John Pollack
John Pollack helps people tap the full potential of language to articulate ideas, reveal truths, and persuade others to action. A former Presidential Speechwriter for Bill Clinton, John has spent more than 15 years as a consultant for CEOs, elected leaders and major philanthropists. Earlier, he worked as a speechwriter on Capitol Hill, as a foreign correspondent in Spain, and as a project manager at The Henry Ford — a museum of American innovation. A TEDx speaker on creativity and language, John has also delivered invited talks at Google, the 92nd Street Y, the New York Public Library, the Clinton School of Public Service, major universities and private corporations.
Throughout his career, John has pursued insight and understanding by venturing off the beaten path. In this spirit, he hitchhiked across Australia, worked in Antarctica, won the O. Henry World Pun Championships and built a boat of 165,321 corks, which he successfully skippered down Portugal's Douro River. A Stanford graduate, and former Wertheim Scholar at the New York Public Library, his books include The Pun Also Rises, Cork Boat, The World on a String, and Shortcut: How Analogies Reveal Connections, Spark Innovation and Sell Our Greatest Ideas.
Speaking Topics:
INNOVATION/ CREATIVITY/COMMUNICATION/LANGUAGE
CRITICAL THINKING/TEAMWORK/LEADERSHIP
Morning in America: Analogy and the Art of Persuasion -In this talk, Pollack reveals just how pervasive analogies really are, and how powerful. He also explains how to evaluate the “truth” of any analogy, and explores why people who hone their ability with analogy become more persuasive, and much more likely to achieve their goals. For people who need to persuade others, explain ideas or sell products, this talk should change the way you perceive the world – and your ability to shape it.
The Model T-Bone: Analogy and the Art of Innovation - For centuries, people have puzzled over the nature of genius, hoping to discover the secret to creativity. Building on ideas laid out in his 2014 book Shortcut, Pollack highlights the catalytic role that analogy plays in the discovery and spread of good ideas. For people and organizations seeking to become more innovative or establish leadership in their chosen arena, this presentation offers a fresh approach to enhancing their creative process, and to developing ideas that have true breakthrough potential.
Lessons from a Cork Boat: How to Achieve the Impossible - The unlikely and uplifting story of Pollack’s quest to build a boat entirely out of wine corks and take it on an epic journey – from cajoling skeptical bartenders to save tens of thousands of corks and persuading more than 100 volunteers to help build the boat, to enlisting the support of the U.S. Navy and ultimately embarking on a challenging voyage down Portugal’s Douro River, where the Cork Boat became a national sensation. For anyone with a dream of their own – or any organization interested in encouraging more imagination, perseverance, confidence and teamwork – Pollack’s presentation will change their sense of what is possible.
The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Enabled the Rise of Modern Civilization - Pollack explains how punning revolutionized language, enabled the rise of modern civilization, and is today enjoying a renaissance in advertising, entertainment and even the fight for free speech around the world. Delivered at venues including Google and the New York Public Library, this is a talk about the catalytic role that language plays in sparking creativity, and about the surprising role of playfulness in our search for new connections and solutions.