Steve Rizzo

After being told by a guidance counselor that he didn’t have the intelligence for college, and having been saddled with the dubious high school honor of “Least Likely to Succeed,” Steve Rizzo didn’t give himself much of a chance to emerge as anything special, much less a world-class comedian or motivational speaker. Years of negativity had led Steve to believe that dreams were the luxury of only a fortunate few.

“Looking back,” says Steve, “I can see how and why I sabotaged so many opportunities. My perceived limitations had me very confused. I had a fear of failure and a fear of success. I knew I had talent, but I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t being given a chance. I finally realized that opportunity had been knocking all along… I was just afraid to open the door.”

After high school Steve would go on to surprise everyone, including himself, by excelling with honors at the university and post-graduate levels. Eventually Steve even taught at his old high school, proving once and for all that guidance counselors are not fortune-tellers.

Perhaps the most unexpected aspect of Steve’s career was the stellar degree of success he achieved as a performer, sharing the stage with Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Dangerfield, Eddie Murphy, and Ellen DeGeneres.

Of course, the surprises don’t stop there. What is the next step for a comedian in the prime of his career? For Steve, it was to trade the two drink minimums and standing ovations for maximum fulfillment and well, more standing ovations. After walking away from a promising career as a headline comedian to become a professional speaker, Steve offers a unique and insightful perspective on the journey that brought him to where he stands today.

Steve’s quest to remove the boundaries that were keeping him from the life he truly desired has brought his work full circle and he now understands that all of his past experiences were necessary to prepare him for his true calling: To help people learn to be happy and successful no matter what their current circumstances are. “If they laugh while they learn,” says Steve, “then that’s just a bonus.”

Steve spent much of his own life learning how to pursue and achieve his own definition of success. Luckily for audiences worldwide, that definition has evolved to include showing others his blueprint for realizing their dreams and achieving personal excellence and professional satisfaction.

As Steve’s friend and fellow comic Drew Carey says, “He used to be a stand-up comic, but now he is a speaker who is inspiring people all over the world.”

* Bestselling author of The Writer’s Digest Award winning Book “Becoming A Humor Being”

* Special appearances include: Showtime Special, Evening at the Improv, The Comedy Channel, and Fox TV-Comic Strip Live

* A consultant on MSNBC and Oprah and Friends Radio network

* Creator and Executive Producer of his own PBS Special

* Speakers Hall of Fame Inductee

* Educational background: B.A. in English and Education, with Honors

* M.A. in Theater Arts

As a professional keynote speaker and motivational speaker, Steve Rizzo has made appearances across the United States and Canada. You may have seen Steve in venues such as: New York, Austin, Dallas, Texas, Las Vegas, Nevada, San Diego, California, Phoenix, Tucson, Arizona, Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago, Illinois, Nashville, San Antonio, Denver, Colorado, Canada, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

Rizzo's Secrets

When you want your team to be motivated not just for today but every day, you want Rizzo’s Secrets!

When you need to give your team access to the tools that bring out the best in themselves and in everyone around them, you want Rizzo’s Secrets!

This highly energetic and entertaining program unlocks the secrets to the power of permanent change and a lasting positive attitude.

Steve will wake up your group with his straightforward New York attitude, inspire them with his life-changing personal growth strategies and, of course, regale them with laughter.

In addition to providing hands-on tools to help audiences achieve individual and group success, Rizzo’s Secrets showcases why he was so successful as a national headline comedian with opening acts such as Drew Carey, Rosie O’Donnell and Dennis Miller.

Your speach was not only outstanding but it captured everyone's interest from the inception of the presentation right through to the end. You were funny, you brought some actual true-life points that were, that you experienced in your own personal life to a reality. And you just had the audience captivated from inception to completion of that presentation. So, out of all the events that I have put together on behalf of the hartford for this association, that evening in September based on your presentation was the most successful that we've ever had. So, my hat goes off to you for an outstanding presentation and your book is outstanding, I've read it and you were just you were right on and you captured everyones interest from the beginning to the end and im still getting rave reviews from some of our clients that that was the most enjoyable evening that they've attended on behalf of The Hartford, so thank you. — Director of Client Relationships, Hartford Life Insurance

You're one of my heros and I tell you this too on a personal note, your brother remains one of my heros. Wow. I cannot listen to that story without choking up and this is three or four years later. Wow. One of the most impactful stories I've ever heard and you tell it so well. Wow. I've never met the man but obviously you're related by blood, you guys are my heros as well. Thank you for saying that but you know I have to tell you I really dont have a brother, I made that whole story up. I thank you so much, he is the biggest inspiration of my life. It's just such a great story and I mean I wish I... and I'm so glad you take it places because it needs to be bottled up, people need to have that image of that finger raising up from the hospital bed because that itself is life, that is... You're right, you're right - he opitimizes the power of choice, the power of thoughts, the power of attitude, the power of humor, how all these things can help you to overcome the most the most extreme adverse times in your life.And if anybody has not read that story or heard you tell it they owe it to themselves to make sure that they do as soon as possible. — Vice President, Casella Waste Systems

Well still today - I mean two years later - probably a month or two doesn't go by where somebody doesn't make some reference to when you appeared for us up there are the Ritz Carlton you know just making a comment about the humor being or some of those things so I mean you made a lasting impression on people and we will, in this organization we are going to have you back at some point in time in this organization. — Vice President, Heidtman Steel Products