Communication specialist David Festenstein has an inspirational tale to tell. Back in 2008, he fell victim to a stroke, which unfortunately left his right arm and leg paralysed. Unable to walk, David used his expert communication training as fuel to drive his recovery. Determined to see his recovery from the stroke, David pushed through and his doctors claimed that he had one of the best stroke recoveries they had ever seen.
After battling along the long road to recovery, David has used his personal experiences to help others manage their recovery. Throughout his time recovering, David kept a detailed diary documenting his language of recovery. Identifying seven key steps in his recovery, David has since used those steps to engage audiences with at a range of health-focused public events. Addressing all kinds of audiences from health professionals to corporate audiences, David helps to bring awareness to an important topic in the form of workshops, training sessions and coaching.
After witnessing his incredible recovery, David’s stroke consultant encouraged him to help others in the form of speaking at medical conferences. After beginning to perform at conferences, David realised this his seven steps of recovery did not only apply to stroke victims, but to anyone that was experiencing a personal crisis- with one attendee of his speech informing him it could even help when going through a divorce!
Since honing his skills as a public speaker David has performed at a range of events. He has performed for the likes of the Cardiac and Stroke Network, pharmaceutical companies and schools. With the unique viewpoint of being a patient, David is able to help healthcare professionals see strokes from the eyes of the sufferer and how various communication techniques can aid in a person’s recovery. In 2011, David was asked to join the Warwick Business School Executive Coaching Panel. Inspired by his tales of recovery, the Warwick Business School sought David’s knowledge to help students overcome setbacks and challenges.
David has also previously been invited to speak for The University of Oxford at their Patient’s Perspective- The Fundamentals of Care Seminar. Recently, an app has been developed based on David’s acclaimed 7 Steps to Recovery. Working in partnership with Oxford Brookes University the app helps others to recover from trauma using the methods that David did. With a remarkable story, David is the perfect choice to motivate audience members to not take life for granted and to tackle challenges head-on. With a credible track record as a speaker, David is guaranteed to leave a lasting and influential impact on all audience members.
How to hire David Festenstein
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring David Festenstein for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
“David is one of the most inspiring speakers I have heard in my clinical career. He speaks from the heart and communicates with such a level of authenticity that he caused a paradigm shift in the way I view my patients and the world. He has given me a renewed sense of purpose and hope at a time when the NHS is awash with demoralisation and constraint. I truly believe that what David speaks about will empower patients and staff to trust themselves and bring their worlds together.” - Mr Hiro Tanaka, Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board, Generation Q Health Foundation Fellow
"David gave a presentation entitled ‘Make every call count’ at our Alumni Careers Day. He proved to be an excellent motivational speaker, very quickly engaging with alumni at various different stages of their careers, giving them very specific advice and encouragement. Our alumni feedback to his session was extremely positive."- Vivien, Cranfield School of Management
