Fresh Voice, New Approach

Muhammad’s presentation was thoroughly engaging.  He walked into an auditorium of 700 high school boys on a Monday morning, and kept them on the edge of their seats.  It was the best presentation of the year!

Principal, Upper Canada College

Muhammad has a career path like no other.  From flunking high school math and nearly being suspended several times, he went on to earn a Master’s degree from an ivy-league school.  His first – and biggest – break on-air came when he dared his own boss to fire him.  Muhammad is a rebel, a risk-taker, and a storyteller extraordinaire.

Let’s face it.  The majority of the speeches we’ve heard in our lifetimes were boring.  Boh-ring.  Think of all the college and university lectures you slept through.  The monotonous droning on and on (…and on) about things that never really connected with your life.  That guy who lectured about his round-the-world travels?  Who needs him, we’ve got expedia now.  The business professional talking about importance of networking?  Umm… Facebook took care of that.   And let’s not get started on the self-help experts and all their golden rules onhow to become [fill in the blank here with your pick of words like "rich," "happy" or "popular"]

Today, the truth is that the public speaking circuit is filled with professional talkers – mostly middle-aged men and women who are paid hefty fees and honorariums – not because of what they have to say – but because they’ve mastered the art of earning a living by telling people things they usually already know.

And they still can’t connect with audiences.

Enter Muhammad:  A new voice, for a new generation.

His presentations include:

Technology vs. Religion: In 2010, Muhammad became the first-ever western journalist to live/tweet blog the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.   His work generated more than 100K impressions in just over a week.  Some suggested it was heresy – to be thumbing away on his blackberry at some of Islam’s holiest sites.  Others say it’s a sign of the changing times.  Muhammad recounts this journey, and explores how technology is changing our understanding of all things sacred.

Risking it All: They say success is all about being in the right place in the right time.  Bullsh-t.  It’s about hard work, taking risks, and never giving up.   In this presentation, Muhammad explores how he went from the nerdy kid that no one wanted to take to the high school dance, to anchoring some of the world’s biggest stories in front of a national audience..  It’s a journey that began with a big gamble – and a flashing red light.

Live 24/7: As a TV News anchor with more than 1,000 hours of anchoring experience, Muhammad isn’t afraid to pull any punches.  In this presentation, he lifts the curtain on the twitterized, 24/7 news cycle – exploring how and why news networks choose the stories they do, and why many of the world’s most important stories aren’t being told.

In addition, he regularly acts as moderator and facilitator for debates, roundtables, and workshop sessions.

To contact Muhammad with any speaking requests, email info-at-muhammadlila.com