Nobody Is Coming to Give You Permission.
Chris Sund speaks on procrastination as most people experience it: not laziness, but waiting. Waiting for the right time, more information, more confidence or someone else’s permission. His signature keynote, You Are Capable of More, is about closing that gap. In his research, 73% of leaders said they delay action they know they should take.
Where Organizations Book Chris on Procrastination
Every organization has a list of things everyone agrees should happen and nobody has started. Chris speaks to the people who own those lists.
Kickoffs
The general session that turns this year’s plan into this week’s action.
Leadership Teams
For leaders who delay hard calls and the teams that wait with them.
Association Conferences
A keynote that sends members home with one thing they will start, not just one thing they learned.
Professional Development
For people with good intentions and full calendars.
Why Do Smart People Put Off What Matters?
Procrastination is rarely about time. It is about waiting to feel ready, avoiding a conversation, or protecting yourself from a result you might not like. In the research behind his book, 73% of leaders said they delay action they know they should take.
Chris’s message is that nobody is coming to give permission. He shows people how to make the smallest real start, finish what they begin and stop letting a feeling make the decision. See also Stop Waiting for Permission.
- The three kinds of waiting that look like planning
- The call you are avoiding, and how to make it
- Starting smaller than feels useful, on purpose
- Finishing what you start, and why it matters more than starting
- You do not need more time: where the hours actually go
- One thing each person starts before the week is over
Proof: The Message in Print and on Stage
Chris has written about this for Axcess News, Mass News and Forbes, and on the site in The Call You Are Avoiding, Finish What You Start and You Do Not Need More Time.
The research and stories come from the bestselling book You Are Capable of More, delivered at conferences, kickoffs and leadership events across the country.
Having Chris Sund as a Sarpy County emPower Breakfast speaker was a breath of fresh air. Before I heard him I thought, “nice title, I wonder if he’ll deliver any new ideas.” He was amazing! He brought up all the things that make us a little crazy and gave us new ways of handling objections. I would always be happy to recommend Chris.
I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing Chris Sund’s speaking engagements firsthand — and they are truly powerful. You leave not only inspired but equipped with practical leadership insights you’re eager to implement.
Programs on Action and Ownership
Every session is customized to your audience.
You Are Capable of More
The signature keynote: people are capable of far more than they realize, and the gap closes when they stop waiting and take ownership.
You Are Capable of More: Leadership
How great leaders unlock the people around them. Chris’s leadership workshop, also available as a keynote.
Take Back Your Time with AI
A practical working session on handing repeated work to AI, then deciding where the saved time goes.
Accountability
Doing what you said you would do, and leading teams that do the same.
Formats
The keynote is the most common format. A breakout works well inside a productivity or development track.
Keynote
The signature keynote: why people wait, and how to stop.
Breakout
A smaller-room session where each person names and starts the thing they have been avoiding.
Virtual
The same keynote live online.
Who Books This Session
Related pages: Accountability Speaker · Productivity Speaker · Goal Setting Speaker · The Call You Are Avoiding · Finish What You Start · Habits and Discipline Speaker
What Planners Ask About a Procrastination Speaker
Is this a time management talk?
Not mainly. Chris treats procrastination as waiting rather than poor scheduling, and focuses on ownership and starting. For time and AI, see his productivity session.
What do attendees leave with?
A clear picture of what they have been waiting on, a small real start, and one commitment for the week.
Does Chris speak virtually?
Yes. In-person sessions are his preference, and he also delivers keynotes and breakouts virtually.
How much does it cost to book Chris?
Chris quotes the speaking fee and travel together in one proposal, so the total is clear up front. Send your date, city and audience through the contact form and you will have availability and a quote within one business day.
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.
Many hosts give every attendee a copy of You Are Capable of More so the message keeps working after the event. Bulk pricing and signed copies are available.
He Still Runs the Companies
Chris is President and COO of Uniti Med, GQR Healthcare and Nebula. He has spent the past decade in healthcare staffing, a business that runs on people, pace and morale, and he speaks two to three times a month alongside running his companies.
He took Uniti Med from startup to 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 along the way.
He is the bestselling author of You Are Capable of More, winner of the How-To category at the 2026 Paris Book Festival and built on original research with more than 200 working adults, 92% of whom said they were capable of more than they were doing. He writes for Inc. and Forbes.
Stages I Have Spoken On
Where Audiences Have Heard Chris
Conferences, company meetings and kickoffs where Chris has spoken.
POWER ConferenceOmaha, NEemPower Breakfast LincolnOct 2026 · Handling ObjectionsDefinitive Healthcare SKOBoston, MA · 800+ sellersMICA Fall Business MeetingsTake Back Your Time with AINAHCR 2026 Annual ConferenceMilwaukee, WIBeatStars Company MeetingVirtual · May 2026Also: You Are Capable of More · Productivity Speaker · All Speaking · See all speaking engagements →
Turn Plans Into Starts
Tell Chris about your audience and your event. You’ll get a fast, straight answer on fit and availability.
Check Availability & FeesResponse within one business day · Speaker kit, bio & headshots