Meet Doug

Doug has collaborated with some of today’s most well-known brands and thought leaders, including Apple, Dolby, Facebook, TED, the Ford Motor Company, TOMS Shoes, Google, Target, author Michael Pollan, productivity guru David Allen, and former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Doug and his husband, Corey, live in Oakland and are annual speakers at San Diego Comic-Con, where they help young creators bring their work to life.

Chasing the Big Idea (and why you need one) – In his ten years at Duarte, Inc., writing hundreds of presentations for some of the world’s smartest (and most demanding) clients, Doug Neff still follows one lesson whenever he starts a new project: Start with the Big Idea. In this talk, Doug shares his personal strategies for finding and articulating the essence of a presentation, guiding a team (or a boss) to consensus on it, and using that Big Idea as a lighthouse to guide every single one of your writing and design choices, all the way through to show-time. Packed with real-world examples, client stories, and Doug’s own creative strategies, this keynote will give you the tools, tricks, and confidence to take on your next presentation like a professional writer.

Be a Captivating Speaker! – Rise above your tics, habits, and inner voices to move your audience and change their world. Every presentation comes down to one thing: moving your audience. After the story is written, the slides are designed, and the chairs are set up, success or failure is determined by your ability to stand on a stage and talk to your audience. But if that’s not your strongest skill, how do you get better? In this interactive and lively talk, Doug will demonstrate simple and profound techniques he’s developed while coaching speakers ranging from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to Junior Designers at Duarte. In addition to some fun tips and tricks, Doug will show you how to access deeper parts of yourself, build a “powerful presenter” persona, and practice your public speaking for long-term growth.

There’s No Such Thing as Writer’s Block! – Learn to transform your painful creative process into a thrilling adventure. When your professional livelihood depends on finished products and deadlines, you quickly learn the truth about writer’s block: not only is it a myth, but it’s a luxury you can no longer afford. But it’s not all bad news! Once you learn how to work with your own creative rhythms and embrace your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll begin to view every new creative project as an exciting new adventure. In this thought-provoking keynote, Doug Neff will take you inside his own creative process, learned over a decade of writing for hundreds of different clients, and one he continues to refine every day. You’ll hear about his favorite wins, his most embarrassing failures, and the tried-and-true techniques he still uses to get the job done every time. Participants will walk out with a new list of great tips for diving into their own next project.