Motivation: Boys & Their Toys

By Jim Cathcart 

What motivates you?

Last weekend I rode my motorcycle, a Yamaha FJR1300, from Thousand Oaks, CA to Phoenix, AZ and back. I was there to attend a conference of the National Speakers Association. I'm a past president of NSA. 

The motives that caused me to attend were:

• The need to stay up to date on developments in professional speaking
• Concerns about the economy and seeking ways to deal with it 
• A desire to spend time with my trusted colleagues and friends 
• and an excuse to go for a long motorcycle ride. (Probably in that order.) 

I met with publishers, speakers, authors, internet marketers, trainers and humorists. We all compared notes on what we were doing differently in this volatile marketplace. It was well worth the trip. 

While attending this event I got in 17 hours of motorcycling (much of it across the vast Coloradoan Desert), borrowed the guitar from cowboy guitarist Doug Smith, and played about twenty oldies songs for my colleagues at one of the dinner events. 

I also met with my buddy John Schaefer and got to see his Titan Custom motorcycle. Take a look at these photos! His bike cost more than twice what I paid for my first home! 

Mine is the blue Yamaha, his is the extreme custom. I don't know whose Lamborghini that is but I'm grateful for the eye candy of having it there. 

No, I didn't ride in my business clothes, and I'm not telling you this story to brag. Well, not completely anyway. What I want you to notice is how much fun I was able to have while attending a business conference. You can do the same in your own way. 

Look at the events you have coming up: business meetings, outings, projects to work on, assignments to complete, etc. Then ask yourself, "How could I incorporate a little fun into the experience?" (And maybe save some money at the same time. My ride cost me hundreds less than a plane trip with all its attendant expenses.) 

Could you do the work in a more enjoyable place?

Could you involve some other people in the experience to increase your learning or ease your workload or change the nature of your experience? (I once had a book to read for work and my sister and I read it aloud to each other alternating chapters. We both learned and it was more fun.) 

Could you combine your workout with a needed discussion, maybe meet a colleague for a run or visit to the gym? 

Are there some uncommitted times available for you to insert a bit of fun into your work? 

Would it help for you to take the long road to the event so that you get some "windshield time" afterwards in which you can reflect on what you've learned? 

Is there a free evening where you could go to dinner with new friends or colleagues and build some relationship assets? 

The key to all of this is for you to be pro-active. It only gets better when you decide to make it so. Now, get out there and have fun...whistle while you work. 

P.S. Stay tuned to www.cathcart.com for the big changeover. We will be converting my website and my blogs into ONE new website with blogs and videos galore. 

Storytelling to Teach Success Principles

By Jim Cathcart

I recently spoke at the National Speakers Association convention in New York City to about 200 of my peers on the subject of using stories from your own life experiences to teach the lessons in your speeches and seminars. 

It was just over 9 minutes long and is presented here for your enjoyment. 

Feel free to pass this along to others. 

Drop me a note once you've seen it and let me know if ever I can help you craft your own presentation or deliver a speech to your organization. 

To schedule me for your group contact your favorite speakers bureau or contact my management team at info@cathcart.com. 

To see all of my topics, video clips and books visit www.cathcart.com. 

I, too, now love New York!

By Jim Cathcart

For the past week I've been in New York's famous Times Square at the Marriott Marquis hotel to attend the annual meeting of the National Speakers Association (3,700 members) and the International Federation For Professional Speakers (the worldwide network of associations for speakers.) Total attendance at this week-long event was around 2,000 (in a down economy!)

Here is what it looked like at the opening general session. By the way, the theme for the convention was "NSA Rocks!" and it really did. 

The convention is the professional association's big yearly event where they offer several days of general sessions and breakout workshops on every imaginable topic related to speaking, training, consulting, coaching, performing, publishing, storytelling and communication in general. NSA is one of the best (certified via awards from ASAE and MPI) convention associations in the world. 

As a past national president of NSA and recipient of its CSP, CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame and Cavett Award, I was involved from start to finish on boards, committees, panels, workshops, doing introductions, bestowing awards and giving presentations. But the highlight of the event for me was the "free night", Sunday. I and several of my colleagues got together to hold an "Informal Jam Session" in the Astor Ballroom. We brought guitars, keyboard, harmonicas, tambourines, ukeleles, flutes, songbooks and microphones. 

Then for FIVE HOURS we rocked the room! I sang for most of the five hours and sounded like a frog the next morning. Many professional speakers joined in and displayed their impressive musical talents. Here are some photos for your enjoyment. 

Those in the pix are myself and Patrick Henry, Alan Berg, Daniel Burrus and Rob Peck. 








No, I don't want to live in New York City, but there are few places I've been where I've had this much fun!
Thank you NSA and New York.