Des Moines Register
05-02-06
Motivation gurus pump Iowans with financial advice
Diverse crowd consumes tips in pep-rally style
By BONNIE HARRIS
REGISTER BUSINESS WRITER
When George Foreman punched a finger in the air and told more than 20,000
people at Wells Fargo Arena his secret for staying competitive in a knock-down
world, Lyle Davis of Ottumwa said he felt as if he was alone in a room with the
former heavyweight boxing champion.
"It's like he was speaking directly to me, I swear to God," said Davis, an out-ofwork warehouse worker.
When publisher Steve Forbes talked about changing the way to view business
("Starbucks doesn't call it medium. That sounds mediocre. They call it grande!"),
Suzanne Pena of Fort Dodge nodded her head enthusiastically.
"He's right!" the aspiring shop owner said, grinning. "Positivity is contagious."
When self-made millionaire and author Phil Town revealed his steps to
successful stock trading "that anyone can do in just 15 minutes a day," stay-athome mom Heide Thompson opened her workbook and scribbled furiously.
"I could do this!" she whispered urgently. "I mean, this is incredible."
Wherever the "Get Motivated" seminar goes - about 25 cities a year - two things
appear certain: It will bring traffic headaches as thousands converge to hear the
lineup of celebrity speakers, and it will leave behind thousands of people
determined to do something big.
Monday's arrival in Des Moines with veteran motivator Zig Ziglar and former New
York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was no exception.
They came from every corner of Iowa, for any number of reasons:
• The usuals — real estate agents, advertising reps, small-business owners and
salespeople.
• Independent beauty consultants, military recruiters, investors and students.
• Retirees looking for new opportunities and existing workers looking for jobs.
All hoped to hear something at the all-day seminar that would inspire change: of
scenery, of attitude — but mostly a change in their bank accounts.
"I just want to get rich," said Tim Bayless, 26, of Des Moines as he signed up for
an investment workshop.
He knew he wouldn't reach that goal solely with his current job as a watersystems repairman. So he was spurred to take action Monday — hoping even as
he did that he could "do some extra work" for his parents to help pay off his
maxed-out credit card.
"The guys up on that stage are rich, right?" Bayless said. "So I'm going listen to
them. I just think it's time to turn things up a notch."
Sponsored by Ziglar and entrepreneur Peter Lowe, the seminar combined music
that was more suited for an aerobics class, fireworks, a hail storm of beach balls
and enough clapping, dancing and hooting to get the attention of the otherwise
stoic security guards. Indeed, many were spotted fumbling to find their own
scraps of paper to jot notes.
Less than an hour into the workshop, one woman was whisked out of an upper
section because she went into labor.
No less than 18 jumbo screens hung around the arena, offering TV-style views of
the presenters on stage and candid shots of the audience.
"The speakers are all just so good, I couldn't pass it up," said Ryan
Bhattacharyya, who owns the West Des Moines restaurant Tandoor and also
works in the finance side of automobile sales.
"I'm interested in the management segment of this today. I'm mostly wanting to
see Zig Ziglar. He's the king."
Although advance billing for the event said the entry fee would be $225 per
person at the door, tickets were practically given away. Advance tickets were $29
per person, or $49 for an office of up to 10 people.
Organizers, who oversold the event, scrambled to open a spillover room at HyVee Hall, where about 2,000 more people watched from a satellite feed.
The real money, however, may have come from those looking for success, such
as attendees Bayless and Teri Walter of Ames, who bought some of the "extras"
that were pitched by speakers as they took the stage: a $995 stock market
trading program, a $99 real estate seminar, or the books, CDs and other goodies
that were carefully presented by hundreds of volunteers working at tables in
nearly every aisle and waiting area.
Besides the pep-rally atmosphere — Lowe had volunteers break boards on stage
to demonstrate the power of determination, and Town lined up a half-dozen
single moms to demonstrate his stock market technique to make money — the
event included traditional business advice.
Ziglar talked about balancing work and family.
Financial guru Suze Orman stressed smart retirement saving and why it's
important to avoid mortgage loans that are "too good to be true."
And Giuliani discussed leadership, touching on his own experience in New York
after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"It was all very good,'' said Qian Wang, a physics major at Iowa State
University who said he attended not for business motivation, but because the
Chinese Association of Iowa gave free tickets to its members.
"The whole day was, really. I don't have any money for the stuff they're talking
about, but that's OK. Someday, maybe I will."