Meet Chris Fitzpatrick

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Fitzpatrick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

From 4th grade through my sophomore year of high school, I had the unenviable role of being the overweight kid in middle and high school. As if those years aren’t challenging enough, spending 7 pre-teen and teen years being bullied with every variation of the word “fat” imaginable makes for an unpleasant experience. This is why a lot of my family and friends were surprised when 235-lb me decided to go out for my high school’s wrestling team. In fact, when I told a close friend about my plan, he raised his eyebrows and said “You’ll quit within 2 weeks.” Quite the vote of confidence.

He was ALMOST right; that first week was so difficult and painful that I questioned whether or not I was doing the right thing. Thankfully, before walking out of the wrestling room, I remembered what he told me and refused to prove him right. A week became two, then a month, and by the time competitive matches started, I was under 200 lbs. for the first time in a long time. By mid-way through my Junior year, I’d earned a Varsity letter and weighed in at 159.5 lbs., a 75.5 lb. reduction. I went from a C/D student to straight A’s as a senior and found myself attending college in the fall of 1999.

My work ethic comes from that feeling of being overweight and lethargic, from being told I can’t do it, and from turning around and getting something done that I never thought possible. One of my life’s mantras comes from this experience: “When someone tells you that you can’t do it, thank them. They may have just given you the fuel you needed.”

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My mission is to inspire, educate, and energize audiences by blending practical insights with engaging storytelling and humor. My focus is on delivering dynamic keynotes and workshops, especially for college students, educators, and professionals, covering topics like personal branding, leadership, and networking.

What excites me most about my work is the ability to connect with people and spark those “aha” moments when a new idea or perspective opens up possibilities. I empower individuals to see themselves as their own brand, unlocking their potential for personal and professional growth. It’s incredibly rewarding to see people walk away with actionable takeaways that can transform their careers and lives.

My brand is all about positivity, creativity, and delivering value with a touch of entertainment. As someone who grew up idolizing game show hosts, I’ve infused that enthusiasm into my speaking style, making sure that every audience feels engaged, energized, and equipped to take action.

In 2024, I added several new keynotes and workshops to my repertoire, including a DEIB keynote called “We Are All Leaders,” which features my innovative “Lead Beads” craft activity, as well as my cornerstone “Becoming a Fan” keynote, bringing workplace culture and fanship together. In 2025, I plan on delivering engaging keynotes, hosting fun games, and giving away “wonderful prizes!”

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Enthusiasm.

If you asked people who know me well which adjective they’d use to describe me, I think “enthusiastic” would come up very frequently. I take pride in being the individual on a team who comes to the table excited to be there and enthusiastic about the opportunity. The enthusiasm is often described at contagious, which has led me down the career path of Talent Acquisition and Professional Speaking.

Empathy.

One of the cornerstones of Emotional Intelligence, I am proud to be someone who is empathetic and genuinely cares about others’ feelings. The key to being a great leader in any organization or industry is to truly and honestly empathize with them and try to see things from their perspective. As a speaker, I try to place myself at the point of view of my audience before building the talk, aiming to ensure the subject matter and delivery resonates with the attendees.

Communication.

When I speak, I often talk about the four ways we communicate: verbally, non-verbally, in writing, and through listening. As a communicator, I seek to be clear, concise, and understandable in my interactions with others, and to help teach others how to do the same through self-awareness and technique.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

I truly wouldn’t be who or where I am today without my Mom and Dad. It wasn’t always easy, either – my parents had me young and my dad often had to work multiple jobs, including one as a police officer. They would never have said it when I was younger, but we were a working-class family living in a moderate-income condo project in a very affluent Northern NJ borough. My parents taught me the importance of family over possessions. They helped shape my career path championing DEIB and Allyship by teaching me to value others for their humanity and character, not their race, gender, nationality, religion, etc. And third, they taught me to value education as a pathway to opportunity and success, and I believe that has helped lead me to speak at colleges and universities, hoping to inspire the next generation to do the same.

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Image Credits

Kareem Wilder

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