Austin J. Franklin

Austin J. Franklin is a keynote speaker, author, and leadership expert whose entrepreneurial career began at an early age. Franklin is the CEO and co-founder of Good-Natured Life, an educational company he established at age 20 while a junior at Hampden-Sydney College. The company focuses on adult and youth development through workshops and keynotes, specializing in leadership, rhetoric, and etiquette programs for schools, corporations, and nonprofit organizations.

Franklin completed Harvard Business School's pre-MBA program and earned a Master of Business Administration from Rollins College's Crummer Graduate School of Business. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics with a minor in rhetoric from Hampden-Sydney College. Drawing on experience from consulting with leaders across industries and a strong academic background, Franklin brings expertise in leadership development, organizational growth, and communication to his speaking engagements.

As an author, Franklin has written "The DifferenceMaker Leader: Five Timeless Ideas That Inspire You To Lead Differently In The World" and "Wake, Rise, and Smile: Four True Stories and One Remarkable Idea Which Encourage Us to Rise Above Life's Disadvantages." His DifferenceMaker Leader Vision Formula provides a framework for leaders to pursue their vision. Franklin has conducted leadership training for executives and teams in industries including healthcare, education, transportation, hospitality, law, construction, and government.

Franklin served as keynote speaker for the Billion Dollar Roundtable Summit Induction Ceremony, a group that includes many Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. He has worked with leaders worldwide to support professional and personal growth. Good-Natured Life also hosts the annual Good-Natured DifferenceMaker Program, an initiative for high school and college students focused on leadership and personal development.

Franklin has served as a commencement speaker, been named one of Florida Black Expo's Top 20 Under 40, and received the Community Pearls Award as a "Leader Under 40 Changing Lives." He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Leadership Jacksonville – Next Generation, and serves as an advisory board member for the Johnson Family YMCA and AMIKids in Clay County, Florida. Franklin has appeared on radio and television programs and has been featured in CEOWORLD Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and Medium's Authority Magazine.