Name: Brian Heat
Company: Brian Heat Worldwide
Title: Motivational speaker, inspirational performance artist, rock star educator
What motivated you to become an inspirational speaker?
As a professional educator with over a decade of experience, I was inspired by the transformative power that educators have in the lives of our youth. I also seemed to have a natural gift or inclination to truly connect with not only my students, but with whomever I interacted with. People have always seemed to respond to my consistent message of hope and the realization of dreams that we all innately [have], and I knew that conveying this idea was my God-given purpose.
What has been your greatest career moment so far?
I have to say that every time I speak in front of an audience is a great career moment for me, but one story in particular sticks with me. Last year, I was approached by a woman at The University of Akron’s Black Male Summit and she began to tell me about the recent passing of her mother and how she was struggling with extreme bouts of depression. … She stated that through my message she felt encouraged to take steps toward her personal healing and encouragement to move forward.
How do you keep your business relevant to the trends and changes in society?
I am quite naturally a lifestyle enthusiast and as a result I read everything from Fast Company to XXL. It’s important to stay in-the-know on all topics ranging from politics to sports, entertainment, music and fashion, especially when speaking to the youth and young adults. In addition to my talks, I’m actively involved in social media. Staying in the front of the digital media era and our ever-changing technology also helps to keep me and my company in line with the current trends.
Name five inspirational books that you think everyone should read.
The Mastery by Robert Greene,
The Tanning of America by Steve Stoute,
The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin,
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell,
The Celestine Prophecy by James Reidfeld.
What upcoming projects, plays or speaking summits are you currently working on?
I’ll be launching my YouTube page, HeatBlast TV and I am also working on an inspirational children’s book due out in early fall. I also have several speaking engagements coming over the next couple of months in New York, Dallas and Florida to name a few.
For more information, please visit: www.twitter.com/bheatrockstar www.brianheat.com newvoicesspeak.com
