I love 2 1/2 Men. It has great acting and great characters, one being Charlie Sheen playing Charlie, a womanizer-of course that is just acting-or is it?

As I write this blog, Charlie Sheen sat in a jail over Christmas for a domestic voilence charge. While not proven as of this date, it shows how some celebrities do not worry about their brand-their image that they want to always portray-ala Tiger Woods saga.

Charlie Sheen-you are your brand-if it is found out that you were arrested for domestice violence, your brand will be forever tarnished, and everyone will look at you differently.

People in business, sales or someone in a leadership position must always be concerned about their brand- which is how they act and behave at all times-never let your brand be tarnished and you will be successful.

Dr. Gregg Steinberg is a motivational speaker, business keynote speaker and sales training speaker. To see more about going Full throttle in your sales, business and life, go to www.drgreggsteinberg.com and see his new book, Full Throttle on amazon.com

As I write this blog, the Titans are going to play the Chargers and their hopes for the playoffs are still alive-amazingly, given their 0-6 start.

But it all turned around when their coach, Jeff Fisher told his team, the Tennesse Titans, the principle of rethrottling. Jeff  told them how McNair rethrottled to keep his passion alive.  After a dismal practice following their terrible lost to the Patriots, 59-0, it looked like the Titans lost their their nerve and confidence. But Fisher had one more motivational tactic up his sleeve.

Fisher ended practice early to enter into the auditorium where they looked up to find an image of former Titans quarterback Steve McNair on the screen, his arms raised in triumph after a dramatic touchdown pass. McNair was smiling; everyone in the room was a bit choked up. McNair had been murdered that summer by his girlfriend. Then Fisher recounted a story in which McNair wanted to quit  after a disappointing defeat at Buffalo. He left the game suffering from a severely bruised sternum. As McNair was heading up the tunnel, he heard the fans roar at the announcement that his backup, Neil O’Donnell, had entered the game, and he was devastated.

 Fisher talked McNair into taking some time off away from football. He went to see his former chaplain in Houston. He came back with a renewed attitude and took the Titans to a 13-3 record

 This strategy is a great one for sales personal or any one in business who is just getting a bad attitude. Sometimes it is good to rethrottle, take some time off and reflect. Jeff Fisher knew that all Steve needed was a rethrottle period so that he could go Full Throttle again on the gridiron.

To see more about going Full throttle in your business and life, go to www.drgreggsteinberg.com and see his new book, Full Throttle on amazon.com

So much business education, training, workshops, seminars and keynotes is based on old school (literally!) ways of educating. Back in the day, students sat in neat rows, stayed quiet and respectfully listened to one person speak (or rather, drone on and on). BOOORRRING!

Meanwhile, we know that human beings learn far better and retain far more of what they learn by participating actively in the process and “discovering” rather than passively “being taught.” Not only are the results better, but people actually enjoy learning much more when it mimics our natural approach – the approach that’s been evolutionarily programmed into us for millions of years – instead of following the didactic, pedagogic approach most of us suffer through in school.

If you’re still in doubt, just watch how a 2- or 3-year old child learns – they LOVE it. They’re curious and eager and want to know everything about everything. And they’re like sponges too, learning huge volumes of information so quickly and adeptly it’s astonishing when you pause to truly consider it. Part of that is because their brains are still forming, but part of that is also because they haven’t associated “learning” with “boring” yet.

How many of us still felt excited about learning by the time we hit the 10th grade? Not I, that’s for sure (though I was still kind of a nerd… but that’s a story for another day). So many teachers, educators and trainers will nod and agree while reading this, but then they’ll go back and create still more boring, yawn-inducing lectures, speeches and seminars.

Why?

I can only assume it’s because they’re lazy, and it takes a lot more preparation to do a seemingly improvised, spontaneous and active program than a scripted, static, prepared one.
So how do you create a great workshop that gets everyone engaged, excited and prepped for learning? Here are five great ways to turn any learning experience into a fun, interactive, educational workshop for adults or teens:

Show, don’t tell. It seems obvious, but make sure you’re really putting it into practice. Instead of describing a case study or a story or a situation, show it. Some ideas: use images, video, cartoons… anything that will engage your audience more than just you, talking, and talking, and talking (“Bueller. Beuller. Beuller…”)

No bulleted powerpoint presentations. If you MUST use a slideshow (even I do sometimes – though I prefer Keynote by Apple) at the very least use it to illustrate points, not to enumerate them. You can always follow up with a handout afterward if you want to make sure they remember all the main points (or if you’re going “green,” upload your handouts to Slideshare, so your attendees can view online or download the files, all for free). I keep all my presentations on my website at www.MichelleVillalobos.com so anyone can see my entire repertoire too. And having that much quality content housed on my site certainly doesn’t hurt in terms of Google rankings either.

As Dr. House of “House, MD” so aptly stated: “Without Socrates, we wouldn’t have the Socratic Method, the greatest way of teaching things known to man (apart from juggling chain saws.)” The Socratic Method is a way of teaching people using leading questions in a logical sequence. These days, with our increasing ADD, using the Socratic Method is a great way to keep people active in the learning process, so they don’t get bored or lose concentration. Study it, learn how to do it, it really works. I once read a transcript in which Rick Garlikov used the Socratic method to teach a classroom-full of 2nd graders how to do binary arithmatic, true story!

Encourage dialogue, particularly with an engaged, interested and active audience. People tend to walk away from workshops and seminars a lot happier when permitted to share their own experience or opinion. Just be careful, there’s nearly always at least one “attention hog.” You’ll need to have limits in place to ensure even distribution of the limelight. For example, let people know they will have 30-seconds to posit a question, or share an experience. This is a great way to get people to “get to the point.” But you’ll need to enforce it…

Speaking of activities, you should always have at least one. For every 1 hour workshop, I try to have at least 2 or 3. They can be short and sweet, just as long as you’ve tested them and they’re sure to illustrate what you’re trying to teach. To give you an example, rather than tell people about body language I’ll bring up two volunteers to act out a scenario based on my direction. The attendees crack up watching their colleagues and the process dispels a lot of resistance to what we’re discussing. Not to mention it’s a great way to put the aforementioned attention hog to good use.

Well, there you have it. Some of my best advice on how to put together a wow! seminar, workshop, keynote or other learning experience for adults.

Good luck and let me know if this article helps you by visiting www.MichelleVillalobos.com and dropping me a line!
***

About Michelle

Michelle Villalobos is the founder of Mivista Success Skills Training, based in Miami, FL. She helps people develop their business skills – particularly networking, marketing, personal branding, sales, communications and presentation skills. – in never boring or yawn-inducing workshops, seminars and keynotes.

I have had the great privilege to meet Janice Meek at a recent networking event in Kingston-upon-Thames.  When we were introduced she was very interested in what I do and whether I could produce a headshot for her which would be used on her business cards and her website which will be launched in the next few weeks.

Janice Meek is possibly one of the most inspirational women I have ever met and at the tender age of 64 (she won’t mind me saying) is very beautiful, intelligent and extremely witty!  So, who is Janice Meek……?

Taken from her Wikipedia entry:-

“Janice (Jan) Meek (maiden name Janice Cooper, first married name Janice Byles) FRGS (British, born 1944) is a Guinness World Record holding adventurer, ocean rower, international motivational speaker and polar adventurer. In 1997 she took part in the first ever Atlantic Rowing Race, the Port St Charles Barbados Atlantic Rowing Race,successfully crossing the Atlantic Ocean unsupported in 23-foot (7.0 m) wooden rowing boat in 101 days with her son Daniel Byles. In 2007 she and her son were united in adventure once again when, together with Richard Profit, they successfully walked and skied 350 miles (560 km) from Resolute, Nunavut to the Magnetic North Pole in 20 days and 5 hours [1]. She currently holds three Guinness World Records.”

To say the pressure was on to shoot Janice’s portrait is an understatement as I knew that it had to show Jan as the person you meet.  Fun, approachable and her laughter infectious!

We had a pre-shoot meeting about her expectations and requirements in Fratellis which is a local Italian Deli and we spen 2.5 hours chatting about life and a glass of wine wasn’t in sight!

I originally wanted the shoot to take place at the Petersham Nursery but the day chosen it was closed so walked across the meadow (me with my rucksack and stepladders) only to find that the tow path was flooded but in the end was to our advantage as it was so apt to have water all around her.

The shoot didn’t take too long as Jan was a fantastic to work with and knew exactly what she wanted from the shoot and I am glad to say that she has been delighted with the shots.

Annie Armitage – Photographer

Annie Armitage is a photographer who specialises in producing timeless images.  She is a contemporary, lifestyle family photographer and produces images of pregnancy, newborn, babies of all sizes, families, teen (seniors) and also has a commercial side to her business which is predominantly  headshots as well as formal but approachable portraits for annual reports or PR purposes.

Nursery photography is also amongst Annie’s portfolio and for details of her wedding business that she has in partnership with Geraint Davies please go to www.armitagedavies.com

Annie is based in Kingston upon Thames but is available for commission throughout the UK and Ireland.  Her main working areas within London are:- Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Thames Ditton, New Malden, Wimbledon, Wandsworth, Putney, Richmond upon Thames, Barnes, Fulham, Chelsea, Clapham, Hampton, Twickenham, Teddington, St Margarets and throughout Surrey including Guildford, Godalming, Woking, Cobham, Weybridge, Esher.

Annie has a “Annie Armitage Photography” page on Facebook – www.facebook.com/anniearmitagephotography

and on Twitter come and follow her – anniegolightly

To contact Annie about your requirements – please go to the contact form on her website or alternatively email her at  annie@anniearmitage.com or call her on 07711 391919

All images and text are copyright Annie Armitage. All rights reserved. Please do not copy.

Motivation an essential energy

Motivation energizes us. According to science everything in the universe is either matter or energy. Because motivation does not appear to be matter it must be energy.

The best known forms of energy include, mechanical, electrical, chemical, heat, light and nuclear.

Let’s add motivation to that list. Because without the energy of motivation people will not do anything. 

Tap into your energy source and do something.

George Torok

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Canadian Business Speaker

RECENT-TESTIMONIAL:
“After having had the pleasure of attending one of his motivational conferences, I must say, I am a happier man. All too often we loose sight of what really matters in our professional careers. Is it money, a day off, benefits? NO, it’s knowing that we have gone out and done our best, that we really put out the effort to be the best, and to do our best. When we really try, and get our eye on the target, that’s when we really perform, that’s what keeps the race horses running. That’s why I’m happier, he got my eye back on the target, and gave me the inspiration to be the best, and when I’m in that frame of mind, my life is great. Thank you Clay for the “gift” – Ted Sales Manager – Valspar – World Leader In Paint & Coatings

My name is Cody Alrich and I am the agent for SBA Entrepreneur of the Year, Success Coach and Motivational Author Clay Clark. After reading over your request summary, I really do believe that Clay is the perfect speaker for your event! He has conducted numerous technology related workshops, but his main gift is combining “entertainment and education” into one fast-paced and high energy event. I would love to connect with you in more detail about your event (918) 851-6920.

An award-winning entrepreneur who had to overcome poverty in route to achieving tremendous business success, Clay Clark is an engaging-entertainer and a nationally recognized educator. Having entertained and educated for industry leaders throughout the country including Farmers Insurance, the United States Government Accountability Office, 1st Option Online Mortgage, Valspar Paint, QuikTrip, UPS and many more…his journey to success started in his college dorm room at age of 18. By age 20 he had received national attention when he received the Metro Chamber of Commerce “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” for his “innovative best practice” customer service practices in his numerous businesses ventures. By age 27 he was able to add the United States Small Business Administration “Entrepreneur of the Year” and the U.S. Chamber “National Blue Ribbon Quality Award” to his resume.

With his witty, humorous and relevant delivery style, Clay has a unique ability to connect with today’s business professionals in a memorable and impacting way. He has entertained, educated & inspired nearly 1,500 audiences both large and small. You can reach Clay &  the Make Your Life Epic Institute today by calling 918-851-6920 or by e-mailing at djclayvis@djconnectiontulsa.com or by visiting our website at www.makeyourlifeepic.com

RESUME & AWARDS:
 United States Small Business Administration Entrepreneur of the Year
 U.S. Chamber Blue Ribbon National Quality Award Winner
 Metro Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur of the Year
 Featured In the New York Times
 Featured In A Washington Post Editorial By Jeff Jarvis
 Award-Winning MC / Host of 1,500 + Events For Companies Including (Bama Companies, QuikTrip, American Airlines, countless High Schools, Colleges etc…)
 Founder of DJ Connection
 Founder of Thompson Photography
 Founder of Cherished Traditions Videography
 Founder of the Tulsa Bridal Association

CONTACT INFO:
You can reach Clay &  the Make Your Life Epic Institute today by calling 918-851-6920 or by e-mailing at djclayvis@djconnectiontulsa.com or by visiting our website at www.makeyourlifeepic.com

VIDEO FOOTAGE:
Here is a link to workshop he recently conducted last week in Ft. Worth. I think this video does a good job of showcasing his optimistic, humorous and motivational approach to business and life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBAuM0h1oPk&feature=channel_page

RECENT TESTIMONIALS:
“Great flexibility substituting for another speaker. Good job. The “winning @ work” got highest marks from 44 of 56 survey respondents.”
John E. Trubey
Senior Analyst U.S. Government Accountability Office
Dallas, Texas

“Inspiring, funny & brilliant! Clay, thank you so much for the brilliant presentations you made to our students in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University. You motivated, entertained and educated us! We truly appreciate your time and hope to see you again in the near future.”
Professor Jeretta Nord:
Oklahoma State University: Spears Business School:
405-744-5064

“We are so happy engaged Clay Clark’s services for the recent Builder’s Convention I recently organized.  His ability to meld his presentation in with the specifics of our builder’s needs was most impressive.  His goal of having each person in that room walk away with one or two items they could implement to help grow their businesses was fully achieved.  I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for an inspiring, motivating speaker to address their group.  In fact, we hope to further utilize his additional services addressing specific needs (such as learning to design your website so that it becomes #1 in Google Searches) in the near future.  Thank-you so much for a wonderful, exciting presentation that brought solid ideas and useful techniques to our group.

Gail M. Stojak
IAUF Executive Asst.
UBuildIt – Orland Park
gstojak@iauf.net

Clay was recently featured on Newson6 (click above to view the exclusive extended interview)

Brief Biography of Clay Clark’s “Forest Gump-Esc” Career:
He is truly a “Self Help Guru.” An award-winning entrepreneur who had to overcome poverty in route to achieving tremendous business success, Clay Clark is an engaging-entertainer and a nationally recognized educator. With national accounts including Farmers Insurance, the United States Government Accountability Office, 1st Option Online Mortage, Valspar Paint, QuikTrip, UPS and many more…his journey to success started in his college dorm room at age of 18. By age 20 he had received national attention when he received the Metro Chamber of Commerce “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” for his “innovative best practice” customer service practices in his numerous businesses ventures. By age 27 he was able to add the United States Small Business Administration “Entrepreneur of the Year” and the U.S. Chamber “National Blue Ribbon Quality Award” to his resume.

“Hey Clay, Hope the business is going great and the family’s well. Just wanted to say thanks for teaching me some of the secrets of succeeding at jobs and going beyond what is just required. I took a lot of the things you told me to heart and have tried to put them to use in even the normal jobs I’ve worked. I think it’s thanks to those teachings that I’m now the second board operator in a decade that’s had a chance to move up to on-air staff at Stillwater Radio. I’m at a disadvantage since the bossman really wants to hire a female to fill the spot, but I’ve been doing what I thought you would do and staying an hour late after each shift to practice commercials, importing exporting and everything that I’ve talked the other full-timers into teaching me since starting there. Before I heard your success tips I probably would have just accepted it as fate and quit, but seeing what a guy just two years older than me has done in such a short amount of time has made me realize that I have to be aggressive if I want to move forward. So thanks for the business lessons and wish me luck.”

- Sincerely
Case Capehart
Seminar Attendee

Motivational Speaking Connection
For more information on how to schedule SBA Entrepreneur of the Year Clay Clark to speak to your organization or group call or . You can also visit us online at http://www.makeyourlifeepic.com “Inspiring, funny & brilliant! Clay, thank you so much for the brilliant presentations you made to our students in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University. You motivated, entertained and educated us! We truly appreciate your time and hope to see you again in the near future.” - Professor Jeretta Nord: Oklahoma State University: Spears Business School: Clay Clark is the President of the Make Your Life Institute, an organization dedicated to EMPOWERING people to achieve profound success and life-balance. During Clay’s business career he has received numerous awards for his pragmatic results driven approach to business including the: United States Small Business Administration Entrepreneur of the Year, the Metro Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the United States Chamber of Commerce National Blue Ribbon Quality Award, the 40 under 40 Award, etc… Clay Clark has entertained and educated for our 1,500 events during his career for such companies as QuikTrip, BamaPie, Broken Arrow High School, the United States Government Accountability Office, the National Honor Society Awards Banquet, numerous business colleges, IBM and many more. As a keynote speaker and entertainer Clay interacts with and inspires over 30,000 people per year. THE MISSION: Clay is one of the few motivational speakers out there who trains in a pragmatic and practical way. His goal for each and every event for which he is hired is to motivate and inspire your crowd before leaving them with a laundry list of PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS that each and every member of your audience can begin doing immediately (if not sooner). Clay strives to improve the lives, the businesses and the communities he speaks to by delivering his passionate speeches, workshops and talks on many topics including the following: *website optimization *workflow & duplicatable system creation *sales training *employee management *entrepreneurship 101 (including his journey from the “Dorm Room” to the “Board Room”) Clay has been the entertainer of choice for Bama Companies, Quik Trip, Fedex and UPS…Clay Clark. Clay Clark will bring a much-needed hopeful message that emphasizes the “epicness and profoundness” of each individual in your crowd. Clay brings a dynamic, humorous, motivating, entertaining and enlightening delivery to his uplifting messages. With his quick-wit, and vast knowledge from years spent “leaning how not to do it” Clark will leave your audience feeling wired and inspired. His book “From the Dorm Room To The Board Room: How To Build A Successful Small Business (With A Relatively Small Brain),” has been praised by college students, young entrepreneurs and business people throughout the country. - Professor Jeretta Nord: Oklahoma State University: Spears Business School: 405-744-5064 THE MISSION: Clay is one of the few motivational speakers out there who trains in a pragmatic and practical way. His goal for each and every event for which he is hired is to motivate and inspire your crowd before leaving them with a laundry list of PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS that each and every member of your audience can begin doing immediately (if not sooner). Clay strives to improve the lives, the businesses and the communities he speaks to by delivering his passionate speeches, workshops and talks on many topics including the following: *website optimization *workflow & duplicatable system creation *sales training *employee management *entrepreneurship 101 (including his journey from the “Dorm Room” to the “Board Room”) Clay has been the entertainer of choice for Bama Companies, Quik Trip, Fedex and UPS…Clay Clark and his “From the Dorm Room To The Board Room: How To Build A Successful Small Business (With A Relatively Small Brain).” Clay Clark will bring a much-needed hopeful message that emphasizes the “epicness and profoundness” of each individual in your crowd. Clay brings a dynamic, humorous, motivating, entertaining and enlightening delivery to his uplifting messages. With his quick-wit, and vast knowledge from years spent “leaning how not to do it” Clark will leave your audience feeling wired and inspired One parent shared with me this morning that her child was shooting baskets late last night until her parents finally said it was time to come inside. The NW Tech morning students appreciated your sharing with them your successes and noting that there are sometimes failures.” Patti L. Wilber, Ph.D. Economic Development Northwestern Oklahoma State University 580-327-1700 www.nwosu.edu “Thank you so much for the outstanding workshop you did on SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO). Several of our clients said it was the beest workshop we have offered so far (we have been doing these for 5 years!). I gave the attendees surveys to fill out and all except for one said they were very satisfied. The one person who was dissatisfied said the workshop simply wasn’t long enough. Some of the remarks from the attendees were: - “The overall presentation was great!” - “The workshop was very informative and the speaker was really good.” - “Right to the point.” - “Very fast-paced and informative will good follow-up contacts. - “The speaker had a great sense of humor and was very easy to follow.” Both from an attendee and a meeting planner’s prospective it had been very enjoyable working with Clay and his staff. By the way, we are very interested in having him back soon to expand on this topic a little more for the people who attended. Thanks again for doing such a great job, you made me look good!” Lynn Wilson Roger State University Innovation Center Services Coordinator 918-343-7533 2008 “I am a Vocational Business Educator at Sequoyah High School in Claremore, OK.  We have have worked with Clay Clark for several years.  He has spoken to our Business Professionals of America Organization several times.  The students are so impressed with his knowledge of business and his motivation for success!  He is inspiring to young students…When in need of a dynamic motivational speaker you should consider Clay Clark!” your choice. April Blackwell: Sequoyah High School in Claremore, OK 2009 – DJ Connection received the annual U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon Small Business Award sponsored by Sam’s Club! 2009 – DJ Connection received the annual U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon Small Business Award sponsored by Sam’s Club! 2009 - Clay was featured on Newson6 to discuss the current state of the economy. 2009 – “Wedding Wire 2009 Bride’s Choice” Winner 2008 – “Best of the Best Wedding Award” Winner – www.weddingmba.com Host of the 9th Annual Tulsa Apartment Association “Zenith Awards In October of 2007 DJ Connection became a Better Business Bureau Accredited Business for our team’s continued excellence in customer service. In June of 2007 DJ Connection was featured in the Tulsa World Business Section for our recent awards and for our owner’s upcoming book “Turn Your Passion Into Profits” Clayton Clark owner of DJ Connection Tulsa Inc. was named the 2007 State of Oklahoma Young Entrepreneur of the Year. During the early summer of 2007 DJ Connection was featured in Oklahoma Magazine’s feature entitled “40 under 40″ which was an article describing Oklahoma’s top 40 entrepreneurs under the age of 40. During the calendar year of 2006 DJ Connection donated $10,000 + of service to local Oklahoma charities including March of Dimes and Relay for Life. DJ Connection received recognition from the “American Wedding Association” as Tulsa’s Best Wedding Vendor in 2006. DJ Connection was named “The number-one DJs in the Tulsa area…They are great party executors” by Modern Bride Magazine in their December/January 2005 edition DJ Connection is a proud member of Tulsa Bridal Association DJ Connection, DJ Clay and the rest of the DJ Connection staff volunteered over 100 hours of work with local (Tulsa) in school peer and mentor groups. DJ Connection Tulsa Inc. is an ecstatic member of the American Wedding Association DJ Connection Tulsa Inc. received the 2002 Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year Award. DJ Connection Tulsa Inc.  is an ecstatic member of the Tulsa Metro, Bixby & Broken Arrow Chambers of Commerce. DJ Connection Tulsa is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau “Excellence In Customer Service Honor Roll.” Clay Clark co-owner of DJ Connection was featured in September of 2003 on “Oklahoma’s News Channel 8’s Good Morning Oklahoma” with Lori Montag of Montag Photography for their role as President and Vice President of the Tulsa Bridal Association respectively. “The average human head weighs 8.1 lbs!” Clay was recently featured on Newson6 (click above to view the exclusive extended interview) (SBA Entrepreneur of the Year Clay Clark is pictured above) Call 918-481-2010 for more information availability and booking.

Links To Recent Videos Featuring Clay In Action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT-3qiDH1us&feature=channel_page – This presentation was given in Dallas, TX to a group of IRS agents / government auditors (the fun people).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP9O1FTfXVw&feature=channel_page – This presentation was given in Dallas, TX to a group of IRS agents / government auditors (the fun people).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfdsMaYcO7Y&feature=channel_page – This presentation was given on a college campus in workshop / lecture format for college students.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37IAi0uxMS0&feature=channel_page – This presentation was given for High School / Middle School students as part of a city-wide “Entrepreneur Day.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW8Rul2S5tk&feature=channel – This presentation was given at a professional “Chamber of Commerce” sponsored “Web-Optimization” Workshop

Additional Testimonials From Some of Clay Clark’s speaking events:

“I highly recommend Mr. Clay Clark for his speaking and entertainment services.  Clay was the guest speaker at our Student Council District Convention in April, 2009 and he was very professional and captivating to the audience.  We had 700+ Middle & High school students and 72 teachers in attendance at our convention and Mr. Clark kept these kids and adults entertained the entire time.  He not only gave a wonderful speech but he also announced our Talent Show at our convention. We had 13 schools participating in the talent show and Clay did an awesome job in announcing the acts and getting the audience involved in the show.  Clay has a wonderful sense of humor and kept the kids laughing and made our convention a true success.  After the convention, I had so many teachers come up to me and say how much they enjoyed the speech and what a wonderful job Clay did in keeping the kids on track and focused during the course of the day with his quick wit and sense of humor. Clay came a little early and stayed a little afterwards and was able to visit and connect with the kids and other teachers on a personal basis to get a feel for his audience.  Thanks again for making our convention the success that it was!

-Rebecca White: Sponsor of Student Council, LaGrange High School
337-477-4571 (School phone) email address rebecca.white@cpsb.org

“Thanks for the inspiration and the hope that you’ve instilled into me. You and Marquess both have shown me that all it takes is hardwork, will and confidence in yourself to acheive your greatest dreams.”
- Billy Kinsey
Seminar Attendee

“Clay & Cody, thanks so much for your help! We’re already working on putting the (optimization and efficiency) action steps in place and hopefully I can let you know how it is working out before I leave again. You guys are the best! Thanks again! “

- Shannon Farmer: South African Outreach Initiative

“Clay’s training has made a HUGE IMPACT on my sales team. From cold calling, to closing the deal now. His workshop DELIVERS.”

- John Toole: Farmers Insurance Regional Office
918-392-4000
www.farmersinsurance.com

“No one has ever been so free with information and suggestions as you were…Most folks, like I probably would be, would save that for the paying customers. You gave more good information then I might have ever recieved (from reading other books and attending numerous other seminars).”

Chad Hackmann, Owner/Operator

UBuildIt-Bethesda

“Inspiring, funny & brilliant! Clay, thank you so much for the brilliant presentations you made to our students in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University. You motivated, entertained and educated us! We truly appreciate your time and hope to see you again in the near future.”

- Professor Jeretta Nord: Oklahoma State University: Spears Business School:
- 405-744-5064

“Clay, I can’t thank you enough for your time yesterday. Dave and I both said that we felt like we had gone to school after meeting with you (we learned alot). I can confidently say that I have never met a better salesperson than you – you have an unreal ability to articulate yourself, and to teach others. I really can’t thank you enough. I also realized when we left that I didn’t even pay for your lunch – I owe you that and much more.”

- Joseph O.
Commercial Real Estate Consultant

“I own Facchianos Bridal and Formal attire and have had to pay thousands of dollars in the past to have websites that were sub par and not what I needed for my business until Clay taught me how to do it myself. Now my company website comes up on the search engines in the first three searches.
It has changed my business overnight on how many times our phone rings. It can change the life of your business to be in control of your website.”

Jennifer Thompson
Owner/Bridal Stylist
Facchianos Bridal and Formal Attire

“The overall feedback was excellent. The students all rated the event very highly, and some asked to have you back again. Some of the things that stuck with students the most were: working with a sense of urgency, accepting failure, reaching for goals, and working to learn. I thought that the event went really well. I think from our standpoint it would have been better to plan it on a Friday so that more students could attend. The students who participated (I think) benefited from it. You were funny, and very engaging for the students…Overall, I was very happy with the presentation, and I’m glad we had the opportunity to work together.”

James Jesse
Coordinator of Special Projects at Tarrant County College
Tarrant County Community College College
817-515-4264

“It is indeed a privilege to recommend Clay Clark to you.  Having been in the classroom for over 22 years, I have had the opportunity to observe a variety speakers and others working with my students. None have had the charisma or the ability to capture an audience and engage them as Clay has done. I never miss a chance to have him in my classroom.

He inspires students to be entrepreneurs and challenges them in several areas and to think about their futures.  My students always look forward to Clay’s visits.

It is difficult to find words to properly describe Clay.  He is unique individual.  He is inspiring and entertaining.  He is a giver.  It has been my experience, once you meet him, you feel like he is your friend.  He has qualities that are rarely seen.

Even though Clay’s accomplishments speak for themselves, I can honestly say—he is amazing, I have watched him work with some of my most ‘challenging’ students that were otherwise non functioning in the classroom and motivate them.  He can also relate to the more intelligent as well.  Perhaps it is because he is very well read and resourceful that gives him the ability to read his audiences and relate to them.  He has experienced success but has also experienced struggles to success—which seems to aid his ability to identify with and engage any audience.

Because of his business experience, insight and ability to work with young people, we have asked Clay to be part of our Advisory Committee for our Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America youth organization at school.  Even though he has an extremely full schedule, he has graciously served on this committee for approximately the last 4 years.

Clay’s initiative and level of commitment sets him apart from others.  He gives more than 100% to whatever he does.  I recommend Clay to you with absolute confidence that you will not be disappointed.  Feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance.”

Sincerely,

Kathy Farquhar, Instructor
Adult & Family Living
FCCLA Advisor
Broken Arrow Senior High School

“10! 10! 10! Clay’s presentations were very professional and, yet, humorous.
Clay held everyone’s attention during both sessions he gave.
The time for his sessions seemed to fly by! The information was new and informative to me. I liked the tips Clay pointed out for recognizing opportunities for advancement.”

Stacie T. Last
Advanced Audit Techniques Specialist
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

“It was definitely great to have Clay come in and share his failures and successes with the group.

I wish they would have given him a little more time, but what I heard was great, the fact that he did not try to hide the importance of family life to make things work in the material realm was a breath of fresh air ( I applaud him).

I have regained a new prospective on sales and basic approach to life!

Peter Teixeira
Territory Manager
Valspar Paint – House of Color
West Orange, New Jersey
862-216-7528
pteixeira@valspar.com

“We had a lot of compliments about you. In fact one very sweet high school girl sent a thank-you note about you, that when I get a copy of it I will forward it to you. Hope you know that I appreciate you helping me out this year, and I feel you made a great impact. Thanks a million, Clay!!!”
Deb Ward
RCIDA  Project Coordinator
918-343-8959
deb.ward@cox.net

“Clay, we have been hearing rave reviews from our guests about you! Thank you for working with us. Everyone loved you.”
Rhonda Anderson
Personal Assistant To The President
ABC Table Top Advertising
(800) 825-4222

“Great flexibility substituting for another speaker. Good job. The “winning @ work” got highest marks from 44 of 56 survey respondents.”

John E. Trubey
Senior Analyst
U.S. Government Accountability Office
1999 Bryan Street
Suite 2200
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 777-5733

“It was a pleasure meeting you as well. I really appreciate all the information you provided and I really enjoyed your workshop, I got a lot of great notes and very helpful advice…your seminare really empowerd me! Thank you so much for all the helpful information you have provided! Hope you have a great Thanksgiving Holiday and stay blessed!”

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Tirado

“I am a Vocational Business Educator at Sequoyah High School in Claremore, OK.
We have have worked with Clay Clark for several years.  He has spoken to our Business
Professionals of America Organization several times.  The students are so impressed
with his knowledge of business and his motivation for success!  He is inspiring
to young students…When in need of a dynamic motivational speaker you
should consider Clay Clark!” your choice.”

- April Blackwell: Sequoyah High School

“DJ Clay (DJ CONNECTION) is by far the best entertainer we have ever used for “Project Graduation.” He keeps it PG rated & is very up to date with today’s young people. He is awesome!”

-Vickie (Coppell, TX HS Project Graduation Committee)

“Jennifer and I wanted to take a moment to personally thank you for providing such a tremendous service at our wedding. I don’t believe we would have known which way to turn if your weren’t there always leading us in the right direction. You certainly kept the event on track, as we were told, provided stellar entertainment for all of our guests. I hear there is an unofficial “bragging rights” competition amongst the employees of DJ Connection…Thanks again for the exceptional service.”

- Lee W. Watkins III
Marketing Director of Enrollment Services of America

“I wanted to tell you that you did an awesome job yesterday.  I love seeing people hang around after events, such as your workshop, discussing what was just learned and of the ideas they have. I know you have made a difference to those of us that were able to attend (especially for Krista).  I hope you will continue your relationship with our SIFE team for years to come.  We will be sending you a copy of what we were able to video tape and a copy of the photos taken throughout the workshop and the luncheon.  I look forward to conversing with you in the future.  Feel free to pass on any ideas you may have for us or for me personally at any time.  I would love to keep you as a mentor, as you know we could all use one. Thank You!”

Terri Dubay
Rogers State University SIFE “Entrepreneurship Day” Organizer
sdterridubay@student.rsu.edu
gotyajanssen@hotmail.com
918-851-1830

Hello dear friends and welcome to the new weblog of R.K. Richardson. I hope that you will enjoy your time here. Please come back and visit often or click on the subscribe button in the upper right-hand corner of any page to receive immediate updates.

R.K. Richardson

Are you open to change? Are you ready to change? So many of us are afraid of change, but what are we so afraid of? The unknown perhaps.

The definition of change: To make different; cause a transformation; an event that occurs when something passes from one state to another; losing one’s original nature; become different in essence.

Change is inevitable. Life is about transitions, yet many of us attempt to live in a ‘don’t rock the boat’ environment. Most of us like to feel a sense of safety and security in our lives. This sense of security is maintained by things feeling as if they are constant and unchanging. A certain amount of routine is vital for everyone; however, resistance to change is a dead-end street.

If you are neither coming nor going you are stagnant. The fear of change doesn’t just hold us back it stops us from truly living. Albert Einstein once said; “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Amidst all that is taking place in the world right now we can not afford to continue going down the same path. Our beliefs have created mental barriers and have caused violence, ignorance, and intolerance. From the economy to the elections, our senses are being overwhelmed and bombarded, and the repercussions are currently affecting our state of health and well being. When nothing is stable, the hardest thing to do is keep our strength and stay grounded. However, now more than ever, this is exactly what we must do. It’s a time to stay spiritually fit. It’s time to see our life lessons in every situation, no matter how intolerable it may seem. It’s time for us to take responsibility for the change we want to see in this world.

Change begins from within. It’s time to think outside the box.  Redefine your parameters. It is time for us to come together as one, and embrace this opportunity for growth.

We can resist the change, get caught up in a whirlwind and feel very uncomfortable, or we can learn how to cast fear aside and embrace the seasons of change. Let us use nature’s wisdom to grow through life’s inevitable ups and downs. It’s time to tap into our inner resources, take risks, move past limitations, and be open to what lies ahead.

The time is now. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.

Adena Sampson, Founder of Outloud Productions, is a Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Singer-Songwriter and Author. She teaches us to “Live Authentically Outloud” through a culmination of spoken word, writing, and song. Adena holds her bachelors degree as a Professional Music Major and graduate of Berklee College of Music. She is also a Certified Facilitator and graduate of The Soul Center for Spiritual Healing. Currently Adena is enrolled at the University of Metaphysical Science and is in the process of writing a book and getting her PH.D.

For more information please visit: www.OutloudProductions.tv

“On the path to self discovery it’s all about the journey… Each piece is an intricate part to the puzzle, that when put together form a collective whole, a masterpiece!” ~Adena Sampson~

Although we can safely ignore the idiotic ‘Lunch is for wimps’ challenge, made in that certain Michael Douglas movie, there is no doubt that the formal lunch-break, once the daily, universal custom, is being observed less and less frequently.

One explanation is clearly cultural, a social statement to do with an increasingly flexible workplace policy  -  a natural urge to distance yourself from the legacy world of typewriters and fixed working hours. To be seen at your desk between 12 and 2pm confirms that you are a member of the modern office culture, where you’re free to slip out to a coffee-shop at any time you want. It may also suggest a certain indispensability.

But a much more important factor is the new dynamic of the workplace, where commercial pressures put even junior executives into an entrepreneurial mindset. They may be waiting for some crucial email that requires their urgent attention. More likely, they might be working through a complex commercial problem involving an important contract, so that going off to lunch might be completely unrealistic. Or, if a lawyer, they may be charging-up billable time, where the temptation to charge an extra hour, may be irresistible.

Wrong Focus

I once had to counsel an ambitious young lady called Amanda in Dubai, who was in her first job as a sales consultant at a travel agents. The basic salary was very low, but the bonuses could mount up if she made enough sales.

The trouble was that most of the customers came in at lunchtime, and the sales staff were tempted to skip their own lunch-break in order to increase their monthly  bonuses. As this was good for business, the manager did nothing to discourage the habit.

However, two of the other saleswomen pointedly refused to do this, saying that their lunch was important to them, so Amanda found she was picking up even more sales by staying at her desk at the time when she should have been taking a break. (Meanwhile it was forbidden to snack at the desk for reasons of company image. Only coffee being allowed.)

Like many others of my clients, in the enthusiasm to focus on her monthly pay, she forgot to focus on her health. Month after month, she simply failed to eat properly through the day (though she drank a good deal of coffee) and she found herself taking more and more headache pills. Stress can make you vulnerable, as I can testify, and sure enough, during a local outbreak of flu, Amanda went off sick for nearly two weeks, but her two colleagues shrugged it off. That loss of two weeks’ earnings finally made her realise what was important. There could be no clearer illustration of the value of a regular mid-day lunch-break with a healthy walk and a nourishing diet.  Keeping your body running smoothly with nutrients is even more important than putting gas in your car.  You can always get a new car if the old one breaks down…

 Key points about the disappearing lunch-break

• The lunch-break is often mistakenly seen as unnecessary
• Modern workplace pressures make it hard to leave your screen
• Direct incentives may also tempt you into working through lunch

[Reproduced with the kind permission of Gulf News]

Book Motivational Speaker, BBC guest-broadcaster and best-selling Author, Carole Spiers in person for your next conference for a charismatic, high-impact presentation on proven stress management and organisational change strategies.  See Carole live http://bit.ly/TUWbX

Contact Carole  for a FREE stress strategy consultation – Tel:  +44 (0) 20 8954 1593   or email info@carolespiersgroup.co.uk.    She is dedicated to supporting your long-term growth through talent retention rooted in effective stress management.

Or check-out our latest professional stress reduction products http://bit.ly/FjL5L and stress management services delivered to blue-chip clients from IBM to Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company in UK, UAE and worldwide at www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk

Just some success inspiration to get you motivated and fired up for the week…

This is something I wrote and designed, so that you can post it where ever you need to. Just to remind yourself of the unlimited potential we have as human beings.

If you dance, use your dance to inspire others. If you have a business, use your business success to fulfil, motivate and change peoples’s lives for the better.

If you love your friends, try to love them a little bit more. If you’re in love, share more of that love with the people who matter. They say love has no limits… but we won’t know for sure unless we push to reach that limit.

Use everyday as an opportunity to make tomorrow even better.

Let’s see what happens!

- Shawn B

www.ShawnByfield.com

Dubai, as a successful new financial centre, has inevitably been impacted  by the global credit crunch, although somewhat later and not as severely as in Europe or America.  

Since the collapse of Lehman Brothers Investment bank in the US last year, the world economy has undoubtedly been in a mess and there has been a significant economic contraction that has affected business and consumer confidence.

That there are financial problems, as in New York or London, is clear – but there is no doubt that the Dubai government of HM Sheikh Mohammed will find the necessary solutions with its international partners. The country has supreme confidence in this.

The last few days has, however, drawn some media distortion from certain journalists who are always willing to ‘invent’ a catastrophe, where none exists.  Some of the world’s press, may have jumped on Dubai’s financial challenges, and in doing so, have ignored many of the facts – ten of the more obvious being: 

1. The financial crisis and economic turndown are global phenomena
2. Arguably, both the UAE, and Dubai in particular, have fared no differently than other financial centres – possibly better.
3. There is an element of schadenfreude in a proportion of press comment
4. Dubai has proved itself to be a centre of excellence and achievement in many fields, over the past decade.
5. Its architectural innovation and engineering ingenuity, are the envy of the world
6. The tallest, inhabited building anywhere on the planet, the Burj Dubai, at over 800m tall, is a monument to the most advanced civil engineering technology in the world and a triumph of unsurpassed architectural know-how
7. Hotel accommodation and hospitality accommodation is of such a high standard that it is unrivalled in New York, Paris or London
8. The crime rate in the UAE is, compared to Europe or  America, non-existent
9. Emirates Airline offers the most advanced flying experience anywhere in the world
10. Hospitals and medical services in Dubai are of a world-class standard and attract eminent specialists from around the globe

To try to evaluate Dubai against European or American standards, is problematical.   The Emirate of Dubai is an autocracy than runs and has run extremely successfully.  Government policies have been some of the most far-sighted of any country, building an unparalleled infrastructure in a timescale that has astonished other nations with its attention to detail and excellence of design.

I, myself, have advised many senior management teams in Dubai, and the UAE, for over five years.  Having worked all over the globe, in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia in a period spanning twenty years – I am today, extremely proud of being associated with the extraordinary achievements of the Dubai government of HM Sheikh Mohammed.

Dealing on a professional basis with CEOs and executives throughout UAE’s industry and the professions, I am constantly impressed with the level of higher education (the number of MBAs and Doctorates is extraordinary), and the pride that Emiratis and expatriates take in their achievements.

Over the past decade, millions have come to Dubai from every continent on the planet – many via Emirates Airlines – to see for themselves a true example, the only example, of 21^st century architecture and engineering – all within a crime-free environment.    Most visitors are hugely impressed.

Dubai will survive – leaner but stronger, and will continue to be an exemplar to the world of how to apply modern technology to provide good living.  [Reproduced with the kind permission of Gulf News]

Book Motivational Speaker, BBC guest-broadcaster and best-selling Author, Carole Spiers in person for your next conference for a charismatic, high-impact presentation on proven stress management and organisational change strategies.  See Carole live http://bit.ly/TUWbX

Contact Carole  for a FREE stress consultation – Tel:  +44 (0) 20 8954 1593   or email info@carolespiersgroup.co.uk.    She is dedicated to supporting your long-term growth through talent retention rooted in effective stress management.

Or check-out our latest professional stress reduction products http://bit.ly/FjL5L and stress management services delivered to blue-chip clients from IBM to Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company in UK, UAE and worldwide at www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk

Dear Beloved NFL:

I am writing to express my interest in working as a Motivational Speaker to Encourage Law Abiding Habits for NFL Players.

This position is not listed on your website as a current opening. However, I truly believe such position would be of great assistance in a league struggling with off-the-field role model behavioral issues which extend from minor offenses to felony charges.

Topics I would like to speak about include, but are not limited to: Legal Gun Ownership, Designated Drivers: All Advantage – No Disadvantage, Where to Take out Anger Mid-week, Putting Drug Debauchery in the Past, You Can Afford  a Bodyguard If You’re Really That Worried, and The Ease of PR When You’re Not in Trouble.

As a bonus, I will also be ready, willing and able to teach both players and coaches the mathematics of percentages. They should be able to understand how much effort is actually possible.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you in a timely fashion, due to the urgency of this subject.

Sincerely,
Rachel L. Arbeit

Have you been feeling supported lately? Feeling a lack of support seems to be the common theme these days. These are ever-changing times that we live in. Now more than ever we are experiencing great shifts in energy on a global level. whether it’s personal, political, or even environmental.

Our old world is no longer in alignment with the new world we’ve created, and we may feel as if we are once again, having to let go. How much more is there you may ask? Well it’s a constant letting go process.

As we grow, it is reflected in the world around us, and many times this means new friends, new places and a new support system. This is wonderful, but with this, comes a falling away, the need to let go of people and circumstances that no longer serve us.

The problem seems to lye in the timing of it all. It’s almost as if we are dying and being reborn again while we are still alive. When we experience things ending in our life before the new has arrived, it can cause us to panic.

Right now many of us are experiencing job losses, relationship breakups and even health issues. We may even feel as though all we’ve worked for is for not. This can be very scary and overwhelming. Despite all our efforts, our infill structure is falling apart, and we start to wonder how we will we sustain? Which way do we go when there is no solid ground? Amidst all this chaos, how can I find my way?

I invite you to take time for yourself right now. Take a deep breath and go within for the answers. Realign and restructure your own beliefs and boundaries. This is no longer the time to enable others, nor a time to allow others to bring you down. Take a look around, take some inventory on your life as it currently stands.

If you are doing your best and are giving 100% of your love and light out to the world, you deserve nothing less in return. So have faith, stay in your creativity, and be patient, for things are not always what they seem. And if by chance something or someone seems out-of-place, doesn’t feel right, or stands out like a sore thumb, let it go. That’s what you created then, this is now, and it’s a whole new world!

Adena Sampson, Founder of Outloud Productions, is a Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Singer-Songwriter and Author. She teaches us to “Live Authentically Outloud” through a culmination of spoken word, writing, and song. Adena holds her bachelors degree as a Professional Music Major and graduate of Berklee College of Music. She is also a Certified Facilitator and graduate of The Soul Center for Spiritual Healing. Currently Adena is enrolled at the University of Metaphysical Science and is in the process of writing a book and getting her PH.D.

For more information please visit: www.OutloudProductions.tv

“On the path to self discovery it’s all about the journey… Each piece is an intricate part to the puzzle, that when put together form a collective whole, a masterpiece!” ~Adena Sampson~

Jin Kyu (Suh) Robertson

Major (retired), U.S. Army; Ph.D., Harvard University

jkrobert@hanmail.net

Oprah Winfrey Show

Harpo Studios

1058 W. Washington St.

Chicago, IL 60607

Dear Ms. Oprah Winfrey:

             I would like to be a guest on your show because I have an unusual story which can inspire/motivate the people in the world: beginning as a virtual slave in a wig factory in Seoul, Korea, I completed a doctorate in the history of international relations at Harvard University.

             I am a sixty-one year old woman who retired from the U.S. Army at the rank of major in 1996, after having served for twenty years. I joined the U.S. Army as a private first class to stop being a battered wife and was a twenty-eight year old mother of an eight months old daughter.

             My life in America began in 1971 when I immigrated alone as a housemaid, having found a job from a newspaper advertisement of a referral agency. I was twenty two years old, spoke very little English, had no relatives or friends in America, and had only $100 to my name with much debt to pay back. But my life in Korea was worse. I was born into a poor Korean family and worked as a waitress, housemaid, and clerk in addition to a factory girl.

During my early teen years, I had to help mother with endless house chores. She had a small tavern to attend to and had no time for anything else. I also had to look after my baby brother who seemed younger than his age: he was retarded. His condition caused my mother to turn to drink, and that added more nightmares to my childhood. Reflecting anger for her sad fate of being a woman, mother used to yell at me, “Girls are useless! You are useless!” Over mother’s heartbreaking wails, I heard the louder voice of my silent anger: “Why? Was it my fault to be born a girl?”

Then there were winters: the cold, cold days of my childhood. While washing a mountain of dirty clothes in freezing water at a small stream nearby, soon my wet hands became numb as icicles were forming on my feet. As I pounded the cloth on a rock with a wooden stick, my trembling voice echoed a scream through my shaking body: “Why me? Why do I have to live like this?”

One cold winter night, I was standing outside of mother’s tavern while carrying my baby brother on my back trying to put him to sleep. The snow had stopped after painting the whole world white. Following my white breath, I found the sky with a pale blue moon and twinkling stars. Between the hissings of the wind, I could hear the soft breathing of my brother peacefully sleeping with his small head comfortably resting on my shoulder. My bare cheeks felt cold but the close warmth from my baby brother’s tiny body on my back felt very nice. As if dreaming, I stared into mother’s tavern. Behind the steam-fogged glass door, I saw mother arguing with town drunkards and father busily trying to separate them. My frozen nose tingled. At that moment, along with the drunkards, father came out to go to work at the railroad station for the night shift. With a broad smile, he lightly patted my head before he got on his old bicycle. Suddenly I felt a big lump blocking my voice. I stood there silently watching his skinny small back disappearing into the dark alley as his rusty bike slid dangerously over the slippery snow. Then, suddenly, he disappeared into the dark alley as if he had been sucked into the mysterious world, leaving only a thin trace of white smoke behind. As warm tears were rolling down my cold cheeks, I felt my sobbing voice swirling in my heart: “It is not your fault that you were born into a poor lowly family. One day father, I will achieve my goal and will take care of you. I will show the world that what you are born into does not decide how you must live!”

Four decades later, two major Korean TV stations made documentaries about my life, and my autobiography was published in Korea and Japan where I began giving motivational speeches in both languages. The story of my odyssey could inspire people around the world to follow their dreams, whatever hardships they have endured as it has already inspired millions in Korea, where I am a well known speaker and bestselling author.

             Most of all, I am a lucky mother. I am truly proud of my daughter, Jasmin S. Cho, who in spite of having been raised by a single mother as an army brat, graduated from Harvard College in the year 2000.  After having been a top cadet of her ROTC Class throughout her college years, she is now a Captain and a Company Commander of an Air Defense Artillery (Patriot Missile) Battery in the U.S. Army.  Although she studied at public schools most of her childhood, when she graduated from a high school (public), she received an award from President Clinton as one of 141 Presidential Scholars, selected out of 2.5 million American high school graduates in 1995. She is also fluent in English, Korean, and Japanese.

             My story of the American Dream has made quite an impact on the lives of many Koreans and Japanese thus far. I hope to partake in your endeavor, helping not only Americans but also the people of the world in bettering their lives, by appearing as a guest on your show.

Sincerely Yours,

Jin Kyu (Suh) Robertson

520 Bayshore Dr. 

Fayetteville, NC 28311

 jinkyurobertson@jinkysworld.com

It is important to start by hiring a professional video company that has experience videotaping keynote speakers. They need to have several cameras to get the best lighting, the right angles and to capture the audience reactions to your presentation.  One of the companies we recommend is Running Pony.

Have your presentation taped in front of a live audience.  Meeting planners like to see how you present to an audience. Your style, your ability to convey your message, your use of humor, etc. is what they are evaluating and want to see how you relate to your audience.

Make sure you have the right sound and light.  Low quality demo videos are hard to hear and it is distracting to the viewer.  You want the sound to be clear so the meeting planner can hear exactly what you have to say.  Make sure the video is light enough so you can view it on a computer.   A good production company will ensure that there is quality lighting when taping.  When I get a video that has poor sound or light I usually turn it off immediately.  You do not want a meeting planner to do the same.

It is a good idea to have someone introduce you on the video who is also a good speaker.  The introduction will give the viewer your background and set the stage for your presentation.  This should get the audience excited about your presentation and look forward to it with anticipation.

Your video should be at least 15 – 20 minutes long.  You need to have at least 3-5 minutes of consecutive speaking.  This will give the meeting planner a good feel for what you address.  It is OK to have clips from different speeches, and even helpful,  but be sure that your area of expertise is clear so that when the meeting planner is finished watching they clearly know the scope of your message. I have watched countless video demos, never to fully understand what the speaker’s topic was!  This is counterproductive for both the speaker and the viewer.

It is good to close your demo video with references.  You can do this by interviewing clients on camera or having a rolling screen with comments from clients.  Meeting planners like to see where you have spoken in the past.  You can also highlight any books you have written.

Having a solid demo video is invaluable for meeting planners and speakers bureaus in evaluating and choosing their speakers.   Those keynote speakers with the strongest demo videos are the speakers that get hired most frequently.

For additional information contact us at: Executive Speakers Bureau angela@executivespeakers.com

No, I wasn’t here for the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but I’d watched some of the preparations down at the Yas Marina, and was vividly reminded of the day I was invited by a longstanding client, called Colin, to his Corporate Hospitality event at the UK’s big Formula 1 venue, Silverstone.

I’d never taken much interest in the world of motor-racing before, but by the end of that day, I had identified it as the sport that most reflected the stress of big business. For a start, it was the only sport I’d ever watched that looked rather unhealthy. It seemed to me that a contestant would need to take regular exercise to compensate for the odd mix of physical inertia and acute mental pressure of life on the track.

The furious sense of competition seemed to me rather excessive – the idea that if you didn’t finish up there in the first three, you were more-or-less in disgrace. (It didn’t need a stress expert to note how much dangerous pressure that would set up.) The split-second overtaking and cornering techniques were obviously non-stop tension. And although you expect trophy-winners to let-off a bit of steam, I could see how those hysterical celebration rituals would increase the stress further still.

But it was the pit-stops that really concerned me. Watching those teams of men down in the bay, rushing to service the cars in that emergency atmosphere, desperate to clip seconds off their re-fuelling and tyre-changing, reminded me of every computer crash I had ever experienced – the automatic sense of crisis, the feeling that every second counts, and super-human efforts being made, just to restore the normal state of things.

Deeply troubled man

The grand reception after the race was also revealing – and also conducted in an over-heightened atmosphere, as it seemed to me. The entertainment was most generous, but somehow more lavish than necessary. I couldn’t imagine wanting to eat and drink as much as that.

Colin was an old friend of one of the contestants, Steve, who had not driven particularly well that day, and was clearly not happy about it. Behind the polite conversation, I could detect a smouldering resentment in Steve. A few minutes’ dialogue revealed that he had been trying to win this particular event for years, with no success. He had never held up that coveted trophy, to the roar of the crowd. And he wasn’t getting any younger.

Listening to Steve, and discreetly studying his body-language and general demeanour, I felt strongly that this was a man who would soon be needing his own personal ‘pit-stop repair session’.

So I wasn’t too surprised to hear from Colin, the following year, that Steve had failed his insurance medical and would not be allowed on the track. I felt that this was a deeply troubled man who ought to have stress counselling, and after some persuading, he agreed to it. I told him that he maybe he should consider making a clean break from the whole stressful atmosphere of the motor-racing world, and re-invent himself in another field altogether. He is now a part-time tourist guide in a small city that he knows well (plenty of healthy walking there), and a partner in a firm that supplies specialist equipment – not to race-tracks but to dairies. Colin tells me he’s a new man.

Key Points About the Stress of Formula 1

• Motor-racing is an unusual mix of physical inertia and mental stress

 • The traditional track-side entertainment is liable to heighten pressure

• Those who don’t feel they’re winning should break clean away from it

[Reproduced with the kind permission of Gulf News]

Book Motivational Speaker, BBC guest-broadcaster and best-selling Author, Carole Spiers in person for your next conference, for a charismatic, high-impact presentation on proven stress management and organisational change strategies.  See Carole live http://bit.ly/TUWbX

Contact Carole  for a FREE stress consultation – Tel:  +44 (0) 20 8954 1593   or email info@carolespiersgroup.co.uk.    She is dedicated to supporting your long-term growth through talent retention rooted in effective stress management.

Or check-out our latest professional stress reduction products http://bit.ly/FjL5L and stress management services delivered to blue-chip clients from IBM to Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company in UK, UAE and worldwide at www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk

My aunt sent me this video. I get a funny feeling when I watch it, especially when she says “wake up” twice in the first minute. The canned applause and laughter is terrific and really makes it a special viewing experience.

Remember your passion.
“We choose to forget who we are,
and then we forget we’ve forgotten.”
– Gunther Bernard
There is a horrible disease in the world today. It attacks people of all ages. I have coined it, “Passion Alzheimer’s.”
It’s a condition where people can no longer remember their passions or their dreams. They can no longer recall their
desires or their purpose. The fantastic news is that this ailment is curable!
Do you remember your dreams? Can you recall your passion? If you need a refresher course, read the book Discover Your
Passion by Gail Cassidy. And scan over again some of the tips in this book. There’s a
lot of passion glowing on these pages. Find the spark that will rekindle your speaking passion. Rejuvenate
yourself and your passion to become a motivational speaker.
In one of his last interviews, the truly motivational speaker Christopher Reeve talked about the frustration he felt when
he saw an able-bodied person who was paralyzed in other ways. He said that he wanted to tell that person to just get up and go for it! What a great spirit. We are all paralyzed in some aspect but in becoming a motivational speaker

there is no room for a lack of passion.
Remember your passion. Watch the video from Phil Town on be an investor-professional motivational Speaker.

Hale & Clark set some lofty new goals for The Daily Struggle. To help them reach these goals they enlist the help of world famous life coach TONY ROBBINS! The most motivational episode of TDS yet!