After 4 different careers in engineering, brand marketing, performing arts and teaching, I felt lost, stuck and unfulfilled. After a 6-month dive into my personal brand, I finally found my greatness and purpose: "Professional Speaker"​

Networking was my first expertise. In 2008, I introduced my own concept of personal branding as a leader and it became my 2nd core expertise. 

In 2011, when I spoke at my first of 5 TEDx talks, I concurrently launched a new social media strategy. Within 6 months got my first speaking gig directly off of Twitter. Now I have over 650,000 followers, was named one of Inc Magazine's Top 100 Leadership speakers and social media / digital connection became my 3rd main expertise. 

I've spoken to half a million people across the world. I've trained 1000's of professionals, including C-suite executives, on how to use the "Power of Connection"​ to be a thought leader through relationship building, content creation, storytelling, & speaking effectively. 

MY SERVICES: 

COACHING
✅ Speaker Mastermind: Speak more, speak better, speak with impact, get paid to speak:  bit.ly/SpeakerProgram
✅ Networking Mastery: Leverage the Power of Connection to transform your career or biz: bit.ly/NetworkingMastery

CONSULTING on Personal Branding, Business & Career Transition, or Brand/Biz Bldg (offered at an hourly rate): 
✅ To book a consulting session, talk, or workshop, reach me directly via private message on LinkedIn or at raehanbobby@gmail.com.

Keynotes: 
✅ Own Your Personal Brand 
✅ Building a Huge Thought Leadership Brand 
✅ Authentic Networking 
✅ Powerful Presentations, Pitches & Storytelling 
✅ Digital Connection via Social Media Content
✅ The Most Important Leadership Skills (Empathy, Communication, Connection, etc)
✅ Entrepreneurship & Business Development 
✅ Learn the NEW LinkedIn 2.0

Workshops: 
✅ Personal Branding Mastery  
✅ Powerful Presentations & Storytelling
✅ Linkedin & Clubhouse integration (IG/Twitter)
✅ Leadership, Teambuilding 
 


I’m feeling a lot of gratitude today. And a deeper clarity on what influence really is.

I was selected as one of LinkedIn’s Top 100 Most Influential Men of 2025 — from more than 9,000 nominees.

But this isn’t about titles.
It’s about how we choose to show up.

I try to lead with:
🟣 Kindness — making people feel seen
🟢 Authenticity — sharing the real wins and the real struggles
🔵 Strength — standing firm for what matters

And the values underneath it all: empathy, compassion, allyship, diversity, fatherhood — are part of the compass I follow daily.

If my kids, clients, or community feel more supported and less alone because of how I show up… 
that’s the real influence. 💯

To everyone who encouraged, nominated, shared, or simply read a post when you needed it — thank you.
And respect to every man on this list who leads with character, even when life gets loud.  Happy International Men’s Day, gentlemen. 

Shoutout to Sibel Terhaar for putting this list together. It's a great initiative, and I'm happy to support it.

Quick question for you:
👉🏾👉🏾 Which value guided you this week — kindness, authenticity, or strength?

Your reflection might be the reminder someone else needs. 👇🏾

Bobby Umar

EMCEE HIGHLIGHTS from the OPEA awards gala for Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) last night where I was the emcee for the 5th time and 3rd year in a row. Fun to dress up. 👏🏾🌟

Each year, they give me more latitude to deliver some planned ad-lib moments, so I tried to bring 3 things — the funny, the insights and the inspiration. It went awesome. Had a blast. I enjoyed coming up with funny bits 6 times, and even did a kind reflection of the lifetime award recipient (who personally thanked me afterwards for my homage). Mentioned my parent, and kids (got the crowd to say ‘Happy Birthday’ to Ryah). I love emceeing in some ways even more than keynotes. So grateful they keep bringing me back, and I feel part of the entire family of engineers. 🙏🏾🙌🏽🤓

Lots of great positive feedback across the board. One woman even said she thought I was so funny that I “should do stand-up” because that’s something that she did. I was grateful but said ‘no thanks’ because that’s way too much pressure to have to be totally or purposely funny, hahaha. 😁

Cc: NSB National Speakers Bureau

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This kiddo is 15 today. Happy birthday Ryah papaya! Love you my little one. You’re still my baby. 🙏🏾💜😍

I’ll share a more deeper and reflective post later about how my daughter Ryah impacts my leadership, my learning and my story. 🙌🏽🤓

You don’t need another content plan. You need courage.

The post that scares you most? That’s the one that builds your brand.

Your audience isn’t waiting for your next strategy tip. They’re waiting for the moment they finally feel you.

Tell the story you’ve been avoiding. It’s the one that moves people.

🟢 MY UPCOMING EVENTS Week of November 23rd, 2025 – I share my audio rooms, livestreams, and zoom trainings once a week here. You’re all welcome to join. CLICK RIGHT to see them all and use the links below to access. 🔥👇🏾


💻 Mon Nov 24th, 3pm ET – EXCLUSIVE FOR TLB CLUB MEMBERS “Weekly Business Coaching Support Call” Hosted by Bobby Umar. Learn more about TLB Club and be part of the growing community here👇🏾

LINK: https://lnkd.in/eh6WBsNN


🎙️ Tue Nov 25th, 4pm ET: LinkedIn Mastery Tuesdays - Holiday Networking Tips and Tricks. Join us on an engaging, conversation on all things LinkedIn. Learn LinkedIn tactics, strategies, trends, tricks & more to build your brand, network, & generate leads. Hosted by Bobby Umar, Christopher G. Johnson, Kenneth Lang, Melanie Mitchell Wexler, and Roy Kowarski

LINK: https://lnkd.in/eJpM-8p8


🖥️ Thu Dec 4th,  4pm ET - “Meet Julian & his AI, Athena: Learn how to build your own AI, just like "Her"” with guest expert Julian Phillips in our weekly #TLBClub Masterclass. 

LINK: https://lnkd.in/eAxxiZxM



⭐️My new TEDx Mastery Intensive launched! We are now doing a 90-day Accelerator and a Done-For-You Service to help you land a TEDx Talk this year GUARANTEED. You can DM me to learn more and book a call.

✅ Click right to see all my event details.
✅ REPOST: help spread the word! 🤓

#TEDxCoach #ThoughtLeadership  #PersonalBranding


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Hi I'm Bobby! I'm a LinkedIn Top Voice and 5x TEDx Speaker.
I help you land a TEDx Talk GUARANTEED. For Content, Connection and Digital Presence tips, follow me (55.3K followers) AND my hashtag #PowerOfConnection (327 followers).  Don't forget to 'Ring My Bell' to get exclusive and immediate access.

View newsletter: Build Ur Thought Leader Brand

How do you keep momentum when the year’s almost over? As 2025 winds down, this week’s lineup focuses on building momentum, deepening relationships, an

Open article: End the Year Strong with Connection, Strategy & Innovation by Bobby Umar • 4 min read

End the Year Strong with Connection, Strategy & Innovation

Before the crowd. Before the lights.
Just me… and the dinner rolls. 🎤🥖

There’s a special kind of silence in an empty ballroom.
The kind that whispers:
“Enjoy this peace… because in 10 minutes, chaos is coming.”

In this clip, you’ll see exactly what I mean:
🟢 A room full of brilliant engineers trying to sing “Happy Birthday” on beat 🎂
🟣 My 15-year-old daughter, Ryah, becoming an honorary gala guest
🟠 And the dramatic retelling of the Grade 10 dinner-roll disaster that shaped me into the man I am today (mostly carbs)

Here’s the truth about hosting technical events:
They often start stiff.
Formal.
A little… “we calibrated the fun out of this.”

But one good story?
One unexpected moment?
One harmless confession about eating 10 dinner rolls at age 15?

Boom—room unlocked.
Engineers laugh. Leaders exhale.
And suddenly, everyone remembers they’re human.

That’s why I love this work.
I get to turn a serious room into a warm one—
sometimes with nothing more than a joke and a microphone.

What’s the funniest or most awkward thing you’ve seen at a formal event?
Tell me below—bonus points if carbs were involved. 🍞😅

And if you enjoy these behind-the-mic moments, feel free to connect or follow for more.

One talk can change everything. Not because of the stage — but because of who you become on it. 🔥

When you give a TEDx talk, something shifts.

You stop hiding behind credentials.
 You start leading with your story.
 You realize your voice carries further than your title.

That red dot becomes more than a stage —
 it’s a mirror.
 You meet the version of yourself who stops waiting for permission.

And when the lights fade and the applause settles,
 something else begins:

Opportunities find you.
 People remember your message.
 Doors open that once felt locked.

Because it’s never just 18 minutes.
 It’s a declaration of who you are — and what you stand for. 💯

🟣 P.S.  If you had one message to share with the world —  what would you say from that red dot? 🤔👇🏾

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