The Magic You Are Carrying

The director of the new Aquaman movie watched my 19-minute video about his film.

He tweeted about it. And it stirred up a whirlwind of inspiration.

click to view the tweet

I feel a little insecure every time I post one of these videos. Showing this kind of emotion about superhero stories puts me in a vulnerable position. There are always people on the internet who make fun of me.

But, today, I’m reading hundreds & hundreds of messages from people who were helped by the video. It showed them a new way to be a hero to others. They feel more empowered to make the world a better, more loving place.

My life continues to be filled with wonders. I don’t plan these moments - they are always beyond me. Most of them happen because I’m willing to show my heart and risk looking silly.

Sometimes, I create things and nothing happens. Sometimes, they start a beautiful whirlwind. Either way, today I feel encouraged to continue sharing my authentic self.

And I’m reminded of the magic you are carrying within you. Maybe you’re holding back because you think the world won’t understand. Perhaps you think people will show anger or hatred. And perhaps they will.

But I know for certain that there is something in YOU that the world needs. Please share it with us.

Here’s my video about the Aquaman movie:

2018 was beautiful!

This year, I spoke at 42 events across the country. 

One day, I talked to 5,000 people in an arena. 
On another day, I traveled for 8 hours & no one showed up for my session. 

Sometimes, I stayed at luxury hotels. 
Sometimes, I had to change clothes in the airport bathroom. 

I received some standing ovations. I also had people criticize me in the lobby after my keynote. 

I traveled nearly 150,000 miles this year. Some days were easier than others. 

But every moment was beautiful. 

I loved all of it. 

I’m grateful for every opportunity to share my heart & help others see the inspiring truth about themselves.

Next year will be filled with speeches all over the U.S. I can’t wait to hug the new friends I will make in 2019!

Special thanks to my wife Tricia, my family, & the team at Keppler Speakers. I couldn’t have done it without you!

Our Identity drives our Behavior

Most of us are lied to. We aren't told the full truth about who we are and who we can become.

As leaders, the goal is more than managing people's BEHAVIOR.

The bigger mission is to say to them: "YOU are HERO."

When that IDENTITY changes - when that picture inside changes - everything changes.

Feel the fear. Don’t let it stop you.

My son Judah has a blood test today. He’s nervous about it.

He asked me, “Will I stop being afraid when I get older?”

I said, “You never really outgrow fear. But, if you face it with people who love you, you get stronger inside. You feel the fear, but you don’t let it stop you. That’s how you become a warrior.”

He replied, “Do you think I’m doing that right now?”

“You are doing this every day, my son,” I said. 

EVERY DAY.

Opportunity in the Unexpected

During my keynote yesterday, a bee got in the room. It landed on a guy in the 3rd row who is allergic to bees.

As I was telling a story on stage, he started shouting “Bee! Bee! Bee!”, but he sat totally still.

It took me a few moments to figure out exactly what was going on. I calmly explained the situation to the 1,200 people in the audience as we waited.

The person next to him slowly pushed the bee off with the printed program.

When it flew away, I asked if he was ok. 
Then I asked the audience if they were ok. 
We all laughed together.

I invited everyone to applaud his bravery. 
They smiled & clapping.

And I finished the story.

Every day is an adventure. Nothing goes quite as expected.

Don’t worry. These unexpected moments are opportunities to help, affirm, and applaud the beautiful souls around you.

Here’s an ARTICLE about this keynote at Heidelberg University.

At the Arena in Anaheim, CA

It was a beautiful experience talking to 6,500 people at the arena in Anaheim.  Loved speaking to this audience in-the-round!

Here's a video clip from the event:

Inspiring young people through Boys & Girls Clubs

I spoke at the national conference for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Afterward, 300 clubs requested screenings of my uplifting film LOOK TO THE SKY.

My heart is about to explode with joy!

The film is available to them at no cost. Honored to support these heroic leaders!

Thanks to everyone who helped make this beautiful moment possible. I love you.

And special thanks to my friends at Sony for inviting me.

My new film is on Hulu, Amazon, and iTunes today!

I'm so excited!  My uplifting documentary film LOOK TO THE SKY debuted today on Hulu, iTunes, Amazon and other digital platforms. 

I can't wait for you to see it.

The film shares the uplifting stories of young people who have demonstrated the iconic spirit of Superman by becoming real-life superheroes.  Stories include: a teen who overcame homelessness, a boy who saved his friend’s life, and a young woman who turned her experiences of being bullied into a positive world-wide self-love movement.

LOOK TO THE SKY screened in 50 cities with proceeds benefiting charitable initiatives.

 For many of us, the world seems very dark.  It’s easy to feel that noble heroes like Superman have vanished from the earth.  I believe this heroic spirit is most clearly seen in the hearts of the young people who are shaping the future.  Our goal with LOOK TO THE SKY is to help renew our faith in tomorrow, for ourselves and our communities.

For LOOK TO THE SKY, we filmed in 20 cities, capturing the stories of young people and experts on superhero stories, psychology, and literature. 

Official Website:  RisingHero.org   

On being found

At my speaking engagement in Phoenix today, I chatted with a 59-year-old man who is meeting his birth mother tomorrow.

When he learned that he would get to meet her, he smiled so big with his eyes filled with tears.

He said, “They found me.”

It's OK to get your hopes up

I got some criticism on one of my recent posts. 

The post said: “It’s OK to get your hopes up”. 

I understand the criticism.  I realize that this idea sounds emotionally dangerous. 

One of the comments on Instagram allowed me to go a little deeper into this idea.  Here’s the question & my reply:

QUESTION:  “I’m waiting to hear back on a job interview I really care about.  I’m trying not to get my hopes up because I don’t want to be crushed if it doesn’t happen.  If I allow myself to get my hopes up, how do I deal with the hurt?  I wanna be hopeful.  I wanna be excited.  I just don’t want to be hurt by the rejection or feel like I’ve failed myself & my wife.”

MY REPLY:  “Keep your hope that there is good ahead for you.  But let go of your attachment to what the solution will be.  Don’t pin your hope to that specific interview or situation.  Let your hope rest in a deep belief that something good is coming.  Stay with the process, and trust the journey.”

A Pair of Podcasts

I recently chatted on two podcasts!  

LISTEN to:  Studio Sherpas

LISTEN to:  JA Manifest

Both podcasts are hosted by filmmakers, but our conversations focused on insights much bigger than that... personal growth, balancing ambition, dealing with failure, and the challenges of living out your passion.

Grateful for the Moment

After one of my recent speeches, a man stood in line for 30 minutes to see me. He was in his 60's, wearing a conservative suit & tie.

He immediately hugged me. He whispered "thank you" and started crying. We stood like that for at least a minute.

Then, he looked me in the eyes, thanked me again, and walked away.

I will probably never know what our experience together meant to him. I don't need to know. I'm just grateful I could be with him in that moment.

Mentors Matter

In 2004, I was profiled in eMedia magazine. The article began like this:

“As they grow up, most sons want their dads to get out of the way. Then, there’s Brett Culp. He admits that his business thrived once his dad got involved. It was an involvement Culp says he both needed and welcomed.”

The best thing that happened in my career was having my Dad work with me for over a decade.

So much of my work is built on the insights, attitudes, and values he showed me.

I am grateful every day.

If you’ve had a mentor that has helped you succeed, take a moment to say THANK YOU.

Speaking in San Diego

What an extraordinary visit to San Diego! 

I spoke to 900 executives & leaders at the city's largest business networking event of the year.  Thanks to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce for inviting me.

---

Here's a clip from my interview on Good Morning San Diego.

The Joy of the Journey

Today is my grandmother's 91st birthday.

We spent several hours chatting at her home yesterday, just the 2 of us. We talked about family, health, joy, & pain. We shared stories & laughed a lot.

We agreed that life is pretty wonderful and that we wouldn't change a thing.

In the moment, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger, wider picture.

Your story is the sum of a lifetime of choices, circumstances, success, and loss. Don’t get so tangled up in the struggles of the moment that you lose the joy of the journey.

One experience at a time, all of us can create a beautiful legacy.

Choose LEGACY before CURRENCY

In the 1980’s, "Weird Al" Yankovic turned down a $5 million endorsement offer from a beer company because it didn’t align with his values.

For perspective, Michael Jordan’s spokesman deal with Nike in the 80’s was $2.5 million.

In a recent interview, Al said he has no regrets about the decision.

At a time when that money would have changed his life, he valued his long-term legacy over a short-term payout.

Don’t be afraid to embrace your beliefs.

Focus on the impact you want to make over your entire lifetime above the achievement of a single moment.

Do what you think is right & have faith that it will lead to the best things for your life & for others.

The Hidden Story of "Look to the Sky"

Our new film Look to the Sky has now screened in 40 cities benefiting charities!

But there’s also a HIDDEN story with this film that brings me such joy:

This year, I’ve been speaking at events all over the U.S. I’ve shared my heart with huge audiences, inviting them to use ‘Look to the Sky’ at no cost, as a tool for hope & inspiration in their world.

And they’ve been doing it.

There have been countless private screenings of the film in school classrooms, shelters, youth programs, and community centers. At this point, there are so many we can’t keep track.

I wish I had time to tell you all of the stories coming from these showings. They are beautiful.

And I’m certain there are many, many encouraging experiences people are having with this movie that we will never hear about.

If you have supported our journey with this film in any way, please know that you have helped a lot of people.

THANK YOU for believing in this project & for helping us make it a reality.

YOU continually remind me that the world is filled with real-life superheroes.

Stay tuned! There are more thrilling adventures ahead for this film. 2018 will be heroic! 

Right now, they are ripping me apart on YouTube

The new video I posted this week currently has over 120,000 views & 1,000 comments. The momentum started with people who loved the video, but many haters have shown up as the audience has grown.

HERE'S THE VIDEO

There are hundreds of angry, cruel comments about me. Some people are calling me the worst names you can imagine.

Ironically, the video is about empathy & kindness.

A year ago, this would have really hurt my feelings. I’m a sensitive person. But today I feel anchored to a solid place, and I’m not troubled.

This quote by President Theodore Roosevelt has helped me. I’m grateful to Brene Brown for sharing it:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.”

Every day of my life, I am in the arena. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. But I am in the battle.

I value the opinions of trusted warriors & people I know are also engaged in the arena of growth, compassion, & success.

Most of these negative YouTube comments are from people sitting in the cheap seats of the arena, hurling criticism without ever trying to do something extraordinary in their own lives. I’m not angry with them. I don’t have negative judgement for their choices.

But their opinions do NOT get a voice in my head any more.

This perspective has been so helpful to me.

Today, I can look at their venom as the fuel that is continuing to push the video toward viral impact. The more they post outrage in the comments, the more the algorithm of YouTube shares the video with others. Engagement sparks viewership.

And then the video is shared with more people who can be helped by it. These are many of the people writing the heartfelt, loving comments.

I also have faith that the video is planting a seed in people’s hearts, even if they are responding with hate at this moment.

Thanks to everyone who is in the arena with me. You are amazing.

I am grateful to be surrounded by so many beautiful warriors!

Powerless with Irma

Along with 7 million others in Florida, Hurricane Irma knocked out the power in our home.

The assessments this morning showed that it would take up to 6 days to restore all the electricity in Tampa.  So, we decided to move to my parents house a few miles away, where they still had power.  We spent today packing up to be away for several days. Clothes, food, everything we would need.

Tonight, my family was sitting in our fully-packed car as I locked the front door.

And the power came back on.

Have you ever felt extremely grateful & extremely frustrated at the same time? It's a strange whirlwind of emotion.

The last week has taken me deeper into the meaning of being "powerless". For me, Irma has been a lesson in surrender.  I try to plan wisely & act with passion, but I can't control a hurricane, the utility company, a potential client, or my teenager.

But I can choose to bring my heart to every moment & stay open to the unknown.

Things never go quite the way we expect. But I believe there is beauty everywhere.

The Relationship is the Mission

I'm busy, & I travel a lot. People ask how we keep that from hurting our marriage.

My answer is authenticity & over-communication. Tricia & I are in touch everyday. We discuss nearly everything that happens & how each of us feels about it. Many of our conversations feel like therapy sessions... and that's the way we like it.

It's not perfect. Some days it borders on co-dependence. But we are committed to experiencing a shared adventure. If we can't emotionally invest in something together, I don't do it.

The relationship is more important than the mission.

Actually... the relationship IS the mission.