
Photo: CC BY 3.0 — Art of Charm, via Wikimedia Commons
Image used for identification and editorial purposes. Name and likeness remain the property of their owner.
Entrepreneurship & Business keynote speakers
Jesse Itzler
Entrepreneur, Endurance Athlete & Bestselling Author
- Keynote · Fireside chat
- English
Headliner can arrange a booking with Jesse Itzler or their representative. This profile is compiled from public sources; availability and fees are confirmed on request. A listing here does not imply endorsement, affiliation, partnership, or exclusivity.
Signature keynotes
What your audience walks away with
- Outcome
Build Your Life Resume
Flip the résumé. The things that actually define a life — the adventures, the hard things, the moments that don't fit on a CV — are the things worth chasing. Jesse turns his own unlikely journey into actionable steps any audience can use to design a more ambitious, more rewarding life. The talk that made him a phenomenon.
Ready, Fire, Aim! — Take the Risk, Keep the Perspective
A high-energy, often DJ-backed signature talk on acting before you feel ready, taking smart risks, and keeping perspective when the stakes rise. Drawn from his years as a serial entrepreneur, competitive runner, and (yes) a Billboard-charting rapper.
Comfortable Being Uncomfortable — Lessons from Living with a SEAL
The peak-performance keynote. What Jesse learned in 31 days living and training with a Navy SEAL — and how teams build winning habits, routines, and mindset by doing one hard thing a day on purpose. Resilience you can actually operationalize.
The Spiritual Billionaire
A story-driven, often DJ-backed session on bringing soul and success together — luck, gratitude, meaning, and why the richest people he knows measure wealth in more than money.
Plan the Year. Win the Year.
A practical antidote to team burnout: align on the handful of priorities that actually matter, force them onto the calendar, and let everything else fall away. Built for kickoffs and planning offsites.
The Bus Ride
The full, improbable arc — rapper to private-jet mogul to monastery to Navy SEAL bootcamp to NBA owner — mined for the lessons that connect them. Equal parts hilarious and useful.
The story
Who Jesse actually is
Jesse Itzler was born in Roslyn, New York, in 1968 and has made a career out of refusing to do anything the expected way. He started as a rapper — recording as "Jesse Jaymes," charting on the Billboard Hot 100, writing the New York Knicks' "Go NY Go" anthem and co-creating the Emmy-winning NBA theme "I Love This Game."
Then he started building companies. In 1996 he co-founded Alphabet City Sports Records (sold to SFX). In 2001, with Kenny Dichter, he co-founded Marquis Jet, which became one of the largest private-jet-card companies in the world before its 2009 sale to Warren Buffett's NetJets / Berkshire Hathaway. He partnered on ZICO Coconut Water, later acquired by The Coca-Cola Company. He built and sold 29029 Everesting, the endurance event where participants climb the elevation of Mount Everest, to iFit in 2022. In 2015, he became a co-owner of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks as part of the investor group that bought the team for roughly $850 million.
Itzler is also a serious endurance athlete: he ran a 100-mile ultramarathon in under 24 hours, and completed Ultraman at age 53. He turned one of those experiences into a publishing phenomenon — _Living with a SEAL_ (2015), a New York Times bestseller recounting 31 days training with a Navy SEAL, followed by _Living with the Monks_ (2018), about a digital-detox stint with Russian Orthodox monks.
Today he runs Build Your Life Resume, his coaching platform, along with cohort programs, retreats, and courses that carry the same message that runs through everything he does: get comfortable being uncomfortable, do hard things on purpose, and build a life — not just a résumé. He is married to Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, and they have four children.
The receipts
Books & publications
Living with a SEAL
201531 days living and training with a Navy SEAL; the book that defined his "comfortable being uncomfortable" philosophy. ~1 million copies sold.
Living with the Monks
2018what 15 days with Russian Orthodox monks (phone off) taught him about happiness, gratitude, and focus.
Gravity
Career highlights & recognition
- Milestone
Serial entrepreneur
built and sold five companies, including Marquis Jet → NetJets/Berkshire Hathaway and ZICO → Coca-Cola
- Credential2015
Co-owner, Atlanta Hawks (NBA)
part of the 2015 investor group (~$850M acquisition)
- Recognition
2× New York Times bestselling author
Living with a SEAL (~1M copies) and Living with the Monks
- Credential2022
Founder, 29029 Everesting
endurance event sold to iFit (2022)
- Milestone
Endurance athlete
100-mile ultramarathon (sub-24 hrs); Ultraman finisher at 53
- Award
Music career
Billboard Hot 100 charting artist; wrote the NY Knicks anthem and co-created the Emmy-winning NBA theme "I Love This Game"
- Credential
Founder, Build Your Life Resume
coaching, cohorts, and retreats
Booking with confidence
What to expect when you book Jesse
- 01
Compiled from public sources
This profile is built from public, verifiable material and stamped with the date it was last reviewed. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace to a source.
- 02
Availability and fees, confirmed
Tell us your date and brief, and we confirm Jesse's availability and current fee on request. We never publish a fabricated figure or imply an exclusivity we do not hold.
- 03
Managed end to end
From first inquiry to the day itself, Headliner handles briefing, contracting, and logistics, so your team can focus on the event.
Answers
Booking questions, answered
What is Jesse Itzler's speaking fee?
Typically $40k–$75k (indicative; confirmed on request). Jesse's fee varies by event, date, format, and location, so we confirm the exact figure for your booking. Share your brief for current pricing and live availability.
Is Jesse Itzler available for my event date?
Availability changes with Jesse's schedule and the season. Tell us your date and we'll confirm whether Jesse is open, and hold the slot while you decide.
How do I book Jesse Itzler for my event?
Jesse Itzler is booked through Headliner. Tell us your event date, audience, and goals, and we'll confirm availability and the next steps — typically within four business hours.
How much does Jesse Itzler charge to speak?
Typically $40k–$75k (indicative; confirmed on request). It depends on event, date, format, location, and whether the session is in person or virtual. Share your brief and we'll confirm the exact figure and availability.
Can I hire Jesse Itzler for a corporate event?
Yes. Jesse is represented for speaking engagements through Headliner on a non-exclusive basis and regularly takes corporate keynotes, conferences, and leadership events. Share your brief to check availability.
What formats does Jesse offer?
Jesse is available for Keynote and Fireside chat engagements. We'll match the format to your audience and run-of-show.
What does Jesse speak about?
Jesse's keynote themes include Endurance and Mindset. Each talk is tailored to your audience and outcomes.
What languages does Jesse present in?
Jesse presents in English.
Where does Jesse travel from?
Jesse is based in Atlanta, GA and travels internationally for engagements; virtual sessions are also available.
Profile updated . Compiled from public sources — confirm current fees and availability with Headliner.
Book Jesse Itzler through Headliner
Tell us about your event and we’ll confirm Jesse’s availability and fee — typically within four business hours.
Keep exploring
Speakers in the same vein
Entrepreneurship & Business
Daymond John
FUBU Founder & Original Shark Tank Investor
See Daymond John’s fee & availabilityEntrepreneurship & Business
Kevin O'Leary
"Mr. Wonderful" — Shark Tank Investor & Finance Authority
How to book Kevin O'LearyAthletes & Sports
Abby Wambach
World Cup Champion, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist, and Bestselling Author of Wolfpack
See Abby Wambach’s fee & availability
Jesse Itzler
Typically $40k–$75k