Jul 11, 2017
Sean Stephenson is a trained therapist, self-help author and motivational speaker. When Sean was born, doctors predicted he would not survive more than 24 hours because of a rare bone disorder he has called osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease. The disorder stunted Sean’s growth and caused his bones to be extremely fragile. Despite all these challenges, he has taken the stand for a quality of life that’s reached millions of people around the world including Richard Branson, President Clinton and the 14th Dalai Lama. Sean’s most recent book is called Get Off Your “But”.
In this episode, Sean shares his own journey into finding his life purpose by becoming unstoppable.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
- 00:05 – Entrepreneurs Organization proudly presents Virtual Learning podcast
- 01:03 – Dave introduces Sean Stephenson
- 03:02 – Dave met Sean in a group called Genius Network
- 03:52 – Sean was star struck when he met Tony Robbins
- 04:08 – Sean says that when you meet the Dalai Lama, you just
have a sense of happiness and energy and you just forget the titles
- 05:03 – Every person that Sean has interacted with who are famous has set the table for their engagement
- 05:32 – With Sean, the table is that no one is better than the other and there is no separation between each other
- 06:36 – Sean starts a conversation by sharing an insecurity he
has or an embarrassing story so there is no separation; he calls
this whittling down the pedestal
- 07:24 – Sean will then ask what lights you up, makes human contact, and asks light personal questions
- 08:25 – Sean approached Michael J. White who was at a
restaurant with his wife, he approached them and asked about their
children—they made a connection
- 09:28 – By the end of their conversation, Sean said he wanted to send them a copy of his book and they gave their home address; they still keep in touch
- 09:52 – Sean says it is about having a real-life conversation and asking about things people care about
- 11:35 – ‘What lights you up?’ is a question that can get you to know a person better and find out what is important to them
- 11:56 – Sean will be going to Africa with his wife
- 12:16 – They will be working with schools doing wildlife work, including visiting an elephant orphanage and going on a safari
- 13:41 – Dave asks Sean what it’s like to explain his situation
to people
- 14:11 – Sean says some people do not know what to do when they see him; he tries to communicate as best as he can
- 15:07 – When talking to children, Sean also makes sure that the parents also get something from the conversation
- 15:20 – Sean also listens to the kids share their stories
- 16:25 – Sean’s mindset is how he can educate people
- 17:38 – Dave asks Sean about his teenage years
- 17:56 – Sean says being a teenager was not easy
- 18:09 – Sean was laughed out while he was at a grocery store and told his Dad that his situation is not fair; his Dad said it won’t change anything so he needs to push through and understand that people do not understand or know what they are doing
- 19:15 – Sean’s parents were good at teaching Sean to forgive
- 20:11 – Whatever you are feeling, you attract more of those feelings; so, if you have negative emotions, it will just multiply
- 20:55 – In building a business, people will be drawn to your energy
- 21:26 – Gravitate to those you want to be like
- 21:47 – Prop Fuel is about creating great company cultures
- 21:59 – Creating a clear vision is important in building a company culture
- 22:41 – Sean shares how his parents raised him to be a
confident man
- 23:16 – Your kids don’t become what you tell them to be, they become what you show them to be
- 23:40 – Sean’s parents are a wonderful example and influence in his life
- 24:14 – Sean’s parents allowed him to feel self-pity, but did not allow him to wallow in it
- 25:13 – Sean describes himself as a scientist – constantly experimenting, even on his thoughts and feelings
- 26:15 – Blaming people causes breakdown and you repel anything that is wonderful
- 27:07 – Sean tells Dave’s children to not listen to him, but to take note of the results in Dave’s life and apply what works for them
- 28:20 – Sean shares how he has a wonderful relationship with
his sister, but how it was rocky growing up because he got all the
attention
- 28:53 – “You can’t make this world fair, you just have to learn how to manage your own emotions when it’s not fair”
- 29:28 – Sean says aside from getting attention because of his condition, he also wanted to be the center of attention
- 30:16 – Live your life and do what your heart tells you to do
- 30:40 – Sean says his relationship with his sister was challenged when they were growing up because they had different personalities and interests
- 31:55 – Sean’s skill as a good speaker developed from all his experiences during his childhood
- 32:14 – Sean has known from a very young age that human beings
are important to study
- 32:44 – Sean was drawn to people of great stature
- 33:02 – Sean thought he should have something of value to share; this was why he decided to become a professional speaker
- 33:18 – Sean met Tony Robbins because he wanted to meet the best in the world in public speaking; it was his one wish at Make a Wish Foundation
- 34:22 – The experience was life-altering for Sean because it solidified what he wanted to do
- 34:55 – Sean does one-on-one breakthrough sessions
- 35:13 – Sean is scheduled for Dallas and will fly to Africa
- 36:04 – Sean gave his first speech when he was 13 and his first paid speech when he was 17 as a speaker during the Disability Awareness Month; this was the start of his career in public speaking
- 37:33 – Sean says all his audiences are human beings and he works with them to master and manage their emotions
- 38:04 – Sean’s addiction is in reaching more people and sharing his message
- 38:44 – Sean will use social media, do live events and create a software to rid the world of insecurity
- 39:31 – Sean wants something that will outlive him and continue to impact others
- 40:40 – Check out the Human Connection Formula
- 41:50 – Sean found a commonality between all speakers who have made a huge impact
- 42:06 – It is a three-part system that can engage your audience: catch their attention, get them to relate to you, and give them lasting value
- 43:12 – Sean gave a TEDx talk that had more than 2 million views
- 43:50 – Sean says everyone wants the secret and here it is:
- 44:19 – The differentiator is you need to feel unstoppable - to be one, let it emanate from within
- 44:41 – Make sure you are constantly surrounded by an empowering environment
- 45:19 – The cure to insecurity is self-care
- 46:42 – You need to figure out why you were born
- 47:48 – You deserve to be unstoppable
- 48:45 – Sean’s wife can help you know your life purpose, check out her site MindieKniss
- 49:24 – Sean found out his life purpose through mentorship
- 50:23 – The world needs many things, you just have to find out what you can work on and offer it to the world
- 51:06 – Dave closes the episode and encourages you to visit his website
3 Key Points:
- When interacting with others, try to a create an environment in which all people are equal.
- Kids don’t become what you TELL them to me, they become what you show them.
- To make a great impact on your audience, you need to catch their attention, get them to relate to you, and give them lasting value.
Resources Mentioned:
- Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
- Sean Stephenson – Sean’s website
- Get Off Your “But” – Sean’s book
- Human Connection Formula – the three part system to engage your audience
- The Prison of Your Mind – Sean’s TEDx talk