Dean T.Hall

1. One of the most, engaging, dynamic and authentic speakers who leaves his audience not only on fire, but connected, and hopeful.

2. Dean prepares each of his presentations from scratch to finish based on each particular clients' needs, objectives, and purpose of the gathering. Additionally, Dean always works with his audience in mind and is very comfortable, with any group from inmates in prison to the senior leaders working from the executive suite of a corporation.

I was raised in the beautiful state of South Carolina, in a two parent home, with what appeared to be the makings of a successful life. By my junior year in high school, I served as a Page for the late Senator Strom Thrumond, who was actually the first and only U.S. Senator to have been elected as a write in candidate. During my senior year, I was the recipient of two Congressional nominations to the Service Academies; West Point, The United States Military Academy and Annapolis, The United States Naval Academy.

Cracks in the future that looked so certain, just a year before, started appearing by the end of my freshman year in college. During summer break between freshman and sophomore years, my identical brother, David and I came out as gay men. Growing up in a very conservative Southern Baptist home and community, coming out, served to provide me the freedom of being myself; however, I didn’t know or understand that with such a cataclysmic shift, I would need outside assistance to redefine my value system In retrospect I never regained a firm footing in life after that process. I was like a ships rudder without a trim. I just didn't know what help or tools I needed; of course, I never bothered asking because I didn't have those skills either. I became what I like to refer to as the King of Great Starts; finishing, well, that was a different story entirely. I spent years going from cause to cause; providing me enough direction to at least allowing me to project the appearance that I was doing something. However, looking back, I can see that there was something that was just off, like I was out of sync. I always excelled at work but struggled with managing my personal life.

By the time I began working with Service Employees International Union (SEIU), I believed that I had found my place, finally. I was a talented organizer and it appeared that this was the place where I would grow. However, all of that changed on July 13, 2002, when my brother, David, my identical twin passed away. Reminiscent of my coming out experience, this loss, shook me to my core. I began questioning everything I believed in and became increasingly judgmental and negative-a morose engulfed my existence. I was frantically search for some relief with the coping skills that I had; which was to find the solution and "fix" myself. In the last few years of his life my brother, who had been vehemently anti-drug, had been using meth-amphetamines, at least "recreationally". The curiosity of "what the attraction"finally won out the weekend following our 2003 birthday in October.

What followed would be a nearly ten year journey of losing myself and finding myself again, but for the first time. What I have learned is that I experienced at least two crucial moments, while in an existential crisis, I lacked the knowledge or the skills to have made better choices. I retrospect, I was in active addiction way before October 2003, my first drug of choice was work or a cause. My mother profoundly ask at some point, "Dean, what are you going to do when you run out of causes?" A huge red flag that we both had missed, or weren't sure if it meant anything at all. Today I have the awareness to pay attention to those subtle signals and immediately check in with the appropriate professional to find out what unresolved issue is pushing its way out. My journey is far from over.

Since coming into recovery, I have earned my credentials as a Substance Abuse Counselor, have become a practitioner of Ignatian Spirituality, which challenges and stretches me, and continue to educate myself in a broad range of subjects. I have continued to experience this prompting or urging-some internal push to do more with what I have been given. Which brings us to this moment.

I have, with the help of many friends, supporters, and family become a Certified Self-Talk Trainer by Dr. Shad Helmstetter in addition to the Business and Life Coach Certification. These only remain steps to a greater purpose. A purpose that intersects your life with mine.

As a strategic thinker whose strength themes include achiever, connectedness, learner, input and intellection, combined with the diverse work experience with non-profit and labor organizations; in addition to the very personal odyssey of tragedy, loss, and the gift of redemption, I bring unique insight and a profound understanding of systems to individuals, leaders, and organizations.

My purpose and meaning is to help you find yours through working together to find synergistic solutions to your business and your life

Presentation rooms should be equipped with or capable to accommodate audio/visual technology.