Since founding The Leadership Difference in 1995, more than 450,000 people have attended Dave Mitchell’s “enter-train-ment” seminars on leadership, customer service, selling skills and personal performance enhancement. His clients include Allstate Insurance, Bank of America, Universal Studios, Hilton Worldwide, Janssen/Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Sub-Zero Wolf Appliances, Electrolux Appliances, Trek Bikes, Walt Disney World and the CIA.

In July 2013, Meeting Professionals International named Dave Best Speaker of the Year at its World Education Congress in Las Vegas. In September 2015, Meetings & Conventions magazine also named him one of its Best Speakers of the Year.

Dave is the author of four books: “Live and Learn or Die Stupid!,” “The Power of Understanding People,” “The Power of Understanding Yourself” and “Peak Performance Culture: The Five Metrics of Organizational Excellence.” He’s also a certified advanced wine sommelier and holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Illinois.

After failing to achieve his dream of playing professional baseball, he went on to a successful four-year career as a coach at the tee-ball level. Dave lives in the Walla Walla Valley wine country with his wife of 39 years, Lori; their two adult children, Brooklyn and Slade; three horses; and their canine security team, Miles and Mingus.