“Same old, same old, ya know?”

Chuck doesn’t know.  He is ALWAYS doing something new. Something cool.   Because this guy follows his passion.  And his passion is art.

Check out the latest pieces from chuck.  He makes these super cool art chairs and sells them to fans across the country. They are sturdy, functional, and creative.  But most of all, they look awesome.

What’s my point? I don’t care what you do, but find something — anything! — that helps you have and express your passion.  Bowling? Great.  Keeping a fish tank?  Wonderful.  Music?  You bet.  Remote control cars?  Why not?   I’m just saying that you should do something.   It’ll make you better.

Learn more about Chuck’s furniture art.

Cheers,
Brad Montgomery
Fan of Chuck Metter, Man of Passion, Lover of Cool Stuff

Ok, for the rest of you, allow me to explain. I just spoke to a fine group of hoteliers in Las Vegas. LodgingHost Corporation had me come to Las Vegas to speak to their managers and administrators.

By now, you’d have to live on the far side of the moon to not know by now the hospitality industry is suffering. This economy is making it very hard, and this upcoming winter looks to be another horrible season. (Though there is much hope for Spring.)

We stayed at the Excalibur Casino. It was fine. The rooms were nice. The service was fine. Everything was fine. But as I said to the folks of LodgingHost, in this economy, “fine” is a failure. As Kevin, the president of LodgingHost told us all, “Customer service is everything.” I couldn’t agree more.

I’ve stayed in approximately 800 hotels. And I remember only a handful. And without exception, the ones I remember are the hotels where a somebody of the hotels where somebody created a story for me.

It’s that simple: when there was a story, I remembered it. Otherwise, the hotel was either lousy, or possibly even “fine.” “Fine” equals “forgettable.”

Check out the video, and pay attention to the bribe I offered the folks at LodgingHost.

First, the concept: As I told them in Las Vegas, it would be terrific, (but probably impossible) to create a memorable story for EVERY guest. But it IS possible to create a story for some of your guests.

Perhaps you could create one story for one guest every day? (Though my sense is that goal is WAY to lame. If you cannot “make the day” of several of your guests every day you just aren’t trying.)

I challenge you: come up with a technique to create stories for your guests. Maybe it’s hand delivering them a bottle of water. Or going out of your way to…. I don’t know what. But my guess is that you do. In fact, I KNOW that you have ideas how to create these superhero customer service stories.

excalibur hallway

My Bribe: Be one of the first 12 people to leave a comment below about what you will (or are!) doing for your guests to create amazing customer service stories and I’ll send you a gift. Nothing huge, but I’ll make sure it’s cool.

Thanks LodgingHost. It was a total pleasure. I can’t wait to hear your stories.

Do you need a funny motivational speaker to speak to your organization about customer service? I’m your guy. Let’s talk about making your convention or meeting special. Go to the contact page.

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Funny Customer Service Speaker, Las Vegas Speaker, And Fan of Creating Stories

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I always enjoy my job, but this keynote speech was a treat.  Because it was personal.  As you’ll see in this video clip, I got to do what I always do…. write and deliver customized humor and motivation for my client.   But in this case I got to take the customization one step further.

Check Out the video:

My mom and grandmother both died this year.  And both went through hospice care.  And both were cared for by Denver Hospice, which just happened to have a few representatives in the audience.  They had no idea who I was. And I had no idea if they would be there.  But, as luck would have it, early in the keynote I called on a random woman, asked her who she represented, and she said, “Denver Hospice.”   Two thousand people at the convention, eight hundred in my audience, and the SINGLE woman I call upon is from the organization that helped my family… twice! … in the past year.  I just smiled, and said, “I’ll come back to you.”

I had planned to thank Denver Hospice for the amazing grace and skill they demonstrated while helping us, my mom and my grandmother.  But who knew it’d be this easy!  (And hard…. you saw the video.)

Hospice folks…you do amazing work.  I’m flattered to be part of your team in Colorado — even if just for the day.   And I’m more thankful than you might guess.

Hey hospice and health care organizations!  Do YOU need a funny health care speaker who can motivate, entertain and inspire?  And who can do it from the heart?  (Oh, and did I mention that laughter goes a LONG way at health care conferences.)  I’m your guy.  Go to the contact page now.

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Hospice Speaker, Health Care Speaker, Fan of Denver Hospice

Related:
Health Care Speaker
Hospice Speaker on YouTube
Health Care Speaker on YouTube

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I’m proud of this bad boy.  It’s gonna be huge.  Already we’re getting great reviews, decent sales, and nice comments.  Thanks people… I can really use your help with this.

If you have an iPhone or iTouch…. buy this thing, rate it 5 stars and let’s celebrate the laughter!

Brad Montgomery

Motivational speaker, and iPhone App Developer!

I’ll be covering two topics.

1)  How to Be Funny.   Every speaker needs to add humor.  That old joke is true:

One speaker asks another, “Do you need to be funny as a speaker?”

Answer:  “Only if you want to get hired.”

Do you have questions YOU want answered? Leave them as comments and he’ll cover your questions on Thursday.

Check out this video I prepared just for you!

First, at 4 pm, I’ll be teaching my program Got Mirth?  Milking Your Program for All The Humor it is Worth.  (Catchy, huh!) I’ll give some big-time strategies for becoming funnier.  I’ll also give you some tricks and jokes that you can incorporate TOMORROW to get laughs.  Yes, they are THAT easy.   (Not all of ‘em, but I’ll be giving away some cool, easy, funny stuff.)

Second, I’ll be doing a program about how to stay upbeat in this speaking business (at a time where that is harder than ever.)  We all know in our hearts that if we are able to use levity, lightheartedness, and even humor as motivational speakers, we’ll do better — both on the platform and in the business of speaking.     And lucky you, I’ll be teaching a few specific techniques that you can incorporate right away. Oh, and by the way, it’ll be funny. If you are looking for that speakers program that your spouse is interested in…this is the one.

I’m coming to Texas, baby!  On the 8th I’ll be teaching Texas speakers how to strut their stuff and get to that holy ground:  “The next level.” (Nope, I’m not exactly sure what that means, but it sounds good to me. Let’s go there together.)

See ya there!

Brad Montgomery
Texas Motivational Speaker (for a day!), Fan of NSA Houston, Teacher of Funny-ness

PS. Here is the handout. (Think of all the trees we saved by me not sending this to Kinkos!)

PPS. For those of you who asked about coaching, here are the details.

Questions? Leave them in a comment below. Or contact me here.

(Here’s the fan page link:  Motivational Speaker Brad Montgomery | Laughter, Motivation, Happiness on Facebook )

I’m still at the first grader at Facebook, and feel like a moron. Who can shed some light for me?

Thanks kids!

Brad

It was a total hoot.

Ethical Bribe:   
Hey you probation peeps!  Leave a comment on my blogbelow and tell me one thing that you did differently based on our time together today.  And tell me what the effect was.  (Did it make your day more fun?  What happened at the meeting when you did it?  What did your kids do?) And then I’ll send you something fun.   (No, not a Ford Explorer or a $500 shopping spree, but it’s fun and cool.  And it’s my treat.)   The first 15 people who reply with how you were spurred into action will get a free gift.

You will type in your email but that remains private and is never published.   It just is for me to send you the gift.

Thanks again.  It was a total pleasure to be your probation speaker.

Are you an organization — probation or otherwise — and need a speaker to motivate in a laugh out loud funny way, I hope you’ll pick me. Contact me here.

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(I love travel!)  

After seeing hundreds of keynote speeches and gazillions (is that a number?) of motivational speakers, I can save you the time and tell you three reasons why NOT to hire one.

1. Your company president is probably just as funny, has really great stories that make relevant points, and knows how to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Really. I’m sure he’s great.

2. Why bother?! You could just Google some great motivational quotes or something and have Duane from accounting read them. He has a loud voice and won’t even need a microphone. And you can spend the money you save on bigger cookies. (And besides, you’ll make Duane feel great!)

3. Motivation Schmotivation. People will do what they want at the pace they want. And that’s that. You can’t change yourself, and you can’t change others. So why not save the headache and watch a Bay Watch re-run?

Ok people. In case you haven’t noticed by now I’m joking. There’s a famous comparison between motivation and showers: just because you’re clean once doesn’t mean you’ll never need another shower.

We all need regular doses of motivation: and outside paid professional speakers are able to deliver tried and true messages in a way your internal folks will never be able too.  They can deliver crucial info — stuff your organization already knows — in a fresh way that makes them want to get up and go.   Let’s face it:  your people already have the skills and knowledge to succeed and excel.  But they aren’t succeeding or excelling.  Why?  Lack of motivation.

I’m as tired of crappy motivational speakers as you are. But when  your group is ready for a pick me up, give the president a pass and hire a pro.

Hey, I’ve got an idea. Hire me! Go to the contact page.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Comedian, Genuine Funny Humorous Speaker

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NYC – Teaching Nurses the Value of Big, Red Noses – NYTimes.com.

Perhaps students were wondering, “How can you be light-hearted in a serious profession like this?” Mr. Christensen said. In fact, he said, “you can carry your sense of joy and light into the workplace.” Nurses need their spirits to be high. For sure, patients do.

If you are interested in the use of humor with health care, as I am, you should check out this article.

The science is becoming clearer every day: happy people are healthier, are more engaged, more creative and more productive. Whether you’re in a traditional high stress job like nursing and health care, or even a supposed lower stress job (Is there one? Tell me…we all want it!) invest the time in learning to take yourself less seriously.

Need a professional funny motivational speaker to help you find the levity through a funny keynote speech? Go to the contact page now.

Cheers,

Brad Montgomery
Heath Care Speaker, Humor in the Workplace Expert, Fan of Levity!

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My awesome meeting planner, Cindy, just wrote the kindest note.  Check it out:

I wanted to thank the National Speakers Bureau for suggesting Brad Montgomery for the 2009 STARBASE Professional Development Conference and let you know what a fantastic performance he gave.

Brad arrived mid-morning for his afternoon performance and spent some time visiting with myself and the attendees during lunch and breaks.  We had no idea that he would be able to incorporate the information he gathered so quickly into his afternoon performance.  Nor did I anticipate just how “on target” he would be with his comedy and message.

His ideals on attitude were in complete alignment with the conference goals which included increasing the teachers’ awareness of attitude and relationships toward the good of the STARBASE program.  The information and skills he shared during the conference provided the participants with the skills to make real changes in both their professional and personal lives.

Again, I express our thanks.  Brad’s presentation was greatly appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed by all.  It was a great way to end the conference with a positive attitude. He truly knocked this one out of the park!

Sincerely,
Cyndy M.
Alexandria, Virginia

Aw Shucks.   That’s so cool.  Thanks Cindy.

Are you looking for an education speaker to fire up your educators and teachers?  Go to the contact page now.

Cheers!

Brad

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Besides, would you rather have someone with more hair? After all, hair is so overrated!

Game shows are a terrific way to reach corporate and business audiences. Got some info you just GOTTA get across? Need to remind your team of the basics but know if you “lecture” them you’ll lose them faster than you can say, “This meeting sucks!” Then ask us about creating a game show just for you.

We’ll customize a program that is interactive, very funny, and tailored to you, your information and your organization. They’ll love it… which helps with retention.

My suggestion is for your next corporate event, to select someone (like me— okay, so I’m biased. If that upsets you get your own blog!) who has lots and lots of experience, proven principles and applications, no hair (again, that would be me) and has the ability to leave your organization with can-do changes. Sound good? Good.

What game shows would you say fit your workgroup? We’ve worked spoofs (that’s a wonderful word my lawyer taught me) of popular games shows from Let’s Make a Deal to Who Want’s to Be a Millionaire to Family Feud. Your organization. Your info. Your success.

Leave your comments, names withheld, of those game shows that you think fit your work group.

Ready to create some lasting change and think a game show is your ticket? Go to the contact page now.

Brad Montgomery

Corporate Game Show Host, Comedian, Serious About Having Fun At Work

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To my not-so-sure-they-can-be-funny speaking colleagues:

Hire Brad. He’s a little nuts, and that’s what some of us “straights” need to loosen up. It absolutely amazes me that he can watch my damn-good-already keynote once, and just throw out a half dozen goofy ideas that will make it a solid 15% better the next time I deliver it.

And then, I can build in his input and send it to him for a peek, thinking he might put me on his calendar for a thorough brush-up in a week or so. But, an hour later he shoots it back. He’s added wacky ideas that are totally fun and I can see myself doing. Plus, he gives me great staging tips.

It doesn’t take him long, and he doesn’t say much. Because he has this uncanny ability to know just the right word to be funny. When he shot back further suggestions to improve my talk, he even suggested “one single word” that will get a great laugh. “Braces.” That’s all, just adding that one word to one of the already very funny bits he had already inspired me to put in. I can’t wait to use it.

I think that’s a big part of what Brad does. He makes you, the speaker, feel like it’s going to be such fun to say “braces” at just the right moment. And since you feel good, the audience gets that and they want to feel good with you.

Remember that story about the guy who charges a hundred bucks to fix someone’s car and he just taps it once and the customer can’t understand how it could cost so much for just a tap? The mechanic says the tap costs a buck but the “knowing where to tap” costs 99 bucks. Brad knows where to tap.

My advice is to try to wangle a deal where you can pay him by the word. Because he’s not going to give you paragraphs of funny stories; he’s going to give you just a word here and there on top of a funny idea, and you’ll have the audience thinking you’re brilliant.

I was inducted into the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame way back in 1989, and I ain’t found a funnier resource than Brad ever since. Or before.

Call me if you want to know more about the brilliance you’ll be hiring by asking Brad for his help.

George Walther (never wore braces)

Thanks George. Ok, now I’ll buy that beer I promised.

If you’re looking for a funny motivational speaker for your organization, I’d LOVE to be your guy. Go to the contact page

And if you’re a pro speaker looking for coaching on how to be funnier (or a business speaker preparing for a big presentation) I’d love to help you too! Go to the contact page

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Okay, it was none of the above. But it was fun.

I recently returned from Kansas where I was tasked with being a motivational speaker for a bunch of farmers — all members of Offerle Coop. I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t what they expected — fast talking jokester with a message about enjoying life. But I can tell you this: by the end of the night everybody — including me — was pumped. It was a good time.

They were celebrating their 100 year anniversary as a Grain Coop and invited me to address the Kansas group after a big dinner.

I loved it for a million reasons. Ok, maybe not a million; how ’bout five:

• I enjoyed my drive in. It’s a beautiful part of the country, and because I’m a city kid, I really enjoyed looking at the feed lots JAMMED with cattle. (Check out the video.)

Why else did I love being a motivational speaker at this Kansas event? Here are the remaining four:

• This audience wasn’t jaded. They didn’t come in with that Los Angeles or NYC attitude that they’ve seen it all. They weren’t a push-over audience; but they were open to giving the speaker a shot. That’s refreshing.

• It was a fun event, and I was proud to be part of it. Members of the Coop drove in from the entire region to celebrate, to get a steak, to meet with neighbors… and to hear little ol’ me. I think I’m not letting the cat out of the bag to say that not a Offerle Kansas doesn’t have a ton of entertainment options. So just the fact that they were having some dude from Colorado was news in itself. And we were in Dodge City… a fun trip for anybody in in SW Kansas!

• We got to poke fun at the farmers. There I was, this chatty, fast-talking speaker from Colorado clearly out of my element. So I made fun of me and how they barely let me in the door because I’ve never seen a true soybean. And I made fun of some of the men — good, hard working guys who are way more of the strong and silent type than I am. (There’s a shock, huh?) They answered my good-natured questions with one word answers which I accidentally (??) misunderstood. The women howled. The men thought it was hilarious. And I had one of the best nights of the year.

• It was a return trip for me. I had worked with Duane from the Coop a couple times in the past… years ago. It’s flattering to work for anybody. But being invited back (three times!) is five times cooler. (I know, I know. It’s weird speaker math.)

Thanks Offerle! I had a blast. And yup, the steak was delicious.

Brad Montgomery
Kansas Motivational Speaker, Fan of Coops, Fan of Offerle

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My pal and fellow Colorado Speaker Jay Arthur and I are in the same mastermind group.   After a discussion about reading in one of our meetings, he wrote the following letter, and I thought it was absolutely right on.  Check it out:

Years ago, I listened to a tape by motivational speaker Brian Tracy.
He said that if you read an hour a day, that in five years you’ll be a worldwide expert in your field.
I listened and adopted his advice.

In 1976, my friend Dave told me that “Everything you need to know is written in a book somewhere; all you need to do is find an author who speaks to you.” At that time, I was three years out of college and hadn’t read a book since.
I listened and adopted his advice.

And, I rarely buy a book anymore. I check them out of the library.
I found that too many books are “all feathers and no meat.”
Every once in awhile I find a book that’s really meaty and I buy a copy to highlight and review.

I’m going to suggest, that if we aren’t reading in our chosen field and other fields that might have stimulating ideas, that we are becoming obsolete and irrelevant.

Jay

Then I responded:

I’d like to chime in.   I second Jay’s advice.  I read all the time.  I love novels, but lately have read books about everything from Base Ball Strategy,  gourmet cooking, New York chefs (—I was on a roll!), West Point, D-Day, and John Adams.  I like them and feel that I’m learning about the world.  I think this type of reading is important.

But at the National Speakers Association CSP/ CPAE summit (I have at least one of those) my main take away might seem relevant.  And I’ll save you the $1500 it cost me to get it:   become a thought leader.   This means reading in my field and related fields and then be able to think and write uniquely in my field.

Seriously, that was what I got out of the seminar.  ALL of the people making big money are big thinkers.  Period. Product, speeches, consulting etc follow….they don’t lead.

So I immediately bought six books.  Four of them blow, but I’m going VERY slowly and carefully through the remaining two, which are awesome.    (I need to start working the library like Jay).   I’m on a roll and already have several other books cued up.

There are two immediate results from my reading:

1.    I’m learning stuff that is applicable to my writing (blogs/books) and to my keynote.  I’m taking organized concrete steps toward increasing my expertise and ability to be a thought leader.

2.  I feel damn good about myself because I know this is a good idea.  And I’m taking the time to read, take notes, highlight, try to think of it thru’ my eyes as a ‘happiness/humor-at-work guy.”    Seriously, I feel great about doing this. I’m an idiot for not adopting it sooner.

I’m still reading about cool stuff that I love.  And I still love novels. But now, as part of my work week I’m reading.

My main goals in my work day include only 4 things:
1.  website improvement and maintenance.
2.  Work towards being a thought leader.   (Read now, write soon)
3.  Work all incoming calls/email leads to death.
4.  Build a herd.

Everything else is either secondary or a subset of one of the top 4.

Thanks Jay for starting the conversation.

Brad

So my question to you is:  what are YOU reading, and why?   Can you learn, as I have, from Jay and others like him?  Read now and you’ll be an expert before you know it.

Need an expert on how humor and happiness effect our productivity at work?  Go to the contact page now.

Note:  Dear Readers:  Please comment below and tell me what you are reading now!

Yours,

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Reader, and…. Thought Leader!

PS.  Sign up for Jay’s ezines at Sign up for Jay’s ezines at www.qimacros.com/freestuff.html and www.qimacros.com/freeknow.html

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In short, the story is about how civilian travelers voluntarily gave up their first class seats to the soldiers flying on board a commercial airliner. It’s hard not to feel good about it.

Check out this excerpt:

…Another young lady was seated in that row, and he was able to hear a bit of their conversation. The young man told her that he had just finished a tour in Iraq, was coming home on leave, and then would go back in several weeks.

As they were talking, a woman who had been seated in First Class, came back to the young man’s row, introduced herself, and asked him for his Boarding Pass. A bit puzzled, he handed it to her, at which point she, in turn, handed hers to him. She said, “I would like to trade seats with you.”

The young man immediately responded, “Oh, no, Ma’am, I couldn’t do that.”

She smiled a huge smile and said, “Oh, yes, you can, Soldier. It’s an order!”

So, as everyone around wiped teary eyes, the young man reached up for his backpack and went up to sit in First Class.

Read the entire story here.

What’s my point? We all have it in us to create happiness. And the amazing thing about creating happiness for others is that we end up happier ourselves. Sure, those soldiers felt great to be upgraded and recognized. But the individuals who traded seats with them — I imagine — felt as good or better. They knew they had been kind, and then knew they made a difference.

When you go out of your way to create joy or humor, and when you consciously make the people around you happier, the unavoidable result is more happiness for yourself.

In other words, it doesn’t matter how selfless you are, you end up getting as much as you give. Magic. And it’s very, very cool.

Next time you’re having a crappy day, GIVE some happiness. Buy the stranger behind you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Anonymously send a drink to a young couple in a restaurant. Or make a point to give somebody who never expected it a compliment. “I like your shoes,” goes farther than you probably think. (With some people, it goes REALLY far.)

Want to be happier? Then make somebody else happy. I guarantee it will work.

Need a speaker to talk about happiness as it relates to life and work? Want military motivational speaker? (And I don’t even need first class!) Contact me here.

Brad Montgomery
Funny Keynote Speaker, Happiness Expert, Lover of First Class

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The Renaissance Hotel in St. Louis was as happy with the arrangement as the Air Force was.   I was thrilled.

Check out this video here:

Thanks Renaissance. I’m flattered. We had fun, didn’t we?

Does YOUR organization need a motivational keynote speaker? Go to the contact page.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Loves help With Speakers Fees!

Related:

See the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDipR4RjtSo
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[See video from the hotel job here.]

My speakers fees were greater than the budget for this particular military event. What to do? My client got creative, thought outside of the Budget Box and teamed up with his host hotel. He had hundreds of Airmen staying at the Renaissance Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Between the meeting rooms, the hotel rooms, and all of the related expenses (room service, restaurant and coffee shop purchases, etc) he was a BIG client for the hotel.

He suggested to his hotel client that they partner with him, and have me speak to the hotel staff on the same day that I spoke to his military group.  I was speaking to the Air Force after lunch. My meeting planner knew that I’d fly into Missouri the night before… and would be free in the morning.

So he suggested that I speak to the hotel staff in the morning, and then work for him after lunch.

Bottom line: it worked perfectly. The hotel had an All-Manager meeting. They brought in all of the top folks from all of their departments from the Starbucks kiosk in the lobby to housekeeping to front desk to maintenance to the kitchens.

I worked ahead of time with some of their people so that, (as I do with all my clients,) I could come in prepared to speak to THIS particular audience.

[It was a special event; the hotel industry has been hammered, and this hotel, like so many others, recently went though some deep layoffs. The staff was in shock, scared, and nervous. The CEO gave them a sort of "State of the Business" speech which was both totally cool, and a bit scary. The news wasn't great. And then I was tasked with putting that bad news back into perspective and help them figure a way to work their morale (and fun quotient) back up to healthy and productive levels.]

The hotel was thrilled because they got access to a speaker they might not otherwise be able to afford. And they felt that helping such a huge client was good for them as well. And the Air Force was thrilled because they were able to get the speaker —that’s me! — they wanted and meet still meet their budget.

And I was thrilled because I got to work with two awesome groups, enjoy St. Louis, and work with with a fun and creative meeting planner who had an awesome idea.

What’s my point? Are you short of money? Looking to hire a Top Shelf speaker but are suffering with a reduced budget? Consider partnering with your hotel. If the Air Force was smart enough to figure it out, the rest of us ought to be smart enough to “borrow” their concept.

(Hey Bruce… I know you’re reading this. Thanks for the killer idea, and for making it happen.)

Are you looking for a motivational speaker? Go to the contact page now! (And we can talk about partnering with your hotel if you like.)

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Missouri Motivational Speaker, Military Speaker, Hotel Speaker (All in One!)

Related:
See the St. Louis Speaker video on YouTube
Speakers Rates & Fees Explained
Does Brad Charge By the Hour? (More on Fees)

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Here’s a ready-to-implement practical joke you can pull on your office mates. Right now. No prep time.. Nothing sticky. Nothing to buy or clean up. Just haul your office mate and tell them you have just got a computer bug.

“Hey!  Oh no!  I have a computer bug!!!   EEEEEEEEEaaaaaaghkkkkk!”   (You can leave off that last word if you have trouble pronouncing it.   I personally think the “k”s are silent.)

Better yet, call in your IT support team and show them this bug. [Here's your chance to try out your acting chops. Get excited. Show them your anxiety. Be the nervousness. A bit of the old method acting will improve this prank. Besides, let's face it: you haven't acted since high school and you miss it.]

Yeah, I know. It’s not brilliant. But it’s kinda cool. Admit it. It’s kinda cool.

Craving some humor in your workplace and need more than an animated computer bug? Hire a funny motivational speaker. (My keynote speech is WAY funnier than this moving graphic, I swear!) Go to the contact page now.

Do me a favor: let me know how it turns out. Were they fooled? Did the mood in the office change? Was it fun? Or did they just think you were a nut? (For the record, my wife was in the second category.)

Cheers,

Brad Montgomery
Humor in the Workplace Speaker, Funny Keynote Speaker, Lover of Silly Practical Jokes

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I had the excellent fortune of speaking to the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association a few months ago. It was a fun gig: we were in the Ritz Carlton in the Colorado Rockies. A great group of people shared motivational laughter and fun.

One thing I love about my job is I get to learn bits and pieces of many industries. In prepping for the Association keynote, I was coached on how ranches work, what the loves and stresses are, and where the industry is headed.

Normally this would be the end of a good story: I love my job and love speaking. But the story is just getting started…

My family and I recently returned from a stay with one of the member dude ranches of the Colorado association. We went to North Folk Ranch, in Shawnee, Colorado. It’s known for fishing and horse riding. And for full-on gourmet food. It was a TOTAL blast being able to see and experience the very same industry I spoke to. I think I would have enjoyed any ranch. But the North Fork in particular was total first-class, top-shelf joy.

Let me qualify the following story by saying that I had an outstanding time. The staff, the food, the views, the facilities, and Karen and Dean May (the owners) absolutely rocked. I recommend that all of you pick up your phone now and make a reservation at the North Fork Ranch.

I’d only offer one piece of advice for you, dear readers. Don’t get on a horse. Seriously. Don’t do it. They hurt.

They put me on a horse that was apparently large. (From my perspective, they are all flippin’ huge. I’m a city boy and I’m afraid of big dogs.) I had to get on some ladder thingy to mount my horse. (This is only slightly embarrassing…. none of the real horse people seem to need a boost.)

An hour and a half of bouncy excruciating horsing later, I was convinced that the fine folks at Guantanamo have it wrong: they don’t need water boarding. Just put terrorists on a horse for 90 minutes and bounce them though the Rockies and they will give up their best friend. Seriously, it’s a slow torture.

I couldn’t move. My legs were frozen. My butt hurt more than you can say, “Oh my gosh this saddle is huge.”

The wranglers practically needed a crane to get me off. (Getting off on my own was out of the question: The Abe Lincoln at the Wax Museum could move better than I could at that moment. After I got off I stood very, VERY still. I waited. Some blood came back. In 40 or 50 minutes I was able to walk again. (Ok, maybe not that long. But in Horse Time, it had to be forever.)

The wranglers were kind; they didn’t laugh even a little. (Until I left.) They told me the horse was too big for me. I’m certain they lied to make me feel less like an idiot. (Nobody else seemed to be in agony. Every other guest seemed to jump right off, pat their horse and head in for lemonade. But try as I might, my legs wouldn’t budge.) My kids thought that the fact that I was stiffer than an I-Beam was hilarious.

Still, I had a total ball. Nobody made me go on another ride — though they did take me on a couple of shorter rides on a smaller horse. Yes, it did hurt less. The smaller horse was no longer like being drawn and quartered. It was more like being pulled like a wishbone.

We retreated to fabulous views, gourmet luxury, a wildly unique “Mountain Man,” wonderful company, and even a late night, after-hours-under-the-stars visit to the hot tub.

My wife loved it. My kids loved it. And I loved it. But please, don’t make me go on that big horse again— I’ll say anything. I’ll admit to any crime. I’ll give up any secrets you want. Just don’t make me ride.

Hey North Fork! You guys rock. You made our week. Thanks so much. Keep up the great work. It’s easy to see why you are so successful. Thanks for sharing the love!

Do YOU need a motivational speaker (and promise not to make me ride a horse afterwards?) Contact me now.

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Colorado Motivational Speaker, Urban Cowboy, Flexibility-Challenged Dude

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I’m back from the Cincinnati, Ohio area where I was a motivational speaker for Perfetti van Melle. (This is the HUGE candy company that is famous in the USA for AirHeads and Mentos.)

I had a great time working with their team: we talked about ramping up the fun in the candy business, and connected that to increasing their bottom line. [Have more fun = Sell more candy.] It was a killer group of good people.

My favorite part of the program was watching this very weary, corporate group start early in the morning quite and polite. When I started, they barely laughed. Heck, they barely smiled. (This is predictable…they didn’t know there would be a funny speaker…and in fact have never had a paid professional speaker at these meetings.)

But sixty minutes later they were raucous, fun, participatory, loud, and very, VERY fun. It’s a fun process to watch; it’s a fun process to be part of.

The ONLY thing wrong with the whole event was that they sent me home with a briefcase full of their products. Mentos, Mentos Gum, (yum!), some Airheads (which my kids love) and my personal favorite, AirHeads Xtremes Sweetly Sour Belts.

Put away the crack. The heroin. The cigarettes. They mean nothing to me and never have. But HELLO MOM these things are good. Really good. I had planned on sharing with the folks on the plane, and of course with my kids. All I can say is that the kids got to try them, but the people on United Airlines had to fend for themselves.

Here’s the video:

Thanks Perfetti van Melle! I had a total blast.

Do YOU need a motivational speaker for your organization? With or without candy, contact us now. Go to the contact page.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Fan of Mentos, LOVER of Airheads Xtremes

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I recently was in Kansas working for a group of oncology nurses (or is it a pride of nurses? A gaggle?) and had an absolute blast.

What set’s nurses apart from other audiences? Even health care audiences? Besides the scrubs, quite a bit. They are over worked and underpaid. (Ok, so that doesn’t make them unique.) And their hard work with sick and critically ill patients makes them quick to laugh and ready for a dose of levity.

They are in desperate need of a break from their lives, and are eager and ready to learn any tips and tricks you have to share about how to deal with the constant stresses and change associated with healthcare. So being a speaker is always fun. But being a healthcare speaker for nurses is double cool.

One of my favorite parts of this particular speech was that I followed a doctor who had a fairly serious program about the business of healthcare. Then, just as I started he left. So…. we…. er… I…. talked about him. I gently poked fun at doctors in general (which all nurses love!) and him in particular. I didn’t cross the line. But I may have visited it.

The audience went wild. As a motivational health care speaker, I find it fun to incorporate the audiences specifics into my program. But this doctor presenting just before my program was a gift from the Comedy Gods. It was a hoot.

Check out this video filmed RIGHT after the program:

Looking for a healthcare speaker? Feel like your healthcare audiences deserves both motivation and a deep belly laugh? Go to the contact page now!

Brad Montgomery
Funny Healthcare Speaker, Fan of Kansas, Fan of Nurses!

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Why is being a magician so cool? There are a few reasons, but one of my favorites is working for special people and wonderful groups.

I recently volunteered for the Jewish Family Services of Colorado and their residences at the JFS Group Home. It was just a casual deal with a couple of dozen folks. But the best part was working with the residents — awesome adults with special needs. By the looks on their faces they had a good time.

But I’m certain that I got the better deal. I was the one who felt great that night. I was the one who laughed the hardest. And I was the one who left thinking it might have been the best show in ages.

What’s my point? If you want to help yourself, help others. If you want to feel good, make others feel good. To be honest, this is a lesson I often forget. But those great people made my day.

Thanks Kids. It was an absolute pleasure.

Hey! Are YOU looking for a magician, speaker, comedian for your group? (I need a better job title!) I’d love to be your guy…. go to the contact page now.

Brad Montgomery

Colorado Magician, Magician Speaker, Fan of the JFS Group Home

More:

Brad as a magician? Click here.

Brad as a magician speaker here.

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This group came up with a killer idea:  Vent Tickets.   The problem they — and most offices — have is that often whiners and complainers get way too much attention and end up sucking up way too much energy.  Sometime the complaints are valid.  Often they are just a bunch of hot air.   What to do?

Answer:  Vent tickets.

Check out their explanation to me about how they are incorporating this Humor In the Workplace strategy:

We made little tickets that have an angry face on the front and it says VENT TICKET, then on the back we have the rules, and they are as follows:

The PURPOSE of this ticket is to release negativity in the work place!

How It Is Used:

You will receive 5 tickets per week and you may use it at any time, with any co-worker, including your supervisor.

You will then have 10 minutes of the recipients undivided attention to let out all frustration, whining, and complaining.

Once you have redeemed your ticket, the issue will no longer be discussed with the same or different co-workers and the negativity will be gone!!!

We are starting out with 5 tickets per person a week and will gradually decrease the amount of tickets each person gets per week.  We are very excited about this new process and hopefully it will decrease some of the negativity in the office, which tends to happen when you have 7 women working in one small space.

I love so many things about this technique:

1.  It is a positive way to deal with negative people.
2.  It is playful.
3.  They know that it will take a while to work… and that a successful adoption of this concept into their work culture will take a while.  It won’t happen overnight.   But if they continue to push, eventually it will be a ritual and tradition that their folks will not allow them to drop.

I love the fact that you can look one of your co-workers in the eye as they launch into some complaining or whining or just plain being negative and say, “Oh, let me interrupt.  I’ll need to see your ticket before you go on.”    It is a fun and funny way to gently remind your peers that they are bringing you down.

I love that the very existance of the tickets will lessen the need for the tickets at all.

And I love that this awesome group not only had a great idea, they acted on it.

I’m impressed. and I’m thrilled.

Does your organization need some humor in the workplace strategies?  Think a visit from a humorist motivational speaker is your ticket?  Contact me here.

Cheers and Congrats!

Brad Montgomery
Humorist Motivational Speaker, Facilitator, Proud Owner of Vent Tickets

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Does your group need to find and create strategies for humor in your workplace?  Think a really motivational speaker is your ticket?  Contact me here.

Please comment and help me (us!) understand how you would use this idea.

Let me know what you think and if you have any other ideas or thoughts!

I commonly take groups for a 1/2 of training and motivation.  But I was lucky to get this group for a fully day.  (From a guy who used to do 20-minute magic shows, this is a big change.)  But with a full day, we’re really able to create some lasting change.

It was an absolute hoot for a dozen reasons.  But top on that list was that this group of folks were ready to commit.  They were ready to give what I had a try.  And the result was awesome.

Not all groups are so willing.  With most of my seminar and training clients it takes me a while to get the group to trust me and to be comfortable.  Sometimes that takes a ton of time and energy.  Don’t get me wrong;  I love a challenge, so wary and skeptical groups bring their own rewards.

But this group from Colorado Mountain College was gung ho (whatever that means, but I’m pretty sure it means they were up for anything that seemed fun and valuable) from the start.  Heck, they were laughing while I was being introduced.  (It’s disturbingly hard to take credit for that…. but I’ll find a way.)    They were kind enough to write a very cool leter.  Check it out:

Hi Brad,

I had several people tell me that our retreat was the best ever. One woman told me she had been to 18 of them and this was the best ever. Everyone had such a great, fun and valuable time. I owe most of that to you. Thanks – you’re great.

While we had only two people in the whole room that sit on the “president’s staff” I thought it was hilarious that you managed to pick them both – our CFO within the first few minutes and then our head of HR, Kelly, who will now forever be known as Ruth.

Today was our president’s time to present to the group. He asked our VP of Academic Affairs, Brad Bankhead, to assist. This guy was not invited to attend the retreat -(there is a “student services retreat” that is geared to those who work more on the academic side.)

He was asked to be there at 10am. He arrived to hear everyone raving about the great day we had with you, the great dinner, the belly dance lessons, the magic, the hot tub parties, card games and the great breakfast this morning (more than the cheesy thing). He got up on stage and started pouting saying “thanks for inviting me to your retreat and be here at 10 after the great dinner, belly dancers” ….etc….. “I had to get up really early and drive 3 hours to get here by 10 . . . . .” and simultaneously our group yelled out “lame!!!”

After looking a bit startled he continued and said, “yeah, you all had this great breakfast and I get here for my choice of soda or water……” and our group simultaneously shouted “how cool is that?”

Again he looked pretty baffled and everyone laughed hysterically.  Brad continued on with his PowerPoint presentation with several somewhat boring slides of statistics and the audience of 1/2 hung over people were fidgeting in their seats and then one slide came up with one sentence that said “the success of our college is measured by the success of our students” and our group simultaneously shouted “How cool is that?”

You made a lasting impact.

Thank you.

Mollie

[Note:  I have learning-sections in my training titled "Cool or Lame?" and another called, "How Cool is That?!"   She was referring to those segments in the seminar.]

Aw Shucks.  I’m absolutely thrilled it went so well.  And to hear those words, “You made a lasting impact” is like winning the Olympics (except without the medals, endorsements or Wheaties box.)

Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Kids.  How cool are you?

Do you need some teamwork and fun for your group or organization.  Are YOU reading for a lasting impact that will energize and motivate your team?   Give me a call!  Go to the contact page.

Cheers!

Brad Montgomery
Keynote Speaker, Colorado Mountain College Fan, Proud That it Went Well!

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Bill Clinton was famous for – among other reasons – the ability to make people feel great when he was with them one on one.  (No Monica jokes, please.  I’m making a point.)  Hundreds of people wrote about how the President made them FEEL during their interaction.

Whether or not you like him, it’s hard to argue that a two-term President wasn’t successful in some ways.  One of the reasons for his success was this undisputed ability to make others feel good about him.

Clinton reminds us that personal charm is a piece of the success puzzle.   Good news, sports fans:  I’ve got another piece for you and it will make you laugh.  If you’re lucky, that is.

JoAnne Bachorowski, a psychologist at Vanderbilt University, studies the acoustics of laughter.   Her research tells us that the acoustics of laughter (the actual frequencies and sounds of somebody laughing) makes us feel good.

It seems subtle, so maybe in case you missed it, here it is again:   science proves that the sound of laughter creates a pleasant response in others.  Wow.  You laugh;  your ‘audience’ has a enjoyable experience.

In other words, people who hear us laugh respond with a positive physical response. And making others feel good enables us to shape their behavior towards us.   It pre-disposes them to feel good towards us.

If you can make others feel good they are more likely to feel positive about us.  It’s true.  It’s science.  Just ask Professor Bachorowski.

Wow.

Why Should You Care?   We ALL want to shape other’s behavior towards us.    Whether it is as leaders, as sales people, managers, as employees, as friends, as parents, as customers…. You name it!    And one of the easiest (and coolest) techniques we can use to get what we want is to laugh more.

You’ve heard Fake It Until You Make It?   Yup, it works with laughter.  (Unless you laugh like Santa or a hyena, that is.) But if you have a reasonably good ability to FAKE laughing, that laughter will still serve you.  And if it is real, it will serve you even better.

If you WANT to be a person of influence – and we all do – then you’ll be more effective if you laugh.

Science proves it:  laughter works.

===

Book Brad For Your Meeting Or Event. Go to the contact page now.
===

Yours,

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Lover of Laughter, Humor Expert

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It was a humbling and exciting program.   It’s cool to be a motivational speaker, but it’s especially cool to speak to groups that clearly need motivation.

Can you imagine a more needy audience than a group recently rocked right out of their jobs?  Can you imagine a more jaded audience?  Each one of them beamed at me the attitude:   “Ok, Pal.  What have you got for me?“    Tough crowd.

But it was a blast.  Check out this flattering letter from my meeting planner.

May 8, 2009

To Whom It May Concern:

Brad Montgomery just rocked our audience at our first-ever Job Search Conference held on Friday, April 24, 2009.  I suggest you let him do the same for you.

As a government agency, we have some strict requirements.  And at this particular event, we asked Brad to speak to over 220 job seekers that required special sensitivity while being motivated.  They also needed to laugh.   In one single session, we got both from Brad.

What impressed us most was not the humor — though I saw people nearly falling out of their chairs and wiping the tears out of their eyes.  What impressed us most was how he was able to relate a relevant message that applied to our audience into such a fun experience.

To say that morale has been a problem for this group is an understatement.  They were stressed, emotionally sensitive, and absolutely in need of a positive and USEFUL upbeat message.  With Brad, we were able to give them both.

Brad gave us specific ideas about how to stay positive… and reminded us how staying upbeat is directly related to achieving with our jobs.  (And our families!)

Not only was Brad great on the platform, he was totally accessible and helpful during the whole planning process.

If you are considering using a speaker for any group, you definitely should hire Brad.  If you are a county or state government agency, you ABSOLUTELY need Brad.

It wasn’t two thumbs up. It was 500 thumbs up!

Sincerely,

Dena Jardine
Associate Director
Larimer County Workforce Center

Looking for motivational speakers and think I might be a good fit for your meeting, convention, or association?  Me too.   Employed or not, I’d love to be your guy.  Go to the Contact Page.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Humor-in-the-Workplace Expert, Lucky to Have a Job

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But Wii often miss that Wii not only need to spend time “not working”, but Wii need to spend time purposely “having fun.” In my motivational keynote speeches I encourage people to play and “Act Happy.” It’s  one of those Fake it Until You Make it Strategies. And it works.

My point? Pick something NOW that gets you physically involved in creatingf joy, fun or levity. It might be as simple as leaving a crank phone call for a pal, taking your dog for a walk, or stealing the neighbor-kid’s Wii for a couple of hours.

Wii don’t have a Wii at home, but recently tried one out with some Denver pals. Check out this  short video:

What are you doing today to physically get involved in creating fun?   Come one!  DO SOMETHING!

Leave a comment…. do you think this works?

Need a funny speaker who can inspire your group (with or without video games?)  Go to the contact page.

Cheers!

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Joker, Fan of Wii

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Happily, it went well. Really well. It was a terrific group.

The best part of the motivational speech for me was watching these men and women change during our time together. Predictably, they started out pretty wary. “What?! A funny motivational speaker at a military conference?” But after the first few minutes they began to relax and get into it — and to laugh.

It was clear to me — even as an outsider — that this group NEEDED to laugh.

Does your group (military or civilian) need a speaker who can help them with perspective, morale and attitude? Wouldn’t it be cool if this motivational speaker was funny? I think so too. Let’s talk. Go to the contact page.

Learn more about this military speaker
Brad Montgomery
Military Speaker, Funny Motivational Speaker, Fan of the DAU

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More related links:

My most popular magician speaker topic, Ordinary Magic
Comedy Magic: My Funny Magic Show Freshly Brewed
Sample chapter from my book, Humor Me
Mile High Magicians Society
A blog post about a Colorado Magician
My work as a magician speaker for IBM
Video testimonials on YouTube about my work as a magician speaker
Video of Freshly Brewed, A sample of my magician speaker work.
Video of some of my work on YouTube as a magician.

What amazes me is how United Airlines and the other struggling airlines are the only ones NOT learning from Southwest.

Corporate espionage would never be so easy:  United should put a single employee on a Southwest flight, have them notice how the fun attitude of the employees translates to customer satisfaction, and then…. copy them!   No cloak and daggers needed.   It’s not even stealing.  It’s just common sense.

I was just on an United flight and was chatting with a flight attendant about the safety announcements, and whether she thought humor was appropriate.  I’m not at all sure what the “official” policy is, but her understanding of it is that fun is NOT encouraged… or allowed.  And she shared some anecdotal evidence about her UAL peers getting chewed out for trying to make the safety demonstration fun.   Hmmph.   Oh, and guess how her morale was?   Yeah, lousy.

She is a nice woman, but her loyalty to her employer and her customers ends at her paycheck.

I live in Colorado… and as it is a hub for United I fly them a lot.  An awful lot.  An AWFUL lot.  I’m stuck with them.   But I don’t like them.   It’s clear to me that their employee morale is rock bottom.   They are worried for their jobs and future.  They don’t feel like the carrier is on their side.  And their employee dissatisfaction comes through loud and clear to folks like me.  Their customers.  I have dozens of stories about how United could have easily earned my loyalty but instead made my life harder. It’s too bad.  Especially because it doesn’t have to be that way.

They need — to be frank — me.   Bad.  Really bad.  But they’ll never hire me to talk to their staff with ideas about how to connect enjoyment of their jobs to creating an outstanding airline.    They haven’t noticed that the ONLY thing that sets them apart from their competitors is their people.  And their people are unhappy.  Very unhappy.   Just ask that flight attendent.

I don’t hold out much hope for United Airlines.  But maybe it isn’t too late for your organization.

Does YOUR company need to invest in your people’s quality of (work) life?  Do you agree that NOW is the time to make sure they are at their best, because you simply cannot afford a staff that isn’t fully on board?

[Hey United Airlines! Honestly, you need to hire me, like, yesterday.   Give me a buzz and I'll help your folks which will help you.  Guaranteed.   Come on, I dare you!]

Go to the contact page and let’s talk about how to ramp up your groups attitudes and loyalty, and how that will create a great impact on your bottom line.

Now, for a contrast… check out what the wacky and  successful Southwest Airlines is doing on board with their customers. Do these customers look happier than those you’ve seen on any UAL flight recently. You betcha. That, my friends, is what you call “a hint.”

Do you need to ramp up the attitude in your organization? You don’t even need to sing.  Contact us now! Go to the contact page.

Do me a favor? If you liked this article, Digg it for me right here:

Digg it!

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Humor in the Workplace Expert, Funny-ist

Related:
Brad’s Take on the Pike’s Place Fish Market
Hooked on Humor Audio Subscription Program
Laugh-O-Nomics: Brad’s Motivational Humor in the Workplace Breakout Seminar

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One of the most delightful sentences I heard from them when we talked about my fee was, “Would you be interested in bartering for a portion of your fee?”   Heck yeah, I love that question!

In the end, I did a really fun program for some great, fun-loving hard working people who are under a surprising amount of stress.  (When the team doesn’t win, the entire staff feels it, from the janitors to the receptionists to the grounds keepers.)

And happily, it went really well.   (Check out this video testimonial.)

But the fun didn’t end there. They hooked us up with 5 tickets for a couple of games, and dressed my wife and kids and I in a ton of Bronco’s swag. Jerseys, sweatshirts, hats… the whole thing. It was a blast.

What’s my point? If you’re booking motivational speakers and have something to trade, ask! Perhaps you’re a hotel property, or you make fancy furniture, or…. you’re a professional sports franchise. You might not be able to barter away the entire fee. But, like the Broncos, they got an easy discount and I was thrilled to trade.

Fees for speakers are all over the place. And my fees in particular flex wildly because what I offer my clients flexes wildly depending on what outcomes they are after and how serious they are about lasting change.

But one thing is certain: barter is cool. It’s fun. And if often makes sense for both of us.  Not sure if it is for you?  Just ask. 

Are you looking for motivational keynote speakers? Care to barter? Or not? I’d love to be your guy. Go to the contact page.

Cheers,
Brad Montgomery
Colorado Speaker, Bronco Fan, Lover of Bartering

Related:

Learn more about this Colorado Speaker
Learn More about Professional Speakers Fees & Rates

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Farmington Schools recently hired me to motivate their administrators. We brought them together for one huge team-building, morale-building, humor in the workplace fiesta. Ok, seminar is the proper term, but hey, “fiesta” sounds like better marketing.

We did Laugh-O-Nomics: my session for folks who really wan to create lasting change in their work culture.

It went great: check out the reviews in this very short video:

Are you looking for a motivational speaker for your school district?  Want to inspire and motivate your staff, your classified staff or your administrators?  I’d love to be your guy.

The main take away for me:  I was struck with how important it is to these educators to make their job fun.  They were craving both tools and techniques for bringing levity and lightheartedness to the workplace AND permission to use them.   In other words, one of the biggest things I provided by being there was encouragement and permission to bring the concept “enjoying ourselves at school will help us with our mission as educators” to each of these fine educators.

Many of them new HOW to lighten up;   they just had forgotten how important it was both to them AND to the superintendent.

It was a great day in Colorado.  (Which was weird, because the school district was over the border in New Mexico!)

Learn more about this educators speaker here.

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Education Speaker, New Mexico Speaker, Fan of Farmington!

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To Whomever It May Concern,

This letter is a strong endorsement of speaker Brad Montgomery.

I talked Brad up big to our people; I was looking for a home run. Brad was even better than we hoped.

Our organization is going through many changes, and our people needed a boost to help them through these changes. And if your organization is anything like mine, you know that creating behavior and attitude change is harder than it sounds.

Brad spoke to a large portion of my group responsible for making millions of dollars worth of loans. I’m glad he did; he made a difference. His program was a total success.

In the days following Brad’s appearance, I got surprisingly many positive comments. (They loved him!) But also, I heard anecdotal evidence of Brad’s impact on morale, attitude, and my people’s ability to tackle some of our organizational changes.

In other words, Brad did more than motivate, inspire, and make us laugh. (Though he did all of those things exceptionally well.) He helped get our people back on track, ready to work, and ready to move where we need to go.

If you are looking for a speaker who will be the highlight of the conference AND help your organization with specific ways to improve morale and attitude and increase organizational productivity, Brad Montgomery is a perfect choice.

I recommend him without reservation. Hire him; you’ll be glad you did.

Call me if I can answer specific questions about Brad. (Or if you need a farm loan.)

A. Claeys
Farm Loan Chief – South Dakota

Thanks So Much USDA!  I had a blast in South Dakota!

Are you looking for a speaker for your meeting or convention. Go Here To Contact Me.

Brad Montgomery
South Dakota Speaker, Farm Speaker, Fan of the USDA

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Wondering how to be a comedian?  
Do you want to know how to be a funny motivational speaker?  Here is your answer.

I am so proud of this project.  Humor College was a series where I interviewed some of the top speakers and comedians around and asked them:  How can we be funny like you?   It was one of those astounding projects where I learned at least as much as I taught. 

Thanks to all of you who already have taken part in the College.  And for the rest of you, if you are interested in learning how to be a motivational speaker, or how to be a comedian…or you just are looking to punch up the humor in as one of the tools in your presentation skills tool box, I invite you to consider the college.

Click here for the (admittedly heavy handed) sales page.  : )

Hype aside, I’m proud of the project, I’m proud of the result, and I’m proud to be part of it.   If you’re looking to ramp up the funny in your presentation skills, if you want to learn how to be a comedian, if you are NOT funny at all and want to learn how to safely and EASILY use humor in your programs, then you’ll want to check these CDs out.

Thanks again to all of the Humor College graduates.  Congrats!

Brad Montgomery
Dean of the Humor College, Comedian, Humorist, Teacher 

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How cool is that!?

Always nice to have others give you an “Attaboy.”  Very cool.  Thanks Kids!  And thanks for the nomination.

Cheers!

Brad Montgomery
Blogger, Award Winner, Speaker

I tell my audiences  that happiness is an attitude.   It’s a choice.   But an often neglected portion of the happiness equation goes beyond attitude, mind-set and emotion.   To do it right— to be your happiest— you also have to get physically involved with creating some joy for yourself.

In other words, to be happy you’ve got to DO something.  Maybe it’s goof with skate shoes and your kids.  Or play a harmless joke on your work mates.  Or take piano lessons.  Or maybe it’s to take responsibility for making somebody feel like a million bucks and act on it.

I’m lucky because I have a ton of hobbies that bring me passion and joy.  One of my latest is Heelys.   I’m tellin’ ya, put some wheels on your shoes and go shopping and … BAM!  You’re in a great mood.

Proof? I’ve got it baby!  Check out this short video of my kids and I breaking every rule in the how-to-behave-in-a-store book.

I challenge you:  find something today that gets YOU involved in creating your own joy.  Build something. Plant something. Play with something.  And then…. Do it.  Notice your mood change?  Guaranteed or your money back.

Leave a comment and let me know if you agree.

Do you agree with me that happiness at work is related to excellence at work?  Do you need a speaker to help your organization to get there too?  I’d love to work with you.  It will be fun.   Promise.  Heelys optional.  Go to the contact page now.

Cheers.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Passionate Player, Adult Fan of Heelys

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Check out this short video:

My point? My point is that the best attitude in the world is not enough. We have to actually DO something to create joy for ourselves. For you this might mean anything from walking your dog to playing a practical joke at work or sports or collecting stamps. Whatever. My point is that you need to actually do something. Go somewhere. Get physically involved.

Your life at work is never going to be great until you have a great life at home. (Yup, all that “work-life balance” stuff actually works.)

So get out there, find some passion and follow it. One of my passions just happens to be skiing. If that works for you, great! If not, no biggie. Just find something and….. DO IT!

So… I dare you. Comment. What ARE you going to do today to make your life better? Do you agree that happiness at home leads to a better quality of work life too? Leave a comment.

Cheers,

Brad Montgomery
One of Colorado’s Motivational Speakers, Skiers, Crappy Film-maker.

I just posted a great story by guest author &  comedian Ron Tite about his worst gig ever. The pain of the situation just cracked me up, and made me want to give the guy a hug. I’ve been there. Comedians suffer like … well, if you’ve never been in front of 400 people who hate you, you just won’t understand.

Ron also makes a good point that, like music, there are many different types of comedy.

Even if a stand-up is the right choice, there are countless kinds of stand-ups just like there are countless styles of music. Choosing the wrong type of stand up is like selecting a Marilyn Manson tune for a wedding procession (although I’m sure there are Goth brides out there who would like nothing more than to walk down the aisle to “This is the Sh*t”).

I haven’t met Ron in person, and I’ve never seen his stand up comedy. But I can tell you that, after reading this article, I felt like we were brothers.

What do you think? What is your worst gig ever? Comment baby!

(Need a comedian for your event? Go to the contact page and let’s talk!)

Cheers,

Brad Montgomery
Comedian, Fan of Ron Tite, Lover of Good Comedian Stories

Need a motivational speaker…. Hope you’ll consider me.  Lewis CK is great… but he’d never pass the HR department.   Go to the contact page.  

Cheers,

Brad Montgomery
Comedian, Motivational Speaker, Fan of Lewis CK

Here’s a very cool letter from my meeting planner

Brad,

You had come highly recommended to us by a member of our Management Team who had seen you at a previous conference.  I am thrilled to report that we were not disappointed with the recommendation.  Everyone was so impressed with your energy, humor and talent.  The most common comments made were that your presentation was the best one yet (How cool is that?) and others were asking when we could bring you back.  You kept us laughing and we believe you missed your calling as a stand-up comedian.  Thanks for the message of making laughter a part of the workplace and more importantly our personal lives.  You helped to make our event a huge success!!

You are a wonderful, caring, funny person and our agency will long remember you!!

Cheryl Fabjancic
Administrative Asst. to the Director
Pueblo County Department of Social Services

Aw Shucks!   I was thrilled and flattered to be part of it. And very happy indeed that it was well received.  

Thanks Pueblo Social Services!

Does YOUR organization need a huge dose of morale, energy, positive attitude and motivation?  Call me. : )  Go to the contact page. 

Brad Montgomery
Colorado Speaker, Motivational Keynote Humorist, Social Services Fan

The meeting industry is being scrutinized more than ever before.  And that means YOUR meeting is being scrutinized more than a Presidential nominee…. How can we possibly consider any investment in motivational speakers worth while?

What?!  Your organization has suffered through lay-offs and you’re considering bringing in a funny motivational speaker?  He’ll make us laugh and somehow that’s good for business?  You’re kidding, right?

Nope.  Not kidding.  In this bad economy THIS is the time to invest in your employees.  They need help; they need motivation. And if you can do it with laughter, all the better.

Why?   Because the right* motivational speaker will increase your bottom line.

How?  Glad you asked.   Let’s face it, your people already know what to do and how to do it. But they aren’t working fast enough or well enough. They aren’t producing to their potential. They aren’t working at their top capacity.***

The difference between what they are doing and what they are capable of doing is motivation.   Your team is not fully motivated to work as hard, as fast, as creatively, and with out as much oversight as they could if they were highly motivated.

Good motivational speakers are black belts at getting your people back to a higher speed and level of production.

What’s the value of a speaker to you?  Do The Math.

Okay skeptics, this section is for you.  Let’s be conservative and imagine that the right speaker could increase the quality and quantity of your work product by just 2% for one week.    Add up the total value of your current work product.  Now calculate the value of a 2% increase for 7 days.  What is the monetary value of that net change? 

But let’s admit it, a 2% increase is pretty lame.  Do you think a great dose of motivation could push your group up 5%?  10%?  Sure.  And could that motivation last longer than a week?  Do you think we could make the message “stick” for 10 days?  A fortnight?  A month?  Six months? A year?  Heck yeah.   How do these numbers change your math?   Look down:   your calculator is shouting:  You can’t afford NOT to invest in a motivational speaker.****

Motivation and Lasting Change.

Let’s take it one step further to insure that your speaker investment pays:  what plans do you have to follow up on the message your speaker delivers?  My clients ask me to deliver a proven system of follow-up with their organizations to assure that the message lasts.  I use everything from return visits to tele-seminars to customized videos to audio magazine subscriptions to reaffirm and reinforce the message to make sure that what we do has some “sticking” power.

And, if you go back to your math, you’ll notice the monetary value of creating lasting change.  The more “lasting” the change is, the greater value of your investment in your speaker.

Motivational speakers have a (sometimes deserved) bad reputation.  We come in and fire up the group, make them feel like a million dollars, and then leave.  Then before the month is out that feeling is gone.  The net change is zero.  Right?  Wrong.  I have a great answer to this objection.  (Ok, I have three.)

1.  Motivation is like a shower.  Just because you’ve had a shower doesn’t mean you’ll never need another.  Showers are worth it.  And so are motivational speakers.

2.  For organizations serious about creating lasting change, I have a system for follow up to make sure the motivation lasts.  (Sorry, you’ll still need to continue showering.)  

3.  Because we can compute the value of even tiny and short-lived increases in personal motivation – and because even those small changes can result in HUGE financial gains, even poor motivation is a decent investment.  And excellent motivational speakers are an outstanding investment.

Yes, I know your budget is cut.  Yes, I understand that you need to justify your investments more than ever.  Yes, I understand that making your people laugh isn’t important when everybody is focused on your bottom line. But people are your greatest asset.  Your factories work.  Your machines are running.  Better office supplies won’t make a dent.  The best place to find increased profits and economic stability is in your people – and they need motivation. And because lately they’ve been feeling the stress too, they need to laugh.

Motivation + Laughter + A Plan For Lasting Change = Greater Productivity.

I’d love to be the one to help you make a difference.  Let’s talk about how to invest in your people today.  Go to the contact page.

–

*  Yup, when I say “The right motivational speaker” I mean me.
** No, I haven’t been spying on you.   I’ve just read the studies.
***  No, your webcam isn’t on. Don’t worry.   I can’t see you or your calculator (or your jammies.) 

Do me a favor? If you liked this article, Digg it for me right here:

Digg it!

–

Brad Montgomery is a very funny motivational speaker who believes that people who enjoy a great quality of (work) life produce a better quality of work-product.   And he shares this message in a laugh-out-loud funny way to organizations across the country and across the world.

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I seem a bit squished in the video… must pushed the wrong button on the video camera.  But hey, it’s easier than going on a diet.

Use the comment form below to tell me what you “took away” from our time together.  Did you have an “Ah Ha” moment?  What was it?  Let me know in the comments below.

Now, pop that corn and check out your video…

Are you interested in booking a really funny motivational speaker? Whether or not you work in South Dakota I’d love to be your guy. Call me. : ) Go to the Contact Form.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, South Dakota Speaker, Fan of the USDA

The only thing weird to me was that 95% of my clients ask me to be a funny motivational speaker.  IBM asked me — for this meeting anyway — to hold off on much of my “message” and just make them laugh.  Of course, the client is always right, so I was happy to oblige.

But if I were making the investment, I would have followed my advice and asked me to make them laugh AND tie it in to a meaningful business message.  Yup, in this case I did a little of that.  But it seems to me they would have had a much greater bang-for-the-buck if they would have allowed me to follow my instincts and tie the laughter into their management goals.

Still, the client was happy, so I guess I am too.  (Still, it seems that, even with these nice comments from the evaluations, we left sooooo much on the table.  I’d love to have the same group for a 1/2 day and REALLY help them incorporate levity and humor into their management skills. 

Here are the comments, right off the evaluations:  

¨     Good meeting. Better than I expected. Comedian was great and had a very timely message.

¨     The comedian was fantastic.

¨     Good comedian. Thanks. Need more gifts to give away though.

¨     The comedian/magician was good, but I think we have more fundamental problems and just looking at our work/life balance problems from a different perspective is not the answer,

¨     All the information was very stimulating and applicable — even the comedian. Best afternoon so far in 2005.

¨     GREAT meeting and extremely good corporate comedian.

¨     the corporate comedian was funny

¨     The corporate comedian should be shared with employees as well as area meetings because those folks could definitely use a laugh as well and try to put some balance back in their daily lives.

¨     While the comedian was funny, I certainly hope that you don’t think simply saying “I feel great!” is going to provide a meaningful change in the corporate climate. I believe that the issues we face with our climate run much deeper than that. I understand that Heather brought up other points as well, but ask any of the managers that attended the key points from the discussion on climate, and I would be willing to wager that the replies would be related to the comedian. The items that Heather mentioned to do are good for improving our climate; however, they do nothing to solve the problem of working people too much (too many hours, for too long). Until that issue can be solved, along with solving the issue of having managers put more focus on helping develop and focus on their teams, I contend that the climate will continue suboptimal.

[Note from Brad:   Think this person has some morale issues?

¨     The HR team and managers did a great job organizing the content, flow and agenda. This was especially true with respect to the comedian/magician. His presentation really highlighted several key messages in an understandable manner.

¨     Kudos!!! The meeting was great and I LOVED the comedian!!

¨     The major benefit was the back to basics of management, supported by the message from the corporate comedian. It will be important to continue to push for strong management actions, and to properly evaluate the management (all levels) for how well we perform in this regard.

¨     I think the meeting was a bit long and dragged on too long. I think the comedian was great!

¨     I especially appreciated the message from the corporate comedian. I’m still looking for things in my day (and usually finding them) that fit the “HOW COOL IS THAT?!!!” criteria. It was a good reminder to keep things in perspective.

Thanks IBM. I was thrilled to be part of it.

Are YOU looking for a comedian speaker? Whether you want to use me like IBM (and mostly make ‘em laugh) or if you want me to tie it into business as I normally do, I’d love to be your guy! Contact me here.

Brad Montgomery
Comedian Speaker (and so much more!), Texas Speaker, Fan of IBM

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I just wrote up the formal policy here: Guaranteed Motivational Speaker

(By the way, one of my favorite things about working for myself is that I get to make up my own policies.  One of the many perks to being your own boss is that you get to make up the rules.  (Another rule I have is: “Brad gets coffee whenever he wants.”  See, it’s fun!)

Here’s a quick excerpt:

If you are not satisfied with what I offer, I’ll give you your money back.

To be honest, knowing that I could re-coup a lousy speaker’s fee would be the least of my worries. (Let’s face it, if you’re planning even a small meeting you have some huge investments OTHER than the speaker to make.) If I were you, I’d be more worried about whether my speaker can deliver. I’m just saying that I’ll do both.

Looking for a motivational speaker and want a guarantee? I’d love to be your guy. Contact me here.

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Guaranteed Motivational Speaker, Money-Back Fan, And Chief Policy Maker
[digg=http://www.bradlaughs.com/2009/01/28/is-your-motivational-speaker-guaranteed/]
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–

Howdy Folks! I’ll be your keynote speaker speaker for the Big Shin Dig on Feb 12th at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Check out this video I made especially for you:

I’ve been a motivational humorist speaker here in Colorado for years, and absolutely pleased as punch to be part of your event. What can you expect? You can expect to laugh and have a great time. And because I’m a magician you can expect to see a magic trick or two. But most of all, you should expect to be reminded to take yourself less seriously — while still taking what you DO seriously.

You can learn more about me over at main site.

I look forward to being part of this event, laughing with you, and reminding each other in a very fun way to lighten up.

Questions or comments? You can contact me here.

Cheers!

Brad Montgomery
Colorado Motivational Speaker, Real Estate Speaker, Fan of Realtors

Remember this speaking tip:  every moment your audience is looking at your slides they are not looking at you.  That’s fine if you’re selling your slides.  But professional speakers need to sell themselves and their messages, so this PowerPoint-as-the-Center-Of-A-Program phenomenon is a disaster.

Here’s the moment you know your speaking career is going down the drain: somebody asks you for a copy of your slides.   If your slides can stand on their own without you to make sense out of them, you’ve designed your slides and your presentation wrong.

And here’s another hint:  if you feel the need to both project your slides and print them out as a handout, then you have truly hit a new low.  Printed Powerpoint presentations do not equal “valuable handout.”

Advice:  hire a pro.   (Hey, here’s a better idea:  hire me!*)

Contact me here.

Yours,

Brad Montgomery
Professional Keynote Speaker, Excellent User of LIMITED Powerpoint

*  I know, I know.  You saw that shameless self-promotion coming, right? Hey, what can I say.  The kids need new shoes.)

Check out this hilarious video about lousy Power Point.   This guy is right on.

But I my journey didn’t really start until my mom and dad brought me — after much begging and pleading — to the magic club that met at least 40 minutes from my home.   There I saw magicians of all shapes and sizes, of varying skill levels, and from very disparate backgrounds joining together to “magish.”  I was hooked.  

And still am. I was one of the many Colorado magicians who performed last night at a meeting of the club — and was reminded how much I like it. As I become more deeply involved in the professional speakers’ world, I’ve tended to let the magician side of me grow still.  

But after last night, I’m buzzed and hooked again. One of my favorite reasons for loving this magic club is that it makes me — as a magician — feel as though I’m part of something greater than myself.  Magicians have a rich and fabulous history.  But so too does our Colorado magician club.   And performing on the same stage (if you can call it that!) as magicians I’ve emulated, grown with, and performed with for years made me feel like I was part of something special.

My point?  Find  your passion, and then find a corresponding organization to join.  It’ll make you feel like you’re part of a rich tradition.  Are you a Magician? Then for crying out loud join a local club (Society of American Magicians or the International Brotherhood of Magicians.)  Or if you’re from Colorado, by all means contact me and I’ll hook you up with our club.

Check out some (admittedly amateur) footage of the show last night below —  you’ll see that we had fun.  You’ll see how casual it was, and that we enjoy each other.  And that we all love magic.

Cheers!
Brad Montgomery
Colorado Magician, Member of the MHMS, Part of Something Bigger

PS.  Here’s the video:

No idea what I’m talking about?  Follow me at the micro-blog site Twitter.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Comedian Speaker, Twitter Lover

To satisfy your insatiable need for humorous anectdotes, I’ve opened the floodgates and scoured the web. As result, not everyone is technically aware that they’re participating in this edition but as soon as they find out, I’m certain that they’ll be flattered, overjoyed and innundating me with posts for future editions.

Without futher ado, may I present “Humor in the Workplace” resolution style. ‘Cuz that’s how we roll!

1. I resolve to put work in it’s proper perspective (Sandee
contributed this short and clever parable about the wisdom of NOT
working hard):

The Fisherman

2. I resolve to find a low-stress job:

Got Stress
(Bob Goldman rates a few professions based on the level of stress. Guess what? I win!!)

3. I resolve to follow these guidelines for all holiday work functions (Cyde Fahlman offers tips to avoid holiday stress but really, they’re year ’round effective!):

Holiday Stress

4. I resolve to bring joy and levity to my work environment on a regular basis:

10 Things To Do To A Co-Workers Desk

(Thanks, Mike! These practical jokes are pretty funny!)

5. I resolve to polish my interview skills……just in case! (Chris shares his interview experiences with us. I feel bad for Chris. Really. I do.):

Why I Fail Interviews

6. I resolve to keep in mind these all-important tips when participating in meetings (Madeleine Begun Kane gives us the skinny on how to effectively [ha,ha] communicate in meetings):

Those Unspeakable Meetings

7. I resolve to not try so hard to be funny (John Kinde lets the secret out of the bag on successful humor):

Be Funny By Doing Less

>>>>>>>

Thanks to all of our bloggers for submitting to the carnival. We’ll do it again in about one month. If you are interested in submitting to our next carnival, contact us here or by emailing kirstie “at” bradmontgomery.com

>>>>>>>

I was recently at a huge event in Florida — 450 professionals brought in from around the country – to be their closing motivational keynote speaker.  Nice.  They asked me to include all expenses in my contract to make it easier for them.  Fine.  No sweat.    (Can you tell that I’m leaving even the industry off to make sure I don’t step on any client toes?

My spot as the closing speaker was immediately following a boxed lunch.  After the morning session, the attendees grabbed a box lunch, went to their seats, ate… and waited for – well – me.

I got my gear set, was all-systems-go with the audio visual team, and had chatted with the big boss (who by the way had hired me two times in the past.)  So far, everything is easy and fun.

But here is where it gets hinky.  I was about to grab a box lunch… I was starving and was needed calories before I spoke for an hour and a half  … when I casually asked  the meeting planner if I could have a sandwich.  I asked her knowing it was a formality.  Of course she would feed her speaker.   I nearly didn’t ask.   

I was wrong.  She said, “Oh no, those are for the participants.”  I thought she was joking.  “You’re kidding, right?”    I honestly thought she was joking about not feeding me.

“No, we have accounted for all of the lunches, and they are for the registered attendees only.”  I was dumbfounded.  I wanted to say, “Well then I’d like to register.”  But all I could come up with was a clumsy, “But I’m your closing speaker.”  

“Sorry,” she said.  I was amazed.  With 450 people there, there just HAD to be ONE extra turkey sandwich.  And did she realize what it meant to me and her meeting to turn me down?

So I just said, “Ok, I’ll need to go get some food.” I left her and 4 tables piled high with ready-made lunches and left in search of a quick sandwich.  There were two restarurants in the hotel, but after talking to their hostesses it was clear that I wouldn’t have time to order there.  I eventually ended up at sandwich place next to the hotel and bought myself a — you guessed it —  turkey sandwich.  (Ironic, no?)

By the time I found this place, ordered, waited, wolfed down the sandwich, and made my way back to the convention area the meeting planner was in a panic. “Where were you?”  Again, I was dumbstruck.  I didn’t have anything graceful to say, so I just came out with a, “I had to go find some food.”

She looked surprised.  Apparently her other speakers never need fuel before they speak.  We walked back towards the meeting room and passed what was now a single table piled high with turkey sandwich box lunches.  She saw me look at them:  “I guess there were some left after all.”

I was silent.   But inside I was somewhere between laughing and crying. 

What’s the point?  I can tell you it isn’t the $8.67 I spent on my sandwich.  My point is that this woman was responsible for an event that cost a gazillion dollars and she threw her keynote speaker off-balance because of a turkey sandwich.  I didn’t care about the money, I cared that because she was counting her pennies I was inconvenienced, and because of that I wasn’t fully in the game.  Instead of eating with the attendees, getting the latest scoop on the convention, and having a chance to go over my program notes I was rushing around trying to find calories that were within reach the whole time.  Maddening. 

Normally I eat with my audience because that’s where I get the last-minute scuttlebutt.  That’s where I hear about the most recent stresses, the talk of the meeting or convention, and that’s where I often write some of my best jokes.  Not this time. 

Instead of getting myself psyched up for doing a good job for her, I was trying to make it back to the hotel on time.

More irony:  The meeting planner was off balance, nervous and upset because her speaker had vanished.   Both of us — and the entire audience — would have been better served if I was given a sandwich.

[Hey, don't worry.  The keynote was fun and well-received — if I do say so myself.  It was a great audience and I've done this keynote thing a bunch.  It went great.  But why in the world did this planner make it so hard?]

Message to meeting planners:  if you are hiring a speaker, do your best to set them at ease.  You don’t have to pamper us, (though we love that more than you’ll guess) but it is a good investment to remove as many headaches for us as you can.  You want us to be 100% when we hit your platform.  So make it easy for us to rock.  Oh, and by the way, buy us that sandwich.

Are you looking to HIRE  a keynote speaker?  Contact me here. (I’ll even bring my own sandwich…just give me warning.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Lover of Meeting Planners, Fan of Turkey Sandwiches

PS.  I asked my client  — not the meeting planner but the client — if I could tell this story from the stage.  I gave him a brief summary, told him why I thought it was funny and how I thought that there was a lesson in this story for his specific group.  He declined and admitted that it made sense but the meeting planner was “highly strung” and he didn’t think she could take it.  Oh… telling that story from the stage would have been funny!

PPS.  Ever had a similar experience?   Would you be so kind as to leave it in a comment?

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