Motivational speaker: Boxing Legend George Foreman
Motivational speaker: Boxing Legend George Foreman
George Foreman became heavy weight boxing champion of the world. Today he is a preacher, entrepreneur and the spokesperson for the George Foreman Grill with over 1 million units sold. And yes a motivational speaker.
I had the opportunity to see George Foreman speak at a Learning Annex event in Toronto. What could George Foreman, a former boxer, say that might motivate you?
"Look at me."
That was his opening line and one that he repeated like a refrain throughout his presentation.
What did that mean? "Look at me." Don't look at my scars, my color, education or obstacles. "Look at me." See the fighting spirit within me. See me for who I am and can be. Although Foreman shouted that to his fight manager - the phrase is one that he might have shouted at his sister, his teacher and at his own reflection in the mirror. His own self talk - to push himself to look at himself.
And maybe the best lesson he offered us that day was for each of us to have the courage to look in the mirror and look at ourselves. To see the possibilities and to fight for what we believe we can be.
I dare you, look in the mirror and shout, "Look at me."
I was very impressed with George Foreman. He fit the role of motivational speaker exceptionally well. He told his own story - a poor black kid who did not fit in, who didn't want to go to school, who only wanted to use his physical advantage to intimidate and beat up other kids…
As a child, George Foreman did not have a future nor a direction. The only motivation he had might have been anger and a fighting spirit.
A guidance counselor told him - "If you only want to beat up people you might as well become a boxer."
George Foreman pointed out that he was never a boxer - he was a fighter. The difference as he illustrated was that a boxer was one who took the perfect stance - hands and feet in the perfect position - looks pretty - almost like a dancer. A fighter was one who ignored the blood and pain and simply fought.
As a true motivational speaker, George Foreman talked about his inner fears and doubts. He laughed at himself and encouraged us to do the same. A true motivational speaker knows that it is not about appearing superior to your audience. You can only motivate people who can identify with you and your pain.
When he started to fight, he confessed that he got scared, closed his eyes and swung his huge fists at his opponent. He was the surprised one when he opened his eyes to discover his opponent on the floor.
That strategy worked until he met better boxers who danced out of the way of his blind-fury fists. The new surprise for him was that after he opened his eyes his opponent was still standing and grinning at him. That demanded a new strategy - time to keep his eyes open when he swung his massive fists.
A motivational speaker must demonstrate the power of his opponent. No one is motivated by an easy victory.
George Foreman talked about his fear of fighting "Smokin' Joe Frasier". George Foreman had to knock Joe Frasier down six times to win that fight. Six times! And each time that Foreman knocked Frasier to the mat Foreman prayed that Frasier would stay down this time. How many of you are willing to do the same thing six times just to win one fight? How many give up too soon?
Then it was time to face Mohamed Ali. Five rounds and Ali did not throw a punch. Ali simply danced. George thought he had Ali beat. In the fifth round as they embraced - Ali taunted him with "Is that all you got George?" That taunt chilled George and foreshadowed what was still to come.
George was spent and Ali had made an accurate analysis of his opponent's endurance. Mohamed Ali won that fight, not because he was tougher, but because he fought smarter. That lesson goes beyond boxing. Every entrepreneur must learn that.
George Foreman was defeated that day by more than a boxer; he was defeated by a smart fighter.
In his presentation Foreman honored his opponent. George did not whine nor complain. A real motivational speaker tells life the way it is - not the way it should be.
As he marched purposely off stage, motivational speaker George Foreman closed his presentation with this message: Fight - Fight - Fight!
Motivational speaker Boxing Legend George Foreman - To learn more about this author, visit George Torok's Website.
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When he was a boy his sister taunted him, "You'll never be anything." He skipped classes and slept during the day. But that taunt hurt him. It angered him. It awakened the fighting spirit within him. He wanted to change but he didn't know how.
George Foreman became heavy weight boxing champion of the world. Today he is a preacher, entrepreneur and the spokesperson for the George Foreman Grill with over 1 million units sold. And yes a motivational speaker.
I had the opportunity to see George Foreman speak at a Learning Annex event in Toronto. What could George Foreman, a former boxer, say that might motivate you?
"Look at me."
That was his opening line and one that he repeated like a refrain throughout his presentation.
What did that mean? "Look at me." Don't look at my scars, my color, education or obstacles. "Look at me." See the fighting spirit within me. See me for who I am and can be. Although Foreman shouted that to his fight manager - the phrase is one that he might have shouted at his sister, his teacher and at his own reflection in the mirror. His own self talk - to push himself to look at himself.
And maybe the best lesson he offered us that day was for each of us to have the courage to look in the mirror and look at ourselves. To see the possibilities and to fight for what we believe we can be.
I dare you, look in the mirror and shout, "Look at me."
I was very impressed with George Foreman. He fit the role of motivational speaker exceptionally well. He told his own story - a poor black kid who did not fit in, who didn't want to go to school, who only wanted to use his physical advantage to intimidate and beat up other kids…
As a child, George Foreman did not have a future nor a direction. The only motivation he had might have been anger and a fighting spirit.
A guidance counselor told him - "If you only want to beat up people you might as well become a boxer."
George Foreman pointed out that he was never a boxer - he was a fighter. The difference as he illustrated was that a boxer was one who took the perfect stance - hands and feet in the perfect position - looks pretty - almost like a dancer. A fighter was one who ignored the blood and pain and simply fought.
As a true motivational speaker, George Foreman talked about his inner fears and doubts. He laughed at himself and encouraged us to do the same. A true motivational speaker knows that it is not about appearing superior to your audience. You can only motivate people who can identify with you and your pain.
When he started to fight, he confessed that he got scared, closed his eyes and swung his huge fists at his opponent. He was the surprised one when he opened his eyes to discover his opponent on the floor.
That strategy worked until he met better boxers who danced out of the way of his blind-fury fists. The new surprise for him was that after he opened his eyes his opponent was still standing and grinning at him. That demanded a new strategy - time to keep his eyes open when he swung his massive fists.
A motivational speaker must demonstrate the power of his opponent. No one is motivated by an easy victory.
George Foreman talked about his fear of fighting "Smokin' Joe Frasier". George Foreman had to knock Joe Frasier down six times to win that fight. Six times! And each time that Foreman knocked Frasier to the mat Foreman prayed that Frasier would stay down this time. How many of you are willing to do the same thing six times just to win one fight? How many give up too soon?
Then it was time to face Mohamed Ali. Five rounds and Ali did not throw a punch. Ali simply danced. George thought he had Ali beat. In the fifth round as they embraced - Ali taunted him with "Is that all you got George?" That taunt chilled George and foreshadowed what was still to come.
George was spent and Ali had made an accurate analysis of his opponent's endurance. Mohamed Ali won that fight, not because he was tougher, but because he fought smarter. That lesson goes beyond boxing. Every entrepreneur must learn that.
George Foreman was defeated that day by more than a boxer; he was defeated by a smart fighter.
In his presentation Foreman honored his opponent. George did not whine nor complain. A real motivational speaker tells life the way it is - not the way it should be.
As he marched purposely off stage, motivational speaker George Foreman closed his presentation with this message: Fight - Fight - Fight!
Motivational speaker Boxing Legend George Foreman - To learn more about this author, visit George Torok's Website.
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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