- Segall, since you were a child, you were captivating audiences. You have shared stage with the biggest stars including Donnie Osmond & Michael Jackson. Would you say that your ability to captivate audiences is natural or you have been trained over time?
Great question! In fact, the chapter I am working on right now for my new book “Captivate Them!: How To Become A Captivating Performer” deals specifically with this very subject. The answer to your question is “both”. My ability to captivate audiences is a combination of natural talent/ability/gifting and training. To be a captivating performer or speaker you really do need both but I will say this: training beats talent every day of the week. I think I mentioned this when I was with you last Wednesday: hard work beats talent every time. The most powerful combination is when you can take a person who is naturally gifted at captivating people and then add to it fantastic training and incredible work ethic. I believe I have the blessing and benefit of both: I know I have a gift and talent for captivating people but I have also worked (and continue to work) really hard when it comes to training.
2. Mr. Segall, in one of your recent keynote in Malibu, you shared with Malibu Toastmasters Club, the steps to become captivating speaker & performer. Would you share those steps one by one?
Even better, let me give you the names of each of my chapters in the book because these are the things you need to do and be in order to be a Captivating performer:
Chapter 1: Know Thyself — be brutally honest about what you can/can’t do
Chapter 2: Get Real — be authentic/genuine; never fake.
Chapter 3: Be Heatlhy — in mind, body, soul, and spirit
Chapter 4: Care Deeply — if it only benefits you, you shouldn’t be doing it
Chapter 5: Manifest Passion — love it or leave it
Chapter 6: Cultivate Imagination — expand your mind/connect w/ your subconcious
Chapter 7: Think Fast — improvisation is critical
Chapter 8: Make Em Laugh — humor is hugely important
Chapter 9: Master Storytelling — it’s a skill and you must learn this
Chapter 10: Revere Movement — body language, dance, etc, should be adored
Chapter 11: Work Hard — this beats talent every time. Combined w/ talent = WOW
Chapter 12: Keep Learning — remain humble and teachable
Any one of these things will make you a more Captivating performer. The goal is to become excellent at all of them
3. Mr. Segall, you have been a child star, you are a devoted family man, and successful businessman. Tell us about your secret to your success? What book do you recommend the most to your followers so they can attain similar success?
The secret to success is knowing what success means to you and then achieving that goal. Success is (and should be) a primarily subjective thing that is based upon your own sense of self-worth, purpose, destiny, and desires and who congruent your life has become and/or is becoming in relationship to those things. Success should never be based upon comparison with others or feeling a compulsion to meet the expectations set on you by others whether they be family, friends, or society.
There isn’t any singular book I would recommend to anyone prior to knowing what their definition of success is for them because if their definition of success is different than mine my recommendations will be of no use to them. For those whose definition of success is/are similar to mine, I offer the following and I don’t offer them as simply stand-alone books: I know they had their impact on me because of the order in which I read them and the season of life I was in at the time they were read.
- The Gospel of John
- “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman
- “Windows Of The Soul” by Ken Gire
- “Wild At Heart” by John Eldredge
- “How To Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
- “Think & Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
- “Grit” by Angela Duckworth
Once you’ve read these, then you’re ready for these:
- “Choice or Chance: Understanding Your Locus of Control & Why It Matters” by Stephen Nowicki
- “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews
- “The 7 Decisions” by Andy Andrews
- “Bluefishing” by Steve Sims
And last but by no means least…this book:
“The 5-Second Rule” by Mel Robbins. This book is the book that showed me how to take everything I learned the previous books and actually apply them.
These books have been consequential in my personal development as I’ve journeyed this pilgrimage called “life” and I believe a big reason why they were/are so consequential is because of the order in which I read them.
Between 6-7. I always set my alarm for 7 hours but I seldom need it to wake me because I almost always awake prior to the alarm going off.
1. Sleep – check out the studies. Nothing is more critical to your brain function. I know how much sleep I need and I make sure I always
2. Diet – Eat bad, feel bad. Eat right, feel right. Hydration is critical.
3. Exercise – 3-4 days per week, no less than 90 minutes at a time, start with 20 min of strong cardio and finish with weights but keep the cardio up (I never stop moving and am typically drenched in sweat when all is said and done. Kick your own ass.
4. Mental toughness/personal development – I protect my mind and am always learning, growing, expanding. This includes my relationship with God which is the single most important aspect of my life.
5. Never quit
ABOUT RICK SEGALL