LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, JULY 19, 2022 / PR Newswire / “Dreams fade because most people do not have a strategy for momentum,” says personal development expert Darren LaCroix.
“Well-meaning people may have trained your dream right out of you, but the worst critic can be the one in our own head,” says LaCroix, author of the book 17 Minutes To Your Dream: How To Get The Breakthroughs You Need (2022, Indie Books International).
The book 17 Minutes To Your Dream shows people how in just 17 minutes a day they can:
- Overcome doubt
- Build belief
- Experience breakthroughs
- Gain momentum
“The two biggest problems that people must overcome are doubt that is preventing them from making a start and no strategy for momentum that is causing them to stop,” says LaCroix.
LaCroix’s pursuit of his dreams is a real-life underdog story filled with starts and stops. The story is also a tale of humor and hope.
After a failed business in 1992, LaCroix took a dare and took the stage at an open-mic night at a Boston comedy club. He bombed miserably. The headliner that night told him, “Don’t quit your day job, kid.” Friends told him that his dream of making people laugh for a living was crazy and stupid. He didn’t listen.
LaCroix says he may have been born without a funny bone in his body, but he possessed the desire to learn and the willingness to fail. This self-proclaimed student of comedy is living proof that anything can be learned.
Less than nine years later, in 2001, LaCroix outspoke 25,000 contestants from 14 countries to become the Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking. Ironically, it was with a funny speech. Some said it was one of the best speeches in the history of the contest.
Since that victory, he has delivered keynotes in every state in the United States and forty-four international cities. He is passionate about showing people that if you pray, find the right mentors, and become a sponge, anything is possible.
“Dreams are not convenient and there will never be a perfect time,” says LaCroix. “Wouldn’t you love to be much further along than you are today? What if you are letting that inner critic stop you with excuses?”
LaCroix says dreams take courage: “Do you want your kids and grandkids to have courage? Remember, they are watching what you do more than they’re listening to the words you say. Inspire by example: you will fail, and they will see you fall. So, give them real-life examples close to home to teach them how to get up and keep moving forward with courage and conviction.”
To get breakthroughs, you have to decide to be all-in. LaCroix says that is the smart move. His advice is don’t be a hobbyist, be a lobbyist for your dream.
“We know about intelligence quotient (IQ), emotional intelligence or quotient (EQ), and artificial intelligence (AI),” says LaCroix. “I introduce people to a different concept, one that I’ve experienced. I believe it is an underlying factor to all underdogs who achieve the seemingly impossible. I call it all-in intelligence (AII).”
According to LaCroix, when you have the all-in mindset, people are compelled to come alongside you and help. Your dedication inspires people who want to help. It makes you stand out to mentors and people of influence as well. The surge builds, and you get noticed.
“Why? Because it’s so rare,” says LaCroix. “People will go from cheering you on to asking,
‘How can I help?’” LaCroix calls this The Underdog Effect.
LaCroix is currently the only speaker in the world who is a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), an AS (Accredited Speaker), and a World Champion of Public Speaking. Despite this, LaCroix always reminds people, “The letters after your name are not as important as the professional you become in the process.”
He is the cohost of the Unforgettable Presentations podcast. Through his live workshops and StageTimeUniversity.com, he helps good presenters become unforgettable.