Winning Orator Inspires Purposeful Lives

Snellville’s own Dan Thurmon recently received the same honor bestowed upon former President Ronald Reagan and former Secretary of State General Colin Powell. The honor has nothing to do with Thurmon’s political ideology, but everything to do with his skill as an orator.

Thurmon, an author and dynamic speaker who travels the world delivering programs at events such as the Million Dollar Round Table, was recently named to the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame. This distinction, also called the Council of Peers Award of Excellence, is an honor given to fewer than 200 speakers worldwide since 1977. It recognizes speaking excellence and professionalism.

“To be in the Speakers Hall of Fame is obviously a tremendous honor, but more than that, it inspires me to continue to originate and excel as a speaker. I absolutely love what I do for a living.”

The author of the book, Off Balance on Purpose, Thurmon is the president of Motivation Works, Inc., a full-time professional speaking business located in Snellville. Although he is only 43 years old (one of the youngest inductees to the Hall of Fame on record), he has been bringing audiences to their feet for more than 30 years.

Thurmon recounted that at age 12 he got his start as a performer at a Renaissance Festival in Chicago. He said he developed a one-man variety show combining comedy, acrobatics and juggling and appreciated the money earned as a result. He continued performing while pursuing a degree in marketing from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, all the while listening to motivational tapes by the likes of Brian Tracy, Wayne Dyer and Zig Ziglar.

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Thurmon said he began to develop plans to deliver a message as part of his show, teaching people how to live fuller lives, both personally and professionally.

“As so often happens,” he said, “an opportunity showed up.”

A restaurant franchise group was seeking someone who could speak about juggling being a metaphor for management and life. Thurmon said the group wanted either a live presentation or a taped version. Thurmon offered them a great deal to deliver both, and they bought it.

“I had my first speaking presentation with a demo video to go along with it!” he said.

In 1994, Thurmon said he met a professional speaker, Shep Hyken, who had incorporated magic into his act. Hyken encouraged him to join the National Speakers Association.

“I hit the ground running developing my craft,” Thurmon said. He then quickly moved from being an “entertainer with a message” to a “speaker with entertainment value.”

Since then, he has delivered thousands of presentations and worked with many of the top Fortune 500 companies.

Thurmon’s messages are not fluff, but they deliver serious content in an entertaining and engaging way. He explained, “The essence of Off Balance On Purpose is that, instead of working toward some future goal of ‘finding balance,’ we should embrace the life and circumstances we have, and then take action.

"The reality is, life is not a hypothetical future. It’s an undeniable present. We are off balance every day and must be off balance in order to grow, learn, serve others and improve ourselves.”

“Are you off balance in response to your world?” he queried, “or are you off balance on purpose? That means you make deliberate, intentional choices and stay connected to a sense of meaning, or purpose. We should live with passion.”

Scott Huie, a youth pastor, business owner and resident of Snellville, is a fan. He said people come away from Thurmon's presentations wanting to be a better person, living purposely off balance.

“Fairly inspirational speakers are a dime a dozen,” Huie said, “but Dan Thurmon has a very rare gift. When he speaks, people are truly on the edge of their seats clinging to his every word. Being in his presence is indeed a multi-sensory experience. You hear, you see, you touch.” 

Huie added, “Dan combines inspiring story-telling with keen wit and amazing insight, while keeping the crowd enthralled with some amazing acrobatic moves, juggling and unicycling. But people don't just sit there; he gets them moving -- and thinking and laughing.”

In 2005, Thurmon said, one of the most significant and rewarding performance opportunities of his career occurred when he spent a month speaking and performing for the troops on the front lines in the Middle East. In the next few months, Thurmon will deliver his message to audiences in Australia, South Africa and Thailand, in addition to stops across the United States.

When he’s not hopping an airplane to deliver his messages, Thurmon enjoys off-road unicycling at Tribble Mill and Harbins parks. He said he often commutes to work, a 20-minute workout, on his unicycle.

Thurmon and his family are members of Snellville United Methodist Church. He gives back by mentoring and speaking with younger audiences, as well, and has been an advocate for special needs children through more than two decades of service with Camp Big Heart.

A graduate of Shiloh High School, Thurmon has called Gwinnett home since 1984. He said he and his family especially enjoy Gwinnett’s parks and people, noting that his parents and sister live close by.

His children may be following in his footsteps. This summer, his son, Eddie, a seventh grader at A.C. Crews Middle School, has an annual gig performing at The Georgia Renaissance Festival. His daughter, Maggie, a fourth grader at Brookwood Elementary, is a gymnast perfecting her tumbling runs. Both kids are accomplished unicyclists. 

Mom, Sheilia Thurmon, said, “We all have so many interests and hobbies that we actively pursue in this house, but we stay connected and tuned in to each other. Off balance? We live it every day and we love it.”