“The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.
Learn to think better, act faster.”

William Reed is fiercely committed to guiding you or your company on a Creative Career Path, achieving empowerment and motivation with innovative thinking and physical finesse, so that you can generate original ideas and present them with confidence.

William Reed was selected by Roger Hamilton, founder of Wealth Dynamics and author of Your Life Your Legacy, as one of the Top 12 Creators to Connect With. If you are looking for a proven concept and a professional guide to help you understand and implement these processes from the ground up, you have come to the right place.

With several decades of experience working with corporate clients in Japan helping them to successfully stimulate innovative thinking and presentations, my mission is to help executives and their teams achieve ongoing improvements for a truly competitive edge in marketing and personal branding.

My path to become an empowerment coach became clear at an early age, when bullied as a boy of eleven, I discovered the martial art of Aikido, and determined to strengthen myself in mind and body to become able to walk and move freely with confidence. This led me to Japan at the age of 20 in 1972, setting me on a lifetime path of discovery and development through Aikido, Japanese language and culture, as well as a career as an entrepreneur in international business and communication. This story is presented online as William Reed’s Manga Story.

Clients speak well of the impact my work has on their life and business success.

“I have worked with Will Reed for 5 years and there is no one I can more highly recommend. Will is a savvy Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and World Class Speaking Coach. His commitment to excellence and as well as a balanced lifestyle is truly impressive — he walks the talk. His energy, originality and spirit is striking, and one word that always comes to mind is “over-delivery”. If you work with him I am certain you will get far more value than you would expect.”

Mitch Meyerson, Founder of Guerrilla Marketing Coaching, Author of 9 books, including World Class Speaking,Mastering Online Marketing, and Online Marketing Superstars http://www.gmarketingblog.com

“William Reed conducted a program for our team on Marketing and Presentations. His style is contagious, and extremely catching. I have hardly met such a happy, curious, and contagious person, and there seems to be no cure! His teaching style and content will open your eyes as to how to be positive and fully enjoy what you are doing.”

Michel Korenian, Associate Director, Marketing, Companion Animals, Merial Japan LTD

“William helped us to unleash the hidden potential of our employees across the organization. He supported us with the implementation of Mind Mapping, Guerrilla Marketing and presentation skill techniques. His professionalism and interpersonal style helped him to gain acceptance with the team immediately. All of this coupled with a great sense of humor. Japan would not be the same without William!”

Konrad Labuschagne, Operating Officer, Division Manager, Marketing Division, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd. (currently NBI Germany)

“William Reed conducted a one-day Train-the-Trainer session for TOSHIBA HR Managers from our ASEAN branches. His presentation as a Facilitator was the best that I have yet seen in my career. He not only presented extremely well, but also showed us the keys to how to do a successful presentation.”

Jun Morita, Global Leadership Development, TOSHIBA Human Resource Development Corporation

University Clients

“For over a year I had read Will’s weekly column in The Daily Yomiuri and was impressed by both his insights into web marketing and guerilla marketing and the practical applications of these techniques that he espoused. There was always a very positive and energetic “feel” to these brief essays, as well as an interesting blend of “East” and “West” that offered some cultural clues that straddled the personal and professional aspects of “business” in Japan.

Little did I know just how much energy there was! When, in the late Spring, we began planning our first-ever Japan based sales conference centered around the world of digital publishing (which would naturally lend itself to digital marketing) I knew that I wanted Will to be a part of the program we were putting together. But what did I want him to do? This analog “I” was, to say the least, ill-prepared to be making decisions about digital marketing and I knew I needed help. Not to worry . . . a few conversations with Will and a plan emerged. And suddenly it became clear that I didn’t just need him “to be a part of the program” – I needed/wanted him to set the tone and the pace of the gathering. In short, I wanted him as our keynote speaker.

With a combination of instruction and story telling (all done perfectly bilingually for our mixed group of Japanese and non-Japanese) complemented by several hands-on workshops that employed our minds and bodies, Will showed us where our own energies and enthusiasms lay. From timed sessions in idea generation using words and pictures (“Idea Marathon”), to discussions about social media – what is it and how do we use it effectively? – to nanba walking, navigating, and balancing techniques, Will brought to our conference new perspectives on our branding and the business we all “know”.

It was exactly this “inspirational/motivational/”aha”-moment” perspective that I was hoping to find. A lot of talented people were gathered in that conference room and we needed to be convinced and motivated. It was important to have a common understanding of what the digital world is all about in our business sector with our assets at play and why it’s important to engage with it. Will delivered that in spades.”

Mark Gresham
Executive Director of Cambridge University Press, Japan

“Over the past several years, William has been a guest lecturer in my class on entrepreneurial management and participated as a judge in the annual business plan contest held at our graduate school of business. In the entrepreneurial management class, I try to invite speakers who may serve as “exemplars” of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial modes of thinking and action.

William perfectly fills the bill. Not only are William’s personal stories inspiring, the frameworks he presents provide valuable tools to the students in the design and management of their own future careers, whether in entrepreneurial ventures or large companies.

In addition, William is capable of effectively blending modern business practices with his own deep expertise in traditional Japanese arts and wider understanding of Asian culture to formulate a message that is not only very different but very relevant to business students and business professionals.

Finally, as one of the judges in our business plan contest, William’s unique insights into business and interpersonal dynamics allow him to provide insightful and constructive comments to the students, which are always highly appreciated.”

Michael Korver
Professor, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy
Hitotsubashi University

Managing Partner
Global Venture Capital

I can deliver these and additional benefits with powerful ways to support your success.

What excites me about this work is the opportunity to see people light up when they get that the process can work for them. Ownership is a key factor in empowerment, and intrinsic motivation is the key to perseverance. This is the value of teaching people how to fish, rather than simply giving them a fish.

Empowerment is the key to renewable energy

What sets me apart from other service providers is extensive experience in multiple disciplines, and the ability to transfer this experience in a practical way. I combine nearly four decades of experience and a 7th-degree black belt in Aikido, with extensive experience leading executives and their teams to more innovative thinking and physical finesse. As an artist, I have received awards in national brush calligraphy competitions in Japan, I teach Tap dance at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, and created an eLearning course on Japanology for Otemae University in Osaka. With a long career as a writer and columnist, including a bestselling book in Japanese on creativity, as well as expertise in a number of innovative thinking processes, such as the Idea Marathon and the Mandala Chart, as well as being a certified coach in World Class Speaking and a published author on Guerrilla Marketing, I provide combine the best of east and west in training.

Experiential learning, engagement, and empowerment are the three legs that create a stable foundation for progress.

You can feel confident engaging me to guide you and your organization to become more innovative and active. In addition to being a bilingual bestselling author and columnist, as well as media appearances, I have conducted Keynote speeches and training for major international companies in several countries. I am certified as a coach in several proven processes, such as World Class Speaking, Guerrilla Marketing, and Idea Marathon, and a Senior Practitioner of Wealth Dynamics. I am one of the founding directors of the Mandala Chart Association, and am an active member and presenter for the Japan Creativity Association. I have assisted executives in speech coaching, helping them better represent their ideas and their company products, and have coached marketing teams to achieve greater leverage and results in their sales.

I have an active personal platform online and in social media, through my website at http://www.williamreed.jp

My perspective is featured in two weekly columns, with the Creative Career Path Column for Daily Yomiuri Newspaper and Daijob.com, and the Flexible Focus Series on ActiveGarage.com, as well as video and radio interviews, all of which can be accessed through my website.

Five things about me and my experience that might surprise and interest you—while serving our work together.

❐ Bring the energy and poise of my nearly 40 years of experience in Aikido to my training
❐ Speak and read Japanese with complete fluency, with deep knowledge of the culture
❐ A prolific writer, with two weekly columns, so I keep my thinking at the creative edge
❐ A bestselling author and a bilingual keynote speaker in several countries
❐ Certified in and creatively combine proven processes for innovation and presentation

In addition to ongoing live and virtual presentations you can experience through my website, and proven processes that you can internalize and use for years to come, for new clients I am happy to create a customized program that fits your needs in empowering your staff in marketing, innovation, social media, presentations, and motivation.

Special services and follow up are available for companies who commit to a longer period of engagement up to six months, to ensure that the processes are fully implemented and customized, and to see clear before/after results.

It would be my pleasure to meet with you and explore how we can apply these processes to help you ignite your innovation, and empower your team to carry the energy forward and help you achieve the results you desire for yourself and your organization.

Let’s continue the conversation in the manner that suits you best.

You can contact me by:

E-MAIL: info@williamreed.jp
WEB: http://www.williamreed.jp
TEL: 080-6557-0023

The Renaissance Samurai

The concept of bunbu ryōdō (文武両道) literally means Strong in Letters and the Martial Way. It is one of the ideals held by the Samurai, and in the way of cultivating the self through learning, it also has something in common with the ideals of the Renaissance.

Throughout their history, Samurai culture in Japan changed to meet different demands and fit different social structures. Being both a writer and a martial artist makes this particular culture particularly appealing, not only for what it was, but for what it still can be for us today.

The modern world places powerful stresses on people which upset the balance of mind of body, of man and nature, and of social and family relationships. I believe that there is something in the Samurai, particularly in the Renaissance Samurai, which can help us to live better and recover our fundamental value.

This website is dedicated to exploring practical and creative ways in which we can pursue this path, which I hope will become a great resource to individuals and organizations which share a strong interest in lifelong learning, empowerment of the individual, and making our world a better place.

Watch the resources and connections grow as the mission unfolds, and we make many friends along the Way.