Someone once told me that all good things come in threes… who would have guessed that they were talking about my latest set of keynotes in South Dakota? That’s right, folks, I touched down in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last Tuesday for not one, not two, but three of my Work That Matters keynotes! Even better, I got to deliver them to the fantastic teams over at First PREMIER Bank.
Over the course of two days, I had the pleasure of visiting three different First PREMIER branches to deliver what’s quickly become my favorite keynote to date. Myself and the First PREMIER teams had some big laughs, but more importantly, some major moments of reflection together. Here’s the 411 on how these keynotes engaged, empowered, and energized each team!
Three Locations with First PREMIER Bank
First PREMIER Bank is a regional bank based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This locally grown, nationally known bank handles everything from personal, business, and agricultural (AG) banking, as well as mortgage, wealth management, ACH, and Treasury Services. They also offer the PREMIER Bankcard, which helps cardholders build credit to achieve a better financial future.
The past two years haven’t exactly been kind to those in financial institutions, and the collections callers at First PREMIER Bank, in particular, have been dealt quite a difficult hand. Stressful conversations and rude feedback from callers have been mounting for months, which is why the organization decided to have me come out to South Dakota to spark a change!
On Tuesday, I met up with the wonderful Tylene Schwebach, a Training Development Officer at First PREMIER Bank and my guide for the trip. Tylene drove us from Sioux Falls to Dakota Dunes and into Watertown for our three keynotes… and we had a blast! From cow tipping to high school wrestling, we chatted all about growing up in South Dakota and life in the midwest as we drove.
Three Keynotes to Emphasize Work That Matters
The first of my three South Dakota keynotes kicked off on Tuesday in Sioux Falls. After a quick intro from Tylene and a brief intro video, I hit the stage to wake up the audience with a classic corporate entertainment set — I’m talking unicycle balancing, juggling, the whole bit! Once the laughter died down, I began my keynote with a bit of background on myself and my story.
My story begins with Peter Panic, the street magician who undeniably changed my life when he set me on the path to entertainment all those years ago. I brought the audience along from first meeting Peter to building my 10-year stint on the iconic Las Vegas Strip, to then bringing Peter on stage with me in Vegas, and ultimately, finding my passion in my nonprofit Win-Win Entertainment.
I share all of these details to explain that while I may have been conventionally successful, nothing set my soul on fire quite like finding work that truly mattered to me. The last couple of years have pushed down WHY work matters to many people, including the hard-working team at First PREMIER Bank. It was my job to remind them of why their work matters, too.
Folks, when we came together to dig deep, the answers were unbelievable!
One audience member said their work mattered because the medical benefits were able to save their spouse. Another described how their flexible schedule allowed them to volunteer and create a community scholarship. One member explained how they share financial knowledge and expertise that could potentially change a customer’s life, even if it can feel insignificant at the time.
Before long, we got to the heart of why each person’s work mattered — to themselves, to each other, to the customers, and to the organization (that’s why I was there, after all!). It was truly a magical moment to witness among each group of employees. And even better, I had the pleasure of facilitating these breakthroughs three separate times!
Three Capabilities to Engage and Entertain the Crowd
When you work with me, you work with a true partner for your events. Case in point? When I arrived in South Dakota, I learned there was no production manager and no audio or visual tech. So, what did I do? I rented a sound system — speakers, mixing board, and tripods — from a local business! Every show I set up, tore down, and packed everything back into Tylene’s van.
Between my time as a professional emcee and corporate entertainer, I know AV and production like the back of my hand. I used a program called MediaMonkey, which works in conjunction with Q Lab, a type of show software I used during my show on the Las Vegas Strip. I ran the entire thing through a remote playback system to trigger my own audio cues and visual slides for the keynotes.
Beyond my production capabilities, I also brought a hefty dose of corporate entertainment! I was able to use 45 minutes of my 90-minute set strictly for entertaining, which was like getting a keynote speaker and corporate entertainer for the price of just one. Plus, I was able to empower each audience, to enable a new sense of passion and purpose.
“WOW! Jeff was AWESOME (X3)! We had so much fun at his events. Jeff not only entertained us, he inspired us, and made us think about our WHY! Thanks Jeff for reenergizing our teams!”
— Tylene Schwebach, Training Development Officer at First PREMIER Bank
Three Reasons I’m Grateful for This Trip
Before I headed back to Las Vegas, I stopped at Falls Park in Sioux Falls. The park sprawls over more than 120 acres along the Big Sioux River as 7,400 gallons crash the rocks below. It was absolutely beautiful — yet, likely somewhere I wouldn’t have stumbled across if I didn’t do what I do. That’s one reason why I’m so grateful for this trip!
It’s so wonderful to experience different parts of the world, but it’s equally as important to explore our own backyards. I was able to experience such a stunning part of the U.S., walk along the water, and indulge in the best restaurants Sioux Falls has to offer (try the sushi, if you go!). With travel restrictions lessening, I was also so grateful for the opportunity to travel, period.
The third reason why I’m grateful for my three-part keynote tour across South Dakota with First PREMIER Bank was to get a new worldview and perspective. My two days with Tylene were so eye-opening, from how farmers like her husband grow their crops to how weather patterns can impact their profitability the same way show scheduling can mine. Truly an insightful few days!
Have a Keynote (or Three) Coming Up?
All good things come in threes, like me, Jeff Civillico — a professional event emcee, corporate entertainer, and funny keynote speaker! Whether you have one event coming up in the future , I’m your best bet for entertainment that engages and empowers the crowd. Don’t wait, send me a booking inquiry today to learn more about how I can enhance your latest event!
