PRIMARY SPEAKER IDENTITY

THE TWO STEPS BACK STRATEGIST

Dave Christie is The Two Steps Back Strategist — an international keynote speaker, event host, and facilitator who helps founders, CEOs, and leadership teams regain clarity in a noisy world and make decisions that genuinely move a business forward.

His core belief is simple:
Progress doesn’t come from doing more.
It comes from stepping back far enough to see clearly.

Dave’s work speaks directly to leaders under pressure — people carrying responsibility, complexity, and expectation. He helps them pause deliberately, challenge outdated thinking, and reset how they define progress, leadership, and performance.

This identity sits at the centre of Dave’s work across speaking, coaching, facilitation, and advisory roles. It is the umbrella under which all other keynote themes live.

WHY “TWO STEPS BACK” WORKS

The Two Steps Back philosophy reflects what modern leaders are experiencing:

Too much noise

Too many priorities

Too little space to think

Decisions made reactively, not intentionally

Dave challenges the assumption that speed equals progress.
He shows leaders how stepping back — strategically, not emotionally — leads to stronger decisions, clearer communication, and sustainable momentum.

This positioning aligns directly with Dave’s wider frameworks, podcast, and advisory work, giving it long-term

commercial and intellectual strength.

DAVE’S STORY

(CONDENSED FOR STAGE & PROGRAMMES)

Dave’s authority doesn’t come from theory.
It comes from lived experience.

As a teenager, Dave paid his own mortgage while still at school, balancing work, responsibility, and caring duties early in life.

After losing his mum at 20, he carried those lessons into elite sport — playing and coaching rugby at county level and within professional environments such as London Irish and Harlequins.

Pushing relentlessly eventually led to burnout — the moment that forced Dave to take his own two steps back.

That pause changed everything.

He retrained in nutrition, worked with world-class athletes including involvement with the World’s Strongest Man, moved into the pharmaceutical sector, and ultimately into business coaching and mentoring. Along the way, he uncovered a truth that underpins every keynote he delivers:

Most leaders don’t lack ambition.
They lack clarity.

Today, Dave has supported over 300 independent brands and SMEs in the £0–£2m space, helping founders and leadership teams improve decision-making, communication, time use, accountability, and strategic focus.

SUPPORTING SPEAKER IDENTITIES

(CONDENSED FOR STAGE & PROGRAMMES)

These identities sit beneath The Two Steps Back Strategist. They are not competing brands, but focused lenses used for specific audiences and events.

SPOTLIGHT IDENTITY
THE INDEPENDENT BUSINESS CHAMPION

This identity is used when speaking to:

Independent business owners

Founder-led organisations

Sector-specific audiences (food, drink, retail, wellness, services)

As The Independent Business Champion, Dave speaks for the founders who are often overlooked, oversold to, and expected to carry everything alone.

He brings:

Commercial realism

Deep understanding of independent business pressures

Practical strategies grounded in lived experience

This spotlight works particularly well for:

Trade conferences

Industry events

SME-focused programmes

Founder communities

Testimonials

SPOTLIGHT IDENTITY
THE 8TH DAY STRATEGIST

The 8th Day Strategist is a powerful emotional and conceptual lens used within keynotes and workshops.

It focuses on:

Hidden time
Decision friction
Focus over productivity
Reclaiming capacity without working longer hours

Rather than positioning it as a standalone brand, it works best as:

A keynote theme
A workshop framework
A signature moment within longer talks

“Their sessions helped me find calm and clarity. Each class brings peace and strength I carry into daily life. I’ve never felt more connected to my body and mind.”