When Sam Walton died, Bergdahl left Wal-Mart and went to work as a member of an executive turnaround team at American Eagle Outfitters (AE). The AE leadership team turned the company around and took it public. The stock subsequently split 4 times while he was there! He then joined another successful turnaround team at Waste Management.

Bergdahl has appeared on CNN, CNBC, CNN FN, CBS National Radio and Bloomberg TV. He is considered an authority on Wal-Mart. The giant retailer's own Public Relations Department has referred Bergdahl to interviewers interested in gaining insights into the company. He is a columnist for VNU Publications and his articles have appeared in Retail Merchandiser, Investor's Business Daily, Convenience Store News, Progressive Grocer, Convenience Store Decisions Magazine, the Grocery Manufacturer Association's FORUM Magazine, the National Community Pharmacists Association's America's Pharmacist Magazine, American Management Association's MWorld Magazine and the National Association of Convenience Stores Magazine.

He wrote a book about his experiences working for the World's largest retailer entitled: What I Learned from Sam Walton: How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart World, which was published in the USA and Internationally by John Wiley in August 2004. His book is sold on both the Wal-Mart and Sam's Club web sites.

Michael Bergdahl is a motivational speaker who is one part business, one part inspirational, one part storyteller and one part entertainment. He has spoken at association and business conferences domestically and internationally to groups who are interested in improving their ability to compete successfully.

MOST REQUESTED TOPICS:
What I learned From Sam Walton: How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart World
Horror stories abound about Wal-Mart's entry into new markets and the subsequent destruction of competitors and downtown areas. In this speech, using the acronym, " P.O.C.K.E.T.S.", which stands for Price, Operations, Culture, Key Item Promotion, Expenses, Talent and Service, Michael Bergdahl describes several effective strategies competitors can and have used to counteract the inevitable pressure created by "big box" retailers.

Sam Walton's Golden Rules for Personal & Professional $ucce$$
Do you want to achieve greater levels of success in your personal and professional life? The answer of course is everyone does. In Michael Bergdahl's forthcoming book called, Sam Walton's Golden Rules For $ucce$$: Ten Ways to Prosper Personally & Professionally in Today's Wal-Mart World, he shares the success secrets of the world's most successful entrepreneur.

Secrets to Outperforming the Pack
From his experiences working for World Class "Best Practice" Companies like Pepsico's Frito-Lay Division and Wal-Mart, Michael Bergdahl shares with you some of the secrets of their success. As a turnaround team member at American Eagle Outfitters and Waste Management, learned what it takes to turn a failing company around. He shares the secrets of outperforming the pack in this speech using the acronym F.I.R.S.T. which stands for; Focus on the Customer, Inspirational Leadership, Results through People, Succession Planning/Bench-Building & Tactics for Driving the Business. Combining energy, storytelling and humor with his practical experience working with executives like Sam Walton, Bergdahl will entertain and provide practical and actionable business ideas to those in attendance.

Building Bench - Attract/Retain & Upgrade
What is your standard for staffing talent in your organization? How do your people compare to those of your competitors? Are you selective in choosing very bright, high potential people for your business or do you settle for whoever walks through the door and applies? Are you getting your share of "A" Players? The selection and retention of quality employees is the foundation upon which every one of your other strategies is based. Staffing should be one of your most important competitive advantages. In this speech Bergdahl will challenge your staffing paradigms. He will share with you "World Class" Staffing strategies and tactics from his experiences working for PepsiCo's Frito-Lay Division. He will review the methods of creating a "human inventory" or "bench strength" analysis for your organization to help you improve your ability to compete. In the competitive world we live and work in the companies with the best talent WIN!