I was Boo'd from the stage

Hi Guys/Girls
Today was a 1st for me. I dont know if you have come across Audio Boo but if you have yet to experience it its micro podcasting from your iPhone. Its new to me but I thought about creating some mini Boo's from the stage in my work as a Motivational Speaker and today I tried it out. I was speaking at Spen Valley Sports College to around 200 year 9 students and we tried it out live. I suppose we just have to bite the bullet and try new things. In fact that what we all need to do from time to time. Who knows where it will lead.

Click this link to hear how I got one of the more interesting guys up on the stage to do something he would never have dreamt of had I not inspired him to adopt an 'iCan' attitude.

Zak Singing:

And here we have my close at the end:

And finally I thought on my feet and captured some of the student feedback afterwards: Listen out for the reference to Ginger Massive>

If you want to download Audioboo yourself then click this link:

You Loser!!

Hi Folks
As the iCan Tour continues around the UK I am often amazed at what I see. The life of a Motivational Speaker allows me insights I would have otherwise have missed. As well as speaking to adult audiences I often find myself inspiring students within schools. I could not believe what I witnessed recently as I sat waiting to speak to 200 students. They students were getting a pep talk from a member of the Physical Training staff about the Sports Day to take place in the coming weeks. I cant remember exactely what he said but he was urging each of the house teams to pick their best team for each event. He was ranting and raving about how dissapointed he would be at anyone finding themselves on the losing teams.

Now i'm all for encouraging each of us to be the best US that we can be....but what if someone is more talented that us in an event. They will achieve better results than you or I and does that mean we should feel bad about not winning. Maybe we will win at something elese. He really was giving it to them and I couldnt help but thing about my own children and how I want them to grow at school. Its Ok not to Win.......Get over it. Most of us will not win at sports day. I dont think I ever did. And I was terrible at football and was always on the bench. I dont recall Mr Pointer the PT Instructor being dissapointed at me. Its just wasnt my thing. Now get me on a stage speaking in front of 200 of my class mates in the school public speaking event....That I did win. It doesnt mean to say the others who took part were losers (although technically they were).

I received this email from a young person who makes the point perfectly.

Hey! I don't know If you will get this or not but I just wanted to say thank-you for such an inspirational speech at the MIDAS confrence in Harrogate on tuesday. That afternoon I actually took part in the MIDAS speaker competition. I was terrified before but your speech helped my confidence and although I didn't win, I feel like I accomplished something by standing up in front of my pears and speaking on the topic of 'Youth Culture'. I even had the confidence to again put myself forward to speak in another activity the next day! You probably get messages like this all the time from people so I'm sorry if I'm being repetetive! Many thanks again! Liam Bracey

Yes winning is great and to be encouraged but if we dont win (this time) as long as we gave it our best shot we wont be going far wrong.

Yorkshire Forward

Further to the earlier post: I just received this in from the event organiser. Maybe I should send it to the psychologist who told me I couldn't get over the fear of speaking (in so many words).

Its been quite a journey

Well it has been quite a journey but Friday is worth a mention. I accepted my first invitation so speak to an audience early 2005. I was terrified but I did it knowing that it would be good, firstly for my confidence (or lack of it) but also to get over that fear of speaking in front of people. Many of my friends and readers will know that I was told back in 2004 that I might have to accept that I was as good (then) as I was going to get!! I had an almighty fear of speaking in front of people. What no room for improvement? No courses to go on? No home study, no evening classes, no pushing my own boundary no reading, research or anything that might just help move me forward so that I wasn't continually dragged backwards by events which happened in earlier years.

Well if that professional could kindly place themselves at the table nearest them and take out a knife and fork I will now ask them to Eat Their Words.

On Friday I attended as Guest Speaker at the 10th Anniversary of Yorkshire Forward held at Leeds Town Hall. There were 400 staff in attendance and as I stood there speaking I knew that, not only was the professional wrong with his suggestion four years ago, but he was at risk of influencing where I end up in life. As I say in my work as a motivational speaker "The most important conversations we ever have are the ones we have with ourselves".


I was so thrilled to have been asked to speak at this event and during the last 12 months I have inspired audiences approaching 40'000. Most importantly because I said 'iCan'.

With an 'iCan' attitude you will achieve a greater level of success in your life than without one.(Richard McCann)

I,m back

I have no excuses. I started a blog because iCan and then I didn’t. It’s so difficult to know what is the best way of getting your message out there. Anyhow i’m back having being told off by my peers. So it was ‘iCan’ Blog followed by iCan’t (for a while) and now its iCan again. Which reminds me of one of the points I make when sharing my message as a motivational speaker. It doesn’t matter how many times we change our minds....its that we do it in the end that counts.
So what is it that idea that you are toying with? Are you asking yourself ‘Shall I take that leap of faith or not?’ The answer of course is YES. As often quoted Leap and the net will appear. Back real soon.