Ep. 7 The Story Behind Dr. Willie Jolley’s Unforgettable Opening and Closing

It was no fluke. Toastmasters named you one of the top five speakers on the planet, brother. You're joining us and sharing your wisdom with us and helping us to pass on some insights to our listeners as to what makes a truly unforgettable presentation. So thank you, brother man.

You are the cola man voice, man. You just.

Anyone can give a presentation. Few deliver unforgettable presentations. What's the difference? You're about to find out. Welcome to the Unforgettable Presentations podcast with your hosts, world champion speakers and coaches, Mark Brown.

Mark Brown, your life tells a story, and there's someone out there who needs to hear it.

And Darren Lacroix.

And Darren Lacroix, stage time.

Stage time.

Stage time.

Ready for some powerful presentation, Ahas. Let's dive right in.

I can't begin to tell you how thrilled I am today with our guest on our Unforgettable Presentations podcast. My guest today met me over 20 years ago, heard me speak and inspired me, encouraged me, and he shook my neck and said, you got to join the National Speakers association. That was 1996. 23 years ago, that man I met at a conference in Washington, D.C. as a guest speaker. We were on the same program. The Reverend Dr. Willy Jolly. I didn't know at the time who I was dealing with, what power I was up against, and what an impact the man would have on my life. And during the course of our podcast, you learn more about this man who has won numerous awards for his singing, who has had one of the most top rated shows on XM Satellite Radio, and who continues to inspire by the thousands and by the millions. Please help me and my buddy, Darren Lacroix. Welcome to our podcast today. The unmistakable Reverend Dr. Willie Jolly.

Well, you're very kind, Mark Brown and Darren, I want to thank you both for inviting me to be a part of this exciting podcast. For those who know me, know I always start the same way. I have only just a minute, only 60 seconds in it. Forced upon me, can't refuse it. I didn't seek it, I didn't choose it. But it's up to me to use it. I must suffer if I lose it, give account if I abuse it. It's just a tiny little minute. But our eternities are wrapped up in it. So thank you for this minute, this moment, this opportunity to share with your listeners wherever they may be around the globe, because you guys are famous around the globe. Y' all are the world champions of Toastmasters. 2. World champions, not local champ. There are state champions, not national champions. Not even continental champion world champions come together to do a podcast. What a brilliant idea. What a brilliant idea. And a brilliant pairing for people who have an interest in being communicators. What a joy.

Well, Willie, thank you so very much. I must point out that Toastmasters does acknowledge Darren and me. But several years ago, I was so thrilled when I picked up my Toastmaster magazine and they were publishing the top five speakers on the planet. And right there on that cover, he had hair. At the time, by the way, my friends, was Dr. Willy Jolly. And he came to our convention to do a keynote speech and the lines to shake his hand and buy his book. I think you were there two hours after the presentation just shaking hands and selling a book because people were so inspired by you and your style. And Darren and I both acknowledged that you have a very unique approach to what you do. And you gave us a small taste when you gave us your one minute opening and you open all your talks that way. What inspired you, Willie, to do that to begin with?

Well, first I want to thank you for that and I do remember that day and it was quite a long line. But I'm grateful that I was able to be received from people who were communicators. I think that's much, much of a compliment because is not just their average listener, it's communicators. I started doing that one minute message when I started speaking. I believe that everybody who's going to be successful needs mentors. There are two ways to any goal. Mentors and mistakes. Both will get you there. One just gets you there with less headaches, heartaches, knots upside your head. So you need mentors. Well, mentors sometimes come in the form of somebody who you can go up and shake their hand and sit down with them and learn from them. But sometimes mentors come in a way that is not what we consider traditional. They might come in a book, they might come in an audio, they might come in a video. I had a mentor who I never physically, personally met. His name was Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays. He was Martin Luther King Jr. S mentor. By the time I started my speaking career, he had gone on to be with the Lord. He was no longer in the land of the living. But I studied him. I learned that I sat at his feet virtually via his books and via audios of his messaging. And he wrote that I have only just a minute, only 60 seconds in it, forced upon me, can't refuse it, didn't seek, it, didn't choose it. But it's up to me to use it, I must suffer if I lose it, give account if I abuse it. Just a tiny little minute. But an eternity is in it. And it's called God's minute. And it is that we must make the most of the minutes, the moments that God has blessed us with. As I say on my Sirius XM show, God's gift to us is life. Our gift to God is what we do with our lives. So we must do something magnificent, something incredible with our lives so that when we come to die, whichever everyone will come to that data or that place at some point when we come to die, that God won't have to be sad that he made us. He won't have to repent for making us. So I encourage everybody who's listening to make the most of the moments you've got, the moment you have, and use them to make a difference in your life and your family's life and in the lives of those who are here on this planet. But let me tell you what the real winners do. Mark and Darren, the real people, which I've learned to do. If someone asked me on a radio interview, Willy Jolly, what's your biggest goal? It was not. There was no need for me to reflect and think and say no as soon as he. I said, oh, that's easy. My biggest goal, that a hundred years from now, some child will walk into a room, look at a picture of me and my wife Dee and say, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great Granddaddy. For what you did to make it possible for us to see a standard of excellence, for what you did for us, to have a business, have a reputation of excellence. Thank you for what you set in motion when you were walking this earth. That's my biggest goal now, I will never get to see. But I have that goal. And so that's the goal that I set, that inspires me, that's what empowers me. So that your goal, whoever the listening may be, that you will make a difference not only in your life. We want you to prosper and have great success. Not in just your family's life where they can start to have some of the fruits of your labor, not just in the lives of your community, where you impact the community, not just in the lives of the people here on this earth today, but for future generations yet unborn, that you have an impact. And they'll know you came this way by the legacy that you left.

All right, so, Willie, I want to Go back a little bit to more behind the choosing of that. Because I saw you back in 1990, I think it was 95 privilege of the platform, my first NSA convention, how to go from unknown to known in a year. And every time I.

You remember that?

Of course. It was unforgettable. Why do you think you're here? We don't just ask anyone, you know, bless your heart. And what's really cool is Mark and I get to interview the people who've helped us, who inspired us, but it's also the person you are off stage, but from someone who's creating a presentation. Just walk us through the thought process. And why did you choose that poem? And why do you continue to do it every single time? Because I know as a listener, when you came to Vegas, I think it was a year and a half ago, I was in the front row with my fellow NSAers listening to you, and I couldn't wait to hear you tell that same one minute that I've heard you tell every time you present. So three questions. Why did you choose that? Why do you do it every single time? And how do you get that incredible energy to deliver it like it's a first time every time?

Oh, that's three great questions. That's three great bam questions down the road. Bam.

Ain't got no time for fluff here.

Come on. The reason I chose it because it inspired me. And I believe you should find something that you are inspired by, that you are moved by, that that does something for you, that lifts your spirits, and that is something that is attractive to you. Second, why do I do it every time? Well, this is a good one, because you a Vegas guy. And I was in Vegas one time and I went to see Gladys Knight perform at the Flamingo. Now, Gladys Knight performed at the Flamingo, and we were all there. She was singing this song and that song, this song and that song. But everybody was waiting for her to sing Midnight Train to Georgia. Now, if she had left that room without Midnight Train to Georgia, she had branded that. What? What? I'm cheated. Where is it?

That's why I paid the ticket.

That's right. So people now, after almost 30 years of speaking, know I'm gonna speak. They've heard me say that either online now or on some video or somewhere on my XM show. And if I don't do it, they are like, whoa, what happened? It's like, I give you another example. This is a great example of a piece that has been branded. Now, that piece, it only takes a minute People hear it now, they know it's Willie Jolly. I was at a speaker contest one time and a young, new, brand new speaker got up with his little message and started with that. And everybody put thumbs down because I was in the room. He did not do his own thing. He did Willie's thing. Now, that said another one that has been branded that can only be done effectively and efficiently with power is one that Les Brown closes his speeches with. If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it, to work day and night, to give up your time, your peace and your sleep for it, if all that you dream and scheme is about it and life seems useless and worthless without it, if you gladly sweat for it and fret for it and lose all of your terror of the opposition for it, if you simply go after that thing that you want with all of your capacity, faith, hope and confidence in neither cold, poverty, famine nor gout, sickness of pain, a body and brain can keep you away from the thing that you want. If dogged and grim, you besiege and beset it with the help of God, you will surely get it. Now, I just said it because it inspires me, but I can't say it like Les Brown. I can't do it. And that goes to your third question. What is it about that that makes it sound like the first time? Every time Les does it, man. I'm sitting in the wings when we wanted to get motivated, tour when we want tour with him. And I've been on many tours with Les over the years. We're going to do a new one coming up soon. And so when I'm sitting in the wings waiting for him, there's two things I gotta hear. Les too he gotta do. Drink, rock, drink, drink. He had to tell that story, drink, rock, drink. And then he gotta do that if I want to think bad enough. And the reason why he can do it with such energy each time, just like I do the. I have only just a minute with such energy is because it's in our core, it's in our spirit, and it's part of us. Just like if you asked me about my wife, I would tell her name and I would. My eyes would brighten up. I know the same was true for Martin Graham.

Yes, sir.

Not your wife. His wife.

Right?

That's right.

Yeah. When Mark talks about his wife, his eyes bright enough, his. His voice, it gets enriched. But he. There's something his core not. It's not just another woman. Those pieces, when I talk about my wife is not Just another woman. And those pieces, when I tell it only takes a minute, it's not just another minute, it's five minutes. And when Les does, if you want to think bad enough, yeah, no one can do it because it's his potion. And so I say all you listeners find that thing that's uniquely yours, that's uniquely yours, brand it, get in the habit of using it, say it. Until people say, oh, when they hear it, they know that's Darren, that's Mark, that's Susie's piece, or that's John's message. And it's like your signature piece. And people will pay a ticket and pay a price to come and hear it. And if you leave that event without doing it, they'll feel cheated.

Real quick. Willie, I also know that I've seen you literally bring down the house when you end your presentation using that golden voice, God bless you with you had the MDRT Million Dollar Roundtable on their feet. They could not stop cheering. You left the stage, you were hugging the front door, they were still applauding. And you do it every time. I see you at nsa, I see you at Toastmasters, I see you always do that. That's uniquely yours and it's unforgettable. I have to assume the similar reason applies. But I want to ask you this because I believe what you've done is you use whatever gifts you have to enhance your presentation and to reach your audience. What advice would you give to our listeners about using the gifts they have in the way that they can to have an impact and to be unforgettable?

Oh, man, that's a great question, mark. Yes. Well, let me tell you first where that happened, how that happened. It was by happenstance, chance that it happened that I even figured out to do that. When I was starting my professional career, it was as a singer. I was a nightclub singer. I sang jingles for Pizza Hut, making it great and things like that. All right. But I made the majority of my income singing at night in nightclubs. And I had built a very popular nightclub act in Washington D.C. one night I went in the club after people would line up 7 o' clock for the 8 o' clock show, 9 o' clock for the 10 o' clock show. People were just packing it in. One night I went in the nightclub, I won the awards, Best jazz singer, best performer. Everything was going great and the nightclub owner said, want to talk to you after night show. I told the guys in the band, they want to talk. We've been selling out for months. We Got standing room only audiences. We about to get our raise. I walked in his office. He said, you were great. The people loved you. Which is why it's hard for me to tell you what I got to tell you. The owners of the club have decided they got to get a better return on investment. And the only way to do that with a full nightclub is to lower the cost. And there's something going around the country now that a lot cheaper than a band that's filling up nightclubs. It was during the time of the karaoke. He said, we're gonna try karaoke machine. And everybody was trying karaoke and getting rid of live entertainment. And as you know, now there's still some karaoke, but most people now have live club. But it was a craze, and I got replaced by a karaoke machine. Even though I had a standing room only audience now, I didn't know what I was gonna do. I had no idea. All I knew to be was a singer. Well, my cousin worked at a junior college, and he knew that I had a degree in counseling. And so he said, look, there's a job opening at my college, and at least they'll tide you over while you figure out what you're going to do. I said, okay, thank you. It was as a male counselor. Help. Young men were not finishing their course of study and were dropping out way too much. So they said, we need a counselor to try and encourage them. Well, I started working with them and motivating. I didn't know I was motivating. I just, you know, just doing what I do before I even knew I was going to be a speaker. And the director of the program at the end of the year said, wow, we've had the best semester we've ever had. We've had the highest rate of students who stayed in school. They didn't drop out, so we're going to have a luncheon for them. And he said, look, you got a degree in theology and counseling and so forth. You gonna be the speaker? I said, what? What? I'm not. I said, now, I took a class and all of that, but I'm not a speaker. I mean, I was had an. He said, well, I don't even have that skill or that ability. You gonna be a speaker? Case closed. That's part of your job. Oh, Lord, what am I gonna talk about? I don't know what I'm gonna talk about. So I go home and I start working on this message about dreams. And you got to follow your dream and stay committed to Your dream. And I put together a nice little, you know, I think it was a 15 minute talk. But I wasn't confident in talking. I didn't know whether it was going to be well received or they were going to boo me and throw stuff at me. The one thing I knew I could do was sing. Okay? So I gave this little 15 minute speech, best I could give. And then I did what I knew how to do and I started singing. I sang the dream, the impossible dream.

Yes, I see that, man.

They went nuts. They started hollering, they started screaming. And I was not surprised by that because that's what I do. But here's what surprised me. People came up and said, can I get the notes to your speech? I get notes to your message. You gave three great points. Wow. That's when I said, oh, this speaking and singing thing might be a good one, two punch. So I just kept doing it. There's an old saying, go with the one that brought you to.

That's the one who brought you. Yeah, that's the one who brought you.

Yeah. Go with what's going good. It was going good. Now here's the thing, is what you. Exactly what you said. That was my core competency and that was my gift. And then what I did was I took what was gifted and built on it. Michael Jordan said, talent is God given. Ability takes work and achievement takes struggle. So I had to take what was God given. The talent, the skill, the singing, not the speaking, the singing. Then I had to work on my ability to communicate and it was hard. Let me tell you something many of you might think who's listening? Oh man, he been named one top five speakers in the world. He's been inducted to speak of hall of fame. Even named one of the top five leadership speakers. He's the name of legend of the speaking industry. Did he just get it because it was easy? Oh no. I wish I could buy back the tapes I made the first set of. If I could find them, I would buy them back. Man. They were.

The nice thing is they don't make tape players anymore. So.

That's right, that's right.

You gotta educate the millennials here. Willie, tell the millennials.

Used to be a thing called reel to reel tape.

Oh yeah.

And they would re. They were reels went from one reel to a smaller reel and it would captured on that reel. And then you capture the sound on a quarter inch piece of magnetic tape, round tape. And then it went to cassette tapes. Well, how I recorded my first speeches, I'd go To Radio Shack. It used to be a store called Radio Shack.

That's right.

You could buy tape players and tape recorders. And I bought a tape recorder and recorded my speeches because I had recorded my music, and so I started recording my speeches. Well, here's what I'm saying to people. I fumbled, I tumbled, I messed up, I made mistakes, I stuttered. I mean, it was bad, but I kept doing it. And that's what I want to encourage people to do. Keep doing it. The other thing I did was I did something my wife calls. I jazz spoke. Now, what did that mean? I was a jazz speaker. She would say, now, what did jazz speak? That meant that as a jazz singer, which would. I did nightclub, I'd make it up as I went, okay? I would. Sometimes I'd start off on one line, and I'd go in a different direction and do a little scatting and come back and. I mean, you're making it up, and it's a. It's a creative process, okay? And. And nobody knows where you're going because you creating your own thing, you're creating a road as you go. But when I started speaking, I needed to make sure that there was at least a logical flow to it, right? And sometimes I'd be going to the right, and I go quick left. No signal, no nothing. And I was creating. And she'd say, you never finish the thought. You didn't go back to that story, and you started something and you didn't finish it. She said, you're jazz speaking. You got to work on it. I had to also work on what. You know what I mean? I had to work on those fillers so that I could eliminate them. So I would listen. I would tape myself and listen to. To myself and count how many times I said while I'm. And I realized, here's a lesson of a great speaker. The great speakers pause while they're trying to figure out what they're going to say next. They know you don't have to fill up that space.

Yeah. What's interesting is Darren has been teaching for the longest while the power and the value of recording yourself. There's only half of the step. Step two is listen to it.

That's right.

And at stagetown University, that's one of our principles. You have to record yourself, watch video, listen to it, assess yourself, and then make the adjustments. Because even watching yourself is in itself a teaching tool.

Speaking of everybody who's listening, everybody who's listening, everybody who's listening, who wants to be a real Great communicator should take my recommendation. What I'm going to tell you right now, very seriously. You should invest in going to Stage Time University. You should make that a priority. These guys are two of the greatest communicators on the planet Earth, and they're not doing it for your dollars. First of all, that the price they are charging for this state China is such a minuscule price to charge for what they offer and their level of expertise that I'm amazed how they continue to charge that rate where there are people who are neophytes, who have done nothing, who have won nothing, who are charging tens of thousands of dollars for their universities and speaking and are ripping people off. So I just want to take a moment to say these guys are the real deal. They give you value. And that price they're charging is just. Man. What? Man, y', all, you need to jump on it and go right now. Okay. Yeah. That was not expected. I thought of it. I got to do it while it's on my heart.

When. When we had the conversation going before you started touching on something that I think is super important. When you know my buddy Rick Siegel.

Yes.

So Rick was one of my mentors early on, and I was shocked and it was inspiring to me as I struggled to find out that he bombed. And I know you were just talking about your struggle. Do you have, like, one painful bomb that you're willing to share?

Which one? Let's say which one.

But a lot of people think they see you up on the stage at the big Get Motivated event, and you're amazing. But sometimes people don't realize that's not how we start. And the struggle is so important to the whole process to become unforgettable.

And the thing is, if you're not willing to struggle, you'll never become great. Michael Jordan said he lost his first few basketball games because he was so bad. He was cut from the basketball team, but he refused to stop, and then is when he became great. So I've had so many just bombs, just horrendous, tremendous. There's so many. I think the one that I talk about most often is actually, it was a singing event, but it's a great object lesson in it. I was a singer. I got an opportunity to go sing at the Gospel Music association of America World Showcase. Thousands of people had sent in their tapes to be considered, and I got chosen as one of the ten out of thousand who we're gonna showcase. Well, I got. I'm feeling good about myself. In fact, I'm Feeling full of myself, man, I'mma blow these little folks away, do my thing. I am gonna make them say, who is that? And they're gonna sign me to a big record deal, right? As soon as I get off the stage. I flew to Nashville, Tennessee. Almost. I was almost to a point where I had my coat. Not even the arms through the armpits, just the draped over my shoulders, you know, I'm here. I looked in the mirror. My hair was perfect, my look was perfect. I got to the hotel, I'm here. Just tell them Willie Jolly's here. The night was the big showcase. It was my time to be on stage. I got up and I was looked in the mirror one more time. I'm bad. I stepped out on the stage. I'm bad. I got in front of that microphone. I'm bad. I started singing. I was bad. Now, the notes were right, the music was technically light right. The motivation was wrong. And it was a flop. When I finished my performance, people wouldn't even look at me as I walked upstage. They turned their head and looked the other way. It was an embarrassment. I went to my little hotel room and I cried and I. I cried, I cried, I cried. What my big break. What happened? And as if the spirit said to me, motive. What's your motive? Is your motive to make you look good or your motive to take the gifts I gave you and make a difference? I said it earlier. God's gift to you is life. Your gift to God is what you do with your life. Do something magnificent with your life. Well, it was at that moment I made a decision. This time forward, I will never get on stage to try and impress anybody else. Because when you try and impress people, what you're doing is you're focusing all your energies on trying to show them how good you are. Now, we all want people to like us. But what I learned, and I've had so many speakers, I've had speakers you would be amazed at. Well known, world renowned speakers who have come to me after I've shared this little tip I'm about to share and say that changed my business. Here it is. I learned at night to speak, not to impress, speak to inspire. When you speak to impression, you're trying to make them like you. But when you speak to inspire, you're trying to change their lives. You're trying to impact them, you're trying to lift them, to encourage them to do something for them. And when you speak it, many times when you get up to speak, you have nerves that nerves at the butterflies are flying all around. You're nervous before that, nervous energy. But let me tell you, when you get that mindset, I'm not here to implement, press you. I'm here to inspire you. What happens is those butterflies that are flying all around like a crazy mob, they come together, and they fly in formation, and they become a focused message. Folks, if you speak to inspire, it will change your business. I tell you, one person who came up to me and told me, Archibald, you know what I'm talking about. He was the Ben Franklin for many years. He's gone on to be with the Lord now, but he was the Ben Franklin for many, many years in Philadelphia. He worked every day. He was busy every day, booked every day. With every tour that came in, he would welcome them and give them a speech. And he said, willie, jolly. That one changed my business. He said, I was struggling in my business. I look like the Ben Franklin. But until I embraced speak not to impress, but speak to inspire, it didn't mean the same. And once I did that, things took off. He died a wealthy man. So I'm saying to you, if there's a couple lessons, that was one of the ones where I bombed, yet I learned a valuable lesson out of that bombing, that it taught me to be humble, to be grateful that every time we step on a platform. You said it, Darren. Privilege of the platform. That convention was such a powerful theme. We privileged to be on this platform. When you get up to speak, people look at you. They're admiring you. They're inspired by you. It's a privilege. So every time I get up, I'm grateful. When I haven't. I kind of sometimes have messed up a. Before that day. Yeah.

Ego trips us up quite often.

Hey, you got it, baby. Ego trips us up.

So one of the things that I think makes you unforgettable, my opinion is just what we're talking about here with. You speak with such intention every single time. And people who are in stage time or people who've heard me talk about the fear of public speaking, I have my four questions I asked myself right before I go on stage. And question number one that I got from you, that I give you credit for, is ask yourself, how would I give this presentation if I knew it was my last one ever?

Yes, yes, true. And I still wonder because he, you know, Frank Sinatra had a quote to say, live your life as this is your last day, because one day, you're gonna be right. Okay. I don't know what's gonna be my last speech, but I want it to be phenomenal. My grandmother was an inspiration to me. My grandmother was an entrepreneur. She was a hairdresser. She had a beauty shop in Philadelphia, West Philadelphia. The day she died, she did three heads. And the lady said they were phenomenal. The last one she did was a phenomenal hairdo. After she finished that lady's head, she went to her from her beauty shop, through the door into her living quarter. She had a beautiful home. She sat down and she died. And when they found her, she had a pocket full of money, that little three heads that day. And I said, that's how I want to go. That's how I want to go. I want to give a speech, sign some books, have them hollering and screaming, saying that they're going to go out and change the world, ready to take on the giants of the world, being Davids against giants. I want to give them that kind of message, charge them up to go take the mountain. And then I want to sign some book to say, you use this book to bless you and your family for future generations. I want to go sit down somewhere, go home and be with the Lord. Come on. You see what I'm saying?

You want them ready to learn, ready to earn, ready to burn.

Yes, sir.

That from you years ago also, Darren, go ahead.

One more important question that I want to ask you for everyone's benefit. Willie, you have been a hero of mine since day one. And, and, and I mean that. I hate when people give platitudes, but I so mean that. And one of the things that makes you unforgettable is your stories. Yes, I still remember when you were on main stage at NSA and you told the story of the day that you had all these things going for you. Then the. The Lord gave you the message and quit your job.

And you're what?

I still remember that.

So.

So two questions to help people listening. Because stories is the heartbeat of what makes people unforgettable. So number one, how do you choose your stories? Which ones you're going to use in your speech? And number two, how do you develop them? What's your process for making them even better?

Oh, well, let me start with number two question first, and then I'll go to number one. I develop my stories with my family and friends just in casual conversations with my family, my friends, small groups. It's almost like the Laugh Factory that comedians go to LA to the Laugh Factory to try out new material on a small audience. I'll be talking to Dee or my children or my friends and I'll say, let me tell you what happened to me today. And I'll tell them something. They go, ooh. And I get them to grunting and I get them to go, oh, that was good. Then I said, okay, now I will develop that. My wife, even yesterday I spoke at a church. Well, this weekend, last weekend, a couple days ago now. And she said to me, the story. I've heard that story, but you took it to another level. And I keep working on it. I keep working on it, giving it texture, giving it so that people can see it in their mind. They can visualize the story when I say the word. Now let's tell you why stories are so important. If I say to you the word rose, each one of you, what color did you think of, Mark?

Yellow. Because my wife has a rose garden out front and she once grew a rose that was over six feet tall.

Okay, Darren, what color?

Red. My mom's name is Rose. She's great at growing roses, and red is her favorite.

Okay. Notice. And everybody who's listening on this podcast, when I said rose, everybody thought of a flower and they thought of a color. No one thought R, O, S, E. They didn't think of how you spell it. They didn't think of the four letters. They thought of a picture. And that's why stories are so powerful. You tell a picture and you paint a picture using words. Let me tell you, when I started speaking, there was no PowerPoint. First of all, the best you had was a flip chart. Am I right? And I said to myself, I'm not going to use a flip chart. I'm going to tell a story. And I didn't have the capacity because remember, I start or you didn't know. I didn't tell you the rest. When I started speaking, I started as a you speaking. And the first five years of my speaking, I spoke to youth in inner city schools around America. Some of the toughest schools and juvenile justice places, you don't have no time to put up no flip shop. So I had to tell stories that would captivate them and calm them down because they didn't want to be in there in the first place. So I developed these stories that were compelling. Three Cs for my stories, captivating, compelling, life changing those what I would. And I thought of what was the greatest speech I had ever heard. It was I have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King. Every time I would hear it, I'd get chill bumps. I'd get goosebumps. And he just told stories and he told a Story of his four little children. And I said, I'm gonna learn how to be a great speaker by being a great storyteller. I'm gonna use my words to paint pictures in people's minds so that they take me on this journey and I can take them on a journey. And so stories. Thank you, Darren. So I won develop him that way. Now, how do I choose him? Now at this point in my career, four levels of consciousness. There's unconscious incompetence. I don't know what I don't know. Okay? There are a lot of things I don't know and I don't even know. I don't know. So it's unconscious incompetence. Then there's conscious incompetence. I know I don't know how to fly a plane. So if the pilot got sick while we were flying, don't ask.

We're not calling on you because I.

Know I don't know how to do. I haven't taken a lessons yet.

You can motivate somebody else to fly the plane.

Yeah, y' all gotta get on. So there's unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, but then there's consciousness competence for the first. Let's see, I've been speaking almost 30 years now. The first 10 years, maybe 15, I was consciously competent or I got to a place of consciously being competent in my speaking so that I would make an outline. First of all, everybody, when I speak, I would make an outline, okay? And I would make that outline and I would. I've never. And I never recommend you write word for word speaking your speeches out word for word. That's the recipe for a train wreck. Darren, you might remember, I don't know if Mark was in nsa then Bermuda, and I don't know if you were there, Darren, or not Bermuda, but one of our NSA colleagues had practiced her speech.

Oh, I heard the story. I wasn't there, but I heard the.

Story word for word. She had studied under Frip. She had learned how to have the stand and deliver moments. She had practiced her speech word for word, gone through the script. As she was on stage, the bright lights hit her. Somewhere in there, somebody coughed or sneeze or something and it threw her off. She could not remember where she was in the speech. And it was the most painful for all of us speakers to see this woman stand there and fall apart. It ended. And now we, of course, all loved on her. But her picking career was basically over right then. It was. It was painful. And I think she came Back a few years later and she did it again. So I haven't seen her in years. Now, that said, I use an outline. Just give me outline I can look at. And we use. When we do our speaking training, we don't do them that often. We do one boot camp a year, not on the presentation skills part, but more on the speaking business part and how to grow a speaking business. Y' all got the whole package. And we send people to youcanspeaknow.com to get some resources. And then they go to jollyrichspeaking.com and learn about our boot camp. And then we do this boot camp. But when we do, we do a little piece on presentation skill and we use post it notes to create at least an outline. And then you can move them around the post it notes around. But that was the first level of my speaking, using posting those to get at least a framework. But then I got to consciously competent. And all I had to do then was have an outline now that say that to say I'm at a place in my career now or my speaking now where I am unconsciously competent. Unconsciously competent. So with uncompass incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence, and then unconscious competence, I don't even have to think about it. Case in point, went to give a speech. Some city, I don't remember what city. Flew back. This was years ago, before my wife traveled with me. So I flew back in. She picked me up at the airport. She said, we've got to go by a certain place. They're having the Eagle Scout celebration for my nephew, and we'll be able to get there right on time for the start of the program. My nephew's been in this Eagle Scout, from a Cub Scout to Boy Scout, Boy Scout to Eagle Scout. He's gone through the process. He's being named Eagle Scout, the highest level in scouting. And very few people get it. We get there and I get seated. It starts, and then I say to my wife, oh, man, I forgot the camera. It's in the car. So I get up to go get the camera. And the program director says, ladies and gentlemen, Willy Jolly's here today, folks. Willie Jolly come up and say something to the crowd now. I got about 20 steps. I turn around, I start walking up to the rostrum to give a message. People are clapping. Willie Jolly's here. Willy Jolly's here. So that means I got the pressure on now. I got to do something good. I get up to the podium and I say, I have only just A minute, only six seconds. I do my thing, then I say, ladies and gentlemen, I'm here today to celebrate my nephew, to celebrate his accomplishment, to celebrate his diligence, to celebrate his willingness to be an eagle. And I share that. He is showing us a model for others. Once upon a time, there was a little teeny weeny eagle egg that sat up on top of the highest mountain peak. A strong wind came and blew it down in a valley, rode in a chicken farm. The mother hen sat on it till it hatched. And out came this funny looking bird with big wings and big claws. Looked different from the other chickens. It was raised around chickens. It walked like chickens, talked like chickens, acted like chickens, it even dreamed like chickens. Its biggest chicken dream was to get on top of the fence and crawl like a rooster. But it said to itself, oh, I can't do that because I'm a chicken. One day, while pecking for corn out in a corn yard, and then your chicken hen and his chicken coop, it looked up in the sky and saw the most amazing side of his life. Saw an eagle. It said, what are you? And the eagle, with his powerful hearing and powerful eyesight, saw a little bird, flew straight down, said, what am I? What are you? And the little bird said, I'm a chicken. And the eagle said, look at my face, you. You look like me. Look at my wings, you look like me. Look at my claws, you look like me. Said, you are not a chicken, you're an eagle. Flap your wings and fly like the eagle you were born to be. And a little bird flapped his wings and he flew and soared above the courtyard and flew like an eagle. My nephew today proved that there is an eagle in him and in you. It's been a privilege and a pleasure to be in your presence. I walked off and of course, you know what happened? They all stood to their feet and gave me a standing ovation. I was just going to get a camera. Now, I say that to say that comes from preparation. A friend of mine used to say to me, the great musicians practice their scales so much that when it's time for them to solo, they don't have to think about it. I had practiced in the car, practicing my speaking in my bathroom, practicing in the shower, on the way. On the way to a trip, practicing my words. One of the things I did, as I told you, I jazz spoke. I would have problems with articulation and grammar. So what I did, Mark and Darren, is I got a tape on grammar, and I would play the tape in my car. To teach me how to be grammatically correct, because I knew I had an issue there. So I kept practicing, I kept working, I kept developing. And even to this day, even though I have some unconscious competence, I'm trying to get better one day. If I keep working one day, I'm gonna be a good speaker. You wait. See, y'. All wait. See? One day I'm gonna be good.

We had Mike Rayburn on. On episode two, and he talked about practicing like two and a half hours a day at his craft guitar in terms of what he does to be unforgettable. So, Mark, you got other questions for Willie?

One last question. Willie, what advice would you give to a corporate presenter, a leader, a pastor, or anyone who wants to deliver an unforgettable representation? What would. What one bit of advice would you give to them right now?

I think if I had to give advice to a person who has an opportunity to give a powerful message, one is think on these things. One of the things I want you to think on these things is one think that. Use the word operatively, that you should think about it. I thought about it. I would think about my speech and what impact I wanted to have. Not to impress, but to inspire. So let's think about that. Think on that. I got to put some time on this. I've got to practice. I got to prepare. I gotta. Gotta go through my. My checklist. I gotta look at my outline and see how the piece is part. And like the post it notes, move it around till I get the outline to be. So think on these. These stories, these points. And then things. The things are the incredible lessons that you can leave with somebody from your message. And often your message is a message created out of your mess. My flubbing, my being fired and replaced by a karaoke machine, my being too egomaniac that I tripped up, that was my mess. But those messages out of my mess created a career where I now get to do what I do. Write books. Looking at some of my books. It only takes a minute. Change your life. A setback is a set up for a comeback.

Comeback.

Turn setbacks into greenbacks. An attitude of excellence. Make love, make money, make it last. My marriage book with my wife. All of these are built on the challenges that I came through. Each one of them was about the challenges and how you grow through the challenge. It's a message out of my mess. So if that was it, I tell people, be humble. Think on these things.

And Willie, if somebody wants to get one of your books, if somebody wants to book you For a motivational talk, one of your talks or trainings or if somebody wants to learn from you in terms of becoming unforgettable, where would they go?

I'm going to give you a couple websites. One is if you want to learn some of the things we recommend for speaking, you go to two sites you can speak now.com tell you about. Number one, take a Toastmasters course. Number two, attend what I told Mark, come to NSA. Number three, get the book Speak and Grow Rich. Four, download this training I did on how to get your business up and going. And number five, speak whenever, wherever you can. Lions club, Rotary club, your grandma's church social. I don't care what, just speak.

That sounds like stage time. Stage time. Stage time, stage time.

There you go. So you can speak now.com then if you want to come to my boot camp. That's for speaking business boot camp. It's jollyrichspeaking.com j o l l e y richspeaking.com now if you want to book me to speak, you go to wjspeaks.com wjspeaks.com if you want to get some of my resources, they'll be there. If you want some of my youth program resources, I told you I spoke for youth. I still have a heart for youth. Go to WJ Youth Power. WJ youthpower.com if you want to get your marriage right, get your marriage good. Get your marriage growing. My wife and I've been married for 34 years. Haven't had an argument in over 30 years. Wrote a book called Make Love, make money, make it last. That's now a popular book. You go to jollymarriage.com and join us Monday nights at 9 o'clock on Facebook live for Happily Married Monday with the Jolly. Finally, what I'm most excited about. And Mark, thank you for saying. Reverend Dr. Willie Jolly, I actually I'm licensed, but I'm not ordained because I chose. I'm not, I didn't get ordained because I just, I said I don't have to marry nobody or the nation gives you marriage credit. I ain't marrying nobody, but I have and I have buried people, but I have. But I am a doctor with a doctorate of ministry. And so the rest of my life I want to dedicate beyond speaking for major corporations is dedicated to make a difference in people's lives. So I've created an organization called Jolly Good News and Jolly Good News. In a time of bad news, sad news, depressing news, false news, the debilitating news we need Some good news. In our land, we need some good news. In our world, we need people to get good news. The suicide rate has doubled in the last seven years because people are depressed. They live in lives of quiet desperation. They need some good news. So I've created Jolly Good News. It's a website, jollygoodnews.org It's a non profit. You can go there, get your some good news. You can be part of our movement to inspire people as well as a Instagram channel and page, as well as Facebook. Jolly Good news. We're going to change the world. We put some good news. That's what I am called to do and that's what I'm going to do. And the rest of it. You want me come speak. I'll come speak. But I'm going to give you some good news. Come on, somebody.

I'll give you an amen. And all that with your XM radio program as well. That's amazing.

Oh, podcast now for those who don't have XM, you can get it on my podcast. IHeart, iTunes, C Suite, Stitcher, Tunein and Spotify.

Mark, do we have any keepers?

Oh my goodness. I was writing so much, I was making too much noise on my microphone. I got so many. Success comes from mentors and mistakes. You have a standard and reputation of excellence. Find something that inspires you and find the thing that's uniquely yours and brand it. Use your gift and build on it. Use creativity. If you're not willing to struggle, you will never become great. Ask yourself what's your motive? And speak not to impress, but to inspire. Let your stories paint the pictures because your stories must be both captivating and compelling. And you want to go from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence to conscious competence and then unconscious competence. And don't forget, think on these things. Think. Use your head right? Think on. Invest time in preparation and practicing these, these stories, these points and examples. And the things are the lessons and messages that are going to. You'll leave to make you unforgettable.

Come on, my man. That's my man.

Reverend Dr. Willy Jolly, thanks for being here on Unforgettable.

Gentlemen, you gentlemen and I want to encourage everybody to listen to this podcast every time it posts and then come to their programs. Every speaker in every America who wants to be great needs to be under the tutelage ship. I went to their NSA session. It was phenomenal. And you are going to do yourself a favor by being in their world, in their environment, in their ethos. So hey, man. I recommend it. All right.

Thanks for being the legend that continues to be the person offstage that is as inspiring as the legend you are on stage. Thanks for what you do for the world, my friend.

Thanks Willie. God bless.

God bless you both. Thank you.

Take care.

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