+1-760-656-8770
Ronald Culberson
SPEAKING FEE RANGE ** Please note that while this speaker’s specific speaking fee falls within the range posted above (for Continental U.S. based events), fees are subject to change. For current fee information or international event fees (which are generally 50-75% more than U.S based event fees), please contact us.
$5,000 to $10,000
Profile
Programs 
Testimonials
Books
Videos“Do it well. Make it fun.” Ronald Culberson has lived by this motto and people have noticed as he’s brightened dark situations that most other people might find hopeless.
Ron began his career as a home care social worker for hospice patients. His hard work, positive attitude and ability to tastefully inject humor in a field of work that’s often considered bleak got him promoted to Manager of Counseling Services and later Director of Quality Service at Hospice of Northern Virginia (now known as Capital Caring). In addition to fostering a fun thriving work environment, he developed the organization’s first quality improvement and customer service program, which played a key role in staff training and the organization’s regulatory certification.
Ron has been speaking professionally since 1996, showing people how they can use humor in life and work while still staying focused on their objectives. Ron himself knows the mechanics of humor, chiefly “funny person + audience = laughter.” For this reason along with his valuable messages he receives rave reviews at conferences and multiple requests to return.
Full Profile
Ron Has Experience Doing Things Well
Ron began his career by working with people at the end of their lives as a home care social worker at Hospice of Northern Virginia (now Capital Caring). After several years, he was hired as Manager of Counseling Services where he ultimately supervised 26 staff that included social workers, chaplains, and bereavement counselors. He worked hard to create a thriving department while at the same time creating an environment in which his staff had fun.
Finally, Ron served as Director of Quality Service, a senior management position. After being trained at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, he developed and managed the first quality improvement and customer service program for Hospice of Northern Virginia. This program was instrumental in training staff in customer service and preparing the organization for regulatory certification.
Nationally Known Humor Expert
Ron is funny. Period.
But he also knows about the mechanics of humor. For instance: Funny + Audience = Laughter.
Ron has been studying and teaching about the benefits of humor since 1984. He believes that there is more to humor than a punchline and that when coupled with a foundation of excellence, humor can help us manage stress, reduce conflict, become more creative, improve problem solving, and ultimately achieve a higher level of productivity and contentment in life and work. He not only teaches this concept, his funny presentations demonstrate it.
Author and Keynote Speaker
In 2014, Ron Culberson was inducted into the National Speakers Association CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame®. This prestigious award is given to individuals who excel in the following seven categories: material, style, experience, delivery, image, professionalism and communication. To date, 224 men and women have been inducted into the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame®.
Ron has been speaking professionally since 1996 and has spoken to more than 140,000 people in over 1000 organizations. In 2001, he received the Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association which is their highest earned designation. Ron was also the 2012-2013 president of the National Speakers Association. He delivers programs for all types of organizations but has significant experience with healthcare, education, government, and other non-profit organizations.
Ron is the author of three books:
- Do it Well. Make it Fun. They Key to Success in Life, Death, and Almost Everything in Between
- Is Your Glass Laugh Full? Some Thoughts on Seeing the Humor in Life
- My Kneecap Seems Too Loose: 365 Random Thoughts to Inspire Deeply Shallow Thinking
He is a contributing author for: Humor Me and Chicken Soup for the Nurses Soul II, and he also writes a blog for the Huffington Post.
Volunteer Service
Ron commits a significant amount of his time to volunteer service. He has served on a number of boards and committees and contributed significantly to the following organizations:
- National Speakers Association (2012-2013 National President)
- Rotary International, Herndon, VA Club
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
- Capital Caring
- Vienna Presbyterian Church
- The Art Gliner Center for Humor Studies
- The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
- The Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic
Ronald Culberson Speaker Videos 
Ron Culberson: Demo Video
Ron comments on the negativity in the world, pointing out that not only do people seem drawn to it, but that they try to “out-negative” one another.
“Somebody comes up to you and goes, ‘Man, I’ve had this cold for a week.’ [and you respond] ‘I had a cold for seven years once,’” Ron dramatizes. “We love to take it up a notch. I have a motorcycle. I tell people I have a motorcycle and you know what they want to tell me? Somebody they know died on a motorcycle. I don’t really need that information.”
Ron Culberson: Life is Like a Dead Pig
Ron demonstrates storytelling’s tremendous power to communicate a message, describing a life-changing encounter he had as a child with a swollen dead pig on a family tubing trip down an Appalachian river.
“I realized as soon as I saw that pig that the current was taking me right toward it. My first reaction was involuntary, but we were in water, so that was okay,” he remembers. “My second reaction was to realize that my entire psychological well-being was contingent on me not hitting this pig. I’m thinking to myself if I hit that pig, I’m going to be the guy at future family reunions that people stand off to the side and go, ‘He weren’t right ever since he hit that pig.’”
Recounting how he was able to swim to the shore to avoid the pig, Ron compares the river to our journey in life, noting, “We were by ourselves in those tubes. You are by yourself in life for the most part. You have to figure out how to maneuver; we all have to figure out how to maneuver, because if you don’t learn how to maneuver through the rapids in the slow parts effectively, you’re going to hit that pig, or worse yet, you will be the pig.”
Ron Culberson: Burying St. Joseph Statue
Speeches / Speaking Engagements
If you want a speaker for your conference, meeting, or event who engages the audience with great content, inspiring stories, and hilarious humor, then Ron Culberson is the speaker for you. He has been captivating audiences for 15 years and has reached over 120,000 people in more than 1,000 organizations.
Ron has extensive experience with healthcare organizations, education systems, government agencies, and human services groups.
Do It Well. Make It Fun.
Realizing the Power of Combining Excellence with Humor
In this hilarious program, participants learn how combining excellence with humor can lead to greater levels of success in life and work.
- Recognize the flawed thinking that seriousness is more important than excellence.
- Identify the skills you need to do your job and how to improve them.
- Embracing the values you need to do the right thing rather than the easy thing.
- Breaking the cycle of negativity to see opportunities for fun and humor.
- Tapping into the power of humor to for creative problem solving.
- Using humor to communicate and connect with others more effectively.
- Improving the processes in your life and work and making them more fun.
Managing to Be a Great (and Fun) Leader
Great leaders are worth following. Period. In this powerful, yet funny program, participants will understand what it takes to be a great leader who creates an environment that attracts and keeps good people.
- Taking responsibility for achieving leadership excellence.
- Developing the skills to be a great leader (Vision, organization, communication, etc.)
- Embracing the proper values to make you a leader worthy of respect.
- Creating a culture where both excellence and fun thrive.
- Motivating and inspiring staff to go where you want them to go.
Genuinely Speaking
How YOU can Make Your Message More Memorable
Great speakers capture the hearts and the minds of their audiences. Whether speaking to a group of 1000 or to your staff in meeting, your goal is to convey information in the most effective way possible. In this program participants will learn how to create congruence between their own gifts and skills and their message to make a powerful impact on their audience.
- Identifying the gifts and skills that can lead to your own unique perspective.
- Knowing your audience so that you give them what they need.
- Creating a powerful presentation structure.
- Combining valuable content with illustrative material to make your message come alive.
- Using humor to engage the audience and keep their attention.
- Tapping into the metaphorical power of storytelling to bring your message home.
Making Any Process Work... Without it Feeling Like Work
Everything you do is a process. Every process can be improved. Every process can also be made more fun. In this invaluable and fun program, participants will learn how to identify and break down processes so that they are more effective, productive, and enjoyable.
- Recognizing and breaking down processes.
- Developing a plan for every process and project.
- Creating excitement for the process.
- Establishing fun benchmarks along the way.
- Rewarding and acknowledging those who help accomplish the goals of the process.
- Celebrating the end result.
Ronald Culberson Speaker Testimonials
"Your presentation at our staff retreat was superb. The most significant result is that staff communicates a different perspective about organizational change and their responsibility to treat each other well. There has been so much more laughter here and good will since your visit, Ron. You truly are an ambassador for not only humor but heartfelt caring, personal congruence and mindfulness."
Patricia Murphy, RN, MA, CEO, Hospice of Martin and St. Lucie
"It was obvious from your presentation that you had a working knowledge of our organization. We delighted in the way you wove wisdom in with your humor. You superbly related to each participant, making the material come alive to everyone who was fortunate enough to have been present to hear your delivery. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of your presentation was the human element."
Gerard R. Kelly, PhD, VA Community Liaison, US Dept. of Veterans Affairs
"Our entire leadership team agreed that this was one of the best workshops they had ever attended. Along with Ron’s adept use of humor (the room was full of laughter) he is a skilled teacher. This workshop was full of tools and strategies that leaders could immediately apply. Since the workshop, numerous participants have commented on ways they have found to implement what they learned. Unlike many trainings, where the participants emerge feeling enthused and renewed for the first week, this workshop has staying power."
Kate Davis, Director of Learning and Development, Montgomery General Hospital
Partial Client List:
- Abbott Laboratories
- ACS Midas+
- American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
- American Cancer Society (ACS)
- American Case Management Association (ACMA)
- American Red Cross
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
- AstraZeneca
- Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care
- Cigna Dental
- Dialysis Corporation of America
- EDS
- Environmental Protection Agency
- FDIC
- Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
- Hospice Network of Maryland
- Hospice of the Florida Suncoast
- Inova Health System
- International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
- Legal Assistant Management Association
- Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors
- Ronald McDonald Charities
- Safeway, Inc.
- Sunrise Senior Living
- The Embassy of Australia
- The International Finance Corporation
- The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
- The Smithsonian Institution
- The World Bank
- US Department of Agriculture
- US Department of Health & Human Services
- US Department of Interior
- US Department of Justice
- US District Courts
- US Office of Personnel Management
- US Senate
- Wells Fargo
- West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
* Please note that while this speaker’s specific speaking fee falls within the range posted above (for Continental U.S. based events), fees are subject to change. For current fee information or international event fees (which are generally 50-75% more than U.S based event fees), please contact us.
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"Your presentation at our staff retreat was superb. The most significant result is that staff communicates a different perspective about organizational change and their responsibility to treat each other well. There has been so much more laughter here and good will since your visit, Ron. You truly are an ambassador for not only humor but heartfelt caring, personal congruence and mindfulness."
Patricia Murphy, RN, MA, CEO, Hospice of Martin and St. Lucie
"It was obvious from your presentation that you had a working knowledge of our organization. We delighted in the way you wove wisdom in with your humor. You superbly related to each participant, making the material come alive to everyone who was fortunate enough to have been present to hear your delivery. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of your presentation was the human element."
Gerard R. Kelly, PhD, VA Community Liaison, US Dept. of Veterans Affairs
"Our entire leadership team agreed that this was one of the best workshops they had ever attended. Along with Ron’s adept use of humor (the room was full of laughter) he is a skilled teacher. This workshop was full of tools and strategies that leaders could immediately apply. Since the workshop, numerous participants have commented on ways they have found to implement what they learned. Unlike many trainings, where the participants emerge feeling enthused and renewed for the first week, this workshop has staying power."
Kate Davis, Director of Learning and Development, Montgomery General Hospital
Partial Client List:
- Abbott Laboratories
- ACS Midas+
- American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
- American Cancer Society (ACS)
- American Case Management Association (ACMA)
- American Red Cross
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
- AstraZeneca
- Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care
- Cigna Dental
- Dialysis Corporation of America
- EDS
- Environmental Protection Agency
- FDIC
- Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
- Hospice Network of Maryland
- Hospice of the Florida Suncoast
- Inova Health System
- International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
- Legal Assistant Management Association
- Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors
- Ronald McDonald Charities
- Safeway, Inc.
- Sunrise Senior Living
- The Embassy of Australia
- The International Finance Corporation
- The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
- The Smithsonian Institution
- The World Bank
- US Department of Agriculture
- US Department of Health & Human Services
- US Department of Interior
- US Department of Justice
- US District Courts
- US Office of Personnel Management
- US Senate
- Wells Fargo
- West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Do It Well. Make It Fun.: The Key to Success in Life, Death, and Almost Everything in Between
According the Bell Curve, most people are average. But who wants average? Would you want an average car mechanic, an average meal, or worse yet, an average brain surgeon? Didn’t think so. But you don’t have to settle for average when success is only two steps away.
Based on the idea that excellence is the key to success in most aspects of life and death (in a pre-death kind of way)—Do It Well. Make It Fun. is a refreshing take on taking excellence to new heights.
In this entertaining, practical guide Ron provides an easy-to-implement two-step process that will lead to greater success in your career and your life: (1) Do it Well, and (2) Make it Fun. By applying this formula, you’ll learn how to spice up boring meetings, relax in stressful situations, neutralize interoffice conflict, add zest to dull relationships, make project management a bit more enjoyable—and more.
Drawing from life observations and experiences, Ron shares hilarious anecdotes and serious lessons he has learned from his years as a social worker, middle manager, and senior leader. Ron’s simple suggestions will help you take life fun day at a time to revitalize your routines, your relationships, and to achieve greater success.
If you want a speaker for your conference, meeting, or event who engages the audience with great content, inspiring stories, and hilarious humor, then Ron Culberson is the speaker for you. He has been captivating audiences for 15 years and has reached over 120,000 people in more than 1,000 organizations.
Ron has extensive experience with healthcare organizations, education systems, government agencies, and human services groups.
Do It Well. Make It Fun.
Realizing the Power of Combining Excellence with Humor
In this hilarious program, participants learn how combining excellence with humor can lead to greater levels of success in life and work.
- Recognize the flawed thinking that seriousness is more important than excellence.
- Identify the skills you need to do your job and how to improve them.
- Embracing the values you need to do the right thing rather than the easy thing.
- Breaking the cycle of negativity to see opportunities for fun and humor.
- Tapping into the power of humor to for creative problem solving.
- Using humor to communicate and connect with others more effectively.
- Improving the processes in your life and work and making them more fun.
Managing to Be a Great (and Fun) Leader
Great leaders are worth following. Period. In this powerful, yet funny program, participants will understand what it takes to be a great leader who creates an environment that attracts and keeps good people.
- Taking responsibility for achieving leadership excellence.
- Developing the skills to be a great leader (Vision, organization, communication, etc.)
- Embracing the proper values to make you a leader worthy of respect.
- Creating a culture where both excellence and fun thrive.
- Motivating and inspiring staff to go where you want them to go.
Genuinely Speaking
How YOU can Make Your Message More Memorable
Great speakers capture the hearts and the minds of their audiences. Whether speaking to a group of 1000 or to your staff in meeting, your goal is to convey information in the most effective way possible. In this program participants will learn how to create congruence between their own gifts and skills and their message to make a powerful impact on their audience.
- Identifying the gifts and skills that can lead to your own unique perspective.
- Knowing your audience so that you give them what they need.
- Creating a powerful presentation structure.
- Combining valuable content with illustrative material to make your message come alive.
- Using humor to engage the audience and keep their attention.
- Tapping into the metaphorical power of storytelling to bring your message home.
Making Any Process Work... Without it Feeling Like Work
Everything you do is a process. Every process can be improved. Every process can also be made more fun. In this invaluable and fun program, participants will learn how to identify and break down processes so that they are more effective, productive, and enjoyable.
- Recognizing and breaking down processes.
- Developing a plan for every process and project.
- Creating excitement for the process.
- Establishing fun benchmarks along the way.
- Rewarding and acknowledging those who help accomplish the goals of the process.
- Celebrating the end result.
Ron Culberson: Demo Video
Ron comments on the negativity in the world, pointing out that not only do people seem drawn to it, but that they try to “out-negative” one another.
“Somebody comes up to you and goes, ‘Man, I’ve had this cold for a week.’ [and you respond] ‘I had a cold for seven years once,’” Ron dramatizes. “We love to take it up a notch. I have a motorcycle. I tell people I have a motorcycle and you know what they want to tell me? Somebody they know died on a motorcycle. I don’t really need that information.”
Ron Culberson: Life is Like a Dead Pig
Ron demonstrates storytelling’s tremendous power to communicate a message, describing a life-changing encounter he had as a child with a swollen dead pig on a family tubing trip down an Appalachian river.
“I realized as soon as I saw that pig that the current was taking me right toward it. My first reaction was involuntary, but we were in water, so that was okay,” he remembers. “My second reaction was to realize that my entire psychological well-being was contingent on me not hitting this pig. I’m thinking to myself if I hit that pig, I’m going to be the guy at future family reunions that people stand off to the side and go, ‘He weren’t right ever since he hit that pig.’”
Recounting how he was able to swim to the shore to avoid the pig, Ron compares the river to our journey in life, noting, “We were by ourselves in those tubes. You are by yourself in life for the most part. You have to figure out how to maneuver; we all have to figure out how to maneuver, because if you don’t learn how to maneuver through the rapids in the slow parts effectively, you’re going to hit that pig, or worse yet, you will be the pig.”
