Overview
Rory Vaden is a New York Times bestselling author, Hall of Fame keynote speaker, and Co-founder of Brand Builders Group with his wife AJ Vaden. He teaches mission-driven messengers how to build influence, multiply time, practice self-discipline, and turn reputation into revenue—through books, corporate keynotes, and personal-brand strategy.
SUCCESS readers already have a direct touchpoint: Rory was the SUCCESS Digital cover star for the November 2025 Guide to Philanthropy / impact issue, and he previously served as Interim Entrepreneurship Editor for SUCCESS Magazine after Glenn Sanford acquired the brand.
Why SUCCESS readers care
Vaden’s lane sits at the intersection of discipline, productivity psychology, and personal brand monetization. Official bios frame Brand Builders Group as a personal brand strategy firm for mission-driven messengers—clients named on roryvaden.com include Lewis Howes, Ed Mylett, Amy Porterfield, Eric Thomas, Jasmine Star, Peter Diamandis, Erwin McManus, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Tom and Lisa Bilyeu, and Jon Gordon. If you care about becoming known for useful work (not vanity reach), his frameworks map cleanly onto SUCCESS events, Speakers Bureau, and magazine coverage.
Career / Brand Builders Group
Co-founded with AJ Vaden, Brand Builders Group helps people expand reach, grow income, and increase impact by building and monetizing a personal brand. Rory’s public thesis is that becoming wealthy and well-known starts with doing the right thing even when you don’t feel like it—then packaging expertise so the market can find and trust you. He appears frequently in national media on overcoming procrastination, increasing focus, and influential leadership, and has been listed among top leadership bloggers (Alexa) with a former Inc.-listed #1 business podcast (per official bio).
Books
- Take the Stairs — #1 Wall Street Journal, #1 USA Today, #1 Amazon, and #2 New York Times bestseller; translated into 11 languages. Core message: self-discipline and taking the hard right over the easy wrong.
- Procrastinate on Purpose — time/priority frameworks popularized alongside his TEDx talk on multiplying time (including Priority Dilution™ themes).
- Wealthy and Well-Known (2025) — co-authored with AJ Vaden; personal brand strategy for mission-driven messengers (released around July 2025; SUCCESS coverage notes the audiobook promotion).
Speaking
Rory is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and was inducted into the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame (CPAE) at age 37—cited on his site as the youngest American to earn that honor. He was World Champion of Public Speaking first runner-up in 2007 (twice in the World Championship top 10). His TEDx talk “How to Multiply Your Time” has 4M+ views (speaking page cites 4.5M+). Frequently requested keynote baselines on roryvaden.com/speaking include Take the Stairs, Multiply Your Time, and The Influential Personal Brand. Inc. has listed him among top speakers globally (per speaking page).
SUCCESS connection
- SUCCESS Digital cover star — November 2025 philanthropy/impact issue (“Guide to Philanthropy”); SUCCESS.com’s Amplifying Voices editor note names Rory as cover star (amplifying-voices article; archive hash ).
- Former Interim Entrepreneurship Editor — ~Jan–Dec 2021, supporting SUCCESS after Glenn Sanford’s acquisition; helped launch The SUCCESS Room (Instagram Live) and The SUCCESS Line (live coaching call podcast), per his public career summary.
- SUCCESS Speakers Bureau spotlight — speakers.success.com features Rory on influence, wealth, and becoming well-known.
- Related SUCCESS.com features include influence/income playbooks and philanthropy follow-ups tied to the November 2025 issue.
Who it's for
- Authors, coaches, executives, and creators monetizing expertise ethically
- Leaders fighting Priority Dilution™ and needing self-management over “time hacks”
- SUCCESS readers following the November 2025 cover into speaking and Brand Builders Group
- Teams booking keynotes on discipline, productivity, and personal brand
Frequently asked
Brand Builders Group or solo speaker?
Both: Brand Builders Group is the strategy firm (with AJ); Rory also keynotes independently via roryvaden.com/speaking.
Book order?
Start with Take the Stairs for discipline; Procrastinate on Purpose / Multiply Your Time for prioritization; Wealthy and Well-Known for personal brand monetization.
Public ticketed events?
Brand Builders Group live workshops/accelerators are positioned as client-exclusive on brandbuildersgroup.com/live-events; confirm open public dates on official calendars rather than assuming open tickets.
