John Baumann

“Your personal stories of growth and optimism struck a deep cord with those in attendance. If motivation was your only goal, you succeeded. However, if you were striving to inspire deep belly laughter, internal reflection, misty eyes, and a healthy dose of "open your eyes to the world that surrounds” as they say in Hollywood, you nailed it! Your engaging presentation left all conference-goers thinking about how to embrace and savour life: Wow. Loved John Baumann as keynote speaker!! I will think of him and his life challenges when I am feeling down myself. Touching, funny, inspirational! I didn’t want the presentation to end. What a ‘Grand Finale’! Amazing! Quality presenters are difficult to find, so I hope you don’t object to me recommending you to fellow colleagues."
”John is a passionate speaker who provides a unique perspective of overcoming the difficulties that life may throw at you. His sense of humor and perspective make him an engaging speaker and one with something significant to say. Your insights and incredible spirit were exactly what my team needed. You are absolutely right when you stated that your approach to life with Parkinson’s disease can be applied to anyone for any situation. Your presentation was a great way to conclude the sales conference."
“Your talk has changed me. I came out of your talk a much stronger person. You could CHANGE lives.... "
"John and his wife Bernadette compliment each other in all ways: emotionally, spiritually a true team."

When you engage me to do a success or inspirational presentation or workshop, you receive a customized product specific to your organization. I prepare myself for each assignment by actually utilizing the action steps contained in my book, DECIDE SUCCESS, including creating an End-Vision, putting out my Best Effort, being Prepared, raising my level of Intensity, etc. You will experience a speaker and workshop facilitator who is full of insights, humor and experiences and who has an unbelievably positive attitude, uncompromising integrity and faith in himself, others, a higher power and that life has purpose.

Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Management Honors degree, Summa Cum Laude
Juris Doctorate, Cornell Law School
Passed Bar Exam in Texas, Louisiana and New Jersey.
Attorney for publicly-listed corporations from for over 22 years.
Faculty of the University of Louisville, College of Business.
Guest Commentator, CNN HEADLINE NEWS, Prime Time
Member of the National Speakers Association.
Author of DECIDE SUCCESS
Contributing Author of ROADMAP TO SUCCESS (with Deepak Chopra)
Contributing Author of COURAGEOUS STORIES OF INSPIRATION
PARKINSON'S PROUD since 2002 at 41 years young

SAMPLE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
• Longevity Center and Spa (400 attendees)
• Hospital Healthcare Leadership Conference on Success (1000 attendees)
• Leadership workshops in Tulsa for a supermarket chain (100 participants)
• National Underwriters Association, Kentucky on Success (200 attendees)
• Kentucky Building Suppliers Association on Success (100 attendees)
• Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centres (150 attendees)
• Proactive Prevention Workplace Culture Workshops (10) for Captive Insurance companies (1,000 total attendees)
• Keynote Speaker at 16 Parkinson’s Symposiums (5,000 total attendees) including the Cincinnati Sunflower Revolution, the Greater Houston Parkinson’s Symposium, Alaskan Cruise, the Muhammad Ali Movement Disorders Clinic in Phoenix and Grand Marshal of the Presbyterian Homes Awareness Walk.

PUBLICATIONS AND OTHER PRODUCTS
• DECIDE SUCCESS: Twelve Action Steps to Achieve the Success You Truly Desire – You Ain’t Dead Yet, JK Success Press, Copyright 2011, Book, Kindle & Audio-Book
• ROADMAP TO SUCCESS –Chapter Five (Decide Success) – Chapter Three by Dr. Deepak Chopra (Discover Your Inner Resource) – Chapter Ten by Dr. Ken Blanchard, Insight Publishing Company, Copyright 2011, Book
• COURAGEOUS STORIES OF INSPIRATION – Chapter Two (Decide Success: Twelve Action Steps to Live Your Life to the Fullest) – Chapter Three by Ann Jillian (Anchored by Faith) – Chapter Five by Dr. Robert Schuller (Faith, Hope and Inspiration), Insight Publishing Company, Copyright 2012, Book
• RECLAIMING POS-SPECTIVE: The Power of Positive, Copyright 2009, CD
• LEARN SUCCESS TODAY, Copyright 2008, DVD
• LEARN NEGOTIATION TODAY, Copyright 2009, DVD
• AMERICAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, Adopt a Proactive Prevention Program and Increase Bottom-Line Profits, newsletter 2010

RECENT MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND COVERAGE
• CNN HEADLINE NEWS, PRIME NEWS, Legal Commentator, Pilots failure to land plane in Minnesota claiming in a deep discussion, 2010.
• WAVE 3 LOUISVILLE SUNDAY SUNRISE, interview on the book DECIDE SUCCESS.
• NBC-WKTV UTICA, NY, interview on being honored as Grand Marshal of Parkinson’s Awareness Walk
• VOICE-TRIBUNE newspaper, Louisville, KY, December 20, 2012 Article, For The Best: Finding the Power in Parkinson’s, Ashley Anderson reporter.
• TIMES HERALD newspaper, Philadelphia, PA, November 17, 2012 Article, Author John Baumann to hold Parkinson’s Awareness Day in West Norriton, Gary Puleo reporter.
• IN GOOD HEALTH magazine, Mohawk Valley, NY, October 2012 Article, Ain’t Dead Yet: Parkinson’s disease patient makes best of life-threatening situation.

The Voice-Tribune
At the age of 10, John Baumann was playing outside with his best friend when a sudden brawl with his brother led to a trip to the hospital.
Hit in the head with a rock, Baumann received 10 stitches and a heap of pain, but the injury left him neither bitter nor angry at his brother. In fact, it did the opposite. “On the way home (from the hospital), (we) stop and get ice cream,” said Baumann, a New York native now living in Louisville. “When I get home, I’m told that I don’t have to go to bed at 7:15. Because of the possible concussion, I had to stay up ‘til midnight. And my response was … ‘This is the happiest day of my life!’ ”
Certainly an ironic declaration, but the statement is much more than that. It’s a prime example of Baumann’s incredible ability to focus on the silver lining in the negative – A characteristic that’s helped him cope with difficult obstacles, including his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease more than 10 years ago at the age of 41.
Stricken with a degenerative disorder typically detected in people in there ’60s, Baumann – a former top corporate attorney – chose to do something good with his diagnosis. Leaving the practice of law, he began a new chapter as motivational speaker.
“I walked into the doctor’s office and she said to me within seconds, ‘You have Parkinson’s,’ ” Baumann recalled. “I said, ‘Hold on a second – I’m 41 years old, Parkinson’s is something for old people. How can you possibly say I have Parkinson’s? You haven’t taken blood, you haven’t hit my knee with a hammer,’ … She said, ‘Well the only way to confirm it is an autopsy,’ so I chose against the autopsy,” he smiled.
“(My mother) – always been full of wisdom – said to me one day while we were talking, ‘Everything happens for a reason, you know that, John.’ I said, ‘Time out. I’m a lawyer, I’ve been a lawyer. I look at words, I heard that word change. … You’ve always said my entire life, everything happens for the best – For the best. Now you’re saying everything happens for a reason.’ ”
John’s mother’s reasoning was simple: “Well, I can’t imagine your Parkinson’s is for the best.”
Not to be dismayed, Baumann used his mother’s statement as motivation. Now a highly-sought-after speaker, Baumann has delivered inspirational lectures all across the U.S., from Phoenix to New York, Hawaii and Cincinnati, where his mom first heard one of his speeches. “My mother (came up to me afterward and) said to me – she didn’t say it was for the best – but she said, ‘Now I understand why you left the practice of law.’ ”
The affirmation was gratifying, nonetheless. But, Baumann still believes his diagnosis is for the best. “What would I be doing (had I not been diagnosed)?” he posed. “I would be in an office with the door shut reviewing contracts, instead of trying to help people live well with Parkinson’s or live well with any life-changing event.”
Had he not been diagnosed, he’d likely have never met his now-wife Bernadette, either. Baumann was introduced to the fitness and nutrition enthusiast on his quest to become healthier. Bernadette helped him drop 25 pounds and live a more energetic, fuller life.

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