Steve Rizzo

Steve Rizzo is an American motivational speaker, author, and former stand-up comedian, who is notable for his humorous style of motivational speaking and writing. Rizzo is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and an inductee of the Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE) Speaker Hall of Fame. His book, Becoming a Humor Being: The Power to Choose a Better Way won the Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards.

Background Steve Rizzo is a native of Brooklyn in New York City. While growing up, "Rizzo was [once] told by a [high school] guidance counselor that he didn't have the intelligence for college." He went on to study at the Long Island University C. W. Post Campus, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and Education (with Honors) and Master of Arts in Theater Arts. and was roommate to Drew Carey, had Dennis Miller and Rosie O'Donnell open shows for him and shared the stage with Eddie Murphy, Rodney Dangerfield, Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen DeGeneres before moving on to become a motivational speaker. Rizzo left a promising career of over 18 years in stand-up comedy to pursue a new career in motivational speaking; he became a professional speaker in 1994. A publication by McGraw-Hill (introducing Rizzo's book, Get Your SHIFT Together: How to Think, Laugh, and Enjoy Your Way to Success in Business and in Life) says, "[Rizzo reaches] well over 50,000 people a year through his talks and weekly Rizzo-Gram e-mails." At the Community Leaders Breakfast at the Decatur Confenrence Center and Hotel in Decatur, Illinois in 2008, "Rizzo spoke of the benefits of unleashing your "humor being" as a way to bring out the best in yourself during trying times."

Publications Rizzo has written some notable inspirational books, including:

In the description of Rizzo's book, Get Your SHIFT Together: How to Think, Laugh, and Enjoy Your Way to Success in Business and in Life, published on the website of McGraw-Hill, Mehmet Oz is quoted to have said that "Through shifting your focus and way of thinking, Steve Rizzo shows how to succeed on all levels of life, while actually enjoying the process. What could be better?! You will love the truth, the humor, and the wisdom this book contains."