Harvey Mackay

Harvey Mackay (born October 24, 1932, in St. Paul, Minnesota) is a self-made entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and New York Times bestselling author whose wisdom and wit have influenced millions. The son of a journalist and a schoolteacher, Mackay began working at an early age—selling magazines, delivering newspapers, shoveling snow, and caddying—and credits those humble beginnings for instilling his work ethic and networking savvy.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in history in 1954, and later completing an executive program at Stanford in 1968, Mackay started his career selling envelopes. In 1959, at just 26, he purchased a failing envelope company. Through perseverance and relationship-building—skills he attributes to his father’s Rolodex advice—he transformed it into MackayMitchell Envelope Company, a $100M enterprise producing 25 million envelopes daily.

In 1988, Mackay launched a writing and speaking career with his breakout book Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, which spent over a year on the bestseller list. He followed with other hits including Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt and Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty, making him a seven-time New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold more than 10 million copies in over 46 languages. A nationally syndicated columnist since 1993, his weekly “Mackay’s Moral” in nearly 100 newspapers encourages readers to thrive in business and life.

A gifted communicator, Toastmasters International named Mackay one of the world’s top five speakers in 1993. He has delivered thousands of keynote presentations to top corporations and universities like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and Penn State. His signature tips—such as his “ABCs of Public Speaking” and “Mackay’s 35 to Stay Alive”—offer practical, memorable guidance to public speakers everywhere .

Beyond business, Mackay is an avid golfer and marathon runner, and he remains deeply involved in philanthropy—serving on more than 20 civic and arts boards including the Minnesota Orchestra, Guthrie Theater, Sundance Institute, and American Cancer Society, where he served as state chair. At home, he and his wife Carol Ann enjoy a loving family life with their three children and 11 grandchildren.