Dallas Fort Worth Speakers Bureau

Dallas Speakers Bureau

Scott Odom and Friends/Amputee Basketball, Standing UP

Check out this video!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz0sKqXCfZw

I have met an amazing young man, who is an amputee, and has formed a basketball team and is trying to form a league to play other teams. He also has a wonderful message and passion to go out and talk to kids elementary and Jr. High or really any age about:

Never giving up regardless of the odds

Don’t be quick to judge others

It’s not how you look, but what’s in your heart

Always follow your heart

Don’t let others tell you, you can’t do something

They like to demonstrate their ball handling skills and playing skills, answer questions, etc.  They can play a game with a group, with teachers or teams, or just demonstrate and have fun with some of the kids from the audience and then, through their questioning, get their points across.  This could also be done as a fund raiser. The kids love it!

His name is Scott Odom and they have a web site, www.amp1basketball.com

Check him out! Call me if you would like to consider partnering with Scott or having him at one of your functions. They are really DYNOMITE!

Testimonials:
My school recently had the blessing of hosting an Amp 1 Basketball assembly for our students. What an amazing opportunity for our kids! Scott and his team mates had the students so excited. My campus is a low socioeconomic school with kids struggling to find positive role models in their lives. Amp 1 not only taught our kids about self esteem, bullying, respect and body image… They gave our kids hope. They also showed our children that no matter what happens in life that they can be successful. What an inspiring and amazing group of men! I would be happy to speak with anyone regarding our experience and provide further reference if needed.  Brock Elementary

“We have many presentations at the junior high but this was one of the best. Between the discussion of positive body image and self esteem and the way friends change and how difficult that can be, this was a perfect assembly for our students. Scott Odom did a great job!” Mattituck Junior High School

“I was very impressed with the inspirational talk Scott Odom gave the Jr. High students. He served as an excellent role model for students who are confronted with seemingly dire circumstances. He overcame them and by his coming to schools today he is encouraging students to pursue their dreams.  What an excellent program! What a terrific game!”  Mattituck Junior High School

Scott Odom’s Bio - Scott Odom has about becoming a professional athlete. At the age of fourteen and first day of high school, he was diagnosed with osteocarcoma (Bone Cancer). Scott then chose to have his leg amputated to not only save his life, but to also return to playing sports.

After defeating cancer, he returned to high school baseball and was a pitcher on the team. One game he stacked up eleven strikeouts against Stephenville. After high school, Scott still had that passion of being the athlete he so long dreamed of. He remained very active in playing basketball daily even though he was unable to play in college.

When he asked around about if there was amputee basketball of some kind, he was told there was no such thing. The only thing there was wheelchair basketball or track and field with the Paralympics. He tried the track and field events for a bit but knew this was not where his heart was at. He wanted to play basketball.

With the drive and determination, Scott has been trying to start the first “stand up” amputee basketball league. His plan is to make amputee basketball into a national tour that travels around playing basketball and raises money for different charities.

Scott has found five other guys that are amputee’s, with his same passion for basketball. He has formed a team and now their dream is to share their message with all ages. Especially the kids from elementary through Jr. High who are going through struggles, peer pressure, bullying, looking different, different ethnic challenges, etc. He wants to let them know all things are possible.

Scott has also written a book about his experience with cancer. The book is entitled “I Lost My Leg, Not My Dream.”

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.

Dallas Speakers Bureau - Presented by speaker Debbie Gore, a dynamic speaker and presenter who can give you something different and a new meal recipe all at the same time.

Anti-aging Secrets: Connections
In my personal “Recipe for Life” one of my main anti-aging secrets is to connect with people. At a recent luncheon, I met a lovely lady and author, Caroline Sutherland. Caroline wrote The Body Knows…How to Stay Young: Healthy Aging Secrets. Her Recipe for Life is included in this newsletter for you to enjoy.

After college when we begin our careers or start our own business we refer to connecting as “networking”. Today, Facebook, Twitter and Linked In are ways to connect and are helpful vehicles for finding people with similar interests that may be able to introduce us to someone in their network.

These social networks are amazing, but I still believe the face to face meeting is where the business deals, personal relationships and friendships are created and cemented.

Whether pleasure or business is the connection, there are over 6.8 billion people in this world and many interesting perspectives that can teach you new ways of thinking that will keep you young. Never stop learning from the interesting people you encounter each day. Continue to reach out to others to enhance your own life recipe.

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.

Dallas Speakers Bureau

Schools are buildings with four walls, with tomorrow inside.

Long ago, people belong to kings, in today’s world, when education spreads, kings belong to the people.

A little education, properly applied, goes a long way.

The quote “live and learn”, may apply, but by the time they have learned, it is usually too late!

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.

Dallas Speakers Bureau 

At a recent conference, the speaker asked how many of the attendees used BlackBerries? Hands shot up. “How many of you use Twitter?” came the next question. “How about FaceBook?” Again hands–at least every other person’s–waved in the air.

Obviously, we have become adept in social networking and the associated electronics. But, “How many of you communicate effectively?”

If you communicate with clients, vendors, team members and/or management, it’s not about how instantaneous your communications are. It’s all about how clearly and concisely you send your messages…and once received, if the message is understood.

And even with cell phones, hand-helds of every description, and the Internet . . . management across the country continues to place poor communication at the top of their list of challenges. Here are the results from a recent corporate survey to encourage us all to evaluate the quality of our communications:

* 85 percent said their business has lost money due to ineffective presentations, proposals, or e-mail.

* 55 percent said employees could not easily find information they needed.

* 45 percent said information for business use is either inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

* 44 percent said information they use often lacked adequate detail.

* 44 percent said an average of 30 minutes to an hour was wasted each day due to ineffective written communications within the company.

Our kids are also using texting as a form of communication.  They don’t talk to each other any more!  They are not learning how to communicate with their actions, body language and words.

Be careful! While today’s electronics are far superior to anything we’ve ever known, don’t forget the importance of language and writing skills—the basics of communications for all of us—as we employ these electronic tools to stay in touch with clients or as a resource in order to achieve a higher performance level.

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.

Dallas Speakers Bureau

You are being evaluated every minute of every day on this one skill.

If you are not good at it, you can’t hide ‘it’…

You are certain to fail unless you have ‘it’….

This powerful, elusive skill is your ability to ‘ communicate with purpose and clarity!’

Not just how to write a letter or create an agenda but REAL WORLD communication skills!

Most people never think about communication skills needing to be upgraded. And yet, voice messages are way too long, emails are wordy and confusing and PowerPoint has become a never ending contest to see who can have the most dot points on the most slides. These are typical communication blunders that happen every day!

Come to this comprehensive session on “Real World Communication” where this instant upgrade will produce immediate positive results at work and at home.

This 4 hour engaging program promises to:

Provide techniques to get your point across quickly and concisely in emails, voice messages, PowerPoint and face to face communiqués. (i.e. – How to get someone to call you back when you leave a message or writing an email that stands out from the 100 others received)

Apply specific methods for tailoring your message to your listeners so you are more persuasive and influential. (i.e. – How to make your message heard in meetings)

Develop the psychological edge needed to handle any conflict situation.

Bring your entire team and you will be delighted with the positive results that emerge!

INVESTMENT: $99 PER PESON, FOR THE BEST FOUR HOURS YOU WILL EVER SPEND!

Session Date: March 26, 2010!

Location:  MD Resorts, 601 Old Base Road, Aurora, TX  76078

TIME:  1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Call Underwood Speakers Bureau to save your seat. Phone 817/416-9121, Fax 817/442-4814

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.

Dallas Speakers Bureau -The Mysteries of Valentine’s Day, compliments of Valerie & Company, one of my speakers and friend

Nobody really knows the true story of St. Valentine. In fact, it’s been a mystery for ages…but we do know February has long been a month to celebrate romance.

But, who was Saint Valentine?

• We can begin with the fact that the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
• One legend tells us Valentine was a priest during the third century in Rome. At about this same time, Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, so he outlawed marriage for young men— his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, the priest, realized the injustice of this decree, continued to perform marriages in secret for the young lovers of the day in defiance of Claudius and when Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered him put to death.
• Another legend tells us Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself. While in prison, Valentine apparently fell in love with a young girl— said to be his jailor’s daughter— who visited him. Before his death, it is alleged Valentine wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine,” an expression we still use today.

Although the truth as to why we celebrate Valentine’s Day remains somewhat murky and mysterious, the legends emphasize Valentine as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, a romantic figure…and, not surprisingly, by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

So, why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day in mid-February?

In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for cleansing and purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors, i.e., the practice of “spring cleaning.”

The Feast of Lupercalia, a pagan ritual also began at the ides of February and was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

But whatever the true story, St. Valentine’s Day remains the reason for a class party in almost every school in the nation and is noted on every commercial calendar in the country. It has become, indeed, as commercialized as every other special calendar date— so why not get into the spirit and celebrate in some small way with one or many people you care about?

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.

Dallas Speakers Bureau

Start the year off right with the proper business card!

1.    Print large enough to read easily. – You wouldn’t think I’d have to explain this, but, if you have so much information on your card that everything is printing really small, then you have too    much information on your card. You need your name, your phone number, and your email.  Only some of you need your address, your fax number, extra office numbers,etc. on the front of your card.Try using the back.
2.    Use a font that is clear. – If it’s hard to tell 1’s from 7’s and a’s from s’s and e’s, then you need a different font. I can’t call you if I can’t read the number.
3.    Use a Branded Email at YOUR web site. – Business professionals without their own web sites are not truly business professionals. I’m sorry to be harsh (I’m really not) but it is so easy and so very affordable to have a simple web page that there is no excuse not to have one. Many people have their web site on their card, but an email at some other company.   Why? Email addresses come with web sites. If you are used to your AOL, or other mailbox, then have your branded email address forwarded to your AOL, or whatever. And change your ‘reply to’ so it reflects your business email address.
4.    Have an email address with your first name@. – Many of us have difficult-to-spell last names. Why make people spell them in order to send us an email? As with all of your branding, keep it simple. If multiple people have the same first name, then just include the last initial.
5.    Leave enough white space to write. – Your business card is a primary tool when you’re networking. Why print a black card or a glossy card that no one can write on? Yes, they look good.     But, they’re not practical. Others need to take notes on your card about who you are and who you want to meet. Your business card is also the perfect tool to write your referrals for others when you pass them out.

These tips are very important to your business and your brand and come from one of my speakers Jeff Klein of Klein Creative.  Jeff’s topics can be found on my website.  He is a great marketer and networker.

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.

Why should you work with a Bureau? They should know the secret to finding the perfect fit.

Finding the “right” speaker or trainer for your event is like hitting a grand slam in the World Series… It’s exhilarating, knowing you have done your best for your team and they remember it long after the game is finished.

Your conference registration will depend on how great your programs and speakers were the year before. You know that good news travels fast, however a strike out will travel even faster.

It’s tough to know which speaker is the best fit for a particular event.  You need to be sure that your Keynote Speaker has a topic that will fit your theme, your audience and his or her personality will be magnetic! You also need to be sure that the conference ends on a high note and sends them off with renewed energy and commitment. This is where a professional Bureau will be a help.

• A bureau that can save you valuable time by having already researched local and big name presenters– the bureau knows the speaker’s style and general message and can narrow the field quickly for you.
• They will be aware of the purpose of your conference and the outcomes you are seeking.
• They need to know your audience and what their needs are as well as the mix of the audience, i.e. men, women, average ages, positions.
• With this information a bureau will fit a speaker with your event that has high energy and should be able to connect with your audience
• A bureau will have seen the speaker in action, either via video or a personal appearance. You should also ask to see a video of that proposed speaker for your own review.
• Ask the bureau for a list of referrals, people the speaker has worked for before and call a few of them.
• Be sure that the bureau knows your budget and can provide a speaker that fits within it. They should have a range of speakers at different price points.
• The bureau should put a package together that includes extra charges like expenses to get the speaker there, hotel rooms, meals etc.

Be sure that you work with a bureau that has your best interest in mind

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.

Dallas Speakers Bureau - Saw this poem and thought it was appropriate for the Holidays.  Enjoy!

It’s Christmas Time by Bob Lazzar-Atwood

Put your problems on probation
Run your troubles off the track,
Throw your worries out the window
Get the monkeys off your back.
Silence all your inner critics
With your conscience make amends,
And allow yourself some happiness
It’s Christmas time again!
Call a truce with those who bother you
Let all the fighting cease,
Give your differences a breather
And declare a time of peace,
Don’t let angry feelings taint
The precious time you have to spend,
And allow yourself some happiness
It’s Christmas time again!
Like some cool refreshing water
Or a gentle summer breeze,
Like a fresh bouquet of flowers
Or the smell of autumn leaves,
It’s a banquet for the spirit
Filled with family, food and friends,
So allow yourself some happiness
It’s Christmas time again!

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.

Dallas Speakers Bureau - Welcomes, Tim Kormos, new Software Trainer.  Call us for your needs

Tim Kormos began training as a corporate trainer in 1993.  Starting at TRW, Inc (now Experian) conducting Computer Operations training, then moving to LXI Corp providing Disaster Recover, Business Continuity and Data Protection analysis, planning and training to customers throughout the US, Canada and the Dominican Republic in Fortune 500 companies (IBM, Disney, Harley Davidson, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Chase Manhattan Bank, Bank of America and many more).  In 2006 Tim was accepted as a technical trainer by both National Seminars and Fred Pryor Seminars choosing to join Fred Pryor Seminars teaching Microsoft Office and Server Classes, Tim taught in 25 states in 9 months.  In 2008 Tim became a certified TABC Seller/Server Trainer educating adults and teens on the laws and expectations associated with the sale and service of alcohol in Texas.  With a fun, inclusive style and understanding how people learn, Tim uses his experience, energy and enthusiasm to deliver the highest quality educational programs to his students.

Programs:

Para-scripts (paraphrased transcripts) of recorded meetings or presentations.  Conversion of the spoken work into written word.

Webinars and teleconferences. (which can turn into podcasts or webcasts)  I handle the invitations, meeting management (greeting and introduction), presentation management (what’s on the screen) and attendee tracking.  Then if they want a para-script, I combine the script with the presentation materials and shazam they have a product they can package

Programs:

2007, Microsoft Office,Word,  Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access and Microsoft Project Training

Additional Programs:

Para-scripts (paraphrased transcripts) of recorded meetings or presentations.  Conversion of the spoken work into written word.

Webinars and teleconferences. (which can turn into podcasts or webcasts)  I handle the invitations, meeting management (greeting and introduction), presentation management (what’s on the screen) and attendee tracking.  Then if they want a para-script, I combine the script with the presentation materials and shazam they have a product they can package

Dallas Speakers Bureau owner Karen Underwood (Underwood Speakers Bureau) has provided hundreds of motivational, inspiration, educational and spiritual speakers and entertainers to businesses, organizations, and event planners in the Dallas, Fort Worth and general North Texas area. If you have an event that you need a great speaker for call 817-416-9121 for more information.