Years ago I did school assembly program called the Magic of Books.  It’s a motivational literacy program —

I use magic and comedy to demonstrate the cool things you can learn through reading.

I did at least 800 shows, and over 200 schools — nearly all of them in my home state of Colorado.  Recently, I donated the program to my kid’s school.  It was a hoot to have 2 of my kids in the audience, one of whom got up and did a magic trick on her own.  (My other kid was a “star” in a trick I did.)   To be honest, I thought this was the end of the story.

Check out this video we did at one of the schools here in Colorado:

But then in a fluke, a school from a nearby district called and asked me to do it.  “Yes!” I said before thinking.  (The assemblies are fun, but to be brutally honest, my corporate groups pay better.  Hey!  Kids need new shoes!)  Then I noticed that I had a spring in my step the whole day;  I was THRILLED to have booked the show because I love doing it.  Love it.

Guess what?  I’m back!  No, I’m not a school assembly guy.  But I am a motivational speaker who occationally likes doing school assemblies.  Because I love them.

I guess I could do it as an add-on to one of my corporate road trips.  But I’m assuming I’ll mostly do them here in Colorado in between speaking jobs.

Ok clients…don’t sweat it.  I’m not a kids performer.  But yeah, I love doing it and I’m gonna do maybe one school assembly per month.

Hey Colorado Schools?  Are you looking for a fun school assembly?   Offered by a guy who does it because of his passion?  Contact me here.

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Occasional School Assembly Guy, Lover of School Assemblies, Believer in the Magic of Books

Related:
See the School Assembly program on Youtube.
More info on this School Assembly

Technorati Tags: school assemblies, colorado, school assembly, literacy, Magic of Books Del.icio.us Tags: school assemblies, colorado, school assembly, literacy, Magic of Books

I’ll never again speak in a gym.  Ever.  I’ve spoken to tons of youth and high school groups, and love the kids.  I love the teachers.  And I love the energy that only youth audiences can generate.  But I gotta tell you:  I’ve spoken in my last gym.

I’ll call it the First Rule Of Brad:  No Gyms.

Why?  The sound system is always bad.  Even the good ones are bad.  People cannot see.  Folks are sitting on those horrible bleachers so at the best they way spread out to your left to your right.  And at worst, they are on BOTH bleachers with you at the end of the gym.   (Can you say, “Hey Jim Bob!  I can’t see a darned thing from here!“)

Occasionally they’ll fill the gym up with folks sitting on the floor.  (Want to see a grumpy audience?  Put some high school kids on the floor for an hour.)

I know that with this new rule I have limited my market.  I know that many schools cannot physically fit their groups anywhere but in their gym.  But it isn’t worth it.  I promise my clients excellence and when I’m working in a gym  – if I’m being honest – the most I’m likely to provide is “pretty good.”

Heck, when I’m in a gym in front of 1200 students I could light myself on fire, scream and float over the audience in an Elvis suit and still have of the students would be saying, “I can’t see, what’s he doing?” or “What did he say? I can’t understand?”

I love working for myself – I like to be the one who makes the rules.

Do you need a speaker?  I’d love to be your guy. Need to talk over YOUR rules for what you need for your organization?   Contact me here.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Keynote Speaker, Maker of Rules

Related:

Brad’s work as  Youth Motivational Speaker
Brad’s work as a Youth Motivational speaker on YouTube

Technorati Tags: high school speaker, youth speaker, motivational, funny Del.icio.us Tags: high school speaker, youth speaker, motivational, funny

I love halloween…. it’s about the only time of the year that we, as adults, can dress up and act weird and not get fired.  And we can do it sober.

Besides dressing up — this year I’m gonna dress as a rock star — I love to kid around with the little trick or treaters that come by the house: They say “trick or treat!”  I answer, “Ok, I pick Trick.”  They are dumbfounded.  I explain.  I’ll take the trick.   They are dumfounded.  

“Ok, here’s a treat for you.”  I get out a box of dental floss, and pull off a 7″ piece, cut it off, and give it to one kid in his plastic pumpkin.   “Here’s some floss for you.”   And again… “And here’s some for you.”  They never complain, but they are clearly confused.  I think it is hilarious.  (I’m also a tad sugared up by then on the candy I stole from my kids’ bags.)

Another fun idea is to get out a pack of (for example) Starbursts.  Instead of giving them the pack — which is what they expect — I open the pack and give ONE Starburst to each kiddo.   (This is more fun for us as adults than it is to them as kids.)

I eventually give all the kids real candy of course.  But this time of year is a great time to goof.