Mark Saxby

Escaping Smartphone Distraction at Work and in Life

Most people believe they are in control of their phones.

Mark helps them discover whether that is actually true.

Through revealing research, laugh-out-loud stories and memorable audience participation, Mark’s talk, Take Back Your Attention: Be More Colin explores the hidden effect digital distraction has on productivity, wellbeing, relationships and our enjoyment of life.

At the heart of the keynote is Colin, one of Mark’s former BBC colleagues, whose working life changed dramatically when he stopped allowing digital distractions to control his attention.

Audiences will discover:

• Why digital distraction is not simply a time-management problem
• How smartphones affect focus, energy and the quality of our relationships
• Why constantly checking devices can make work feel harder than it is
• How small changes can improve productivity and job satisfaction
• Practical ways to create healthier boundaries around phones
• What becomes possible when we give people our undivided attention

Mark does not tell audiences to reject technology. He helps them use it more intentionally.

The keynote builds upon themes explored in Mark’s TEDxWolverhampton talk about reclaiming belonging in a distracted world.

The result: a funny, moving and potentially life-changing session that inspires people to reclaim their time, attention and relationships.

How Leaders Become the Voice Their Industry Trusts

You can be the most experienced person in your industry and still be almost invisible outside your organisation.

Meanwhile, less knowledgeable people are winning attention, opportunities and influence because they are prepared to communicate what they know.

In a world filling rapidly with generic, AI-produced content, leaders who express a distinctive, credible and human point of view have a growing advantage.

In this practical and energising keynote, Mark shows leaders how to turn their experience into thought leadership that people notice, remember and trust. Drawing on his background in journalism and more than 15 years helping organisations communicate through LinkedIn and social media, he reveals how leaders can become visible without becoming self-obsessed – and authoritative without becoming dull.

Audiences will discover how to:

• Decide what they genuinely want to be known for
• Develop opinions and ideas that distinguish them from their competitors
• Turn everyday experiences into memorable thought leadership
• Combine professional authority with personality and humanity
• Build trust without constantly promoting themselves
• Use LinkedIn effectively without allowing it to take over their lives
• Create opportunities for sales, recruitment, partnerships, speaking and media coverage

This keynote is ideal for leadership conferences, partner events, professional-services firms, sales teams, membership organisations and businesses that want their leaders to become more visible and influential.

The result: leaders who no longer wait to be recognised as experts – but communicate in a way that makes their expertise impossible to overlook.

How to Get Results from Social Media – Without It Taking Over Your Life

A practical approach to social media that protects your time, attention and sanity

Social media can generate sales, strengthen relationships and create opportunities that would once have been impossible.

But it can also consume enormous amounts of time – often without producing anything meaningful in return.

Too many people approach social media without a clear objective. They post because they feel they should, scroll in the hope of finding inspiration and allow notifications, algorithms and other people’s content to dictate how they spend their working day.

In this lively and practical keynote, Mark Saxby shows audiences how to use social media with greater purpose – achieving better results while spending less time online.

Drawing on more than 15 years of helping businesses and leaders use social media effectively, Mark challenges many of the habits that platforms encourage. He reveals why more activity does not necessarily produce more success, how to focus on the people and actions that genuinely matter, and how to stop social media becoming a distraction disguised as work.

Audiences will discover how to:

• Set clear objectives so they stop wasting time on activity that achieves nothing
• Identify the audiences most likely to help them reach those objectives
• Choose the right social media platforms rather than trying to be everywhere
• Create content that supports their goals and earns attention
• Build valuable relationships without spending hours scrolling
• Distinguish productive social media activity from digital procrastination
• Use simple boundaries and routines to protect their focus
• Measure meaningful outcomes rather than becoming obsessed with likes and impressions

Mark does not encourage audiences to abandon social media. He helps them use it deliberately – rather than allowing social media to use them.

This keynote is ideal for business owners, sales teams, marketing teams, professional-services firms, membership organisations and employees who need to use social media as part of their work.

The result: a clearer, calmer and more commercially focused approach to social media – helping people generate better results without sacrificing their productivity, wellbeing or life away from the screen.

 From BBC Newsroom to Social Media Radical

Mark came within moments of committing treason, was attacked in Hull Prison because of Shakespeare and helped Azerbaijan win the Eurovision Song Contest while disguised as a Moldovan.

And that was before he entered the comparatively sensible world of social media.

In this entertaining keynote or after-dinner speech, Mark tells the story of his journey from award-winning BBC and ITV journalist to social media entrepreneur, charity founder, author and TEDx speaker.

Along the way, he explores the importance of curiosity, adaptability, courage and retaining a sense of humour when life refuses to follow the expected script.

This speech can be tailored around themes including:

• Navigating professional reinvention
• Communicating under pressure
• Finding opportunities in unexpected places
• Using stories to win people over
• Having the courage to do things differently
• Why a strong opinion about quiche can take you surprisingly far

The result: a highly entertaining speech with meaningful lessons about change, communication and making the most of an unpredictable career.

Helping Young People Survive Social Media

Social media affects young people’s friendships, confidence, behaviour, sleep and sense of identity – but simply telling children to put their phones away is unlikely to change anything.

Drawing on the experiences of more than 15,000 students who have participated in Positive Social sessions, Mark helps parents, educators and organisations understand what young people are experiencing online and what adults can realistically do about it.

Rather than frightening or blaming his audience, Mark offers practical, balanced guidance that opens conversations and empowers adults to make positive changes.

Audiences will explore:

• Why young people find social media so difficult to resist
• What children say they need from their parents and teachers
• How adults can set boundaries that young people understand
• Why education is more effective than relying solely on bans
• How adults’ own phone habits influence children
• Practical ways to help young people make safer and healthier choices

This keynote can be adapted for parents, teachers, safeguarding professionals, schools, charities and employers supporting working parents.

The result: adults who feel better informed, less overwhelmed and more confident about helping children navigate the online world.