Roberto Candelaria, author of Relationships Raise Money: A Guide to Corporate Sponsorship and his forthcoming title SPONSORSHIP FOR INFLUENCERS:  Passion to Profit in 5 Simple Steps is an expert on sponsorships.  He recently asked members in one of his programs that I am participating in (http://www.ultimatesponsorshiptraining.com) to share who was the greatest influence on our business lives.

I answered that along with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Les Brown who were featured in the Community Unity Celebration I produced in 1990, Paul J. Meyer was the biggest influence on my cause-oriented businesses and affiliated non-profits (and one of the most meaningful influences on my life and living.) Paul was one of the most prolific creators of development training programs in history and founder of several major international companies, including Leadership Motivational International and Success Motivation Institute (where I was blessed to serve as 1 of 12 Regional Managers in the late 1990’s)

It is said that Paul sold over 2 billion dollars’ worth of programs (including The Dynamics of Personal Goal Setting, Dynamics of Personal Management, Dynamics of Motivation, Attitude is Everything, etc.)  AND he gave away over a billion dollars. He was a deeply spiritual person who loved God, our country, his family and everyone who worked with him. Paul loved to share that while 7 out of 10 projects he launched had failed, he was grateful for what he was able to produce, share and contribute from the other 3.  One of the most meaningful to me of his hundreds of legacy works is his Million Dollar Personal Success Plan.  

The late Dr. Peale who was 93 years young when he inspired a standing-room only crowd with his message on The Power of Positive Thinking is certainly a major role model for me and so is Les Brown who after decades of inspiring and motivating millions of people world-wide has just launched The Les Brown Foundation (www.lesbrownfoundation.org)