We’re closing out the 2026 AGM Retail Conference with an inspiring, high-energy keynote that’s sure to spark both nostalgia and motivation. Our featured speaker, Chris Clews, author, speaker, and the ultimate ’80s Pop Culture Guy, will bring his signature blend of humor, heart, and workplace wisdom to the stage.
With over two decades in corporate marketing and an unwavering passion for the movies, music, and culture that shaped the ’80s, Chris delivers a fresh perspective on leadership and life lessons. His keynote, “Everything We Need to Know for Life & Work Can Be Learned from ’80s Pop Culture,” invites attendees to revisit an era defined by creativity, bold ideas, and unforgettable storytelling, all while connecting those timeless themes to today’s professional challenges.
From Coming to America to The Breakfast Club to Dead Poets Society, Chris uses iconic ’80s moments to explore modern concepts like teamwork, empathy, innovation, and resilience. Chris has shared his engaging talks with audiences from Visa, DHL, Duke Health, CMAA, and the University of Florida. He’s also the author of The Ultimate Series on Essential Work & Life Lessons from ’80s Pop Culture and has been featured in outlets such as Entrepreneur.com and Esquire UK.
We recently caught up with Chris for a Q&A to explore his favorite takeaways from the ’80s and how they continue to shape great leadership and workplace culture today:
AGM: Your keynote blends ‘80s pop culture with lessons for life and work. What first inspired you to connect movies like The Breakfast Club or Coming to America with leadership and club management?
CC: I love ‘80s movies and quoted them so much that my friends were always saying that I should try to do something with this ridiculous knowledge. So, one day during a difficult time in my career, I was home having a self-pity party of one and watching The Breakfast Club which I had seen 100 times or so. At one point in the movie, John Bender (The Criminal) says, “Screws fall out all the time. The world’s an imperfect place.” I sat right up and thought to myself, “I’m in an imperfect place. What am I going to do to fix it?” I decided to write an article on what The Breakfast Club can teach us about problem solving – the idea that those proverbial screws are going to fall out in your business and personal life. The why is important but it’s how you put them back in that really matters. When I got up the next day, I had hundreds of comments on the article and thought maybe I have something here. I committed all my free time outside of my full-time job to creating this platform and after 18 months of burning the proverbial candle at both ends, I made the leap to keynote speaker and author. 7 years, three books and a lot of amazing speaking engagements later, I’m super fortunate to be coming to the totally awesome stage at the AGM Retail show!
AGM: Your work connects nostalgia with practical lessons for work and life. Why do you think the messages of the ‘80s still resonate so strongly with audiences today?
CC: Every decade has something it is remembered by and the ‘80s will go down in history as the pop culture decade. Even today, you see and hear the influence of ‘80s pop culture in everything we consume from the music in television ads to the overwhelming number of remakes of ‘80s movies and television shows. I describe ‘80s pop culture as a glitter bomb that was thrown against the wall, and all these wonderful colors came out of it that represent the innovation, creativity and characters from the decade. I think the reason the lessons resonate is because of the incredible storytelling and the realness, rawness and relatability of so many of the movie characters. It allows us to go back and find messaging and interpretations that might have been missed since the original goal was to entertain us.
AGM: You’re known for keeping sessions interactive and fun. Without giving too much away, what can our attendees expect from your closing keynote at the AGM Retail Conference?
CC: It’s a fun, relatable, unique, educational and interactive session that will require some Jeopardy knowledge as well image association. Each lesson will include a clip from the movie to provide context which also allows all of us to appreciate and enjoy some of these great actors and actresses doing their thing! There will also be an opportunity to win a prize via a Mix Tape Quiz. We will take it back old school where participation and pop quizzes were the key to passing your class.
AGM: And finally, because we have to ask, what’s your all-time favorite ‘80s movie, and why?
CC: This is such a difficult question for me to answer because I have favorites from every genre and favorites for reasons like an amazing soundtrack or unique character. Narrowing it down to one…hmmm…wow. I don’t think I can! But I can tell you that we are going to talk about some of my favorites during my closing keynote and the lessons we can learn from them! How about this? Here’s a dozen that I will watch anytime they are on – some you may know, and others are underrated ones that I love that everyone should put on their watch list. The Untouchables, The Breakfast Club, Vision Quest, Three O’clock High, Rocky 3, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Coming to America, The Natural, Road House, Better Off Dead, Say Anything and Stand by Me.
Join us on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in Orlando, FL for a day of education, connection, and inspiration, capped off with Chris’s unforgettable session. Tickets are on sale now!
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