Last week, one of my National Speakers Association colleagues, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones passed away. Charlie wasn’t a close friend but yet I was impacted by his life. I rememeber the first time I met Charlie at an NSA meeting. He was over the top excited and gave me a giant hug. I remember thinking, “What is this guy on!”. It turns out he was on “life” and that’s the way he treated everyone. Charlie paved the way for so many speakers as he was a pioneer in the speaking profession and he was so RICH. He gave away thousands of books as he believed in the power they had to change lives. As recently as a few weeks before his death, he was still impacting other people. Take a moment to view this interview with a legend in motivational speaking, Charles “Tremendous” Jones.

Note: This was recorded less than two weeks before his death.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

It’s getting irritating. No, it’s past irritating. And yes I am talking about our presidential election. How can two grown men on national TV look at each other and say the things they do in a debate and on national TV is beyond me.  I don’t know how Barack Obama or John McCain sleep at night. I certainly don’t know how they can let their children (or grandchildren) watch their TV ads. It’s despicable! What on earth are we teaching our young people? It’s no wonder so many have little interest in serving in elected positions. I was on a college campus briefly last night and was surprised to see a room full of kids watching the debate. I wondered what they thought about these two after growing up with messages like be respectful, tell the truth, honor others, and proudly serve.  After watching and hearing all the mud slinging for weeks, I ready for a break. I wish they would just tell us what they COULD do instead of what the other won’t do or hasn’t done. It’s the opposite of what I try to write about her. They are teaching poverty pontification and it needs to stop. Of course it will in a few weeks. Everyone will be nice when the election is over. Barack and John will shake hands, wish each other well, and promise to help the other. Theyn after the holidays it will all start again. To our international friends, please pardon our behavior. We are not like this all the time. Trust me, it’s only at election time.  

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

In this weeks USA Today, there was an insert titled Sharing in the USA. There were stories about Habitat for Humanity, movie stars Natalie Portmna and Lucy Lui, NFL player Warwick Dunn, and most intriguing 13 year olds Josh Hofing and Talia Leman. Josh is raising money to build a well in Ethiopia. Talia Leman started a non-profit called RandomKid.com. Incredible young people making a great difference in the world. 

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

Like many Americans, I tuned into the Vice Presidential debate with Joe Biden and Sarah Palin last night. While it’s obvious that they have divergent views about the Iraq situation, they share at least one thing in common - both have sons serving there. As I watched the debate, I was reminded of an interview I had recently with Bob Bergquist. Bob is the father of Brittany and Robbie, who at ages 12 and 14 started an organization called Cell Phones for Soldiers. Their non-profit has raised over 2 ½ million dollars by collecting and selling old cell phones using the proceeds to buy phone cards for the US troops. This year, they hope to convert the old cell phones that they collect into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas. It would be easy to assume that because these two high school aged kids spend 20-25 hours per week on their 5013c non-profit, that is all they have time to do. The reality is that Brittany and Robbie are both honor roll students and excel in softball and soccer respectively. Through increased fundraising efforts, the Bergquist family hopes to raise more than $9 million in the next five years to fund new programs, such as providing video phones with prepaid service to allow soldiers abroad to see their families on a regular basis.

Robbie and Brittany Bergquist started Cell Phones for Soldiers with $21 of their allowance money. When I hear about kids like Brittany and Robbie, I am encouraged that our future will be bright. I see young people who care deeply, do the right thing, and find away around barriers to achieving their goals. Today’s young people are rich and many don’t seem to care about money. These “kids” are donating hours of time, they are leading others more than twice and three times their ages, and they are mobilizing people to unite for a common goal and common good. Perhaps one of them wil be a future Palin or Biden. 

Watch a You Tube video clip of Cell Phones for Soldiers

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com