Beyond Dreaming – How I got Started as a Speaker…

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Presenting at a Youth Leadership Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC

I’ve been dreaming of becoming a paid speaker – a motivational speaker – ever since I was 22 [yes, I remember the seminar that had that impact on me], but it took another 14 years to make that dream a reality. I just had too many limiting beliefs that stopped me from taking action in the direction of my biiiig dream…

In fact, I got to a point where I thought I could never become a public speaker. I always thought that my voice was not strong enough, my teeth were not pretty enough, I was too skinny, I could not memorize large blocks of text, I hated my accent, I was afraid I’d make a full out of myself, and a ton of other reasons. Then one day my personal coach asked me a question that changed the entire course of my life. The question was: “If there was nothing to stop you, what would you do?” And without hesitation my answer was “I’d be the next Anthony Robbins.”

When she asked me what stopped me, I gave her my looong list of why I couldn’t do it… It was with her help that I shifted my mindset, and in about a month I started calling myself a speaker; and literally in about 10 days I got an invitation to be the keynote speaker at an event, and I accepted (and I almost fainted when I said “Yes, I’d be honored to be your keynote speaker”)

From that first speaking gig, I got two spinof engagements, one of them at the Carolinas’ Housing Authority’s Anual Convention, where I presented a full-day and a half day seminar – got paid more than I ever imagined making in one day, got my hotel and food taken care of, and I felt on the top of the world.

And the rest is history. I’ve been a speaker for close to 6 years… and it all started with my coache’s simple question: “What would you do if nothing could stop you.”

…
Well… I can’t leave my wife out of the picture. She attended most of my presentations in the early stages (she even took on the role of assistant in some of them) and she always gave me the highest encouragements. I could see the admiration in her eyes as she’d say “Daddy, you were really great! REally – I mean it!!!”

And… the regular huggs that I got from her after my presentations (and before them), wishpering in my ear “I’m so proud of you – you are really great” – those little gestures made all the difference in the world for me.
…
They say that behind every great man there is a woman. Behind me there are two: my former practice coach from coaching training, and my wife… Had it not been for these two ladies, I’d still stress myself in an office job as a manager … (for more than 15 years I either owned a business or managed others’ businesses)

My ex-coach, Jennifer StLaurant – THANK YOU!
Honny, I’ll thank you later in person 🙂