Do I need to have special education to be a motivational speaker? I cannot tell you how many times people ask me this one question.
Some would ask me, “Where did you go to school to learn how to be a motivational speaker?” There are those that ask me about my corporate background. They want to know where I got my business acumen from. I didn’t really think I had any. I am just using my common sense.
Those are legitimate questions. When I didn’t know anything about the speaking industry, I would ask the same questions. I say this because I don’t want to you to jump to any conclusion. You know what I mean, right?
So, if you are a little more advanced, please don’t say to yourself, “That’s a dumb question!” It’s NOT!
Do you actually know I didn’t even know one could run his or her mouth and get paid for it? In order words, I didn’t know there was such a thing as peaking for a living.
Okay, let me stop beating around the bush and answer the darn questions. Here you go:
You don’t need any special education whatsoever to be a motivational speaker and change lives. Yep, you need no special education.
Nada.
Alright, I’m assuming you have some kind of formal education, right? Then, that’s all you need to hit the ground running. Even if you didn’t…
Think of some the most powerful motivational speakers in villages around the world. Many of them are not educated. Yet, they can move a crowd and transform lives. They can get people to rally behind them and create a transformational movement. Go it?
Now about my corporate background. I don’t have any. My journey in America has been everything but corporate. I started washing cars on the streets of Miami for $5 a pop; I mopped the floor at 163rd Mall in Miami.
Then I did many odd things in between to survive while I was trying to learn English. Come to think of it, I’m still learning English. And yes, I was broke, too. Really broke.
When I launched my speaking career, I was a doorman in Atlanta. So, if being a doorman counts as being in the corporate arena, you can say I was in corporate America. In fact, I was the CEO if the door.
All kidding aside. You don’t need any special knowledge nor corporate background to start. Don’t let that be your barrier. The speaking industry has a very low barrier to entry. Just decide and take the leap. Of course, it’s not all that easy. There are many other steps.
But the first step is to start in spite of your excuses and fears.
Let’s start the conversation. I want to hear your comment or question.
okay im from the north west province mafeking really a quiet place i did matric but half way …I LOVE SPEAKING TO PEOPLE ENCOURAGING THEM AM NOT SHY AM VERY LOUD ALSO ‘ I TEND TO ALWAYS HELP OTHERS PUT THEM FIRST LISTEN AND ADVICE TOO…HOW DO I START, WHERE DO I GO? EVERYONE TINKS I SHOULD BECOME A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER!!!! RIGHT NOW IM WORKING AS A ‘ PA’………….
I am an author of two books, Smoothies For the Soul, and Honey Flowers.
By the grace of God I find myself being invited to speak at different venues,
as an inspirational reader (never heard of such), a speaker at a women conference, a speaker women ministry meeting and I was also a speaker at my church in the women’ room. I know that god opened those doors and He will open more. Do you have any tips that will be helpful as i move forward?
Looking forward to your answer.
Thanks
I am currently at a place in my life where I don’t know what career choice to make but I have a burning desire to help others. I have been through so many horrible things in life that I feel I need to use tat to help others. I love talking and I mostly talk in great detail so I think this will be something I can definately do but I have no clue how to get started. Any advise?
Yeah i agreed the post and speakers are born not made..
When one say “no special education needed”, it literally means no need of being trained into the coarse you need from a high quality school …graduate with honors for 2-4 yrs of study. Education comes in dif. forms. we all receive education from the time our mothers conceive us. we can learn from the best teacher in the world….Nature. This is where everything began since Adam and Eve.So, be confident to step up. for all has that same opportunity in life by the time we are conceived. I believe that we also learn from those who already did it…and that is what I want to do now…with Rene…Thanks for sharing the world Rene. You inspire us all.
Answer something for me. What if all your speaking experience has been in a church environment? How can one turn from inspirational to motivational speaking? I feel like I can reach and help more people through motivational speaking.
Bryan,
If you have been speaking in a church environment, I want to say you are in a great position–better than most. Why do I say this? Well, think about it this way:
People in the churches are people in corporate America. They are the same people. They only different is the day of the week. Sunday is for church and the rest of the week is for work.
Now, the only thing you have to do is to position your words in order to cause those people to start thinking of you for their work environment. You simply mention some kind of story that subliminally suggest you speak for corporate.
You might say, “I was talking to a young lady that works for… She was complaining about her days at work. Here are 3 tips I gave her…” Something like that.
Then, you blatantly tell them you speak for corporate and ask them to see you after if they think you might be a fit for their team at work. Do you see what I mean?
Hi, you say that you don’t need any qualifications in order to be a motivational speaker right? How do you go about turning it into a career? And if so don’t I need some sort of specific qualification to be employed by a company, whereby it automatically turns into my job? I get this personal fulfillment of myself when I can make a difference in people’s lives or helping them. I am not quite sure which would be suitable along the lines of a social worker, but I love people an enjoy being around them. I am trying to make a decision of choosing my career that’s why I may be so optimistic and inquisitive. Hope you can answer my questions or make any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.
I have been through a lot in my life and I am only 25yrs old. I have been in and out of trouble, and needless to say some pretty eye opening relationships. As well as you, I have flopped around jobs, and moved quite a bit.. . always searching for something. I am great with people, and really want to open up and talk to people about just being well rounded and the meaning of life.. and what each and every individual interprets and is searching for. I’m not sure if being a social worker, or just starting a free “live discussion” meeting for local people to come to and talk about their fears, wants, needs, and desires as human beings. Book and school wise, I do not have much backround, but expierence and optimism I am fully educated in.. and still learning. It would have helped me much to know that some things I felt fear and shame and (normal human feelings) were all NORMAL and though people may not talk about it.. its normal. I went through life thinking Why Me?! Why am I different?! and now I want to go through life thinking… I’m proud to be me and how can I MAKE a difference.
Any suggestions?
I agree with no special education too. What I think that makes a great motivational speaker is also if you can draw from your own experiences. I have an idea to give a talk at elemntary schools about bullying and High schools about college and deciding what you want to do.
Hey Thom,
I post a reply to you. But I decided to turn it into a post.
No special education nessary?? I agree, but let’s make sure people understand that education is nessary to be succesful. How can you speak on something that you know nothing about? You need to read and study about the subject your going to speak about. Mine you, education doesn’t have to be formal, it can be self taught! You don’t need to go to school (even though some of us get lessons from the school of hard knocks!)
So my advice is to choose a subject that interest you, then it will not be a chore when preparing speeches.
I want to become a public speaker. My greatest challenge is knowing how to get started. I have no idea where to begin my career. What suggestions might you offer?
Thank You