Zach Arend

Saddle Your Own Horse™: 2x Bronc Riding Champion Sharing Lessons from the Rodeo Arena for Cultivating Leadership and Personal Responsibility in Business and Life.

Expert on

  • Leadership
  • Culture
  • Creativity
  • High-Performance
  • Motivation
  • Sales

Fee Range

$10,000–$12,500

Travels from

KS, US

Biography

Zach’s journey from the rodeo arena to the boardroom is packed with grit, growth, and the kind of no BS leadership wisdom we all need more of.

He’s spent the last 20 years helping entrepreneurs, executives, and sales pros “Saddle Their Own Horse” a modern leadership mindset built on clarity, confidence, and purpose. 

If you’re ready for fresh ideas, real connection, and the kind of energy that’ll fuel your next big move, you’re going to love Zach!

Zach’s Professional Achievements Include:

  • Former 2X Saddle Bronc Riding Champion
  • Former VP of Sales for a $300 million logistics company 
  • TEDx Speaker 2024 – Saddle Your Own Horse™ 
  • 20 years of training thousands of sales pros, leaders, and their executive teams  
  • Advised, coached, and facilitated 180+ leadership sessions
  • Professionally Trained Storyteller
  • Certified Professional Coach

Today, Zach is recognized as a thought leader, TEDx Speaker, and Executive Coach who specializes in empowering leaders to take personal responsibility through his innovative concept: How to Saddle Your Own Horse™. His 2024 TEDx talk introduced this transformative approach as a contemporary leadership solution tailored for burnt-out executives.

And even though he’s given up bronc riding, you’ll still find him wearing cowboy boots.

Zach lives in Overland Park, KS, with his wife, Shandy, and their three beautiful daughters, Claire, Sophie, and Thea.

Speaker Videos

UNBRIDLED: LEADERSHIP STARTS WITH YOU

2X Saddle Bronc Riding Champion Zach Arend challenges executives, sales professionals, and change-makers to rethink what leadership demands in today’s world.

Too often, even the most loyal, hardworking leaders fall into what he calls the “Good Soldier Dilemma”—caught in cycles of doing, fixing, and rescuing instead of truly leading. 

Through powerful storytelling and raw lessons from his years in competitive rodeo, Zach inspires audiences to saddle their own horse and reclaim their leadership potential—with radical responsibility, presence, and personal power.

  • Break the Good Soldier Cycle: Spot the signs of busyness, quiet resignation, or frustration—and learn how to shift into leadership marked by clarity and courage.
  • Saddle Your Own Horse: Uncover the hidden stories driving ineffective behavior, stress, or self-doubt—and rewrite them in service of confidence, character, and clarity.
Unbridled Leadership Defined: Learn the subtle art of leading yourself first—so you can empower others, speak with influence, and create change that matters.

THE WILD RIDE: LIVING LIFE IN THE ARENA

What would change if you stopped sitting in the grandstands—and started leading from the arena of your own life?

In this powerful keynote, 2X Saddle Bronc Riding Champion turned leadership coach Zach Arend shares his hard-earned lessons from 8-second rides on the bronc to everyday leadership challenges in the office. This is not just a talk about leadership—it’s a call to get off autopilot, lean into discomfort, and ride with clarity and conviction.

You’ll discover three transformational shifts that will help you stop drifting, start leading, and show up where it matters most—no matter how hard life bucks.

  • Eyes on the Bronc:
    Lead with vision. Focus on what’s possible, not just what’s wrong.
  • Raise High & Lift:
    Let go of control. Lead with courage, character, and presence.
  • Put People in the Arena:
    Stop rescuing. Start leading in a way that calls others to rise.

You won’t just leave inspired—you’ll leave changed. More committed. More present. More ready to lead from the arena. Get ready for a wild ride!

LUCK OF THE DRAW: THE MYTH OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Great managers don’t just give direction—they coach, challenge, and champion their people.

In this powerful and engaging session, Zach Arend helps leaders shift their focus from fixing problems to developing people. Straight from his Saddle Your Own Horse™ playbook, this experience equips leaders to build a culture where everyone shows up, steps up, and owns their role.

  • Coach Over Control:
    Empower your team to engage with you—not lean on you—using simple, practical coaching techniques.
  • Feedback That Moves People:
    Deliver honest, actionable feedback that drives growth—not defensiveness.
  • Lead Through the Tough Stuff:
    Stay present and effective when things get hard—without losing your people (or yourself).

This session will challenge how you lead—and transform how your team shows up.