BRIAN SMITH

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One of Australia’s most famous entrepreneurs, Brian Smith “MR. UGG” is best known for launching UGG Boots in the U.S.

After moving to Calif and selling the now billion-dollar company, Smith launched a second career as a business guru and an exciting, motivational speaker. His humorous, heart-felt style and hard-won business savvy is energizing CEOs, business owners and budding entrepreneurs across the country.

Why book Brian Smith as your speaker?

• Entertaining, dramatic presentation by one of the world’s most recognizable entrepreneurs

• Breakthrough techniques for building a business with Brian’s birth-to-adulthood strategy

• Translating personal vision into company culture

• Unforgettable inspiration for sales, marketing and the future of your company

Speaking Topics

HOW TO BE A STRONG LEADER
The most effective leaders know that their style of management must adapt to the fluid stage of growth (Infant, Toddler, Youth, Teenage or Mature)of their business, the people on the team and the evolution of goals. Follow Brian who evolved his style from the “Visionary” with one employee through the “Barbarian” stage where his small but growing team “took UGG to conquer California”, though the “Building” stage of going National and the “Administrative” stage of a large company, each requiring different leadership methods. The best leader will be the “Synergist” who knows his/her vision and knows when to develop individuals, create teams, seek collaboration, push for goals and (rarely) in times of crisis, act authoritatively. No matter the industry, attendees will emerge armed with ideas and solutions that are appropriate to the stage of their business or division within their bigger organization.

THE THREE GEMS OF PERSEVERANCE
Would you believe that Brian decided to quit the UGG business four times in the 17 years he spent building it? Learn the powerful philosophical truths that kept him “keeping on” to overcome seemingly impossible barriers and apparent defeat. Accentuated by real life stories from the early days of UGG, Brian takes the audience on a trail of highs and lows, problems and solutions, that are applicable to every one of today’s businesses, and how exceptional customer service came back to save the company in its direst days.This keynote talk has moved audiences from near-tears to standing ovations, as listeners identify situations in their own businesses and rally to new possibilities.

THE NEXT BIG THING – HOW TO FIND AN “UGG” OPPORTUNITY
Targeted to college students in business and entrepreneurial schools, Brian explains the main secret for them to discover their own path, and recognize opportunity as it presents itself. Using this secret, he gives give case studies of how several people have gone from “no clue” to becoming passionate about their chosen fields. He teaches the various phases of start-up common to all new businesses and provides solutions.

YOU CAN’T GIVE BIRTH TO ADULTS – YOU ARE “HERE” IN THE BUSINESS LIFE-CYCLE
Every business that exists started with someone “CONCEIVING” the idea.The first action gave “BIRTH” to the business, and invariably the long period of “INFANCY” set in. Brian describes how to get through this period until the business/service becomes a “TODDLER” then progresses to “YOUTH,” a fairly easy stage of every business. BUT, IF the business/ service is a good one, the “TEENAGE” period can be one of disruption and chaos until the administrators implement the controls that steer the ship to the safe harbor of “MATURITY.” This talk is customized to fit the audience

THE THIRD ISLAND – THE BREAKOUT FACTOR
It takes vision for a corporation to get to the next level. It requires the skills of an “Intrapreneur” and you either have this skill or you don’t. If you have it, you have a set of problems how to present it, sell it, and get it implemented. If you don’t have the vision, you know who you are, but you also know you are the ones who can IMPLEMENT the vision that has been agreed upon. Brian teaches how to find your visionary by airing the problems and questions facing the corporation and then team up to form an unstoppable alliance. The visionary always needs the support of those who don’t have the vision.

Biography

• Graduated as a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. (US equivalent of CPA)

• Attended UCLA Graduate School of Management, completing courses in Marketing and Marketing Management.

• Founded UGG Imports Inc., and through several iterations founded UGG Holdings Inc.

• Built importing and distribution company for sheepskin boot products and accessories resulting in National brand awareness.

• Sold UGG Holdings Inc. to Deckers Outdoor Corporation in 1995 due to inability to finance growing production. Sales reached $15 million for 1995 season.

• Founded PREFAST, a precast concrete wall delivery system. Sold it to San Francisco contractor who has been successful in capitalizing on the pre-approved school building system for California, which was the main asset.

• Founded Ecolite Concrete USA to market a new building technology he invented utilizing a skin of lightweight concrete applied to steel framed wall sections for factory manufacture and delivery to site as a finished wall panel.

• Licensed the technology in 2005 to a California contractor who built over 100 structures using the Ecolite technology.

• Authored the book “The Birth of UGG in America”

•  International Keynote speaker.

The Birth of a Brand, is based on the initial idea of importing sheepskin boots from Australia, and the journey that unfolded in building UGG into a global brand and icon.

From it’s early roots in Southern California, the underlying business mantra and theme has been; “you can’t give birth to adults”.  Every business starts with conception, birth, a long infancy, followed by youthful phases, and onto maturity, (hopefully).   Time and again people approach me after my keynote presentations and tell me they were about to give up their dream, but now they identify themselves in one of these early phases, and understand the steps to take to move forward.

As a consummate storyteller; the book recalls the ecstatic highs and crushing lows of the UGG brand and its journey.   It is written from the heart with time-worn truisms and business acumen that aim to prove; you can stick to your business passions with authenticity and spirituality and still grow a wildly successful brand, career, and life.

“You can’t Give Birth to Adults”

– Brian Smith