Take a look at how one person's volunteer position changed his life and his business. This is the story of One Weekly Action That Transformed John Engel's Business. Every week I volunteer at a local middle school in the poorest area in my town. I teach leadership and public speaking to the kids. When I began doing this a little over a year ago I had no idea it would totally transform my business, my marketing and my life.
One day a 13 year old boy got up and gave a speech about how he wanted to be an engineer, but he didn't know any engineers. I thought, "That's a need – I can help him!" I gathered some questions from the boy, I asked a college student, and I came up with some questions myself. We also asked an engineer, and he was happy to help. When I gave the answers to the young man he loved them. He was that much closer to his dream. His teachers told me he was more focused in school and his homework had improved. I thought: "I know lots of successful people, why don't I do this for all these kids?" So I went out and got advice from Ph.D.s from Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge, graduates of Tokyo University, Stanford, London School of Economics, and the University of Chicago – some of the smartest, most successful people in the world, and I gave it to the kids. The class was so inspired that I decided to turn it into a book and give it away for free.
Everyday I give this book away for free to any student, parent, teacher anywhere in the world who wants it. All they have to do is download it from my website at: http://www.projectbethechange.com In a couple of weeks I will be giving away 2,000 copies of the book to area students.
You might be asking, "Fine, John – its nice that you are doing such a good thing, but how is it helping your business?" My answer is in several ways…
1. Each book gets my name out there and makes people aware of my business
2. Because of the book I am getting high profile speaking engagements
3. A local TV station did a story profiling me, as did the University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumni magazine
4. One of the contributers in the book referred me to an RFP worth tens of thousands of dollars
5. I am building a list of successful people and of people who downloaded the book If you help someone everyday in whatever way you can, you will supercharge your marketing.
A portion of every dollar I make in my business I now reinvest into "Project Be The Change" and this helps me help more students. Kind regards, John Paul Engel Strategy Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Author 712-899-3968 John@JohnPaulEngel.com www.ProjectBeTheChange.com 501 Ross St., Sioux City, IA 51103, USA
