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.
