About Me — Rick Lewis
The RARELY ASKED QUESTIONS about me that are a lot more fun to answer than FAQs
What kind of career path did you follow to become a professional speaker?
I used this very simple and straightforward approach.
First I used humor and over-achievement to cope with being a socially anxious kid, segueing into success as a child actor for TV, becoming obsessed with competitive sports, making the high school honor roll, and then dropping out of university to become a birthday party clown.
Next, I dedicated myself to the practice of meditation, toured nationally with a Broadway musical, became certified as a personal growth trainer, and earned my living in cash donations as a juggler and street performer.
Finally, I got discovered on the street by a corporate executive who invited me to entertain at a big corporate event, which led to hundreds more corporate events. I then wrote a business book based on my life experience and became sought after as a speaker and professional development coach, writing more books and eventually building a professional development platform to bring unique self-development tools directly to individuals.
Yup, that’s how I did it. I’ve always operated with this same kind of laser-like, one-pointed dedication to switching focus as often as possible. I recommend that others pursue their professional aspirations with the same kind of…sorry I need to take this call.
What is the most unique pairing of two words you’re most proud of as a writer?
Intelligent Misbehavior.
I introduced the term in my first business book 7 Rules You Were Born to Break.
Intelligent Misbehavior is the willingness to challenge the unnecessarily limiting rules in our culture that undermine personal and professional growth. It’s also about breaking your own hidden rules.
Do you agree with Abraham Lincoln who said, “You can fool 37% of the people about 13% of the time.”
Well first of all I think you should check your sources on that quote.
But I’ve delivered more than 750 presentations to private, corporate and association audiences all over the world. I’ve personally addressed or worked with more than 1 million people in the last 3 decades as an author and speaker. And way less than half of the attendees have stood up in the middle of my presentations to shout out, “Hey, wait a minute, you’re just a juggler!”
So personally I think you can fool a lot more people than Abraham Lincoln allegedly estimated, particularly if you have a Facebook account.
What are your biggest secrets?
- I am a socially anxious, shy introvert who has spent four decades making a living by being on stage in front of people.
- I danced with a ballet company in my youth.
- I haven’t stayed in one city for more than a month in 40 years. (Talk to me first before you decide to become a professional speaker.)
- Riding a 12 foot high unicycle is actually easier than riding a short one. (It’s a physics thing.)
Are you a confident person?
Good question! The answer is both yes and no. I used my stage persona for many years to cover up my awkwardness, fear of one-to-one conversations, and bonafide generalized anxiety disorder. Eventually, I learned to leave the house and converse with grocery-store cashiers while buying milk. Now I talk to my children on a regular basis at mealtimes and can purchase new underwear at the store without turning purple. (Is that progress?)
Why do you write and speak so much about taking risks?
Because it helps me to get myself out of my own head and live a more engaged, less anxious life.
What are your favorite simple pleasures?
Staying home with my family, eating cereal in the middle of the day looking at trees from ground level instead of from an airplane.
What are the things that took more practice than you imagined but turned out to be worth the effort?
Marriage, parenting, being able to write well, learning to juggle 5 balls, photoshop, proper typing, and learning to steal watches from onstage volunteers (relax, I give ’em back).
What’s your favorite airport to layover in?
Charlotte. Their white rocking chairs are the most brilliant addition to an airport ever conceived.
If you had to be stuck somewhere in your past forever, where would you go?
1992 — performing street shows at Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver Canada.
There was something called cash that people still carried and the feeling of setting up in a public space with my juggling props, gathering a crowd of pedestrians from scratch, entertaining them spontaneously and directly on the street, and getting paid by donation into a hat was one of the happiest times of my life.
Do you ever procrastinate?
No, but I do have MDD — Multiple Deadline Disorder. (MDD is not a real thing, of course, but somehow I still have it.)
What’s the single biggest thing that thousands of hotels you’ve stayed in could have done to make your years on the road more livable?
Put windows that actually open in the rooms.
If you had to be an animal, what would you be?
A ferret.
Super flexible, highly intelligent, relaxed and relational, endlessly curious.
(Full disclosure, we feed two of them.)
What advice do you have for people who overthink things?
As someone who has literally spent time overthinking his overthinking (which is crazy if you think about it), I recommend writing books.
That way you get paid for overthinking, avoid those pesky personal interactions with unpredictable human beings and have total control of your environment as you get to boss a bunch of words around.
Here are some of the books I wrote while overthinking personal and professional development.
Confident Under Pressure: Discover the Hidden Advantages of Stress
You Have the Right to Remain Silent: Bringing Meditation to Life
Sounding the Alarm on Business as Usual: Transforming Work with Intelligent Misbehavior
I hear you provide refreshingly unique, inspiring, and hilarious presentations for events. Where can I see more about your presentations?
It’s true, presenting to live audiences is one my favorite things. You can see more about my presentations here www.ricklewis.co.
