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Great Stories Take Minutes to Happen—And Years to Perfect

change keynote speaker motivational speaker resilience

Some of the best stories I tell on stage took only a few minutes to live—but they’ve taken me up to 20 years to refine. And even now, they’re never truly finished.

 

That’s the work of a professional speaker. A word here, a tweak there, sometimes a complete pull-down and rebuild. A great story isn’t just what happened—it’s how it’s told.

 

I’ve been fortunate to pull from a life packed with unusual experiences:

 

🎭 The Day I Literally Fell Into the Arms of Murderers – A real-life scene I wished I wasn’t part of.

🎯 The One Item Snipers Never Go Without—And Why It Matters – A tiny object with massive significance.

😂 Need a Good Laugh? Meet the Happiest Man on Earth

🚀 The Time I Told Elon Musk to Shut Up—To His Face – Yes, really.

How I Spilled Coffee on Priceless Jeffery Smart Paintings – Not my finest moment.

🎩 Performing Magic Tricks for the Infamous Bali 9 – Making wonder happen in the darkest places.

🎉 Inside a Kazakh Circumcision Party—What Do You Even Wear? – A cultural deep dive I never expected.

🥪 An Unexpected Lunch with Sir Edmund Hillary – A meal with a legend.

✈️ Up, Up, and Away—Flying with the Real-Life Flying Nun – Some stories take you to the skies.

🐻 Staring Down a Brown Bear—No Cage, No Barrier – A face-to-face moment with nature’s raw power.

🎬 The Day I Shook Hands with Jack Nicholson

🛕 From Builder’s Boots to Monk’s Sandals—Frank’s Unlikely Transformation – The surprising journey of a Taoist monk.

🎲 Three Times I Should Have Died—And How I Got Lucky – Close calls and life lessons.

🐪 How I Became an Accidental Camel Dealer – The wildest business deal I never meant to make.

🪖 My First Day in the Army—And the Strange Power of Smiley Socks – How a small detail changed everything.

🎹 The Life Lesson Victor Borge Taught Me – Wisdom from a master storyteller.

⛓️ Walking Through the Gates of Death Row—And the Sign That Greeted Me – A chilling moment.

 

But here’s the thing—don’t be fooled into thinking great stories only come from wild adventures.

 

Some of the most powerful stories don’t come from murderers, billionaires, or near-death experiences. They come from the bus stop, the supermarket, the everyday moments that audiences can see themselves in.

 

Relatability beats rarity.

 

A well-told story from the checkout line can have a greater impact than one from a Hollywood set—because it connects.

 

So, whether you’re a speaker, a leader, or just someone who wants to tell better stories, don’t wait for extraordinary moments. Pay attention to the ordinary ones. They might just be the stories worth telling.

 

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If we haven’t met yet…

 

I never considered myself good at change until I went from

 

-average shot to army sniper

-home movies to National Geographic cameraman

-fumbling card tricks to a professional magician

-never swinging a hammer to building a home

-high school dropout to published author

-business rookie to selling a business

-stutterer to motivational speaker

 

Turns out I know how to change, I know how to make it simple, and I know how to stand on stage & make it fun so others want to do it too. Happy to talk dates and rates if you have an event.

 

#change #resilience #motivationalspeaker

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