ROSS SHAFER has the most peculiar background of any speaker on CHANGE.

He has authored nine business books yet also won international stand-up comedy competitions. He's earned six TV Emmys as a network talk and game show host yet credits his success to reselling bicycles at age 13. He flipped cars at 15 and flipped homes at 18. After college at 21, he started buying and selling companies. The common denominator is a burning pursuit of excellence that has driven Ross to the top of every field he's entered.

Since his early teens, Ross Shafer has been obsessed with understanding "Who succeeds? Who fails? And Why?" His confidence flourished when he discovered that there were specific blueprints for success in every job and every industry. That understanding led to his noteworthy achievements in business, television broadcasting, book writing, professional speaking (CPAE) and even stand-up comedy. His wildly diverse career choices have allowed Ross to communicate complex ideas with great fun - and an "everyman" quality.

Today, he coaches leaders and teams on how to cross-pollinate innovative ideas about emerging trends, shifting buying habits, and the motivation of workforces during mergers and acquisitions. His clients include 73 of the Fortune 100…as well as a broad array of associations. What most people don't know is that Ross may have sparked the explosion of the entertainment cooking channels when he wrote a funny bestselling book, Cook Like a Stud (38 recipes men can prepare in the garage using their own tools). Not bad for a guy who played college football (pre-concussion-era helmets) and who still aspires to get his hair right.