Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Forbes Riley.
Hi Dr. Forbes, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I didn’t start as the “Queen of Pitch.” I actually started as a shy little girl from Long Island who struggled to speak clearly because of years of intense jaw reconstruction and braces. For almost two years, talking was difficult, embarrassing, and frustrating. Ironically, that challenge became the foundation of my life’s work because I became obsessed with communication — how people connect, persuade, inspire, and truly get heard.
My father was an inventor and an amateur magician, and I grew up watching brilliant ideas never make it to the world because the pitch wasn’t strong enough. That fascinated me. I eventually moved to Hollywood to pursue acting and landed roles in television, Broadway, and films, but my real breakthrough happened during an audition when someone handed me a pen and said, “Sell this.” Something clicked.
That moment launched a completely unexpected career. I went on to pioneer live television pitching, hosting nearly 200 infomercials and selling over $2.5 billion worth of products on television and digital platforms. I worked alongside legends like Jack LaLanne, Tony Little, Montel Williams, and Body by Jake, while building my own fitness product, SpinGym, into a global brand.
Today, I teach entrepreneurs, executives, speakers, and everyday people how to communicate with confidence, clarity, and influence. My message is simple: your life expands in direct proportion to your ability to pitch yourself, your ideas, and your vision. Whether it’s a boardroom, a stage, a podcast, a Zoom call, or a first date — pitching is a life skill, and mastering it can completely transform your future.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth road? Not even close. My journey has looked far more like a roller coaster designed by a caffeinated magician than some polished Hollywood success story.
People see the television shows, the billion-dollar sales numbers, the stages, the confidence, the “Queen of Pitch” title — but they don’t always see the little girl who struggled to speak because of years of jaw reconstruction and braces. For a long time, I felt invisible, awkward, and deeply insecure. Communication, the very thing that would later define my career, was once my greatest pain point.
Then life kept testing me.
My father suffered a devastating accident when I was young, nearly severing his hand while working on a giant printing press. Overnight, our family went from stable to struggling. I watched my brilliant inventor father lose not only his livelihood but pieces of his identity. That experience shaped me forever. It taught me how fragile life can be and how quickly circumstances can change.
When I moved to Hollywood, rejection became part of my daily routine. Audition after audition. “No” after “no.” I was constantly told I wasn’t thin enough, tall enough, famous enough, polished enough. There were moments I questioned everything. I battled body image issues for years while simultaneously building a career in the fitness industry, which felt almost ironic. Imagine selling confidence to millions while privately wrestling with your own self-worth.
As a female entrepreneur, I also faced the challenge of being underestimated constantly. I entered industries dominated by men — television sales, live broadcasting, entrepreneurship — and learned quickly that if I wanted a seat at the table, I’d have to create my own table. I had to become fearless about speaking up, negotiating, and owning my value before anyone else was willing to.
And then life delivered one of the most heartbreaking blows imaginable. My best friend Dexter — the man I raised for 12 years, who stood beside me as the best man at my wedding, who was family in every sense of the word — was murdered. There are moments in life that split your world into “before” and “after,” and losing Dexter was one of those moments. Grief has a way of silencing everything. It forces you to look at life differently. For a long time, I carried heartbreak, anger, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of loss. But it also reminded me how precious people are, how fleeting time is, and how important it is to love loudly while we still can.
Then came even more tests. My partner Joshua survived a horrific motorcycle accident that changed our lives overnight. I survived a traumatic tour bus accident in Iceland with my family that became a major wake-up call for me physically, mentally, and emotionally. Those moments force you to reevaluate everything — your health, your purpose, your time, your legacy.
But honestly, every obstacle became fuel.
The speech struggles taught me empathy and communication. The rejection taught me resilience. The financial hardships taught me resourcefulness. The grief taught me depth and gratitude. The accidents taught me urgency. The insecurities taught me compassion. And all of it shaped the message I teach today: your power is not in pretending life is perfect. Your power is in learning how to pitch your way through adversity with courage, authenticity, humor, and heart.
That’s the truth behind the success. Not perfection. Reinvention.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve built a career out of helping people get seen, heard, and remembered in a world overflowing with noise. At my core, I’m a communicator, storyteller, entrepreneur, television host, pitch strategist, and creator. Most people know me as the “Queen of Pitch,” but what I really specialize in is human connection — teaching people how to communicate their value so powerfully that opportunities begin chasing them instead of the other way around.
Over the last three decades, I’ve hosted nearly 200 infomercials, sold more than $2.5 billion in products and services on television and digital platforms, and worked alongside some of the biggest personalities in fitness, entertainment, and entrepreneurship including Jack LaLanne, Montel Williams, Tony Little, Tony Horton, and Body by Jake. I helped pioneer long-form television selling before social media even existed, which gave me a front-row seat to the psychology of influence, trust, branding, and persuasion.
But honestly, what I’m most proud of isn’t the sales numbers. It’s the transformation. Watching someone who was terrified to speak suddenly command a stage. Seeing entrepreneurs finally articulate their mission clearly enough to attract investors, clients, or media attention. Helping people stop shrinking and start owning their voice. That’s the real reward for me.
What sets me apart is that I don’t teach “sales tricks.” I teach communication as a life skill. I believe pitching is not manipulation — it’s clarity, confidence, energy, and emotional connection. Whether someone is pitching a company, an idea, a movement, or themselves in a job interview, the principles are the same: people don’t buy products first… they buy belief.
I also bring an unusual mix of experiences to my work. I’ve been an actress on Broadway and television, a live television sales expert, a fitness inventor, a keynote speaker, an author, and now a mentor to entrepreneurs and creators around the world. That blend of entertainment, psychology, branding, and business allows me to connect with audiences in a way that feels authentic, dynamic, and deeply human.
Recently, one of my proudest accomplishments has been writing my book, Pitch Secrets A to Z, alongside my daughter and business partner, Makenna. It represents decades of lessons, failures, reinventions, and victories distilled into a message I wish someone had given me when I was younger: your life changes the moment you learn how to communicate with conviction.
At the end of the day, I’m not just teaching people how to sell. I’m teaching them how to believe in themselves loudly enough that the world finally listens.
What does success mean to you?
For a long time, I thought success looked like applause, money, television ratings, magazine covers, sold-out events, and big sales numbers. And while I’ve been fortunate enough to experience many of those things, life eventually teaches you that success is much deeper — and far more personal — than public recognition.
Today, I define success as alignment. It’s waking up excited about the life you’ve created instead of constantly chasing validation from the outside world. It’s having the freedom to use your gifts, speak your truth, impact people, and still be fully yourself in the process.
Success, to me, is also resilience. It’s getting back up after rejection, heartbreak, financial struggles, personal loss, failures, and public criticism — and still choosing to move forward with hope, humor, and purpose. Some of the most successful moments of my life happened nowhere near a stage or camera. They happened quietly: rebuilding after trauma, finding confidence after insecurity, choosing gratitude during grief, and learning to love who I was becoming.
I also believe success means contribution. If your accomplishments only benefit you, that’s achievement — not fulfillment. The older I get, the more meaningful it becomes to help other people discover their voice, build confidence, create income, and believe bigger about what’s possible for their lives. Watching someone else break through fear because of something I taught them is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
And honestly, success is balance. It’s being able to build a business while still being present for your family. It’s health. Energy. Laughter. Purpose. Peace of mind. It’s creating memories with the people you love while you still have the chance.
At the end of the day, I don’t think success is about becoming famous, rich, or perfect. I think success is becoming fully expressed — becoming the highest, boldest, most authentic version of yourself and having the courage to share that person with the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ForbesRiley.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forbes_riley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForbesRileyFanPage
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/forbesriley
- Twitter: https://x.com/Forbes_Riley
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ForbesRileyOfficial
- Other: Book: https://www.pitchsecretsbook.com
