Joshua Cobb
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Joshua Cobb: S.O. What! Success Story

Can you imagine one moment walking around doing your job and the next moment you don’t even have your legs? The unthinkable happened to Joshua Cobb only two weeks after he was standing in my living room.  Just as unbelievable as the…
Bud Richey
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Bud Richey: S.O. What! Success Story

Bowties. Crawfish. And leadership. They are all things I immediately think of when I think of Bud Richey. As a student leader over 20 years ago, I met Bud Richey when he came to the University of Memphis to direct the Emerging Leaders…
Barbara Teicher
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Barbara Teicher: S.O. What! Success Story

There’s not much that really shocks me. But learning of the bicycle accident of my friend (Barbara Teicher) while she was in France certainly did. I had last seen her at the National Speakers Association’s annual conference. We laughed…
John Best
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John Best: S.O. What! Success Story

Have you ever met a giant? During my time working for the NBA, I did meet a few men who seemed like giants to me.  When I met John Best I definitely noticed his stature but I wasn’t shocked. I wasn’t shocked to learn that John…
Rosie Phillips Davis
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Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis: S.O. What! Success Story

Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis went from poverty to a Ph.D. and has inspired thousands of people along the way. As a nineteen-year-old black female college student, I’ll never forget the day I saw Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis (known to me as Dr.…
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3 Lessons From Hosting the 40th Distinguished Alumni Awards at the University of Memphis

In 2019 when I became the president of the University of Memphis Alumni Association National Board of Directors, hosting the 40th Distinguished Alumni Awards (DAA) program was something I looked forward to doing at the end of my term. For…
Darrell Cobbins
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Darrell Cobbins: S.O. What! Success Story

Cool, calm, and collected. When I think of Darrell Cobbins those are the words that immediately come to mind.  In addition to professional, inspiring, and just cool. All of which I had the privilege of experiencing as a fellow University…
Erica Nathan
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Erica Nathan: S.O. What! Success Story

You know that friend with so many gifts and talents that you’re amazed by all they are able to do?  Fittingly, I met Erica Nathan at church through a mutual friend. Also, fittingly, she was stylish and her hair was laid. As an evangelist,…
National Speakers Association Black National Speakers Association Greg Smith Strength Award Winner Summer Owens
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How Winning a National Speakers Strength Award Inspires Strength in Others

When I came home from school on my first day of kindergarten, my mom quizzed me about my teacher's name. I excitedly repsonded, "Mrs. Muscles!". Her name was actually Mrs. Armstrong, but that memory always makes me smile even through pain…