M. Curtis McCoy is an internationally known bestselling author, motivational speaker, and business coach. Building
What were you doing before you started as a motivational speaker?
I’ve always had a passion for business. I’ve launched companies in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and technology. I even owned a Christian clothing company many years ago. I also owned three retail stores. I loved motivating and inspiring employees and even customers but didn’t enjoy the day-to-day operations of running retail stores. Building
When I started speaking, even at small venues, I got the most incredible feeling that I was doing something to improve the audience’s lives. I love speaking and writing personal development books so much we closed all of my retail stores a couple of years ago to pursue speaking and writing full time! Building
How has your life changed after being a motivational speaker?
I feel like I’ve always been a motivational speaker, whether that was talking to my employees to keep them inspired to hit sales targets, spending years volunteering with youth groups at church, or even having talks with customers at my retail stores who often came in to just talk about life or ask us to pray for something they were struggling with. Building
Going into full-time speaking means I get even more time to connect with folks and focus on inspiring larger audiences. Even after giving hundreds of talks to thousands of people globally, I’m still nervous every time I get on stage. Still, when I receive a letter or a message on social media, or when someone approaches me in tears after I give a speech, it reinforces that I’m doing what I was called to do. The feeling of fulfillment has been incredible. Building
What was your motivation behind writing your books?
I started writing while fighting brain cancer after being given a 0.00% chance of survival. Although I initially just blogged about personal development books I was reading, I guess I started writing my first book because I wanted to leave something for my mom to remember me. Building
It’s been 12 years since I was given zero chance of surviving 90 days, so I guess God had other plans for my life! Building
I’m in the process of writing my 5th & 6th books now! Instead of writing everything as if I’m the expert, I interview incredible leaders who are crushing it in life & business. I ask them questions I genuinely want insight on & let them share their expertise with my readers! Building
In my last book, How To Be Successful: Think Like A Leader, I interviewed the inventor of the MP3 player, a Navy SEAL Team Sniper, a thriving church leader, an ex-convict who turned his life around, the founder of Franchise Sellers, and a guy who went from being homeless to owning a Ferrari. Building
The books I’m working on now are about personal identity & personal branding. Both new books were born out of years of coaching people in business and their personal lives. I’m also interviewing hundreds of leaders who share core commitments that I believe we all need to make to reach our full potential. Building
Why is it important to find purpose?
The tentative title for my next book is “Becoming You: The Search For Significance” by M. Curtis McCoy.
For some, finding significance is about wanting to contribute and leave a legacy. For others, it may be about feeling needed or wanted. Still, others may find their purpose in life through service to others or by helping others find their purpose. The bottom line is that we all want to feel like we matter—that we’re significant somehow. And seeing our purpose is one way of achieving that sense of significance. Building
Can you share the most interesting story that’s happened to you during your entrepreneurship journey?
Whenever I’m introduced on radio, on podcasts, or in magazine interviews, people focus on the companies I’ve built or my success in life & business. I guess that’s natural because we look up to people who are rich and famous. Building
Before being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010, I owned a cosmetic medical LASER clinic & a company that manufactured bioidentical injectable research peptides. In addition, I was sponsoring events at the Denver Coliseum, working with IFBB Pro bodybuilders & MMA fighters, the Denver Nuggets dancers, and Denver Broncos cheerleaders. Building
I was crushing it in life and business. I could send a bulk text to hundreds of friends any time of the day or night, inviting them to an event, and dozens of people would show up (because the tickets cost them nothing). Building
When I was diagnosed with brain cancer & lost everything, I sent out a text to that same group of “friends,” & my parents were the only people who showed up to help me pack my belongings as I lost everything. It was heartbreaking to learn these people were only there because of the money & success, but it was a blessing to lose many of those contacts before I built back, starting larger companies. Building
What is your personal definition of success?
My definition of success has changed over the years, but today, my main goal is to live a life that makes God proud of me. I know I don’t need to earn salvation because Jesus already died for the remission of my sins, but I feel successful every time I help someone find Jesus. Building
To a lesser degree, I feel successful when someone tells me their life has improved because of something they learned from me. Building
What kind of value can the readers expect from reading your new book?
I’m interviewing incredible leaders to curate down chapters that share how to live your best life and find who you were created to be. I also include a lot of my own experiences and lessons learned so that readers can learn from my mistakes and my successes.
I want people to walk away feeling like they have a clear vision for their life and a plan to achieve their goals. I also want them to feel equipped to deal with the challenges they’ll face along the way.
From interviewing Navy SEALs, successful leaders, and other high performers, I learned that adversity is inevitable, but how you respond to it makes the difference between success and failure. I want people to know that they have what it takes to overcome any challenge life throws their way.
Where can someone purchase your books?
My books are available at every major retailer, but you can connect with me by visiting M. Curtis McCoy on Amazon or by searching my name on social media.
Thanks for the great conversation! I enjoyed your questions!