The beginning
At fourteen, Dai weighed more than 250 pounds. There was no dramatic fix and no shortcut. There was work, repeated for years, and he has never stopped doing it. Everything he teaches starts there.
Speaking bio
Coach Moose, in full.
Dai Manuel is a Vancouver keynote speaker, TEDx speaker and event emcee. This is the long version of who he is: the career behind the talks, how he works a room and why he keeps getting on stage. The short version lives on the speaking profile.
Most speakers talk about change. Dai has been living it since he was a teenager, first in his own body, then in other people's lives, then in businesses.
That order matters. He coached before he consulted, and he operated before he advised. When he tells a room of founders what growth costs, he is not quoting a book. He is remembering a payroll.
At forty-nine, he is in better shape than he was at twenty, and he will tell you the second fact is the one worth copying.
The career
Thirty years, six chapters.
The coach
Close to thirty years in fitness. One-to-one coaching, group training, youth programmes and mentor roles. Thousands of hours with real people who had real reasons not to show up, and showed up anyway.
The operator
Partner and Chief Operating Officer in a multi-million dollar fitness retail business. He has hired, fired, opened locations, carried payroll and made the decisions that keep founders up at night.
The owner
Today he runs MERGE Fitness Inc. and co-owns CrossFit BC in Vancouver with his wife, Christie. He still coaches. The gym floor is not a past life; it is Tuesday.
The author and podcaster
He wrote The 2% Solution and hosted 149 episodes of the podcast of the same name. The idea is simple: thirty minutes a day, two percent of it, pointed at your health, changes the rest.
The speaker
TEDx, television segments, conferences, corporate offsites and wellness weeks across Canada. He also emcees whole events, because somebody has to hold the room together and he is good at it.
Credentials
The short list.
The facts a planner wants in one place. The long version is the career section above.
TEDx speaker
TEDxBearCreekPark, 2021: Why Vulnerability is a Human Thing. The full talk is on the speaking page.
Nearly 30 years in fitness
One-to-one coaching, group training, youth programmes and mentor roles, from the gym floor to the boardroom.
Gym owner
Co-owner of CrossFit BC in Vancouver with his wife Christie, and still a coach on the floor.
Published author
The 2% Solution, on the thirty minutes a day that change everything else.
Podcast host
149 episodes of The 2% Solution podcast, covering health, mindset and leadership.
300+ media appearances
Television, radio, print and podcast interviews, including Breakfast Television Montreal and Vancouver.
Former COO
Partner and Chief Operating Officer in a multi-million dollar fitness retail business.
Writer
Contributor writing on fitness, family and lifestyle for HuffPost.
Forbes Coaches Council
Former official member.
Toastmasters
Trained speaker, long before the paid stages.
Speaking fees
The brief comes before the quote.
Fees depend on the brief, format and scope. Local Vancouver events carry no travel costs.
Keynotes, workshops, emcee work and other formats are quoted after the room, date, travel and preparation are clear. Current starting rates are kept in the media kit. No surprises after that.
See current starting rates in the media kit, or hold a date on the speaking calendar.
Speaking style
How he works a room.
Planners ask what a Dai Manuel talk feels like. Four things hold true every time.
Plain-spoken
No jargon, no hype, no mystique. If an idea cannot survive being said simply, Dai does not say it.
Over-prepared
He learns the room before he enters it: the audience, the industry, the moment the event sits in. The talk is shaped to the people actually in it.
Interactive
He works the room, not just the stage. People move, answer, pair up and try things. Nobody watches from the back.
Useful on Monday
Every talk ends with something the audience can do the next morning. Inspiration fades by lunch; a practice does not.
Why he speaks
Because the room is where it scales.
Coaching changes one person at a time. A book changes whoever finds it. A room full of people, reached at once, can change a company, a team, a family culture.
Dai speaks because it is the fastest way he knows to put a useful idea in front of the people who need it. The talk is never the point. What happens after the room clears is the point.
Questions
What planners ask before they book.
What does it cost to hire Dai as a keynote speaker?+
Fees depend on the format, the date and the travel involved. A Vancouver event with no flights is priced differently to a cross-country conference. Send the event details through the enquiry form and a clear quote follows once the brief is set.
How long does Dai speak for?+
Most keynotes run 45 to 60 minutes. Shorter 20 to 30 minute sessions suit summits and lunch-and-learns, and half-day workshops allow real participation and practice. Emcee work covers the whole event.
What is included when we book Dai?+
The talk, a planning call to shape it to your audience, and coordination on timing and logistics. Dai learns who is in the room before he writes a word, so the talk lands for your people, not a generic audience.
How do we book Dai for our event?+
Hold a date through the speaking calendar, or send the enquiry form with your event details. Dai replies personally within two business days. Once the brief, date and fee are agreed, the booking is confirmed.
Can Dai tailor a talk to our theme or industry?+
Yes, and he insists on it. Every talk is built around the audience, the industry and the moment the event sits in. Send the theme and the room details and the talk is shaped to them.
Does Dai do virtual keynotes?+
Yes. Virtual keynotes and workshops work well for distributed teams, and they remove travel from the fee. The same preparation and tailoring apply.
Next step
See the talks, watch the clips, hold a date.
Next step