Dave Mitchell

Since founding the Leadership Difference in 1995, over 400,000 people have attended Dave's "enter-TRAIN-ment" seminars on topics that include leadership, customer service, selling skills, and personal performance enhancement. His clients include Allstate Insurance, Bank of America, Universal Studios, Hilton Worldwide, Sub-Zero Wolf Appliances, Electrolux Appliances, Trek Bikes, Walt Disney World and the CIA. In July 2013, Meeting Professionals International selected Dave's presentation as the Meeting Madness winner at their World Education Congress in Las Vegas. Meetings and Conventions Magazine listed Dave on the short list of Best Speakers of 2015.

Prior to starting his own organization development consulting firm, Dave was the Vice President of Human Resources and Quality for Buena Vista Hospitality Group, Corporate Director of Training and Development for Marshall Field's and a television reporter and producer for CBS News. He has a B.A. in Mass-Communications with an emphasis in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Global Human Resources Development. Dave is an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois and has been designated as a Certified Advanced Wine Sommelier by the International Wine Guild. Having failed to achieve his dream of playing professional baseball, he went on to a successful coaching career at the tee ball level.

Dave is the author of the book Live and Learn or Die Stupid! The book focuses on personal contentment and performance excellence. It was released in July of 2006 and was at the top of his publishers' best seller's list in the very first month of its release. His second book, The Power of Understanding People was released in December 2013. It was named an Amazon Editor's Choice for Best Business Book. His next book, The Power of Understanding Yourself, was released in 2019 and named Top Read by Training Magazine and Editor's Pick by getAbstract.com. Dave's fourth book, Peak Performance Culture: The Five Metrics of Operational Excellence, was released in September 2020 to critical acclaim.

Dave lives in the heart of Washington wine country (Walla Walla) with his lovely bride of 37 years, Lori; has two children, Brooklyn and Slade; three horses, and a canine security system including Mingus and Miles.