Although Brian was the final speaker in a 7 hour program called Funky Credit Day for the San Mateo County Bar Association, he immediately captured the audience’s attention! All the whispering stopped. He knows how to use his voice to engage the audience. He spoke with confidence about his story. He took us back to his early years of attending law school and passing the bar. He was addicted to booze and blow and suffered from depression and bulimia. He talked honestly about addiction, the professional stigma of admitting there is a problem, his road to recovery, and ways to get help. Meanwhile, the audience didn’t move, they waited until Brian took questions, which he graciously answered. Afterwards, I noticed members waiting in line to talk with him. Brian was amazing, it was a Friday night and they’d already sat through 6 hours of seminars! My members commented that listening to Brian was both healing and hopeful. Brian was easy to work with, he arrived early and ended on time. I would definitely ask Brian to speak again!
You have a gift for telling your story in a way that resonates with people of all ages and life experiences and you made what is typically an unapproachable topic accessible and enlightening. In addition to being a fantastic motivational speaker with a great sense of humor, you generously shared your time and wisdom with the students before and after the event.
Brian’s powerful presentation at Cedar Valley College’s Convocation resonated with our faculty, staff, and administrators. His painfully honest story illustrates how we are both fragile and resilient. Therefore, the greatest gift we have to give each other is empathy. Regardless of your gender, race, or socio-economic background, we cannot help but see parts of our reality in Brian’s story.