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How YOU Can Beat the Odds and

Achieve the 'Impossible'

February 2, 2011 

 

 

Possible "To achieve the impossible; it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought"

~ Tom Robbins

 

The Sweeney Agency Speaker News brings you three dynamic keynote speakers who have beat the odds and achieved what many thought impossible.

 

We hope their stories help inspire you to conquer the personal and professional challenges you may be facing.

 

For a complete list of our keynote speakers, visit The Sweeney Agency online.

 

Thanks.  

Frank O'DeaFrank O'Dea:

The Homeless Man Who Founded The Second Cup

 

There are two questions that I get asked most often. The first goes something like this, "How is it possible to go from homeless panhandler to owning a chain of coffee shops to being awarded your nation's highest honor?" When I first heard that question, I did not have a ready answer. Only later, after hearing the question a few times, I reflected that the answer is summed up in three words "Hope, Vision, Action". And, it turns out that the same answer applies to both my personal and business life.

 

In the beginning, I did not plan to start a chain of coffee stores or to help kids in the Sudan or build houses in Brazil. All I could hope for was to get off the streets. I had a vision of what that looked like: a bed, a connection with my family, maybe a job. That was a lot to hope for in my condition. Then I began to take the action to make that happen.  As I looked back, I came to understand that much of what I have become is because I just repeated that cycle again and again; new hope, new vision, new action; always moving forward, always the same three elements. 'Hope' 'vision' 'action', each one is dependent on the other. After all, vision without action is called dreaming, and action without vision is just keeping busy. But, as I experienced it, the combination is powerful.

 

Now, of course, the second most common question that I get asked is a business question. It is because the companies of which I was a founder really defined two new, worldwide markets. That question goes something like this: "What's next, Frank?

 

Click here to read Frank O'Dea's inspiring story...

Sharon Wood:

First North American Woman to Climb Mount Everest

 

Sharon Wood The greatest obstacle in doing somethingvery difficult is to get over the fantasy of needing the perfect set-up to pull it off.  The greatest challenge is not the feat itself, rather, it is coming to terms with the fact that you will never have enough resources, strength, time, or the optimal conditions-and get over it and lean into it.

 

Sharon Wood is the first North American woman to reach the top of Mount Everest. Her small team climbed it by a new route and without Sherpa support.   They were the only team to reach the summit by any route that season due to high winds and poor weather. 

 

Check out Sharon Wood's full bio and video... 

 

Rob Lilwall:

Rob Lilwall

Beat the Odds by Cycling Home From Siberia

 

If I am honest, there were numerous occasions when I felt like giving up during my three year, 30,000 mile Cycling Home From Siberia expedition. The local Russian people, although friendly told me that: 

I would freeze to death in the winter;

I would be eaten by bears;

I would get stuck in the blizzards.  

 

Indeed, the going was tough, and I camped at minus forty and was robbed at gunpoint.  During the next three years there were many other occasions when I felt like quitting: getting lost in the jungles of Papua New Guinea; struggling over the blizzard swept passes of Tibet; facing the ultimately daunting prospect of riding through Northern Afghanistan.

 

But somehow, whilst I have never claimed to be a particularly brave person, I never did give up.  Why?

 

  1. I remembered how bad I would feel if I did give up. And how good I would feel if I succeeded.
  2. I went into networking overdrive, following up every lead and every introduction to meet people who could help me overcome my next challenge. I tried not to spend too much time with the pessimists who told me something was not possible and instead made an effort to meet the people who said it was possible, and talked to them instead.
  3. I remembered some advice given to me by an old mentor: "there are two types of people in the world: people who find excuses, and people who find ways through, round and over their obstacles".

I was clear about what my overall goal was ("get home on my bike"), but this was such a big and daunting task, that I also remembered Henry Cycling Home from SiberiaFord's advice:

Nothing is particularly difficult if you break it up into small parts. So I also broke the journey into bite sized chunks- taking one day at a time, and learning how to survive and thrive as I pushed onwards for day after day, month after month, and year after year, until I had finally made it home.  

 

Learn more about booking Rob Lilwall to speak at your next event...

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