The Best of the 2014 Cicero Speechwriting Awards
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1 VITAL SPEECHES of the day 2014 EDITION THESE VITAL SPEECHES the best of the 2014 cicero speechwriting awards 58 “Why Water Cooperation Is Essential to the Future of Our World” by Jan Sonneveld GRAND AWard 2 “Pick Me” by Richard Newman, Director of UK Body Talk Ltd. 59 “Inventing Our Future” by Aaron Hoover CATEGORY WINNERS 4 “Social and Policy Implications of an Aging Society” HONORABLE MENTION by Boe Workman “Rebuilding the Middle Class: A Blueprint for the Future” by Boe Workman for A. Barry Rand, CEO, AARP 9 “We Are the Cavalry” by Janet Harrell “1888 All Over Again” by Mark Lucius, for John Schlifske, CEO, 12 “Write Your Own Story” by Aaron Hoover Northwestern Mutual 14 “Getting the Future Energy Mix Right: How the American Shale “Sharing Knowledge with Abandon” by Kim Clarke, for Mary Sue Revolution Is Changing the World” by Brian Akre Coleman, President, University of Michigan 17 “Climate Change and the Story of Sarah” by Rune Kier Nielsen “Leading Lives That Matter” by Elaine A. Tooley, for Nathan Hatch, President, Wake Forest University 18 “The Theory of Everything” by Jared Bloom “Challenging Opportunities: The U.S., Russia and the World’s 19 “Power” by Daniel Rose Energy Journey” by John Barnes, for Robert W. Dudley, Group Chief Executive, BP 20 “Moving Electric Ahead” by Doug Neff “A New Beginning” by Jan Sonneveld, for Melanie Schultz van 21 “The Face of Intolerance” by Suzanne Levy Haegen, Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Netherlands 22 “Turnaround: Third World Lessons for First World Growth” by Greta Stahl “Clearing Barriers to Global Trade” by Bill Bryant, for David Abney, COO, UPS 22 “Connecting Education to Home, School and Community” by David Bradley “Taking the Diversity Challenge” by Trey Brown, for Stephanie O’Sullivan, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, 25 “Electronic Threats to Humane Health Care” by Stephen Bertman United States 30 “Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Go It Alone” by Teresa Zumwald “Reshaping the Box: Breakthrough Thinking About Diversity” by Janet Harrell, for Forest T. Harper Jr., President and CEO, 32 “Out of My Head” by Eddie Selover INROADS Inc. 36 “Seven Unsolved Mysteries in Aging Policy” by Jonathan Peterson “Transparency About What? For Whom? By Whom? Healthcare Price, Cost and Quality” by Tanya M. Barrientos, for Risa Lavizzo- 40 by Greta Stahl “Illuminating the Future” Mourey, President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 41 “Communication Secrets from the Corner Office” by Sylvia Link “Growing the Health and Economy of Hampton Roads” by 43 “Leading Lives That Matter” by Elaine A. Tooley Vincent Rhodes, for Harry T. Lester, President, Eastern Virginia Medical School 47 “Making A Wonderful Life” by Kim Clarke “Defying Gravity” by Angela Fentiman, for Anne Shen Smith, 49 “Are We Worthy?” by John Morley Chairman and CEO, Southern California Gas Co. 51 “What I’ve Learned” by Sol Daurella and Luke Boggs “The Unfinished Business of Healthcare” by John Santoro, for Freda Lewis-Hall, Executive VP and Chief Medical Officer, Pfizer Inc. 55 “The Miracles of Kapaun” by Michael Brady “You Are Uniquely Qualified for Success” by Harold C. (Hal) 57 “The Work of the Heart” by Aaron Hoover Gordon, for Thomas C. Stewart, Managing Principal for Andrew Thomas and Co. CICERO 2014 2 CICERO SPEECHWRITING AWARDS graND awarD wINNEr “Pick Me” Writer: Richard Newman Delivered at: Rotterdam University, Speaker: Richard Newman, Director of UK Body Talk Ltd. Rotterdam, Netherlands, April 3, 2013 o you remember the feeling of I do something I love everyday, while “Why’s that?” I asked. It wasn’t the Dplaying sport at school, standing helping others. first time I’d heard this type of com- in line, waiting to be picked? Thinking There’s nothing special about me. ment. In fact I used to feel the same “pick me, pick me”. If I can do this, you can do it too and way myself. I never intended to start Then finally you were picked and probably twice as well and five times a business. I just had a passion that after a brief sigh of relief you realised faster. people were willing to pay me for and you had been chosen by the team that You are about to decide which path before long it was my profession. you really didn’t want to be on. your life will take, as you leave educa- He gave me a whole string of objec- The players didn’t include you, they tion. Imagine this. What if you could tions. I hear these all the time. Money. never gave you the ball, but at least it live a life that you love? What if you Age. Knowledge. Safety. Maybe you’re was better than not being picked. could give more, earn more and live thinking about some of these already. Reality shows are pushing the ‘pick more than you ever imagined would be Firstly, he said he hated paperwork me’ culture. Vote for me. Don’t evict possible as a corporate clock-punching and spreadsheets. The truth is I’ve me. Expose everything about me, as cog? never done a spreadsheet. I hate them. long as you pick me. This is not about ‘getting rich When I told him he looked amazed. You might think you can escape it quick’. It’s about being passionate and “But how do you get anything by switching the TV off. You can’t, productive. done?” he asked. because businesses are built with the It’s not about “pick me, hire me and When I got my business started and same boundaries. Interview me. Hire when you’re done fire me”. I needed a spreadsheet I just asked me. Promote me. Whatever happens, It’s simply about “what can I do that around. A friend of mine said he loved pick me. Then following the sigh of inspires me?” doing them and so I offered to buy him relief you get from being hired you And what if we could start the jour- a beer if he did one for me. He agreed. realise you didn’t want to be on their ney to zero unemployment? He’s still my accountant today, but now team either. There are 19 million graduates unem- I have the money to pay him! According to a study by Deloitte, ployed in Western Europe. The current So I told him not to worry about 80% of people who are employed don’t system isn’t working. You could try spreadsheets. like their job. At the same time, around fighting with all of them to get picked “Well, I don’t have a business de- 50% of graduates in Europe are for a job you might not even want, or gree. I know nothing about business!” unemployed, unsure what to do, un- take a different path. he said. impressed with the options of unpaid So instead of waiting for someone I told him that when I was 17 my internships and desperately hoping to to pick you... Dad said to me, “Son you’re going to get picked. …Pick Yourself. University to study business, because I came here to talk to you today Let me tell you how. everyone needs to know about busi- for one reason. When I finished my In 2007 I moved house and I ness.” I told my Dad that I would never education I was £22,000 in debt. I had needed someone to fix the internet and need to know about business, because no mobile phone or computer (it was TV connection. So we called the com- I was going to either be a teacher or an the 90s!). I was living at home with my pany and soon a ‘cable guy’ arrived to actor. Ironically, I ended up running a parents, feeling lost. For a brief time, do the job. It was probably a Tuesday business where I teach acting skills to I even felt suicidal. I thought I would or Wednesday, around mid-morning. business people. We laugh about it now, never be picked - by an employer, by When I answered the door the guy but if I’d studied business I wouldn’t a girlfriend, by anyone. I had no idea said, “What are you doing home to- have taken the time to follow my pas- what to do next. Then I saw a guy day? Are you sick?” sions and studied acting and teaching giving a speech for 20 minutes and it I told him that I ran my own busi- and I wouldn’t have a business at all. changed the course of my life. Thanks ness. That day I was working from So you don’t need to study business, to the inspiration he gave me I now home. I told him. have a wonderful life. I have a beautiful “Oh I’d hate that, that sounds ter- “Well, I’m just too young to run a wife, wonderful son, lovely house and rible!” he said. business!” he said. VSOTD.COM 3 I replied, “Let me tell you a story. communication. He offered to give The first guy in the photo is Chris- Two young graduates, fresh out of me a free haircut if I came to teach tian. He taught me something I’ll University, went to speak to Richard his hairdressers how to communicate always remember. There were two Branson about a business idea. They better with their customers. I was fish and chips shops near our school wanted to start a business consultancy, scared that I wouldn’t know how to do where I grew up (by chips, I mean the offering fresh advice from new gradu- it.