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The Promise Blog
Announcements

The ETA on CEP from NSA is ASAP

  There are so many acronyms nowadays its tough to know which ones not to use. IYKYK Thankfully, an organization I have belonged to for over 20 years, the National Speakers Association, has put together a new designation that is yet another acronym worth knowing: CEP – Certified Emcee Professional     I am pleased to be recognized in the CEP Charter Group along with some of my outstanding Emcee peers: Quinn Conyers Tom Pesce Rob Ferre Dr. Genie Snyder     To earn this designation I documented: • 100+ events over five years, with client names, dates and fees • 10 client evaluations, scored by the people who hired me • Video from real stages, not a sizzle reel • Verified income from emcee work across multiple years Emceeing and hosting events is a discipline, and shouldn’t ever really be left to someone on your team (unless they’re incredible at it, which is ridiculously rare). Executives need to have their moment to shine, and not be seen so much handling hosting duties that it becomes a “no longer special moment” to the audience every time the Executive takes the stage. The more you give them their spots, as an

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September 23, 2026 No Comments
Business

The Pilot and The Delay: What To Do When You’ve Broken The Promise

  The following post inspired this blog, as it is something I have talked about extensively, and you’ll love this story. I found this on LinkedIn yesterday, it is brought to you by Robert Sterling: Original Post HERE   Robert Sterling I just had the craziest experience at the airport. We are about to board a flight to Atlanta when the pilot from the incoming plane walks out of the jetway. Guy is probably late 50s, salt and pepper hair, military look. The kind of pilot you instantly feel good about seeing on your flight. Pilot walks over to the counter, gets on the PA system, and starts addressing everyone. “Folks, I’ve been doing this a long time. Flying one of these jets is easy. The hard part is looking at 130 people and telling them their flight is going to be delayed.” Audible groans throughout the boarding gate. Most people here are flying to Atlanta as a layover before another flight. 130 people just had their day become a complete mess. The pilot goes on. “I get it, trust me. But here’s the deal: During our landing, we had a small mechanical issue. I’m not your pilot for the

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May 19, 2026 4 Comments
Business

Who Does This Remind You Of?

  If I were to ask you who is the most reliable person you work with, what face and name comes to mind? We all have that person. Hopefully! If you’re lucky, they make up your team, your “work family” as I prefer to call it, and continually fill you with gratitude as one of the most underrated, and essential secret traits of success: consistency and reliability! The truth is simple: You Don’t Need to Be Impressive…You Need to Be Reliable. Reliability—not necessarily talent, brilliance or flash—is what actually builds trust, opportunity, and long-term success. When I think of reliability my mind goes to: the finance director who sends a report every night (just before midnight) to share the data from the day with the company founder and I, and has never missed doing so in 2.5 years (even on his honeymoon!); the person who thinks he’s “just an IT guy” but in reality is the one everyone turns to to get things done immediately, even outside of the IT realm, because he is so capable; the assistant who goes over the upcoming plans and events, and then checks off the boxes again to make sure nothing falls through the

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April 29, 2026 2 Comments
Announcements

I Finally Made it to College

  If you’ve heard me speak you know my story about having a full-ride scholarship for basketball to a major university (BYU) when I was in high school and feeling good about my future in the NBA. Suddenly, I was discovered by Mrs. Hall, the choir teacher, who pointed me in the right direction for life, as I left my basketball career on the bench, and became a singing entertainer who speaks and writes books. Going to Las Vegas instead of college was a real big swing of a dream, and thankfully worked out. But I always wondered what it would have been like to get into college. I have spoken at many colleges, to thousands of students, leaders, university presidents, faculty, staff, award-winning teachers, and higher education establishments nationwide, but was never actually in college. Until a few months ago! Here’s what happened.   A few years back I began a venture of making a YouTube channel with a very successful Youtuber & Influencer. We did everything right, by the book, cranked out videos that were specific to certain topics, and recorded them monthly for a good long chunk of time. It was costly, challenging, rewarding, and pushed me

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April 20, 2026 8 Comments
Family

Decorating Boxes for Those in Need

Last night my sons and I joined the youth of our church and other leaders to color, draw, and decorate cardboard boxes that will be filled with food for those in need whom we will never meet. As we sat coming up with positive words, such as “Smile” and “Happy”, or drawing a tree with the sun overhead, we had been instructed it can’t be overtly religious in nature, just a simple project to make the boxes not seem so…cold or boring…but rather having been cared for by others to bring some joy. And so, we colored boxes. This may seem a fruitless attempt to make a dent in the universe, but to each kid and adult drawing, smiling, coming up with positive images and thoughts, it was as if the boxes were infused with purpose, power, and promise, even before being filled with the life giving nourishment it will gift a stranger. As the world seems to be on fire, it wasn’t lost on us as a group that only a few days prior, the very chapel we congregate in every week is the same sacred place for us as the one that had been the site of a

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October 2, 2025 No Comments
Gratitude

Smoke On The Horizon

  The monster peeks over the mountain’s peak. Smoke billowing from an other worldly place. We have seen fires before, but never one like this, bearing down, gut-wrenchingly close. Smoke fills our nostrils, burns our eyes. The Yellow Lake Fire spreads chaos and havoc. 33,000 acres, zero containment, it is the biggest forest fire this year in a state infamous for it’s wildfires, decimating the Ashley National Forest, threatening all in it’s path. The roads close 2 miles from our beloved home and family’s legacy, ranchers evacuate, animals flee and fill the valley we call our heritage. As we pack, scramble, choose what can burn and what is irreplaceable, we cry, and the flames just grow higher. We drive frantically away, while those we never knew and won’t ever know, race towards the threat. How many firetrucks did we just count?  More than can even be from our own Utah. We are correct – they have raced to our rescue from all counties, nearby regions, neighboring states. Bravery, courage, volunteers and professionals, armed with hoses, axes, and most importantly: determination to keep The Promise.     Soon 100, now 250, 500…eventually nearly 900 of the bravest and finest among us

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November 8, 2024 6 Comments

The Final Retreat

For years, I had what was known in our home as Mentor Mondays. This was due to so many texts, emails, and phone calls from executives, hopeful speakers, and struggling entertainers to “pick my brain” over lunch. Eventually my brain had been picked, pecked, and prodded over enough soggy salads at lunches around Utah that we shifted things to say: Can you come to me and let’s talk? We funneled everyone to Mondays, into 2 hour time slots and a revolving door of mentoring that sometimes saw people from 8AM-8PM learning the craft of running a business, following their dreams, and keeping The Promise to their hopes in life. It was my best way of giving back, after I had the same experience to begin my career, where Chris Poulos had welcomed me into his home, free of charge, to sit on his couch and learn from the greatest philosopher and spiritual mentor I could have asked for outside of my own wonderful parents growing up.     For years, day and night, I came and went to the Poulos household in Orem, UT, with his lovely spouse Gail in the background doing genealogy work at the living room table,

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August 23, 2024 4 Comments
CX

BJ The Crab Guru

  In June our family knocked off a few more states in our motorhome that had eluded us for years even though they are close to our home. Racing from SLC, UT through the scorching Nevada heat, we made our way up the California coast, enjoying the Redwoods and chillier weather, before hitting the famous Hwy 101 and celebrating finally making it to the beautiful Oregon coast. We had to crank the coast out in quick time due to keeping a schedule with destination points of Seattle, WA, and eventually Vancouver, B.C., Canada, where we would stow the RV and hop on a cruise to Alaska for a week with extended family. Our friends had mentioned that we needed to stop near Cannon Beach, OR, at Kelly’s Marina, rent a small fishing boat, and go crabbing for Dungeness Crab.           It’s a tall enough order for me to even drive an RV, let alone now become a boat captain and teach my family how to crab… But we made our reservation anyway and found an empty parking lot, full of mud, rain, and one single truck next to ours.     That’s when BJ came strolling

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July 12, 2024 12 Comments
Family

Eighth Grader Drives the School Bus

  As the school year winds down here is a powerful story of leadership from the fast action of an eighth grader! His name is Acie Holland III. Riding the bus home from school, Acie noticed the driver missed a turn and was now accelerating, while slumped over and unconscious! I don’t know about you, but most adults in this situation would: Scream Panic Take out their phone and film what is happening, livestreaming on the Insta, while commentating and tagging the Kardashians! Acie jumped up, ran to the front, moved the driver’s foot off the gas, and got control of the bus headed into oncoming traffic, steadily slowing down to a stop on the side of the road. An EIGHTH Grader! Once stopped, as reported here, he called 911 and his Grandmother, who is a nurse assistant (always call Grandma first!). He then instructed the other 13-15 kids to call their families and remain calm. Leadership. Action. A Doer. This is all incredible to me, as a Dad, and I would hope my kids would be so savvy, showing such assertiveness in this type of situation. This is The Promise – to be aware, to solve a problem, to

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May 17, 2024 8 Comments
Business

I Am Who I Am That is That

  This past week I was reintroduced to this most powerful and uplifting song: “I Am Who I Am That is That”. It came on the heels of receiving another round of very hurtful comments, messages, and other difficult things people send me due to my writings, opinions on social media, and leadership roles across multiple organizations. I listened to this song while trying to consider how to respond to such attacks. I am coming to a new level of peace as I navigate this wonderful thing we call life. As the negativity hit me, and as my heart felt damaged, I had to consider if I could take anything back I had said and make peace between what had been expressed, and that’s where this song lands for me. I am who I am that is that. And within that, was able to also see those who send the tough words my way to be thankful they are who they are, and I’m thankful for that as well. I just hope for “Joy to the World. Peace on the Earth. God bless the children, how we love them.” Many thanks to those who support the work I do, and

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April 28, 2024 18 Comments

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