Sunday, April 25, 2021

How Do I Become a Motivational Speaker

One of the questions I'm often asked is, "How do I become a motivational speaker?" 

Even though I'm known around the country as a Top Motivational Speaker, I followed a very non-conventional path to that career. I spent years as a nationally-touring stand-up comedian before clients started asking me about being a "speaker" for their meeting. So I sort of fell into this career. 

But if I were starting out today - and not pursuing a career in stand-up comedy - here's the advice I would follow...

Purchase and read this book, "The Successful Speaker: Five Steps for Booking Gigs, Getting Paid, and Building Your Platform" by Grant Baldwin. It will answer your question much more thoroughly than I could begin to.

Next up, listen to Grant's podcast, The Speaker Lab. It's free. But make sure you buy his book, too. If you're not willing to spend $15 on your career, are you really serious about it?

The next thing to do is to find a Toastmasters Club near you. Go to a meeting. Get started. I'm sure that piece of advice opens up more questions - all of which can be answered on the Toastmasters website. 

Full disclosure: I have never attended a Toastmasters meeting. However, my understanding is that you get lots of "stage time". That's the key to any performing arts career: stage time. Get as much as you can. 

The advice so far would fall under "getting started". Once you're up and running (or if you are already there), the next step on your journey is to attend a National Speakers Association meeting. Find a NSA chapter near you and attend a monthly meeting or travel to their annual National meeting. 

That's it. You are on your way to Becoming a Motivational Speaker! Go inspire the World. 

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Stelling Guitar - Rare Acoustic Guitars by Huss & Dalton

I found a very rare acoustic guitar in a closet while cleaning out my parent's house:
Stelling Guitar Model SHD145
Serial number 66 of 101
Produced by Stelling Banjo Works of Afton, VA
Built by Huss and Dalton Guitar Company of Staunton, VA
Dated 01/05/1998

This is what I have learned...

Only 101 Stelling Guitars were made during a period from 1990-2002. They have been owned by Larry Sparks, Russell Moore (IIIrd Tyme Out), Charlie Sizemore, James King, Gary Brewer (Kentucky Ramblers), Gary Ferguson, and Leigh Gibson of the Gibson Brothers.

Geoff Stelling formed Stelling Banjo Works in 1974. He is considered among the best banjo makers there is. Jeff Huss began building instruments in 1984 as an apprentice at Stelling. He built several Huss guitars, and then built a few with the Stelling name on them for re-sale by Geoff Stelling. In 1993 he decided to leave Stelling to move into his home shop and build guitars full time. Some with his name, and some under the Stelling name. Mark Dalton became employed by Stelling in 1994. On a visit to Jeff's shop in the summer of 1995, the two began formulating ideas that led to the creation of Huss and Dalton Guitar Company, Inc. They continued to make guitars with the Stelling name on them for re-sale by Geoff Stelling until 2002.

My Dad bought Stelling Guitar #41 from Larry Sparks at a bluegrass festival and fell in love. From what I have been told, he approached Geoff about custom-building a guitar out of rare wood that he supplied, modeled after a Martin D45. The wood and several custom-touches make this a truly one-of-a-kind instrument. Dad was already in very poor health by 1998, and this guitar very likely rarely left the house. Personally, I have only vague recollections of seeing it. Since his passing in 2003, the guitar has remained untouched and I had completely forgotten it existed.

Here's a video of IIIrd Tyme Out performing "Erase All The Miles" featuring a Stelling RHD-100 (serial number 007):


Here's a video showing a Stelling RAD125 (believed to be serial number 016):


Search Internet message boards and you'll find no shortage of raves about Stelling guitars:
  • "This guitar would make you forget about a Martin." - banjoman56
  • "The workmanship is amazing - surpassing anything that Martin was doing at the time (and probably currently)." - WildJimbo
  • "Stelling guitars are great guitars." - docdobro
  • "It's an exceptional instrument in any way." - howsy-bee
  • "They are very nice guitars with great sound. I also have a 2004 Martin HD35 and the Stelling, which is modeled after the HD28 with a Tony Rice sound hole and pick guard, beats the HD35 in an A/B everytime." - jrfmgb
If you own a Stelling Guitar, let me know and I'll add it to this chronology:

  1. First Stelling guitar, model CHD-100 (1990). The first four were made of unstained cherry.
  2. CHD-100 (1990). The first Stelling guitar sold to the public. Robert Hannah, ordered and purchased this guitar in 1990. Now owned by his son Russell Hannah in Ringgold GA.

  3. CHD-100 Owned by private collector in Afton, VA.


  4. RHD-100 (1991) Originally purchased by Russell Moore. Now owned by Ruud de Bruin from The European World of Bluegrass, The Netherlands (see comments below). Photos on Facebook
  5. First RAD-125 with abalone trim (1993) owned by Geoff Stelling.


  6. RAD-125. Resides in Sussex County, Delaware with original owner (10/31/1994).



  7. RAD-125. Owned by private collector in Middlesex, NC.
  8. RAD-125. Owned by Dave Monroe (see comments).





  9. RHD-125. Owned by Private Collector in Raleigh, NC.
  10. RHD-125 (1996) Photos. Recently sold by David's Gear Bazaar in Beverly Hills, CA.

  11. RHD-125 (1996) Photos
  12. RHD-125






  13. RAD-125 (1996) Once played by Charlie Sizemore. *FOR SALE*





  14. RAD-125 (1997). Original owner, Gary Brewer.

  15. RHD-125 (1997). Originally owned by Larry Sparks. Now owned by a private collector in Graham, NC.
  16. RAD-125. Original owner, James King.





  17. Model? Custom made with red spruce and Brazilian rosewood. Resides in east Tennessee (see comments section). 

  18. First SHD-125 model, made of claro walnut (1997).
  19. RHD-125 (1997). Recently for sale in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Photos
  20. RHD-125 (1997). Original owner, Gary Ferguson.













  21. SHD-145 (1998) Owned by Larry Weaver of Raleigh, NC, author of this post. Photos






  22. RHD-125 (1998). Resides in Bethel, OH (see comments section)

  23. RHD-125 (05/18/1998). Owned by JRFMGB in Hudson, WI (see comments section)
  24. RHD-125 (1998) Originally purchased by Leigh Gibson of the Gibson Brothers. Now resides in Lakeland, TN (see comments section)












  25. First and only RHD-125S produced featuring a shaded top (1998)







  26. RHD-125 (2000) Photos
  27. SDH-145 (2000) Photos


  28. Last Stelling production guitar made (2002). Owned by Geoff Stelling.


I also found this Stelling Red Fox Series on an archived page. No idea of the year or serial numbers.

To call a Stelling guitar rare is a bit of an understatement. It is truly a piece of guitar history.

Please share your photos, comments and reviews in the comments section below. Know of a Stelling Guitar for sale? Seen a Stelling Guitar on Craigslist or eBay? Let me know and I'll be happy to spread the word.

References:
http://www.stellingbanjo.com/blog/a-stelling-banjo-chronology/
http://www.hussanddalton.com/history.html
http://unofficialhussanddalton.freeforums.org/how-did-jeff-learn-guitar-building-t216.html
http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/246551
http://www.guitarnoise.com/blog/huss-dalton/

This is a fan page for Stelling Guitar enthusiasts and has no affiliation with Geoff Stelling, Stelling Banjo Works, Ltd. of Afton, VA, Jeff Huss, or Huss & Dalton Guitar Company of Staunton, VA.

Friday, December 3, 2010

E-junkie Reviews Larry Weaver, Creator of Funny Awards

I've long been a supporter of e-commerce platform / shopping cart software e-junkie.com (read my e-junkie review). I use their services not only for selling Funny Awards online, but also to accept deposit payments for Larry Weaver Entertainment agency clients. The following interview is part of their recent in-depth profile, Featured Seller: Larry Weaver, Funny Employee Awards...

Larry Weaver is a professional comedian and creator of the Funny Office Awards Show: the company party where your employees are the stars. With nearly 20 years as both a corporate comedian and office worker, Larry brings a unique and refreshing perspective to workplace humor.

And of course we wanted to learn all about multi-talented Larry, and he has been very kind to spare sometime for an interview with us. Read further to learn from the comedian himself:
 
To start with, please tell us something about yourself.
I’m a supplier of speakers and clean comedy acts for the meetings and events industry. I’m also a stand-up comedian, writer and Internet marketing enthusiast. My company Larry Weaver Entertainment, LLC is based out of Durham, NC, USA.


You sell “Funny Employee Awards” through e-junkie. Tell us a little about that product.
“Funny Employee Awards” is a quick and low cost way to inject some much-needed fun into company meetings. Available in PDF format, it contains 101 funny printable certificates along with tips on organizing a humorous, entertaining, and rewarding recognition ceremony. We also offer stand-up comedians to host the awards ceremony live at your event. My entertainment agency caters to the corporate events market, so the live entertainment and awards fit together nicely.

How did you come up with the idea?
I worked as graphic designer for a pharmaceutical consulting company. The owner once asked me to Photoshop the head of a female coworker onto the body of a bikini model for a “funny award” he was creating for the annual office party. Keep in mind this was long before “The Dundies” episode on NBC’s The Office. I explained to him that this seemed inappropriate, and that I wanted no part of it. Undeterred, he used the glue-and-scissors method to do it himself. When he unveiled his homemade award at the party, everyone was highly uncomfortable. I learned that humor can really backfire in a corporate setting if not done correctly, and used the inspiration to create my own line of funny awards for bosses like him.

You enlisted some pretty notable writers to help create the awards?
Anyone who's tried to create their own funny awards knows that coming up with ideas is the toughest part. I was fortunate to make some incredibly talented life-long friends while attending the University of North Carolina. One of my long-time collaborators Reed Tucker is now a features editor at the New York Post. His help was invaluable. I also recruited his brother Bryan Tucker, an Emmy-nominated writer from Saturday Night Live, along with some other A-list comedians. So yeah, I had a real all-star cast of writers.

You’ve since expanded the line of awards?
I began selling Funny Employee Awards at www.FunnyEmployeeAwards.com. That domain has served me well, but it’s a bit long and inherently limited by its description. This year, I purchased the domain www.FunAwards.com and released Funny Awards for Teachers. In 2011, you can expect to see funny awards for sports, school and many other occasions.

According to you, what would be the apt explanation to describe E-Commerce and its advantages?
We have a pretty high sales volume and a client base from around the Globe. It would be impossible to fulfill orders manually. Using e-junkie’s digital delivery service, customers are able to purchase the product and access it immediately. It’s great for the customer. It’s great for our business.

As an internet marketing expert, tell us how it can be a boon for a business to touch new heights?
The Internet allows you to reach prospective customers at the very moment that they’re searching for your product or service. It’s the ultimate in instant gratification. It also allows the smallest of businesses to compete on a global stage. But it’s hard work. A lot of people don’t want to hear that part.

Today, Larry Weaver Entertainment is one of the most likable and trusted sources of entertainment, how do you feel about it?
First of all, thank you. I’ve been in the entertainment business for over 20 years and comedy is my passion. It’s what I love to do, so it never seems like work. I put my name, my face, and my reputation on the line for each and every transaction. Trust is a big issue on the Internet and people appreciate that there’s a real person there to help them when they need it.

Apart from being a great comedian, you have been a professional wrestling manager, an author, and an Internet marketing consultant, we are curious to learn about your experience in each of your profession.
I’ve opened concerts for Weird Al Yankovic and Faith Hill, worked as a pro wrestling manager alongside WWE Superstars Matt and Jeff Hardy, recorded several albums of funny songs (search iTunes for Larry Weaver), taught Internet Marketing classes across the U.S., and authored several books including my latest, “How to Hire Comedians.” Those experiences are all tied back to performing, so they do sort of fit together. I just do things that interest me.

As you are a multi-talented guy, many of your fans (or non-fans also) would draw inspiration from you, few lines for them?
Follow your passions. Good jobs are hard to come by these days, so you may as well take a stab at doing what you love. It just might pay off!

Thank you for a wonderful interview Larry, and we hope you reach new heights by spreading laughter everywhere.

To see samples of funny office awards or to order the certificates, visit http://www.funawards.com. You can also visit his Funny Awards blog where you can find free funny award ideas and stories from successful office parties around the world.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

How to Make $20 Million a Year as a Comedian

Want to pull in $20 million per year as a comedian? Get a puppet.

At least that's the message sent by a recent Forbes article on America's 10 Top-Earning Comedians. Two of the Top 3 grossing acts are ventriloquists. Here's the full list:
  1. Jeff Dunham, $22.5 million
  2. Dane Cook, $21 million
  3. Terry Fator, $20 million
  4. Chelsea Handler, $19 million
  5. George Lopez, $18 million
  6. Larry the Cable Guy, $16.5 million
  7. Russell Peters, $15 million
  8. Jeff Foxworthy, $11 million
  9. Howie Mandel, $11 million
  10. Bill Engvall, $10.5 million

According to the article, "the comics had to count stand-up as their primary income, a qualification that left funnymen like Jerry Seinfeld, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno off this year's list." Curiously missing from the list is prop comic Carrot Top, who is undoubtedly raking in big bucks for his ongoing gig at the Luxor in Vegas.

I'm not sure we can read too much into the list, but let's try. Here's a breakdown by style:
  • 33% Blue Collar Comedians (Cable Guy, Foxworthy and Engvall)
  • 20% Ventriloquists (Dunham and Fator)
  • 20% Minority Comedians (Lopez and Peters)
  • 10% Female Comedians (Handler)
  • 20% Other. High Energy? High Style? (Cook and Mandel)
Clearly it helps to have a gimmick. And before you flame me in the comments section, let me put that a more palatable way -- clearly it helps to have an easily definable style.

Being funny is one thing. Being marketable to the masses is another.

To successfully crack the Top 10 for next year you very well may need a good hook. So while you're working on your killer monologue, don't forget to work on your packaging.

You need a good angle. Or maybe just a puppet.