By Jeff Beals
An Air Force brat, Billy McGuigan grew up in a musical family. For much of McGuigan’s childhood, the family was stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia. When his tech-sergeant dad would come home from duty in South Korea or other far-off places, he would entertain little Billy and his two younger brothers by playing Beatles songs on his guitar. Those were good times celebrating dad’s return with music and laughter.
Eventually, McGuigan learned those songs himself, both the lyrics and the guitar chords. Unbeknownst at the time, those informal music sessions in the McGuigan living room sparked a love of performing that eventually led to a successful career in music.
Today, McGuigan is CEO of Rave On Productions. Along with his brothers, he tours nationally year-round performing high-energy shows based on the Beatles and Buddy Holly. Business is booming; the McGuigan brothers are selling out venues and delighting their rapidly expanding fan base.
But as you would expect, the road from family-room performer to national touring artist wasn’t always smooth.
When McGuigan was 10 years old, he enrolled in acting classes at the historic Springer Opera House in Columbus, Georgia. The beloved Springer is a 146-year-old landmark and has been named the official theatre of the state of Georgia.
Shortly after starting the acting class, McGuigan was forced to leave when it was discovered that his mom’s check had bounced. Money was tight for a young Air Force family, and acting classes turned out to be a little too expensive at that time.
McGuigan was heartbroken and probably embarrassed too. As you can imagine that memory and the related feelings stuck with him even as he grew up, moved to a different city and started his career.
Twenty-eight years later, as professional musician, McGuigan got a gig at the Springer. He performed his interactive Beatles show. The sold-out crowd paid $38 a ticket to get in. Like all of McGuigan’s shows, it was a big hit with the audience.
What must it have felt like performing on that grand old stage where he was once kicked out of an acting class? McGuigan confessed to being somewhat nervous before the show, but more important than the nerves was the feeling of accomplishment, the feeling of overcoming.
Redemption makes for a compelling story. So does perseverance. It’s also a great story when a young person grows up, returns home and vanquishes the ghosts of his youth. More importantly, McGuigan’s story is a reminder to persevere, to stay positive in the face of disappointment.
As grown professionals, our problems tend to be weightier than the frustration a 10-year-old feels when his family can’t afford acting classes. Nevertheless, you never know what future glory can happen to you in the exact venue where you once experienced defeat.
Jeff Beals shows you how to find better prospects, close more deals and capture greater market share. Jeff is an international award-winning author, sought-after keynote speaker, and accomplished sales consultant. A frequent media guest, Jeff has been featured in Investor’s Business Daily, USA Today, Men’s Health, Chicago Tribune and The New York Times.”
Here’s Why Should You Choose Jeff Beals as Your Next Speaker:
“Jeff Beals has presented four different topics at five of our internal events in 2016. At each event, the audience of commercial real estate principals and agents was completely engaged and motivated the entire time. Jeff facilitates his training sessions in such a way that each member of the audience was able to relate and understand how to apply it every day in the field. Jeff is brilliant, and we have hired him to continue speaking at our events in 2017!” – Lindsay Fierro, Senior Vice President, NAI Global, New York, NY
“Your workshop was a huge experience for our attendees by giving them the opportunity to improve their work in the critical environment in which we are living today. Your talent as a speaker and your qualities as a person made the difference during your time with us. I would certainly recommend you to anyone who asks.” – Ana Paula Costa, Educational Planner, Febracorp, Sao Paulo, Brazil
I’m in Phoenix and had breakfast earlier this morning with our semi-retired sales representative who is doing some continued work for us here. He attended your sales meeting last week and told me that in 43 years of selling, you were the best he had ever heard. Thanks for a great experience.” – Drew Vogel, President & CEO, Diamond Vogel Paints, Orange City, IA
“Our corporate partnership team had great takeaways regarding how to network smarter while also understanding the importance of our personal brand to current and prospective partners. Jeff does a great job weaving in real-world examples and how you can apply his teachings to growing your business and building long-term partnerships.” – Jason Booker, Senior Director of Corporate Sponsorships, The Kansas City Royals Major League Baseball Team
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