I Know Why the 80/20 Rule Still Exists and How to Transform It.

In eighth grade, John’s classmates selected him to represent the class and deliver the valedictory address. Around the same time, he learned that public speaking was commonly identified as one of people’s greatest fears. His experience was completely different.

Standing in front of an audience energized him. It felt natural. It felt like home. It was an early clue that speaking and communicating with people were natural strengths—clues that would later inform his work as a keynote speaker, facilitator, executive communicator, leadership developer, and advisor.

At 14, John attended a full-day personal development program presented by Jim Rohn. He sat in the front row and took extensive notes. Until that point, he expected to become a veterinarian.

The experience introduced him to the possibility of building a career around helping people become more of what they were capable of becoming. It became an early foundation for a lifelong interest in human potential, personal development, leadership, motivation, performance, and helping people grow.

At 14, John had the unusual opportunity to participate in a professional sales-training program being conducted for a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. He participated fully, including role-playing the presentation of a pharmaceutical product.

This was his first exposure to professional, skills-based sales training, and he found it fascinating. Later in his career, he would work in the industry that pioneered skills-based sales training and created Professional Selling Skills.