Jacob Brown is one of the most electric voices rising in the world of professional speaking.

A former NFL athlete turned serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, and transformational keynote speaker, Jacob has quickly become a go-to expert for companies and conferences that want to shift mindsets, build resilient leaders, and transform workplace culture.

Today, Jacob is a trusted keynote speaker for organizations like Intel, Meta, LinkedIn, UPS, General Motors, the Dallas Cowboys and many more. He’s delivered standing-ovation keynotes at top universities including Notre Dame, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and his insights have been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Good Morning America. Jacob is also the author of Fail Forward Mentality, a powerful book designed to help individuals and organizations break free from perfectionism, embrace resilience, and transform setbacks into growth.

His book is a natural extension of his message on stage, equipping readers with actionable tools to reframe failure and lead with courage. As co-founder of Varlo, a global athletic apparel brand, Jacob knows the entrepreneurial hustle. But it’s his work with executive teams, HR leaders, and frontline managers that sets him apart. His keynotes go beyond motivation - they activate change. Using humor, hard-earned wisdom, and practical frameworks, Jacob helps leaders unlock their teams' potential by transforming failure into strategy and adversity into alignment.

Whether guiding companies through burnout, broken culture, or leadership drift, Jacob equips audiences to embrace discomfort, lead with authenticity, and build failure-resilient organizations that thrive in uncertainty.

He lives in Metro Detroit with his wife and their four children. Offstage, you’ll find him cheering at basketball games, attending ballet recitals, or sneaking in a family vacation - always leading from the core.

Ready to connect? Text or call me @ 248-805-6093 or email me at jacob@failforwardbrown.com

For speaking inquiries: www.jakebrownspeaks.com

Jacob Brown

CTR Electronics

Head of Marketing & Business Development

Make-A-Wish Michigan

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

SPI Media

Lead the marketing and product-led growth strategy, bringing this startup to the next level, growing brand awareness, lead generation and CRO through PR, partnerships, co-marketing, email, social, digital and community.

Marketing Director

Ziebart International

Owned top-of-funnel and conversion rate optimization strategy to solidify this legacy company as a leader in the retail and franchise automotive aftermarket space. Developed new go-to-market strategies through market research, persona creation, customer journey touchpoint development, and KPI analysis.
Key Results: Grew retail leads 40%, boosted brand awareness 53%, increased website engagement 45%  and raised positive online reviews 26%.

Advertising Director

NorthRidge Church

Developed and led all internal and external communication, brand awareness, experiential, and advertising strategies, effectively leading a team of 10 employees and 25 volunteers. 
Key Results: Amplified digital presence 275% YOY, increased event attendance 30%, and boosted social engagement 70%

Director of Marketing & Events

Fox Broadcasting Company

Ideated unique, multi-platform partnerships that grew revenue by leading the strategy, analyzing marketplace trends, negotiating competitive rates, and optimizing media performance. 
Key Results: Expanding digital ad sales over 30% and the new business pipeline by 66%.

Digital Account Executive

Viacom

Grew digital campaign revenue by developing standout pitches, negotiating partnership agreements, and delivering outstanding value for the client by maximizing media campaign performance. 
Key Results- Exceeded sales goals by 34% and grew pipeline 70%.

Sales Service Executive, Strategic Partnerships

5-hour ENERGY®

Gained additional startup experience leading the go-to-market strategy launching 5-hour internationally. Led new market launch strategy with sampling events, paid search, experiential, social media, PR, product integration, influencer marketing, SEO / SEM, radio, & TV.
Key Results: Exceeded lead generation goals by 65% and boosted brand awareness by 80%.

International Business Development

American Laser Skincare

Instrumental in creating process and strategy for a national aesthetic service startup, leading corporate communications, CRO marketing, PR, reputation management, social, digital advertising, print, radio, and influencer marketing.
Key Results: Grew ROI from $2M to over $5M in less than 12 months with a lower ad spend and generated 324% revenue growth.

Event Marketing, PR & Social Media

Planned and executed national and local events and PR stunts for Ford Motor Company including launch tours, media partnerships, ride and drives, concert tours, giveaways, and dealer promotions.

Experiential Marketing

•	Secured linear TV buys for Ford, negotiated rates, and analyzed performance.

Asst. Broadcast Negotiator

Startup, nonprofit and Fortune 500 branding and marketing expert with constant success leading the marketing strategy for rebrands, startups, and new product launches, achieving valuable ROI for conservative budgets and multi-million-dollar plans. An excellence-driven servant leader bringing a unique combination of analytical and creative thinking to amplify brand awareness, market share, lead generation and conversion, revenue growth, retention, and referrals that create connections and impact.    
   ►	Surpassing a 30-day product launch stretch goal in 3 days, generating over 200% revenue goal.
   ►	Growing brand awareness by 40% YoY in less than a year.
   ►	Increasing leads YoY by 26% during a pandemic by leading a CRO marketing strategy.
   ►	Driving social engagement growth by 70% and increasing digital presence 275% YOY. 

I am a music and classic movie-loving extrovert who loves a good theme party, lake life, skiing, dancing, photography, and volunteering.

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Jacob Brown

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