Dave Mitchell

About Dave Mitchell

Since founding the Leadership Difference in 1995, over half a million 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, Johnson and Johnson, Sub-Zero Wolf Appliances, Electrolux Appliances, Trek Bikes, Walt Disney World and the CIA. In July 2013, Meeting Professionals International selected as the Meeting Madness winner for Best Speaker of the Year at their World Education Congress in Las Vegas. In September 2015, Meetings and Conventions Magazine named Dave one of the Best Speakers of the Year.He has a B.A. in Mass-Communications with an emphasis in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Global Human Resources Development. Dave teaches Managing and Motivating People in the MBA program at Walla Walla University and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois. He is 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. His second book, The Power of Understanding People, was released in December 2013 and was immediately named Best Business Book of the Month by Amazon. His follow up book, The Power of Understanding Yourself, was released in 2019 and was named a Top Read by Training Magazine. His fourth book, Peak Performance Cultures: The FIve Metrics of Organizational Excellence was released in September 2020. He is also a founding shareholder of Pambrun Wines and is active in education, and non-profit fund raising. Dave lives in the Walla Walla Valley wine country with his wife of 40 years, Lori; has two adult children, Brooke and Slade; three horses, and dogs Miles and Mingus.

Experience

1. Adjunct Faculty Instructor

   Walla Walla University School Of Business

   Nov 2025 — Present · Walla Walla, WA, US

   Instructor for MBA program. MGMT 560 Managing and Motivating People

Education

• Eastern Illinois University

  B.A., Mass Communications/Bus. Adm

  1979 — 1983

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  Ed.M., Global Human Resources Development

  2008 — 2010

Skills

• Educator
• Advertising
• Sales
• Workshop Facilitation
• Instructional Design
• Nonprofits
• Consulting
• Project Management
• Social Networking
• Social Media Marketing
• Training
• New Business Development
• Coaching
• Management Consulting
• Social Media
• Organizational Effectiveness
• Event Management
• Recruiting
• Published Author
• Staff Development
• E-Learning
• Strategy
• Seminar Speaker
• Event Planning
• Team Leadership
• Strategic Planning
• Public Speaking
• Program Management
• Change Management
• Customer Service
• Contract Negotiation
• Start-Ups
• Marketing Communications
• Employee Training
• Fundraising
• Marketing Strategy
• Organizational Development
• Leadership
• General Awesomeness
• Management