Charlie Wittmack : Adventurer, Storyteller and Motivational Speaker : Capitol City Speakers Bureau

In 2003, Charlie Wittmack joined one of the most exclusive clubs in the world as he climbed to the highest point on earth, the summit of Mount Everest. This achievement was the culmination of a seven-year project that took Charlie and his team on more than a dozen major expeditions to five continents to climb many of the world's most difficult and dangerous peaks. The final ascent on Everest came after battling two months of the worst weather in the recorded history of the mountain, two failed summit attempts, a severe case of snow blindness, a day without supplemental oxygen, and three days of climbing without food or water.

In addition to standing atop peaks in the Andes, Alps, Africa, Alaska and Himalaya, Charlie has participated in an incredible variety of adventures across the world, including trekking across East Africa with the Masaii, sailing the Indian Ocean in a handmade boat, and bicycling the United States. During Charlie's incredible multimedia presentations, you'll hear stories of the people who have inspired him along the way, and how they taught him to overcome fear and embrace adventure on the mountain and in life.

Charlie draws on his experiences as an adventurer, father and trial lawyer while working with companies and organizations across the United States to enhance training programs and maximize employee potential.

Whether your organization is overcoming the effects of the current economy, launching a new sales or training program, developing team effectiveness or celebrating a significant achievement, Charlie will customize his presentation to dovetail into your organizational development plan in a uniquely inspirational and memorable package. The result is a presentation that educates and inspires while delivering a consistent organizational message to every participant.

Charlie is a member of the National Speakers Association and the International Federation For Professional Speakers. He is certified to provide continuing education lectures to Medical Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Licensed Professional Nurses, Attorneys and Project Managers.

In addition to being a professional speaker and adventurer, Wittmack works full-time as a trial attorney for the Davis Brown Law Firm, one of the "world's leading independent law firms" and a member of Lex Mundi. He serves clients ranging from single-member start-ups to Fortune 1000 firms, primarily in cases involving complex litigation. Wittmack draws on his experiences as a practicing attorney in customizing his presentations to a wide-variety of clients.

Most Requested Programs...

Charlie maximizes clients' return-on-investment by customizing each presentation for his specific audience. Charlie's presentations are based on a selection of the curriculum modules discussed below and developed through a collaborative process with each host. The result is a presentation that educates and inspires, while delivering a consistent organizational message to every participant.

Setting the Compass - Just as a mountain climber is guided to the summit by his or her compass, every organization is guided by an "organizational compass." In industry, these "organizational compasses" are typically recorded as a mission and values statement. These statements guide us along our paths, and help us to make the right decisions when our view is obscured by difficult terrain or inclement weather.
Breaking it Down - Mountains frequently appear insurmountable from their base, and in order to be successful, climbers must break the mountain down into attainable components. In business, the ability to take ambitious organizational goals and break them down into attainable elements is the difference between an ordinary leader and being a transformational leader. To be affective, short-term goals must be hierarchal, congruent and sequenced.
Changing Cracks - In rock climbing, a climbing crack rarely goes from the base of a mountain to the summit. To be successful and reach the summit, we have to be prepared to change cracks along our course. Changing cracks is often necessary in business as well, and it is during these times that our creativity and team work is so important.
Learning to Manage Fear - Fear often impacts our ability to reach our goals in the mountains and in life. To truly maximize our potential, we must distinguish between two types of fear: the fear that protects us and keeps us safe when we're doing something we shouldn't be; and the fear that limits us and keeps us from achievement, which results from mere uncertainty. We can only maximize our potential when we learn to manage our fear and overcome it.
Anticipating Negative Moments - Mountain climbing skills are built over years and decades through hard work and other "positive" moments. However, the bad decisions we make in the mountains can take away all our years of hard work in just an instant. Negative moments happen - both in the mountains and in life - and the only way we can overcome them is to anticipate them.
Taking Advantage of Adversity - When the going gets tough, many climbers pack up and head home. However if we anticipate challenges and prepare for adversity, we can be ideally positioned to take advantage of tough times and realize extraordinary achievements. Adversity creates opportunity, and organizations that take advantage of these opportunities have the ability to prosper in unusual and surprising ways.
Practicing Corporate Collectivism - "Collectivism" is often considered a naughty word in western societies. However, experiences with the Masaii of East African and the Sherpas of Nepal show how members of these unique teams often make small individual sacrifices to realize remarkable achievements for their groups. Corporate collectivism can work the same way, if we take a moment to recognize those who support us and examine what we can contribute to others.
Shifting to a Performance-Based Perspective - Climbing is typically thought of as an "outcome-based" sport, in which success and failure is measured against a defined summit. However, the modern era of extreme sports is characterized by a "performance-based" perspective in which athletes compete only against themselves. With this shift in perspectives, the possibility is limited only by our imagination. As we shift our focus away from our competitors and focus instead on continuous improvement, truly remarkable results occur.
Going Beyond the Summit - From the summit of Mount Everest, perspective falls away and the largest mountains in the world look like simple day hikes. Success breads success and summits are a great place to define "What's Next?" By moving from summit to summit, we can create a mountain range of achievement and truly live our lives up to our absolute potential.