It’s your responsibility to vote in a democracy

Re: Right to vote

Do you really believe in democracy?

The results of municipal elections would suggest that most people don’t support a democracy.
In a democracy, the majority rules. Yet only 30 to 38 per cent typically vote in municipal elections. The majority is voting against the election. Maybe they want a dictatorship.
In a democracy, all voters have the right to express their opinion at the ballot box.

In a democracy, you also have the responsibility to participate and contribute.

The right to vote is one of very few rights that we have. We have few rights and voting is one of them. We have more privileges than rights. Some folks seem to misinterpret privileges as rights. You earn your privileges. Someone else granted you your rights.

Both rights and privileges are directly dependant on responsibilities. If you want the right or privilege you must first embrace the responsibility.

The municipal election is coming. It’s no excuse to say that you don’t like the choices because democracy allows you to create new choices.

You are responsible for the government that you elect by your action or inaction. Not voting is a vote.

Do you believe in democracy? Prove it.

George Torok, Burlington


As published in Letters to the Editor in the Hamilton Spectator, Monday October 4, 2010.

Whose fault is it anyway?

Where are the responsible people when we need them? Could you be one? More of us need to ask this question of ourselves more often: "What am I responsible for?"

This question is not about laying blame. It is a question of accepting ownership of your thoughts and action. You control your thoughts and that determines your actions.

None of us can change what happened yesterday. We only control how we think now and how that might influence our future. We can't control the future. We can only influence it.

Even billionaire Jim Balsillie can't control what happens to his dream of a hockey franchise. However, he can control how he reacts to the obstacles thrown in his path. The bigger the obstacles, the more responsibility he seems to accept.

I believe successful people are successful because...
Read the rest of this article at the Hamilton Spectator.

by George Torok

This article first published in the Hamilton Spectator Monday January 4, 2010.

PowerPoints: The Best of 2009

MONDAY MORNING MANAGER
PowerPoints: The Best of 2009
December 28, 2009 Globe & Mail HARVEY SCHACHTER

“Do something that scares you at least once a year.” Burlington, Ont.-based consultant George Torok counseled earlier this year. For many business leaders, the economic downturn raised more scares than they might have preferred. But Mr. Torok’s advice, which appeared in his Motivational Speaker blog, makes you stop and think – as should many other nuggets of wisdom on leadership, strategy, execution, meetings and marketing that were dispensed over the year. Here’s a review of the most illuminating ideas that appeared in 2009.

Read the rest of The Best of 2009.

Harvey Schachter's guide on how to handle everything from overflowing e-mail to meeting overload

George Torok
Canadian Business Speaker

The Globe and Mail, Canada's National Newspaper

Interviews with George Torok

Listen, view and read these interviews

George Torok makes an engaging and provocative interview guest for your TV show, radio program or print article. He had appeared on dozens of TV and radio shows and has been quoted in hundreds of print articles. George Torok knows how to deliver a memorable interview because he is a communication specialist, radio show host and independent journalist. What's his style? What's his opinion?

What does he look and sound like? Check out the following video, audio and print interviews. To arrange an interview with George Torok call 905-335-1997

Video and print interview
Motivational Speakers
George Torok was featured in the Hamilton Spectator as one of four local motivational speakers. Read the article and enjoy the video. He is the fourth speaker on this video. He is worth waiting for - or you can fast forward the video.
Read the article and watch the video


Video interview
Entrepreneurs
Enjoy this 7-minute video interview with George Torok about the lessons he has learned from interviewing over 400 entrepreneurs on his weekly radio show, Business In Motion. The off-camera interviewer is John Robert Colombo - the Canadian prolific author and holder of the Order of Canada.
Watch this video interview.

Audio interview
Achieve an Unfair Marketing Advantage
"Do you want an unfair advantage over your competitors? You steely eyed entrepreneur, you. In the current SmallBizPod, the small business podcast no less, there's a ball-busting interview with the Canadian writer and marketing expert George Torok. George is one of those rich successful guys who chooses to share his success rather than rub it in your face. He gives away trade secrets and tells you how to make yourself into a brand you can sell. This podcast may sound boring, but the info is pure marketing gold dust. It will make you want to run out immediately and close a deal." (The Brits do have a way with words.) Listen to this audio interview

Print Interview
Secrets of Power Marketing
Interview with George Torok regarding the bestselling book, "Secrets of Power Marketing: Promote Brand You".
In this interview, co-author, George Torok discusses how individuals can harness the power of personal marketing and what big business can adapt for their success. This interview was prepared for your convenience. You may quote from this interview in part or whole.
Read this interview

An interview with George Torok George Torok is entertaining. He is an provocative, insightful and engaging interview guest. He can be topical, funny and pithy. As an experienced interviewer he is willing, able and eager to help you with your interview.

To interview George Torok call 905-335-1997

George Torok

Canadian Business Speaker

No Barketing

July 20, 2009 Globe & Mail Harvey Schachter
Monday Morning Manager
Harvey Schachter's guide on how to handle everything from overflowing e-mail to meeting overload

NO BARKING, PLEASE

Burlington Ont-based consultant George Torok has coined a new word, barketing, which is a cross between marketing and barking like a dog: Barking, he says is often repetitive, annoying and loud, and always a one-way message. Barketing is marketing gone the way of dogs, as you annoy customers with your message attempt, try to outshout the competition, sound like the rest of the pack, and display no finesses. Avoid it says.
George Torok blog
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As appeared in the Globe and Mail

George Torok

Cursing your luck? Think Again

Unemployed? Lucky you!
Good luck, bad luck -- it's all how you perceive your lot in life

GEORGE TOROK
The Hamilton Spectator (Mar 18, 2009)

You lost your job -- how lucky can you get?

Luck is more a matter of perspective than it is the roll of the dice.

If luck is a matter of random chance then mathematically every one of us is equally lucky. Whether you think you are lucky or not is irrelevant. The real question is how lucky do you feel. Because, how you feel, will determine your actions and outcome.

Read the rest of this article as published in Hamilton Spectator.


George Torok
Canadian Business Speaker
Motivational Speaker

In times like these, people need motivation

News
Hamilton Spectator, Febraury 14, 2009
Meredith MacLeod


Motivational speakers are in demand more than ever and they're up to the task to encourage people to share their optimistic outlook and to provide the spark that gives them the courage in hard times to pursue their goals and dreams.

George Torok

George Torok initially rejected the title 'motivational speaker.'

"I thought no, I have content. That term is associated with fluff and nothing being real."
But after 12 years of speaking to entrepreneurs, executives and employees about marketing and presentation skills, Torok realized that's exactly what he was.

"I have content packaged with entertainment and motivation. Content without motivation is useless because nothing happens without motivation."

He finally started calling himself a motivational speaker.

"In times like these, people need motivation more than any other time. But people don't always buy what they need, they buy what they want."

And in times like this, it's a tough sell to encourage people, who are watching their co-workers get laid off, to work harder, increase sales, cut costs, do things differently.

"There is definitely resistance but people eventually come around."

Calls are up for speeches and for one-on-one coaching in presentation skills. Torok typically does close to 100 speaking or training engagements in North America each year.

He says people see the thousands he gets paid for a speech and think it's a glamorous life. Torok says they don't see the hours going into writing and rewriting material, researching a company, making calls, writing articles.

"It's constant learning. If I'm going to teach people, I have to know 10 times what they know or it's not useful to them.

"Then it's about what you can say that will help the company make that money back."

Read the rest of this article at the Hamilton Spectator.

View the video. (George Torok is fourth on the video and worth waiting for.)

------------------

George Torok
Motivational Business Speaker
Canadian Motivational Speaker

Monday Morning Manager

MONDAY MORNING MANAGER
Harvey Schachter's guide on how to handle everything from overflowing e-mail to meeting overload

BEST PRACTICES: Magic Man-ager: Consultant George Torok helped David Copperfield pull off an illusion on a Las Vegas stage - and took away some lessons for business.
HARVEY SCHACHTER

February 2, 2009

George Torok had a chance not only to watch the illusionist David Copperfield live in Las Vegas, but go on stage and assist him with a segment of his performance. The business consultant from Burlington, Ont., was randomly chosen as a volunteer, and held an empty wooden bucket from which the entertainer drew a live duck. He has no idea how that feat was accomplished, but brought back some business lessons that he shares in The Secrets of David Copperfield on zeromillion.com:

There is no magic
You will not reach success in any field because of magic. Even Mr. Copperfield does not claim magical powers. He points out his secret is illusion.

The power of Illusion...
Read the rest of this article at the Globe & Mail
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The Globe & Mail is Canada's national business newspaper.

George Torok

Canadian Business Speaker

Host of radio show Business in Motion

Brant County: Salute to Brant Business

Brant County Business: Business Salute

The County of Brant is celebrating its annual Salute to Brant Business on October 2, 2008, in Paris Ontario. Every business community needs to do that.

Brant County is nestled on the outskirts of the city of Brantford, Ontario. Brant County is mostly composed of quaint towns, villiages and hamlets. Naturally, small business is an important economic driver in Brant County. the Center of Brant County is the town of Paris, Ontario. And yes there are several medium sized companies within Brant County employing between 100 and 350 employees.

The Annual Salute to Brant Business for 2008 is on October 2 in Paris, Ontario. (It's the other Paris - the friendly one.)

This is a networking event for local business and the opportunity to listen to a business keynote speaker. The business speaker this year is George Torok - co-author of the bestselling book, Secrets of Power Marketing.

The topic of this keynote presentation - Power Marketing Secrets EXPOSED!


Summary

Annual Salute to Brant Business
Thursday, October 2, 2208
Paris, Ontario

Power Marketing Secrets EXPOSED!
George Torok

Register here

Business in Motion on Google Maps

Business in Motion is now listed on Google Maps

You can use Google Maps to find directions to the 93.3 cfmu radio studio at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Business in Motion is the weekly interview program featuring 30-minute interviews with business leaders every Friday at 12 noon on 93.3 cfmu FM.

Your radio host and creator of Business in Motion is George Torok. The radio show has been going strong since September 1995.

Click here to visit the Google Maps listing.

If you are a business owner you should list your business on Google local business now. It is a powerful search engine tool.

You can find more detailed directions to the radio station here.

George Torok

Radio Show Host

Business Speaker

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Business Speaker

Public Speaking Pro - new site

Public Speaking Pro

The online resource for promising public speakers just launched. It is the place to visit to prepare yourself to be a more effective public speaker.

Here's what you will find at Pubic Speaking Pro.biz

How to deal with the fear of public speaking

A crash course on improving your public speaking

How to use the technology tools of public speaking - multimedia, PowerPoint and even old techonology - the original overhead projector.

There are more public speaker tips and articles waiting for you - and of course this site will continue to grow.Public Speaking Pro - the resource for promising public speakers.

Check it out.

George Torok

Public Speaking Pro

100 - Time to Celebrate!

100 – Time to Celebrate!

One hundred posts on this blog.
A blog-post centennial
10 x 10

This blog post marks the 100 post milestone on this Business in Motion blog. And 100 seems like a notable achievement.

In your business you should celebrate your milestones. It is smart marketing and it is good for your own motivational benefit. You might celebrate 100 customers, 100 days, 100 weeks or 100 contracts.

Maybe you framed your first dollar. Be sure to celebrate your ongoing milestones. Sometimes we are too busy to celebrate. But if life is about the journey then celebrating is an important part of that journey. Celebrate!

This blog was launched in January 2006 as a spin off of my weekly radio show, Business in Motion. The radio show was launched in September 1995. Since then I have interviewed over 400 business leaders. They are entrepreneurs, corporate executives and business authors. Guests of Business in Motion have also included experts from the media and associations.

This blog is another way for me to pass on the insights, perspectives and lessons garnered from my radio guests. I added perspectives from my research and consulting experience.

Enjoy this blog. There is more to follow - maybe another 100!

George Torok
Host of Business in Motion

Hamilton Spectator editorial

As appeared in the Hamilton Spectator, Monday April 30, 2007


Flick Off slogan should catch on with the young.

Flick off. Congrats to a brilliant marketing campaign!
They know their target market and how to reach them. - teens and 20-somethings.

The slogan would appeal to the mindset of this target group while annoying others outside the group. An effective brand does that.

A good branding campaign must be willing to create controversy and make enemies.

An effective brand focuses on selling the message to the target group. That is the only measure that counts.

The combination of Flick Off and Richard Branson is bold and controversial. It seems like the right combination to persuade the teens and 20-somethings to flick off the lights.

This campaign is not for: the boomers who are already socially and environmentally conscious, and their parents who still remember the lessons of the war and depression.

So if those groups don’t like the slogan it doesn’t matter because they are already flicking off.

Powerful lessons for business marketers in this campaign. If only they could be so bold.

George Torok
Marketing specialist
Burlington, ON

For more of George Torok in the news media click here.
For more on the Flick Off marketing campaign click here.