Celebrated speaker can’t wait to be in Uganda

What you need to know:

SPEAKING FOR A LIVING. Born stammering, Charles Marcus is now a world acclaimed speaker. EDGAR R. BATTE talked to him about his career and forthcoming visit to Uganda.

International motivation speaker, Charles Marcus is coming to town. He is billed for the globally acclaimed book Success Is Not a Spectator Sport: How to Take Action and Achieve More. He is also contributor of the New York Times. He will be coming for one night at the end of June.

He says he has read a lot about Uganda. “It has always interested me. I remember growing up in the UK, reading that Sir Winston Churchill referred to Uganda as the “Pearl of Africa” and I have wanted to visit your beautiful country for many years,” he explains in an email interview.

Anticipation
He is keen to visit Lake Victoria, one of Africa’s great lakes and explore the country in general, thanks to Smiling Faces International, a company that promotes good service in the hospitality industry and motivational discourse.
Marcus is preparing three important topics for the Uganda audience; sales service, service delivery, leadership and motivation/human potential.

“I think universally these areas are on demand and the message relevant. Also in my communications with SFI this was relayed to me too by my partner in bringing me to your country Ayub Kato, a successful and knowledgeable Uganda businessperson and entrepreneur, informed me that the message was important for people to hear in Uganda and my story and journey too of overcoming adversity and winning against the odds was also powerful and relevant,” he explains.

He adds, “I suffered severe stammering for more than 25 years growing up in the UK. People wrote me off, laughed, ridiculed and humiliated me. They told me I would never amount to anything. I’m here to tell people humbly and passionately with faith, hope, belief, desire, focus and commitment, dreams come true. I’m living proof of that.”

Background
Originally from England, now a resident of Canada Charles Marcus has come a long way. For more than 25 years, he could not do what most of us take for granted—speak. He lived with the disability, sometimes going for long periods of not being able to speak at all.

Today, he is an inspiration to many worldwide, combining his story of overcoming adversity and winning against the odds with his streetwise, down-to-earth business and leadership savvy.

Motivation
“I thank God for the lessons I have learned. My darkest times have become my teacher. I have faith and it has seen me through my dark times and there has been many. Today, I’m most grateful for my wife and children. I love them so much, my friends and my health, living in such a great country as Canada and being blessed to have a career that I love and honoured I have that opportunity to touch and impact people’s lives globally.

God had a purpose for me, it took a long time to get to where I am but I feel blessed, lucky and appreciate every day,” he narrates.

In his motivation work, Marcus says five main areas get people’s attention and interest; his connection and bond with the audience, his powerful story and relating it to their world then his passion and authenticity.

In addition to important business and life lessons learned that can be applied immediately in people’s life to take them to the next level. He plans to deliver all this in his message in Kampala.

Maiden visit
“I’m so excited to be coming to Uganda to present on June 2, and to see sites in your beautiful country. It is an honour for me. I can’t wait to interact with the people of Uganda. I have heard the hospitality is warm and inviting, I await my visit to “The Pearl of Africa”,” an elated Marcus adds.

Marcus’s visit to Uganda will be his first time in Africa, let alone make a professional presentation. He is famed for thought-provoking ideas on motivation/change, customer service delivery, leadership and sales that resonate with participants in a special way.