Yes, the speaking industry has dramatically changed. It seems like everything is going virtual.
But, that doesn’t mean speaking is dead. There are way more opportunities today than ever. Motivation will never go away.
Now, everything on my calendar for live events has been cancelled because of social distancing. What I have going for me is coaching/consulting and virtual presentations through Zoom.
Of course, I don’t get paid 10K for a virtual presentation. But, the numbers add up. And other opportunities are surfacing.
Besides, I don’t have to get on an airplane. That’s beautiful! I was getting tired of jet lags anyway. I remember having four speaking engagements back to back.
One day I was on the West Coast and the next day I was on the East Coast. I was so exhausted and disoriented.
As of now, I’m working on packaging my knowledge as courses on relevant topics for the same companies I was presenting for. Online learning is exploding.
By the way, diversity is a hot topic these days. I’m getting a lot of requests for that topic.
You can quickly update your knowledge and tackle diversity. Read some books. Take some courses. There are also tons of videos on YouTube about it.
Just add your own personal experiences, insights, and observations. Everybody is recycling old information for years. Nothing is original.
Granted, you have to care about the topic. If not, you won’t feel it. Which means your listeners won’t feel it either.
Look, people are not looking an encyclopedia of knowledge. They are looking for engagement, connect, and a SIMPLE step-by-step framework to help them understand their problems, so they can take action.
✅ Here’s a little secret that the top speakers would NEVER reveal to you
Most companies don’t really care that you are the definitive expert on the topic. They just want to check the box, so they don’t get sued. Do you see what I mean?
✅ Here’s what you need to do:
You need to learn about livestreaming and be a good presenter so you can look professional. After that, just start submitting proposals online.
As one of my mentors always says, “Just say yes. Then figure out how to deliver it.”
Thankfully, I had already mastered virtual presentations. I’m way ahead of many speakers who are not tech-savvy.
In fact, I’m now coaching a lot of speakers and executives on how to livestream properly. Thus, another income source.
✅ $128 Billion Dollar Industry
The reality is, the knowledge business is currently a $129 billion dollar industry. And it’s climbing. Heck, it’s probably going to eventually replace the school systems.
A lot of young people don’t want to go to college anymore. They just want to buy courses and rapidly master any skill.
When LinkedIn bought Linda.com, the largest educational platform online, and Microsoft bought LinkedIn, we should have known something was up.
Here’s an insight for you: Tell yourself this crisis is happening for you; not to you. That will give you the power to seize the opportunities available.
Somehow, God will make sure it happens for you. As you know, whatever you are saying to yourself is your reality. It’s a form of prayer. And every prayer is answered.
Simply put, decide to be a victor instead of a victim. That alone will force you to think of better ideas to make a difference in the world.
As I always say, the bigger the difference, the more money. Besides, it’s never about money. It’s about helping others solve their problems.
Money is only an indicator we are making a difference one way or another. It’s too bad most people tend to be obsessed over money.
In reality, money is just the effect of a cause. Even so, there’s a cause behind the cause the product money. That’s called mind. It’s where EVERYTHING is created.
What are you struggling with right now? Let me know.
Mike Tyson credits Cus D’Amato for changing his life. He said without Cus, he probably would not be alive today. Mike said “Cus told me I was going to be the world’s youngest boxing champion.”
What’s remarkable about the interview is when Mike said, “I believe everything Cus told me. Even if he were lying, I believed him.” Isn’t that powerful?
Every single one of us can be a Cus D’Amato for someone. You can literally call somebody right now and share some uplifting words that boost his or her confidence or self-esteem.
Mike Tyson is a household name who is massively successful. He has achieved what most can never achieve in a lifetime. His remarkable career as a global champion boxer and larger-than-life personality is something to emulate.
It should motivate us to step up our game in life. His boxing career should inspire us to put our nose to the grind to perfect our craft.
However, in spite of that, he still significantly credits a portion of his spectacular success to his coach and mentor, Cus D’Amato. What’s more impressive is the fact that Tyson said without Cus, he probably would have been dead. Incredible!
Cus D’Amato infused in Tyson the belief that he could achieve the impossible. He could be the youngest champion in history. Tyson believed every single one of his words.
What’s even more shocking is when Tyson said he would believe his mentor even if he told him a lie. Wow!
Hopefully, you are reading between the lines. That should be an indication for you about the power of words.
The impact you and I can have on another human being by simply using deliberate chosen words is incalculable.
The thing is, you have that and power. You can step into someone’s life and prophesize over them. Your conviction and confidence will make them believe you even if you were lying. Isn’t that mind-blowing?
I strongly encourage you to take this lesson from Cus D’Amato and apply it to your life. Be an elevator for someone. Cheer them on. Inspire them to greatness.
It doesn’t have to be someone you know. You do it for a total stranger. You do it for someone who is serving at a restaurant or in the valet parking.
Isn’t that what motivational speakers do?
Well, you are a motivational speaker. You are a thought leader. You are an influencer. Go be a Cus D’Amato for someone today!
Years ago when I started speaking, I was really excited. Maybe too excited. I was taking massive actions!
I paid a bunch of people to coach me. I deprived myself of a lot of time scrambling for enough cash to pay those coaches.
One of those coaches told me to put a brochure and business card inside all the bills I was writing a check for. He said to me since you are paying them, it’s a great idea to sell them as well. I followed his direction precisely as I was instructed.
As soon as I would get out of bed, I would pull my daily goals and start implementing. Someone told me I needed to go and introduce myself to as many people as possible.
Twice a week, I would go to different networking events to introduce myself and pass around my business cards.
I did all of that relentlessly for eight months. Can you guess how many speaking engagements I got after month number eight?
Zero. Zilch. Nada.
In fact, people were not even returning my calls or replying to my emails. I mean, I could not find any speaking engagement. No one would give me a chance. That was so freaking frustrating!
I started doubting myself. I was thinking, “Maybe I’m not qualified. Maybe speaking is not my calling.”
Do you remember how we used to get upset when telemarketers would call to disrupt us? Well, those days, I was happy when a telemarketer would call. At least my phone was ringing. Do you see what I mean.
I was so close to giving up and walking away from all my efforts.
One of the veteran speakers told me I needed to do a lot of unpaid gigs to get to the paid ones. He said in those kinds of audiences, some people would book me for a fee.
That sounded excellent to me. I started knocking on doors for the opportunity to speak for nothing. I got about fifteen of those gigs. Guess how many paid ones I landed from those?
Zero. Zilch. Nada.
I’m not kidding. I was so done with this speaking thing. I was spending all my money to make it work. I maxed out all my credit cards. Later I took a second mortgage on my house.
I attended so many conventions and hired so many speaking coaches. I remember when I paid this guy $10,000 to create a demo video for me. I spent another $12,000 to attend a weekend seminar. That was insane!
By the way, I was doing all of that while keeping my full-time job as a doorman at the hotel. Yep! I used all my tips’ money to finance my speaking business.
Looking back, everything I did that was not working should have worked. Those ideas were all perfect. But, some ingredients were still missing. And I didn’t know what they were.
Have you ever felt that there’s something you need to know so you can have your breakthrough? Well, here’s the real truth:
It’s what you don’t know you don’t know that is holding you back.
Did you get that? Since you don’t know you don’t know, you will never go find and learn it. In fact, you would not even know it even if it were right in front of your face. It’s the invisible success factors even the highly successful people cannot tell you.
I remember a friend of mine telling me to be patient. She said it’s like planting seeds. You can’t expect them to grow overnight.
She was right. Most people never allow enough time to make something work. However, in most cases, it doesn’t matter how patient we are. Because we can do the wrong things patiently for years.
Fortunately, through trial and error, I was able to break the code and access the real and critical ingredients that can make you succeed.
Once you get your hands on those ingredients, you will instantly catapult yourself to the top. And it doesn’t matter if you have terrible stage fright, no experience, or degrees. None of that matters
I will share with you the step-by-step process to catapult your speaking career in another post.
It will give you an idea of whether you are ready to change lives or not.
Second, I will share with you the #1 secret to become famous and get booked to speak. it’s going to be a HUGE aha for you!
However, I will share that in a video. So, make sure to check your inbox in a couple of days.
Now, let me tell you how to crush it in 2018. It’s no-brainer tip. Here’s it is…
Decide what you are MUST stop doing and start doing. Yep! It’s that easy. Simply put, get rid of some destructive habits and form new ones.
Take a good look at your finances, job, relationships, and spiritual life. If you don’t like what you see, it’s time to start and stop doing some things.
We cannot have your cake and eat it too. We must be willing to give up something to get something else.
Oh, I know you are a motivational speaker. This may sound cliche to you. But, don’t let the simplicity fool you, my friend. I’m serious.
Maybe it’s time to start focusing more on the vital few versus chasing the many.
Maybe it’s time to stop some destructive habits like eating or drinking the wrong stuff. Maybe it’s time to start exercising.
I don’t know what is it for you. As far as I know, you may have it all together. Your life may be perfect. If that’s the case, more power to you.
Well, not me. I definitely continue to add many things that I need to start and stop doing.
For example, I need to fully recover from perfectionism. I need to stop giving free advice to those who don’t follow through and appreciate it.
By the way, you need to do so as well. I have so much to say about this. It’s a whole new conversation. Very interesting, I might say.
Alright, please share with me what will you stop doing and start doing to get better results. Make a public declaration and commitment so our community can hold you accountable.
No pressure. Only if you want to.
I look forward to reading your comments. Take care.
I’m not sure what you think is holding you back from launching your speaking empire. You may have a million excuses. It would take too long to list them all here.
Perhaps you think you need another degree, more money, work fewer hours, or whatever it is. Guess what? I can narrow all the excuses to one word. The word is… FEAR!
The reality is, if you knew for certain you could not fail, you would take the risk. You would step out and launch your speaking, training, and coaching empire.
Now, the big question is what’s driving your fear? I’m willing to bet; your greatest fear is that you are not good enough.
Somehow, you have a sense of inadequacy. Some insecurities are holding you back. Can you identify?
You might think you need more information. You need to read more books; attend more seminars, or enroll in one more online course.
The reality is, you don’t need anything else. You are more than enough. The world doesn’t need more information. What people need is more clarity, encouragement, and tough love.
More importantly, the world needs your authentic self. They want to experience you just the way you are. I’m sure you’ve been through some experiences.
You learned some lessons. You figured out a few things. That’s why I say you are good enough to start.
People are experiencing information overload. Think about it this way:
We are drowning in a sea of information. Yet, we are starving for wisdom and clarity.
We are drowning in a sea of information. Yet, we are starving for wisdom and clarity.
You see, everyone suffers from the not-enough syndrome. You would be stunned to know the people with millions of fans and millions of dollars you admire have the same problem.
They wake up sometimes and feel like frauds or imposters. They don’t feel like they are making a significant difference. That’s without exception.
I heard mega celebrity Dustin Hoffman talking about times when he feels inadequate.
In fact, he said everyone in Hollywood experiences that same emotion. Would you think someone like Oprah Winfrey never feels insecure, right? Well, think again.
Here’s the point I’m trying to make:If you are waiting until you get rid of your insecurity or not-enough fear so you can start making a difference, you will never start.
This is going to sound kind of weird to you. But I think it will be the one thing you need to get unstuck and launch your speaking, training and coaching career.
I’m going to share with you the two invisible forces that may be holding you back. And it’s not what you’ve been thinking.
Don’t be distracted. Read this all the way to the end.
Let’s get it.
Last Friday was a long day. I woke up really early to prepare for my speaking engagement. Later, I had dinner with the board of directors. Then, I headed to my hotel room.
I needed some information for a webinar the next day. I went to youtube.
One of the suggested videos on youtube was from America’s Got Talent. I clicked on it. Mind you; I don’t even watch television.
I don’t know much about America’s Got Talent.
But that particular show was a cab driver in Miami who spent all his life entertaining his passengers with his voice.
One day, a passenger suggested he tried America’s Got Talent. He did. And he got in.
During his performance, he shocked the audience. He sang a stunning opera song. All the judges including Simon and everyone in the audience were totally blown away!
And get this…
While he was performing on the stage, unconsciously, he extended his hands as if they were on the steering wheel of his cab and the audience was in his back seat.
I lost it. I had tears all over my face. I started thinking…
“Am I the only one who cries while watching a show like this?”
Then it dawned on me.
The world is full of people who are extremely talented. They drive a cab all their lives and never use their talents to make a big impact. So sad!
Maybe because they feel like they are not good enough. Maybe they never got the approval from others.
I thought about YOU. Yes, I mean you. Your cab maybe the job you are stuck in. Or it maybe something else. I don’t know.
But for sure I know you are probably frustrated just like I was when I was a doorman selling myself short at the hotel for 15 years.
My friends and co-workers kept telling me how much I motivate and inspire them. They told me that was my calling.
But, I was stuck. I didn’t know where to go and how to start.
Slowly, I kept fumbling in the dark trying to discover how to realize my dream.
Sure enough, after years of trial and error and a truckload of money I didn’t have, I found my way. Hint: Credit cards.
The question is…
Why is it so many struggles and never accomplish their dreams?
Why is it so many people end up living the rest of their lives in regrets and are barely getting by?
The reality is, there are no excuses why anyone should live an average life.
Today, we have access to EVERYTHING we need to succeed. Money is not the issue. And it should never be.
With just one click of the mouse, you can get a world of information on any topic.
You probably have a hard drive full of information.
You know what I mean, right? You signup for the courses bought the books. You bought the books.
If you are a real consumer, you took lots of notes. You get excited! And you do NOTHING with all of that.
Now, if we have all this information available to us…
Why aren’t we living the life we want? What’s holding us back? Why do we feel so stuck?
How come every time we decide to go for what we want, something pulls us back?
I think there TWO MAIN reasons people continue to struggle unnecessarily…
Reason #1: Nothing out there is going to change your life or empower you to live your dream.
If that were the case, you would have the life you dream about.
Look, it doesn’t matter how many books you read and how many seminars or courses you take.
It doesn’t even matter if your gurus invited you to live with them for a whole year to follow and study them. You would still be where you are. Why?
It’s because what’s stopping you is you. It’s NOT out there.
For example, I coached many entrepreneurs who come to me to help them with their marketing.
But when I start going deeper, I would often discover they already know what to do.
The problem is not a lack of knowledge. The problem is them. All I need to do is to help them identify the invisible forces that are holding them back and wipe them out.
The thing is, your mind will continue to trick you into thinking you need to take one more course or certification, read one more book, or buy one more online service.
Every time you see someone using a gadget, you think, “If I can only buy this, things would begin to happen for me.”
Reason #2: Most teachers don’t know how to teach. What do I mean by that?
Well, it’s not about having the right information. It’s about having the right information in the right sequence.
Because you read a book or hear someone talking their success and how they got it does not mean you can do the same thing and achieve their results.
Think about it this way. Let’s say I give you 12 numbers for a vault that contains 100 million dollars.
If I don’t give you the right sequence to dial the numbers, you will NEVER unlock that vault.
Simply put, success in anything is EASY as long as you have the right information in the right sequence. And you know the belief triggers and what’s holding you back.
Most teachers and authors have no clue about this. They think success is a cookie cutter – one-size-fits-all.
So, it’s time for you to get off the cab and change your life.
Let me get this straight. There’s something I know about you for a fact.
I know you are brilliant!
The fact you are not where you would wish to be has nothing to do with brain power.
You just need some clarity and the belief that what you know and who you are is good enough.
You only need a few distinctions to package, position, and promote your genius.
So, I decided to re-open my coaching program. But I want to warn you.
This is not just about how to become a powerful motivational speaker. I can teach you that. I’m a master at it. As far as I know, no one can teach it to you better than I can.
I’m talking about removing the stumbling blocks out of your way.
