lou holtz – Memphis Flyer

Went to the “Get Motivated” lollapalooza at FedEx Forum Monday. Sat through eight hours of speeches. These guys are good. Full house, close to 18,000. Touches of wrestlemania, church, infomercials, Republican national conventions, and a Michael Jackson concert. Cost $1.95 and was worth every penny.

All the big guns advertised on billboards and newspaper ads showed up: Laura Bush, Colin Powell, Lou Holtz, Terry Bradshaw, and Rudy Giuliani plus Leigh Anne Touhy of “The Blind Side,” John Walsh of “America’s Most Wanted,” a ranting religious financial adviser named James Smith, former presidential candidate Steve Forbes, and a linguistic gymnast named Krish Dhanam who may have been the best of the lot.

They spoke from a platform the size of a boxing ring in the center of the floor. Each one talked for a half an hour or so and was greeted with a burst of smoke and sparks at the corners of the stage. At the end of the day, the overall effect was like eating too much at a buffet.

I plan to get motivated this month, and it’s going to cost me less than two bucks.

For $1.95, I got myself a seat at FedEx Forum March 28th to hear Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Forbes, Laura Bush, Terry Bradshaw, Lou Holtz, Leigh Anne Tuohy and others speaking at the “Get Motivated Business Seminar.”

“Get Motivated” has been running full-page ads in The Commercial Appeal as well as radio spots and billboard ads around town for a few weeks. The ads promise that all speakers are “live and in person, all in one day!” Pretty good deal when you consider most of these folks get at least five-figure speaking fees and probably don’t need the extra cash from selling their books and tapes. I believe Colin Powell got $80,000 when he was here a few years ago for a talk.

I am fully aware of the power of salesmanship. And I have read skeptical reports about Get Motivated in other newspapers, claiming that if you sign up you subject yourself to a hard sell to buy various upgrades and accessories.

Fair enough. It’s not like my email box is exactly pristine.

I bought my ticket, plus a workbook for $4.99, online. With 17 cents for taxes and facility fee, my total outlay was $7.11. I called the website’s 1-800 number to confirm that all speakers would be here in the flesh, and was told by a female voice that indeed they would. After I placed my order, a man called to confirm it and repeat that assurance. He also told me I would be at FedExForum and not at the convention center, which will hold the overflow if any and get a satellite feed.

I plan to attend the motivational marathon with an open mind and a positive disposition, such as it is. I have listened to and written about Don Hutson, Cavett Roberts, Zig Ziglar, Holtz, Bradshaw, and other professional speakers before, although it is certainly debatable whether it did me any good. Granted, eight hours is an iron-butt assignment, but I am a veteran of school board meetings and have the right stuff.

If there are any shenanigans or no-shows before or during the event I will report them.