How did you hear about Juanell? How did you make the decision to work with her as opposed to working with someone else?

Last summer I ran into an old buddy of mine who was in the PR industry. I asked him for some help because I wanted to get into a speaking career. After a little bit of a dance he decided that he could not help me [and] referred me to someone that he thought could. His name was Bill Lauterbach, he lived back somewhere in the Midwest and has a speakers bureau. I figured that this came from a friend of mine so it could be a good guy to speak to. Well, Bill said that I was not nearly ready for him yet to go into a speaking bureau because I hadn’t started. He told me, if I really wanted to get started, to go and see the best person in the industry, and eventually once you are done with her and you get your feet on the ground than you will be ready for me. He referred me to Juanell.

What kind of credibility do you think Juanell has in the speaking industry that gives her the right to do what she does?

It is pretty clear that she is considered a top person, if not the top person in the industry. Again, by a prominent speakers bureau, the only name that they gave me was hers; not to mention that she had spoken at some of the national conventions and co-authored books. Evidently, she is very well know and very well respected as an expert.

When you started with Specialize or Die, at what point do you feel you were at in your career?

Clearly I was in my infancy. I really had no idea where I was going. I knew what I wanted to do, or least try, but I didn’t know how to get there or get there most effectively. I was not even sure what exactly it is that would be my niche.

Did the Specialize or Die program meet your expectations?

I mean it is hard to say what my expectations were because I really wasn’t sure what to expect. But at the end of the day, when I look back on it, the answer is yes. What it did [was] it helped me find out what I was about, what my specialty was and how I was going to try [to] put those two things together [to] develop my niche, and try to get going. It definitely exceeded my expectation but I have to say that when I went in, I really didn’t know what I was getting into.

What was the best feature of the program?

Whether you are new like I was, or someone else, you are really intimidated by what you have to do. I really think that lifting the fog and developing a niche where the two best features. It was really getting going. Also, [the program] was very frank about what is out there in the industry, [the program is about] what is hot and what is not and trying to differentiate those that I have a chance of cracking in.

What are the three major obstacles or concerns you had with your career before you worked with Juanell?

I had a few concerns. I had no idea where I was going [or] how to get there. Those are two things that I think really have been overcome in a major way. I also have a stigma in my old career, which was potentially going to prohibit how I was to succeed in my new career. Juanell was very clear in saying that my stigma was now going to become my credibility. We were going to turn the negative into the positive and that would be something I could speak about. I think that was pretty huge. I am not sure if that would have been the way I would have done it if I [tried] it on my own.

Explain what you walked away with that you would not have had if you had not worked with Juanell.

Well, I think a clearer path as to what I am, what my niche is, how I am going to get there and what I had to do to get there. I think that people who have relatively high levels of intelligence can work hard and have a chance to do this. It is going to be an uphill battle, but I think that it is an uphill battle even going through someone like Juanell. It could take me a year or so to get going if I did it on my own and who knows if I would ever get going. I walked away with a much better plan and knowledge about myself.

Did you eventually develop a branding that was uniquely yours?

I think it is still a work in progress.

How much of this happened during your session with Juanell?

Most of it happened, and I still believe that Juanell is really helpful. I don’t really know what the ground rules are, but I know that when I e-mail her or call her that she always e-mails me or calls me back. The [after care] is really very helpful. That is really a tremendous trait.

How much of this happened as you continued to work through the process that she had defined?

It is like I said a work in progress. The two days are a whirlwind and you can’t do everything. I do believe that a good percentage of it happened then, but [there was] a lot of the molding and smoothing afterward as well. That is important too, because in a perfect world it can be done in two days. In reality after two days you [either] get it or don’t get it and [then] you are off on your own. There has to be a little bit of aftercare, with people at especially my stage of the game. Juanell was more than giving [in that area].

Did working with Juanell shorten your learning curve? How much? How did it do that?

Yes, exponentially. I don’t know how much more I learned there than I would have done it on my own. I mean it was a big difference; it is possible that Juanell’s impact on people might be the greatest because the [shortened] learning curve.

Is it possible to do this work by yourself?

Yes, I don’t know if I would have succeeded if I would have done it myself. I have always been very light on my feet and a go-getter with this type of thing. I think I probably could have made a little bit of an impact but I don’t think I would have had a big career. I think that without Juanell I would have died an ugly death even after some early success. I look at it as when you build a fire. Sometimes people like to put some twigs and newspaper and you get a quick flash fire and then it goes out. It is the people who build a good foundation and have the big logs. It takes a little longer to get going but once it is going you have more of a foundation and it doesn’t go out as fast. I think I could have done it on my own and had a few flash fires, but I wouldn’t have lasted very long.

What would you change in the Specialize or Die program, if you could do it over again? What would make it better?

Of all the questions, I was trying to think of what I could do to make it better. I really can’t think of anything. I will say that I did get a little confused at times with the core message profile and where certain areas were being plugged into other areas. I think that maybe I was a little thick about that. Eventually, it seemed to make sense.

What would you say the bottom-line benefit is of Juanell's program?

I would say the bottom line benefit for me is that it helped the fog [to lift]. It helped me get going, find out what it is I am, who I am about, how I can deliver my message, what my niche is, what I need to specialize, and what the trends of the industry are. I am a beginner. I believe that whether you are a beginner or you're someone who is already in the industry a while I believe that she brings something to the table for a whole spectrum of people.

Do you believe 100% that your message has been defined and is uniquely yours? And do you believe that it will make a major difference in those lives that you touch?

Most definitely. I think that actually believing in your own message as opposed to saying this is what I am about and talk about. I really think that you have to have that core belief. I never really thought in those terms before, but that was a major part of Juanell’s syllabus. If you didn’t have that, again that is a major part of the foundation, without it you would never be able to succeed at a great level.

Are there career concerns you have that were not addressed in Juanell's program?

Not really, I really can’t think of anything. I am sure that if the two day program was a four day program you would cover more stuff. But I think that we covered pretty much everything that we were supposed to cover and more.

Does her program give you the confidence that you're on the right career path?

I definitely think that I have a lot more confidence than I ever had. Yes, I have confidence that I am on the right career path and hopefully it will start bearing fruit soon because then [my] confidence will explode.

Well, what long range return do you think you'll receive, not necessarily just financially, but overall from having participated in this program?

I think the long range return is I learn what I am about and what my message is about, complete belief in my message. If I am able to convey that I believe, the money will come. The most important thing is that she helped. I had a very hard time in my life with big negative aspects and Juanell is going to help me turn those negative aspects into positive aspects. It will help me to think better about myself and make me a living by conveying those to other people.

When Juanell is speaking about her program, what part of her program would you recommend that she concentrate on?

I think that other people, especially at the beginning of their career probably feel intimidated. Lifting the fog and getting on the right path is important. Belief in yourself will help you to convey your message better. The most important thing is that you have to find a niche. Speakers are a dime a dozen, and if you don’t have a niche then you are dead. It is Specialize or Die. Lots of people can dribble the ball but if you don’t have a real good move you are not going to score. You have to have that specialty niche. I look at it even in something like pro wrestling. There are million guys out there who can do all of these flips but what separates some from others [is] a personality or a story to tell. It goes the same for any industry especially this one. I think that is the major part that I would emphasize.