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Momentum, Passion and Transformation After much convincing, I got Nando to speak at the EDS sales incentive event in Maui, Hawaii. It was the wildest success one could imagine. It was even suggested that I retire because everyone agreed I would not be able to top the success with Nando. My friendship with Nando and his wife continued to flourish. I made a trip to Uruguay with my entire family. Nando thought the EDS deal was a onetime situation. However, his wife Veronique and I could not get over the impact he had on the event attendees and the letters and faxes that followed. We both felt there was a reason Nando survived and that he had a message the world needed to hear. I left my 20 year career at EDS and slowly started to build a strategy for positioning Nando in the speaking marketplace. Considering he was a somewhat reluctant participant, each step was intentional. One of our biggest breaks occurred in 1999. I cold called Elyse Gut, the program chair for HR Southwest, the largest regional HR conference. She told me there was no way she could use Nando because his name was not recognizable. She did agree to a meeting. Nando and I met with her and her team and left with a signed contract. Nine months later he delivered the keynote at their conference and a representative from SHRM-Society for Human Resource Management was in the audience. The next week SHRM booked Nando for their annual meeting. He keynoted with Gary Hamel, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and Doris Kearns Goodwin speaking to over 12,000 people. There are many more highlights: keynoting at the Million Dollar Roundtable, speaking to IASB-International Association of Speakers Bureaus and NSA-National Speakers Associations and the journey of Nando writing Miracle in the Andes which debuted as #10 on the New York Times Best Seller list. On the personal side, our friendship has grown tremendously over the years. We have watched each other’s families grow, attended confirmations and weddings and traveled the globe. Those who work around me always smile when I get off the phone talking with a new client about Nando. I just light up when I explain the impact he can create, the messages that will be delivered and knowing that lives will be transformed. I was touched by Nando’s story in 1995 and in the last 15 years, Nando has spoken to a half million people sharing a message about the importance of family, friendship the power of the human spirit and love. Up until now, this message has been limited to those companies and organizations that hire outside speakers. On Oct. 20, this important story will enter into living rooms across America for families to share together. The History Channel will air a new documentary entitled I AM ALIVE: SURVIVING THE ANDES PLANE CRASH. Recently, I was with Nando in NYC when he spoke to 5,000 people at HSM’s World Business Forum. This is an event that attracts business leaders from across the globe. This event has a seven year history of putting on two day events and that represents over 100 speakers. Organizers told us there have only been two standing ovations: President Bill Clinton and now Nando Parrado. I feel so blessed that I reached out to Nando and I have been part of this journey. Nando is an incredible person and friend. But he is also just like you and me. The only difference is he had a chance to learn the most important lessons in life when he was very young man. Through the magnitude of the story we are given a chance to put life in to perspective. Thank you Nando ….for being who you are…a great speaker and my friend. Thank you for sharing my philosophy that we do not book speeches but we create experiences that impact lives.
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     Click here to sign up for Blog Alerts Do You Take the Stairs? Saturday, March 03, 2012 Dr. Gary Chapman Brings the Love to Our Office DON'T HIRE MOVERS! Designing Women TEDxSMU - What a day! The End of the Up Experience Didn’t Leave Me Down Up, Up, Up. The Up Experience Part 3 Round 2 of the Up Experience The Up Experience, Truly Uplifting A First Class Event An Audience with the Dalai Lama The Best Email Tip I've Ever Heard Aristotle and Ideas at the IASB Conference On the Road Again Don't Just Book a Speaker, Create a Revolution Kids of the Suburbs Take Note Visiting Their Cells … Emotional. Energy. Sex, Mentors and Thank You ... An unexpected sort of day. Powerful. The only word for today. The Give Back Tour Begins Andre Norman … and Giving Back Energy and Synergy with Ankit Fadia Partnerships An Epic Trip Tom Martinez- A Story of Hate, A Message of Hope Kids and Speakers Ethics Live From New York Growth Customer Service: Going Above and Beyond In Remembrance of Randy Snow A Sense of Connection Event Wisdom: Simple things that make a difference International Events A CEO Who Gets it!!! Celebrating 10 Years of Inspiration Domestic Violence Milestones and Celebrations Meeting...No meeting? Speaker...No speaker? What's a planner to do? It Was No Coincidence Let's Get Healthy with Todd Whitthorne and Gail's Tips for Healthy Meetings Nando, Sonia, Tim and 2008 Timing is Everything ... and Steve Forbes, too. Rex Lewis-Clack and Cathleen Lewis
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