Impressions

Roddy Chong

“Roddy is a difference maker on any stage.”

Kevin Costner

“We had the privilege of having Roddy Chong speak to our employees, where we had a standing-room-only crowd. The content was relevant for anyone as you think of growing and developing yourself as a person and as a professional. Roddy’s experience is very broad, and he taught us how to understand where our strengths lie and how to present those strengths to the world. You could tell by his speech and by his performance that he really is a rock star, yet has a humbleness about him and can relate well to any type of person. At the end, we all stood up and clapped because we were extremely inspired and motivated to go after things. On behalf of our organization, we really appreciated Roddy being here at Kraft Foods.”

Gil Delasalas
Senior Director of Human Resources, Kraft Foods 

“Roddy delivers again! It’s not just a performance, but his total involvement in the vision and planning of all the details leading to the desired result. For us, Roddy’s involvement took us beyond our ‘plateau’ to a new place, and we will have him work with us next year and the next (and the next)!”

Jim Milonas
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network

Josh Davis

“Josh Davis is an exceptional swimmer as attested by his Olympic Medals. But more than that, he is an outstanding person who has had a major impact on the lives of many young people through his speeches and appearances. I have seen young and old alike hang on every word Josh says as he relates his story and encouragement to all. He is an outstanding athlete, broadcaster, and motivational speaker who has the God given ability to make a difference in people’s lives. I am honored and blessed to have worked with Josh on many projects, from broadcasting to special events, and would not hesitate to have Josh as a featured speaker no matter what the event. ”

Ron Thulin
TBS Sports

“Josh Davis has been a member of our Mutual of Omaha Gold Medal Team since 2001, and he has made numerous public appearances and speeches on behalf of our company and our USA Swimming sponsorship. We could not possibly find a better brand ambassador, a better person than Josh. He brings his upbeat, enthusiastic, positive personality to every event. He always goes out of his way to spend time with people and make each person he meets feel important. He is a genuine champion, a wonderful role model, and a terrific representative of his sport. Today, when many athletes are all about image, I am proud to say that Josh Davis is the real deal.”

John Hildenbiddle
Senior Vice President
Brand Management & Public Relations
Mutual of Omaha 

Cliff Dugosh

“Classy individuals who are full of integrity and enthusiasm for excellence pass through this life few and far between. Cliff Dugosh is one of these great men who not only expresses these characteristics and philosophies, he lives them. Everyone should get the opportunity to rub shoulders with Cliff and be touched by his words. I take great pride in calling him my friend.”

Dan Clark CSP
Internationally Renowned Motivational Speaker and Best-selling author
Editor, Chicken Soup for the College Soul

“Cliff has a remarkable talent to relate to people. He is sensitive, his message is sincere and meaningful and his approach is down to earth. He is turned on to people and to life and his presentation will reflect a most positive, optimistic approach to both.”

Dr. John Koldus
Vice-President Emeritus, Texas A&M University

“In all my years in education I’ve heard some dynamic presentations but nothing compares to Cliff’s. The response from our students was that ‘this assembly was the best we’ve ever had.’ Our students, faculty and administration greatly benefited from not only hearing his presentation, but from meeting and talking with him individually.”

Paula D. Turner
Head Counselor, New Boston High School

“You truly saved me. I didn’t get the chance to simply tell you thanks! I have hit a very rough spot in my life lately.  I have found myself blaming God for many things, which isn’t right!  When you were speaking to us, I couldn’t help but cry. You made me realize to be so much more thankful for everything that I do have. I have been trying and trying to be happy with everything, but I feel almost as if I have been faking it.  Not anymore though, since your speech, I feel so much stronger and happier than I have in the past six months! I couldn’t thank you enough for that! ”

High School Senior

Debra McCoy

“Debra McCoy lives the life of a coach’s wife and football mom… beautifully! You will be captivated by her stories, engaged by her humor, and inspired by her faith.”

Carolyn Allen
author of The Coach’s Wife
www.thecoachswife.com

“I know Debra to be fun, open and honest about her life as the mom of rambunctious athletes. She is totally engaging as she shares her and her family’s life stories with audiences around the country. You will walk away with truths to take home and apply to your own life!”

Flip Flippen
Chairman, The Flippen Group
The Flip Side: Break Free of the Behaviors That Hold You Back
New York Times Bestseller

Jason Marshall

“Jason is truly a gifted speaker. I have had the privilege of hearing him speak many times and am thankful for his willingness to talk with FCA groups whenever time permits. As impressive as his speaking ability is, his character and integrity are more so. His ability to speak with passion and intensity flows from his heart of
integrity. I only wish I had his gift.”

Bobby Kohler
Fellowship of Christian Athletes

“I have known Jason Marshall for almost 20 years and he is an outstanding man of God. I have seen his character and watched him live his life for the Lord. He truly speaks the overflow of his heart. The combination of godliness and speaking skill result in great effectiveness with any audience. I heartily recommend Jason as a believer in Christ and teacher of His word.”

Gregg Matte
Senior Pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church and author of I AM Changes Who i am

“Jason Marshall is a man of tremendous character, high integrity, and is a strong man of faith. His experiences as a champion on the athletic field in high school,
college, and professional baseball provide life lessons of quality value to his audiences. He will “knock your socks off” with his energy and passion for his
message. An outstanding coach, husband, father, and friend to all that know him, he is a dynamic speaker with a message for our time.”

Mark Johnson, Retired Head Baseball Coach
Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University

Mike Ashburn

“Ash is one of the most talented men on a platform I have ever seen.”

Chuck Colson
Author, speaker, Founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries

“Nobody tells a story like ‘Ash’!”

Denny Rydberg, President of Young Life

“Loved the ‘Whittlin Man’ show in Craftsman Valley…the best part of our vacation.”

Dollywood guest

Sam Brown

“While teaching Leadership at the University of Kentucky, I’ve brought in numerous guest speakers from varying professional fields.  None has touched both the heart and mind like Sam Brown.  His discussion on Courage drew from humorous childhood illustrations, West Point’s disciplined training environment, and unique combat experiences in Afghanistan to captivate his audience.  Most importantly, each student in attendance walked away more aware of how they could better exercise courage as a leader in their daily lives here at the University of Kentucky.”

LTC Jason Cummins
University of Kentucky Professor of Military Science

“CPT Sam Brown’s story of heroism, personal courage and his reflections on his personal road to recovery and healing as a Wounded Warrior is inspiring and needs to be heard.”

Mike Heath
COL (Ret.) US ArmyCEO Heath Healthcare Consulting

“Sam is a great example of the young leaders we have in the military.  His is a testament to the determination and courage our Armed Forces exhibit while serving our country.  Through his story of personal loss and tragedy, you discover where the strength come from that helps Sam persevere and overcome adversity.”

Roger Staubach, NFL Hall of Fame

Jeff Glasbrenner

“Jeff Glasbrenner is engaging and inspiring as he tells his story with conviction, honesty, and humor.  He challenged our team to overcome obstacles and embrace the challenges set before us.  Jeff’s “no excuses” view of the world made our time with him much more than the typical speaker – it was a team experience.”

Rachael McCone
Director of Leadership and Organizational Development, Tyson Foods

“Jeff Glasbrenner is a dynamic public speaker.  His story is one of triumph over tragedy and is stimulating and engaging.  Jeff is a polished, professional speaker who inspires people to look within and find their own gold medal.”

Leah Stoddard
Sponsorship Manager, The Hartford

Archer Hadley

“Before he speaks a word, Archer Hadley is communicating a message. The message is one of overcoming hardship, of the importance of a positive attitude, and of celebrating life. Archer is easy-going and engaging. His smile is a billboard for looking on the bright side of any situation. He has been inspiring us for years.”

Amy Grant and Vince Gill

“Archer is remarkable in so many ways, his intelligence is something that becomes obvious soon after anyone who is lucky enough to meet him. His confidence is evident as he communicates his true beliefs. He speaks from the heart with truth and compassion. I know Archer has confidence in my ability and often expresses his disappointment in me when I get down on myself. It’s during these times Archer becomes the most inspirational. His positive attitude penetrates to the core, his spirit lifts you up. Archer has a unique way of taking a negative attitude and turning it to a positive by putting things into perspective. Archer’s spirit is a blessing that he shares in ways that makes it easy for him to motivate, and lift people in ways that they can overcome what the world dishes out.”

Fred Funk, PGA Tour Golfer, Champions Tour Golfer  

Mark Johnson

“Mark Johnson’s contributions to baseball and its people — young, old, players, coaches and parents — are incalculable. He is highly esteemed and admired by his colleagues for excellence in coaching and teaching the game. More importantly, Mark Johnson is valued by all as a model of integrity and the highest standard of ethical conduct. Mark has been a steady and Godly influence on me for over 30 years, and I honor him as one of a handful of men who have faithfully demonstrated and taught the highest ideals of coaching.”

Jerry Kindall
Retired University of Arizona Head Baseball Coach

“Mark Johnson has a God given talent to deliver a motivational message to his audience at their level and in their terms. We have been blessed to have Mark come and speak to the Junior Leadership Brazos kick-off breakfast for the past four years and continue to be one of the highlights of our program year in and out. Coach Johnson is a very insightful and blessed speaker.  His motivational speeches and observations on life and its lessons are priceless.  He has focused much of this talent into our local youth.  I am glad that I have been allowed to hear his speeches and put his words into action with my own children and family!

J. Cal McNeill
The First Bank & Trust Bryan/College Station, Coordinator of Youth Leadership program

“As a professional athlete, I have been a part of many teams and played for a wide variety of coaches.  Without reservation, Coach Johnson tops my list as the most effective and influential coach I have ever played for.  A team oriented, master motivator, Coach always knew what to say and when to say it in order to motivate people toward the same goal. His approach and message — positive minded with positive reinforcement — always rang true because as players we saw firsthand that his walk matched his talk.  Coach Johnson taught me many lessons that I will remember and apply the rest of my life.  I am proud to call him coach, mentor and friend.”

Ryan Rupe
Former player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former Texas A&M player 

Lopez Lomong

“Lopez’s rise from virtual obscurity due to poverty, violence and extreme deprivation to that of the world’s distance running elite is a living testament to personal drive, steadfast hope, indomitable courage and God’s blessing.  Rare is it that a life experiences such radical ends of the human spectrum, with the end result being that of compassion, love and service to others. Lopez Lomong is an international hero and champion in every sense of the word.”

Steve Haas
Chief Catalyst
World Vision

“Lopez is a man of God, determined to give to the people of Southern Sudan through the gifts God has given him.  His miraculous story keeps you on the edge of your seat as you hear his life unfold and how God carried him through many times of near death incidences to today as he prepares to run the 1500 meters for the United States in the London Olympics.  Lopez does this not for glory, but for serving God and the people of his homeland.”

Diane Paddison
Author of Work, Love, Pray
Founder www.4wordwomen.org
Former COO of two Fortune 500 companies

Charlotte Strickland

She was awesome. Our students were talking about her sessions on the trip back to campus as well as this morning in our session. She has a gift. She related so well to students – especially, Graceland students. Her program has substance and is delivered in a way students can understand. Charlotte is a wonderful story teller.

Tom Powell
Dean of Students, Graceland University (Iowa)

We all really appreciated and enjoyed what Charlotte had to share. One is truly able to observe how passionate she is about Diversity which makes a big difference in how the message is received. I wish the whole world had an opportunity to sit in on one of Charlotte’s classes. UCA is very lucky to have her on its team!

Ashley Peterson
Entergy Corporation

Once again Charlotte did an absolutely amazing job. Our students were grateful for her heart, passion, and energy as she expressed the power of communication and vision to them on Tuesday night. She is always a breath of fresh air and I am honored to know her. We look forward to working with her in the future.

Jerrod Lockhart – Student Activities
Arkansas State University

Charlotte provided the best Sexual Harassment training seminar I have ever observed!

Dr. Richard L. Dawe
President, Ozarka College

John Valenzuela

“Coach Val is one of the special coaches that are able to motivate, teach and lead with a spiritual base while continuing to search and learn as he keeps his team’s ahead of the curve.”

Dell Demps
NBA General Manager
New Orleans Hornets

“The word ‘Coach’ has different meaning for everyone. For me, ‘Coach’ means your passion for the development of your players as humans, outweighs your passion for their growth as a player. With that perspective, John Valenzuela in my words is “Coach V”.

Buzz Williams
Head Basketball Coach
Marquette University

“John is a dynamic speaker. He has a way of relating to both young and old. His experiences as a coach are obvious, but his messages are pertinent to everyone. He has a profound impact on our campus with both student-athletes and non student-athletes.”

Lynn Hickey
Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics
The University of Texas at San Antonio

“Whether he’s speaking in a locker room or in front of 1,000 people, John Valenzuela has the same impact. He finds a way to connect with every person in the room.”

Lorne Chan
Sports Writer
San Antonio Express News

“John is an inspirational leader who knows how to build teams and get results.”

Mike Hinojosa
Superintendent Dallas ISD

 

Speakers