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Live to the point of tears.
-Albert Camus |
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* When, and in what circumstances did you start speaking on a regular basis?
A: In Jan 1992, I read a disturbing article in the newspaper about a college student who had written, and was selling, a book called Cheating 101. The book seemed like such a disservice to young people that, on that day, I decided to change my profession and make a positive difference by speaking and writing. (Three years later, my book, Major in Success, was published).
* When did you first speak for a fee? What kind of group was the audience, and what did they pay you?
A: I telemarketed for six months prior to securing my first speaking engagement. Just when I ran out of savings, and had to begin temping part-time, I finally secured my first paid speaking engagement. The first college to hire me was Blackhawk Technical College in Wisconsin. It was an older, wiser, blue-collar audience. I was paid $1250.00. I did do three warm-up speaking engagements, for free, the month prior in classes at my alma-mater, San Francisco State University.
* What were your specific goals for paid engagements and speaking fees?
A: I set out to be the best motivational speaker on the college circuit. My beginning initial goal was to get enough engagements to be able to pay my bills, and keep developing. For my situation, that meant that I needed to speak at least 15 times per year, and be paid $1500 per engagement. My medium term goal was to be paid $10,000 per speaking engagement, and to speak as often as I like. I also aspired to find a corporate sponsor, because it would enable me to offer my speaking services for free to hosts who could otherwise not afford my program, and it would enable me to give my books away for free. In my sixth year as a professional speaker my fees were at $5000/engagement. I found my first corporate sponsor in 1997 in Visa Inc. They sponsored my 1997/98 tour to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars.
* How did your previous business/professional experiences contribute to your speaking success?
A: Previously, I worked with an entrepreneur who did occasional keynote presentations. Watching him prepare and work helped me immeasurably. Observing his methods and platform success instilled me with a confident feeling that I could also succeed as a speaker. In addition, I managed a rock-n-roll band during college, and this business experience taught me most of what I needed to know about telemarketing and getting organized.
* Did you have any mentors who impacted your career? What was their greatest contribution?
A: Many people have mentored me, but two stand above all the rest as individuals who truly impacted my career: Leland Russell, an entrepreneur, and Dr. Deborah Lowe, a professor of marketing. Leland, a passionate and highly creative man in his fifties, contributed greatly to my career by showing me that most tasks could be accomplished successfully, in spite of a lack of prior experience, as long as there was a willingness to approach the project with confidence and bravado. Plus, I'd never seen any one have so much fun with their career, until I met Leland. I wanted to have a career as fun as Leland's. Dr. Deborah Lowe, a teacher who is both brilliant and compassionate, taught me innumerable key lessons about sales. As a matter of fact, her mentoring was so helpful to me, that I dedicated my first book, Major in Success, to her.
* Have your developed specific approaches, attitudes and patterns to learn from and get the maximum benefits out of every experience?
A: Yes. Among some of the tenets I live by and teach, are the power of (1) focus, (2) commitment, (3) passion, (4) kindness, (5) risk taking, (6) the willingness to suffer embarrassment (Need a good laugh? Take a look at my always growing "Ooops List." It is posted at my website and chronicles the long list of embarrassing moments I've endured in order to grow and succeed).
* If you had a teenage son or daughter tell you today they wanted a career as a professional speaker, how would you advise them?
A: I'd tell them the many, many joys of the career, and the things that have helped me the most: (1) speaking from your place of deepest authenticity, (2) writing to discover your own voice, (3) speaking, speaking, speaking and more speaking to develop your platform skills. (They might regret asking me for advice on becoming a speaker; I might never shut up).
* Do you think speaking should be a full time profession, or simply part of what you do regularly in some other field?
A: Either is fine by me. I love being a full time speaker and am grateful for the platform expertise I've garnered from a full-time speaking schedule. On the other hand, not all are called to be only a speaker, and it's nice to see them contributing their in-the-field expertise and motivation on a part-time basis.
* What specific counsel would you give your child to be the best possible speaker, communicating in a way to help and influence others?
A: I'd recommend the book Leading Outloud by Terry Pearce, because it teaches a person how to discover their authentic voice. I'd recommend starting their own web page, as a place and motivation to write, publish and develop their motivational content. Thirdly, I'd recommend that they join and participate in Toastmasters.
* Recount specific experiences which have enriched your life and may also help others.
A: I helped deliver a stranger's baby on a San Francisco sidewalk. It was a joyous experience that reminded me the importance of helping others, and the many surprises that life has in store for each of us. I have written many stories about experiences that enriched my life. They are posted at my website, http://www.goodthink.com/writing/stories.cfm (You might as well know, that the World Wide Web is ultra-important to my work. My website is a reflection of many, many hours spent working to develop a site that inspires and informs. I am grateful that it has won many awards and attracted literally, several hundred thousand visitors).
* Who I consider to be the best speakers on the plaform today?
A: Tom Peters. Leland Kaiser. Leo Buscalia. Larry King. Wish I could have heard Buckminster Fuller and Will Rogers. The people who influenced my speaking career the most are Tom Peters (because of his free-willed writing style), and Carl Sagan (because I admired him so much in his Cosmos series. I wanted a job like Carl's).
* Who else has shaped the course of your life?
My mother had the strongest impact on the course of my life. She taught me all the most important rules to life, like "You can be anything you want, just do something you love and do it your best." "Don't worry about your mistakes." And, "Look it up, that's what I bought those darned encyclopedias for." Honest, my mom was the wisest Licensed Practical Nurse, to ever raise two boys, on her own. She continues to inspire me to this day... just last year she sold everything and moved to England for six months - and she'd never been out of the USA before!
* What speakers impressed you as a child?
A: Does Mr. Rogers count? ;-) Actually, none that I am aware of. Oddly enough, I chose to do a humorous monologue for my second grade talent show. I still remember how it began, "I come before you, to stand behind you, to tell you something I know nothing about." It seems speaking has always been in my blood.
* Which individuals or organizations led you to professional speaking?
A: When I determined that I wanted to become a professional speaker, I attended the National Speakers Association's annual conference. There I encountered Dottie Walters and her book, Speak and Grow Rich. Prior to that, I enjoyed my participation in Toastmasters which I discovered through a college professor.
* What experiences influenced you as an entrepreneur, creating your own business?
A: My first job as a paper boy, of course. Also, managing a rock band during college, which was entirely entrepreneurial. And, working two years for an entrepreneur after graduating college. I worked in corporate America my first two years after graduating, but the corporate culture was too uninspired and limiting for my taste.
* Any vivid memories or mental pictures of such experiences?
A: I remember standing in front of the supermarket, selling greeting cards that I'd sent away for from the back page of a comic. I was working to sell enough cards to win a train set. I was in second grade, and I got the train set.
I was an eighth grader when I took over the paper route, and their were 40 customers. In six months, I expanded it to 145.
As a kid, I did yard work in the neighborhood, for extra money.
I vividly remember sweating, and struggling, to haul a non-portable computer down the thin aisle of a 747. Exploding with frusteration, I vowed that someday soon I'd work for myself and make enough money to buy a portable computer, and any other tool I desired.
As a speaker, I dreamed of finding a corporate sponsor. It took four years and $10,000 of my own money, but I finally pulled it off. Visa Inc. sponsored my 1997/98 speaking engagements for several hundred thousand dollars.
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