Growth Starts With the Call Nobody Wants to Make.
Chris Sund is an entrepreneur and small business speaker for chambers of commerce, small business weeks, entrepreneur groups and CEO peer groups. He helped grow Uniti Med from startup into one of the largest healthcare staffing companies in the US, and he talks to owners about what actually moved the number: persistence, the cost of saying no, and the people you hire to carry it.
What Do Small Business Owners Actually Need From a Speaker?
Owners do not need another talk about mindset from someone who has never made payroll. They need to know how to land the account that changes the year, how to get a team to sell and serve the way they would, and how to grow without the whole business depending on them.
Chris speaks as an operator. He has sold a product to a buyer who did not think he needed it, and he has helped build a company from startup to national scale. His sessions are built on what worked and what did not.
- How to get the account that keeps saying no
- Showing the cost of not buying instead of pushing features
- LAARC for objections: Listen, Acknowledge, Ask, Respond, Confirm
- Hiring and promoting the people your team already follows
- Growing past the point where the owner does everything
The Paper Clip Story
Before healthcare staffing, Chris spent ten years in restaurants and beverage, ending as head of sales and marketing for a brewery. His beer was in every major store except the biggest retailer in the country, and one buyer made that call. Chris called him over and over. When the buyer finally picked up, he asked whether Chris knew how many products were on his shelves, and whether he buys paper clips. To that buyer, the beer was a paper clip.
Chris did not argue. He showed the cost of not carrying it: a top seller in its category, stocked by every competitor, with loyal customers who would drive to another store for it and do the rest of their shopping there. The buyer said: get me your best sellers, in every store, with a display.
That is the core of how Chris teaches growth: persistence gets you the meeting, and showing the cost of saying no gets you the yes. He has taught it to small business owners at the emPower Breakfast, to the Greater Omaha business community at the POWER Conference, and on the Authentica Connect & Inspire panel on selling with integrity.
Having started a brand new role in Business Development recently, the timing was perfect. Chris is a great story teller and shared how he was persistent and determined to get what he wanted in his career. I found the focus on “the pause” and how we speak resonated and caused me to pause. Tone, words and even our body language while listening all lead us to the next conversation.
The content was practical, the delivery was engaging, and I walked away with ideas I could actually use. If you get the chance to attend one of his sessions, take it.
Chris was able to energize the room, spark conversations, and encourage connections throughout the event. We are incredibly grateful for Chris and the lasting impact he is making on our community’s future leaders.
Programs for Entrepreneurs and Owners
Every session is customized to your members, your setting and your year.
You Are Capable of More: Sales
The sales keynote: consistency, ownership of the number and objection handling with LAARC and LOCKS.
How to Handle Objections
The objections program for owners and small teams who sell, recruit and negotiate every week.
You Are Capable of More
The signature keynote on closing the gap between what owners and their teams are doing and what they are capable of.
Formats
Each program runs as a keynote, a half-day workshop or a full-day workshop. Chamber luncheons and breakfasts usually take the keynote.
General Session
A breakfast, luncheon or general-session keynote built around the paper clip story and one tool owners use that week.
Workshop
The keynote plus working time: owners map their biggest stuck account or hire and build the next conversation using LAARC.
Workshop
A growth day for owners or a CEO peer group: keynote, objection practice, and planning around sales, hiring and delegation.
Who Books This Session
Related pages: Chamber of Commerce Speaker · Revenue Growth Speaker · How to Grow Revenue Fast · How to Increase Sales
What Chamber and Entrepreneur Planners Ask
Has Chris spoken to small business and chamber audiences?
Yes. He has spoken at the emPower Breakfast series, the Greater Omaha Chamber POWER Conference and Young Professionals workshop, and the Authentica Connect & Inspire panel.
Is he an entrepreneur or a corporate executive?
Both sides. He helped build Uniti Med from startup into one of the largest healthcare staffing companies in the US and is now President & COO of Uniti Med and GQR Healthcare and COO of Nebula. Before that he sold for a brewery, where every account was won one buyer at a time.
Will the content work for owners outside healthcare?
Yes. The stories come from beer sales, restaurants and staffing, and the tools are about selling, objections, hiring and leading a small team. None of it requires a healthcare background.
Can it fit a breakfast or luncheon slot?
Yes. Chamber and breakfast-series events usually run 30 to 60 minutes, and the keynote is built to fit the program around it.
Can attendees get the book?
Yes. Copies of You Are Capable of More can be bundled for attendees, and Chris can sign books at the event. See bulk orders.
You Are Capable of More
The bestselling book behind the keynote, and the 2026 Paris Book Festival winner in the How-To category. Ten principles for closing the gap between what a team is producing and what it is actually capable of.
Copies can be bundled for chamber members or event attendees, and Chris can run a signing table after the program.
He Built One From Startup
Chris is President & COO of Uniti Med and GQR Healthcare and COO of Nebula. He helped build Uniti Med from startup into one of the largest healthcare staffing companies in the US: 10x revenue growth on the core brand, #3 on the Inc. Regionals list of the fastest-growing companies in the Midwest, and a Fortune Best Workplaces award.
Before healthcare staffing he spent ten years in restaurants and beverage, managing restaurants and then running sales and marketing for a brewery. He still has a company to run on Monday, and the material comes from that work.
He is the bestselling author of You Are Capable of More, a Maxwell Leadership Certified coach, and writes for Inc. and Forbes.
Stages I Have Spoken On
Where Business Owners Have Heard Chris
Chamber, breakfast-series and business stages where Chris has spoken to owners and entrepreneurs.
Greater Omaha Chamber POWER ConferenceOmaha, NEGreater Omaha Chamber YP WorkshopOmaha, NEemPower BreakfastBellevue, NEemPower Breakfast LincolnLincoln, NEAuthentica Connect & InspireOmaha, NEMICA Fall Business MeetingsBusiness MeetingsAlso: Chamber of Commerce Speaker · Revenue Growth Speaker · How to Increase Sales · See all speaking engagements →
Bring Chris to Your Business Event
Tell Chris about your members or owners and what they are trying to grow this year. You’ll get a fast, straight answer on fit and availability.
Check Availability & FeesResponse within one business day · Speaker kit, bio & headshots