Sam Horn is The Intrigue Expert: a world-renowned Author, Keynote Speaker, communications strategist, and executive coach.
Sam Horn, Founder and CEO of the Intrigue Agency, is on a mission to help people create quality communications that add value for all involved.
Her 3 TEDx talks and 9 books - including Washington Post bestseller Got Your Attention?, ConZentrate, POP! and What’s Holding You Back?- have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and endorsed by Seth Godin, Dr. Stephen Covey, Marshall Goldsmith and Dan Pink.
Sam is the originator of the trade-marked communication process called Tongue Fu!, which has been published in 17 languages and taught to schools, associations, government agencies, and corporations.
A frequent media resource, Sam’s work has been featured on NPR, in the NY Times, Harvard Business Review (Ascend), Investors Business Daily and Readers Digest. She’s been interviewed on top-ranked podcasts including John Lee Dumas’ Entrepreneur on Fire and on every major network, including NBC’s Tonight Show and To Tell the Truth … where she and her Tongue Fu! team stumped the panel.
Sam has had the privilege of speaking to more than a half million people worldwide and for hundreds of organizations including: NASA, National Geographic, Accenture, Cisco, Intel, American Bankers Assn. YPO, Capital One, Four Seasons Resorts, Asian Leadership Conference, Ernst Young and Nationwide and at events in Geneva, Seoul, Berlin, London, Beijing, Dublin, and Amsterdam.
Sam's specialty is helping people crystallize one-of-a-kind communications - books, brands, businesses, causes, campaigns, fund-raising pitches and high-stakes presentations (e.g., TED-MED, United Nations, World Economic Forum at Davos, etc.) - that scale their income and impact, for good.
““Sam was the perfect guest to have on our elevator pitch segment.””
TED FELLOWS brought Sam in to advise them on how to clearly communicate their projects. EO hired Sam 3 years in a row to train their International Board and President in public speaking. NASA hired Sam to media-train their senior scientists and climate change specialists and LINKEDIN hired Sam to design and deliver the video-training “Preparing for Successful Communication.”
Sam was the Pitch Coach for Springboard Enterprises (which has helped female entrepreneurs generate $9.9 billion in valuations) and for British Airways Face2Face competition. She has helped clients craft funding pitches that have won millions of dollars. Sam’s session on “Open Doors and Close Deals with a Winning Elevator Pitch” was a top-ranked session at SXSW and at INC 500/5000.
Sam co-founded the Business Book Festival (held at USA Today headquarters) and served as the Executive Director and Emcee of the world-renowned Maui Writers Conference for 17 years, where she worked with bestselling authors including Mitch Albom and James Rollins, Academy Award-winning screenwriters and directors (e.g. Ron Howard), and top agents, editors and publishers.
A partial list of clients includes:
Larry Lynch, former Director of the Disney Institute
Nell Merlino, founder of Take Our Daughters to Work Day
Kian Gohar, Former Executive Director of XPrize and Singularity U
Amy Wilkinson, White House Fellow and speaker at Davos
Sandra Joseph, Broadway’s longest leading lady (the role of Christine in Phantom of the Opera for ten years).
Sam is a member of the invitation-only Transformational Leadership Council, founded by Jack Canfield, and has twice received its top leadership award.
She is also on the Advisory Board of the invitation-only Unicorn Club for Women Leaders (founded by JJ Virgin and Cynthia Garcia) and has received its Golden Wings Award. Sam has been called brilliant for her ability to connect dots no one else sees, and for helping clients communicate those dots in original, commercially-viable ways that create a winning competitive edge.
She is renowned for her inspiring, interactive programs where people connect, reflect and apply what they learn to produce results in the room. She is often the highest-rated speaker at every convention at which she’s featured because audiences welcome her humor, real-life stories, and actionable insights.
Sheri Salata (former Exec. Producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show) says Sam is "one of the bright lights and most accessible wisdom sharers in our culture today."
When Sam’s not helping people get their ideas out of their head and into the world, she can probably be found in, on or around the water.
In fact, in 2016, she gave away most of what she owned and set out on a cross-country “Year by the Water” where she pulled a “Charles Kuralt” and interviewed surfers, sailors, swimmers … everyone she could find that shared her love of water.
She asked “Are you happy? If so, why so? If not, why not?”
That year turned into four years – and those adventures, interviews and resulting epiphanies turned into the book “SOMEDAY is Not a Day in the Week.”
Sam agrees with Washington Post owner/editor Katherine Graham who was asked why she loved her job. Ms. Graham said, “To do what you love and feel that it matters; how could anything be more fun?”
The only thing that could be better than that is to do meaningful, creative work you love that matters – and to get to do it with people you enjoy and respect.
That’s what Sam gets to do every day – and she’s enormously grateful.
Sam is known for originating first-of-their-kind, evolutionary methodologies in the communications field.
Examples include:
SOMEDAY is Not a Day in the Week (St. Martin's Press) Endorsed by Jay Samit who says, " Aguide book for anyone seeking personal transformation and a more purposeful life" and Dorie Clark who calls is an, "essential book that will show you the path to create a meaningful next act."
POP! (Perigee-Penguin) Endorsed by Ken Blanchard and Seth Godin who says, “One-third of the way through this book, you’ll be begging to hire Sam Horn as your consultant.”
Tongue Fu!® (St. Martins Press) “A lively, positive guide that can be returned to again and again.” – Library Journal “A gold mine for anyone who deals with the public.” – Exec. Summaries
ConZentrate (St. Martins Press) “Fascinating, thought-provoking.” – Dr. Stephen Covey “Horn successfully shows readers how to sharpen their minds.” – Publishers Weekly
What’s Holding You Back? (St. Martins Press) “A must-read for anyone who wants to be more polished, poised, powerful.” – Jack Canfield “A fountain of wisdom.” – Rabbi Harold Kushner
Take the Bully by the Horns (St. Martins Press) “The perfect guide on how to face those who intimidate and manipulate you – without sacrificing your integrity.” – Dave Pelzer
Got Your Attention? Create Intrigue and Connect With Anyone (Berrett-Kohler, 2014) Based on Sam’s TEDx talk and her innovative Eyebrow Test methodology for winning buy-in.
Shop Sam’s books on Amazon
Sam works with the world’s most innovative companies:
