Ken Futch

Biography

The Truth Behind the Motivational Speaker with the Stranger-than-Fiction Story

He may not be the poster boy for firearms safety, but he sure can tell a story.

Meet Ken Futch, professional speaker, humorist, career coach, author and survivor of his own life. As president of Ken Futch and Associates, an Atlanta-based training company that teaches organizations and individuals how to turn situations into opportunities and opportunity into success, Ken has trained more than 100,000 people in seminars held throughout North America and Europe.

Ken founded his company in 1986 after 11 years in sales and management with at&t, where he bested a group of 6,000 salespeople to become the No. 1 revenue producer, which led to his selection as the top instructor at at&t`s prestigious National Sales School in Denver, CO.

A past president of the Georgia Speakers Association and a former Toastmasters International humor champion, he delivers more than 100 high-impact programs each year for such internationally recognized companies as Aflac, Coca-Cola, GE, Lockheed, PepsiCo, Sony, USF&G, Volvo and, of course, at&t.

Though he counts his education as starting at his father`s ESSO station in his native Burgaw, N.C., Ken graduated from the University of North Carolina with a bachelor`s of science in business administration.

A believer in lifelong learning, he has worked through the years to continue his education. After being drafted out of college into the U.S. Army, Ken graduated from Officer Candidate School and successfully served as a combat platoon leader in Vietnam. And in 1993, he earned the designation of Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) from the National Speakers Association, a five-year education and experiential process.

He is the author of Take Your Best Shot, a book that uses his most famous mishap -- accidentally shooting himself in the head -- as a springboard for teaching readers how to "turn situations into opportunities." Published in 2005, the book weaves Ken`s multiple experiences into a tapestry of career and life advice.

Publications

Take Your Best Shot:
Turning Situations Into Opportunities

"It took a shot through the head to open up my mind. " -Ken Futch.

One part William Faulkner and one part Yoda, Ken Futch filters advice through his wry sense of humor to give readers a vicarious ride on the frontlines of his life. And oh what a life!

Using his most famous mishap of accidentally shooting himself in the head as the springboard story, Take Your Best Shot is filled with anecdotes that begin in Burgaw, N.C., and skedaddle to Vietnam then back to the real jungles of corporate America.

Along the way, readers get memorable career counseling from someone who has proven he is no stranger to either adversity or success.

In addition to the infamous bullet, Ken weaves stories about snow skiing in a bathing suit, washing windshields at his dad`s ESSO station, losing 88-0 in a high school football game and sidestepping bullets and vipers in the jungles of Vietnam (as well as corporate America) into a tapestry of good old-fashioned career and life advice.

Titles

Take Your Best Shot! - Motivation

Give Your Rifle Away - Leadership

Grabbing on or Holding On? - Managing Change

Providing Lagniappe - Customer Service

Bushy Eyebrows and Other Misperceptions - Team Building

Presenting Persuasively - Presentation Skills