Musings of the Moodivator …

There are currently numerous tips on twitter and in online articles about personal branding and the importance of it. It got me thinking of my own journey through ’brandingville’ all done without a map. This is my story …

It was the early 90′s and I chose to be in the audience of a monthly lecture series of world renowned motivational speakers. I had already been speaking for pay for over 5 years and thought hearing ‘the best in the business’ would be beneficial. I vividly remember my feelings as I listened to them preach about $ucce$$; boast about who they had lunched with; and brag about their over two hundred days of the year travelling for work. Some even told the identical ‘personal story’.

While many sat in awe of their revered lifestyles and bobbed their heads in agreement of every idea, I cringed. At the end of the series although I knew most in the audience were completely wowed, I was not. I knew then that as a speaker I could not promote personal wealth, attainment of materialistic goods and ways to maneuver your way to the top. God bless the ones who can and may they be successful but I knew right then it was not me. And that’s precisely who I had to be to achieve my own version of success.

It got me to question if I wasn’t that speaker, then what type of speaker was I?

I came to accept that I was a a humorist who could hold up the mirror to reflect who we are, what we do and guide us to find the funny in it. I had discovered my purpose. As an experienced observer and commentator of life, I was a really good tickler.

The joy for me came when I could get a positive reaction from someone in my audience … a laugh out loud, belly shaking laugh is awesome; a guarded giggle is completely acceptable; an outright smile is more than satisfactory; and a smirk is at least the start of something … most often resulting in a snort that gets everyone’s attention.

So it was in the early 90′s, after many years of speaking on the meaning, use and importance of humour that I focussed on the words I so often spoke.

“Humour is a disposition. Humour is a state of mind. Humour is a mood.”

They became the impetus of my work.

I got pleasure at looking at our various moods and acting them out to great appreciation and approval. At the same time I was frequently invited to deliver keynote addresses to kick off or wrap up conferences because in their words “we want someone who can set the tone.”  I knew in my heart, that was me.

And then the light went off. I decided that rather than pretend to be skilled with the knowledge and know how to motivate others, perhaps I was better equipped to ‘moodivate them’. I knew if given the opportunity I could change the mood of the room and perhaps make their hour, maybe even their day but beyond that was up to them. I can’t promise to change their life. That is an inside job.

So my brand was born. I decided I was a ‘Moodivational Speaker’. Next came the definition of the word ‘moodivate’. Nowhere to be found, most definitely not in the dictionary I had to make it up. And I did …

Soon to follow was the tag line … ‘to tickle your funny bone’.

Tickle: to amuse, delight, to entertain.

And the finishing touch to the business card was attaching a turquoise  feather. Just because.

And hence ‘I was branded’. I recently celebrated 25 years of speaking and have no desire to retire. It’s just too much fun sharing the humour with others. And when they ‘get the message’ in midst of their outburst of endorphins … ahhhh, now that’s success.

Stay tuned for a series of CBL Vintage Video clips coming to a neighbourhood Youtube site.