inviting guest speakers can be a little bit of a shot in the dark: even if they’re charismatic on TV or in other settings, you never know if they’ll be able to deliver meaningful, insightful thoughts to a crowd. Unequivocally, Thurl delivered. His mix of fascinating personal history, storytelling, and humor kept us captivated during his message, and the connections made to leadership and growth potential cemented the lessons in our minds. We’d recommend Thurl to groups of all kinds, and would happily have him back to speak again. -Matt Jensen VP of Marketing, Ken Garff Automotive Group

"I’ve listened to a lot of speakers through the years, but Thurl is in a league of his own. Honestly, he might be my favorite guest speaker of all time. He brought that same 'Cardiac Pack' energy he had at NC State, and it absolutely electrified our team. He had us laughing one minute and, I’ll be real, there were more than a few people (myself included) getting choked up the next. His stories and speaking style were that good. We did a two-day offsite with a packed schedule, but when I asked the team what stuck with them most, Thurl’s name was the one mentioned the most often. He didn't just 'give a presentation,' he genuinely wowed us. If you have a chance to bring him in, do it. You won't regret it." Best, Taylor J. Taylor Olson CEO & Co-founder

I was impressed with the way the intensity of your presentation built with each story and the music was very powerful, underscoring your message. I was thrilled that you were able to get the entire ballroom of people enthralled. I was also impressed by how patient you were with the people that waited to see you after.

Mr. Bailey, Thank you for coming. Today was fantastic!! The kids were so attentive and you held them in the palm of your hand. That is not an easy task for 7th graders in the Spring. The teachers commented that they have never seen their 300+ kids so attentive, ever. You addressed every subject the kids were seeking to hear from a role model: bullying, self-esteem, predjudice, goal making, believing in good and positive things in life.

Everyone in attendance was truly touched by the words which were spoken. I had several comments on what a "gentle giant" you truly are. Other comments included: truly inspiring; great personal stories; down to earth speaker with a good message; I felt uplifted as a person and I know I can overcome any challenges that come my way.

Dear Thurl, Thank you so much for taking time out to come and sing at the 16th Annual Women's Conference, "Discovering the Diversity and Unity of Women." You are a great talent! I'm so grateful!

If there is one word I have for you today it is "THANKS". It is a terribly inadequate word for the awesome presentation you gave at the Andrews Summer Conference in Orlando. Your caring, compassion and the depth of your presentation was second to none. You deserve a long and loud standing ovation. My hat is off to you!

Mr. Bailey, I want to thank you for your contribution to the success of the 3rd Annual Manager's Conference in May. Your remarks about making a difference when others count you out were right on target, and very motivational to the participants. You have a natural ability to capture and retain the audience's attention through personal stories and deliver a powerful message. This was apparent in the overwhelming amount of positive feedback on our conference evaluations regarding you and your presentation.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your Keynote presentation and breakout session at the RWAU conference this year were hands down the highlight of our event, and the best we have ever had. Our attendees raved about your message, your performance and all you taught them during your time with us. There were over 400 people in the room during the keynote session and you could have heard a pin drop as they hung on your every word. Your message was positive, uplifting, entertaining and insightful, and we all came away better for it. We have had multiple comments and survey responses that all say you were the best Keynote speaker they have been to (and we had had some great ones!) so that is a powerful testament of how truly amazing you were. You sacrificed to be there with us and we are so grateful to you for that. You were wonderful to work with, kind and gracious to all who came your way, and you took the time to make everyone feel important and valued.

I’m so grateful, the conference was absolutely amazing. Every single person I spoke with was inspired and thought it was excellent. The basketball clinic was just the same! Inspiring and excellent for those young people to hear what you had to say about basketball and about life! I wish more could have seen you. Those that did, will never forget what they heard!

Your presentation was excellent. It was entertaining and inspirational and just what we needed for our conference. Your personal stories of perseverance despite others’ suggestions to quit really resonated with the members of our Head Start Association. Thank you for sharing a message from your heart. One of my favorite parts of the conference is when we hand out awards to very deserving individuals who don’t often get a pat on the back for the great work they do and the accomplishments they have achieved. I appreciate your willingness to announce and hand out their awards.Thank you for being willing to stay so long after you presented to sign autographs and take pictures. You made sure that no one left the conference disappointed.