Meet Duane.

A Little About
​Myself.

I discovered my passion for speaking early in my teaching and coaching career. Still today, my desire to craft and share unique, impactful messages has only grown. Since the late 90s, I dove into performance psychology, and shortly after, positive psychology and emotional intelligence. My goal has been to learn, apply, and share as much as possible--I really want to help people, and organizations, maximize their potential.

During my 27+ year career in education, I've served as a teacher, coach, and counselor where I've created and applied impactful research-based strategies in the areas of positivity, well-being, and mental training. In the fall of 2021, I became a certified emotional intelligence practitioner for Genos International. 

My overall journey includes a variety of experiences: professional speaker, inventor, Positive Coaching Alliance trainer, high school English teacher, middle school English teacher, school counselor, head football coach [2x state champion], head basketball coach, 2-sport college athlete [All-Conference], and 3-sport high school athlete [state champion and numerous conference titles]. 

I currently teach high school English at one of the most successful school districts in Wisconsin: St. Croix Central. ​I also serve as an adjunct English professor for the University of Wisconsin--Oshkosh. 

My fantastic wife, Heather, is a high school teacher and is one of the leading ACT Prep gurus in the Midwest. Together we created Upward Spiral where we have a number of products and services to help people in multiple ways. We also have two awesome sons, Zak and Trey, who love sports and academics... and they tower over the both of us! 

Book Duane

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Testimonials

"Duane did an excellent job catering the presentation to the needs of our staff and school. The message fit perfectly with what we needed to hear. We are only a week out from having Duane present to our staff, but we have already noticed a difference in the climate and interactions among our school community."

Dr. Brett Wedlund, Executive Director
Nova Classical Academy, MN

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"Duane is one of the most engaging speakers I've had the pleasure to observe. His messages are genuine, thoughtful, and based on research. You will leave with a renewed sense of personal growth and the tools to have a positive impact on your life and the lives of others." 

Kurt Soderberg, Superintendent
Albany, WI

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"Duane is as genuine as they come. He is a highly skilled leader who possess the unique ability to build strong individuals and strengthen teams. As an educator, he is committed to developing leaders in all walks-of-life. I have personally learned a great deal of leadership principles from him, and I attribute a significant amount of personal growth to him. His acumen for developing and delivering impactful content sets him apart from other speakers. Duane is a truly gifted communicator; regardless of the group, topic or setting, he is able to connect and deliver an inspiring message. Whether you are looking for a keynote speaker, a motivational speaker or someone to deliver in depth material, Duane’s versatility lends him to be a top choice for any organization, team, or school."
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Troy Pearson, Advancement Director
New Life Academy, MN

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"Duane delivers a very practical message. Our students were fortunate enough to hear his leadership message. As a former player of his, I can attest to Duane living out his message when he coached me and my teammates. I would highly recommend him to educators, coaches, players, and parents!"

Tom Sauve, Principal
Elmwood High School, WI

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Attendee Testimonials

"Duane's mix of stories, humor, and research-based information not only holds your attention, but also gives you actual tools to make an impact on students." 

"Duane has been in the classroom. He gets it. He gets students, and he gets teachers. Our staff definitely got better today."

"A positive message with a variety of examples that made it applicable to our staff in a variety of positions."

"[Duane] made the time fly. It seemed like we were there maybe only half an hour and our time was already up. He made me think about some of the things I do as a leader and gave me ideas on how to change them."

"Duane is one of the best; I'm not blowing smoke. His energy, content, and style is perfect for a variety of audiences."

"Duane was fantastic. Great stories and very relatable with the students."
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CONNECT WITH Duane