Meet Marcus The Motivator

Marcus The Motivator's positive attitude has resonated with his fans all around the globe. Marcus has traveled the world, is the author of The Pinnacle of Motivation, and is currently planning a large tour to promote its release. His prevalence at inspiring people, even those considered to be the hardest cases, has seen him rise to become a cult icon in the motivational industry.

1. What made you decide to become a motivational speaker?

I like to say life made me become a motivational speaker. I tried a lot of different things that just simply weren't me. I finished university then went to work a regular job, and it just didn’t feel right for me; at the same time, I helped a friend who was in real need and, well, I helped him out of that situation, and he said it was something I was really good at and that I should pursue it. So I did pursue it because I also loved the way it made me feel to help others.

2. Have people always recognized your positive attitude since you were a child, or is it something that has developed more over time?

I have always felt positive and looked at the positive side of life; that part has been easy. Learning to be a speaker and author, however, is something that took work. My initial attempts were kind of terrible, but it still felt right; it still felt like my calling, and those skills have developed over time.

3. Would you tell us a little more about your book, The Pinnacle of Motivation?

The Pinnacle of Motivation is basically a mind dump of everything I know about motivation. The book works on its own from start to finish, and I encourage people to read it that way to begin with, but there are also sections of the book designed to be referred to at different stages of life when you need help to get through tough times or the motivation you need to get up and achieve something big.

4. What personally keeps you motivated, especially when you have one of those days where you wake up feeling tired, or maybe things don't seem to be going your way all day long?

My biggest motivation is to get the message out there to those who need it most, and I have long-term goals of doing large, free events for the people who need it most in countries that most others ignore or are struggling the most. I want to reach that very large audience who really need positivity and inspiration to find their own success.

5. What do you like most about speaking with audiences about motivation and keeping a positive outlook?

Being able to help people and improve their lives and to help someone become a better person. There is something magical about being able to help someone improve their life, especially when they are in a time of need.

Thanks, Marcus!

Meet Teri Johnson, Executive Coach

Clients appreciate Teri Johnson's capacity to help them create clarity and expand possibilities while honoring their deepest truths. They value having a greater understanding of their strengths and how to apply them in creative ways, while reframing weakness as a point of entry for collaboration. Clients frequently report a significant positive shift in relationships.

Learn more about Teri by visiting her LinkedIn profile and the website for her business, Personal Best Partners.

1. What are the benefits of focusing on your clients' strengths when it comes to coaching?

One of the things we all seem to have in common is a great awareness of our not-so-strong areas. As a culture, we obsess over our shortcomings. By giving clients a focus on what they naturally do well and excel at, I give them a powerful shift in focus which energizes, inspires, and creates curiosity and a sense that, "maybe I am doing better than I thought I was." When we focus on using our strengths well, we move away from deficit thinking, which is draining. Someone could spend hours on correcting their weaker areas and still never master it. If they invest that time on what they already do well, the payoff is amazing.

2. When is the right moment in someone's career to spend time working with an executive coach?

Although people can benefit from coaching anytime in their career in terms of clarity and expansion, there are some points when it is most beneficial. One is when a person has been promoted to management because of their level of competence in other skills, like technical savvy, for example. If they have never managed people before, they would benefit from working through the transition with a coach asking powerful, clarifying questions and helping them structure the transition in bite-size pieces. Coaching can be helpful during any transition point, or when a person is unsure of what they want next and feel stuck. We have tools to help them zero in on what is most important and meaningful to them, and how to take the first step toward that.

3. What are some successes people have experienced in working with you?

Some people have doubled or tripled their income as a result of really looking at the value they bring and asking for what that represents in terms of dollars. Many have reported improved relationships in the workplace and in their personal lives. Some have recreated the way they work--going in a direction that allows them to use their natural strengths and working for individuals or organizations that truly value their contribution and leaving behind or delegating those tasks that drain them. Some have become more inspiring leaders, or finished a book or important project that had been stalled.

4. How is working with teams as a coach different than working with individuals--and how is it similar?

It is different in that we are honoring more than one person's opinion or experience, and there are multiple personalities and multiple strengths in the space, as well as many different agendas. However, that can be true of an individual as well, when they have inner conflict about the direction they want to take. The similarity between teams and individuals is that they have priorities and values they want to honor, and that becomes the starting point for both. There is more energy when we have more people in the space, whether it is a room or a virtual space. The energy can be calmer when it is one individual, and people are usually more willing to be perfectly candid one on one, where they might be reluctant to name something specifically in front of their peers. In each instance, we establish an agreement of non judgement and acceptance to make the exchange feel more safe. Everyone agrees to confidentiality.

5. What are some of your favorite things about your job?

I love helping people see themselves in a more powerful light, and own their talents. It is a privilege to be in such deep, personal communication with brilliant minds, and it teaches me that we are all much more alike than different, no matter how many zeroes are on our pay stub. I think the very best part of my job is celebrating when clients reach a personal victory and are on top of the world. It is amazing to be a part of that kind of journey, and I am grateful every day to get to do this work.

Thanks, Teri!

Meet Kiran Karidi, Founder of iKare Cafe

iKare Cafe is a new social networking site which encourages positivity and happiness. Users are encouraged to post about happy moments in their lives and to make a difference by sharing positive feelings and experiences with others. The site also donates 60% of their ad revenue to charity. Learn more about iKare Cafe in the video below.

1. What inspired you to start iKare Cafe?

Social networking sites are very powerful tools and if properly utilized, can do wonders for the world. But the current social networking sites are more used for entertainment and information sharing. These sites have mixed content, both positive and negative. I see that negative content spreads more rapidly than positive content. I always wondered why we couldn't have a dedicated social networking site just for positivity and happiness. I am happy it became a reality now with iKare Cafe.

2. How is iKare Cafe similar to other social networking sites--and how is it different?

The core functionality of iKare Café is similar to other popular social networking sites, but the motive behind it is very different. Other social networking sites make the founders rich, but my site brings invaluable hope into the lives of numerous people around the world, and the best thing is that the members of my site are making this happen. Also, the positive content will bring a positive outlook towards life to many people.

3. Could you give us some examples of the types of positive content that you encourage people to publish on the site?

We encourage posting any content big or small which can induce positive vibes, make someone smile, spread happiness, and share happy moments of life. We enjoy it when people take time to thank someone for doing charity work, challenge someone to surpass past contributions, and share content which can provide inspiration and encourage a pay-it-forward mindset. We want a balance of entertainment and inspiration for our users.

4. How do you see the site evolving over the next year or so?

Nowadays, I see lot of people who aren't happy with the current generation of social networking sites because there's too much information, and it is very hard to separate which information is good or bad for oneself and others. We have already been seeing a lot of positive response from the community, and I see it could give tough competition to other sites over the next couple of years. But we are not competing with anyone as our only motive is paying back to the community, and our site is just a medium for that. We have lots of features on our site already like posting photos, videos, polls, blogs, forums, etc. Over the next year we will release a lot of updates for our community to realize our dream through our members' eyes.

5. Do you think that changing our mindset to focus more on the positive can change our own lives?

Yes, having a positive attitude can really change the world, and it is a proven fact around the world that positive thinking and actions can lead to important changes. A ripple effect can be generated with positivity, and we can make the world a happy and better place to live.

Thanks, Kiran!