Patrick J. McGinnis

FOMO® shapes every decision we make.

I help leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and brands transform FOMO into focus and action. Presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, my keynotes and workshops are customized to generate real impact in the world of finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, and beyond.

Scroll down to find out more. 

High Impact Keynotes

Through behavioral science, business strategy, motivation, and humor, I help audiences decode the psychology of FOMO to master persuasion, make smarter decisions, and embrace entrepreneurial thinking.

I’ve spoken at companies, conferences, and organizations like Google, Brilliant Minds, the Cannes Lions, Paramount+, MercadoLibre, Bloomberg, Deutsche Bank, IPG Mediabrands, The World Bank, The U.S. State Department, & YPO, offering  keynotes in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Scroll down for my signature keynotes, downloadable speaking overviews, my official speaking reel, endorsements, and more.  

Signature Keynote: Mastering Persuasion in the Age of FOMO

Are you finding it harder than ever to get your message heard in a world where everyone is constantly distracted? In this interactive session, you’ll learn how FOMO, alongside other psychological drivers, can be leveraged to influence decisions, cut through the noise, create urgency, and inspire action. Through a combination of cutting-edge psychology, real-world examples, and practical advice, you will gain the strategies you need to break through the clutter in any setting, whether you’re marketing a product, closing a deal, leading a team, or getting someone to put down their phone and pay attention.

Signature Keynote: This is [Your Industry] on FOMO

Are you a CEO navigating a wave of industry consolidation? A leader worried about being left behind in the AI arms race? An investor watching in disbelief as peers pour money into things that make no sense? Whatever your challenge, there is a universal force that breaks down what’s going on: FOMO. FOMO is the force behind asset bubbles, speculative mergers, and poor strategic decisions in [Your Industry]. You can blame it for Crystal Pepsi, Quibi, Theranos, NFTs, and the AOL Time Warner merger. Oops. In this interactive session, you will learn how to apply the psychology of FOMO to explain past trends (good, bad, and absurd) while acquiring an analytical framework to make smarter strategic decisions in [Your Industry]. 

Other Popular Keynotes Include:

Marketing & Sales
  • All Marketing is FOMO
  • Don’t Miss Out: Sales and the Power of Now
Finance, Technology, & Entrepreneurship
  • Fear, Greed, FOMO, and Financial Markets 
  • FOMAI: Fear of Missing Out on Artificial Intelligence & What to Do About It 
  • The 10% Entrepreneur: Building an Entrepreneurial Mindset Without Going All-In
Leadership & Motivation 
  • The Paradox of Plenty: Decision-Making & the Fear of a Better Option

Keynotes on Influence, Business, and Innovation

Mastering Persuasion in the Age of FOMO


This is [Your Industry] on FOMO



The 10% Entrepreneur: Building an Entrepreneurial Mindset Without Going All-In

Speaking at the World’s Top Companies & Events

FOMO & FOBO in the Media

The New York Times

"Mr. McGinnis coined the term F.O.B.O. — along with its undoubtedly more ubiquitous cousin, F.O.M.O., the Fear of Missing Out — in 2003 when he was a student at Harvard Business School"

Inc.com

"Mc Ginnis actually developed FOMO for the context of business decision-making"

The Guardian

"Indecision when the decision is simple, or the options all acceptable, is the defining characteristic of “fear of better options” – or Fobo – a social phenomenon coined by Patrick McGinnis."

TED

Patrick's hit TED Talk about the dangers of "FOBO" -- the fear of better options -- and how to overcome it.

Business Insider

“ ...FOBO, a phrase McGinnis coined to describe a type of mental paralysis that can happen when making a decision.

New York Magazine

“The latest issue of New York Magazine explores the great reopening, with an exhaustive list of things to do—and some thoughts from writer Matthew Schneier on what won’t be entirely fun about it all (specifically: The Return of FOMO).”

Boston Magazine

"McGinnis had witnessed the future…"

Forbes

"Coined in 2003, 'Fear of Missing Out' ran deep in our collective consciousness as we strode into a 21st century full of soaring work stress and burgeoning social media..."

What People Are Saying

Arianna Huffington
Arianna HuffingtonFounder & CEO, Thrive Global
"As the creator of the term FOMO, Patrick J. McGinnis is uniquely positioned to lead the fight against this very modern affliction."
Stacey Sasaki
Stacey Sasaki Google New York
“Googlers are a great crowd of enthusiastic, engaged, and curious people – but they let no one off easy as they’re really bright and ask the tough questions! Patrick did an amazing job educating our NYC office on the ins and outs of 10% entrepreneurship and we were really thankful to have him here.”
Annastasia Seebohm
Annastasia SeebohmCEO Brilliant Minds Foundation
“Patrick's connection with our audience was apparent from the outset. If you want a lesson about living decisively, there is no better messenger than him. As one of our attendees wrote afterwards, "His speech made me look at my life differently."
Mike Dancell
Mike DancellUS Embassy in Rabat, Morocco
“Patrick’s has spoken at programs organized by our Embassy in Morocco. His insights with respect to global entrepreneurship are not only highly relevant, but he delivers them with great impact – he’s an exciting and engaging speaker.”
Bradley Saft
Bradley SaftYoung Presidents' Organization
"At a time when living and working decisively has taken on new urgency, McGinnis’ gave our members an actionable set of strategies for doing so. He is an engaging and compelling speaker."
Carlos Soto
Carlos SotoComvest Partners
"Being decisive is not an option in business. Learning how to build a more decisive culture from the inventor of FOMO and FOBO himself was a unique, memorable, and actionable experience!"
Arianna Huffington
Arianna HuffingtonFounder & CEO, Thrive Global
"As the creator of the term FOMO, Patrick J. McGinnis is uniquely positioned to lead the fight against this very modern affliction."
Sean Summer
Sean SummerCMO, MeradoLibre
"Patrick brought his deep expertise in decision-making and marketing behavioral economics, and leveraged his speaking and PR savvy to make our award-winning Fear of Missing Audience campaign transformative. Through keynotes in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, B2B client events, and a dynamic presence in our media and PR campaign, Patrick helped us craft a compelling narrative that resonated across the industry. Another plus: he’s funny and unassuming, which makes working with him really enjoyable."
Stacey Sasaki
Stacey Sasaki Google New York
“Googlers are a great crowd of enthusiastic, engaged, and curious people – but they let no one off easy as they’re really bright and ask the tough questions! Patrick did an amazing job educating our NYC office on the ins and outs of 10% entrepreneurship and we were really thankful to have him here.”
Eduardo Lebrija
Eduardo LebrijaEVP, Paramount+
"In a world where capturing attention is harder than ever, Patrick McGinnis breaks through the noise. He crafted a keynote for our upfronts that used the frameworks of FOMO and FOBO to present a fresh, and highly entertaining, take on the future of television. Patrick’s ability to blend humor, business strategy, and behavioral science made his session a standout at our event. He doesn’t just present ideas—he leaves you with a playbook for action."
Carlos Rojas Girao
Carlos Rojas GiraoCEO, IPG Mediabrands Latin America
"Patrick delivered an engaging and thought-provoking keynote tailored to our industry and work. His insights on FOMO and the psychology of persuasion provided our team with a fresh perspective and a strategic framework for client engagement. If you're looking for a speaker who is both insightful and practical, Patrick is a great choice."
Annastasia Seebohm
Annastasia SeebohmCEO Brilliant Minds Foundation
“Patrick's connection with our audience was apparent from the outset. If you want a lesson about living decisively, there is no better messenger than him. As one of our attendees wrote afterwards, "His speech made me look at my life differently."
Bradley Saft
Bradley SaftYoung Presidents' Organization
"At a time when living and working decisively has taken on new urgency, McGinnis’ gave our members an actionable set of strategies for doing so. He is an engaging and compelling speaker."
Mike Dancell
Mike DancellForeign Service Officer, US Embassy in Rabat, Morocco
“Patrick’s has spoken at programs organized by our Embassy in Morocco. His insights with respect to global entrepreneurship are not only highly relevant, but he delivers them with great impact – he’s an exciting and engaging speaker.”

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to have Patrick speak at your next event, click below to book him today.

Speaking Request

Patrick is available to speak and conduct workshops in the United States and internationally, and can present in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. 

 To check his availability please fill out this form. Or if you prefer, email letsconnect@patrickmcginnis.com

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