Speaker / Storyteller

Wayne Messmer, CSP entertains, educates, and inspires by using words & music to create a message that builds self-confidence

He is available for virtual, in-person, and hybrid events.
Below is a list of Wayne’s most popular topics. Click on each title for additional details.

THE SPIRIT OF A CHAMPION^© ~ Facing the Challenge of Change Through Courage, Attitude & Perseverance

Format: 70-Minute Keynote

A master storyteller, Wayne shares the emotional and spellbinding details of his personal experience with a random act of violence in 1994, which left his life and career in peril (see bio for details).

Wayne Messmer shares each step of the journey of that fateful night all the way through to his triumphant recovery.

Perfect-Fit Audiences:

• Organizations and teams experiencing significant change.
• Managers requiring new perspective to engage and inspire teams through change.
• Audiences needing a powerful presentation that offers entertainment in addition important lessons on how to overcome life’s hurdles.

Benefits to Audiences:

Delivering the life lessons he learned along the way offers new perspective and ignites thought-provoking options for all audiences. It is in those lessons, he inspires and teaches how to:

• adapt to significant and/or unexpected change
• face fear head-on
• develop and maintain a positive attitude
• embrace perseverance/resilience
• understand the power of commitment

Drawing from a storied career as an entertainer, broadcaster, singer, author, actor, and successful businessman, Messmer produces a presentation that utilizes his vast talents to keep the audience engaged and interested. Each presentation is crafted with various musical components, humor, character dialects, and accents, to create a positive and memorable experience with each presentation.

No one ever said it was going to be easy. Unexpected change happens, and today’s organizations suffer from the challenges that many find difficult to face. For his audience, Wayne chronicles his journey and teaches what is required to live the Championship C.A.P. formula and claim “The Spirit of A Champion.”

Claim The Spirit of A Champion© and Schedule Wayne Messmer Today!

THE VOICE OF VICTORY – One Man’s Journey to Freedom through Healing and Forgiveness

Format: ​70-Minute Keynote

Perfect-Fit Audiences:

• Organizations and teams experiencing significant change.
• Managers requiring new perspective to engage and inspire teams to overcome change.
• Groups that struggle with issues of forgiveness
• Groups having difficulty recovering from life challenges
• Faith-based Conferences
• Audiences needing a powerful presentation that offers entertainment in addition important lessons on how to overcome life’s hurdles with the 5 “F’s” – Faith, Family, Friends, Forgiveness, Freedom

Benefits to the Audience:

The audience takes the journey through Wayne’s career highs and the challenges that were thrust upon him during an incredibly difficult period in his life (see bio for more details).

Citing moments of doubt and frustration along the way, the master storyteller describes how he broke out of the darkness and onto the road of his triumphant comeback.

Audiences will be inspired, motivated and encouraged while they travel with Wayne along the path of recovery…

• from adversity by focusing on hope,
• by remaining dedicated to following a dream,
• from overcoming overwhelming odds,
• to regaining strength by tapping into a foundation of faith, family and friends, and
• discover freedom through the process of healing and forgiveness

Audiences are asked to…

• take inventory of their own lives,
• to discover their own very special gifts,
• then challenged to use them, respect them and share them.

The Voice of Victory Keynote presentation is both inspirational and motivational for every audience. Through his story of courage and conviction in the face of life’s great challenges. Wayne artfully describes the most known and powerful “3 F’s” of “Faith, Family, and Friends,” which he then strengthens with the “4th F” of “Forgiveness,” and leads to the critically important “5th F” of “Freedom.”

Share the Voice of Victory and the “5 F’s” with your audiences,
for they will be enlightened, encouraged and “Messmer-ized.”

KEEP THE FAITH ~ Nobody Ever Said It was Going to be Easy

Format: ​70-Minute Keynote

A personal, true life story from an innocent victim in a senseless act of violence who was shot in the throat during a robbery attempt. Wayne Messmer presents a straightforward message that clarifies the belief that it is not the severity of the setbacks in our lives but our reaction to them that truly tests what we are made of.

Perfect-Fit Audiences:

• Organizations requiring shifts in culture
• Victims of criminal acts
• Group settings intended to be reflective or spiritually awakening in nature
• Faith based Conventions, Conventions and Retreats
• Audiences requiring hope in the act of forgiveness and healing

Benefits to Audiences:

Utilizing a multi-media approach of powerful storytelling, captivating visuals, humor and live music, this presentation keeps the audience intently focused on the message of hope.

Based on the core values of Faith, Family and Friends, Wayne Messmer digs deeply and challenges the audience to…

• take responsibility for the various roles of our lives
• face enormous challenges
• evolve from anger, hatred and revenge
• move toward the positive, such as freedom from healing and forgiveness

Move your groups past the darkness and bring them into the light
to realize that positive outcomes are possible.

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM Performed by Wayne Messmer

Format: A National Anthem performance by Wayne Messmer is generally done without instrumental accompaniment. The Anthem may be coupled with any of the other presentations by Wayne Messmer.

Traditionally performed prior to the event or during the opening ceremonies, this program is perfect for:

• ​Opening Ceremonies for Events, Conferences, Conventions
• Major Corporate or Association Conferences
• Sporting Events
• Annual Meetings
• National Holidays
• Special Occasions

Sharing his reverent rendition of the National Anthem from his deep, baritone voice, for over 33 years, Wayne Messmer has become known as “Chicago’s Original Voice of the National Anthem.”

Filling stadiums, fields, arenas, and stages with a powerful vibrato always ends with an uproarious boom of cheers, whistles, and clapping at the mention of the word “free.” His signature ending note on the word, “brave,” (on the fifth) is known as his trademark since the 1980’s.

Bring patriotism and respect to your next event with an unforgettable performance of The National Anthem by Wayne Messmer.

RETIREMENT ~ The New Retirement Model: Putting the Financial Retirement Puzzle Together

Format: ​60-Minute Presentation

Perfect-Fit Audiences:

• ​Age groups between 22 and 80
• Organizations offering a benefits seminar for employees
• Accounting firms desiring to expand their network and offer financial services to clients

Benefits to Audiences:

An entertaining and informative presentation that takes a simple, straight-forward approach to building, protecting and preserving “rest of your life” money.

The audience will leave with a clear understanding of and knowledge about the following topics:

• Inflation
• Taxes
• Health Care Facts
• Extended Care
• Pensions
• Rates of Return
• IRA / 401(k) / 403(b)
• Roth IRA
• Legacy
• Social Security
• Market Risk
• Investments
• Retirement Lifestyle Planning

Educate your groups on their future financial opportunities, so they can better prepare for their “golden” years.

“I had never seen Wayne speak before. He is so personable and so funny. We all sang with him. It was a really great experience. I really liked his speech because it really showed how someone came through so many difficult things in life. An incredible presentation that was inspiring and motivating.”  LH

“I am so impressed and inspired by your message of forgiveness, your inspirational lessons of working through adversity and facing challenges head on. You sir, have a bigger fan in me than before. God Bless!” PJ

“Here’s the thing about Wayne. You expect to hear the story about how he almost lost his voice, but it’s more than that. It’s also about us as the audience, about the things that inspired him and how he can inspire us. It’s words, it’s music, it’s humor. It’s an entire experience. People will leave that presentation with his inspiring story and be inspired as well.” LF