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Les Brown

Les Brown was born in 1945 (along with his twin-brother, Wes) in the low-income Liberty City section of Miami, Florida. Les and Wes were adopted when they were six weeks old by Mrs. Mamie Brown, a single woman who had very little education or financial means, but a very big heart.

FROM HEARING THAT

HE'D 'NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING'

... TO BELIEVING HE'D BE WORTHWHILE

Later in his life, (in the first of his two highly acclaimed books and audiotapes, Live Your Dreams), Les reflects this way on how he was raised as a young kid:

"My mother believed that I would amount to something someday, but hers was not the majority opinion in the neighborhood. All through my youth I heard people tell my mother that I was never going to amount to anything. Whenever I'd get in trouble, Miss Catherine, a neighbor, would come over and say, 'Mamie, take him back to the Welfare Department!' But, my Mama, bless her, didn't listen. Her friends and many of my teachers may have told my mother differently, but she believed that I would become someone worthwhile ... and she made me believe it, too."

FROM BEING MISLABELED AS A 'SLOW LEARNER'

... TO HAVING A PASSION TO LEARN

As a child, Les' inattention to school work, his restless energy, and the failure of his teachers to recognize his true potential resulted in his being mislabeled as "a slow learner." The label and the stigma stayed with him, damaging his self-esteem to such an extent that it took years for him to overcome.

Les has had no formal education beyond high school. But with persistence and determination, he has initiated and continues a process of unending self-education - a true passion to learn about what it takes to harness human potential.

AND FROM HIP-TALKIN DJ

... TO A TOP FIVE MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

Les Brown rose from a hip-talkin morning DJ to broadcast manager; from a community activist to a community leader; from a political commentator to a three-term legislator; and from a banquet and nightclub emcee to a premier keynote speaker.

In 1986, Les entered the public speaking arena on a full-time basis and formed his own company, Les Brown Enterprises, Inc. The company provides motivational tapes and materials, workshops, and personal/professional development programs aimed at individuals, companies, and organizations.

In 1989, Les Brown was the recipient of the National Speakers Association's highest honor: The Council of Peers Award of Excellence (CPAE). In addition, he was selected one of the World's Top Five Speakers for 1992 by Toastmasters international and recipient of the Golden Gavel Award.

LIVING DYNAMICALLY & BEING POSITIVELY CHARGED

... NO MATTER WHAT THE OBSTACLE

In 1997 Les Brown released the second of his highly acclaimed and successful books, It's Not Over Until You Win: How To Become The Person You Always Wanted To Be No Matter What The Obstacle. With refreshing humility and humor, he discusses his failed relationship with his wife, singer Gladys Knight, and how the sudden cancellation of his nationally syndicated television program, The Les Brown Show, occurring at the time of his mother's slow and painful death, triggered his own fall into despair ... and, then, subsequent rebound to what he calls "living dynamically" , and "being positively charged" ... no matter what the obstacles.

HIS LEGACY, so far: PASSION & HUNGER

HAVE HELPED HIM ACHIEVE GREATNESS

Growing up as a kid in Liberty City, Les often heard others say that "he'd never amount to much." But, because of his mother, he believed he really could become someone worthwhile.

Today, Les Brown's passion is to learn. And, his hunger is to realize greatness in himself and others. Together, his passion and hunger have helped Les Brown achieve greatness as one of the nation's most respected authorities and motivational speakers on harnessing the human potential.