Ep: 175: How this former educator became a nomadic professional public speaker who transforms lives with James Robilotta
In this episode, I speak with James Robilotta who is an author, speaker, personal coach, emcee, entrepreneur, and professional public speaker.
He speaks internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authentic leadership, vulnerability, and storytelling. His clients include AMEX, GE, and many others.
He is also a life coach and hosts his own event called “Living Imperfectly Live,” multiple times a year. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live. To learn more, visit his website JamesTRobo.com
Listen on to find out how James helps individuals become authentic leaders.
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Transcription:
Debbie:
Hey everyone! Thank you so much for being here. I am so excited to be here with James. Hey James, how are you?
James:
What’s going on, friend? Thanks so much for having me.
Debbie:
I love that you’re here with us today, James, because you definitely made a huge impact on me when I first met you. I actually saw James on stage pitching himself to be on different podcasts and now he is here with us today because he did such a great job.
I’m sure you had, like, hundreds of people wanting you to be on their show or to even talk to you, right?
James:
I don’t like to talk about that in public, it’s not polite to kiss and tell.
Debbie:
Well, James is definitely a character and you’re so hilarious too. And obviously, because of what you’re doing right now and how amazing of a speaker you are, that is what you do professionally. Can you tell us a little bit more about you and why you live an offbeat life?
James:
Yeah, absolutely. So I’m a professional speaker. I had a full-time job for a while working in higher education for a number of years and then started speaking on the side. And then, around 2013, I turned it into the main hustle and took to the skies to have the opportunity to fly around the world and get to share my message with whoever was willing or unwilling to listen.
So, that’s what I’m able to do right now. It’s super fun. Being a professional speaker, I’m also a life coach and I host my own events to help people get out of their own way as well. And so it’s a really cool way to see the world.
Debbie:
It’s not too far off from what you were doing before because as an educator you’re constantly in front of other people. And especially if you have an audience whether they’re adults or younger students, you definitely have to take their attention and put it to you because they do have a short attention span. I mean, all of us do.
It definitely shows in the way you speak because from the moment you get on stage, you get us to look at you to listen to you. How did you make sure that you were able to do that? I’m sure you’ve had a lot of practice in the classroom. But how did you transport that into the stage?
James:
Yeah, for sure. I think a lot of it comes down to relatability. I think if you’re going to be a good speaker and someone is going to captivate on stage, it comes back to relatability. And a lot of people confuse relatability with credibility. Credibility is like your degrees, relatability is what you actually do with the knowledge that you have from it.
And so, I think that’s really what it comes down to. And also humor, I mean, my whole speaking style is to get people laughing and then I sucker punch you in the feels. So, that’s what really helps. I think my topic helps a lot too.
I talk a lot about authenticity, vulnerability, and the role that there is to play in building better leaders and also in leading more productive lives. And so, I think those topics also yield themselves to more relatable moments. So that’s kind of what I try to do and I think that’s the way to bring it.
Ultimately, I don’t want to give a speech that I wouldn’t also want to be in the audience for.
Debbie:
Yeah, it’s really hard to be able to listen to somebody if you can’t relate to them or you have no idea what on Earth they’re talking about. It’s like, “Okay, James. Sure. That’s nice.”
James:
Yeah, exactly. Especially today, we live in such a distracted world. I mean, I could tell very quickly how I’m doing or not based on how quickly the phones come out or don’t come out. Or if the phones are out in the beginning ‘cause people are anticipating mediocrity but then all of a sudden, you start to watch people put their phones down and look at you. You’re like, “Okay. I’m getting them.”
Debbie:
Yeah. And a lot of people nowadays don’t care about your feelings. It’s you’re either taking their attention or you’re not and they’re off to something else completely.
James:
Yeah, exactly. That’s all a big competition now.
Debbie:
It’s a very unforgiving area and career choice that you have gone on to. It’s like being a comedian, right? You’re on stage, you get a boo or even throw stuff at you.
James:
Exactly. Except that instead of tomatoes people just throw shade.
Debbie:
And then, a lot of ways it’s actually worse ‘cause you take that with you in the longer-term.
James:
Yeah, for sure. I did stand-up comedy for a long time. I really loved it. It’s a huge rush and there’s no high like a stand-up high but, Debbie, there’s no low like a stand-up low. You learn very quickly if you’re funny or not and it hurts.
But with speaking, it’s a little bit different because it’s not just the jokes that I’m hoping people laugh at, it’s also my story. And if you’re not interested in my story, that means that I suck or I’m not interesting or that I’m not whatever. Like, blank enough cool: not funny enough, smart enough, hot enough, successful enough.
And those are the kind of things that kind of get in your head and really start to smack around your insecurities.
Debbie:
Yeah. And that can be a huge impact on you as a person because you’re sharing and you’re being super vulnerable on stage. And then, it just doesn’t translate and you’re asking yourself, “What on Earth happened? How come nobody’s understanding where I’m coming from? I don’t have your attention at all.”
So that is a really hard thing to deal with. How do you do that? How do you constantly put yourself up on stage knowing that you may have a really bad reception or nobody really cares?
James:
I think at this point, there’s a lot of speakers that like to say the phrase: if I could just touch one life then I know I’ve made a difference. And that sounds really cool. And I understand it and I agree with it to a certain extent but the fact of the matter is it’s unprofessional.
So if I’m only moving one person in the audience, I’m not doing my job, right? I mean, even baseball players get into the Hall of Fame if they hit the ball a third of the time. And so, I could at least aim for that. And I think, ultimately. it comes down to knowing that what I have to say matters.
In the beginning, when I first started speaking, I actually didn’t charge because I didn’t think I was good enough. More important than that, I didn’t think my message deserved to be paid for. ‘Cause prior to that, all the experiences I had seen of seeing motivational speakers, educational speakers, they started from the bottom and now they’re here.
They had an upbringing where they did not come from much and then, they grew into something really incredible. They overcame some odds or are they overcame racial barriers. You know this story as an immigrant yourself. Powerful immigrant stories or lost their leg in Vietnam and now they’re doing something cool.
All these stories and I didn’t have one of those. I’m a privileged white boy in Lakehead so I was like, “Who wants to listen to me talk?” Especially, like, I talk to a lot of universities at the beginning of my speaking career. In the beginning, it was like, “Who wants to hear me cry it out when I was homesick?”
It turns out that was a pretty big market so that’s cool. But yeah, you’re right, it’s a little bit weird but you just have to trust it. And you can feel it when it works. A lot of speakers need to be better listeners. If you’re listening to your audience then, you’ll know if it’s working or not and you can pivot if needed.
Debbie:
That’s a really great point because it can be a really hard thing to find: your niche and your topic. When you were trying to figure that out, I know you were looking at everybody else where different types of speakers who had gone through all of these more, I guess you would say traumatic things in their life, how did you pinpoint to the niche that you have now?
And how did you know it was actually making an impact on people’s lives before you even started putting those materials on stage?
James:
I think for me, it’s interesting how I came to the topic that I mainly speak about now: authentic leadership, authentic life is actually through reverse role modeling. I had a supervisor in one of my previous jobs, she just didn’t get it and I was like, “Are you happy here? What are you doing?”
We have the opportunity to work with all these college students and impact their lives and this is a really cool time to get to work with people. I love working with college students because in high school, I think you learn who you are, in college learn why you are, who you are. And that’s a powerful time to get to work with people but she just wasn’t getting it.
The way that she would talk about the work that we had to do and the way that she would talk about students, how they would come up to her and ask her question, it was just like, “Are you enjoying this? Are you seeing the impact that we could have?”
She pushed a lot of people away in a place where we should be bringing a lot of people in and creating community. And a lot of it was because she was inauthentic, she would never admit that when she was doing anything wrong. I think leaders should take responsibility. She would always pass the blame to other individuals.
It was just very interesting the way that she was a supervisor and I noticed a lot of people gravitating towards me and not towards her. And a lot of it came down to the authenticity and invulnerability, relatability.
So that’s really kind of how I started and I was like, “Someone should talk about this.” And that’s kind of how I got to kick it.
Debbie:
Well, it’s always trying to delve into your own experiences that so many other people are also going through the same thing. So that’s a great way to do that as well.
And speaking of vulnerability, your topic is definitely on point with that and what you speak about on stage. I think so many of us are so afraid to show that and share it because we don’t want people to judge us, we don’t want to show our weaknesses, and we don’t also want to feel a sort of shame.
Maybe we’re not doing so well and we don’t want that to show with the audience that we have. How did you get over that? Especially as a man, a lot of men are really afraid to show that there is something else besides this strength in them and to show that vulnerability with their audience.
James:
Yeah, for sure. I think, first off, one thing I will say is that it’s nice because it’s controlled. It’s a controlled release. It’s not like I’m up there crying, though. I do cry a lot. We can talk about that later.
I can control what stories I’m going to tell and how deeply I want to tell them. And so there’s a little bit of control in there but you’re right, it is still interesting getting on stage and talking to people like, “Hey, here’s where I slipped, here’s where I struggle, here are my insecurities.”
But knowing that people will see themselves almost more in that then, they will, in my success, is really a cool driver. Because a lot of us are trying to figure out what the heck is going on in life. What are we doing? No one knows what’s happening. And we could read 9 million self-help books and still be like, “I’m lost.”
And so, people see themselves, I think, in those stories of struggle, of insecurity often more than they see themselves in a story of success. And so it’s a powerful way to reach people. On top of that, I think you brought a really cool point, Debbie – men, in particular, are not good at this. And that’s because, societally, we men are taught to be internal processors.
It is more societally acceptable for women to be external processors. There’s nothing wrong with either of those as it’s just a fact. And so what I talk, I actually talk to all-male audiences from time to time and I love being able to get to do that work as fascinating as a species as we are.
I talk to men about why we often choose cool over great. And choosing cool often looks like trying to flex, trying to always be right. So you’re talking over individuals. Being cool means trying to be defensive because we’re more interested in being right than what is right sometimes versus great – is that moment of recognizing that we’re all out here trying to do the best that we can and so, let’s be there for each other instead of trying to prove that we’re so independent, manly, and brawn.
But that’s a tough place to be ‘cause men are societally taught to be something else.
Debbie:
You definitely show a lot of vulnerability when you are on stage and it shows. And you use it also with humor which is relatable. And we see you. You’re this tall, big guy and we’re like, “Wow, how does he do this?”
And he’s also really funny and you can relate to him, like, the stories that you tell are pretty incredible. So, it definitely shows and James is an excellent speaker and has this present when he goes on that stage.
And it just gives you more of an impact when you think you’re going to get this very masculine man, and then all of a sudden there’s so much humor and vulnerability to it that it’s just like, “Oh my God, where did this guy come from? I did not expect this.”
James:
I definitely look like I could be in the band, Mumford & Sons.
Debbie:
For sure Now that I’m thinking about it yet; yeah, you’re right. You would fit right in James.
James:
Hand me a mandolin, let’s get to work.
Debbie:
One of the really interesting things about your career as a speaker is that you are able to travel to different places, right? Now, how are you able to do that and become nomadic in your career?
James:
Yeah, for sure. That’s a beautiful part of this and it’s one of my favorite parts about this life that I’ve built for myself and my wife is also a professional speaker actually, which is interesting ‘cause we often have a long-distance relationship, even though we share the same address.
But it’s really such a cool way to see the country and see the world. And so, I would say maybe 5% of my business is local, probably within a 3-hour radius – 5 to 10%. And so, that means I’m getting on flights multiple times a week and getting to explore around.
And for me, whenever I travel, I’m someone who dives into wherever I am local. No disrespect if this is your routine: there are some people who get to the city they’re going to, they get to their hotel, they use the drawers in the hotel room, they get set up, they go to the Applebees that’s in the parking lot of the hotel for dinner, they come back to the hotel and, like, that’s fine if that is your rhythm.
But for me, I’m like, “Okay what part of the country am I in? What part of the world am I in? What are you known for and let me dive into that.” I really try to take advantage of the opportunity that I have, every place that I go to.
Debbie:
‘Cause there are so many different ones and it’s kind of interesting that years ago, obviously, speakers have been around for a very long time but now there’s kind of a huge spotlight on a lot of you.
There are people who have become famous from TED Talks and then they start writing books and it becomes this whole movement of what they’re talking about. I mean, have you kind of come across more of that now as the years go by that people kind of see you as, like, a rockstar voice?
James:
No, no, please no autographs. No, get away. How’d you get to my house? Sorry, you know how it is Debbie, oh boy.
In short. No, I mean, it’s not like people are stopping me on the street. I’ve done a TEDx Talk, I wrote a book but it’s not like the TEDx Talk has 9.1 million views and my book was a New York Times bestseller. I mean, the only reason my book is a best-seller is because it’s the best selling book I’ve ever written. I’ve only written one book too. So I guess I could market it as a best-seller – but still.
I mean, in those moments when you come off the stage, it’s really powerful when people come up to you in that line forms. And there are so many individuals that are like, “Thank you now. You made me think about something that I hadn’t thought about. I was feeling stuck and you kind of gave me some tips and tricks for ways to get unstuck in my life and I’m really excited to try some of those things.”
There’re some people who do want to come up and just take a picture with you, those moments are short-lived. They’re really special when they happen. That immediate impact like, “I made a difference today.”
And that’s really special. But yeah, I mean, I can eat in restaurants very easily. If I call the restaurant and tell them who I am they’re like, “Cool, you have to wait like everybody else.
Debbie:
But I’m sure after you do your speaking engagements people we’ll be, like, climbing all over you and you’re like, “No autographs, please.”
James:
You better take all these photos on Instagram. Let’s go, James Robo – tag it.
Debbie:
Like, tag me. Tag me everywhere.
James:
That’s it.
It’s a really cool feeling. That’s the thing about speaking, it’s very much a little bit for you and a little bit for me. Because I love the opportunity to make people laugh and make people think that’s why I do this. But I also love the fact that I can be in the spotlight.
I grew up on a stage. I do improv comedy. Now, I do a lot of improvs. And so, I still love that moment. I still love that attention and it would be ignorant of me to not also mention that that’s a win that I get.
Debbie:
As a speaker and as an entrepreneur, what has been the biggest setback that you are currently encountering?
James:
The biggest setback that I’m currently in is countering… it’s actually pivoting. As I’ve mentioned, I talk a lot of stuff, I talk a lot in the university market. And then, three years ago, I started trying to pivot and try to talk more to the corporate market. And I’m really excited to talk to adults.
I think leadership is a very transferable skill and it’s a really cool opportunity to do that. And then, I’m making a new pivot too where I’m starting to host my own events called Living Imperfectly. I help people get out of their own way.
There are 2-day retreats that happen all over the country. And I try to do three a year and those are really awesome. But it’s very interesting to pivot from a market that you know very well to a market that you don’t know very well. To places where I had a big network to a place where I don’t really have as much of a network.
And it’s very interesting to walk into those phases and be like, “No, I should matter here too. And that’s an interesting place to be for me. I know I have a lot of imposter syndrome in those places sometimes because I grew up and worked in a world where I said the word semester: spring semester, fall semester. I didn’t say Q3 until, like, two years ago.
And so, that’s been interesting: trying to make that pivot for sure. I would say that’s a place that is holding me back a little bit, some of that imposter syndrome, and really try not to lean into it.
Debbie:
I have no idea what so many of those business terms are and a lot of my, I guess, colleagues said if you can say them more people in my industry would say a lot of things. I’m like, “What? Do I have to Google this? What’s happening?
Honestly, I just learned what Q1, two, three, and four meant, like, a year ago. I was like, what is going on?”
James:
You’re making me feel better, Debbie. Thank you.
Debbie:
I was like, “I do it but I don’t know what it’s called.”
James:
Yeah. You thought you just came up with it.
Debbie:
Yeah.
James:
You’re like, “I’m brilliant!”
Debbie:
I’m like a freaking genius. Oh my God! And then, you meet people who have been doing this forever and they’re like, “What are you talking about? There’s a name for that. There’s a legit name for,” and you’re like, “What?”
So, James, being on the road constantly and having transitioned from your regular day job to this and, obviously, you and your wife are in a long-distance relationship most of the time well, not now, obviously, ‘cause I’m sure you’re quarantined together – but hopefully, how did you, guys, managed to save before setting off to this career as a speaker?
And how do you continuously budget your money to last?
James:
Yeah, for sure. I don’t know when this one will be dropping. A short answer to your last question about my biggest setback has also been COVID-19. With saving, fortunately, we’ve both built a successful business.
She talks about 70 to 80 times a year, I talk 60 to 70 times a year. And so, we’re able to pocket some of that which is lovely and try to put a bunch of that into savings or into different financial pockets if you will.
I think a lot of it is trying to take a specific percentage of each speech – should be like, “Okay, this percentage is going to go to taxes. This percentage is going to go here, this percentage goes there.”
Those are the kind of things that have helped me out a ton for sure. And I think in the beginning also, when I was doing the side hustle piece of it before I went full-on entrepreneur, it was, “Okay, whatever money I’m making from the side hustle, I either want to invest that into more marketing for the side hustle or I want to put it into a savings account because there’s going to be some point where I’m going to take a leap and I’m going to need at least three, four, maybe six months of cash to be able to carry into that.”
That’s one of the biggest ways that I did it – nothing revolutionary. I mean, it’s the simple things of just like, “Hey, maybe I’m not going to eat out as much. I’m not even going to shop at Whole Foods instead of going to the local grocery store.” Just little things like that. I think these are the ways that I’ve really done it.
And also, it’s knowing what we’re looking forward to. And so how can we budget for that? For example: every other year, my wife and I have made it a goal to live on another part, another place on this Earth for one month or six weeks.
Last year, we lived in Italy for 5 weeks and we got this Airbnb halfway between Florence and Siena. And that’s something that we know that we’re going to try to do every other year. It’s like, “Okay, so how much does that cost? Let’s also try to be prepared for that and budgeting for that.”
Those are all kinds of goals that we have in the way that we do it. I would say that we do anything that’s extremely revolutionary but it’s been working for us.
Debbie:
Preparation and self-control is definitely key to longevity when you are self-employed and you have your own business. Otherwise, it can really take you down. You can just be spending money here and there and it pretty much everywhere especially for somebody who travels and is constantly on the road.
There’s always going to be something you want to spend on, right?
James:
Yeah, for sure. That’s not my struggle.
I’ve mentioned that I love to experience local places and stuff like that. Those local eateries that are more expensive than just going to Wendy’s really quick. I could definitely be a ball on a budget and need fast food everywhere I travel. But that’s a place where I choose to spend money.
I’m not finding those local Michelin star restaurants, I’m not just doing Chipotle Burritos either to try to pinch a few dollars when I’m on the road. It’s about trying to figure out what matters to you. I still have to enjoy it.
The road is one of the things I enjoy the most and so why would I take away some of those aspects of the work that I get to do and I love?
Debbie:
Yeah. And balancing that can be really tough, for sure.
Now, James, managing your life on the road. I mean, I don’t know about you, it can get really tough especially if you’ve been on the road for a little while. And it does take, for me, mental health is definitely taking a toll on it. Now. How do you manage that? Especially since you’re constantly in new places and most of the time you’re on your own, you’re away from your family and friends and your wife.
I mean, even if you’re an extrovert, it does take that toll on you. I mean, right now, with COVID it’s, like, for those introverts there, this is like heaven for them. You definitely look like an extrovert. I don’t know that for sure.
James:
I wasn’t hiding that. That’s right.
Debbie:
How do you manage that? How do you keep yourself the way you are? Especially for somebody who is the speaker and people look to you to have a positive attitude all the time. Like, do you go to your hotel room afterward and just curl up in bed?
James:
Yeah, it’s funny. I mean, as you’ve mentioned, I am indeed an extrovert. I don’t hide that well but I think, for me, that’s actually one of the things that I love about the road. I think it’s the thing that a lot of people tire of the road.
I talk to a lot of fellow speakers and they’re like, “I’m tired of being a road warrior.” I’m not there yet, Debbie. I assume it will happen potentially if my partner and I are able to have children and maybe that will change.
But right now, I’m still super excited that’s why quarantine is so hard. I haven’t been on a plane in a month and that’s the longest time I haven’t been on a plane in a very long time and it just feels weird. A plane flies by my window and I look at it longingly – cue your sad playlist.
When I’m on the road, I actually struggle with being productive because I’m trying to spend so much time with other people. That’s one thing. As an extrovert,I love meeting new people, getting to impact new people.
And so if I’m going to a place I’m, like, “Okay cool. Yeah. Imma come and speak to you all. Can we have dinner afterward? Can I take you out for a drink?” And go out with the conference host and try to spend a little bit of that time. Or meeting up with people that I know in those cities throughout the day.
And it’s been a really cool way to reconnect with individuals that normally would be a phone call or a social media post. It’s a little bit different. And so, right now, as far as a toll that takes some of my mental health, there are two things that I would say to that.
One is that being on the road makes me feel alive. But I am now in a relationship. We’ve been married for a year. I’m in a relationship where I miss her and that’s really cool. I think it’s important to be in a relationship where you miss each other and I think we’re fortunate that we do have the opportunity to miss each other too.
Now in quarantine, I don’t know how couples do this where they see each other everyday. It’s weird but we have a 10-day rule. So, if we are going to be apart for more than 10 days, we know that at around that 10-day point, it goes from I miss you to okay, where the hell are you?
It’s like one of us will either fly to the other one or make sure the schedule is set up so that we both are either coming home or flying. If I have a gap in days maybe I’ll fly to where her gigs are and spend a couple of days with her there. But those are the kind of things that we need to do for our relationship that we found success doing.
The last thing I would say to answer that question is that, again, my productivity goes down when I’m on the road. And so, when I’m home, I’m sometimes not as present because I’m trying to check all these boxes that I could have done on the road but was too busy being in the moment.
That’s a balance that I need to work on both for my own sanity and also for my relationship.
Debbie:
I think that’s a huge misconception that a lot of people think. Well, actually with you, you are able to take it and really live in the moment. And I think a lot of us who do work on the road, it’s hard for us to do that and it just constantly works.
So, actually, with you, it’s the total opposite. You are like, “Let’s live in the moment. Let’s do all of this.” And in a way, that’s kind of good, James. But then, yeah, you’re right, this is a really confusing way to do it ‘cause I’m like, “What is a good balance for that?” I guess, work and living in the moment at the same time and then do that when you’re at home too?
How do we solve this, James? Come on.
James:
This is gonna get a little morbid real quick, Debbie, stick with me though. I live my life based on what I want to be said in my eulogy. And so, the way that impacts me on a day-to-day basis is the way that I have conversations with folks and the time that I chose to give to other people.
I love giving that time to individuals but it means that I don’t get a lot of time until that stresses me out sometimes on the back end. Because there are things that need to be done, right? There’s a sexy part of all of our jobs that we all love but there’s also the grease that keeps the engine moving. It doesn’t look as good but you need to put effort into it.
So that’s the interesting thing for me: finding the balance between presents and legacy. It’s kind of something that’s always a push-pull that’s happening inside of me.
Debbie:
Well, you have made this easy for me to transition to my next question which is less fast forward to 30 years from now and you’re looking back at your life, what legacy would you want to leave and what do you want to be remembered for?
James:
A tangible thing that I want to have is that – I actually just started this project this week after having the idea for 6 years – I want to have my own talk show. I’m really excited about that ‘cause I think some of the best conversations that we have in our lives occur after 11 o’clock over milkshakes and late-night eateries, late-night tacos, late-night whatever it is.
But I love those late-night delirious conversations with our best friends when we all look like a hot mess and it doesn’t matter. So, I love to create those and so, I’m trying to do that in show form. That’s a tangible thing – a dream that I have. And then, I’m starting to try to figure out what it could look like.
But more importantly than that, I want to be remembered as someone who made people pause. Just pause for a moment. I want to be the individual that made people just take a second to be like, “Hang on. Where am I? What’s going on? Am I happy? Do I feel purposeful? Does this feel right? And if it does then cool, let’s keep it going. Let’s keep the train running. If it doesn’t, let me pivot.”
Because so many were just kept going before the hamster wheel analogy million times. So, we just keep doing what we rarely just pause and take a second to think about what’s happening right now, “Do I like it? Do I not, like it? Does it feel in alignment with me or does it not?”
And I think if we all paused just a little bit more then we would live our lives a little bit more on purpose and not as we “should”.
Debbie:
Yeah, that’s a really great legacy. And I can definitely see you become a talk show host, James.
James:
Let’s go for it.
Debbie:
I will watch you. I will do it. Let’s do this. Let’s make this happen.
I mean, I know that 2020 and I am also saying that we’re not aging this year as well and we’re doing 2020 next year. So, you’ll have all this time to think about this and we really need to make this happen. Come on everybody.
James:
I just started. It’s crazy. I mean, literally, next week, next Wednesday I’m actually starting. It’s called Diner Talks with James. Just give me a Facebook live thing so it’s going to be right up my Facebook page that I have.
I’m starting next week and we’re just going to try to get it going. There’s something interesting about this quarantine time where it feels like no matter what happens during this time, I could just go back to my normal life afterward. So why not try something right now?
Took a little Groundhog Day a little bit. So, I’m like, “Screw it! Let’s go. Let’s try.”
Debbie:
I definitely feel like we are living in that movie and it’s kind of insane ‘cause I don’t even know what day it is anymore. And I’m like, “Does it even matter at this point?”
James:
Yeah. You’re right.
Debbie:
Well, thank you so much, James, for speaking with us. If our listeners want to know more about you, where can I find you?
James:
Yeah. Absolutely. You can look up my name on Facebook or whatnot but I would say that I’m JamesTRobo on all social media platforms. I’ve been posting meaningful stuff on Instagram. Again, the Facebook page is JamesTRobo and that’s where I’m posting lots of stuff. That’s also my website: JamesTRobo.com, email address: james@jamesttrobo. You know how branding works, folks.
So, those are the best places to find me.
Debbie:
Perfect. Thank you so much, James, for being here with us. I really appreciate it.
James:
This was so special, Debbie, and thank you for what you’re doing for all of us that are out here wondering.
Debbie:
Thank you, James.
Listen to James’s extended interview where he shares how to create a powerful impact as a speaker and storyteller.
What you’ll find:
In this episode, James will teach you how you can harness your skills as a speaker and storyteller and create a powerful impact.
