Public speaking
grease the wheels: Inspiring leaders and teams to think differently about brand, culture, and change.
leadership Talks
that spark clarity & confidence
Practical, high-energy sessions that leave people inspired - and ready to act.
get Inspired
As a strategist, I’ve helped organisations of every size unlock alignment and growth. My talks share the stories, tools, and ideas behind that work - helping leaders and teams see their brand from the inside out.
I’ve spoken to audiences around the world - from corporate leadership teams in Costa Rica to industry conferences in Portugal to workshops in the Czech Republic
- to creative agencies and entrepreneurial events in London.
My approach blends storytelling with strategy - insightful, practical, and always energising.
Topics
Popular topics include:
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Vision
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The principles of brand building and how they effect business growth
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Building a brand people believe in
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Aligning brand, culture and leadership
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Storytelling for strategy and influence
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The power of purpose in modern business
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Agile strategy and collaboration
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Storytelling
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Leadership
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Design thinking
Format
Sessions range from 60-minute keynotes to half- or full-day workshops - always tailored to your audience and goals.
Recent speaking highlights include events with Weiner media, a live call in on LBC, various interviews on the BBC, hosting a Fringe Event for Willmott Dixon after their Developing Leaders conference, speaking at The Barbican, The Nottingham Digital Marketing Summit, The London Business Show + more!
If you need a talk that moves people - not just informs them - I’d love to help.
Sample talks
See below a small sample of yours truly in action
"It was a real pleasure to have Matt be one of our speakers at Third Space today. Truly one of the best in branding. What I like about Matt's style is that he tells lots of stories, so he is very engaging. The session today was very well received by the GEN Zs and Millennials! He also gets creatives to start to think about business goals and be in the shoes of business leaders, put on different lenses. This is a solid approach."
Kathy Sheehy, CEO kittykat Singapore
"Matt came to our office in Costa Rica and imparted an outstanding training session. His energy is contagious, he gave practical advice and presented the Onlyness Strategy. Matt read the room perfectly, kept the conversation going and the audience fully engaged. We hope to work with him again soon.
Matt came to our office in Costa Rica and imparted an outstanding training session. His energy is contagious, he gave practical advice and presented the Onlyness Strategy. Matt read the room perfectly, kept the conversation going and the audience fully engaged. We hope to work with him again soon."
Monica Malcotti, Business development director, BLP Costa rica
"Matt kindly delivered a superb session to our Product Community about brand strategy and really brought to light key considerations and posed searching questions, invoking a lot of thought. Really loved the Onlyness strategy. Matt really brought the session to life – high energy, drive, oozing positivity and clearly has a rich depth of knowledge, experience and expertise. The team came away invigorated and extremely positive about the session Matt delivered. Thank you Matt!"
Julie Edwards, Director of Transformation, OneAdvanced uk
"I was lucky to grab the last spot at a great workshop here in Cyprus, where Matt shared his insights and tips on brand & positioning. Highly engaging, animated and authentic professional who really gave us actionable guidance. I highly recommend grabbing any opportunity to engage with him and learn from his approach, experience and perspective."
Sarah Henry, CEO ALLFX, Cyprus
"I’ve had the absolute pleasure of co-hosting the JUST Branding Podcast with Matt for years now, and I can confidently say... this guy is the real deal! His insights into branding, strategy, and leadership have been invaluable, helping designers, strategists, and entrepreneurs build brands that truly make an impact.
Matt isn’t just a branding expert... he’s a powerhouse communicator, a sought-after consultant, and an all-around top bloke who knows how to bring clarity and energy to every conversation. His passion for brand is infectious, and his ability to simplify complex ideas makes him a standout in the industry."
Jacob cass, australia, Co-host of award winning podcast just branding
"Matt is a true professional who not only shares knowledge but also motivates people to take action. I highly recommend him as a speaker and thought leader who brings both inspiration and real results."
Roman Sorak, Project Manager at global leadership conference LOB 2025
"Matt delivered an incredible keynote session on storytelling for the EMEA Kids Content team at WarnerMedia as part of their annual end of year Summit. Matt’s words were powerful, inspiring and engaging to say the least. Would highly recommend Matt’s services for any events of a similar nature. "
ashae Mederick, communications, WarnerMedia, EMEA
"Best speaker ever! Matt has spoken at two of our events. There's nobody better when it comes to brand strategy."
tom stansfield, founder of legal growth uk
Past speaking
My recent speaking engagements
Developing Leaders 2025
Manchester UK 🇬🇧
LOB2025
Ukraine 🇺🇦
Cyprus Entrepreneurs Circle
Cyprus 🇨🇾
Why Your Brand Positioning Matters
GigHRly
The Consulting Approach
Sept 5th 2025
Legacy Club
London, UK 🇬🇧
Live Coaching
August 28th 2025
AimOne 🇳🇬
Marketing in an attention scarce world
16th April 2025
Founders Future Podcast
The Story of VisionCamp®
14th April 2025
The Consulting Approach
6th March 2025
ACCA 🌎
The power of brand thinking
Jan 20th 2025
Growgetter Marketing Demystified Podcast 🇺🇸
Jan 17th 2025
WAM Watercooler Brand Talks 🌎
Agency vs Consultancy: What's the Best Fit for Your Business?
Jan 10th 2025
Unleash the Power of Collaboration Show 🌎
How to get your team pulling in the same direction
Dec 9th 2024
BrandersFest, Branders Magazine 🌎
Developing a Winning Brand Strategy
October 2024
Royal Pine - Meeting of the Minds 🇨🇾
Hello Future - Creating and rallying around brand strategy
26th September 2024
RSVIP Business Network 🇬🇧
Why Brand Positioning Matters
14th August 2024
Brand Builders Summit 🌐
Speaker (Dare to be Different), live Q&A and Panel
27th August 2024
Enterprise Nation & Vodafone 🇬🇧
Why brand positioning matters for growth
May 2nd 2024
Money-making Moms Summit 🇺🇸
Expert interviewee - Brand
April 2024
ACCA Global Annual General Virtual Conference 🌐
The Future of our Brand - What is a brand and why does it matter?
March 19th 2024
Montel Company All Hands 🌐
Think Brand.
March 15th 2024
The People Experience Hub 🇬🇧
How to have a competitive employer brand in 2024
January 24th 2024
BLP, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
The power of personal branding
Hypergalactic, Poland 🇵🇱
Brand Strategy Essentials for Space & Tech Ventures
October 11, 2023
VisionCamp® with Sunny Bonnell & Ashleigh Hansberger 🇺🇸
VisionCamp® x Minnesota Vikings
Lincoinshire Marketing Conference, Lincoln 🇬🇧
Factory 39, Cyprus 🇨🇾
Position your business for success
July 13th 2023
Butter Community ButterMix Session 🌐
Rebels and Rulers - how to use archetypes in your brand positioning
July 19th 2023
Fintech Fringe, London Tech Week 🇬🇧
Host & Speaker Day #3
Brand Master Secrets with Stephen Houraghan 🌐
How to become a Brand Consultant
Nottingham Digital Summit 🇬🇧
The Onlyness Strategy
23rd June 2023
Spring VisionCamp® with Sunny Bonnell & Ashleigh Hansberger 🌐
Visionary Leadership Certification Program
OneAdvanced, Global 🌐
Brand Thinking for success
April 28th 2023
Growth Conference, Lincoln 🇬🇧
The Onlyness Strategy
April 4th 2023
VisionCamp® with Sunny Bonnell & Ashleigh Hansberger 🌐
Visionary Leadership Certification Program
22nd-23rd February 2023
BLP Legal 🇨🇷
The Onlyness Strategy
2nd February 2023
Brand Start Podcast
Creating Global Brands with Leonard Grape 🇵🇭
December 1st 2022
Leadology, MTI Podcast Interview with Tom Poland 🇦🇺
How to build workplace cultures that people want to be part of
November 1st 2022
Thirdspace, Singapore 🇸🇬
Why VCs should care about branding
November 8th 2022
Willmott Dixon 2022 Supply Chain Conference,
York Race Course 🇬🇧
13th October 2022
Design FAO Conference 🇵🇹
The power of archetypes
October 7th 2022
Thirdspace, Singapore 🇸🇬
Brand: The Art of Managing Meaning
August 30th 2022
Exponential Creatives Master Series 🇦🇺 🌏
Retainers: The Secret of Growth
July 27th 2022
Design Hill 🌎
Panel discussion
March 21st 2022
Level C Artisan Workshop 🌎
Brand Archetypes
(supported by Marty Neumeier)
March 2nd 2022
Build Better Brands 🇬🇧
Podcast Interview with Danille Clarke
February 24th 2022
Warner Media Staff Summit 🌎
Keynote: "The power of Stories"
December 15th 2021
Nottingham Trent University, Product Design
Guest Lecture 🇬🇧
Principles of Branding
November 17th 2021
Level C Artisan Workshop 🌎
Brand Archetypes
(supported by Marty Neumeier)
November 12th 2021
Facilitator and presentation of "Insights for Finish Fintechs - overview of the UK Fintech Landscape" with Ben Brabyn
14th October 2021
Connect Marketing Services, Nigeria 🇳🇬
Sustaining Brand Essence
30th Sept 2021
Design Hill Global Panel Discussion 🌎
July 9th
TechleapNL Compass Programme Launch event 🇳🇱
Launch event host, programme facilitator & global brand expert advisor
Wednesday, 10th March 2021
Room 9 Podcast #91 🇺🇸
Archetypes Branding & Individuality
February 9th 2021
Branding Mastery: Agile Strategies To Stand Out As A Brand
Monday, 11th January 2021
Enterprise Nation, StartUp 2021, London 🇬🇧
Brand me: Why your personal branding is key
23rd January 2021
Nottingham Trent University, Product Design Guest Lecture 🇬🇧
What is Brand Strategy?
February 2021
Lets Talk Brand - Marketeer + WSB University Gdańsk 🇵🇱
9th December 2020
Fresh Movement's #FreshFriday - Live Interview 🇬🇧
The biggest problems that brands are facing and the solutions to combat them
Friday 4th December 2020
LBC Global Radio 🇬🇧
Expert Guest on the Business Hour live phone-in with Ian Dale and Emma Jones
28th October 2020
Nottingham Trent University, Product Design Guest Lecture 🇬🇧
Personal Branding - How to build a personal brand through the power of story
28th October 2020
Masgroves & Re:find
Assay Studios, Birmingham 🇬🇧
Why Values-led companies Always Win
29th October 2020
Nottingham Trent University Personal Development Week Keynote 🇬🇧
Personal Brand Development
9th November 2020
20 Minute Marketing Podcast #47 | Reach Interactive 🇬🇧
The Key Elements of Brand Strategy
14th October 2020
Expert interview with Timothy Adekunle, Nigeria 🇳🇬
Building a Brand
28th Sept 2020
BBC Interview for BBC Ulster 🇬🇧
"Uncle Ben's" rebrand to "Ben's Original" (53:47)
25th September 2020
Brand relevance: a practical workshop on how to pivot to stay relevant in a post-Covid world
21st September 2020
'Embracing The New' conference, Lagos Nigeria 🇳🇬
Brand Relevance: Why we need more than pretty pictures
11th September 2020
Interviewed live on IGTV for We Are Studeo 🇦🇺
Handling pushback
4th September 2020
Brand Master Secrets Podcast #15 🇦🇺
How To Become A Brand Strategy Consultant
3rd September 2020
Dell & Enterprise Nation 🇬🇧
Building your business: know who you are
26 August 2020
Brand Master Academy Podcast Interview 🇦🇺
How To Become A Brand Strategist And Consultant
19th August 2020
Experiential Marketers' Ass. of Nigeria, Lagos Nigeria 🇳🇬
The Power of Agile Design Thinking
13th August 2020
LogoGeek Podcast Interview Ep #91 🇬🇧
Moving from Designer to Full Time Brand Consultant
3rd August 2020
Host of BrandUP - The Online Interviews 🇬🇧
Interviewing Ade Cheatham, CEO of Cooper Parry
30th July 2020
Expert Interview - Hallam TV with CEO Julio Tailor 🇬🇧
16th July 2020
Interview - HigherPurpose Agency IGTV
Jakarta, Indonesia🇮🇩
Strategic Alignment
11th June 2020
Barn to Boardroom - Internal Comms Conference - Farnham 🇬🇧
How to align your leadership behind the same story
11th June 2020
Host of BrandUP - The Online Interviews 🇬🇧
Interviewing Julio Taylor, CEO of Hallam
9th June 2020
Webinar with Annelies James - Your Events Guy 🇬🇧
Wednesday 27th May
Fresh Movement's #FreshFriday - Live Interview 🇬🇧
Friday 22nd May 2020
Nottingham Trent University Business Breakfast Expert Panellist 🇬🇧
Shaping Enterprise: Pivoting your business
Thursday 21 May
Host of all hands daily virtual wellbeing events for Mental Health Awareness Week 🇬🇧
Pal International Wellbeing Week
18th May - 22nd May 2020
RSVIP Business Network 🇬🇧
Brand building:
Customer relationships in the time of Corona
23rd April 2020
Online Webinar: 🇬🇧
Brand Leadership - Corona Crisis - Live Q&A
9th April 2020
Hosting of global Level-C Fireside chats: 🇺🇸
Marty Neumeier & the Level-C community
#0 #1 #2 #3 - March 2020 - present
Hosting of monthly virtual business networking event: 🇬🇧
March 2020 - present (held once a month)
Online Webinar: 🇺🇸
Brand Leadership: How to Lead in Uncertain Times with Sunny Bonnell, Ashleigh Hansberger
30th March 2020
RSVIP Business Network 🇬🇧
Brand Leadership in the face of Corona
26th March 2020
Host of JUSTBranding Podcast with Jacob Cass 🇦🇺
March 2020 - Present
Creative Mornings Derby 🇬🇧
20th March 2020
Haifa, Israel 🇮🇱
Haifa's Networking Meetup & In-Vent The Haifa HUB
Your brand is not your logo - why you need brand thinking in everything you do
23rd Feb 2020
Cooper Parry's, Rebulution, East Midlands Airport 🇬🇧
28th November 2019
Nottingham Trent University Business School, Integrated Marketing Guest Lecture 🇬🇧
Storyategy - how to create a story based brand strategy
4th November 2019
Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Placement and Graduate Job Fair, Keynote 🇬🇧
Personal Branding - If you want to succeed tell stories
7th November 2019
Arcadis, Leadership Day, The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium London 🇬🇧
Leading through storytelling
12th November 2019
The University of Nottingham, Guest Lecture 🇬🇧
A brand is not a logo - 5 tips on how to create a meaningful brand.
21st November 2019
Nottingham Trent University, Product Design Guest Lecture 🇬🇧
Personal Branding - How to build a personal brand through the power of story
23rd October 2019
EXPO, Big House, St. Mary's Nottingham 🇬🇧
Brand Think: What character do you play in your customer's journey
September 10th 2019
Big House Event supported by Creative Quarter, THiNK Cobden Chambers, Nottingham 🇬🇧
'Matt Davies Brand Masterclass'
18th & 25th July 2019
'The Digital Marketing Summit', Nottingham 🇬🇧
'The Power of archetypal branding'
3rd July 2019
Cooper Parry Group's 'Culture Summit', East Midlands Airport 🇬🇧
'How to create a culture which people want to be part of'
4th July 2019
London Business Road Show 🇬🇧
'Your brand is not your logo -
Why you need brand thinking in everything you do'
June 26th 2019
Nottinghamshire Visitor Economy Summit 2019 🇬🇧
'The Power of Brand Nottingham'
June 10th 2019
Creatives Club Club, Nottingham 🇬🇧
"How to use your story to position your brand with impact”
June 5th 2019
East Midlands Business Marketing Club 🇬🇧
'Creating a ‘stand out’ culture for B2B brands'
May 23rd 2019
DisruptHR, East Midlands, Nottingham 🇬🇧
'Branding inside out'
Thursday 11th April 2019
Shelf Impactors™ with Mark Grey - Podcast #S2E02 🇬🇧
April 2019
LEAP: Creative Industries Expo, Nottingham Trent University 🇬🇧
Opening Keynote: 'If you want to succeed. Tell stories.'
2nd April 2019
Confetti, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham 🇬🇧
'The Freelance Creative - The Why, The How and The What'
March 2019
TMRW, London 🇬🇧
‘Standout. Be Meaningful.
How to use storytelling archetypes to swiftly convey
meaning and say the right things to the right people.’
February 2019
Extraordinary with Tobias Dahlburg 🇸🇪 - Podcast Episode #25:
"Brand Storytelling with Matt Davies"
February 2019
Drink Digital, Nottingham 🇬🇧
‘Selling to humans
How to communicate meaning through archetypes’
January 2019
Capital One 'All-Design Team' meet-ups 🇬🇧:
Six Thinking Hats & the power of parallel thinking
10 Tips on Public Speaking
Archetypal Characters in Storytelling
Why designers should care about storytelling
2018
Guest speaker at Innes England's Market Insite events
held in Nottingham, Derby and Leicester 🇬🇧
'The Power of Purpose'
February 2018
Speaker at Yu Energy’s Annual Team Meeting 🇬🇧
‘Your brand is what they say it is’
December 2017
Speaker at Innes England’s Annual all-hands town hall 🇬🇧
‘What makes you, you?'
December 2017
Hosted and ran the annual national one day 'Supply Chain Forum' for Willmott Dixon 🇬🇧
'Storytelling Strategy'
November 2017
Interviewed by BBC Radio Nottingham on the subject of 🇬🇧
‘Creative Workplaces’
September 2017
Guest Lecturer at Lincoln University 🇬🇧
"How to find and tell brand stories"
April 2015
Guest Lecturer at East Midlands Further Education Council 🇬🇧
"Brand First - it's not the what it's the why"
March 2015
Guest Lecturer at the Barbican, London 🇬🇧
"Getting an App built"
September 2013
Expert on Q&A panel for the Guardian Online 🇬🇧
"Getting a career in Design"
September 2010