A billion streams taught him how to write a song. Everything that happened after taught him how to live one.
Four kids met at Berklee, chased an unlikely dream to New York, and spent years playing to almost nobody. Then "Best Day of My Life" went off. Multi-platinum, a billion streams, stages all over the world.
Behind the platinum records were the same things that are in everyone's life: loss, failure, fear, unexpected change, starting over. Zac spent a decade singing those five words before he understood what they actually meant.
What if the "best day of your life" isn't something that happens to you, but something you choose to create? This isn't just a song to Zac. It's a philosophy... a way of life.
Equal parts storytelling, humour, music and motivation. Zac uses the rise of American Authors, and everything that went wrong around it, as a working metaphor for the thing we all deal with: we can't control what happens to us, but we can control the mindset we bring to what happens next.
You don't get to choose what today brings you.
You do get to choose what you bring to today.
Tailored to the room. Pick the emphasis, Zac builds the set around it.
The difference between what we can control and what we can't, and putting energy into the one thing that stays ours.
How success quietly changes how we see ourselves, and why identity shouldn't depend on accomplishments.
Careers and lives rarely follow the plan. Zac's biggest growth started when things went sideways.
Why curiosity and a willingness to step into the unknown creates opportunities no five-year plan predicted.
Songwriting as a resilience model: edit, adapt, experiment, keep moving. Don't get attached to draft one.
The energy you bring into a room moves your team, your family and your community, not just you.
What the room takes back to work on Monday, not just how it felt on the day.
From the people who booked him.
"Zac's energy was contagious, keeping the audience engaged from start to finish… he has a unique ability to connect with people on a personal level. If you're looking for a speaker who is dynamic, engaging, and leaves a lasting impact, Zac Barnett is the perfect choice."
"He's successfully bridged the gap between music and business. He's a rockstar who truly gets it… inspiring not just because of what he's overcome, but because of his relentless optimism and his incredibly sharp mind for business."
"Zac wasn't just a speaker — he was an experience. His story, his energy, and the way he connects with a room is something you don't see very often. No ego, no fluff. The guy is the real deal."
At D2D Con, Zac delivered the keynote, performed at the sponsor booth, and DJ'd the after-party. Most events are hiring three suppliers to do that.
45 to 60 minutes, tailored to your audience and your theme. Storytelling, humour and live music woven through.
Acoustic set, booth activation, or the song itself as the closing moment of your general session.
He'll headline your evening too. Same night, one point of contact.
Frontman and co-founder of multi-platinum band American Authors. Berklee College of Music to a career spanning hit records, worldwide touring, television, songwriting and more than a billion streams.
He's written with and for Carlos Santana, Rob Thomas, Michael Bolton, lovelytheband and Lit, including Santana's "Move" featuring Rob Thomas and American Authors, which reunited the pair more than two decades after their first hit together.
Today he's still writing and touring with American Authors, taking the keynote across the country, and building Bogoo's Best Day, a children's music project about positivity and self-worth whose first single, "Celebrate," hit #1 on SiriusXM.
Keynotes, corporate events, conferences, universities and private events. Tell us the date and the room and you'll get a reply, not an auto-responder.
