Ben Aldridge - Keynote Speaker
Resilience. Philosophy. Mental Health.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable...
Ben Aldridge is a bestselling author and international keynote speaker known for blending ancient philosophy, modern psychology, and personal storytelling. His talks are thought-provoking, practical, and entertaining - designed to inspire audiences to embrace discomfort, build resilience, and live with more confidence and curiosity.
“Ben gave an outstanding talk - we’ve had lovely feedback from the team and his message seems to have deeply resonated with people.” — Capital One
Ben helps teams and individuals get comfortable with being uncomfortable, building the resilience to handle uncertainty, change and setbacks with confidence.
His approach draws on a simple idea from the Ancient Greek philosophers: askesis. Choosing difficulty on purpose, so the difficulty you don't choose is easier to handle.
What audiences get:
Resilience for work and life
Confidence to step outside the comfort zone
A growth mindset towards discomfort
Practical philosophy tools for everyday use
Entertainment, with plenty of humour along the way
Ben's clients include Microsoft, the NHS, Heathrow, Capital One and Salesforce, among many others.
“Professional and easy to work with” — Microsoft
“Engaging and informative” — Jazz Pharmaceuticals
“Funny, factual and fascinating” — Nerd Night
Signature Talks
How to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
Based on his bestselling book (of the same name), this talk introduces comfort-zone challenges as a powerful tool for growth. Through entertaining stories and practical exercises, Ben shows how discomfort can become a path to confidence and resilience.
The Philosophy of Resilience
From ancient Stoic practices to modern CBT techniques, Ben offers a toolkit for managing adversity, anxiety, and change. This talk equips audiences with immediately usable tools for building inner strength.
Seriously Happy: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Joy
What does it mean to live a good life? Drawing on Stoicism, Zen, Taoism and modern psychology, Ben explores practical strategies for cultivating joy, resilience, and meaning in an unpredictable world.
"Ben was incredible and we have heard so much positive feedback about his session – It was so nice to meet him, hear his inspiring experiences and then listen to colleagues relaying elements of his session and committing to give themselves challenges"
— Heathrow Airport
Ben’s Story
Ben's journey into philosophy and resilience began with a personal crisis: severe and debilitating anxiety that once made even leaving the house a challenge. In search of solutions, he turned to the ancient practice of askesis, deliberate exercises in discomfort used by Stoics, Cynics, and other ancient Greek philosophers to build resilience.
Embracing this approach, Ben began setting himself challenges both serious and playful. From ice baths, marathons, and climbing mountains to learning the Rubik's Cube, folding origami, lock picking, stunt driving and meditation. From sleeping in weird places and eating strange food to deliberately awkward public experiments - like telling unfunny jokes to strangers, wearing unusual outfits in public and walking a pet banana around London in the spirit of Diogenes the Cynic. And much, much more...
Through these practices, he transformed his relationship with anxiety and rebuilt his confidence. This personal experiment evolved into his bestselling books and an international speaking career. Today, Ben shares how askesis, ancient wisdom, and modern psychology can help anyone develop resilience and thrive in uncertainty.
“We had so many lovely comments and fantastic feedback come through, people loved Ben's presentation!” — Dexcom
Ben’s Books
Ben is the author of three books and a card game. His work has been translated into 11 languages, featured on bestseller lists, and his latest book was shortlisted for the Information Book Awards.
How to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
A practical guide to building resilience by stepping outside your comfort zone. Drawing on Stoic philosophy and Ben's own experiments with discomfort, it offers a toolkit for facing fear and growing through challenge.
How to Control the Uncontrollable
A guide to navigating life's uncertainty using the timeless wisdom of Stoicism. Practical, warm and full of real-world strategies for staying steady when everything feels out of your hands.
Seriously Happy
Written for teenagers, this book blends ancient philosophy with modern psychology to help young people build confidence, resilience and a sense of meaning. Shortlisted for the Information Book Awards 2025.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone Cards
A deck of practical challenges designed to help you build courage one small step at a time. Pick a card, take the challenge, grow your comfort zone.
“A really great and novel way to encourage people to push themselves beyond their comfort zone and engender self-reliance.'' — Levison Wood
Speaking Testimonials
“Ben spoke at our team kickoff and completely delivered. He brought real context to the realities we're facing, paired with genuinely practical advice and inspired the whole team in the process. His message about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable landed exactly right; it wasn't just motivational, it was actionable. Our team walked away energised and equipped, not just entertained. Highly recommend Ben for any team looking for a speaker who combines substance with real impact.” — Salesforce
"Great presentation, really engaging. I see Ben leading this street philosophy movement to exciting places!" — NHS
"The session itself was both engaging and informative and I think the feedback about people doing things differently as a result of Ben's talk is really where the impact lies. On a personal level, the stoic approach has really pushed me to make different decisions and had a positive impact on my life." — Jazz Pharmaceuticals
"I would highly recommend Ben for any organisation looking for an engaging and motivational speaker. He's personable, relatable, and delivered a brilliant session over Teams for our teammates. The content really struck the right balance - offering meaningful insights alongside clear, practical takeaways to help build resilience, without the usual 'self-help' feel. A genuinely impactful session that really resonated. Thank you Ben!" — ITVET
"We loved the speech! And it was really well received. The venue also asked for Ben's details and thought he was one of the best speakers they've seen!" — Tangle Teezer
"Ben spoke at our Psychology Fall Conference as our Keynote Speaker to talk about his life story and work. He presented to a mix of psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, social workers and psychiatric professionals and we received outstanding feedback. Many of our clinicians went on to order his Challenge Cards for their clients and have reported how much the clients LOVE THEM." — Monroe University
"Ben's session sparked valuable conversation and reflection, encouraging many of us to think differently about how we step outside our comfort zones. This led to thoughtful team discussions and personal takeaways. A great event for our company." — Every Mind at Work
"Thank you again for a great session at HFMA London Branch conference on 16 Oct. Practical and useful tips to build up resilience. Just what we needed." — HFMA (Healthcare Financial Management Association)
"Ben Aldridge came to speak at our School Speech Day and did an outstanding job in inspiring our students. He spoke powerfully about his own story and encouraged our students to build their own resilience. He does this in an entertaining manner and kept the whole audience engaged throughout. Many of our students went on to buy his books! His message that you can build your own resilience using Stoic principles is a strong one but his engaging delivery makes it all the more so." — Kevin Fear, Headmaster, Nottingham High School
"A fascinating and engaging insight into Ben's world and how we can all, practically, help ourselves to be more resilient." — Cadent Gas
“Ben spoke at Edufest 2026 at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland on his mental health journey and recovery. His sessions were wonderfully engaging, moving and impactful and added so much to a festival of education that has, at its heart, the importance of human contact. Thank you, Ben!” — Institut Le Rosey
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Planning an event? Here are the questions organisers ask most often, from session formats and timings to tech and booking. Every event is a little different, so if your question isn't answered here, just get in touch and Ben will be happy to help.
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Ben's sessions suit conferences, away days, training days and team events, as well as secondary schools, universities and festivals. He adapts his style for everyone from senior leaders to students, and for audiences ranging from small teams to packed theatres of 2,000+.
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Keynotes typically run for 45 to 60 minutes, including time for questions. Shorter talks of 20 to 30 minutes and longer interactive workshops are also available, so sessions can be fitted around your schedule.
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Yes. Ben has a short call beforehand to understand your audience, your goals and any themes you'd like him to focus on, then adapts the stories, examples and challenges to suit.
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Both. Ben speaks in person across the UK and internationally, and also delivers live virtual sessions via Teams or Zoom that are just as interactive.
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Booking a few months ahead gives you the best chance of securing your preferred date. That said, Ben can often help at shorter notice, so do get in touch even if your event is coming up soon.
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For larger events, a microphone (ideally a lapel or headset mic) and a screen for slides works best. In smaller settings, Ben is just as happy to speak without any tech at all.
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Fees vary depending on the format, length and location of the session. Get in touch with a few details about your event and Ben will send over a quote.
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Yes. Copies of Ben's books can be arranged for attendees, including signed copies, which make a great takeaway after the session.
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Yes. Alongside keynotes, Ben works with organisations on an ongoing basis, helping leaders and teams put Stoic philosophy and resilience into practice day to day. That might be a series of workshops, small-group sessions with leadership teams, or support in building these ideas into your wellbeing and development programmes. Every engagement is shaped around your goals.
Listen to Ben Speak
Listen to Ben on the Art of Manliness podcast, where he discusses his latest book, Seriously Happy, and how anyone can build resilience and happiness with philosophy:
Watch Ben on TV
Watch Ben being interviewed about his second book, How to Control the Uncontrollable, where he talks through the Stoic ideas behind it:
Speaking Enquiries Form
If you would like to work with Ben, please get in contact to discuss how he can create a keynote for your event.