We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brian Fleming. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brian below.
Brian, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Lots of trauma survivors eventually want to share their stories, but they don’t usually know where to begin. In my program, “UseYourStory,” I show trauma survivors and people with unique life stories how to make a difference and a side income sharing their stories as paid public speakers so they can make a difference and use their stories to live more meaningful lives. Learn more at www.UseYourStory.com
For the past 16+ years I’ve been sharing my own story of trauma and survival as a paid public speaker. It all began when I was attacked by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan on July 24, 2006. I spent 14 months at a medical center enduring burn treatment and reconstructive surgery for 2nd and 3rd degree burns, as well as treatments for traumatic brain injuries and PTSD.
I ended up sharing my story one day while still a patient at the medical center and a young lady who heard me speak told me she’d failed a suicide attempt just 2 weeks prior to our meeting, but she believed that if I could survive my difficult experiences, she now believed she could make it through her own. It was then I learned the power of sharing our stories with the world. Now, I teach others how to do it “the right way.” That is, how to share their stories effectively and from a place of value so they can get booked and paid to speak like I do so they can live more meaningful lives while making a difference in people’s lives and being able to make a living doing it.
I believe our stories matter.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Lots of trauma survivors eventually want to share their stories, but they don’t usually know where to begin. In my program, “UseYourStory,” I show trauma survivors and people with unique life stories how to make a difference and a side income sharing their stories as paid public speakers so they can make a difference and use their stories to live more meaningful lives.
At UseYourStory.com I show others how to do what I’ve been able to do.
For the past 16+ years I’ve been sharing my story of trauma and survival as a professional speaker. It all began when I was attacked by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan on July 24, 2006. I spent 14 months at a medical center enduring burn treatment and reconstructive surgery for 2nd and 3rd degree burns, as well as treatments for traumatic brain injuries and PTSD.
I ended up sharing my story one day while still a patient at the medical center and a young lady who heard me speak told me she’d failed a suicide attempt just 2 weeks prior to our meeting, but she believed that if I could survive my difficult experiences, she now believed she could make it through her own. It was then I learned the power of sharing our stories with the world. Now, I teach others how to do it “the right way.” That is, how to share their stories effectively and from a place of tremendous value so they can get booked and paid to speak like I do so they can live more meaningful lives while making a difference in people’s lives and being able to get paid doing it.
I believe our stories matter.
My program isn’t just another bullsh*t “public speaking course.” What I teach literally, actually works because I designed it based on how I’ve actually been doing this successfully for over a decade and a half. It’s a professional speaking mentorship specifically designed to show trauma survivors how to present their stories to the world from a position of incredible value so they get noticed, get more exposure, and get more opportunities to share and make a difference in the world, while also be able to get paid doing it.
I am most proud of the students I’ve trained and hearing the stories of people who found hope through them sharing their stories and the difference it’s making in people’s lives (knowing I had a small part in helping that person share their story and, consequently, spreading hope to even more people I’ll likely never meet).
Sharing our stories heals our world.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I was severely injured by a suicide bomber in Kandahar, Afghanistan, spent 14 months at a medical center, then later discovered there’s healing power in sharing our stories. This led me to begin sharing my story as a professional speaker over 16 years ago and now I teach other trauma survivors how to make a healing difference in our world by sharing their own powerful stories.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
“My story doesn’t matter.”
It’s something a lot of people believe, but it isn’t true.
Our personal life stories and lessons we’ve learned have a tremendous amount of healing power to influence and help other people heal and live better stories.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.UseYourStory.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancfleming
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianflemingofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briancfleming1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCywhdWtr0U0c2gdHXAmyByg
- Other: Book Brian to speak at your next event at: www.BlownUpGuy.com Email Brian at: [email protected]