Ron, I first listened to your audio program Memory in a Month last year – and thought it was amazing. Can you tell our readers what got you started in the field of memory training and some of your most exciting achievements in this field.

I got introduced to memory training at the age of 18. I was a college freshman who needed a job and took a position telemarketing for a seminar company that promoted memory seminars. I began right away applying the techniques to my college work and I knew I had something exciting to share with others. I have been doing it ever since. It has been my only career. It has led me to some notable speaking engagements and achievement that I am proud of. However, I will say that my most exciting achievement is when I work with a sales person who is struggling and I teach them how to memorise their product knowledge, customer names or technical data. Or when I see the eyes of a student light up for the first time because they realize they are not dumb but just have never been taught how to learn. That is what I am the most proud of.

Do you think anyone can improve their memory?

Without a shadow of a doubt. It is not a question of ability it is a question of will. It takes a good couple of weeks to lay a solid foundation. The challenge is working at it for 10-15 minutes a day for 2 weeks. The person who is willing to do that will be able to recall 40 digit numbers in less than 2 minutes, a room full of 100 names in 30 minutes and pages of notes almost instantly. The challenge is will they invest the time?

As an entrepreneur what pieces of advice would you give to one of our readers who is considering pursuing this type of lifestyle?

1. See yourself as a salesperson
2. Network. Ask for referrals from your satisfied customers
3. When first starting out make a ton of cold calls. Don't make 10 calls and then ask what you are doing wrong - why isn't anyone buying. Make 1000 calls over a period of a few weeks and figure it out.
4. Planning is good - but don't use it as an excuse. Make a plan - but get out there shaking hands, dialing the phone and spend your time doing activities that generate income. Writing your goals and things to do list down for the 10th time today doesn't generate income
5. Don't wait until your product is perfect. Get it out there...get the income coming in and then tweak it.

Everyone who starts a business owner takes a “risk” of sorts. How did you get past any initial fears in starting your own training and speaking business?

I am dying and so are you. We all are. You are closer to your death now than when you started reading this letter. That isn't morbid - at least not for me. I realise this is my one shot and the clock is running. So I go for it. Have I gone completely totally broke 2500 miles from home with no money and no family and had to sleep in my car because of this philosophy? Yep! But have I also travelled the world and enjoyed my passions because of it? Yep! Helen Keller said, 'Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.' I couldn't have said it better.

What do you think makes a great speaker on stage?

Confidence, knowledge of material and being relaxed.

Who are your favourite speakers to go and watch?

Without a doubt Jim Rohn and Jeffrey Gitomer. Not only have I spoken with Jim we were the only 2 speakers at a recent event. I enjoyed listening to him because he is himself. I have spent time with him hanging out in a hotel room just talking with a group of guys and shared the stage with him. He is the same guy. Nothing phony or pretentious and the knowledge is solid. I like Gitomer because I love his subject of sales and he is also himself and his material is awesome. He is having fun when he speaks not because it is feeding his ego but because he is just having fun and that shines through.

I'm a big believer that successful people fail more times than most the defining characteristic being that they learn from their failures. What have been some of the failures or challenges in your business and how have you learnt from them and would you change anything if you could go back.

People always say they wouldn't change anything...I sure would! I would change the money I threw away on lousy marketing ideas. The catch is that if I took that back then I wouldn't know it was lousy and would potentially make the mistake again. However, if I could take back the mistakes and have the knowledge I would. Forget that line about it 'making me the person who I am so I wouldn't change a thing.' Not me!

Actually my biggest failure occurred 9 years ago when I doubted my ability to run my business without a partner and that self doubt prompted me to take on a business partner who was a con-artist. He took everything I had (he ended up in prison but my money was gone). That was a hard time in my life and it taught me to - in the words of Reagan - 'Trust but verify.' It also taught me that I am more capable than I was giving myself credit for and didn't need to give someone that much control over my business.

Do you have any formal or informal mentors and if you had to list one person as being the greatest influence on your business success who would you say it is?

My mentors have changed throughout my life - at one point it was a pastor, another time it was a friend and then business partners. I can't narrow the answer to one person other than to say I try to learn something from everyone I meet...good and bad.

Would you recommend any books for other people wanting to achieve success?

I like reading rags to riches biographies like Sam Walton. It is inspiring to read about their failures and hardships and gives you hope in yours. It reminds me that although they achieved massive success they didn't start there.

If you were me interviewing you, what question would you ask here (please answer it too!)

Why are you in this business?

Well....good question! I am glad that you asked! I finally have reached a level in this business where I am rewarded well financially and that makes it real easy to want to do this! On the other hand, that isn't the main reason - if it was I would never have made it this far. I have been speaking for 16 years and the first 10 years I was so broke that if someone robbed me they would have just been practicing!

I stayed in this business and pressed on because I believe in the human potential and the power of educating the mind. It is exciting to watch others grow as well as growing myself. So the simple answer is - human growth. I love it!