What a time to be a student leader! We need you now
more than ever, and I’m here to help.
The college experience is different, but student leadership isn’t. Students, we need you! This is your time to step up and show the world what you’re made of - and I’m here to help.
Your organizations are important, your missions are important, and everything you want to accomplish this year is possible, it’s just going to take a little ingenuity.
The secret to coming out of this on top is leading with vulnerability. Now is the time to be human. To grab hold of that heartbeat inside of us and lead with it. This is the key to growing our membership, strengthening our teams, and regenerating a new vision for our organizations. This is our moment.
I’ve spent the last several months putting together several virtual options that will help you crush this incredibly weird year.
I bring the same energy virtually that you see from me on stage — frequently witty, and always fresh. I use my background in improv and stand-up comedy to keep the Zoom room poppin’ and then I’ll probably sneak attack you with something that hits you in the feels. What can I say, it’s my brand.
Most Requested Virtual Options
Video Series
A three-part series with three 10-15 minute videos and discussion questions that can be used in meetings, as a stand-alone event, or built into a leadership retreat. The videos are funny and engaging and the action-step discussion questions bring it all to life.
Live Virtual Keynote
Like my in-person speaking experiences, but better because you don’t have to wear pants! I’ll use breakout rooms to keep it engaging and bring the humor and energy that will have you wondering where the time went. We can also add on a Q&A make it extra personal.
Virtual Retreats
Leadership retreats are looking a little different this year, and I’m here to help - we can talk about half and full-day options that will be fun and engaging from start to finish. In addition to my content we can include trivia, dance parties, and maybe a free-style rap or two.
Leading Through Uncertainty: How to crush the semester with authentic leadership
Hey superheroes, take off your capes (but please leave on your mask). Hey leaders, let's check our ego for a second. In this session, students will be asked to think critically about the way they communicate with each other by considering this concept: authentic leadership is about using your experiences, your shortcomings, and lessons learned to make yourself appear human to your peers. Doing this boosts morale and trust. In the midst of a critical social justice movement we must focus on what is right, not the need to be right. In the global pandemic, we must preach and practice empathy for ourselves and others. It is during this period of ambiguity and uncertainty that leaders emerge, but not the ones who are trying to be perfect. No, it is the ones who recognize the power of authenticity and relatability that will inspire others right now.
Unmute Yourself: Virtual Public Speaking Skills
Public speaking is uncomfortable for many in person. Now with screens, miles, and mute buttons between you and your peers it’s even more nerve-racking. But we are where we are, so let's lean in and learn. This workshop will be packed with immediately applicable takeaways that will make you a more confident and effective communicator in the virtual world AND when we get to high-5 each other again in the real world!
More Action, Less Title: Empowering Leaders To Do More
Congratulations on getting a leadership position, high-5s all around! Being a leader in your organization, however, is an action, not just a title. If you’re a newly appointed chair who wants to attack your new role or a seasoned member who wants to leave a meaningful legacy, this session is for you! This session will breathe new life into the act of empowering members by challenging them to do better through a three-part strategy: challenging, motivating, and appreciating your peers. You’ll leave this session with a new strategic plan for how to positively impact members of your organization by boosting morale and increasing retention. You’ll also giggle.
Work in Progress: Men
Men, in your past when you were challenged or in a tough spot what was your response? Did you get defensive? Did you make excuses? Did you try to shift blame? Did you listen? Did you fall back into an old routine? It’s time to be reflective, not just reactive. Men we have a choice to make: are we going to be cool or great? In this program we’ll laugh at ourselves while analyzing deep topics such as fear, coping mechanisms, love, and how they relate to men’s mental health and brotherhood. Do you have courage to join me in putting in the work?
Don’t see the topic you were hoping for? Contact me and I will work with you to design a speech to fit your needs!
Here’s what I bring to the table…
Customization
Every group is going through something different right now, and that’s why, before any engagement, I spend time personally on the phone understanding what’s happening on your campus and with your organization and how I can help. I like to know even the silliest little details, because it generates trust from the audience when I speak about tangible problems they’re facing. And for me, that trust is invaluable.
Personality
From the start I get audiences laughing so that they know this isn’t just another virtual engagement. My background in improv and stand-up comedy helps me riff with audiences, making your team feel more comfortable and building rapport that comes quick and easy. I use humor to open everyone up, which makes space for us to have the genuine, raw, honest conversations that we all need.
Interactivity
Even though we’re virtual, this isn’t a passive experience, my presentation style is very interactive and inclusive. Whether it’s through the chat function, live call-outs, or virtual breakout rooms, I engage the audience throughout. Our conversations will be thought-provoking, filled with self-awareness, and laced with comedy, which means your team will stay engaged from beginning to end. And it’s with this level of engagement that the words and concepts transform into action and results.
Results
During our time together your team will break down barriers to solve current issues, learn how to share negative and positive feedback, understand the benefits of being an active member on a team, and discover and apply the principles of being an authentic leader. They’ll also leave with a good old-fashioned dose of motivation and inspiration. Now more than ever is a time to invest in and care for the humans on our teams.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT MY VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
“James did an amazing job as the keynote speaker during our virtual student leadership conference on Sunday!! Both of his breakout sessions were great and his think your keynote session is exactly what we needed. He made us laugh and cry. I love the story telling and the humor that he incorporate into everything. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air with everything going on. I’m also impressed that James was able to keep up his energy while not needing the audience fanfare. It was perfect for a virtual conference and so impressive that he's able to do that. Would definitely recommend James for another leadership conference for college students. He just gets it!” Jackie // West Chester University of Pennsylvania
“Hosting James virtually was a great decision for our virtual leadership conference! We’ve hosted James in person a few times in the past, but this year we made the switch to virtual and he made a two hour session feel like 10 minutes. He leads with passion, enthusiasm, knowledge, and his sense of humor. James personalized the presentation and crafted it to the needs of our conference. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to be inspired or motivated to make change in this world.” Sean // Ball State University
"Having James Robilotta return to campus virtually to address our student leaders was a great way to kick-off the school year, especially during a global pandemic. His authentic approach to speaking, message on leadership during uncertainty, and his ability to relate it to what's happening in our country was exactly what our students needed to hear. Additionally, his ability to captivate the audience while adding his own mix of humor and sincerity is unmatched. Leave it to James to make Zoom Meeting enjoyable to the point that you don't even notice time passing by all while motivating and inspiring listeners to reevaluate how they lead and interact with others." Carrie // Youngstown State University
“James is always a pleasure to work with, even through Zoom with muted participants, he had the rapt attention of all Keynote address attendees. Our undergraduate and alumni members greatly appreciated his message to lead imperfectly and connect with stories. We have already had a call for James to come to our next in-person Convention! We look forward to working with James to produce a video on how to use stories to connect in a virtual environment. We highly recommend James (and Tina!)” Katie // Zeta Psi Fraternity
“This was our first community wide program through zoom. James was wonderful in engaging our students in the conversation. We received a great deal of positive responses in our follow-up survey noting the James was authentic, funny, knowledgeable, and real. Our students noted that the lessons provided were applicable for them now and they enjoyed learning more during the program.” Kate // Radford University
“James Robilotta was one of the featured speakers for our virtual Leadership School this summer. He was immediately engaging participants as they joined the meeting by having them type into the chat box and welcoming them as they joined. He utilized breakout rooms to engage participants with each other and created a learning environment that was casual, welcoming, and vulnerable for undergraduate men.” Leslie // Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity
“While this is a year unlike any other, having James speak to our first-year students felt like a bit of normalcy. Despite being halfway across the country, James was as present to our first year students as though he was in the room with them. His stories and observations on the college years still hit home for our students and it was great to see them chatting with their roommates and with each other in the chatbox as they were thinking about the experience they were about to begin as Manhattan College students.” AJ // Manhattan College
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Get in touch with me.
Please fill out the form provided and we will be in touch shortly!
You can also contact my Team Captain, Laura Lavender, at laura@jamestrobo.com with questions.
I look forward to working with you!