5.) RJ Ledesma
I’m RJ Ledesma. I’m a man with many hats. I just wish I had just as many heads. I am a real estate developer, a food market entrepreneur, a newspaper columnist, a magazine editor, and an honorary consul. One of my most fun jobs is being an events host. I host many types of events—from corporate events, to lifestyle events, to advocacy events, to weddings, debuts, and many more. I’d like to think that my ability to be very versatile, witty, sharp, personal, and interactive with the audience comes across, that I was given the “Best Male Emcee” of the 2012 Aliw Awards. I’m also an actor, I’ve acted in some teleseryes before. Basically, I’d like to think that all my different activities complement my activities as a host. When I speak, it’s mostly about entrepreneurship, marketing, vision setting, and time management.
“I think it’s really presumptuous to just tell someone, “cheer up.” It’s almost to the point of being very superficial. As a people person, you could interact interact with people, but you should also try to understand what situation the person is going through. It’s not only a matter of talking to the person, it’s also about praying for the person. I tell them something like, “you know what, I might not fully understand what you’re feeling or what you’re going through, but please know I’m praying for you that you may be led the right decision.”
4.) Edric Mendoza
My name is Edric Mendoza and I am passionate about changing the world, one family at a time. I run a non-traditional home education program with over 1,000 students in approximately 25 different countries to help parents take greater involvement in raising their kids. As an RFP (Registered Financial Planner), I also host a personal finance show on ANC that airs daily, called On The Money, to help families (i.e. working dads / moms, students, yuppies) become better stewards of money. Finally, and as an extension of these involvements, I go around the country giving talks on the same–parenting/homeschooling, marriage, and personal finance, at times with my wife and/or kids.
Edric shared that his ultimate source of motivation is God’s love. “I feel that God has placed unique situations in my life in order that I might help in the cause of the family. So out of gratitude for His love, I want to give my 100% to this cause. After all, it is the most fundamental unit of society, the most immediate circle within one’s control,” he said. “I like to give people a higher perspective, and cause them to think about the more important things in life…and give them specific practical tips to equip them. I want to make sure people don’t just feel good, but instead are equipped. This way there is lasting change, not just momentary happiness.”
When one is completely down, Edric uses the principle of the vacuum to put things in perspective. “Everyone has a vacuum in their life which they are trying to fill with something. Once that is filled, they will find deep fulfillment and a clear purpose for their life, despite the temporal emotional ups and downs. They key is to figure out what will fill that vacuum. In my opinion and from life experiences, that vacuum can only really be filled by God. He alone can satisfy!”
You could reach Edric on Twitter @edricmendoza, and on Instagram @edricmendoza1.
3.) Vince Golango
Vince Golangco is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of WhenInManila.com. He’s a strategic businessman, a witty writer, a television and events host, a motivational speaker, and many more. He usually talks about maintaining a strong online presence: both for yourself and for your brand; and about pursuing your passion. Vince graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and a minor in Business. He has over ten years of international experience in marketing, advertising, and creative writing.
I made sure to add Vince to the list because even before I was actively writing for WhenInManila.com, I got to attend a talk by Vince in my school. It was the same talk that motivated me to become an active writer for the website and to pursue my passion over other “practical” career options. He was funny as he went through his message, but also very substantial. More than that, he backs every claim he has with information from experts, or from personal experiences. And because he maintains a strong online presence, people could easily check how he walks the talk through his works and his accomplishments. In his talks, Vince usually shares the story of how WhenInManila.com was born and the importance of personal branding to build your resume, portfolio and career. His story in itself is inspiring, and it’s a testimony of the values and lessons he wants to impart. In the past few months, WhenInManila.com has been achieving lots of milestones: getting as much as 4,000,000 hits per month, and its Facebook page nearly reaching 1,000,000 followers, just to name a few. More than being an online magazine, it is a big community made up of more than 300 writers, photographers, contributors, and active followers who gamely share their thoughts on stories published online. His story is a reminder to many audiences that you can have a job you love, and you can pursue your passion and make a living out of it. Vince also shared a quote by Jim Carrey that motivates him to continue pursuing his passion: “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
You could reach Vince on Twitter and Instagram @VinceGolangco or see his full portfolio on VinceGolangco.com/portfolio.
2.) Anthony Pangilinan
I’m Anthony Pangilinan, Chief Trainer of Inspire Philippines, Chief “Disturber” of BusinessWorks, Inc., OIC of Called to Rescue Philippines (Anti-human Trafficking), Triathlete-Marathoner, Media Practitioner, Father to 5, Husband to 1, Ms. Maricel Laxa. I talk on personal productivity, inner motivation, individual and group change management. I talk about individual testimonies, business statistics and developments, my own experiences and insights.
When asked about what motivates him, Anthony said, “The Spirit of God within, really. It’s not just inspiration, it’s impartation. Of course I get inspired by results, relationships and my kids! But the bottomline – beyond the changed lives and evolved companies – is the transformation of my own by One who keeps pouring into me.” Anthony is able to pass this on to others in a variety of ways and in a multitude of platforms: “People are motivated by different “drivers,” and the way we deliver our message must be in a combination of ways (high tech, hight touch, coaching and counselling, “spiritual deliverance” — yes, that too!)”
You could reach Anthony @anthonypangilinan on Instagram, @apangilinan on Twitter, and through the Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/anthonypangilinan, and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Magbago-Tayo/205137619523971.
1.) Jessica Cox
My name is Jessica Cox and I was born without arms. I decided at a young age to live my life with authenticity and creativity. I drive a car, work, text, play and even fly an airplane with only my feet. My motto is to “Think outside the shoe.” The main points of my speech are desire, persistence, and fearlessness. I share with an audience how these skills have manifested in my own life and how they relate to the audience’s challenges. Audiences also hear humorous stories about challenges I have faced in every day life using only my feet.
Jessica’s source of motivation is adventure. “Adventure is one of several things that motivate me. Trying something I have never done before brings a wonderful thrill into my life. Especially knowing that no one has ever done it without arms before. To motivate others I try to set the example. Many times after a loss, people are challenged with denial, anger or depression and I try to show them the way to acceptance. I believe that someone cannot truly be happy and motivated until they learn to accept themselves.”
When asked about what she tells someone who is feeling down, Jessica kept it simple: “If I can fly an airplane without arms, what can’t you do?”
You could follow Jessica in www.rightfooted.com, www.facebook.com/jcmsofficial, twitter.com/jess_feet, and www.youtube.com/user/rightfootedwoman/
So there you have it, 15 leaders in no particular order, whom you should hear to get you going!
Going back to the definition of “motivate,” these speakers could give you a reason for you to do something. They could be the stimulus that cause you to be excited, interested, or optimistic, but ulimately, the act of doing something about it is up to you.
I am reminded of what Francis Kong, a renowned public speaker, a lecturer, and a business educator said during a separate interview I conducted: “I educate, but it’s up to you to motivate yourself.”
At the end of the day, the 15 motivational speakers may stimulate us to do something. But how we respond to that stimulus is up to us. That thought could be a bit scary (there’s nobody else to blame but yourself!)–but it’s also very liberating.
What about you? Who else motivates you? Comment below and let us know!
Note: This list is not arranged in any particular order. For our readers looking for Bo Sanchez, we tried contacting him several times to get permission to include him in this post, but unfortunately, we did not get any response. For our readers looking for Francis Kong, he reasoned with us that he does not see himself as a “motivational speaker” and wished to talk about different things. You can see that full article we published about him last month that already covered the questions asked to our respondents. You could see the article here. 🙂
This is a personal list of people who inspire and have motivated me. Of the millions of people out there and surely hundreds of inspiring people, we’re sure there are many not on this list. Feel free to comment below on who else motivates you and tell us why. =)
