“Allow me to introduce you to my friend and speaker coach, Kent Julian.”
Wait a minute. Something’s wrong here.
Yes, I am a professional speaker. And yes, I offer a speaker training program. Two programs actually. The first is an intense 3-day speaker training boot camp. The second is even more intense. It’s a comprehensive 12-month coaching and mastermind speaker training program.
But still….something is wrong.
I’m with Chad Jeffers. He tours the world as part of Carrie Underwood’s band. He’s onstage every night playing to sold out arenas. He rubs shoulders with practically every big name in the entertainment industry. And Chad isn’t just riding somebody’s coattails. He might not be a front man, but a list of famous names too long to type have hired him on the spot without an audition. The reason? When they were looking for the best dobro player in the business, they heard over and over: “Chad’s the guy!”
And that’s what makes this scenario so wrong! I’m on one of Carrie Underwood’s tour buses and Chad is introducing me to all his band member friends as if “I’m the guy.”
You see, Chad and I are good friends. And yes, I’ve been Chad’s speaker coach and he has attended my 3-day speaker training program. But still, when it comes to introducing me, I was shocked that he was championing me and my talents.
Think about it. He’s Chad Jeffers. He plays in front of sold out arenas. He knows movers and shakers. He runs in a completely different league than I do!
Even more, it’s how Chad is positioning himself in this conversation. He’s positioning himself as the student and positioning me as the teacher. He’s enthusiastically and excitedly saying, “If you want to be a professional speaker, Kent’s the guy!”
I was blown away! In this situation, I was the one who was supposed to be in awe. Yet Chad held me up as someone to be looked up to.
And yet this kind of response and attitude from Chad actually didn’t surprise me at all. In fact, it’s exactly what I expected from Chad Jeffers. It’s what makes him “the guy!”
You see, it’s not Chad’s talent that makes him “the guy,” even though he’s loaded with talent. It’s not his good looks that makes him “the guy,” even though he’s got those too. (Look at the picture above. And in case you’re wondering, he’s the one with hair.) It’s not even his drive that makes Chad “the guy,” even though he is one of the few people I’ve met that has as much drive as I do. Maybe even more.
The reason famous and influential people hire Chad without an audition by using the phrase “you’re the guy” is because Chad is much more than talent, looks, and drive. He’s genuine. He’s optimistic. He values relationships. He has a true servant’s heart. He is a man of his word who follows through on his commitments.
Bottom line, Chad Jeffers is “the guy” because he is such a good guy. And it was truly an honor to be introduced by “the guy” as a “the guy” too. Thanks Chad!
Added Bonus:
Check out Chad playing a short dobro concert in my living room one evening during a recent 3-day speaker training boot camp I mentioned above…
