Humour and Inspiration
Bill Carr is an actor, award-winning satirist, writer, speaker and coach. For over twenty-five years, Bill has been making people laugh at what’s trivial while helping them think deeply about what counts. Bill helps people see their world in new and exciting ways. His unique blend of humour and insight inspires laughter and consideration. He works with audiences from 12 to 1,200 and beyond and offers them a fresh perspective on what they face every day. Bill is known for his flexibility and creativity, offering a range of keynotes and workshops that can be customized to audience needs. Bill also serves regularly as a Conference Weaver, Emcee and Host, all performed in his quintessential hilarious, empathic and socially conscious style.
Bill recently published his first book, Acting Up: Lessons from the Theatre of Life and continues to be active in his art with a recent recurring role in Spike TV’s adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Mist” scheduled for release in 2017. Together with his wife Gola, Bill is co-founder of the Atlantic Restorative Company (ARC), a social entrepreneurship focused on creating space for authentic human exchange, communication, and coaching. Bill is based in both Halifax and Toronto.
Bill’s thoughts about virtual programs…
“I realized early on that all of the workshops and keynotes I have developed are totally translatable to this type of intensive online technology. In fact, I am of the opinion that this sort of training when engaged one-on-one can be even more intense and immensely more beneficial as the intimacy allows for more truth and real soul searching. There is also a great opportunity to develop new material in each area and combine my workshops depending on the needs for training in your particular area.
“I mention my own material but look around, there are people all over the world who can teach and train and motivate you and they are only a click of a mouse away.
“Zoom also allows for very in-depth small group work and all safely from the privacy of their homes or personal offices. I find to work with small groups and then augment with one-on-one on-line work is a wonderfully effective way to train.
“Another idea that you should be entertaining is setting up virtual workshop with your own people and invite some of your clients into the mix. This will add to your understanding of their needs and experiences and will also build your relationship with them. Think of every session as a mini-conference. The relationships you nurture now is this universal struggle will be relationships that you will have as the new normal takes hold. This is a hard time but it can also be a productive and building time.
“Retool, retrain and re-dream, build on existing relationships, develop new relationships and create the new normal together with your team and your clients.”
What People are Saying…
At a time when in-person events are unfortunately not possible, we approached Bill Carr to headline our first-ever virtual conference. Candidly, Bill knocked it out of the park. His session, ‘Living with resilience: the art of bouncing back!’ was playfully captivating, passionate, and timely. The creative session offered our guests thought-provoking and inspiring new ways of perceiving adversity and resilience in a COVID-laden world. And to our astonishment, he managed to cut through the haze of Zoom-fatigued viewers and draw our guests into an engaging hour of uplifting insight and commentary.
Speaking for the association and our conference guests, Bill Carr was the highlight of our event and a joy to work with.
-Career Colleges Ontario
I can’t say enough good things about Bill’s Keynote Address on November 6th to the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities annual conference. His talk on Deep Service: A Call to a Higher Level really resonated with our municipally elected and appointed officials and set the tone for the whole event. Engaging, humorous and wise, Bill had our delegates on their feet at the end of his remarks. Bill’s message is authentic, raw and unforgettable. I would highly recommend Bill to anyone who is interested in motivating and captivating their members!
-Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities
There were 275 or so in the audience. I would have said there were 275 people seated for the performance but he had most of them on the floor. Bill’s ability to weave his humor with the Rotary message was impressive. During wrap up on Sunday, there was the inevitable comparison between Bill’s performance and that of [the other speaker who had people on the edge of their seats]. On Sunday though, the talk was all Bill Carr. I wouldn’t simply want to recommend Bill to a future group I would want to insist upon it. He was the man and the message we needed and he delivered. Thanks for all of your help.
–Rotary 7820 District Conference
Our keynote speaker is scheduled as the last presentation during two days of sectoral meetings, technical, trade, and marketing presentations. Over the previous day and a half, our members have attended meetings and presentations that delve into the many issues facing the Canadian poultry and egg industry. Therefore, we always choose a keynote presenter who can take us away from the specific issues of our industry and give us a different perspective. In the past, we have chosen political correspondents, sports figures, motivational speakers, economists or business leaders. Choosing you, a self-proclaimed writer, actor, director, humorist, and social activist, was a bit of a departure for us.
In my initial discussions with you, I had noted that, given our convention was coming on the heels of a very difficult year for our members, we needed to be entertained with a motivational message. Your address accomplished both of these goals perfectly. I have been receiving positive comments from our attendees ever since and wanted to share that news with you. On a personal note, I have had the privilege of working with a number of speakers over the past half dozen years and have never met someone who was easier to talk to and work with than yourself.
Bill, thanks very much for adding to our annual event and helping make it a huge success.
–President and C.E.O., Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council
Bill did an amazing job in a very difficult time slot especially after a late-night social conference function for the majority. Bill was our highest-rated speaker this year, with a rating of 4.8 out of a possible rating of 5. Bill was motivational, yet extremely funny as well. I’ve never laughed so much in my life. Laughing… What a great way to start any morning, especially as a morning keynote presentation at the conference. Thanks for the humour Bill and for putting life into perspective.
–Manager, Conferences and Special Projects, Electro-Federation Canada
There is no doubt that “humour is the best medicine” and when it is delivered in your unique style the cure is instantaneous.
-Canadian Medical Association
With the perfect blend of stand-up comedy and personal, touching stories, Bill Carr delivers tremendous and applicable messages from business and life in general.
-Canadian Health Food Association