Posts Tagged ‘Spare Parts’

A Message from President Barack Obama

Posted: July 27, 2015 in LinkedIn Exclusives
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Books, white papers and articles (and the spoken word!) are the cornerstones of professional and executive development. As a follower of The Speaker Experts, you will always have direct and pro-bono access to the world’s top authors’ and thought leaders’ publications through our LinkedIn exclusive network. It is okay every once in a while to put down the reading material and watch a movie or documentary for both entertainment and professional development purposes. This month, we are happy to offer either option for your viewing enjoyment: “Spare Parts” starring George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis and Marisa Tomei, or the companion award-winning documentary “Underwater Dreams”, narrated by Michael Pena (President Obama recorded a special introduction message prior to the White House screening, as seen below):

A special introduction to “Underwater Dreams” from President Obama shown prior
to the White House viewing on April 7, 2015


Both DVDs tell the story of four under-served Hispanic high school students who formed a robotics club in Phoenix. With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country’s reigning robotics champion, MIT and other elite college powerhouse schools (spoiler alert, The Carl Hayden High School team wins!). The movie and documentary are based on science teacher and speaker Fredi Lajvardi’s life story. While the motion picture was not a blockbuster hit, it is a fun movie, and suitable for the entire family.

Please order your complimentary copy of the movie or documentary by completing the form below (available while supplies last).


Gary McManis & Jay Conklin

We Are Better Lecture Agents than Book Purveyors!

Posted: April 13, 2015 in Free Learning Materials
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Followers of The Speaker Experts and members of our LinkedIn network know we are fortunate as lecture agents to receive a number of great books and learning materials from our speakers. Aside from actually “booking” speakers, nothing makes us happier than passing these publications along to our friends, customers and followers. Over the past few years these giveaways have been very popular but we find ourselves with an inventory of books that would rival a small book store. There are limited number of the books listed below still available, and we would be delighted to send you a complimentary copy of the book of your choosing. Simply fill out the form at the bottom of this post or tweet at us (@Speaker_Experts) and let us know which you would prefer:

ThePassionConversation

slap under the hood

life dont miss it

spare parts

absolutely necessary

lohrenz

roberty bryce

truesuccess





































































































Please check back next week when we reveal our list of the Five Most Requested Speakers in the World!

Gary McManis & Jay Conklin

Ten Motion Pictures That Have Influenced the Speaking Circuit – And One To Watch

Posted: November 12, 2014 in Speaker Ideas
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Hollywood loves an underdog – but not as much as the speaking circuit! Every once in a while a movie comes along that captures the imagination of the country. These very films remind us that anything is possible, and that extraordinary accomplishments can be achieved by ordinary people. These ordinary people have been on the speaking circuit for years, delivering inspirational lessons of overcoming obstacles and achieving impossible dreams. Fredi Lajvardi is one of those speakers, and Spare Parts, starring George Lopez, is on a trajectory that could push Fredi into the spotlight. With a January 16, 2015 release date, Spare Parts is the story of veteran teacher Fredi Lajvardi (played by George Lopez) and a group of deserving high school students from Phoenix who end up defeating the reigning champion MIT robotics team in a national competition. Think Rocky meets Stand and Deliver! To get a better idea of the movie, check out this recently released trailer:

It would be a Hail Mary to suggest that “Spare Parts” will crack the following top ten film list that have influenced the speaking circuit, but the speaker experts feel it is possible:

Miracle (2004)
miraclePlayers Mike Eruzione and Jim Craig are two of
the most in-demand sports speakers of all time.
Sadly, Coach Herb Brooks passed away before the film’s release.

Apollo 13 (1995)
apollo13Jim Lovell, Gene Kranz, and Fred Haise bring
“Failure is Not an Option” culture to corporate America.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
pursuithappynessChris Gardner breaks the cycle of poverty.

Catch Me if You Can (2002)
catchmeNow FBI consultant, Frank Abagnale is the nation’s
number one fraud and values speaker.

The Blindside (2009)
The Blind Side movie posterNFL plus Oscar equals speaking
success for the Touhy Family.

Stand and Deliver (1988)
standdeliverJamie Escalate and Edward James Olmos were two
of the educational circuit’s most popular
speakers in the 1990s.

127 Hours (2010)
Aron Ralston makes 127 hours fly by on stage.

The Rookie (2002)
rookieA physics teacher turned left-handed MLB pitcher
with a 98 MPH fast ball, Jim Morris is still
bringing the heat to the speaking stage.

Moneyball (2011)
Billy Beane, Paul DePodesta and Michael Lewis bring
baseball sabermetrics from the field to the board room.

Remember the Titans (2000)
rememberthetitansThe Speaker Experts live in Northern Virginia
and do not remember the story going the way of this
Hollywood portrayal, but Coaches Herman Boone
and Ed Yost were powerhouse speakers.

Note:  We received an overwhelming amount of suggestions and questions regarding our post on the ten top military speakers of the past 30 years and three to keep an eye on.  With the news events of the past week, the answer is “yes” – Navy Seal Robert O’Neil is one to keep an eye on!

Disclosure notice: The Speaker Experts represent Fredji Lajvardi. We have a horse in this race but we feel it is a winner!

Gary McManis & Jay Conklin

The Next Hot Speaker-Coming Soon to a Theater Near You?

Posted: October 10, 2014 in Be In The Know, Speaker Ideas
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The great hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been”. That quote is applicable within any industry, but has particular relevance in the world of professional speaking. Forward-thinking speaker bureaus are constantly trying to identify the next big speaker, and Hollywood traditionally has been a great place to turn to when an agent is looking for the next big thing.

History has shown that movies like Apollo 13 (Captain Jim Lovell), The Blind Side (Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy), The Pursuit of Happyness (Chris Gardner), and 127 Hours (Aron Ralston) have helped launch and sustain the careers of some of the speaking circuit’s most in-demand speakers.

The Speaker Experts have identified a number of upcoming movies that could be the launching pad for the next superstar speaker. Of course, past performance is never a guarantee of future results. Just because you are the protagonist in a blockbuster movie does not mean you know your way around the speaking stage – and there is never a guarantee the film will even make it to the big screen.

Listed below are a number of films to keep an eye on over the months ahead. Some are completed and scheduled for release, while others are merely projects that merit monitoring.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Million Dollar Arm
Film based on JB Bernstein’s book “Million Dollar Arm”;
Jon Hamm reprises the role of JB Bernstein.
DVD Release Date: October 7, 2014

Foxcatcher
Film based on Olympic gold medalist Mark Schultz’s autobiography “Foxcatcher”;
Channing Tatum playing the role of Mark Schultz.
Scheduled Release Date: November 14, 2014

Spare Parts
Lajvardi_Lopez George Lopez to reprise the role based on Fredi Lajvardi, high school educator
Scheduled Release Date: January 16, 2015

Reykjavik
Film based on Ken Adelman’s book “Reagan at Reykjavik”
Scheduled Release Date: In pre-production

The Glass Castle
Film based on Jeannette Walls’ memoir “The Glass Castle”;
Jennifer Lawrence to star in and produce the film.
Scheduled Release Date: In pre-production

Brain Game
OmaluFilm based on Dr. Bennet Omalu’s work “Play Hard, Die Young”;
Will Smith rumored as the top contender to play Dr. Omalu.
Release Date: In pre-production

American Can
Keller_Smith Film based on true events during Hurricane Katrina;
Will Smith signed on as the protagonist, decorated Marine John Keller.
Release Date: In pre-production

The risk and the reward can be high when considering a speaker from an upcoming movie. If you get the right person, you may be able to secure them at a fraction of what their potential fee will be if the movie becomes a success. An IASB-member speaker bureau can help you navigate the risk and determine whether this type of a speaker makes sense for your next meeting.

Gary McManis & Jay Conklin