Dambisa Moyo
Member of the UK House of Lords | Global Economist & Board Member, Chevron, Starbucks, Condé Nast & National Geographic | Author of Five Bestselling Books | TIME 100 Most Influential
Shawn Callahan
Founder of Anecdote, the World's Largest Business Storytelling Company | Author of the Award-Winning Putting Stories to Work | Expert on Storytelling, Sales & Leadership
Shawn Callahan has shown leaders at companies like Shell, IBM, Microsoft, and Danone that the most persuasive tool in business isn't data, it's a well-told story. Founder of Anecdote, the world's largest business storytelling company, and author of the award-winning Putting Stories to Work, he turns storytelling from a vague art into a practical, repeatable skill. Audiences leave able to influence, sell, and lead through stories that stick.
Want to book Shawn Callahan as a speaker for your event? Please provide the info below and we’ll get in touch within 24h:
Shawn Callahan biography
Shawn Callahan is one of the world’s foremost authorities on business storytelling, a keynote speaker, consultant, and executive coach who teaches leaders and sellers how to influence, engage, and inspire through the power of a well-told story. He is the founder of Anecdote, widely regarded as the world’s largest business storytelling company, whose programs are delivered in around eight languages across some 20 countries.
Storytelling speaker Shawn Callahan began his career in technology, working with companies such as IBM and Oracle, before concluding that it is people, not systems, who ultimately make or break an organization. He founded Anecdote in 2004 to help leaders find and tell the kind of oral stories that build trust, shift opinions, and move people to act. Since then he has worked with many of the world’s largest corporations, including Shell, SAP, Bayer, Microsoft, Danone, Allianz, Mars, and Tesco.
His influential book, Putting Stories to Work: Mastering Business Storytelling, distills more than two decades of practice into a clear, repeatable method built around four moves: discover, remember, share, and refresh. Grounded in psychology, sociology, and neuroscience research, the book won a gold AXIOM Business Book Award and remains one of the most practical guides available to anyone who wants to communicate with greater impact.
Helping Leaders Tell the Story of Their Strategy
Much of Callahan’s work focuses on a problem familiar to every executive team: a strategy that no one can remember or repeat. He helps CEOs and their people turn dense strategic plans into clear, memorable stories that employees can actually carry in their heads and act on, drawing on the insight that stories are far more memorable, and far more shareable, than facts and bullet points alone. He continues to research and write on the craft, with a new book on business storytelling underway.
As a speaker, Shawn Callahan turns an abstract skill into a practical habit audiences can use the moment they leave the room. Blending research, humor, and plenty of real stories, he shows leaders, salespeople, and technically minded professionals how to find the stories hiding in their own experience and tell them in a way that connects, persuades, and sticks. Audiences leave with concrete techniques rather than vague inspiration.
Shawn Callahan Speaking Videos
Shawn Callahan talks Business Storytelling on Ticker
Shawn Callahan at Brand Week Istanbul
Shawn Callahan Keynote Topics
Stories let leaders influence without relying on authority, build rapport quickly, change minds, and move people to act. Drawing on his work with global organizations, Callahan teaches the practical techniques leaders need to find the right story, tell it well, and use it to engage and inspire their teams, replacing forgettable opinions and bullet points with messages people actually remember and repeat.
The best salespeople rely on stories to build rapport fast, establish credibility, and demonstrate value in a way that data alone never can. In this keynote, Callahan shows sales teams how to find and tell the stories of their products, services, and customers, so that more of them can connect with buyers, overcome resistance, and close deals faster and more consistently.
Employees can only act on a strategy they actually understand and remember, yet most strategies live in dense decks that no one can recall. Because stories are far more memorable and shareable than facts alone, they are a powerful way to make strategic choices clear and compelling. Callahan reveals how leaders can craft and tell the story of their strategy so it spreads through the organization and inspires aligned action.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Shawn Callahan
Why Shawn Callahan?
Booking Shawn Callahan brings the world's leading authority on business storytelling to your stage. As the founder of Anecdote, the largest business storytelling company in the world, and the author of the award-winning Putting Stories to Work, he has spent more than two decades teaching executives and sales teams at global companies like Shell, IBM, SAP, and Danone how to communicate with real impact. What sets him apart is that he doesn't just make the case for storytelling, he hands audiences a clear, practical method they can put to work immediately, all delivered with warmth, humor, and plenty of memorable stories. For events focused on leadership, sales, communication, or change, he is an outstanding investment. Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you check his availability and book him for your event.
What is Shawn Callahan's book Putting Stories to Work about?
Putting Stories to Work: Mastering Business Storytelling gives leaders a clear, practical process for becoming better communicators through oral storytelling. It is built around Callahan's four-step story mastery method, discover, remember, share, and refresh, and teaches readers to recognize and use key story patterns, from connection and clarity stories to influence and success stories. Drawing on psychology and neuroscience research and illustrated with many real examples, the book won a gold AXIOM Business Book Award and is regarded as one of the most actionable guides to business storytelling.
What is Anecdote?
Anecdote is the business storytelling company Shawn Callahan founded in 2004, widely described as the largest of its kind in the world. It helps leaders and sellers at global organizations find and tell oral stories that engage people, influence opinions, simplify change, and make strategies stick. Its training programs are delivered in around eight languages across some 20 countries, working with Global 1000 companies including Shell, IBM, SAP, Bayer, Microsoft, and Danone.
What topics does storytelling speaker Shawn Callahan cover?
Callahan speaks on business storytelling for leadership, storytelling for sales, communicating strategy through stories, and using stories to drive engagement and change. His talks suit sales kickoffs, leadership summits, and corporate conferences where audiences want a practical, immediately usable skill rather than abstract theory. To book Shawn Callahan for a keynote or workshop-style session, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau and our team will handle availability, fees, and logistics.
How to book Shawn Callahan as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Shawn Callahan as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Shawn Callahan's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Shawn Callahan or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Shawn Callahan speaking fee?
Shawn Callahan speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Shawn Callahan to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Shawn Callahan.
How can I contact Shawn Callahan?
We only work with Shawn Callahan on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Shawn Callahan and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Shawn Callahan speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Shawn Callahan for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Shawn Callahan for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Shawn Callahan is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Shawn Callahan for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
