About Steve
“If you are not enjoying yourself on the journey toward your goal, you’re ripping yourself off.
Trust me, there are enough people willing to do that for you.” – Rizzo-ism
Don’t Let the Laughter
Fool You: The Steve Rizzo
Success Story
“The Least Likely to Succeed… NOT!”
Once upon a time, Steve Rizzo was 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 being voted “Least Likely to Succeed,” Steve didn’t give himself much of a chance to emerge as anything special, much less a world-class comedian or Hall of Fame speaker. Years of negativity had led him to believe that dreams were the luxury of only a fortunate few.Steve went 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.
From All-Star Comedian
to Hall of Fame Speaker
Perhaps the most unexpected aspect of Steve’s career was the stellar degree of success he achieved as a national headline comedian, with opening acts such as Drew Carey, Rosie O’Donnell and Dennis Miller. He shared the marquee with Ellen DeGeneres, Rodney Dangerfield, Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld. Steve starred in his very own Showtime comedy special, earning him honors as a Showtime Comedy All-Star.
[Steve] used to be a stand-up comic, but now he’s a speaker who is inspiring people all over the world.
– Drew Carey
But the surprises didn’t stop there. At the pinnacle of his stand-up career, Steve walked away from comedy to pursue his true purpose and passion—to teach people how to be happy and successful no matter their circumstances. He traded his standing ovations as a stand-up comedian for more fulfillment (and yes, more standing ovations) as a motivational keynote speaker.
Steve has shared his blueprint for personal and professional success with audiences across the globe. He is a member of the prestigious Speakers Hall of Fame—an honor bestowed on fewer than 200 speakers worldwide since 1977.
Steve is the author of the bestselling books Conversations With Bob, Motivate THIS! and Get Your SHIFT Together, and is often called upon as the “go-to” guy on the topic of personal development for many network, cable and radio media outlets. His immensely popular PBS special brought him into millions of homes and revealed why he’s an expert on Attitude, Humor and the Power of Positive Thinking.
