Kelly Swanson, CSP, CPAE Kelly Swanson is an award-winning storyteller, comedian, hall-of-fame funny motivational speaker, Huffington Post Contributor, and cast member of The Fashion Hero television show. She is also author of Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale, The Story Formula, The Affirmation Journal for Positive Thinking, The Land Of If Only, Humor CPR, Story Libs, The One Sentence Approach to Story Crafting & The Gusty Girls Pocket Guide to Public Speaking.

She has been a featured entertainer for Holland America Cruise Lines, and has keynoted major conferences and corporate events from coast to coast. Both of her one-woman shows – Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale and Southern Fried Gossip – are being booked in theaters all over the country. In July of 2022 she was inducted into the National Speakers Association CPAE Hall of Fame.

Kelly’s wacky wit and powerful stories have charmed hearts and tickled funny bones for over 20 years - from the page to the stage. In addition to her role as a funny motivational speaker, Kelly teaches people how she does it by sharing what she has learned about connecting and engaging to have more influence in business through the use of one tool – strategic storytelling.

Kelly has coached hundreds of speakers and other business professionals on presentation skills, speeches, stories, Ted Talks, and powering up their words to make an impact. Her Story Impact Academy has helped many people find their voice and master their story. When it comes to storytelling, Kelly is truly the expert - not just in knowing how to do it and how to teach it, but in having built a successful 20-year career telling stories on stage.

When speakers ask Kelly what is the secret to a powerful presentation, her answer is always the same: Connection, Structure, and Story.