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Aug 04

5 easy ways to live in the present moment everyday

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Productivity One Comment

Today’s question comes from Kapil Patel from Ronkonkoma, NY when he asks “How do you live in the present moment everyday?”

This can be difficult now that we are conditioned to be distracted with the temptation of multitasking and the various communication channels we use. But is necessary if we want to taste what life has to offer!

They say, “Today is a gift, that’s why we call it the present.” I know sometimes I will wake up and say, “Where did my weekend go?” or “How was that day was so quick?” It’s because I numbed out or while or was focused on something else. There are times when I am trying to complete a task and the whole time I will be thinking about the next thing I have to do. Rather than put my energy and focus in what I am doing I am out in la-la land and wake up feeling like I didn’t live that day.

We only get one life. Some of us get better lives than others. Some get more years. Very few find ways to be happy everyday but it is possible!

Here are five things to do to center yourself and be present everyday:

Remind yourself you will be gone one day: This can be hard to think about but if we can remind ourselves we are not immortal and one day their will be a last page to our autobiography it can help get us focused. I know when I think about this it brings me back to what is important in my life; family/friends, adding value to others and being adventurous.

Give thanks for all your senses at night: I used to do this for years. I would lay in bed and go through all of my senses one by one and think about what would I see that day? What did I feel ? Hear? Taste? Smell? Now I don’t wait till the end of the night. I do it when I experience it. This exercise has heightened my senses and makes me appreciate the small things.

Do something random: That photo you see above! I took a run the other day and all these kids were playing in that fountain so I decided to run through it. I have always wanted to do this and decided “What the heck, I am sweaty anyways, why not get wet!” I think some of the moms might have judged me, but who cares, I still want to feel like I am 12 sometimes and I smiled the entire way home. It’s like in the

Set up reminders: Put a reminder every 3 hours in your phone during the times you are awake that says, “Are you being present right now?” Or put quotes up around your house, car, bathroom or office! Set up visual reminders and make sure you change them often so they don’t become things you look at and pass over.

Take 5 minutes of alone time: This has been one of the best things I have done in the past few years. Everyday I take five minutes of alone time. No phone. No computer. I don’t think about what I need to get done or what I did wrong or where my future will take me. I sit, walk or lay in an area that is calming and I won’t be distracted for at least five minutes. Sometimes this can be me locked in a laundry room or on a hotel balcony overlooking the ocean.

The Latin word for present is Ostendo, Ostendo is defined as: show, reveal, make plain or declare. So being present is more than a “feel-good” feeling. This can often be the time when you come up with the best ideas, when you reveal who you really want to be, when your inner self declares what you want to accomplish in life. It can also be a great way to feel alive and happy!

Take time to implement these five action items into your daily routine and start living in the present moment. Thanks for the question Kapil and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.s. What other ways can we be in the present moment? Remember to sing up for my blog in the top right hand corner if you want to receive posts similar to this every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am PST!

Aug 01

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The 5 Types of Mentors Everybody Needs

By Ryan Avery Leadership One Comment

One of the most significant ways to succeed is to surround yourself with those who are more successful than you. Les Brown says, “If you are the smartest person in your group, you need a different group.”

Who do you have in your life who has been where you want to go? I am not talking about someone who is only supportive of you getting what you want (that is a friend). I am talking about someone who has already been where you want to go and is supportive of helping you get there (that is a mentor).

Here are 5 types of mentors everybody needs:

Life Mentor: Someone you can trust who lives a life similar to what your are looking to accomplish. Someone who in balanced, present and all-around happy. They have had ups and downs, twists and turns and can help motivate and inspire you when you feel down or hungry for more.

Money Mentor: Someone who knows about money, how to invest it and what to do with it. Someone who is financially stable enough to spend time where they want, when they want and with who they want. Someone who considers themselves to be financially successful but still wants to do more. Someone who has lost a lot of money (so you can learn from their mistakes) and someone who has made a lot of money (so you can learn from their successes).

Family Mentor: Someone who is driven by their heart and focuses on their family first. Someone who can give you sound relationship advice and you can talk to openly about your relationship struggles and family ambitions. Someone who believes family is the most important thing and someone who can help you make your family stronger.

Business Mentor: Someone who is business savvy. They know how to start a business, what type of business you should own and have started a couple themselves. Someone who has tried and failed (so you can learn from their mistakes) and someone who has tried and succeeded in business (so you can learn from their successes). Someone who is connected in the business world, who reads, studies, thinks, lives and breaths business.

Expert Mentor: Someone in your specific field. Someone who knows more about the subject you are passionate about than any other person. Someone who is considered to be an expert in their field and knows what happened, what is happening and what will happen in your industry!

Meet with these mentors on a regular basis. I usually meet with mine monthly and check in every so often with a question or an update with my life.

Take them out to lunch, write then hand-written letters, show them what you are doing with what they taught you and be appreciative. Mentors can help you accomplish your big goals and connect you with the right people. I know for a fact I would not be where I am today without mine!

Go out and find these five mentors to help you succeed in the areas that matter most to you! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

* Because of you this blog is growing and we are helping more people! Thank you for sharing these articles and getting this content in the hands of those who want it! Share away if you found this article useful by clicking on one of the buttons below!

Jul 30

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6 Reasons Real Leaders Are Really Speakers

By Ryan Avery Leadership, Motivation 2 Comments

No one will follow you if you don’t know how to use your voice.

Amazing Speaker = Amazing Leader
Average Speaker = Average Leader

When you become a better speaker, you become a stronger leader!

6 Reasons Real Leaders Are Really Speakers

They Know Their Audience: Speakers, before they go on stage, learn as much as they can about their audience. Speakers know who they are talking to, what problem they have and how to fix it. They know where their audience is at in life and can provide solutions to help them go from point A to point B. Know your audience = Stronger leader!

They Stand with Confidence: Great speakers know their message and believe in their words! You can truly only stand with confidence when you know your message fully and fully believe in what you are saying. When you stand with confidence you present yourself as competent. Stand with confidence = Stronger leader!

They Share Their Failures: Speakers talk about their failures, not just their success. They share what mistakes they have made and how they fixed them. They are real people who make real mistakes and share these stories with their audience. They get a following because they are open, honest and are not afraid to talk about their past. Share your failures = Stronger leader!

They Offer Solutions: Speakers offer solutions to their audience. They fix a problem, offer inspiration, share stories and do it in a way that in engaging, entertaining and educational. Offer Solutions = Stronger leader!

They Speak Up: They speak when no one else wants to. They have the hard conversations. They don’t tell you want you want to hear, speakers tell you what you need to hear. They can stand their ground and feel proud to use their voice to make a difference! Speak up = Stronger leader!

They Know When To Speak: They know the right time and place to deliver their message for maximum impact. They know it’s not just about what and how you say it but most importantly, when! Know when to speak = Stronger leader!

Without developing your speaking skills, you’ll have limited leadership abilities. Take time to work on being a better speaker so you can become a stronger leader. We need more leaders in this world so that means we need more speakers! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

* Share this article with your friends who are interested in leadership and speaking!

Jul 28

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Chelsea’s Quotes – Volume I

By Ryan Avery Motivation 10 Comments

I have had several people come up to me after my speeches and ask if I was going to post “Chelsea Quotes” again?

For those of you who followed us on our 50-City North American tour, every week I posted quotes from Chelsea (my wife) while being on the road. Some made you think, most were strange and a lot of them made me laugh and I hope they made you do the same.

I wanted to bring it back because lately she has been full of good, motivational and funny quotes so every now and again I will post some of Chelsea’s best quotes. Oh, how much fun it is to work with you spouse!

“Babe you can’t leave these windows open at night. What if someone crawls up here and murders us?”

* in relation to us living on the 5th floor in one of the safest cities in America and her actually being serious

“Well, you shouldn’t have married such a funny wife.”
* in relation to me asking her to stop making me laugh while I was sick

“You should incorporate dance into your next keynote.”
* in relation to her being serious after watching this video

“Do it, or I will pour honey on your knees.”
* in relation to me not wanting to take a shower

“Guys with gold pinky rings… realllllllly freak me out!”
* in relation to…I 100% agree

“My PMS is really intense today so I am going to need you to tread lightly which means I need you to go away.”
* in relation to me just standing there

“I’d watch Jurassic Park.”
* in relation to the first thing she said when we woke up

“Do you know where a donut shop is around here?”
* in relation to her asking a stranger this question while she had a huge cookie in her hand and the stranger for sure judged us!

“Um, what is more American than a cinnamon roll?”
* in relation to… EVERYTHING!!!

This is my life. I am so thankful Chelsea is my wife because everyday she makes me laugh, pushes me to be better and I know I won’t ever have a boring day as long as I am with her. Take some time to write down some of the quotes you hear this week, they are fun to look back on and can be a great way to reflect on memories.

Take time to tell those who matter most to you, that you love them and are thankful they are in your life!

As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Question: What was your favorite quote from Chelsea this time and do you want me to continue to do articles like this every now and again?

Jul 25

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GIVEAWAY: Speaker Leader Champion

By Ryan Avery Motivation 4 Comments

Today I am giving away a new copy of Speaker Leader Champion in any format the winner wants (audio, e-book or a hard signed copy).

Two ways to enter. Do both of these things, get double your chances to win:

1) Subscribe, via email, to the blog in the right hand corner of this page

2) Share this article on any social media account and tag me in it so I know you shared it (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).

Again, do them both, be counted twice! Like all my giveaways, I will put everyones name on a list, use the random number generator and pick a winner this Saturday afternoon! I hope you are enjoying your Friday and getting ready for and fun-filled summer weekend!

I write articles every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am PST. If you’re new I hope you’ll stick around and if you have been here for a while, you are awesome, let me write you a letter! As always….

Dream BIG,
Ryan

UPDATE: Winner of today’s giveaway is subscriber (dachrismom). I will reach out to you via email as well! Thanks to everyone for sharing and stay tuned for another giveaway soon!

Jul 23

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Strategies of a Successful Book Launch

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Writing No Comments

Today’s question comes from Shruti Sharma from San Jose, CA when she asks, “What advice do you have for making your book a success once it is written?”

First you have to be passionate about making your book a success (more than just making money). No one cares more about your book than you. The harder and smarter you work, the more books get sold.

Second, define what success looks like to you! Is it the amount of books you sell, the places you get to travel, the people you help or the speeches you get from those who read the book? What does a successful book look like? Only the author can answer that.

After you define your answer above, here is what I used to make our book a success:

Write it Down: You have to put a strategy on paper to know what it looks like. Then post it up in your office and look at it everyday. I broke my written strategy into three categories (Social, Educational and Business). What can you do to be social around your book, educate people with content from your book and make money from it? I focused 50% of my efforts on social, 30% on educational and 20% on business. List, outline and brainstorm ways you can address these areas with your book.

Podcasts Interviews: Reach out to as many podcasters as you can. Let them know you have a book coming out and you can add value to their listeners. Podcasters are all looking for new content, energetic people to interview and value to add to their subscribers. Make sure to ask them to launch your episode during a week before, the day of or a week after your launch. This will drive more traffic to your site, your book and you as an author because instead of a trickle of interviews happening throughout several months, you get a big serge of name recognition in the launch window.

Social Media Team: Put together a team of people who can help promote the book on various social media sites. I would recommend a minimum of 30 people on your team. The more you get, the more your book gets out there! What can you do to entice them to share your book and get them to join your team?

Book Signing Events: You don’t have to do a big book tour. You can do three cities, shoot you can even do one! Make sure you set up at least one book signing event and invite your friends, family, co-workers and your target market for the book. This is great PR! Take photos, videos and post all over social media! You can host it at your local book store, church, coffee shop, anywhere that will let you. Get your hand ready to sign some books!

Reviews on Amazon: This is an area I lacked in for this launch. Reviews matter on Amazon and will help you sell more over time (in fact, if you have purchased Speaker Leader Champion, I could really use your help with a review on Amazon). Reviews gives the author social proof that their book is valuable and people purchase books depending on the reviews. So the quality and quantity of reviews matter!

Valuable Giveaways: What giveaways can you do to lead up to and follow up with your book launch? Giveaway gift cards or signed copies of your book. Giveaway a free hour of coaching or the first chapter away if they sign up for your newsletter. Offer valuable giveaways to make your following happy and to also interest them in getting a copy or sharing it with their friends.

I am happy with the success of Speaker Leader Champion. The book has been translated into 3 languages and my goal is to have translated into 10. I still have more copies to sell and I enjoy getting emails that readers are getting value from the book.

I have learned an immense amount this first go around and will know how to make my second launch even stronger. You have to try these things now in order to make your next one even better. When Frank Llyod Wright was asked which house was the best he’d ever built, he said “my next one.”

You have everything you need to make your book a success and now it’s up to you to put in the work. Go out there and make it happen! You are part of 1% of the population who has written a book now be 1% of authors who make their book a success! Looking forward to seeing your name on the shelf! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Authors, what other advice do you have for those looking to make their book a success?

Jul 21

Love0

3 Traffic Building Tools for Twitter

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Productivity 2 Comments

Do you want more Twitter followers? Some say “yes,” others say “I guess” and several say “I don’t use Twitter.”

For those who say they don’t, it is time to utilize this powerful tool and to stop looking at it as the social media for those who have”ADD.”

More than just collecting followers and pushing out 140 characteristics every 15 minutes, Twitter can be used to influence, connect, search and get opinions on current events.

I use Twitter to see what is happening in my world (#Speaking #NSA14 #Toastmasters #Leadership #CommunicationProblems #Authors #Question #Scuba). The (#) tool can be very powerful if you know how to use it and to connect with those who are interested in the same things you are.

I just reached 10,000 followers on Twitter with a goal to have 20,000 quality followers by the end of the year. In order to build traffic on Twitter, respond to ‘mentions’ and search for related topics I use three tools:

Click to Tweet: Allows you to embed a link in your blog posts where readers can click to tweet a line of text in your post. “Winners do things losers don’t want to do.” Dr. Phil (click to tweet)

Hootsuite: Allows you to auto-schedule tweets for a variety of social media channels and allows you to set up streams so you can pay attention to # you like. Every other Sunday, I sit down for about an hour and plug in about 100 leadership and communication related quotes into Hootsuite. This allows me to post to my followers at least three times a day. Instead of finding new content to post, I can now spend time answering questions, replying to mentions and sharing other articles I read throughout the week.

JustUnFollow: I think they need to change the name of this app. This powerful tool lets you find people who are interested in the same things you are (#leadership #communication) or part of the same groups you are (@Toastmasters @NSAspeaker) and follow them. This app has a tremendous amount of features that are worth checking out.

All three of these tools have a free option. I pay for the upgraded Hootsuite and UnFollow services (starting out I didn’t) and I think the free versions work great depending on your needs.

Growing your Twitter following is important because it will help you reach more people with your voice and connect with those who like what you like.

Don’t take your followers for granted or think “ugh, I only have 154 followers.” I did that at the beginning and it was the wrong thing because I didn’t think I could have real connections online; I was wrong! Actually connect with those you follow and those who follow you. This is your online tribe and they can be one of your biggest assets. Treat them well and add value to their life!

Get to

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Question: What others apps or websites do you use to help grow and/or monitor your Twitter?

Jul 18

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Why you should be more self-first!

By Ryan Avery Motivation 2 Comments

This isn’t a hard thing to grasp, “You can’t give what you don’t have!” yet why can it be so hard to remember at times?

If you don’t have energy, you can’t give energy.
If you don’t love yourself, it will be difficult to love others.
You can’t teach what you haven’t learned.

So…

Are you sacrificing sleep and not eating healthy in an effort to get more done?
Are you hard on yourself when things go wrong or you make a mistake?

Are you digesting enough new information on a regular basis to stretch yourself?

It is time to be more self-first so you can give more to those who need it most!

The past month I have been going so fast I forgot to take care of myself and those important relationships. I have worked out irregularly. I have been teaching more than I have been learning. I have not done as many “fun/non-work related” things as I have liked.

I have been so focused on the success of my businesses and helping others, I forgot to take care of the most important person, me! In a society where we can look down on those who are selfish, it can be hard to rationalize giving more to ourselves so we should redefine it as self-first (as my wife likes to say). The more you give to yourself, the more you can give to others!

But if we are serious about changing the world, helping others and making a difference then we have to start with us! So while we continue to do the 31 Days of Kindness Challenge, I want to encourage you to look at how you are being kind to yourself. What are you doing to be happy, have more energy and love yourself?

Should you go on a walk right now, set your phone down and look around outside?
Could you write down three things you have accomplished in the past three years that make you feel proud?
Can you take 30 minutes tonight to spend time with someone you love where you can laugh, play cards and have fun?

Yesterday I sat under a tree looking out at the water for a couple hours, read and enjoyed the sun. I slept in today, playing tennis with a friend on Saturday and am getting to work at a normal time. I learned from an old boss, “There will always be work to do, so learn to to be ok with never being finished, but always be hungry to do more.”

So you should be more self-first because the more you give yourself, the more you can give others and we can all benefit from what you can have to offer! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

“Everybody wants to change the world. Nobody wants to change themselves.” ~Leo Tolstoy

Jul 16

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What’s the best investment to make in today’s economy?

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Productivity 9 Comments

Today’s question comes from Indira Berikova from Alma-Ata, Almaty, Kazakhstan, when she wants to know “What is the best investment in the market right now?”

I have a good grasp on money management and taking care of our future as my wife and I are almost debt free, live below our means and give 10% of our income away to good causes.

That was not always the case.

Have you ever been so broke you had to water down your soap and struggle to find rent money? A couple years ago, Chelsea and I had to water down our watered down soap. We had $84 in our bank account, had no idea where rent money was coming from and almost got on food stamps.

I applied for 75+ jobs with no response (even Quiznos didn’t hire me!). I remember laying on our carpeted floor, not knowing what we were going to do. We walked outside to clear our minds and the phone rang. I got a job! An awesome job! They even paid me an advance so we could stay in our apartment and slowly get back on our feet.

I don’t like being crunched for cash. It’s not fun going to the grocery store and not being able to get the types of food you want. It’s not fun when you have friends who go out and you can’t join them because you can’t even afford one happy hour beer. It’s not fun to not be able to buy your wife a $2 flower to show her you love her because that’s not “in the budget.” I never wanted to be in that situation again!

Once we got that light of hope with a job offer, we did everything we could to advance our personal and professional career. We started reading, digesting, learning and taking in as much information as we could about life, success, money, happiness, family, goal setting and travel.

We agreed to always live below our means, take care of the things we care about most by sticking to our four pillars and to have a successful life. Four years later, we still live by these principles and it has helped us have a life we feel proud to live.

So I am not a financial advisor, I dabble with my E-Trade account by buying stocks and selling options and right now most of the money we make goes right back into our companies, but the best investment you can make in today’s economy, without a doubt, is yourself!

Invest in you! Read more books. Watch more educational videos. Listen to motivational CDs. Go workout and take alone time. Create goals. Stretch yourself. Do what it takes to make things happen in your life! When you invest in yourself, others will invest in you.

What are you doing right now, today, so that tomorrow you are stronger, better, more efficient and more successful than you were two days ago? Invest in yourself and not only will your family be stronger, our world will be better!

Keep investing in yourself and it will pay dividends for years to come. Thanks for the question Indira and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.S. My goal is to help you reach yours. I will be honest, open and share valuable content that will help improve areas of your life. If you like my content, sign up to receive articles in the right hand corner of this page. Thank you and keep working to make things happen!

Jul 10

Love2

How to get over the past and focus on the future!

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Uncategorized 6 Comments

This post comes from Stephani Morris from Brooklyn, MI when she asked, “How do you get over the past and focus on the future?”

Whether your past is a good thing or bad, it can hold you back if you dwell on it for too long. I know people who won awesome awards and they never did anything after because they glued themselves to that one accomplishment. I know people who have life stories similar to the ones you see in a Lifetime movie and they stay so bitter because of their past that they can’t move on.

Let your past be stepping stones to your next success – not an anchor in which you think you have to stay (tweet). It’s time to get over the past, no matter how good or bad, and start focusing on the future.

You should be happy you have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly! As a leader, your past helps you relate and connect to more people and it helps you make decisions today that will dictate your future!

Ways you can get over the past and focus on the future:

Set up your vision board!
Get those scissors out, those old magazines you have thrown in the corner and set up a vision board of what you want your life to look like. This will help keep you focused and a visual reminder we can have what we want in life.

Ask yourself if you are being insane?
The definition of insane according to Albert Einstein is “Doing the same thing over and expecting different results.” Are you doing the same things to try and get over the past? Are you doing the same things that are keeping you stuck where you have been? What is something else you can try today to get you focused on the future and remind yourself to let it go (insert Disney theme song here).

Drop the negative people in your life!
You become who you surround yourself by. If you are around negative people, you too will be negative. If you surround yourself with those who are focused on the past… guess what? You too will do the same. It’s time to find people who are ambitious, respect their past but look to find ways to improve their future. Who can you get rid of in your life who is holding you back? Sounds brutal, but you know who they are!

Focus on yourself first!
Sounds selfish? Good, it should! Until you take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else. I see so many people trying to help others yet they forget about their own well-being. What does the flight attendant tell you to do with your oxygen mask if the plane is going down? Put yours on first THEN help those next to you! The world is no good if you are no good so start focusing on yourself and how you can be stronger and get your mind focused on moving forward!

Find three quotes you like!
If you are focused too much on the past, open another tab in your browser and type “inspirational quotes” into Google. Find them, print them out and keep them around your house, car, office or bathroom to constantly remind yourself you have what it takes. Keep your eyes forward and focus on the future.

Three of my favorite quotes to keep me going:
“Whether you think you can, or you can’t, you are right.” – Henry Ford
“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t Ask. Act!” – Thomas Jefferson
” Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Write down three good things that have come out of your past!
What good things have come from your past? Take three minutes right now and write these down. Tell yourself “parts of my past are good and now it is time to move on to bigger and better things because the world needs more of what I have to offer.” Don’t settle!

Make sure to take time today and if there is something in your past that has been holding you back, good or bad, start with setting up a vision board, finding three quotes you like and write down three good things that have come from your past that you are thankful for. This exercise might take 20 minutes of your day but will get you the boost you need as a leader to be proud of the past and focused on the future.

Thanks for the question Stephani. Let’s all keep using our voice to make a difference and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

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Jul 03

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The Pros and Cons for Changing the Name of NSA

By Ryan Avery Leadership, Motivation 55 Comments

Many of you are speakers and this post will focus on the name change of a very important organization to our industry. For those who do not identify as a speaker, you will still take away important lessons of what to consider when making a big announcement.

I attended the 2014 National Speakers Association (NSA) Conference this week in San Diego for the first time. I joined NSA in July 2013 and have been looking forward to this event for almost a year. Filled with life-changing content, building blocks to life-long friendships and inspiration from the world’s greatest speakers, this week was an event that will be remembered for a lifetime!

The organization made a HUGE announcement during the conference and over the past several months the Board of Directors along with staff, special committee, hours of deliberating, surveys and questioning- the leadership team has decided to change the name of the National Speakers Association to Platform.

I have mixed feelings about this and don’t know why we needed a major name change overhaul like this (As I have heard, membership has been at an all-time high and we had a $100,000 surplus in our operating budget last year) but they said “the rate of change in recent years has outpaced the evolution of the organization, and it was clear we needed to make a number of changes to stay relevant as the premier association that serves the speaking profession.” Here are the pros and cons to changing the name of NSA:

Cons to changing the name of NSA

It is SO broad that it doesn’t tell people who we are.
I like the word “speaker.” I understand that others don’t identify as speakers as many of our members are entertainers, comedians, bloggers, authors, etc. and we are wanting to be more inclusive but there are many other organizations, associations for those people to join. This group is focused on speaking and using our voice to inspire, educate and entertain. Speakers first, blogger/author/comedian/etc. later. It is a disservice to Cavett Robert (Founder of NSA), our members and those we serve for not including a form of “speaker” in the name of our organization.

It sounds like an event, not a group!

I feel like I am going to Platform, not that I am part of Platform. It doesn’t tell me who I am or what I do. TED is an event. SXSW is an event. Sundance is an event. As I heard it explained, the Medial Doctors Association is not changing their name to Emergency Room, Plumbers Association of America are not change their name to Toilet and the Sailing Association of Australia is not changing their name to Ocean. Just because we speak from the platform, it does not need to be the name of our organization. I am afraid this word is trendy and what will it mean in 10 years?

What does this mean for everything else?
When they rolled out the name change on stage, they didn’t explain what else was changing. What about the website? What about the membership requirements to join? Where do we learn more about this and how can we get more information about how we incorporate this into our marketing?

Pros to changing the name of NSA

It will help grow our industry to include more professions.
The term “platform” allows other professionals to join our organization who do not feel they are speakers but rather thought leaders in a variety of mediums (blogging, vlogging, writing, entertainment, etc.). As much as I like the word speaker, I think it will grow the organization and attract new members around the world.

It is no longer a national organization but rather encompasses a global scale.
We should have changed it to Global Speakers Association with Platform being what our events were called and breakout sessions focused on platform specifics for speakers, bloggers, entertainers, comics, etc. But Platform is a more inclusive word than National, as we now have 20+ countries represented around the world. But again, why not Global Speakers Association?

The tagline is spot on!
Inform. Influence. Inspire. This, as an industry, is what we do and they did a wonderful job summarizing what value we add as speakers to those we serve with these three words. This will be a great way to help explain to others what I do for a living and that I am more than a public speaker, I am a problem solver.

Regardless of what you think about the name change, this involved a big announcement and a HUGE change to an organization who has more than 40 years of history. I commend the leadership team and Board for making this change and actually taking action to try and remain relevant. So the next time you are planning on making a big announcement at work, home or to your members, here are things to remember:

1) Remain professional and get insight from the world’s experts
2) Be prepared to answer questions and have staff trained and ready to answer FAQs
3) Have a place for people to get in touch to answer even more questions
4) Ask the right person to deliver the news to the group
5) Do a great job explaining “why” but also the “now what?”
6) Do your homework on what others inside and outside the organization think
7) Practice, Practice, Practice delivering the announcement beforehand

However, I don’t think associations are dead, I think the way we market them needs to improve and how we reach our target market could use some work. Because we are in over 20 countries now, I understand the need to change the word ‘National’ and would have like to have seen it be changed to The Global Speakers Association.

We are moving forward with Platform and it is an exciting time in the organization’s history as we plan to continue to serve thousands of people around the world each year with our messages, our ability to solve problems and add value to the masses.

QUESTION: I want to know what other (speakers and non-speakers) think about the new name change. Do you like the name Platform, why or why not? As speakers, let’s do what we do best and start talking and creating a conversation by posting our opinions below.