Where did the summer go?  It’s hard to believe July is almost over and that we’re about to enter the last phase of summer before the new school year begins.

Let’s kick off with a gratitude quote:

Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be
produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. –William Faulkner

University Speaking Engagement in the Fall

Speaking of school, I’m grateful to announce that Penn State University booked me for a speaking engagement in September.  The main theme will be on diversity. (Photo credit:  astrycula)

I am scheduled to speak 3 times over a two day period.  One will be just for faculty and the general public while the other two (the following day) will be for a combined audience of both students and faculty.   It is yet another opportunity to make a difference by sharing my life’s experiences and demonstrating that it is indeed possible to “achieve the impossible.”

Another Best-Selling Author Is Now Reviewing…..

Every week I ask myself who I can contact for a possible testimony for my book, Obstacle Illusions:  A Journey of Epic Proportions.   There is power in asking.  If you don’t ask, you don’t get.  I keep track of who I’ve invited to review the manuscript in exchange for a testimony.  So far, I’ve received 4 great testimonies.

Two weeks ago, a very famous author whose name many of you will recognize, surprised me by agreeing to review the manuscript for a possible testimony.  Then just earlier this week, I asked yet another best-selling author if he’d take a quick look at my book too.  He said YES!

I’m grateful that I have the courage to continue to ask, one expert at a time, for a testimony to help me bolster the sale of my future book.  Some have said yes, some have not responded while others have said no.

What an interesting journey this is turning out to be!

Meeting Planner Took Me Out to Lunch

After my presentation to the National Tractor Parts Association last weekend, Phyllis Cox, the dynamic meeting planner, took me out to a great Italian restaurant where we had a delicious 2 hour lunch.

That alone speaks volumes on how she thought I did.  I’m told I have a testimonial letter coming from her soon.  I can’t wait.  Thanks Phyllis for the lovely treat - the food was excellent!

The Courage to Try Something New

After soliciting feedback from my followers on Twitter, I reported on Monday that I decided to use a YouTube video to introduce myself to the audience of the National Tractor Parts Association.  To see the video and read up on this, see Don’t Be Afraid to Solicit Feedback for Remarkable Performance.

I’m grateful I had the courage to follow through on the feedback because the experiment was a success.   The audience was positively stoked after seeing that video.   I learned that this was far better than having someone introduce me via a one-page sheet.  Now that I’ve seen how effective it is, I plan to open all future keynote speeches with this video!

Mark Sanborn’s New Book Mentions Stephen Hopson

Mark Sanborn, a nationally acclaimed best-selling author (The Fred Factor and You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader) and popular business speaker has a new book coming out in September by Doubleday called The Encore Effect:  How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do.

I was sent a bound galley of the book and read it in two sittings.  Of course, i couldn’t wait to get to pages 26 and 27 where I was mentioned in a sub-section of Chapter 3 called “Remarkable Performances Can Be Life-Changing.”

I’m humbled and grateful that Mark invited me to share my personal story for inclusion in this forthcoming best-seller.  Thanks Mark!

You can pre-order it at Amazon.

Another Successful Cermak/Hopson Seminar

On Tuesday, Jim Cermak of Cermak Marketing and I conducted our second Driving Your Business to the Next Level:  Inspiration and Common Sense for Business, Marketing and Life seminar.

Not only did we experience a large jump in the number of registered attendees, but we also managed to attract a diverse group of people including the owners of an exterminating company, an insurance company, an air purification business as well as the marketing director of a physical therapy company, to name a few.

We’ve structured our seminars around the use of my exclusive H.E.A.R. Principle (H=Have a passion, E=Entertain the possibilities, A=Authenticity, R=Remember who helped you), weaving both inspirational stories and marketing tips into it.

Of course, since Jim and I just launched this program, we are still refining and polishing it, ironing out kinks and making adjustments along the way.  It just keeps getting better and better.

I know I can speak for Jim when I say we are grateful to hear back from seminar attendees with some rave testimonies:

This seminar was outstanding! Stephen’s life story and his ability to overcome many obstacles was amazing an inspiring. Jim’s expertise in the marketing field with many examples of how to apply his principles to any business, gave me many ideas to take back to work. Since attending the seminar, I am digging deeper into figuring out my company’s uniqueness and the power of persuasion in the selling cycle. Thank you Jim and Stephen for spurring me on to the next level! –Deb Kasper, Marketing Director of Rehab Services, Inc.

I attended the one day seminar….there were golden nuggets on that day that we found could be applicable to our daily business.  The life experiences that Jim and Stephen shared are beneficial for  any business today.  i  would recommend their seminar to any business owner or CEO for that matter. Kurt Pluta, Owner of Exit Terminating

While I specialize in giving one-hour keynotes, I’ve discovered that I enjoy working with another person in a 2.5 hour seminar setting.

Conducting a seminar with another person adds more energy into the room.  It gives us an opportunity to recharge and recollect our thoughts before going back up again.  The audience is given two presenters with different presentation styles, adding more flavor to the overall program.   Jim and I take turns going up, giving each other high fives in passing.

It’s so much fun it’s a hoot!

An Unsolicited Testimony from a New Fan

Every now and then I get a stupendous email from a new fan who somehow found me on the Internet.  I am always very grateful to receive these kinds of correspondences because they remind me that I am making a difference even though I don’t always know its impact.

Take a look at this email from Jean Shallvay:

Dear Stephen:

This is not an inquiry, simply a message from one soul to another.

I accidentally (is there any such thing as accidental?) stumbled across your site when searching on Google.  I found you first through Adversity University then linked to your website.

After reading and looking at the amazing work you do I am so moved I have to tell you what an amazing inspiration you are for people.

Just watching your demo 10 minute video moved me to tears. So I imagine the impact that you have on people in person must be profound.

So take my words as validation that your work does reach people beyond your expectations in all imagined and unimagined ways.

The one block I have in getting my real purpose driven message out there is fear. I am an aware individual.  I also feel that when I see your courage and passion exemplified that I can do better….

FYI - Originally from the SF Bay Area and now living in Sydney Australia it is unlikely we will cross paths. However if you are ever down under please let the folks know at NSAA so they can get you in for a monthly speaker night.

Warm regards,
Jenn

Wow, thank you Jenny - you have no idea (but then maybe you do) that your email truly made my day! 

Food for thought:  How has gratitude brought more abundance in your life?

If you liked this post and you want to be notified of the next one, subscribe via Email or Full Text RSS Feed. I would love to have you as part of the community!

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite