The Chosen Speaker for 1500+ Organizations
Patrick Combs is a keynote speaker, the author of five books, the founder of six businesses across six industries, and the creator of Man 1, Bank 0 — an Off-Broadway one-man show HBO named the funniest new act in America.
For thirty years, more than 1,500 organizations have hired him to keynote: Hilton, Boeing, Google, Shell, Visa, and Stanford among them. A million people have heard him speak.
He lives in San Diego. He helped build a school in Kenya, coached incarcerated men through their TEDx talks at Donovan Correctional Institute, and once stapled a $100 bill to a pitch letter to Tom Peters — then the top business author and speaker in the world — as a bet. Peters wrote back, returned the cash, and gave an enthusiastic endorsement.
Discovering My Purpose ... On a Sidewalk
It’s 1988. I’m working at Levi Strauss and Company while finishing my senior year of college.
One morning, walking to the train station, I spot something on the sidewalk ahead. People are stepping around it. Stepping over it.
When I reach that spot on Fell Street at the six hundred block, I see a young woman. Early twenties. Freckled face. Lying on the sidewalk.
She looks up at me and says:
Please call me an ambulance. I’m pregnant.
Patrick has delivered motivational and impactful keynotes to more than 1 million people.
Elan FarbirazSr. Vice President, Republic Metals Corporation
Jonathan BuddCEO of POWUR
Jason BeardCEO Professional Development Group
Theresa WilhelmDirector, Account Management, AMN Healthcare
TOM PETERSbest-selling business management author
DEBBIE BEASLEYValdosta University
FRANK SCHIFFMANAxiall Corporation
MIKE MALLOTTDirector, Hilton
ALICE WALKERauthor The Color Purple
JAMIE MADDENCEO of Work First Casualty
FAQ
Questions meeting planners ask
Is Patrick Combs funny?
Patrick has performed by invitation at HBO’s Aspen Comedy Festival and at Just for Laughs Montreal — the two most prestigious comedy events in the world. He toured his one-man show, Man 1, Bank 0, Off-Broadway for fifteen years and four hundred performances. According to his kids, none of this counts. Audiences at corporate keynotes have, so far, disagreed.
What do meeting planners say about Patrick Combs after he speaks?
After Patrick keynoted Hilton’s leadership conference, the President of Hilton walked up and said: You gave us a full day in a single hour. You made us think, laugh, and cry. That phrase captures what meeting planners consistently report — that his keynotes work across multiple emotional registers, and audiences remember the experience long after the conference ends.
Will Patrick customize the keynote for our event?
Yes. Before every keynote, Patrick interviews the leaders of the hiring organization to learn the culture, the language, and what the audience is carrying. He’s written more than a hundred origin stories for CEOs across healthcare, tech, manufacturing, finance, and hospitality, which means he arrives having already spent hours inside leaders’ worlds. His goal is for the audience to feel like the talk was written for them — because it was.
What companies has Patrick Combs spoken for?
Patrick has been hired by more than 1,500 organizations across thirty years. His client list includes Hilton, Boeing, Google, Shell, State Farm, Visa, Fannie Mae, Optum, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, as well as universities like Stanford and UC San Diego and member organizations like YPO and Entrepreneurs’ Organization. He’s spoken in every U.S. state and more than ten countries — about a million people in person.
What makes Patrick Combs different from other motivational speakers?
Patrick is an interesting person who happens to give keynotes — not the other way around. Most motivational speakers spend a career refining a single talk; Patrick has spent thirty years writing five books, building six businesses, touring an Off-Broadway comedy show that HBO named the funniest new act in America, coaching incarcerated men for TEDx talks, and helping build a school in Kenya. He brings all of that range to the stage. That’s what audiences remember; that’s what meeting planners come back for.
“Book Patrick and watch the phones stay in pockets.”
San Diego
San Diego Motivational Speaker
Patrick Combs is a motivational keynote speaker based in San Diego. For thirty years, organizations across Southern California, Las Vegas, and Phoenix have hired him to keynote conferences, leadership retreats, and team events.
In San Diego, his clients include Qualcomm, San Diego Gas & Electric, UC San Diego, University of San Diego, Grand Pacific Resorts, Keller Luxury Real Estate, and Alliant Consulting. He has spoken for organizations throughout Palm Springs, Orange County, Rancho Bernardo, and Irvine, and travels regularly to Las Vegas and Phoenix for keynotes.
For events in San Diego, Palm Springs, Orange County, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, Patrick offers a regional discount. Booking him close to home is the easiest way to get on his calendar.
Book me and be the champion who brings passion and purpose to your next meeting!
Patrick’s fourth book, Bursting, takes you on an inspiring journey to the heart of your life. It includes many of Patrick’s renowned stories plus many more.
“You’ll laugh and you’ll cry reading this short-story masterpiece”