Dream Chaser: Jeff Noel, Professional Speaker & Motivator

Today I’d like introduce dream chaser Jeff Noel. Jeff is a professional speaker who is changing the world one speech at a time and motivating others with his infectious energy for life. Read on to learn how Jeff turned his mid-life crisis into a mid-life celebration…

Q: Tell us about yourself. What’s your dream and how are you working towards it?
JN: Hello everyone, Jeff Noel, professional speaker here. I give speeches to change the world, never giving the same speech twice. My boss calls me audacious.

I’m aggressively unfancy, a professional antagonist, and it brings considerable satisfaction to make people uncomfortable through compelling insights.

But more than anything, I believe if your goal isn’t impossible, you’re not reaching high enough.

My goal in life is to become the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Q: Describe a gray time in your life. How did it stand between you and your dreams? How did you overcome it?
JN: The day that changed my life was the day that I realized my greatest desire was to become a father.  This was also the same day my wife and I realized it probably wasn’t going to happen.

It was the peak on a mid-life crisis.  How did I get here? And what am I supposed to do now?

Couple this with an unfulfilled desire to be the captain of my own ship (a business owner), a series of epiphanies were revealed.

First, surrender.  I surrendered my fate to God.  Not long thereafter, Cheryl got pregnant.

Second, I incorporated a business, Mid Life Celebration, turning a crisis into an opportunity.

Q: What fears have you faced as you chase your dreams?
JN: Of course, the classic fear of failure.  Plus, the underrated and overlooked fear of success.

The fear of being all talk.

Q: What inspires you to keep pushing forward when the going gets tough?
JN: Everything.  But mostly the simple fact that this is not for me, it’s for our son.

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to someone else who is struggling to move beyond the gray and follow a dream, what would it be?
JN: Do it for someone else.  Be prepared to work harder than you ever have. Be prepared to commit to it for a lifetime.  Or as Tiger Woods told me last year, “Out work ’em.”

(Fun fact: Jeff purposely chose the “unprofessional” head shot seen above.  Getting ice cream at Twistee Treat every Monday and Friday is a four-year tradition he has with his nine year-old son.  He kept it alive last summer while representing the USA at the 2009 Master’s Track & Field World Championships, in Finland.)

To learn more about Jeff Noel or link to any of his five inspirational blogs, visit http://jeffnoel.com.

Are you actively pursuing or living a dream? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Please e-mail me at: Erika (dot) Liodice (at sign) hotmail (dot) com.