Welcome back to the Back Stage Blog, where, every week, we take you through the four points that will lead you to your dream stage, in front of your dream audience.

How to build an incredible talk.
How to build your business through products and services
How to put yourself on Other People's Stages (OPS)
How to start building your own stages 

We will continue to dive into these four things every week so we can help you become the best communicator out there. The truth is, if you’re not a powerful communicator, you’re not getting people’s attention. In our efforts to bring you the best, we wanted to share with you some powerful insights from an absolute expert in communication, Jon Gordon. Jon’s principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and nonprofits. Incredibly, he is the author of 27 books including multiple best-sellers! I think we have a few things to learn from this guy! Best of all, he’s a dear friend of mine and my undefeated pickleball partner! Jon recently sat down with our audience to share his story of being at his absolute bottom to living the life he once thought impossible.

Jon Gordon’s Story
During the .com crash of the early 2000’s, Jon lost his job and came to a point where he was completely miserable. He found himself blaming others for his misery and was crushed by the reality that he was disappointing his family and wasn’t living up to the dreams and goals he had for himself. His life was unraveling and he realized that if something didn’t change, he would lose his marriage. At this pivotal moment, Jon looked himself in the mirror and asked, “Why am I here? What am I born to do? Why am I so miserable? Who do you want to be?”

He realized he was miserable because somewhere on the journey, he had become completely focused on himself. He wasn’t doing anything to help others. 

Jon’s personal hardships allowed him to develop a message that he knew would help others. He decided to share his message through writing and speaking. He didn’t know how or where he would do it, but he just knew he had to. Fast forward, Jon developed a concept called Get Addicted to Positive Energy and simply started speaking and sharing his message all around his community with as many people as he could find. None of this earned money - it was all free. But he was getting in his reps. He was getting experience. Accomplished businessman and speaker, Ed Foreman, told Jon, “Speak. The more you do it, the more people see you. If you’re good, they’ll refer you, and then you'll start getting more engagements.” Jon took his advice, and that’s exactly what happened.

He started getting referrals for more speaking engagements, and went from charging $500 for an event to $2k for an event - all without social media! This was simply the growth from his grassroots hard work and effort. When he started this journey, he didn’t know what the future held, but he did know one thing - his mission and his vision:


In 2002, Jon started sharing his message through an e-newsletter with just 5 subscribers. Today, that newsletter reaches nearly one million subscribers! Jon says this was the best thing he ever did for growth because the newsletter allowed him to share the raw, real material that came from the essence of what he stood for. This is one powerful way he remained connected to his audience.

HERE ARE SOME VALUABLE LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM JON’S SUCCESS:

He got clear about the problem he wanted to solve by first overcoming it himself.

Jon’s story shows us that you are your first customer. The platform for his entire message started with the problem in his own home. As he overcame his own personal challenges, it ignited the passion and the mission to pursue positivity and optimistic energy. Once he knew he had something powerful to share with others, he knew he had an obligation to do it!

He started on Other People’s Stages (OPS) before he stepped onto his own.

Jon didn’t start off with bang, and most of us don’t either. But he did take action. Don’t let the whole road ahead overwhelm you. It's easier than you may think. Take your message and start sharing it with those in your local community. Jon shared that his first audience was his own wife and daughter. What a great place to start! This is where you have lots of space to develop your message and work on your craft. You will get better and better and you will grow in the confidence you need to take your message to larger stages.

He used the resources of his newsletter and email list to broaden the reach of his influence. 

Even with the rise and reach of social media, Jon reminded us of the power of your email list. This is still a great way to craft your message and distribute it on a regular basis. Remember, Jon’s email newsletter reaches nearly a million subscribers now. Subscribers are people who are asking for your influence, so don’t miss the opportunity to use it!

His purpose and mission were greater than his challenges. 

What helped Jon overcome the fear of speaking? He knew he had a message for others and he believed he had an obligation to share it. He knew that he had gone through a personal transformation and was sure that he could inspire and encourage others through his message. No matter the hardships he had to overcome on the path to success, he stayed anchored to his commitment to help and serve others. When you help others win, you will automatically overcome the obstacles of fear (fear of speaking, fear of stages, etc.) because loving and serving others gives you power.

Thanks for joining us today as we all gleaned from the expertise of my dear friend, Jon Gordan. I’ll see you all next week!

Pete Vargas

(If you’d like to hear more from Jon Gordan or get your hands on his latest power-packed book, The One Truth, follow this link >>>> www.getonetruth.com)