Kendall is available for Speaking Engagements
Customizable for a wide range of audiences and themes!

~ Faith / Christian Inspiration (From a Catholic Perspective) ~
~ Businesses and Organizational Leadership ~
~ Military / First Responders ~

~ Faith / Christian (From a Catholic Perspective) ~

Both this presentation and the book are a discussion of Kendall’s Faith Journey. A testimony to the glacial maturation of his faith. It is both hopeful and inspirational. He will discuss the circuitous route of his path and how MS, a rather harsh medicine, forced him to choose a better way. Kendall no longer defines himself as a former Naval Aviator but as a Christian and a child of God. That, in a nutshell, is what GROUNDED: A Different Kind of War is all about, and his talk is a witness to that journey, a journey of discovery.

~ Business and Organizational Leadership ~

Kendall Geneser was a Navy fighter pilot on top of the world when he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Suddenly he was scrambling to find meaning in life. Sadly, a lot of people (especially men) define themselves by what they do instead of who they are. There’s a line in the movie “Top Gun Maverick” which goes something like, “Fighter pilot is not what I do. It’s who I am.” That’s admirable, on the one hand, that sort of dedication and all, but it’s also kind of sad.

 
Businesses often speak of C-Change or Paradigm Shift, or Delta (i.e., Δ). Another way to think of it is to repent, which simply means changing direction, changing the way you think and the way you act.

 
Kendall’s talk for businesses and organizations is tailored toward encouraging businesses to do good by encouraging them to do right. The most common pitfalls are often rewards / incentives for what is tantamount to bad behavior.

1. Excessive Greed
2. Leadership and the management of human capital

~ Military / First Responders ~

Kendall’s talk for military members and first responders will focus on the notion of conquering fear and what true heroism looks like, as well as its inevitable emergence in times of crisis.  His thesis posits that there are generally two types of people: heroes and posers, and that it is often surprising who they turn out to be.  Kendall identifies the key indicators and motivations that will identify the heroes as well as the posers in your world.  He will also give you the tools to discern where you fall out on the hero / poser spectrum.

Speaking Engagements are Fully Customizable!

Below is a typical format for a Speaking Engagement, but it can be completely customizable for YOUR event!  No matter which tract you choose or who the target audience is, there is something in Kendall's speeches for everyone.  If your group does not fall specifically in any of these tracts, Kendall will customize his speech for the intended target audience.  A typical agenda for these Engagements are as follows:

1. Book Signing:  GROUNDED:  A Different Kind of War - Time based upon interest (typically 15-30 minutes)
2. Refreshments or Dinner (Optional based upon group size or interest)
3. Speech (typically 30-45 minutes)
4. Q & A - Questions and Answers (typically 10 minutes, but could last longer for larger groups)
5. Book Signing:  GROUNDED: A Different Kind of War - Time based upon interest (typically 15-30 minutes)

Note: if you would prefer a simple book signing only (generally, the author will read a short selection from the book), that is available as well.

Contribution "Rewards" Vary by United States Time Zone:

Contribution "Rewards" are based upon the location of your venue.  For instance, for the Central Time Zone, the amount of contribution is $5,000.  For the Eastern Time Zone, the amount of Contribution is $6,500.  For the Mountain Time Zone, the amount of Contribution is $6,500.  For the Atlantic Time Zone (Canada), the amount of Contribution is $7,500.  Lastly, for the Pacific Time Zone, the amount of contribution is $7,500.  The added amounts are to allow for the cost of transportation and accommodations.

* Note:  For International speaking engagements worldwide, please contact us for more information and pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for checking out the FAQ section of this campaign.  Many of you have questions, and hopefully we will be able to answer most of them here.  As always, if you have additional questions or would like more in-depth information about a certain topic, please contact us, and we will do our best to help you.

Who is Kendall Geneser?

Kendall Geneser is a former naval aviator and 1993 graduate of the Naval Fighter Weapons School. Now medically retired due to a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, he has cast about for a number of years, searching for meaning and purpose in his life. He has been a stock analyst, a risk analyst, and an insurance agent. In his first memoir, he has found the one thing that truly matters.

After his diagnosis in 1997, thus ending his military service, Kendall found himself a young father and husband battling mounting depression and the relentless progression of physical disability. The former Top Gun graduate was adrift in a world devoid of purpose, or so he thought. Yet, there was another way to think about the tragedy that ended his flying career.

Perhaps MS was actually a gift. It forced him to think differently. After a decade of wallowing in the morass of self-pity, Kendall was reintroduced to his Christian roots. The perceived body blow that ripped destiny from his grasp was both carrot and stick, and a life path correction delivered lovingly via God’s grace.

It took a decade, but Kendall has come to the inevitable conclusion that the life he had so carefully constructed was based on His will, not his will. GROUNDED is the second of two memoirs separated by the passage of time. The author’s wanderings in the desert are both a cautionary tale and an inspirational journey that likely hold a lesson or two for us all.

Kendall holds an MBA from the University of Iowa. He is the author of several works of fiction, written under the pen name of Max Cioux. He is happily married. He and his wife have two grown sons

Why is Kendall running this fundraising campaign?

As stated in the main campaign story, Kendall put it best in his own words about the book, "GROUNDED:  A Different Kind of War." We believe it to be the perfect explanation of why we are running this campaign.  He writes the following:

"Quite simply it’s a memoir that details my personal faith journey, and to that some will say, ‘Big deal. Everybody’s got a story, what makes yours special?’ I was a Navy fighter pilot, on top of the world when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Suddenly, I was scrambling to find meaning in my life. Sadly, a lot of people (especially men) define themselves by what they do instead of who they are.

There’s a line in the movie “Top Gun Maverick” – which, as one of those guys, I dug the movie - but it’s something like “fighter pilot is not something I do, it’s who I am.”

That’s admirable on the one hand that sort of dedication and all, but it’s also kind of sad. The first word out of the mouth of Jesus during his public ministry is repent. To a lot of folks that sounds sort of preachy, sort of fire, and brimstone. But it’s not at all. All it really means is turn around, go a different way, choose a better path.

In my story, MS is the rather harsh medicine that forced me to choose that better path. I no longer define myself as a former Naval Aviator, but as a Christian and a child of God. That, in a nutshell, is what GROUNDED: A Different Kind of War is all about."

How long will this fundraising campaign last?

As of the time of this campaign launch, our plans are to continue fundraising at least until Veteran's Day, 2023, which is November 11th, 2023.  At that time, we will decide to extend or to end this particular campaign and where to go from there.  We may decide at that time that this campaign will continue with no specific end date in mind, as we feel that the importance of this fundraiser has no shelf life that expires.  We will continually update this campaign so that you can check in anytime.

What is Concordis Publishing?

There are four of us. We come from different places, different backgrounds, and different values, but together, we believe that we have a great ownership team. We balance each other. We range in ages between early 20's and late 50's, but our souls are ancient. Traditional values and togetherness is what we are about. Alone we accomplish very little. Together we can accomplish anything.  When we first thought of starting our own company, we wanted something that was all-inclusive and invariably human. After much soul-searching, we came up with the word CONCORDIS, which is Latin for "together." There are many different interpretations, including "like-minded" and "harmonious," but each interpretation is pretty well within the realm of what we believe a traditional publisher should be.  For more information, please visit our website here.

Why Crowdfundr?

From their website:  "Crowdfundr is a ConnectionPoint platform for supporting creators and the arts. Creators post campaigns to raise money to complete their projects. You can choose to support their project and in return you may have the option to select a reward that the creators will send to you when the project is completed."  For more information about Crowdfundr, please click here.

What is a reward?

A reward is an item that you receive in exchange for your contribution, if you so choose to donate at a level that has a reward available.  For instance, for a $50.00 contribution, you will receive an unsigned softcover copy of "GROUNDED:  A Different Kind of War."  At the high end, if you live in the Pacific Time Zone, and you would like to book Kendall for a speaking engagement, the contribution amount of $10,000 covers all expenses and logistics for that purpose.  (Note:  There are different contribution amounts based upon which time zone Kendall would need to travel).

What is an "add-on?"

Crowdfundr is different in that you can claim multiple rewards in one transaction rather than different transactions for each reward claimed.  For instance, if you order an unsigned copy of "GROUNDED:  A Different Kind of War," and you would like it signed personally by Kendall, you can add that onto the initial reward for an additional fee.  You can also add on a copy of Kendall's other book, "The Gift" without having to initiate another transaction.  The shipping cost for the latter would increase accordingly based upon the weight of the second book, but would NOT double the shipping.  That cost would be covered as an "add-on" to the amount to allow for the extra weight without charging an additional full price for shipping. 

Why did you decide on $10,000 as a goal?

While any contribution helps Kendall and Concordis Publishing further their endeavors, we decided on $10,000 as a "starting goal."  We are confident that we can at least raise that much to fund the philanthropic pieces of the campaign and get the ball rolling for Kendall's book tour and speaking engagements.  We have "stretch goals" in mind so that we can expand our reach and do the things that a lack of funding prevents us from doing to sustain our work.

What is a "stretch goal"?

A "stretch goal" is fused to promote any use of funds beyond what we need to fulfil our main goal's promise.  If we get additional funding beyond our initial goal, we will use these funds for additional advertising, outreach, and even improving the quality of our main rewards.  We have set this goal at an additional $10,000, for a total goal of $20,000.  If we reach the $20,000 goal, we will organize a string of online interactive speaking engagements with Kendall, complete with rewards for all attendees.  If our campaign goes beyond $20,000, we will announce another "stretch goal" with even loftier aspirations.  We will continually update the campaign so that you can stay informed on what is happening.

Where does the money go?

Firstly, contributions will cover the cost of the rewards claimed, and the logistics of ordering and shipping them.  Secondly, a percentage of the proceeds goes to Mary's Meals and Tunnel to Towers Foundation.  A portion of the proceeds will also go toward the costs of Kendall's speaking engagements and book tours.  Lastly, a portion of the proceeds goes to cover administrative costs associated with this campaign in advertising and promotion, outreach, and the costs of maintaining our daily operations and online presence.

What is Mary's Meals?

Mary’s Meals provides life-changing meals to some of the world’s poorest children every day they attend school. For more information, please click here.

What is Tunnel to Towers Foundation?

Since 9/11, Tunnel to Towers Foundation has been helping America’s heroes by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. They are also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to Never Forget September 11, 2001. For more information, please click here.

What payment methods does Crowdfundr accept?

For this campaign, we have linked our Stripe account to accept contributions.  Stripe accepts all major credit and debit cards.

If I claim a reward, how long will it take to receive my reward?

Upon confirmation of receipt of your contribution, if you have claimed a reward, every effort will be made to ship your product in a timely manner.  In the event that our inventory is depleted before we can replenish, it may take 2-3 weeks to receive more stock.  Please allow a maximum of 4-6 weeks for shipping, especially on orders of more than 10 copies of books. On average, we expect delivery to take between 2-3 weeks from the time of confirmation of contributions.

Are there shipping costs and does it effect the bottom line?

If a reward is claimed, the cost of shipping is covered by the contributor, and is not included in the "total amount raised" bottom line.  For multiple rewards or "add ons," shipping is adjusted accordingly so that multiple items do not incur separate or multiple shipping charges.

Will you post updates on the campaign?

We will provide constant updates on the progress of this campaign.  At a minimum, bi-weekly updates will be posted in the "Updates" tab, which can be found by clicking here.  You can also view all "Activity" on the account at any time by clicking the "Activity" tab or by clicking here.

Can I share this campaign with friends, family, and colleagues?

This question is a no brainer!  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE share this campaign.  You will notice a ribbon under the main campaign video that looks like this:

This ribbon has virtually every sharing option you can think of, from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook Messenger, Email, a link to the campaign, complete with QR Code, embedded code for your website or blog, and see the three dots at the end?  Well, THAT will get let you even PIN it on Pinterest!  Use all of these if you like.  For your convenience, here is the QR Code:

Regardless of HOW you SHARE this campaign, we greatly appreciate this incredibly important part.  Kendall's campaign touches so many hearts, and his message is vital in the times we live in today.  Let's SHARE in Kendall's way of thinking, which is, "What can I do for others?"  THANK YOU SO MUCH for SHARING!

Can I send a contribution in the form of a check?

You bet you can!  Please make checks payable to Kendall Geneser with "A Different Kind of War" in the MEMO portion of your check.  Please mail your check to Concordis Publishing, 501 South Market Street, Oskaloosa, IA  52577.

Can I book Kendall for a speaking engagement?

Of course!  Kendall's schedule for speaking engagements fills up FAST.  For information on booking Kendall Geneser for a speaking engagement for your military function, law enforcement seminar, or your congregation, please see the Speaking Engagements tab above or select a speaking engagement as a REWARD for your contribution.

Who is Jeff Hopkins?

Further information for Jeff Hopkins can be found on IMDb by clicking here.  Jeff was instrumental in putting together the video for this campaign and far exceeded our expectations for its completeness and his own personal spin on our story.  You can hire Jeff on Fiverr by clicking here.