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HAPPILY DIS-ILLUSIONED
Happily Disillusioned By Billy Riggs, the World’s Only Dis-Illusionist You and I have something in common: we’re both illusionists…
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CUSTOMIZED JUST FOR YOU
If your group or organization holds a decent number of seminars over the course of the year, you may find that some other motivational…
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TEACHERS ON A MISSION
Good teaching does not occur by accident. Onthe contrary, it is the result of finely honed skills and an intimate knowledge of the…
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BEING YOURSELF: PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!
The classic fantasy movie, “The Wizard or Oz”, provides an interesting parallel to the progression through which our illusions…
Read MoreCHAPTER THREE: THE POWER OF AN ILLUSION
The capacity of the human mind for self-deception is astounding. Until we accept this fact, and consciously choose to look inward…
Read MoreCHAPTER TWO: THE TERRIBLE BEAUTY OF AN ILLUSION
il·lu·sion ( -l zh n) noun. 1. An erroneous perception of reality. 2. An erroneous concept or belief. 3. The condition of being deceived…
Read MoreGRAND ILLUSIONS CHAPTER ONE: THE BIRTH OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLUSION
It was one of those rare, once or twice-in-a-lifetime epiphanies, a flash of insight that was – I would learn later – to become a hinge…
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MEGATUDES CHAPTER TWO: AN ATTITUDE OF VISION
Life is like a bicycle; it derives its stability from forward motion, and what is true of your life as a whole is also true of your career…
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HOW TO MAKE YOUR NEXT CONFERENCE 50% BETTER… WITH NO EFFORT AT ALL!
I’ll never forget it. The meeting that day in the summer of 1997 was a disaster. Being generally accustomed to attentive audiences…
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“WOW-MANSHIP,” THE ART OF DAZZLING YOUR CUSTOMER
WOW! I was floored. After more than 20 years as a loyal AVIS Rent-a-car patron, I was transformed into a Hertz customer in…
Read MoreDELIVERING SERVICE THAT MESMERIZES
Positively Magical Service! (Part II) By Billy Riggs An entire industry thrives around delivering customer satisfaction. Yet, satisfaction…
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AUTHENTICITY: MERGING YOUR PUBLIC ILLUSION WITH YOUR PRIVATE REALITY
Few things will so sap your joy as consistently behaving in a manner that is inconsistent with whom you really are, because…
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R-E-S-P-E-C-T, THAT’S WHAT I WANT FROM PD!
A recent article in Education Week Magazine (by Sarah Schwartz, May 15, 2019) reports that the most profound emotion that…
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THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOSS AND A LEADER
A boss and a leader are not the same things. In fact, they’re almost opposites. Though millions wear both hats simultaneously…
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HOW TO BE FUNNY (PART II)
Nothing is worse than telling a joke and hearing nothing but crickets chirping in response. (Okay, cancer is worse, but you know…
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THE CASE FOR PROACTIVITY
I’ll never forget Villanova University’s victory over Patrick Ewing’s mighty Georgetown Hoyas in the NCAA National Basketball Championship…
Read MoreIT’S FUN-DAMENTAL: HOW TO MAKE IT ENJOYABLE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS TO BUY FROM YOU
Companies who are able to transform customer interactions into fun experiences gain a huge advantage over those who don’t…
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THE KEY TO CREATING EMPLOYEE LOYALTY
In 2013, Army Captain William Swenson was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Ganjgal…
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SMILE… YOU’RE BEING HIJACKED!
It was Monday morning, February 3, 1969, and Al was relieved to be leaving behind the frosty weather of New England for…
Read MoreHAVING A PMA IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
There is a verse in the Bible that says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter difficulties of all kinds, knowing…
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TEACHING TODDLERS ABOUT ATTITUDE
Every parent has struggled with a grouchy child. The whining and crying can drive you crazy, not to mention the frustration…
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HOW TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS (A VERY MOVING STORY!)
Sister Helen P. Mrosla wrote this moving story years ago. It so moved me when I first read it that I’ve saved it for nearly a decade…
Read MoreWHY USE HUMOR?
Often when I am asked to speak at a keynote or seminar, it’s because the groups and organizations believe that I can help …
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PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING
Look at the two photos below. The one on your left appears to be snarling and angry, while the one on the right seems serene…
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WINNER BY A NOSE AND A PRAYER
Steven Van Rensselaer was a go-getter by anyone’s definition. Elected to the New York legislature at the tender age of 25, he…
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IT’S NEVER TOO LATE!
Harlan was a loser. He’d lost his Dad at the age of 5, and for the next 6 decades things only seemed to get worse. He dropped…
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FAKE IT ’TIL YOU MAKE IT!
One of the most renowned pianists of the first half of the 20th century was the elegant, mysterious Olga Samaroff. She was…
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THE UNWITTING DOCTOR OF DEATH
In the middle of the 19th century the obstetrics ward of Krakenhaus Hospital in Vienna, Austria was supervised by Hungarian…
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THE VIEW FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY
The year was 1935, and an eighth-grade boy whose uncle had nicknamed him “Sparky” was doing even worse than usual. As…
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THE FALSE BEAUTY OF AN ILLUSION
il·lu·sionnoun. 1. An erroneous perception of reality. 2. An erroneous concept or belief. 3. The condition of being deceived by…
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THE POWER OF IMAGINATION
Just a few months before I was born in 1958, the first International Tchaikovsky Competition was hosted, as it has been every…
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WHY WE BELIEVE WACKY THINGS (PART I)
They say that seeing is believing, but new research suggests that isn’t so. To the contrary, believing is seeing. We do not…
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WHY WE BELIEVE WACKY THINGS (PART II)
This is a continuation of Billy’s previous blog…Really smart and quite sane people can believe not-so-smart and way-too-crazy things…
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WHY WE BELIEVE WACKY THINGS, (PART III)
This is Part III of Billy’s previous blog…As I write this morning two monsters, brothers named Said and Cherif Kouachi, are…
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THE POLITICS OF CRAZY BELIEFS
DISCLAIMER: Billy Riggs does not speak on (or even address) the topic below in any of his public presentations, but his interests are…
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STEALING SANTA CLAUS
Years ago I watched myself on videotape performing a very difficult sleight of hand move onstage. It’s a part of a routine in which scores…
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THE DAY I MET MOTHER TERESA (REALLY!)
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT’S REALLY A MIRACLE?In August of 2014, doctors pronounced dead a Brazilian man named Valdelucio Gonclaves..
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WHICH CAME FIRST, THE HAPPY EGG OR THE SUCCESSFUL CHICKEN?
In 2006, New Age self-help guru Rhonda Byrne published her international best-seller, The Secret. The thesis of that landmark book…
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THERE’S MAGIC IN A BIG DREAM
On a recent speaking trip to Chicago I finally saw the opportunity to undertake a pilgrimage I had been planning for over a year…
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HORRIBLE BOSSES, LOVABLE LEADERS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
I once had a barbarian for a boss. He hovered over each employee like an angry schoolmarm, barked out orders like a drill…
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DISILLUSIONED WITH NETWORK MARKETING? GOOD! (THAT’S THE FIRST STEP TOWARD MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU!)
You and I have something in common: we’re both illusionists. There are differences, of course. I perform my classic illusions on …
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BELIEFS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
DISCLAIMER: Billy Riggs does not speak on (or even address) the topic below in any of his public presentations, …
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“WOW-MANSHIP,” THE ART OF DAZZLING YOUR CUSTOMER
WOW! I was floored. After more than 20 years as a loyal AVIS Rent-a-car patron, I was transformed into a Hertz customer in…
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THE LAST VESTIGE OF JIM CROW: REPEAL THE DAVIS-BACON ACT
DISCLAIMER: Billy Riggs does not speak on (or even address) this topic in any of his public presentations,..
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EYE DON’T THINK I CONTACT IS ALWAYS EYE-DEAL
KNOW WHEN TO BREAK THE RULES OF CUSTOMER SERVICE As a rule, you should always greet your customers with a smile,…
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THE EIGHT STAGES OF AN ORGANIZATION (AND HOW TO STOP AT NUMBER 5!)
Every philanthropic organization (and many companies, too) tends to trace a predictable arc from its birth through its apex to its eventual obsolescence ..
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A SECRET ABOUT RHONDA BYRNE’S BOOK, THE SECRET
A LITTLE SECRET ABOUT RHONDA BYRNE’S BOOK, THE SECRET (Shhh! Don’t Tell Anyone, But It’s Utter Nonsense!) …
Read MoreDELIVERING SERVICE THAT MESMERIZES
Positively Magical Service! (Part II) By Billy Riggs An entire industry thrives around delivering customer satisfaction….
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NIAGARA AND THE DANGER OF DRIFT
The Woodward Siblings, 1960 On July 9, 1960, a middle-aged resident of Buffalo, New York named James Honeycutt…
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HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH CHANGE?
Losers complain when the direction of the wind changes. Winners just set their sails differently to take advantage of it…
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TAKE THE RED PILL
The thesis of the cult-classic film series, The Matrix, is that the world we all perceive is actually a computer simulation fed into the brains of people who are…
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ROCK YOUR BUSINESS WITH MARVELLESS MARK KAMP
What can rock stars teach us about life and business? Plenty, according to my friend and colleague…
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$50,000 IN CONSULTING… FREE! (SORT OF)
How to Overcome the Price Objection in SellingPrice is, of course, an important factor when customers consider a purchase,..
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THE KEY TO GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE: HIRE FRIENDLY PEOPLE!
I recently spoke at the brand new Hotel ZaZa just outside Houston, Texas. It’s a boutique hotel chain…
Read MoreCALL ME “CHEESE WHIZ”
WHY HIRE A FUNNY, MAGICAL MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER?One of the most rewarding aspects of being a motivational speaker is the opportunity …
Read MoreHOW TO BECOME A BORN LEADER BOOK NOW AVAILABLE!
My newest book, How to Become a Born Leader, is now available. Purchase a copy by clicking on “Store” at the top of your screen.
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THE THREE KEYS TO INFLUENCING PEOPLE
Leadership, at its core, is the ability to influence other people. Three hundred and fifty years before the birth of Christ, the philosopher Aristotle summarized…
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DARK MAGIC: THE COMING AI REVOLUTION AND HOW TO PREPARE YOUR KIDS FOR IT
“I’m sorry, Dave. I can’t do that.” HAL 9000 computer from 2001 A Space Odyssey by Stanley KubrikThe earth shook in November of 2017 and no one noticed…
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HIRING TIP: CALL REFERENCES… THEN DON’T BELIEVE THEM!
One of the most important lessons a boss can learn is this: hire slowly; fire quickly. Take great care to find the right people for the right positions. ..
Read MoreR-E-S-P-E-C-T, THAT’S WHAT I WANT FROM PD!
A recent article in Education Week Magazine (by Sarah Schwartz, May 15, 2019) reports that the most profound emotion that educational in-service speakers…
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THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOSS AND A LEADER
A boss and a leader are not the same things. In fact, they’re almost opposites. Though millions wear both hats simultaneously, it’s quite…
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MY THOUGHTS ABOUT TEACHERS’ UNIONS
Over the past ten days (August, 2019), I’ve been the keynote speaker for 9 opening convocations (that’s a kick-off rally for faculty and…
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THE CASE FOR PROACTIVITY
I’ll never forget Villanova University’s victory over Patrick Ewing’s mighty Georgetown Hoyas in the NCAA National Basketball Championship…
Read More
IT’S FUN-DAMENTAL: HOW TO MAKE IT ENJOYABLE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS TO BUY FROM YOU
Companies who are able to transform customer interactions into fun experiences gain a huge advantage over those who don’t or can’t,…
Read MoreTHE KEY TO CREATING EMPLOYEE LOYALTY
In 2013, Army Captain William Swenson was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Ganjgal, Afghanistan…
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SETTING A NEW STANDARD
On Oct. 12, 2019, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge became the first human being in history to run the marathon in under 2 hours, finishing with 20…
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THE FIRST DOMINO JUST FELL
Tremors in the Global Economy….In last month’s blog, I predicted that an economic catastrophe is coming to the world that…
Read MoreWHY EXPERTS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS WRONG (AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU AND YOUR MONEY)
In 1968, Dr. Paul Ehrlich released his international bestseller, The Population Bomb, predicting the starvation of hundreds of…
Read MoreMEGATUDES CHAPTER ONE: THE WELL OF THE MIND
Happiness and success, the crown jewels of life, are universally sought for ourselves and envied in others. But these twin…
Read MoreCHAPTER FIVE: THE MOMENTUM OF AN ILLUSION
In the early part of the nineteenth century, there was but one province of India not subject to British rule.The state of Kolhapur was…
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HOW TO BE FUNNY (PART I)
It was every young speaker’s worst nightmare, especially one who viewed himself as a funny motivational speaker…
Read MoreThe World's Only DIS-illusionist Performs His Own Illusions... while shattering yours!
Billy Riggs