Patrick Schwerdtfeger’s Background
Patrick has been a full-time professional speaker since 2007. He got his start after his “Beyond the Rate” podcast (focused on mortgages and the real estate industry) gained popularity in 2006. During the subprime ‘mortgage meltdown’ (2007) and ensuing financial crisis (2008), he was interviewed regularly on mainstream media and soon began speaking at business events and conferences. He covered developments in the collapsing financial markets and, before long, spoke about the burgeoning field of podcasting and social media as well.
Barack Obama’s presidential campaign gained traction in 2007. It was the first presidential campaign driven by social media, and Patrick began covering that topic with increasing frequency. His “Social Media Victories: Real Businesses, Real Campaigns, Real Results” program would end up taking him to hundreds of events all around the world. He became best known for his tactical and energizing keynotes about technology trends and digital marketing.
Today, Patrick is a business futurist specializing in technology trends including big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain. He’s the founder of Trend Mastery Inc. and host of the Strategic Business Insights video blog. Trend Mastery is a strategic consulting agency, identifying a world of transformational opportunities, and Strategic Business Insights has over 25,000 subscribers and five million views on YouTube. Patrick works as an independent business analyst, following emerging technology use cases and sharing his insights with clients around the world.

Publications, Education and Experience
Patrick has excelled at content generation and delivery his entire life. He won writing contests as a child and while in high school was selected to represent his peers by civic organizations such as the Vancouver Safety Council and the Rotary Club in their “Adventures in Citizenship” program in Ottawa, the country’s capital city. He placed third in debating at the Canadian Business School Competition during his university years, and all of his early-career jobs encompassed training and presentation roles. He has also published a variety of works including the following:
- Anarchy, Inc.: Profiting in a Decentralized World with Artificial Intelligence & Blockchain (2018, Authority Publishing)
- Keynote Mastery: The Personal Journey of a Professional Speaker (2016, Authority Publishing)
- Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed (2011, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)
- Webify Your Business: Internet Marketing Secrets for the Self-Employed (2009, Lulu Press)
- Make Yourself Useful: Marketing in the 21st Century (2008, Lulu Press)
- Beyond the Rate (2006, podcast series on iTunes)
- Loans & Lenders: a Guide for Buyers & Borrowers (2004, self-published handbook)
- Strategies for Seller Financing: a Guide to the Secondary Market for Business Notes (2003, self-published handbook)
- The Complete Employment Guide (1994, self-published handbook)
Patrick received his Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing and Finance) from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada in 1993 and was licensed by the Canadian Securities Institute as a Financial Advisor in 1994. He moved to California in 1998 and received his California Notary Commission in 2003 and his California Real Estate License in 2004.
He founded the Entrepreneur & Small Business Academy in April 2007 and began holding events for local business owners and self-employed practitioners. The group grew quickly (current membership of 2,500+) and Patrick was selected by American Express as one of the country’s top small business organizers. Along with 49 other organizers from around the country, he participated in an AMEX OPEN Small Business launch event in New York City in January 2008.
2019 Speaking Highlights
- Naples, Florida: KII Telecommunications 2019 FallConference
- Fort Lauderdale: IIA 2019 Governance & Risk Management Conference (GRC)
- Bahamas: World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) 2019 Conference
- Calistoga: Corteva Agriscience 2019 Summer Conference
- Minneapolis: AXFI 2019 Analytics & Financial Innovation Conference
- Hollywood, Florida: NASCO 2019 Annual Conference
- Kansas City: Nat’l Assoc. of Insurance Commissioners 2019 Insurance Summit
- Fort Worth, Texas: ASQ World Conference on Quality & lmprovement
- Sacramento: SETA Future Focus Business Summit
- Palm Springs: Cacique 2019 Management Offsite
- Vancouver, Canada: National Assoc. of Container Distributors (NACD) Annual Conference
- Tamps: Kroger Affiliates 2019 Credit Union Conference
- Amsterdam: FIDI 2019 Annual Conference
- Athens, Greece: 19th Airline Marketing Aviation Conference
- Orlando: Federated Auto Parts Distributors Annual Conference
- Phoenix: American Society for Quality (ASQ) Lean & Six Sigma Conference
- Palos Verdes: Profit Recovery Partners 2019 Annual Forum
- Kuwait City, Kuwait: KFH United Arab Training Center Blockchain Workshop
- San Diego: Corporate Directors Forum 2019
2018 Speaking Highlights
- Dallas: ASQ Quality 4.0 Summit on Disruption, Innovation & Change
- Las Vegas: TribalNet 19th Annual Conference & Tradeshow
- Chicago: GCM Grosvenor, IT Team Leadership Meeting
- New Orleans: Kreston International 2018 World Conferencw
- Tacoma: Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA) 2018 Conference
- Orlando: UBM Service Management World 2018
- Virtual Webinar: SAP Innovation Day, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
- De Moines: Iowa Association of Business and Industry, Advanced Manufacturing Conference
- South Dakota: Farm Services of America 2018 Leadership Meeting
- Bakersfield: International Fruit Genetics (IFG) 2018 Global Summit
- Cyprus, Greece: Amdocs R&D Technology Leadership Summit
- San Francisco: International Exhibition Logistics Association (IELA) 2018 Congress
- Las Vegas: Moss Adams 2018 Industry Group Conference
- San Diego: Afflink 2018 Dealer Summit
- Maui: AMP Financial Services, New Zealand, Strive Conference
- Chicago: Transunion 2018 Insurance Summit
- Virtual Webinar: SAP Innovation Day, Blockchain Enterprise Use Cases
- Santa Fe: KeyPoint Credit Untion Board of Directors Strategic Offsite
- San Antonio: HUB International 2018 SHARP Incentive Trip
- New York City: Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) 2018 Operations Conference
- Chengdu, China: Aptiv Strategic Planning Conference, Electrical Distribution Systems Asia Pacific
- Palm Desert: Security Traders Association (STA) of Los Angeles, Blockchain Summit
- Las Vegas: Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), General Audit Management (GAM) Conference
- Orlando: Ameriquest Business Services, 2018 Ameriquest & Corcentric Symposium
- Dallas: National Association of College Stores (NACS) 2018 CAMEX Conference
- Las Vegas: ExhibitorLive 2018 Conference and Trade Show
- Dubai, UAE: Government of Dubai, Department of Energy and Water (DEWA) Innovation Summit
- Tampa: Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Fresh Connections Technology Conference
- Bangalore, India: IIFL Wealth Management Cryptocurrency Summit
- Chicago: GCM Grosvenor Blockchain Education Session
- Kansas City: Wachter 2018 Kick-off Meeting
2017 Speaking Highlights
- Chicago: FabTech 2017 Expo, representing KeyedIn Solutions
- Mumbai, India: Sigma-Byte Connect 2017 Conference (with CommScope)
- Vancouver, Canada: Alliance Canada Conference (ACC) IGNITE 2017
- Redmond: Accenture Blockchain Summit (on the Microsoft Campus)
- Minneapolis: Regis Corporation 2017 Annual Franchisee Summit
- Los Angeles: Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container Association (FIBCA) Conference
- Nashville: Graphic Product Identification (GPI) Association Annual Conference
- Toronto, Canada: Assoc. of Energy Service Professionals 2017 Summer Conference
- Cartagena, Colombia: Colombian Stock Exchange 9th National Broker Conference
- San Francisco: Silicon Valley Business Travel Assoc. (SVBTA) Annual Meeting
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Kreston International Asia Pacific Conference
- Chicago: MEMBERS Development Company 2017 MDC Owners Meeting
- San Francisco: Protiviti Managing Director 18-Month Meeting
- The Greenbrier: The Refractories Institute (TRI) Annual Meeting
- Phoenix: CommScope 2017 Global Partner Conference
- Barcelona, Spain: Roche Pharmaceutical Sales Leadership Conference
- Chicago: The Transformer Association (TTA) Spring Meeting
- Charleston: Energy Utility Cost Group (EUCG) Annual Meeting
- Lansing: Jackson National Life Insurance 2017 Leadership Meeting
- Atlanta: American Association of Managing General Agents (AAMGA) Automation Conference
- Alicante, Spain: Inaugural Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Congress
- Indiana: 2017 Kokomo CEO Business & Entrepreneur Summit
- Scottsdale: Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Assoc. (DASMA) Annual Meeting
- Phoenix: Upper Deck 2017 Certified Diamond Dealer Conference
2016 Speaking Highlights
- Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Landcoin Cryptocurrency Summit
- Vancouver: ACTE 2016 Global Corporate Travel Conference
- Paris, France: CapGemini High Performance Leadership Program (Connect & Drive 2016)
- Chicago: Schneider Electric: 2016 Maximize Return on Assets Conference
- Detroit: Amcor North American Procurement Plus Celebration
- Hyderabad, India: NASSCOM 2016 Big Data & Analytics Summit
- Huntington Beach: Moss Adams Manufacturing & Consumer Products Annual Conference
- Orlando: National Coil Coating Association (NCCA) – Annual Meeting
- Las Vegas: Keller Williams Luxury Homes Division – Annual Conference
- New Orleans: Matthews International 2016 National Sales Meeting
- Phoenix: IDEXX Laboratories Global Leadership Meeting
- Nashville: Tennessee Association of Realtors Spring Conference
- Bilbao, Spain: Basque Government – Internationalization Conference
- Santa Clara: Teladata 2016 Technology Convergence Conference (TCC)
- New York: Money Show T3 Traders Expo – Algorithmic Trading
- Myrtle Beach: Century 21 of the Carolinas – Spring Conference
- Detroit: Comcast Business Class – Small Business Forum
- Dubai, UAE: Oracle Global Cloud Conference – Modern Finance Program
- Orlando: PoolCorp 2016 Retail Dealer Conference
2015 Speaking Highlights
- Phoenix: Desert Schools Credit Union Leadership Conference
- Toronto: Boehringer Ingelheim Leadership Summit
- Cleveland: Saint Gobain 350-year Anniversary Celebration
- Bogota: Colombia Ministry of Information & Communication Technology ‘Big Data’ Congress
- Minneapolis: Verisae 2015 User Conference
- Kansas City: CMLS 2015 Annual Conference
- Winston-Salem: BB&T Bank Leadership Retreat
- Stanford University: People to People Technology Summit
- Baltimore: Bloomberg TV and RCN Small Business Forum
- New York: Globecomm 2015 TechForum on ‘The Future of Mobility’
- Miami: Realty World 2015 Annual Convention
- Mountain View: Keiretsu Forum 2015 Angel Capital Expo
- Muscat, Oman: Full-Day Seminar on Big Data and Business Intelligence
- Philadelphia: Residential Communications Network (RCN) Small Business Forum
- Phoenix: Transportation Safety Equipment Institute (TSEI) 2015 Conference
- Las Vegas: Council of Residential Specialists (CRS) Sell-A-Bration Conference
2014 Speaking Highlights
- Istanbul: Solairedirect Annual Conference
- Indiana: Purdue University Aviation Technology Faculty Retreat
- Cancun: Marriott International Travel Partners Conference
- Kansas City: Bloomberg TV & Comcast Cable Small Business Summit
- Bogota: International Forum for BPO, Contact Centers and CRM
- Palm Desert: CPhA West Coast Pharmacy Exchange
- Orlando: Mphasis 11th Annual Wyde Users’ Conference
- Dubai: BMC Software India Technology Exchange (BITE)
- New Zealand: CXC Global International Sales Conference
2013 Speaking Highlights
- Bahrain: Bahrain Communications Social Media Masters Forum
- Orlando: Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) Annual Conference
- Phoenix: EPICOR Software Annual Executive Forum
- Madison: Trek Bicycles 2013 TrekWorld Dealer Conference
- Moscow: CREDAI 13th Annual National Conference
- Bangkok: Capstone Financial Annual Sales Convention
- San Diego: Association of Marketing Service Providers (AMSP) Annual Conference
- Toronto: Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Institute (OMBI) Annual Meeting
South America: Patrick’s primary hobby is salsa dancing and he regularly interacts with the local Latino community. He has followed the geopolitical developments in Latin America including the investment boom in Panama, failing policies in Venezuela, dynamic economic growth in Mexico, Colombia and Chile and the difficult debt restructuring in Argentina. He has already contributed to events in Columbia and the Caribbean and would welcome opportunities to again visit South America.
Europe: Population growth has halted in Europe; the birth rate is the lowest of any region on Earth. The standard of living is flat or declining with zero growth in consumer spending, which is the largest single component in GDP. The result is a stagnating economy that will never again see the dynamism of its population growth phase. The only way to encourage growth is to stimulate exporting and that depends on economic vitality around the globe. Whether European leaders embrace austerity or growth policies, the Eurozone will struggle with anemic economic growth for decades to come.
Asia Pacific: All of the exciting things taking place in today’s world are occurring in the Middle East (the GCC region in particular) or in the Asia Pacific region. The Asean Bloc is exploding and their industrious approach to business and progress is spurring economic miracles throughout the region, including China, Thailand and Indonesia among others. Patrick sees enormous potential for growth and development in Southeast Asia and is eager to help companies growing and expanding into those markets.
Africa: Unlike Europe, Africa has the highest birth rate of any region on Earth, with the population expected to quadruple in the next 100 years. That explosion will create enormous economic challenges, political volatility and the potential for social unrest. While a growing population is positive for the economy, the requisite social and economic development cannot take hold until the birth rate drops and the moderating influence of adults increases within the community. Patrick has studied individually most of the countries of Africa and can lay out a year-by-year forecast of relative economic development to business and political leaders.
Learn more about Patrick’s fundamental beliefs:
Anything is possible.
Your potential is not fixed.
Communication is essential.
Technology is exponential.
Bigger goals are easier to achieve.
Patrick walks the talk. He speaks of thinking bigger because that’s exactly what he has done in his own life. He manages his emotional ecosystem by employing his passion for positive psychology and the science of happiness. He researches and studies global business trends because that is his understanding of our world. Patrick lives by his own recommendations and according to the following two success principles:
BECOME what you have the potential to BE.
There are three levels of achievement in business. You reach subsistence at the first level. You’re able to pay your monthly bills. The second level is success. You’re now able to pay your bills and have something left over. And finally, you attain self-actualization. At this stage, your efforts are contributing to a larger cause. You’re working for the greater good and the rewards become altruistic.
The way to stay motivated after your life has become good is to focus on the greater good. Focus on the purpose of your business. Why do you do what you do? The answer to that question will keep you motivated, regardless of the wealth you may already possess. And only that answer will keep you pushing beyond your successes, leading to realization of your full potential.
The road to BEING is through DOING.
Patrick incorporates this success principle into each of his speaking programs. He focuses on action. He focuses on tactical steps that can be taken to see measurable results. No matter which topic is of interest for your upcoming event, expect specific ideas and suggestions that your audience can immediately implement to see real progress in their lives.
The Research Process
Patrick welcomes suggestions from clients regarding sources of relevant content. The insights from these suggested sources can then be incorporated into the presentation. Although his broad business background adds perspective to his programs, his industry-specific knowledge may be more limited so these content suggestions are extremely valuable in the preparation process.
The "Surprising Truth"
The idea is to build a case for something unexpected but insightful. “Everybody thinks it’s one way, but it’s not true. The reality is very different!” The surprising truth leaves people with a new perspective and, hopefully, an entirely new way of viewing the situation. Done successfully, the idea will be talked about for days and even weeks after the event.
Speech Construction
So what’s the bridge? The bridge is the surprising truth! Within the context of a song, the bridge is the guitar solo. It breaks out of the established pattern, is more dynamic in its delivery and generally comes near the end of the song. These characteristics of the bridge are also true of the surprising truth. Patrick delivers his surprising truth after the arguments have already been made. It comes near the end, is followed one last time by the chorus time, and then the close.
Additional Information
Please contact us if you would like more information about Patrick, his experience, background or programs. You can learn more about his personal investment strategies and review his domestic and international fee structure here. We would also be happy to send you a copy of his latest book. Just send us your full mailing address and we’ll send one to your attention. We’re eager to answer your questions and help you determine if Patrick would be a good fit for your upcoming event. Thank you!
