Bill Stainton, a professional member of the National Speakers Association and founder of Ovation Consulting Group, has won 29 Emmy® Awards and 12 International Iris Awards for his work as executive producer, writer, and performer on the long-running Seattle television comedy program, Almost Live! While at Almost Live!, Bill worked with such luminaries (and near-luminaries) as:

• Jerry Seinfeld
• Ellen Degeneres
• Joe Namath
• Terry Jones (Monty Python)
• Martin Mull
• Lily Tomlin
• Davy Jones (The Monkees)
• Leslie Nielsen
• Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)
• Larry King
• Fred Willard
• ...and yes, Tiny Tim!

He would have worked with Cindy Crawford, but she turned him down upon reading his script.

Writing

On a more successful note, Bill has also written for:

• HBO
• Comedy Central
• National Public Radio
• The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno

"Writing for other people—whether it's Jay Leno or a corporate CEO—is always an interesting challenge, especially when you're dealing with humor," says Bill. "The key is to be able to hear that person's voice in your mind as you're writing. You also have to understand their sense of humor and their comfort zone. That way—if you're good—it'll sound like they wrote it themselves. Or, better yet, like they're coming up with it spontaneously!"

Speaking

As a performer, speaker, and/or Master of Ceremonies, Bill has worked with clients including:

• Microsoft
• Mensa of Western Washington
• Philips Oral Healthcare
• National Association of Catering Executives
• Washington Credit Union League
• Special Olympics
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Associated General Contractors of Washington
• Windermere Real Estate
• Sheet Metal & AC Contractor's National Association
• WestCoast Hospitality
• Meeting Planners International
• National Association of Healthcare Consultants
• International Association of Administration Professionals
• National Association of Development Organizations
• Association of Government Risk Pools
• Washington Library Media Association
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

In addition, Bill has produced awards ceremonies for the Northwest Advertising Federation and the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards, among others.

"Having produced major events as well as spoken at them, I can appreciate the concerns and needs of both roles," explains Bill. "My goal as a speaker is to connect with and entertain my audience, as well as make life very, very easy for the meeting planner."

Training

For the past six years, Bill has been the co-owner of his own successful corporate training company, Right Brain. As a writer and producer, he has authored training programs on topics such as Customer Service, Team Motivation, and Employee Orientation. Bill's programs are currently being used by hundreds of major organizations, including:

• State Farm Insurance
• Boeing
• American Airlines
• Cornell University
• Hewlett Packard
• Nordstrom
• IBM
• Lucent Technologies
• Oracle
• Reuters
• Lockheed Martin
• Merck & Co.
• BMW
• Paramount Pictures
• Starbucks
• ...and yes, the CIA!

The Stuff Nobody Cares About

Bill is also an accomplished (accomplished being a relative term): musician, juggler, pilot, scuba diver, magician, and tennis player.

Conversely, his golf game is a disaster.