This is just a question for our American friends. Who is the most provocative motivational business speaker in the USA.
Im talking in your face, talking from the hip, adult content, Wow not for the faint hearted type of audience ???????????????????.

Larry Winget. http://www.larrywinget.com/

Jim

Alan Weiss has some fairly provocative contrarian views that certainly make an impact in the business world. Not quite the same delivery style as Winget "The Pitbull", but will certainly change the way you think.

"Money Talks" by Weiss is an esential read for anyone contemplating dipping their toe into the "magical speaking" business.

Timothy

(Jim, will I get to meet you in Orlando?)

Oh fellows I have to jump in here and share a true story and pivotal point in my little life. Back when I held an office job in a currently well known and successful company I found myself ultimately unhappy. I went to bed abhorring the thought of waking just to get ready for another day as a cubicle slave in a company I no longer understood and so big none of our efforts seemed to count. The ongoing meetings that got nowhere. The amended memo that got handed me by the sick of her life and dead end job office gal. Signs in the break room telling us how to clean up, what to use, how to use it, brand of coffee I couldn't stand, and a fresh copy of the memo that went out that morning. And all of this despite the fact that my reviews were stellar! My work ethic and production just awesome! Probably the end result of my attitude that as long as I was there and part of something resembling a team that I would do my very best.

One morning I found myself at another mandatory motivational speaker meeting. I couldn't stand the thought of another one these meets but had to go. The speaker had us taking turns reading aloud from some study book the size of a large city phone book. When he got the energy, his fat little body would struggle from his chair, whip out a pointer (like a magic trick) and point to the pie chart he'd drawn earlier that morning. Talking slowly and literally sighing every couple of minutes he'd point at the pie chart and say stuff like "OK........so....we dedicate x amount of time to personal life, x amount to career, x amount to ......."

With most of us falling asleep or loosing interest, he'd occasionally smack the pointer on the easel to bring us back into reality - a horrid one at that. Torturing with the pie chart dedicated to time management for ultimate success and other bull went on all day!

That eight hour ordeal gave me time away from my unfulfilling job to realize I was NOT HAPPY and hated everything about my existence there and the way I made a living.

So where's the turning point?

Right here.

I DECIDED TO QUIT THAT DAY!

Yep, just like that. I decided to thank the old man for helping me do what was necessary to at least begin a change in things not working for me. Instead of bitchin' about the status quo to fellow co-workers and myself, or being silently unhappy, I decided to just shut and do something about it. I won't go into the risk I took (real bills on my shoulders) but it was that or join the heard in ongoing complaints heard by no one.

I remembered:

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."
- Henry David Thoreau

That was the last cup of coffee I had there as I walked over to my desk, grabbed what mattered to me, went to supervisor's office, and said "Take this job and shove it...yep..I ain't workin' here no more..."

In my case it was a terrible speaker that did it for me. That's right, it was a horrible "motivational speaker" that motivated me to get the heck out of there. I did myself and the company a favor by doing the smart and honorable thing by moving over and making space for someone who wanted to be there. Ideally someone happy with that situation.

Although I didn't know about him at the time, I ultimately did what Winget preaches in his "Stop Bitching" and "You Suck!". I took a look around me, didn't like how the situation fit, didn't complain, accepted it was happening because I put myself there, and did something about it.

Quitting that job was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

I went on to create and fail at my first business. Took a 18 months to recover from that blow and went at it again a little smarter. Working for myself and at times with the family business has made me much happier despite working longer hours than I did back with that company. But those hours are not work as much as they are personal investment in myself, service/product, and customer relations. It's actually FUN to work these days. That's coming a long way from how I felt in that job I disliked so much.

I wonder if Winget realizes that motivational speakers not only serve to create better employees/people who stick with their companies/industry but also help some realize they need to quit ASAP and move onto their true calling.

Winget's "in your face" message tells people to shut up and get to work. I hope those who need the message the most don’t misconstrue this to mean get back to work at what makes you unhappy. For some of us it means quit that one and begin work on the one that works for you.

Alright everybody who feels it in their hearts say it aloud with me:

Take this job and shove it! LOL! Hehehehehe....

If I were to be such a speaker, I'd hire myself out to help the right people quit their jobs. Hire me and I'll give the right people in your organization the balls to quit. Then maybe as a company you might see where you really stand and what sort of players you have to work with in pursuit of the next dollar.

Randy,
That is a great story. I am working at building my magic business while I also work in corporate America. I think I may work for the same company you used to work for!!!

Unlike most of the people I work with at my corporate job, I am taking action to build my business. I'm working on my plan. Most people just complain about the place day in and day out.

I don't have the guts to just quit - mortgage, wife and kids to support. I know one day I'll be able to walk out of there though - and that makes it much more bearable.

Thanks for the story.

Tony

Sorry, Ian. Didn't mean to hijack your post. We now return you to your regularly scheduled topic.

Tony,

You obviously have your priorities in check. I certainly honor and applaud that!

I'd like to add that what I discovered having worked for others (some good jobs and some god awful) compared to working for myself is having been a great employee helped me in my initial and marginal efforts at working for myself.

Let me explain. Ever hear people claim they should be working for themselves and not "working for the man" and making him rich? Well I believe most of these people are, whether they know it or not, saying they want to work less - much less, be the boss, take several annual vacations, have tons of doh, live the life (whatever that means), and do as little as possible for it.

The harsh news I have for such people is, that combination, based on my own experience and observation of others, doesn't coincide in most cases if any. The successful person who works for himself ends up putting far more hours into the new venture than their previous life of punching in and out at the clock. They have no one to blame or finger point when things go wrong. Company departments love to finger point (a deadly sin in business) when they can't accomplish a goal or anything for that matter. The world is quick to tell you that you can't do it before you try, and when you do and succeed they are the same patting you on the back saying "I knew you had it in ya!"

I make a GOOD self employed creature, getting better most days, because I was a GREAT employee while working for others.

You seem to have that quality about ya and I can only applaud you.

Great story. I've always maintained that if they really listened to my message, half the people in my corporate audiences would quit their jobs and follow their passion too! Just don't tell that to the person who hired me!

I forgot about Alan Weiss. He definitely like to provoke.

And yes, Tim, I'll be in Orlando in July for the National Speakers Association annual convention. We usually have a group of magicians who get together one night in the lounge area of the hotel to swap tricks. Maybe I'll see you there.


Jim

Thanks for the interesting posts guys, I went on to larry wingett found it interesting, but did not think he was that "extreme" Im looking for x rated.Randy, great story, similar thing happened to me in the Uk, wont bore you with the details but I did exactly what you did.

Ian,

You won't find any X rated speakers working the corporate marketplace in the United States. At least not for more than one booking! It is not acceptable for a corporate event. Larry Winget is about as extreme as you will find. Even a comedian working an after dinner corporate event must avoid blue material.

Jim

Really! Im amazed, I thought the USa was the Land of the Free, including freedom of speech. You get quite a few in the Uk but I think us brits have always been more Liberal than you guys.( ps no offence intended)

Ian,

Well, you can say anything you like in the US, but don't expect to get invited back by certain companies. Blue material is the kiss of death in corporate America. Corporate meeting planners are very sensitive to complaints, so it's important not to offend anyone.

Jim

That's really Interesting because its ok over here although I know of only a couple of guys performing it. Take Care Ian

We just had Alan at NSA/Carolinas and he's a great speaker that really makes people think. I'd definately recommend him as an in-your-face speaker. I've never known it "OK" to be blue in Corporate America.

Jim & Timothy, I'll be in Orlando in July. I look forward to meeting Timothy and seeing Jim again... By the way... Mr Hyde's Notebook is great! The PIG test is a blast!

All The Best!
John