I was a motivational speaker at an Air Force event a while back. If anybody deserves a visit from a humorist, it had to be that group. Check out this very cool, very makes-me-feel-awesome letter from one of the folks in the audience:
Brad,
I am sure that you dont remember me but we met two years ago at the Air Force Sergeants Association conference in Orlando, Florida. Since your presentation I have been looking for that “little bit of magic” in everday life.
I was asked tonight about my thoughts about deployment and what others might be thinking or feeling about the location that they are in and the location that we are in (thank God we are in a less dangerous location).
I thought about the little bit of magic that you talked about when you gave your motivational presentation. If I can get that person to say “How cool is that” where we are then I am doing ok.
I have longed to get a “squeeker” out of a childs toy and have fun with the people that I am deployed with.
I know that this is lame and I dont blame you if you dont want to answer…..do you have any little tidbits of wisdom that I can use on my folks to get them to smile. I have been working with them for about 2 months now (give or take a week), and I think they might be getting a little tired of my bad jokes (but I still get a sad smile and a head shake so I am not giving up).
I dont care if they think “Hey the Shirt (slang for 1st Sergeant) is goofy”…… I live for Goofy.
You may never know (althought I hope you do) how much of a difference you have made on the many lives that you touched that August day in 2007. I can not say THANK YOU enough.
Please keep up the good work and thank you again for your support of our fighting men and women. I am just a crusty old reservist that has more grey hair than sense but if I can help make a person smile then I can retire a happy man.
YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!
Tony
Tony… you made my day. And … it’s you who rock. (Ok..we both rock.) I’m absolutely floored. Thanks so very much for taking the time and trouble to reach out to me. I work for hundreds of audiences a year, and in this goofy motivational speaker job, you just never know if anybody is really listening. So hearing from you was like a tonic. And now I don’t even need the gin.
I think that Tony is asking the right question: how can I make this job more bearable and fun for my team? The answers aren’t always obvious, even to me — and I think about this stuff a bunch. But the very fact that Tony is thinking about it makes him a better manager, a better leader, and a better friend. He’s the kind of guy we’d all like to work for… the kind of leader who is trying to make things better for the rest of us.
Hey Military audiences! (And corporate groups… I’m not picky.) If YOU need a motivational speaker or humorist or keynote speaker or…. if you need a laugh and a solid connection to what you are trying to accomplish at work… I hope you’ll pick me. Contact me here. Visit my main site here.
Brad Montgomery
Air Force Speaker, Fan of the Military, Squeaker!
PS. I sent Tony and his guys a whole pile of stuff. (And a regrettably short letter about humor in the mitary… something I honestly don’t know enough about.) Guess what was in the box? : )
How to hold your squeaker: Put the Squeaker in the palm of your hand. Straighten your forefinger so you can “point” to stuff. Curl the three remaining fingers in and use them to hold the Squeaker against the palm. Now you’re ready to Squeak!
–Press elevator buttons and make them squeak. Do Nothing. Don’t react at all. Just stand back and enjoy the funny looks. (People are often too shy to ask, but they definitely will be puzzled.)
Squeak the tip of your nose. It gives kids giggle-fits and will make adults smile. Once you get good with your squeaker technique you can make your kids’ noses squeak too. If you haven’t seen wonder and joy on a kid’s face recently, this one is for you. They love it.
Try on a new pair of shoes at a shoe store. Wait for the salesperson to ask you to walk in them to test them out. Squeak every time you step with your left foot. Ask for a discount!
–Admire someone’s wristwatch. (Or if necessary, show them your watch.) Ask them if they know about the secret alarm. Demonstrate by pressing various knobs and buttons on the watch in some complex order, finally ending by activating the squeaker. Stand back and watch the confusion as they try to activate the “alarm.”
Complain that your computer mouse is acting up. Show your friend how the damn thing squeaks. Remove a photo of a cat from your desk drawer, leaving the squeaker in the drawer. Set the photo next to the mouse. There, that shut ’em up!
