108-Motivational speaking slow burn exploding

The slow burn of my motivational speaking career has been exploding lately, and after I was signed by a speakers bureau (www.speakerbook.com.au) on Friday, I feel like Sherminator from American Pie: "confidence is high, I repeat, confidence is high."

I started my motivational speaking career in March last year, so it has been an extraordinarily slow burn, but I feel like my level of success as a speaker will be commensurate with how long I've waited to get it right.

When I speak to audiences I try and make them feel good about the life they're living - I've never claimed to be a business guru, or a leadership specialist-my area of expertise is getting bashed and having strokes, so all I'm trying to do is encourage people to be proud of living a decent, honest life. To find out how I'm doing it, check out my listing on speakerbook:

http://www.speakerbook.com.au/speaker?usr_num=357&d=139979023324

107 - A gift to the Pennant Hills AFL club from Barnaby Howarth & Luke Turner

It may not be a person, a being or an organism - it's not capable of showing emotion or expressing love, and it can't give presents or show gratitude for any it recieves, but the  Pennant Hills Football Club has done so much for Luke Turner and I that we want to give it a small gift - $1000 worth of Swisse multivitamins.

Luke and I submitted a video about my 100th game for the Pennant Hills Demons in July last year to the Swisse Quality Club of the Year competition, where the runners up prize was $1000 cash and $1000 credit on the Swisse online store. We gave the Demons the $1000 cash at Give it a Crack last year, and now it gives me great pleasure to present the Pennant Hills AFL club with $1000 of Swisse multivitamins from the online store on behalf of Luke Turner and I.

Results in the competition were based on the number of 'likes' given to each competing video on Facebook, so to everyone who 'liked' our video, thank you.

To see the video, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6JcqoOCeMw, but for the footy club, $1000 of Swisse multivitamins are yours for the taking, so any potential spectators, get down to see the Demons over the next few weeks, as after a diet rich in protein bars, fish oil tablets and vitamin supplements, they are going to be ripped, buff, and firing on all cylinders.

106 - Share Kokoda in 2015

On this 99th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, the rememberence ceremonies accross Australia today are moving different people in different ways, but whatever Australia's military history means to you, come and celebrate it next year by walking the Kokoda Trail.

There's no 'one size fits all' stirring moment in war history - in Sydney this morning, a 10 year old girl was at the march to watch her uncle take part, in Gallipoli a young school boy was moved to tears as his school choir performed at the dawn service, and in Brisbane a Vietnam veteran read a poem he'd written that has helped him deal with his late onset post traumatic stress disorder. We all have different motivations, but whatever yours is, I urge you to tap into it and join the crew walking the trail next year.

Details on the trip and how to reserve your spot follow:

Kokoda To Owers Corner

• Destination: Kokoda PNG
• Duration: 8 days
• Departs: 21/10/2015
• Arrives: 29/10/2015
• Price: $3,685
• Led by: Australian Led

To book your spot, email Kokoda Spirit (enquire@kokodaspirit.com) with your full name and preferred postal address and a Booking Confirmation letter will be emailed to you, once the letter comes through, put your depsit down ($500) to reserve your spot.  

105-How Barnaby impacted the GWS Giants-VIDEO: http://shar.es/Ty34h

Testimonial from Simon Katich from GWS Giants

After giving a motivational speech to 15 people at the Horsby Heights Soccer Club, the man who got me there commented that "from little things, big things grow." And in front of a packed room at the GWS Giants AFL team's training headquarters at Sydney Olympic Park, I feel like big things are here.

I took a risk when I started my business in motivational speaking when I decided to tell audiences that a "normal" life is something to be proud of. It was risky because I thought people might want more - did they want to be told they could be anything they wanted if they just applied themselves right? Maybe, but what about the people who don't want to be world beaters? What about the people who want to be proud to just be a parent, or a team leader, or an emergency for their local footy team?

I wasn't certain that message was enough, but after these written and video testimonials from former Australian test cricket opener, Simon Katich from GWS, I feel like a normal life IS good enough.

Testimonial by Simon Katich

Barnaby Howarth's presentation to our young playing group at the Giants was truly inspirational.  His positive attitude to life after suffering a major stroke through no fault of his own gave our young players an extremely important message to learn from when dealing with setbacks in life.  Barnaby’s presentation skills were polished and conveyed a good mixture of serious messages along with some light-hearted moments which kept the boys entertained throughout.
Even though Barnaby’s footy career is complete, we at the Giants know he will continue to kick many more goals as a public speaker and whatever he puts his mind to.
Barnaby is a champion.

Video Testimonial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbopKxX9oXc

Testimonial from Leon Cameron, head coach of the GWS Giants

The philosophical reasons for the testimonials from the GWS Giants are explained in blog 103, this video testimonial from Giants head coach, Leon Cameron, is just an out and out brag - I'm not trying to hide it, so enjoy:

Leon Cameron testimonial

Diabetes horror story...me

I have been speaking to a young diabetic girl about telling the story of her struggles with the disorder at a diabetes fundraiser I'll be MCing in August to try and highlight the importance of finding a cure, but after passing out in a CBD laneway because of a low blood sugar level last night, and lying there in the patchy rain for a few hours until a passing citizen called the authorities who got me to hospital and stabalised me until I was ok to leave, I now have my own horror story to tell.

My incident started at lunchtime, when I had my regular dose of insulin, but I had something a little differnet for lunch - I got a crepe (which wad bloody good incidentally - from "Crepe Cart" in the Devonshire street tunnel), but the crepe didn't have the amount of carbohydrate to match the insulin I'd had. When I got a bus after work to go to meet a mate at Bunnings in Randwick, but ended up in Kingsford, I should have realised I wasn't thinking straight and checked my sugars, but instead I got a bus back into town to try again. When I got back to town things turned pear shaped, and I wandered around in a stupor until I passed out in a lane between George street and Pitt street. Thankfully after lying on the ground for about 2 hours, an ambulance turned up, gave me some glucose and took me to Sydney hospital to recover.

I made it back home fine, my sugars are back to normal today, and I've ordered an emergency ID bracelet, but last night's incident showed me that diabetes horror stories aren't confined to young children, they can strike anyone at any age at any time.

We need a cure.