Day 3: 15 Influential Speakers...Dr. John Thompson

This will NOT include Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Les Brown, or Brian Tracy - who are essentially on my Mt. Rushmore of speaker influences.

Dr. John Thompson - who taught my Government class freshman year at Oklahoma Christian College in fall of 1986. Held your attention, used storytelling and a powerful voice to teach a class that would otherwise be a boring chore to sit through.

I was never able to fit another class with him in my schedule, sadly. His booming voice also served him well when he sang Shout by the Isley Brothers at a holiday concert - an enduring memory.

If ever a speaker influenced my 'vocal variety', it was him.

Day 2: 15 Influential Speakers - Pastor Norman Bales

The preacher of my childhood church, Norman Bales, had a huge influence on me beyond just, y'know, teaching me scriptures and what it meant to be a Christian - which, incidentally, doesn't seem to be anything close to what many consider Christianity today - but that's another post.

The long-time preacher at the Cedar Rapids Church of Christ, he was heavy into scripture-based sermons, but also told many a story in his mixed Midwest/Southern drawl to anchor his point. He didn't speak too fast, and my love of the pause when speaking likely started with him.

Another reason I know he was a strong influence is my coach spent years working to get the 'Preacher voice' out of me - though, tho be fair, I was influenced not just by Preacher Bales, but so many in the years after high school, when I moved to Oklahoma.

Mom's reading this thinking 'Oh, c'mon Richard, you were so bored and never paid attention to a word he said.' Yeah, well, maybe. But I definitely listened to HOW he said them.

That One DARE Speaker...

Day 1: 15 Speakers who have influenced me. This will NOT include Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Les Brown, or Brian Tracy - who are essentially on my Mt. Rushmore of speaker influences.

THAT ONE D.A.R.E. Speaker. No idea who it was, but he came in to our Jr. High, I believe, and put the fear of God in us. Even then, my thoughts basically went to "I could say that better than he is".