It All Matters

21My Stories

Story 1

Dreams Are Built on Confidence

My mission in life has always been to leave “it” better than I found “it.” I have been confidently pursuing that mission for four decades. This is a story that wouldn't exist without the confidence required to follow your dreams.

A Morning in Las Vegas (2007)

Once upon a time, I was scheduled to speak to 5,000 people from a Fortune 500 Company in Las Vegas, Nevada. The speaking fee was $25,000 for the 90‐minute keynote address, which was a far cry from the $250.00 I had received for my first 90‐minute presentation. I have always been humbled over the years by the value that others see in my life's work.

For some reason on the morning of the event, my thoughts slipped back to a Sunday afternoon in 1984, when I first sketched out the one‐page business plan I needed in order to launch my own seminar business. I was thinking about my first event at the Holiday Inn on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

It was as if my mind was racing through the past three decades at warp speed. Faster and faster, the cities, events, students, and people flashed before my eyes. Have you ever had a moment like that, where it seemed as if you were transported back in time? This was such a moment. Today was definitely my moment to shine and to make an impact on the gathered audience of dynamic leaders.

I remembered all the nights when I would pack my car with my one‐page fliers, printed at home, for the first program I ever authored, which ...