Clay is Available to Speak to Your Group
Clay Stafford is the expert on commercial storytelling, assisting all storytelling creators in all stages of their careers regardless of their media: novels, short stories, nonfiction, essays, poems, screenplays, filmmaking, stage plays, stage production, and music.
For those in fields that are not considered “creative,” Clay’s presentations on creativity and “thinking outside the box” have been instrumental in revolutionizing company and individual productivity and profit margins.
Clay Stafford is available to present and teach at your organization’s event. His presentations can be adapted into keynote speeches, forty-five-minute breakouts, half-day or full-day workshops, or mixed and matched for a multi-day hands-on retreat. He can also tailor specific topics based on your organization’s needs.
Having spoken live to over one million people, ranging from the South Dakota Festival of Books to the U.S. Department of Defense, Clay would be delighted to share his time and experience with you and your group. He is a professional member of the National Speakers Association.
Sample Topics Available
Writing an Exciting Middle to a Story...Ways to Avoid the Dreaded Sag
A Dozen Ways to be a Bestseller
Structuring the Compelling Memoir
Clay can also tailor specific topics based on your organization’s needs. Keynotes to multi-day classes are available.
Booking Clay
To book Clay for any of the above sessions, either in person or electronically remote, please contact Tricia Hedman from Ollie Media at:
tricia@olliemedia.com.
SAMPLE PRAISE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
“I commend you for the terrific, professional presentation. Your address and follow-on workshop were the highlights of the conference. You captivated the audience. You literally had them rolling in the aisles with your humorous anecdotes. The extra personal attention you gave was exemplary. I really appreciate your willingness to visit with members of the group individually for several hours after your speech. You are obviously excited about the message you have to share, and have a wonderful ability to transmit that excitement as well as understanding to an audience. We are proud to have you on the Army Team and look forward to working with you again.” – Gary L. Anderson, Department of the Army, U.S. Department of Defense
WARNER BROS.
“A man with many talents, Clay’s warm, pleasant personality relates well with others and enhances his ability to be a team player or a team leader. Self-motivated, dedicated to his career, intelligent, well-organized, paying close attention to detail, Clay’s skills in creativity, communication, organization, and management make him an excellent member of any team.” – John Whitesell, Vice President, Warner Bros International Television Distribution
U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN MARSHA BLACKBURN
“A great presentation.” – U.S. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS / HANNA-BARBERA / LUCASFILM
“Clay’s natural writing ability, keen sense of humor, honesty, and diligence make him a front-runner with any company organization. Having worked with Clay, I feel confident that he possesses the moral character, professionalism, and intelligence to be an invaluable member of any team. It is difficult to imagine an individual better suited to be a working member of the entertainment community than Clay.” – Liz Ramirez, Universal Studios / Hanna-Barbera / Lucasfilm
MALICE IN MEMPHIS
“As soon as we clicked off Zoom, people started talking about what you said. And several of them began applying it to the story they had started earlier. As an organizer, that was gratifying." - Jackie Flaum, Malice in Memphis
HOLLYWOOD PICTURES / WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
“Excelling in writing, producing, and directing, Clay Stafford is creative, talented, a great source of advice and information, and a tremendous addition to any team.” – Cynthia Payo, Hollywood Pictures / Walt Disney Studios
THE OPEN MIC PODCAST
“I found that Clay's tremendous passion for helping writers achieve their dreams comes across in everything he does.” - Richard Ehisen/The Open Mic Podcast
MIAMI DADE COLLEGE / FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
“Clay Stafford’s knowledge of and experience in the industry is extensive. I was quite impressed by the substance of Clay’s work. Clay was extremely helpful as a consultant, reviewing curriculum and generating innovative ideas for instruction. It was very well thought out and will be used to elevate the quality of courses taught in the Wolfson School. I found him to be a delight to work with. Clay has an infectious enthusiasm that would motivate students and generate energy among other faculty. Clay is quite polished and articulate. Clay would make an excellent faculty member. Clay was completely reliable and, in fact, delivered more than was expected. I take great pleasure in recommending Clay Stafford.” – Kandell Bentley-Baker, Miami Dade College / Florida International University
DIAMOND VALLEY WRITERS’ GUILD
“Clay’s passion for sharing his knowledge and experience comes through in his presentations. He’s been our guest speaker twice now, and we plan to have him back!” – Michelle Bassett, Diamond Valley Writers’ Guild
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
“We are very happy to recommend the services of Clay Stafford as an instructor and seminar leader. Always professional. We have enjoyed our relationship with Clay and are confident that you will too. Clay has been consistently cooperative and willing to work with our staff within the parameters of our department and has correspondingly been sensitive to our particular objectives. He is easy to work with and attuned to our specific needs. The courses Clay has taught have been well-organized and outlined in syllabus format. All courses have been well-received by his students with many taking additional courses on different subjects with him in future semesters. Several of his students came from word-of-mouth referrals from previous students. That is the best recommendation of all.” – Ginny Reese, University of Tennessee
FIRST TENNESSEE BANK
“Clay shares valuable knowledge that certainly benefits.” – Greer Carlisle, Senior Vice-President, First Tennessee Bank
COUNCIL FOR THE WRITTEN WORD
“The whole day was a success, largely due to Mr. Stafford’s inspiring keynote speech. Outstanding. Clay Stafford is well-known for his informative, well-delivered talks. His ability to fulfill his audience’s needs, to make his presentations warm, friendly and enlightening, and to never condescend even though he has a great fund of information at his fingertips, make him a very valuable speaker. I know when a speaker has students in his or her grasp; Mr. Stafford did. Their attention never wavered. Participants wrote about him enthusiastically, stressing how much he knew and how well he presented his body of knowledge. But just as important, they wrote comments that told of his friendly, outgoing, and relaxed demeanor. Many were so inspired by his keynote speech that they wanted to continue hearing what he had to say. Anyone who needs a wonderful teacher would be fortunate to have him.” – Marilyn M. Fisher, Ph.D., Council for the Written Word
ATLANTA WORKSHOP PLAYERS
“Clay has inspired hundreds of young careers and offered practical direction in attaining their goals. Our performers have benefited from Clay’s classes in all facets of television, film and commercial acting, music videos styles and audition techniques. The responses are overwhelmingly positive. Clay Stafford displays the utmost professionalism and ability to communicate his knowledge, while maintaining a delightful sense of humor. Clay Stafford is well prepared and brimming with creative ideas that he implements efficiently. What a joyful opportunity it is to recommend such a fine, versatile, articulate master teacher! Clay is truly a rare find!” – Lynn Stallings, Director, The Atlanta Workshop Players
CANCER SCREENING SERVICES
“I cannot recommend too highly the services of Clay Stafford. Mr. Stafford’s organizational ability and eye for detail proved to be a great asset to our company. His willingness to take on any new project with a positive attitude and his bright, humorous personality made him a welcome addition to our working environment. Mr. Stafford always fulfilled whatever measure of ability that was required and he often exceeded the need.” – Patricia Dunne, Marketing Coordinator, Cancer Screening Services
ENCOURAGEMENT MINISTRIES
“Clay Stafford is a man of integrity and sterling character. Since the days of his early youth, Clay has been an encouragement to many people and a role model for the young to follow. With delight and pleasure, we watched this young man develop into maturity in the way that described Christ’s maturing process, in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). Clay’s morals have always been and remain very high. He is a man guided solely by principles.” – Gene Arnold, Encouragement Ministries
WILLIAMSON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL
“Clay Stafford’s preparation and knowledge of his topics are superior. Clay has the ability to present materials in a way that grasps the listener’s attention. You will be highly satisfied with the results.” – Jane Tyler, Board Member, Williamson County Arts Council
DANCE-THEATRE WORKSHOP
“It is indeed a great pleasure for me to recommend someone I can highly and honestly endorse. Clay Stafford is a truly gifted, well-organized, and intelligent scholar in his field. From my personal observations after attending his lectures, I can personally attest that his approach to his seminars and workshops are extremely professional and students responded exceptionally well to his presentations. For each seminar he taught, the information was always well-researched and relevant. Clay cooperated and coordinated his lectures with the faculty so that his work would compliment theirs, and yet, would be an individual and a unique contribution. Any organization that uses the services of Clay Stafford will greatly benefit from them and his experience.” – Nancy Lane Wright, Dance Theatre Workshop
BOYD-BUCHANAN
“An outstanding leader. Very talented in all areas of the fine arts. Rated very highly in industry, leadership, courtesy, and dependability. We recommend Clay very highly.” – Rex Davis, Boyd-Buchanan School
“I have received many positive comments from both students and teachers.” – Susan Blair, Boyd-Buchanan
COLLEGE GROVE SENIOR ENRICHMENT CENTER
“We appreciate your tailoring your remarks to fit our audience, which included 15-year-olds to 90-somethings. We look forward to having you return, and gladly recommend you to other groups.” – Peggy Phelps, College Grove Senior Enrichment Center“Clay Stafford was superb.” – Chattanooga Times
Writing an Exciting Middle to a Story... Ways to Avoid the Dreaded Sag
Writers can conceive of great beginnings and exciting endings, but the middle becomes a dreaded chore and often the subject of that notorious writer's block or mid-story lag. In truth, the middle can be and should be one of the most engaging parts of the story; it keeps people reading. There are tricks to learning how to make the middle exciting and one of the most entertaining sections to write and read. In this interactive discussion, writers will learn how to make the middle the book's most exciting and engaging part.
A Dozen Ways to be a Bestseller
With roughly 2.2 million new books published yearly (according to UNESCO), not counting backlist titles, how is an author’s book expected to gain attention? Taught by a bestselling author, publisher, editor, and “one of the Top 40 North American publishing industry professionals to watch!” by Publishers Weekly, Frankfurter Buchmesse (Frankfurt Book Fair), and the American Booksellers Association, these twelve techniques taught in an interactive format will propel any writer to the head of the pack and help them achieve their publishing dream.
Believe in Your Story
When writers get together, they often talk about business and writing, but they often don’t talk about their story, the writer’s story. The writer’s story is the backbone of everything that can and will be achieved, and the writer’s life story arc greatly influences the happiness and satisfaction of the writer’s own journey. Using the techniques taught in this interactive session, each writer can become the hero in their own story and the ultimate hero in their own profession.
The Art of Storytelling
Have you heard about the newest writing method? There isn’t one, but there are plenty of slick players who’d like to sell you their latest spin. Avoid them. The best way to write is to write. In this interactive presentation, we will discuss the time-tested methods writers have used for hundreds of years to write the world's great fiction. There are no gimmicks, formulas, tropes, or anything to buy. The only thing you need to bring is your imagination.
Why We Love Crime Fiction
The crime and thriller genre is the second most popular book genre (following romance) sold today. Writers interested in the dark side of humanity can capitalize on this by knowing what exactly makes these genres irresistible to readers. This interactive presentation delves into the whys and hows so writers can better position their works to break from the pack and become bestsellers.
Structuring the Compelling Memoir
A memoir is a story—a story about you, your life, your thoughts, your beliefs, and your life evolution. It is not a series of events. A well-written memoir is a story with all the emotion, passion, and structure of any well-told tale. This presentation takes a deep dive into how to structure your memoir to take it to the next level, the level of a bestselling book.
Booking Clay
To book Clay for any of the following sessions, either in person or electronically remote, please contact Tricia Hedman from Ollie Media at:
tricia@olliemediacom.