The day the lights turned on (Part 1 of 5)
Published: Fri, 05/02/14
The day the light turned on -- Part 1 of 5
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I couldn't believe my eyes...
What I was looking at. My thoughts
were, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe he
did that himself."
That's just off the charts cool...
...and obviously was hauling in big sales.
To say I was flabbergasted would be an
understatement...
I call it the day the lights turned on...
But before I explain what "that was"
I have to take you back in time to
where it started.
See, I was due on stage before long.
My hair looked like crap. I needed
a hair cut.
My face was worn-torn and looked like
I'd been through a battle.
I'd just flown in to speak at Yanik's
birthday party....
But hours before, I was at a long
term medical care center with my dad
where the incision for his colon cancer
surgery wouldn't heal.
Worse than that, his freaking homeowners
association served him notice while he was
in the hospital bed that his new roof
violated their standards and had to be
fixed immediately.
My mum had just been put in a nursing
home because my dad obviously couldn't
care for her while having cancer surgery.
I don't know how much sleep I'd been getting.
But I know that I had nothing left inside.
Running on empty.
Beyond empty.
But there I was, talking to this guy...
To protect his identity for reasons I'll
explain letter, I'll call him Ted.
And I think I'd met him at a few seminars.
He was best friends with a lot of my peers.
John Reese. Frank Kern. Other names you'd
know.
I had no idea this was a guy who was revered,
feared, controversial, powerful....
The kind of guy that when he walked in a room
parted people into groups like Noah parted
water....one group would be for. The other
against. No in betweens.
I was barely coherent and why he spent any
time at all talking to me is beyond my
knowledge.
I felt depressed and exhausted beyond
belief...
My dad had cancer. My mum had Alzheimer's and
had to be put in a nursing home while my
dad was in the hospital.
And the charming attorney served a
ridiculous notice from the home owners
association....
What kind of person would do such a thing to
someone who had JUST had cancer surgery while
they were barely coherent in the hospital room
is beyond me. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.
I don't know what I said to that attorney over
the phone. But I'm pretty sure I've never said
such things about a person before. And hopefully
never will again.
I had no time, energy or emotional focus to
put together a speech. But I couldn't turn
down the opportunity to speak at Yanik's
birthday party. He is and was always a class
act and puts on a fantastic show. The list
of other speakers was quite prestigious. I
wasn't about to cancel, no matter how extreme
the situation.
With only a few instructions from me, Lisa had
saved the day, cobbling together some slides
of little doodads I sent out via email that
brought in $20,000 and upwards each.
Well, they weren't doodads but I don't have time
to explain now. I'll explain that part later.
Here's the picture as Yanik welcomed me on stage
with his typical warmness and enthusiasm:
http://marlonsvideos.com/pix/meandYanik.jpg
I'm not sure those in attendance had any idea
of the power of what I was about to put up
on the screen...
I didn't really have the mental wherewithal
to explain it clearly...
Next, I show doodads on the screen that
brought in more in 1 email that some people
make in a month or a year...
And Ted circles back 'round into the
picture years later...rolling larger than
life...
And I get threatening emails and phone
calls concerning the only phone conversation
I ever had with him...
But that's the next email....
Best wishes,
Marlon Sanders
PS: In the next email, I explain what those
doodads where and show an example...