The Speaker Programs
Inspirational, Humorous & Life-Changing
From the Penthouse to the Outhouse and BACK!
To Ed Hearn, Conquering Life’s Curves is more than just the title of a speech. As a professional athlete, he achieved a level of success that most can only dream about. He put in years of blood, sweat and tears to make that a reality. But, shortly thereafter, life changed. Ed has taken some of the worst knockdown pitches life has to offer, and he has not only survived, he has thrived.
Today, we live in a culture that is besieged by constant change. As individuals, companies, and as a country, we face curves that can quickly knock us out of the game of life. In times like these, is your “team” steeled for the challenge or hiding out in the break room? Who are they focused on? Champions don’t think about their own batting average… they don’t think about the fans hollering and screaming in the stands…they think about the prize…the team goal of winning the World Series.
It is paramount that we have a strong game plan in place that gives us the best chance to turn these curves into homeruns of success and significance. Ed Hearn has been there, done that. Who better than to “coach” your team? Which of the topics below would enhance the productivity and synergy of those in your organization?
• We must stop stopping
• We are not defined by our past, we are prepared by it
• How to develop a panoramic perspective
• How to think outside the __________ (no, not “the box!”)
• How and why significance’s breeds success
• How success is different from significance and why it matters
• How the things I do today could affect someone’s forever
• How significance will make a difference in their personal and professional lives
Topics and take-a-ways from this program and all Ed Hearn’s programs are established according tothe goals and objectives of the meeting planner and group leadership.
The Key that Opens All “Boxes”
In baseball, the bottom of the ninth inning never takes place unless the game is tied or the good guys (the home team) are behind. Today, amidst a culture of constant change, the foundation of our great country is being shaken to its core by greed and self-centeredness. Enticed by the allure of “achievement” and self-gratification, we can easily lose sight of our highest calling – being SIGNIFICANT.
The clock of time is winding down…now is the time for all Americans to step up to the plate, focus on “the team” and “Think Outside…the SELF.”
Your audience will be called to action by:
• The treasure island of giving
• We are either givers or takers
• Being more than you feel
• The view from the stands or in the dugout won’t do it
• You can’t gain the perspective needed to start hitting home runs unless you’re in the batter’s box
• Tapping the Power of Choice – recognizing and positively reacting to deception
• The compounding strength of synergy
• Our dreams for tomorrow require our preparation today
• The things we do today will affect someone’s forever
The above program descriptions are merely example. The “Topics, Titles and Take-a-Ways” for ALL Ed Hearn’s programs are ascertained according to the goals and objectives of each meeting planner and group leadership.
Healthcare
Ready for a real pro to speak at your next medical conference? Ed Hearn is exciting and fun, yet deeply touching and inspiring. He has “walked in the shoes” of those facing one of life’s nastiest curveballs – HEALTH CHALLENGES.
Less than six months after his baseball career ended, Ed Hearn was diagnosed with three potentially life threatening health conditions. Once a strong, vibrant professional athlete, he was reduced to a man who could barely care for himself.
Today, after 3 life-saving kidney transplants, dialysis, several bouts with cancer, radiation treatments, the aid of a breathing machine each night, a costly IV treatment once a month, and up to 40 pills per day, this 56- year-old former major leaguer has come back with a far greater purpose in life than just that of being a professional athlete.
• CME Programs
• Health Care Employee Appreciation Events
• Health Care Employee Appreciation Events
• Pharmaceutical Companies
• Pharmaceutical Companies
• Health Care Fundraisers
• Education seminars
• Public Awareness Campaigns
• Patient Reunions
• Cause Related Marketing Programs
The Patients and Family Caregivers
Anyone who has never been a patient or a caregiver battling serious chronic or acute health issues cannot possibly comprehend the hardships associated with these roles. Ed Hearn has had the unfortunate but unique opportunity to experience both first hand. A former major league ball player first sidelined by injuries, he was then immediately struck down by kidney failure and multiple chronic health conditions that often left him too weak to care for himself. And just when he thought he had earned his professional status as a patient, his 17-year- old son, Cody was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer.
During his son’s treatment, Ed assumed a new role of caregiver, which he admits was harder than being a patient. Emotions of uncertainty, helplessness, hopelessness and fear dominate health issues often hijacking life as we know it.
Ed has not only survived the curve balls life has thrown his way but flourished as a result. Both patients and caregivers will immediately identify with his personal journey and be able to relate with a man who has truly walked in their shoes.
With compassion and empathy Ed takes great joy in bringing hope, encouragement and perspective to patients and those caregivers who step up to the plate for their loved ones during these challenging times. As he shares his insights, listeners will be empowered with his arsenal of coping strategies and will inspired to emulate his remarkable perseverance and resurgence in this game called life.
Your audience will learn:
• How to turn life’s curves into home runs
• How humor opens the heart to healing
• How to tap the power of Perspective
• How to move from compassion to empathy
• How pain and suffering can be the stepping stones to the top
It Doesn’t Take That Much.
Just 3 Little Words.
From the front-liners such as the doctors, nurses, and transplant coordinators to those unsung heroes behind the scenes, like the drug reps, human resource staffers, or insurance administrators, Ed has seen and experienced the good, the bad and the ugly in our health care profession. He is compassionate and extremely thankful for the numerous professionals that have been involved with his care the since 1992.
He understands the many complexities and challenges they face in this ever-changing world of modern medicine. Who better to inspire, encourage and rejuvenate this often overworked and under-appreciated group of individuals and organizations?
• How the things we do today could affect someone’s forever.
• How important empathy is to those to those of us that hospital gown.
• How teamwork breeds accountability, camaraderie, encouragement and support.
• How to move from compassion to empathy.
• How communication and teamwork with patients is a necessity for the genuine inclusion of the patient on the team.
The Professionals
From the front-liners such as the doctors, nurses, and transplant coordinators to those unsung heroes behind the scenes, like the drug reps, human resource staffers, or insurance administrators, Ed has seen and experienced the good, the bad and the ugly in our health care profession. He is compassionate and extremely thankful for the numerous professionals that have been involved with his care the since 1992. He understands the many complexities and challenges they face in this ever-changing world of modern medicine. Who better to inspire, encourage and rejuvenate this often overworked and under-appreciated group of individuals and organizations?
• How the things we do today could affect someone’s forever.
• How important empathy is to those to those of us that hospital gown.
• How teamwork breeds accountability, camaraderie, encouragement and support.
• How communication and teamwork with patients is a necessity for the genuine.
Insurance & Financial Services
“Your presentation was one of the highlights of our meetings. The personal experience of not being able to get the very insurance products that are the backbone of our industry makes you the perfect fit for any financial services related organization. It is a story that really opens the eyes of those in our business and brings a challenging wake up call to the values of the work we do as insurance professionals.”
How often do you get the opportunity for your team to be inspired by a former professional athlete, a former financial advisor, and a man with a motivating story about the real need for life insurance? Take your next financial industry meeting to a new level with a real pro.
When Ed Hearn’s career as a major league catcher ended prematurely he started his second career with the New York Life Insurance Company. Unfortunately, while in training and learning the value of the very product he would spend selling his clients, he was diagnosed with three life threatening health issues that rendered him uninsurable. This would not have been a problem if, during his playing days, just one of his many advisors had properly educated him about the most fundamental basis of a sound financial plan – life insurance.
As a ten-year veteran of the financial services industry, Ed carried, in the front of his presentation folder, a letter from one of his very best childhood friends. This friend had been the primary insurance professional he relied on for advice. This powerful letter of regret and apology that was written after the agent learned of Ed’s health problems. He immediately realized he had not done his job and had let down one of his very best friends:
“I think because we were such good friends, I didn’t want you to think I was trying to sell you something and I rationalized, that because you were a professional athlete with sports agent advisors and etc., surely you had already been taken care of. Now, because I was afraid of ‘bothering’ you about this, you and Trish are left without ever having the peace of mind that comes with knowing that, if God forbid, anything should ever happen to you, her and your (future) children would be well provided for. What an idiot I was! How could I have ever let down my old buddy like this?…”
In addition to motivating financial professionals with the “tools of the trade” he drives home the perspective of a man who had multiple financial advisors throughout his playing days without ever being introduced to the most basic need in a financial plan – life insurance. Sales managers salivate as Hearn reads to his audiences a very heartfelt letter of apology from a childhood friend who was one of those advisors. Don’t miss the opportunity motivate and inspire your team with a real pro who knows the game from his ten years in the business.
Spring Training Fundamentals
• Paying the Price for Success
• The Value of Life Insurance
• Perseverance
• Case study – The Ed Hearn Story
• Fear of Rejection
• Knowing the product
• The Proper Prospective
• Knowing the needs of your client
• The Servant Heart
• Fitting the pieces together
Faith
Ed Hearn had a dream – to be a professional athlete – an NFL quarterback or a Major League catcher. But it was more than just a dream, it was his goal and he pursued it with great zeal.
In the beginning the journey towards God was paved by the faithfulness of our parents.
As a youngster, Ed’s parents cleverly shared their faith through the vehicle of Ed’s passion – sports and those who played the game at the highest level. He would even get to hear several athletes share their personal testimony of faith. With great admiration and a burning desire he would often pray that God would make him worthy of this kind of platform, both on and off the field.
Sometimes you have to be careful what you ask God for!
Yes, those prayers were answered. In 1986, Ed did get to be a Major League baseball player. He even played for a World Series championship team in his rookie year (NY Mets 1986). In that same year, he met a beautiful nurse and they would become teammates for life. The following season, he earned his first starting position when he was traded to the Kansas City Royals who hoped that he would be the final piece of the puzzle that would return them to the World Series.
Sometimes His plans are far different from ours.
Suddenly, after finding the woman he loves and embarking on what should be the most successful period in his life, the fairy tale came crashing down. His perfect world was shattered by a serious career-ending shoulder injury. Sidelined from the game he so dearly loved, his faith was put to the test.
Less than six months after Ed’s baseball career ended, he was diagnosed with three potentially life threatening health conditions. Once a strong, vibrant professional athlete, he was reduced to a man who could barely care for himself. He clung to his loving wife (a nurse), at times, even doubting his own survival; on at least one occasion even questioning his desire stay in the game.
Sometimes we just want to quit.
At times, Ed grappled with his Savior. Late one night, in a desperate attempt to comprehend the path he was being led down, he barreled through a backdoor of his church and cried out to his Creator. That night God led him to Corinthians 12:7-10:
“…so I was given a thorn in the flesh and three times I begged God to make me well again. Each time He said, `No, but I am with you; that is all you need. My strength shows up best in weak people.’ Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am. I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power, instead of showing off my own abilities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. The less I have the more I depend on Him.”
From that night on, he who once seemed blind now began to see. Through a series of events, Ed slowly began to see how God had been preparing him for something far greater than just that of being a former Major League player.
Sometimes it takes a lot of innings before we really understand the score, but on His team, we know the game is already won.
God blessed Ed and fulfilled his youthful prayer of one day playing on the fields of his childhood heroes. But it wasn’t long before He allowed many “thorns in the flesh” to attach Ed’s body and thus initiating a much grander plan for his life. Today, because of his “weakness”, Ed has had the opportunity to share his journey of faith and hope to an ever-increasingly confused world.
“If just one person grows closer to the Lord as a result of the His work through me, every challenge the past thirty years was well worth the suffering.”
Sometimes His Plan is for us to be The Living Word.
“I believe He has designed all of us for greatness. But His plan may not be exactly what we have in mind for our lives. His plan certainly was not my plan! If we will just trust Him and then, get out of the way, He will work wonders in our lives!”
But ultimately, there is NO other bottom line.
“Yes, He privileged me to be a member of that 1986 World Championship New York Mets team. I have the prestigious honor to proudly wear a beautiful World Series ring as a symbol of what I once thought was the greatest thrill a man could have. Yet on this journey of faith, He has shown me the truth – the World Series and my days as a Major League player are nothing compared to the exhilaration of having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.”
And then Jesus, said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
Do you where the white jersey of His team? Are you willing to step up to the plate as our country (our World) faces the Bottom of the Ninth? Yes, regardless of the actions we are willing to take, the “game” has already been won by He who hung on the Cross. The question is, are you ready to be a team player or are there other gods more important in your life today?
Youth
“Touching All The Bases”
At times, it may seem hard to see, but deep down in the heart of every child is the desire to be somebody, to do something great. Yet we may face no bigger challenge today than that of steering our children through a maze of modern day temptations. As parents, we are frustrated by how often our children ignore our guidance, yet seem to be so influenced by today’s “role models” – the athletes, musicians, and entertainers. Ed realizes this and uses the platform he has been given as a professional athlete to share the messages all parents wish their children would listen and respond to.
Don’t miss this opportunity to expose your young people to one of life’s true champions and the challenges he will leave them with:
• Choosing the right teammates…If you want to soar like an eagle you can’t perch with pigeons, hoot with owls or hang out with turkeys.
• The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.
• Is it your choice…the pain of discipline or the pain of regret?
• Winners look toward the future – losers live in the past.
(Autograph session available when applicable.)
Topics and take-a-ways from this program and all Ed Hearn’s programs are established according to the goals and objectives of the meeting planner and group leadership.
Utilizing the four bases of a baseball diamond as an outline, Ed stresses four basic principles that our young people must understand in order for them to TOUCH ALL THE BASES
Rounding 1st Base:
Baseball players must learn to listen to their first base coach. In life, our first base coach is our parents. Having a positive relationship with our parents is a fundamental step in the development into mature, productive adults.
Rounding 2nd Base:
In baseball, second base is considered scoring position. From here, the ultimate goal of success (scoring a run) is within reach. But base-runners cannot get picked off base. As youngsters, drugs and alcohol will quickly get our youth “picked off” from fulfilling their full potential.
Rounding 3rd Base:
Nothing can be more beneficial to a base runner trying to score a run than a third base coach who gives the right signs to advance. Likewise, our children cannot afford to miss one of the greatest opportunities available to them today – an education provided to them by their teachers that will be the basis of their earning potential for the rest of their lives.
Crossing Home Plate:
Once a player has rounded third base there is no one left for him to rely on. As the legs may grow weary & heavy, he must persevere with a desire to win that comes from deep down in his heart and soul. Similarly, our youth must understand that their ultimate success in life will come as a result of their own individual desire, perseverance and will to succeed. No one can do it for them. From here, it’s up to them.
Topics and take-a-ways from this program and all Ed Hearn’s programs are established according to the goals and objectives of the meeting planner and group leadership.
