Let's Talk

A bit about me. Yes I do the speaking thing, but it's more than that.

It has been an interesting ride and I have learned a bit. We are all on a journey, and I get the most satisfaction in life by knowing I have helped someone else along their journey.

I have been in creative fields and the business world in many capacities since 1985. I studied at Indiana University, the Advertising Arts College, and the Universität Hamburg. I was a ghost-writer for a famous author, then moved into radio, where I was the fifth wheel on a morning show. I wrote the morning show comedy early in the day and the local radio spots the rest of the day.

In the 1990s, I had an import-export business, which was a casualty of 9/11. I then worked in industrial sales -- not really a good fit -- and finally ended up in the events business, which was great. I worked on the management team of the Formula One race in Indy and was involved in hundreds of other events.

After landing five Super Bowls for our company's volunteer management software, someone asked me to speak on sales at a 2014 conference. I did my first presentation, How to Sell a Service: It Starts with C, and the next day my phone was ringing with requests to speak at other conferences. That's how we got here.

When no one is looking, I am VP of Sales for VizSeek, which is pretty amazing software for engineering and manufacturing. Look it up if that interests you. I like to make stuff by hand, and I like to write, all of which is reflected at the bottom of this page. I thought about making a separate website for each of the different things I do, but then I thought, Why? You are complicated, I am complicated, and so it's all here together.

I read history every day and can bore you into a coma with bits of historical information. I play in the band at my church and like to help out with the 2- and 3-year-olds, because everything they do is funny. I volunteer around Indianapolis, especially in situations where I can use other languages I have studied. I am fascinated by people and culture, and have been to more than 25 countries.

Professional groups that have invited me to speak -- and often invited me back -- include:

Real Estate

Finance

Event Management

IT

Project Management

Manufacturing in many fields

Education

Chambers of Commerce

Utilities

Economic Development

Hospitality and Tourism

And more...

So... where is the fit?

Equip, Inspire, Transform

All of my presentations are a combination of the philosophical ideas behind the topic plus practical application. A few comments from attendees, on comment cards:

I was taking notes like I was in college. I have never heard anyone talk about sales the way you do. -- Columbus OH

Best presentation our organization has had in years. -- San Diego CA

I wish I had brought my whole staff. -- Des Moines IA

Matt – Got a lot out of your “Investment” talk. So useful in all aspects of life. Bravo for a great presentation. -- Irvine CA

I have never taken notes from a luncheon speaker before. I took three pages of notes today. -- Nashville TN

Your presentation on landing the business was timely and relevant. -- Tallahassee FL

Great presentation! I really appreciated your practical, no-BS approach. -- Anaheim CA

And then I got this email:

I was in on your “How to Sell a Service” presentation seven months ago. We took this seriously and put these things into practice. Last week I told my staff to stop making sales calls because we are growing too fast. We cannot handle any more business. -- Indianapolis IN

The name Fifty Steps Studio comes from my distance running days. I used to run about a marathon a year, plus half-marathons, 10Ks, and whatever else looked interesting.

You need water during a race. The problem is, sometimes when you slow down at the water station to get a cup, you walk. And then you keep walking. You have lost momentum, and all of the hard work you did for the marathon is coming to nothing.

So my solution was simple: when I got water or a power drink, I would walk fifty steps.

That's it. As soon as I hit fifty steps, no matter how I felt, I started running again.

So, take breaks from work and obligations. Get some water. Take fifty steps. And then get going again.