We were going through some photos here at the office and found this fun photo of Brad with General Byers at a military conference in St. Louis.

What I love about this photo is that it proves that some of the most powerful people in the military are able to have — and demonstrate a sense of humor. Thanks General Byers. It was a total honor to work with your team.

Brad with General Byers

Looking for a motivational speaker or military speaker for your event? Contact me here.

Here’s another photo from the vaults!   We just found this picture of me with Chief Master Sgt. Rod McKinley.   It was a total pleasure speaking at the US Air Force Sergent’s Association, and an absolute honor for me to get a photo with such a distinguished man.  Thanks!

Looking for a motivational speaker or military speaker for your event? Contact me here.

I recently got back from Scott Air Force Base in Missouri.  I was totally pleased to learn that the commander was interested in creating greater resiliency for his Airmen.   So my job was to do just that…but in a very funny way of course.   We had a blast… Thanks Scott!  Thanks Col. Hornachek!

Brad with Colonel Hornachek

Looking for a motivational speaker or military speaker for your event? Contact me here.

I love being a motivational speaker. But honestly, there are some jobs that are more fun than others. And for me, that often means military audiences. (Hey corporate and association pals… I love you too! But you got to admit it: the military is special.)  If you’re looking for a military speaker you want to make sure they are good; check out this video from an Air Force event I did….

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk0RijT_lNA

Looking for a motivational speaker or military speaker for your event? Contact me here.

Brad Montgomery
Military Speaker, Motivational Speaker, Fan of the Air Force

For those of you who prefer to read, here is the transcript:

Speaker: And in all of the years that we have done this, this was the absolute top event and over the top, hit the message right on.

Brad: The point is that tiny, tiny changes when added together can make a huge difference.

Speaker: I wasn’t quite sure going in. We had a couple of questions; was it the right speaker? Was it the right message? I have no doubts today. If you’re out there, you know, Sergeant Snuffy, Airman, Colonel, Mister looking at an event, Brad was the guy. He was a great guy for our event. Everybody left from the top to the bottom knowing it was one message. For our group, two at the same time, you know in the military we’re an industry. Time is important. Saving money is important and what we do every day, and we can either enjoy it, or we can make our lives miserable and regret all the cuts that’s coming down the line, and he just picked everybody up and gave us a new focus where we can look at life a little bit differently and go out and do our jobs, so hey, book Brad Montgomery

I love being a motivational speaker;  but being a motivational speaker for the Air Force is very, VERY cool.    I recently spoke at Scott Air Force Base in Missouri.  Their commander wanted a funny speaker to speak on resilience and attitude.  I was thrilled to be invited.

Check out this phone video I took:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=skVMUTPxurM

Thanks Scott AFB!

Looking for a motivational speaker or military speaker for your event?   <a href=”http://www.bradmontgomery.com/contact”>Contact me here</a>.

Brad Montgomery
Military Speaker, Motivational Speaker, Scott AFB Fan

For those of you who prefer to read, here is the transcript:

Brad Montgomery from BradMontgomery.com and I’m at Scott Air Force Base and I’m about to go in that theatre, it’s theatre, it doesn’t look like a theatre, but it’s a theatre and there’s going to be a whole bunch of airmen in there; there’s going to be some Marines, National Guard; there might be Navy, might be Coast Guard; everyone is here at Scott.  And my job is go and motivate these guys that have been busting their hump, they’re working hard, and happily their Commander really thinks it’s important for them to work on resilience and making sure that the rest of their life is in line with their mission.  So wish me luck.

A blast!  We just left the base.  Oh man, two programs we did, two key notes for these military audiences.  Really love being a motivational speaker.  My corporate clients, I love you; association clients I love you too; government clients, I love you, but okay, forgive me.  There’s something really cool about being a military speaker, because this is a group that just works so hard and some of them are just back from deployment, they’re preparing for deployment.  They have these super, incredible, important, detail rich jobs and then to stand in front of them and to be able to celebrate their success, to talk about resiliency, to motivate them, to appreciate them, and just to be a part of that for just a little bit is just a cool job.  So, Scott Air Force Base you rock.  Thanks for making me a part of your team if it was only just for the day and cheers to you.

One more from the military speaker photo vault!  I was working with Armed Forces Communication Association  and spoke to a wonderful mix of military, civilian and retired military.  But one of my favorite parts was AFTER the event when i was talking to Both Brigadier General Dwyer Dennis and Col. Greg Petriquin.   They both have wonderful senses of humor, and spoke to me about how they carefully (and thoughtfully) use humor and levity as part of their leadership style.  I was impressed with how much they had thought about it… But of course all leaders know about the power of humor.

It was an honor, gentlemen. Thanks so much.

Col. Petrequin proceeded to explain how when he was posted in Guam he had some fun Dress Mess shirts made…. And then he showed me.  As you can see, when he’s ready to be formal, he’s just another sharp military leader.  But if he takes off his jacket, he revealed some crazy loud party pattern sleeves.

It’s a total pattern:  people with the most stressful jobs are run by people with the best senses of humor.  Emergency room nurses, firemen, policemen, and military people have tough jobs…they NEED to understand how to blow off steam in a safe and effective way.  And big shocker… The Colonel has a terrific understanding about how to have fun in a way that is totally consistent with his job.

Ok….I’m off my soapbox now.  Thanks so much guys.  It was fun.  It was educational.  And it was an absolute honor.

Looking for a motivational speaker or military speaker for your event? Contact me here.

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Military Speaker, Motivational Speaker and Fan of Fun Leaders!

I recently worked in San Diego, California for a group of teachers from the Department of Defense called STARBASE.  It was a cool group of educators tasked with getting “at risk” kids fired up about math and science.   It’s not a military group, but these “schools” are mainly on military bases, so there are plenty of retired military folks there as well as civilian teachers.

My awesome meeting planner, Cindy, just wrote the kindest note.  Check it out:

I wanted to thank the National Speakers Bureau for suggesting Brad Montgomery for the 2009 STARBASE Professional Development Conference and let you know what a fantastic performance he gave.

Brad arrived mid-morning for his afternoon performance and spent some time visiting with myself and the attendees during lunch and breaks.  We had no idea that he would be able to incorporate the information he gathered so quickly into his afternoon performance.  Nor did I anticipate just how “on target” he would be with his comedy and message.

His ideals on attitude were in complete alignment with the conference goals which included increasing the teachers’ awareness of attitude and relationships toward the good of the STARBASE program.  The information and skills he shared during the conference provided the participants with the skills to make real changes in both their professional and personal lives.

Again, I express our thanks.  Brad’s presentation was greatly appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed by all.  It was a great way to end the conference with a positive attitude. He truly knocked this one out of the park!

Sincerely,
Cyndy M.
Alexandria, Virginia

Aw Shucks.   That’s so cool.  Thanks Cindy.

Are you looking for an education speaker to fire up your educators and teachers?  Go to the contact page now.

Cheers!

Brad

Technorati Tags: Speaker for Educators, Education, Teachers, Speaker, California Speaker, San Diego Del.icio.us Tags: Speaker for Educators, Education, Teachers, Speaker, California Speaker, San Diego

This amazing story about good humor (and good grace) from one of my motivational speaker friends, Barbara Glanz.

In short, the story is about how civilian travelers voluntarily gave up their first class seats to the soldiers flying on board a commercial airliner. It’s hard not to feel good about it.

Check out this excerpt:

…Another young lady was seated in that row, and he was able to hear a bit of their conversation. The young man told her that he had just finished a tour in Iraq, was coming home on leave, and then would go back in several weeks.

As they were talking, a woman who had been seated in First Class, came back to the young man’s row, introduced herself, and asked him for his Boarding Pass. A bit puzzled, he handed it to her, at which point she, in turn, handed hers to him. She said, “I would like to trade seats with you.”

The young man immediately responded, “Oh, no, Ma’am, I couldn’t do that.”

She smiled a huge smile and said, “Oh, yes, you can, Soldier. It’s an order!”

So, as everyone around wiped teary eyes, the young man reached up for his backpack and went up to sit in First Class.

Read the entire story here.

What’s my point? We all have it in us to create happiness. And the amazing thing about creating happiness for others is that we end up happier ourselves. Sure, those soldiers felt great to be upgraded and recognized. But the individuals who traded seats with them — I imagine — felt as good or better. They knew they had been kind, and then knew they made a difference.

When you go out of your way to create joy or humor, and when you consciously make the people around you happier, the unavoidable result is more happiness for yourself.

In other words, it doesn’t matter how selfless you are, you end up getting as much as you give. Magic. And it’s very, very cool.

Next time you’re having a crappy day, GIVE some happiness. Buy the stranger behind you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Anonymously send a drink to a young couple in a restaurant. Or make a point to give somebody who never expected it a compliment. “I like your shoes,” goes farther than you probably think. (With some people, it goes REALLY far.)

Want to be happier? Then make somebody else happy. I guarantee it will work.

Need a speaker to talk about happiness as it relates to life and work? Want military motivational speaker? (And I don’t even need first class!) Contact me here.

Brad Montgomery
Funny Keynote Speaker, Happiness Expert, Lover of First Class

Technorati Tags: military speakers, first class, story Del.icio.us Tags: military speakers, first class, story

I recently worked for the DAU — Defense Acquisition University — in Huntsville, Alabama. This is a hardworking group of military and civilians who need to understand the very complex acquisition process. It’s a tough and tedious job. And it’s important. (Just ask the men and women who need parts and supplies overseas.)

Happily, it went well. Really well. It was a terrific group.

The best part of the motivational speech for me was watching these men and women change during our time together. Predictably, they started out pretty wary. “What?! A funny motivational speaker at a military conference?” But after the first few minutes they began to relax and get into it — and to laugh.

It was clear to me — even as an outsider — that this group NEEDED to laugh.

Does your group (military or civilian) need a speaker who can help them with perspective, morale and attitude? Wouldn’t it be cool if this motivational speaker was funny? I think so too. Let’s talk. Go to the contact page.

Learn more about this military speaker
Brad Montgomery
Military Speaker, Funny Motivational Speaker, Fan of the DAU

Technorati Tags: Military Speaker, Brad Montgomery, Alabama, Motivational Speakers, DAU, Defence Acquistion University, Huntsville Del.icio.us Tags: Military Speaker, Brad Montgomery, Alabama, Motivational Speakers, DAU, Defence Acquistion University, Huntsville

More related links:

My most popular magician speaker topic, Ordinary Magic
Comedy Magic: My Funny Magic Show Freshly Brewed
Sample chapter from my book, Humor Me
Mile High Magicians Society
A blog post about a Colorado Magician
My work as a magician speaker for IBM
Video testimonials on YouTube about my work as a magician speaker
Video of Freshly Brewed, A sample of my magician speaker work.
Video of some of my work on YouTube as a magician.

I was a motivational speaker at an Air Force event a while back.  If anybody deserves a visit from a humorist, it had to be that group.  Check out this very cool, very makes-me-feel-awesome letter from one of the folks in the audience:

Brad,
 
I am sure that you dont remember me but we met two years ago at the Air Force Sergeants Association conference in Orlando, Florida.  Since your presentation I have been looking for that “little bit of magic” in everday life. 
 I was asked tonight about my thoughts about deployment and what others might be thinking or feeling about the location that they are in and the location that we are in (thank God we are in a less dangerous location). 

I thought about the little bit of magic that you talked about when you gave your motivational presentation.  If I can get that person to say “How cool is that” where we are then I am doing ok. 
 
I have longed to get a “squeeker” out of a childs toy and have fun with the people that I am deployed with. 
 
I know that this is lame and I dont blame you if you dont want to answer…..do you have any little tidbits of wisdom that I can use on my folks to get them to smile.  I have been working with them for about 2 months now (give or take a week), and I think they might be getting a little tired of my bad jokes (but I still get a sad smile and a head shake so I am not giving up). 

I dont care if they think “Hey the Shirt (slang for 1st Sergeant) is goofy”…… I live for Goofy. 

You may never know (althought I hope you do) how much of a difference you have made on the many lives that you touched that August day in 2007.   I can not say THANK YOU enough.

Please keep up the good work and thank you again for your support of our fighting men and women. I am just a crusty old reservist that has more grey hair than sense but if I can help make a person smile then I can retire a happy man. 

YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!
 
Tony

Tony… you made my day. And … it’s you who rock.  (Ok..we both rock.)   I’m absolutely floored.  Thanks so very much for taking the time and trouble to reach out to me.   I work for hundreds of audiences a year, and in this goofy motivational speaker job, you just never know if anybody is really listening.  So hearing from you was like a tonic.  And now I don’t even need the gin.

I think that Tony is asking the right question:  how can I make this job more bearable and fun for my team?  The answers aren’t always obvious, even to me — and I think about this stuff a bunch.  But the very fact that Tony is thinking about it makes him a better manager, a better leader, and a better friend.  He’s the kind of guy we’d all like to work for… the kind of leader who is trying to make things better for the rest of us.   

Hey Military audiences!  (And corporate groups… I’m not picky.)  If YOU need a motivational speaker or humorist or keynote speaker or…. if you need a laugh and a solid connection to what you are trying to accomplish at work… I hope you’ll pick me.  Contact me here.   Visit my main site here. 

Brad Montgomery
Air Force Speaker, Fan of the Military, Squeaker!

PS.  I sent Tony and his guys a whole pile of stuff.  (And a regrettably short letter about humor in the mitary… something I honestly don’t know enough about.)  Guess what was in the box?   : )

Killed in a good way.  In a “Holy Cow That Speaker Rocked” way.  As in “I have never loved my job more than when I was there with that group from the Department of Defense” way. 

Specifically, I was working with the DCMA – Defense Contractors Management Agency.  I was hired by a Mr. Charlie Williams, their director and a nice man who hired me twice for contracting events for the Air Force.  (Mr. Williams recently changed jobs.)

I always love speaking, but speaking for the military is especially exciting and meaningful.  Especially because we’re at war, and because their job could not be more serious.  Sure, I enjoy working for corporate groups and associations, and those folks are good people.  But their mission is never quite as life-and-death as my military audiences. 

My corporate audiences are stressed out about meeting sales quotas, selling widgets, and their newsoftware.   Military audiences are stressed out because they were just deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan, (or about to be) and are supporting their peers who are there right now.  I don’t mean to dismiss anybody’s career or problems, but let’s face it, our friends in the military are in an especially unique work situation.

By looking at the front of USA Today we can easily forget about Iraq and Afghanistan.  But when you walk into a room full of DOD / DCMA folks, you don’t need a reminder.  These are good folks with a serious job.  

So, what was it like? What did we do?  The first thing I did was to (politely) poke fun at nearly everything they did.  I poked fun at how the top “brass” was in the front row, about how they had just sat through HOURS of PowerPoint (which they complicated by calling “Briefing Slides.”)  I teased them about their unending acronyms, the crazy soap stocked in our hotel rooms, and even about their long (and somehow undescriptive) job titles.  (What does an Industrial Specialist do anyhow?)

In my experience as a humorist and business speaker, the groups that are the quickest to laugh are the groups that need it most.  This group really needed a break;  they were extremely fast to catch on to thehumor. 

It is always gratifying to take a group from stressed to “ready to work.”  It is always fun to fun to give them tools to use have and use their senses of humor.  And of course it’s a total blast to make any group laugh until they cry.  But to do this for a group of hardworking cilvilian and military folks who need it most just makes you feel like you’re the luckiest guy with the coolest job ever. 

I’ve heard the words, “I’m honored to be part of your team.”  Heck, I’ve even said them.  But in this case, I couldn’t mean it more.

Hey Mr. Williams:  thanks so much for bringing me in.  It was great to work for you once.  It’s MORE than three times cooler to work for you three times.    And to the good folks at DCMA … you rock!  Keep your chin up, keep the fun-meter on high, and keep up the good work. Your mission is too important to not treat yourself right.

Brad Montgomery
Military Speaker, Fan of the DCMA, Honored to be Part Your Event

The military Uncle Sam that is!

I’m not gonna get into whether or not the current war is a great idea or not. But, one thing is certain: our men and women in the military are worthy of the utmost respect. They sacrifice a lot for their families — and us — and place themselves (often) in harm’s way for our country’s freedom. In a time of economic disparity and political uncertainties for our military, I cannot think of an audience who needs a bit of a “humor reminder” more than military audiences.

Here’s a photo of me working on stage in front of an Air Force audience doing an audience participation bit with an officer. We all really had a lot of fun doing this interactive session and I hope to be able to join them another time to help lighten things up again.

I’ve spoken to several military audiences— and I love them. I’ve been able to share humor with them, understand their lives a little better and become educated as well. These folks work hard at a job that couldn’t be more serious. You might think that military audiences are harder for humorists like me. Not so. They are actually one of my most favorite audiences to speak to. They are appreciative and responsive. And best of all, they need what I have to offer. (And don’t we all feel good when what we do is not only appreciated but needed?)

Have you ever had to address a difficult audience? How did you do it? Or, have you ever been the difficult audience? What did you think of the speaker?

Can you guess what my least favorite audience is? Comment away!

Yes, if you are Air Force Sergeant David Bamburg. (Or, as he calls himself: MSgt (Ret) “Super Dave” Bamburg) I spoke about a year ago to the Air Force Sergeant’s Association and was amazed and honored to be in front of this terrific group.  (Hey!  The Air Force needs speakers too… and given our state of war, probably more than the rest of us.)
(See that post here.)

As part of my motivational speech, I had a joke relating to how we need to sometimes actively do things to make our lives fun. I talked about “Getting On Board” and also “Riding the Pony.” It was a metaphor. A joke.

My new friend Sergeant Bamburg was in the audience and he has taken that joke to heart.He has clearly “gotten on board.” He has sent me photos of him riding a pony outside of a store (the 1¢ machine pony) and now check out his latest letter and photo.

The fun never dies. We recently had our AFSA Division convention in Las Vegas, NV. I couldn’t resist bringing along a friends stick

Brad — The fun never dies. We recently had our AFSA Division convention in Las Vegas, NV. I couldn’t resist bringing along a friends stick pony. Yes, they even allowed it on the plane. The photo is of our chapter’s NCO nominee, MSgt Bryan Dean, and one of the 11th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, CMSgt (ret) Dave Campanale. I tried to get Bryan to hold the pony and we he refused, the Chief grabbed it from me and said he’d do it. “How Cool is That” What was even better is the pony made horse sounds when you pressed its ear. — DAVID A. BAMBURG, GS-05, USAF

He gets it. He is having fun, because he is MAKING his life fun. He is doing wacky stuff, and the result can be seen in the smile on his face. What are you doing to Get On Board? What are YOU doing to actively create fun?

Thanks David. Ride that pony!

Looking for a military speaker or a motivational speaker for your military event? I hope you’ll consider me.

Technorati Tags: Air Force Speaker, Military Speaker, Pony Del.icio.us Tags: Air Force Speaker, Military Speaker, Pony

I’m just now back from Orlando, Florida where I spoke with about 950 members of the Air Force Sergeants’ Association. I love working in Orlando. And I love working with military audiences, but this group was a total hoot.

There were a long list of highlights. Here’s a few:
• Immediately before my program I ate with (among others) Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley.

He’s a very relaxed, very charming, and actually pretty funny guy. We spoke of many things, but when I asked him if uses humor in his position as a leader he was instantly animated and spoke of how he believes it relaxes his folks, makes him appear “more human” and less intimidating, and more able to work well. In other words, it’s a big deal. And so was he.

[Later, he flattered me by giving me his Military Coin, which is a TOTAL rush. Thanks Chief McKinley.]

What impressed me most with Chief Master Sergeant McKinley was the fact that he is a skilled practitioner of humor. He has a total natural and authentic gift for making others feel at ease. He pokes fun at himself, and his staff clearly responds to his authenticity.

It never surprises me when the most down-to-earth folks turn out to be the top dogs. It might be the very fact that they are leaders that enables them to “let their hair down” and be relaxed and at ease, and able to make those people around them comfortable and relaxed.

But I suspect it is the opposite: I suspect that the more “at ease” people are with themselves, the more likely it is that they end up in leadership positions.

Thanks Air Force Sergeants Association. I had a total ball being your humorist motivational speaker.

Cheers!

As I write this post, I’m sitting in United seat 7F on the way back from speaking for the Senior Acquisition Leaders event in Atlanta, Georgia.

What can I say? Where to start?

They flattered me with a standing ovation. Which, coming from these hardened career military folks was flattering. Apparently they thought it went well. And I’m glad. Very glad.

But what really stood out for me was what a special time I had. I was absolutely thrilled to be part of the event. There is something special about working for the military. I’ve done it a few times before, and it is always special. And this speech and that crowd absolutely touched me.

I love speaking to corporate groups… they are good people, hard workers, and I’m convinced that they really need a message of lightness and fun. But working for the military is a whole different beast because they are passionate about their jobs. Passionate. They have a call to serve, and their amazing attitudes are infectious.

Take for example Lt. General Donald Hoffman. He told me minutes before my program that, “They don’t pay us for us not to have a good time.” General Hoffman is a fun, upbeat leader who strongly believes that we need to take ourselves less seriously — especially perhaps those people in such serious jobs as the Air Force.

“Don’t get me wrong,” General Hoffman continued, “This is a serious job. We make planes, drop bombs and kill people. We’re not all fun and games. And we’re not in this to make people laugh.” But he went on to say that if you are that stereo-typical all-serious military guy you burn out, your people burn out, and you never get the results you are after.

I loved how he made the distinction between having a sense of humor and being funny. I totally agree: you don’t have to make jokes and tease people in order to lighten the workplace. Humor in the workplace doesn’t always mean (and sometimes should NOT mean) laughing or making others laugh. But it always means being about to take yourself a bit lesseriously. It means having and using a sense of humor yourself.

Wow. Humor in the military? Humor in leadership? Humor during a time of war? You bet, if you believe this general. And the most wonderful thing is that his attitude and leadership strategy is obviously working — just look at the three stars on his shoulder.

General Hoffman… it was an honor to speak to your group. Thank so much for including me.

Cheers!

(Follow the Air Force’s Lead… book Brad to be YOUR funny motivational speaker.)

Brad Montgomery
Military Speaker, Humor in the Workplace (Warplace?) Expert, Fan of The Air Force

Technorati Tags: Military speakers, government speakers, Air Force Speakers, humor in the military, humor in the airforce Del.icio.us Tags: Military speakers, government speakers, Air Force Speakers, humor in the military, humor in the airforce

Do YOU think humor has a place in business? I sure do. Check out this excerpt form a humor newsletter from Humorist Roz Trieber.

“Research demonstrates there is a significant correlation between humor and leadership effectiveness (Priest and Swain, 2002). Organizational culture, in the military and elsewhere, supports the use of humor by leaders in appropriate ways. The United States Army leadership manual describes, “Having a good sense of humor” as a valuable character trait for leaders (Department of Army, 1983). It was found that cadets at the United States Military Academy who use humor as a coping strategy were less likely to quit or make mistakes. In addition, humor employed by managers and leaders achieve three specific ends: 1) stress reduction in the workplace, 2) helping employees understand management concerns by enhancing communication patterns, and 3) motivating followers (Davis and Kleiner, 1989). Good leaders who use good-natured jest put others at ease. Those who cannot laugh or joke about their imperfections or personal failings are correlated with other characteristics of “bad leaders,” A majority of good leaders are shown to have quick wit, see the point of jokes, maintain group morale through extraverted humor vs. mean spirited humor, have infectious laughs, and tell humorous satires in dialect (Priest and Swain, 2002).

What this really means is that there is improved communication with less misunderstanding, and increased desire to come to work, and an increase in creativity and productivity (Decker and Rotondo, 2001). In summary, humor in the workplace promotes physical and mental health, fosters mental flexibility, and acts as a social lubricant (Morreall, 1983). ”

Thanks Roz. Awesome Work.