Jim Cathcart selected for 3rd consecutive year as Top 5 Speaker

Each year, Speakers Platform recognizes five speakers within ten popular topic areas. Excellence in speaking is based on: expertise, professionalism, client testimonials, presentation skills and original contribution to the field. The only substantive requirement is that the candidates’ standard keynote presentation fee be under $25,000USD. Once the nominees are chosen, online voters determine the final Top5 honorees.

Over 13,000 votes were received at Speaking.com for the initial 157 nominees- from business leaders, educators, association members and others from around the world. Many voters praised the nominees for having a profoundly positive impact on their lives; a living testament to the far reach and valuable work of all the nominees. Please join us in congratulating your 2012 honorees!

It is a great honor to be recognized in this way and to receive it for three years in a row is a very special honor!

Jim Cathcart is known worldwide for his many books and seminars on Relationship Selling and The Acorn Principle. In the past few years he has delivered lectures and consulted with clients in: Warsaw, Poland; Macau, China; Juneau, Alaska; Santiago, Chile; Panama City, Panama; San Jose, Costa Rica; Bogota’, Colombia; and across the USA and Canada.

He has also lectured, as recently as last week, as a featured presenter in the University of Southern California’s Distinguished Speakers Symposium, cosponsored by the National Speakers Association’s Los Angeles Chapter. As the author of 16 books including two international bestsellers, Jim Cathcart is in demand worldwide.

For scheduling information or to see a video of some of his presentations, go to Speaking.com or directly to the “See Jim on video” tab at Cathcart.com.

Happy  New Year everyone! This is “ReThinking Week” here at Cathcart Institute, a practice we’ve followed since the 1970s. The time between the major holidays is generally slow for other-than-retail businesses so it’s a great time to dream, reflect and analyse.
Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Block out at least one hour each day of an entire week between now and January 31st to use for thinking and rethinking. Make this a vital appointment, don’t just “intend” to do it.
2. Take one category for each day’s thinking, e.g. Health Goals & Physical Habits, Financial Practices, Habits & Goals, or Relationship Patterns, Practices & Goals.
3. Consider everything a “zero-sum” game, in other words, all things are up for reconsideration and possible change. No existing practice goes without being considered for elimination, replacement or increase.
4. Keep written records of what you decide in each area. Keep them all together so that you can review the whole of them at the end of this process.
Your goal here is to take an objective look at your life, your relationships, habit patterns, work habits, life decisions, etc. and make sure you are doing what you truly want to do, not just continuing what you’ve become used to.
5. At the first of the year, start planning which goals you’ll pursue, which practices you’ll stop or change, and develop your action plans to get it done.
No more “resolutions”, just make new Commitments. Don’t “try” to lose weight; instead Commit to Becoming Slender and staying that way (that means embracing new habit patterns.) Last year on Christmas night (2010) I decided to remove 10 excess lbs and become more fit. Within six weeks I had lost the extra fat and all year long I became more fit. Now, one year later, I’m 18 lbs lighter with more muscle mass and greater fitness. Little rules I made for myself helped a lot: like “no more wine at home unless we are entertaining company.” That saved me 200 to 400 calories a day!
Whether it’s your health or wealth or whatever, please give “ReThinking Week” a try. You can change your life…Starting Right Now!!!!!

Give me a call if you’d like some help getting this done. Happy 2012!

In the Spirit of Growth,

Jim Cathcart

info@cathcart.com

This video will show you what the Speaker Hall of Fame Award, the “Council of Peers Award for Excellence” or CPAE is all about. In 1985 I was one of five people so honored. The photo below was taken only a few years ago as I was introducing one of the latest inductees.

Click on the photo to access the YouTube video that shows and describes this special award and the many people who have received it over the years. Of the 4,000+ who have been members of NSA at its peak enrollment only around 200 people have received this designation. There are currently 130 living CPAEs listed on NSA’s website.

Rollis Fontenot interviews Jim Cathcart on how to stay motivated, get fit, deal with adversity, and succeed in your career. This special series of interviews brings you an up close and personal insight into the minds and lives of exceptional achievers.

Motivation expert Jim Cathcart shares his personal philosophy of success and self motivation.

Not long ago my friend and colleague Gerhard Gschwandtner, publisher of Selling Power Magazine interviewed me for his publication. He asked me about my most memorable sales experience.

It didn’t take me long to think of it; the sale was to Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company and I was being considered as the potential keynote speaker for their 100 Year Anniversary dealers convention.
Here is the story in video with a special surprise at the end of the video. I hope you enjoy it.

If you’d like to train your own sales team to think like this then please give me a call.
In the Spirit of Growth,
Jim Cathcart
800-222-4883
info@cathcart.com

by Motivation Expert, Jim Cathcart

“Resume The Boom!”

The economy is in the doldrums because the people are depressed. Much like The Dark Ages when the prevailing mood was gloom and doom, we see very little optimism and hope today. The news is filled with discouraging information and reports that lead us to be more suspicious of each other and skeptical of everything we hear. Each day brings a new expose’ of some corrupt institution or a new regulation that carries with it a host of reporting requirements and restrictions on normal communication. But there is enormous opportunity behind this gloom.

What we need is a “Rennaissance,” a rebirth of the desire to grow and succeed.

When business is depressed it doesn’t go away, it just gets postponed. People still want a new car and many need one, but they’ve delayed their purchase due to economic fears. Couples still want to buy a new home or renovate the one they have but banking and mortgage regulations have caused them to delay.

But the need and desire to buy still exist. In many cases, the money is also available, but the commitments are inhibited by fears and uncertainty. It’s hard to exert initiative when you are confused. So what do we do?

Re-Start with a Dream

Every great advancement begins in the mind of one individual who decides to take action on his or her dreams. They see the goal in their mind or feel the desire in their heart and then they act upon it. That is what we need MUCH more of today: goals and desires.

Step One is to Define What You Want. Until you have a clear target you will not take bold action.

Here’s an exercise to break the inertia:

1. Start a journal page listing all the things that you care about; your family, friends, health, home, country, company, church, body, mind, relationships, skills, tools, toys, everything you can think of. Add to this list over the next week and make it as complete as you can. Get everything you care about onto that page.
2. Take time to review the listings in a leisurely way. Don’t “study” it, just review it. Let it drift before you…and then Notice What You Notice. In other words, reflect on what you are seeing and make notes about what matters most to you.
3. On a separate page start writing what you want. Don’t worry about sequence or priority just start listing what you want or would like to have or do. It could be as simple as a new lamp for the family room or as ambitious as being elected to the presidency of your industry association. Have no concern over whether you can achieve it, just write it down. Take your time and do this over a week or so. Come back to the list each day for a few minutes and add to it or refine it.
4. Once you have the Wants List you are ready to set some new goals. Review the wants and circle the ones that matter most to you. From this short list you will be able to draw some Next Step goals to truly go to work on. This process can be done for a company as well as an individual.

“Without Reflection there is no true learning.” Kevin Buck

It is time for the dreamer in you to emerge once again. Re-ignite the caring genes in you. Start talking about what’s possible. Get others engaged in conversations about how good it could be if we all started contributing toward the growth of our company, community, family or country. The big questions are:

What do you really want?  

What are you willing to do in order to achieve it?

How can you start working on it today? 

Be one of the initiators of the ReBooming of America! Resume the Boom!

I was born in 1946 and graduated high school in 1964. Those dates define “The Baby Boom”; 78 million people born during the 18 years after World War II. Our boom has driven a mega-market for everything from diapers to depends over the course of years.

Today 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day. Read that again…yes, “every day!”

But unlike Mom & Dad and our own grandparents, we aren’t retiring and fading away. We are still active. Socially, financially, professionally, physically and intellectually…we are vitally still engaged in the world.

This presents an interesting opportunity for the rest of the world. How do we cope with and profit from meeting the needs of this huge group? The answer will vary depending upon your field of involvement.

Here are just a few of the emerging needs and wants.

• Learning to use Social Media to stay actively connected
• Special Interest Groups: every imaginable area from hiking clubs to NASCAR to culinary arts to photography, sailing and salsa dancing
• Fitness for Seniors who still desire to compete or advance
• Musical performances: still eager to Rock & Roll
• Discussion Groups: continuing their intellectual growth
• Political Involvement
• Community Leadership & Public Service
• Financial Security
• Leaving a Legacy
• Leisure Travel & Exploration
• Healthcare Services
• Seniors Communities and Services
• Making a Difference in the World

They are also still looking for opportunities to do more.

You might enjoy this brief video from my appearance before 1,500 professional speakers in Anaheim, CA recently. It adds a musical perspective to the message above.

Allan Karl, the world motorcycle tourer, joined me on a ride up the California Coast this week and took the following video. We had stopped for refreshments in Big Sur, California among the giant redwoods, and wouldn’t you know it, the store had some guitars for sale! I borrowed them and played a tune on each one. Here is one of the songs: Don’t Think Twice by Bob Dylan. I hope you enjoy it.

Cathcart Live In Big Sur from Allan Karl on Vimeo.

And here is my first “Music Video” also done by Allan, from some of the other songs I played that day, mixed with actual footage from our ride on the coast highway that day.

Jim Cathcart Performs Roadside In Big Sur! from Allan Karl on Vimeo.

Nola was the store keeper and she enjoyed the music too. Allan and I rode from Cambria to Castroville, then went separate ways. I continued on to Santa Rosa in the wine country of Northern California where I attended the Healdsburg Guitar Festival 2011, presented by Luthiers Mercantile International, Inc. at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Inn in Santa Rosa.

I’ve uploaded 80 photos from the trip to my Facebook page. You’ll see hundreds of high-end guitars, an assembly of some of the world’s finest guitarists and every imaginable resource one would need if you were to build your own custom guitars. Some of the players included: Tony McManus • Al Petteway • Laurence Juber  • Vicki Genfan  • Teja Gerken • Kinloch Nelson • Stevie Coyle. 

While I was on this trip I had several fun experiences. In San Simeon (Hearst Castle area) I stayed at the Silver Surf Motel and asked the check in clerk, Benjamin, if the hotel by chance had a guitar on site. He said, “I have one in my car!” He brought it in and let me play it. I tuned it for him and then sat by the fountain in the courtyard and played and sang a dozen songs. People came out on their balconies to hear, and many who walked by slowed their pace to hear the music. Then a young couple stopped and he, Brian, opened a case and took out his ukelele! It turns out that he’s a skilled musician and he joined me for a spontaneous Jam Session of about 20 songs. It was magical. He started playing along even before we spoke. Music truly is the universal language.

In Santa Barbara before my main trip commenced, I stopped at the factory & HQ of Seymour Duncan Acoustic to conduct a sales training seminar for their team. Seymour is world famous as the designer of high quality pickups for guitars. He’s also a master guitarist. He told me that he had recently been playing with James Burton who backed up Elvis and many more.

I rode straight through San Francisco and twelve zillion cars & trucks, across the Golden Gate Bridge, through Marin County and on to Santa Rosa. Upon arrival in Santa Rosa I checked into my hotel, freshened up with a swim and went to the opening night guitar event at the Last Day Saloon. It was packed and fun! Be sure to try their Fish Tacos and the Great White beer.

The next day I personally inspected, strummed or played about $2,250,000 worth of guitars! Seriously, there were 118 luthiers in attendance each displaying around 5 of their best instruments which averaged in price around $5,000. Some cost over $20,000 and some “only” $2,400. You’ve got to attend this event at least once if you love guitars. I met the man who did the custom inlays on Martin Guitar Company’s 1,500,000th guitar, the DaVinci, Harvey Leach. I have a brief video of this guitar on my YouTube page.

After a full day of playing guitars and meeting makers I went to the Cellars of Sonoma wine bar nearby and met Robert, their guitarist who was singing in the corner as guests sampled the wines. He let me sit in for a few songs and I had a delightful time entertaining both those in the restaurant as well as those passing by on the sidewalk. Ahhhh, I love this!

The next day, Sunday, I rode through Sonoma, Napa and many vineyards, then down Hwy 680 to San Jose, and on south via farm road Hwy 25 to finally stop in Pismo Beach for the night. There’s a small simple looking hotel there called The Beachcomber Inn (7 rooms) that you must check out. Outside it looks like a simple motel, but the rooms are immaculate! Copper sinks, wood shutters, reading pillows, iPod radio, flat screen TV, microwave, coffee maker, every appointment you can imagine, covered parking and 1/2 block from the water. Grace is the manager and she’s a delight. Skip the big hotels with the same rooms as each other and stay in this boutique hotel next time.

After a great run on the beach this morning I rode home with one stop at Fess Parker’s Hotel (Davy Crockett) in Los Olivos, CA, the wine country featured in the movie Sideways. It is a wonderful life indeed. Thanks for letting me share my adventure with you. Now go make your own adventure plans. You deserve a special treat.