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July 14, 2021

Dan Thurmon Delivers Inspiring ASI Chicago Keynote

The president of Motivation Works brought his unicycle, acrobatics and juggling back to the stage to teach valuable lessons for business and life.

By  John Corrigan

Juggling, acrobatics, a unicycle – the circus didn’t come to the ASI Show Chicago, but Dan Thurmon sure did.

Dan Thurmon riding unicycle

Dan Thurmon in action at the ASI Show Chicago.

Thurmon, the president of Motivation Works and an ASI Show favorite, returned to the stage on Wednesday, July 14, for an exuberant keynote address that inspired the packed ballroom to achieve high-performance sales goals. The beauty of Thurmon’s message was that the principles and strategies he shared can be applied not only in your career, but also your life beyond the workday.

“Life is an undeniable present and the present moment is all you ever get,” Thurmon said. “Who you are today is how you’ve leveraged all the moments in your past. By focusing on the present, you’ll be driven by a sense of purpose and intentionality.”

Thurmon suggested that in order to attain success you must understand your willingness, competency and capacity – an internal three-ring circus, if you will. You must determine how willing you are to pursue your goals, the abilities you have, the grit you possess to follow through, and whether or not you can devote enough time to make it happen. “Commit to strategies, goals and targets,” Thurmon said. “Don’t worry about the results initially, just worry about the execution.”

Of course, challenges are inevitable. As we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, you must be able to pivot and adapt to circumstances out of your control, Thurmon said. “You have to be willing to transcend the pattern that got you where you are,” he emphasized. “Reframe your experience of a mistake as simply being on the path of learning. Every ball dropped gets you closer to that breakthrough.”

Thurmon also invited an attendee named Mary Jane on stage to learn how to juggle. Within five minutes, thanks to his calm instruction, she was ready for Cirque du Soleil. “Never underestimate that people need encouragement,” Thurmon said. “You can activate people through your words and beliefs.”