Meet James Malinchak

We were lucky to catch up with James Malinchak recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi James, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Losing my sister Vicki to changed my life and put me on a MISSION to make a difference and change lives!

Most people have an inspiration in their life. Maybe it’s a talk with someone you respect or an experience you have lived. Whatever the inspiration, it tends to make you look at life from a different perspective. My inspiration came from my sister Vicki, a kind and caring person. She didn’t care about accolades or being written about in newspapers. All she wanted was to share her love with the people she cared about namely her family and friends.

The summer before my junior year of college, I received a phone call from my father saying that Vicki was rushed to the
hospital. She had collapsed and the right side of her body was paralyzed. The preliminary indications were that she
had suffered a stroke. However, test results confirmed it was much more serious. There was a malignant brain tumor causing her paralysis, and her doctors didn’t give her more than three months to live. I remember wondering how this could happen.

The day before Vicki was perfectly fine. Now her life was coming to an end at such a young age. After overcoming the initial shock and feeling of emptiness, I decided that Vicki needed hope, faith and encouragement. She needed someone to make her believe that she would overcome this obstacle. I became Vicki’s coach. Every day we would visualize the tumor shrinking and everything that we talked about was positive.

I even posted a sign on her hospital room door that read, “If you have any negative thoughts, leave them at the door!” I was
determined to help Vicki beat the tumor. She and I made a deal that we called 50-50. I would do 50% of the fighting and
Vicki would do the other 50%. The month of August arrived, and it was time to begin my junior year of college 3,000 miles away. I was unsure whether I should leave or stay with Vicki. I made the mistake of telling her that I might not leave for school. She became angry and said not to worry because she would be fine. There was Vicki, lying ill in a hospital bed, telling me not to worry. I realized that if I stayed it might send a message that she was dying and I didn’t want her believing that. Vicki needed
to believe that she could win against the tumor. Leaving that night feeling it might be the last time I would ever see Vicki alive
was the most difficult thing I have ever done.

While at school, I never stopped fighting my 50% for her. Every night before falling asleep I would talk to Vicki, hoping that there was some way she could hear me. I would say, “Vicki I’m fighting for you and I will never quit. As long as you never quit
fighting we will beat this.”

A few months had passed and she was still holding on. One day I was talking with an elderly friend and she asked about Vicki’s
situation. I told her that she was getting worse, but that she wasn’t quitting. My friend asked a question that really made me think. She said, “Do you think the reason she hasn’t let go is because she doesn’t want to let you down?”

Maybe she was right. Maybe I was selfish for encouraging Vicki to keep fighting. That night before falling asleep, I said to
her, “Vicki, I understand that you’re in a lot of pain and that you might like to let go. If you do, then I want you to. We didn’t
lose because you never quit fighting. If you want to go on to a better place then I understand. We will be together again.
I love you and I’ll always be with you wherever you are!”

Early the next morning, my mother called to tell me that Vicki had passed away.

I’ve often thought a lot about that experience with Vicki, and while it was a sad time for me and my family, Vicki’s passing away changed my life! She is one of the main reasons I started speaking to groups in the United States and internationally, sharing a message of hope, encouragement and inspiration. Vicki serves as my inspiration as a professional speaker.

It’s amazing! Out of all the stories I share in my presentations, more people approach me after to thank me for sharing “Vicki’s
story” than any other story, success strategy or humorous joke. That’s why I love sharing her story. Not only does it inspire people to live a more thankful and abundant life, but it also allows me to turn that sad moment into a voice that uplifts and inspires not only myself but others.

I hope sharing “Vicki’s story” helps you to think about how blessed you are to have good health, safety, and peace in life for
yourself and your family! Also, I hope it serves as an inspiration for you that anytime an obstacle or a challenging time arises in your life, you CAN persevere and get through it and can allow that moment to serve as a message of hope, inspiration, and encouragement for others.

Go out and be a voice that uplifts and inspires someone’s life…..today!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I grew-up in Monessen, Pennsylvania, a small steel-mill town outside of Pittsburgh, population of about 6,000 people. As a family, we didn’t have much while growing up. My Dad Walter worked as a railroad conductor for the local steel-mill and my Mom Betty worked as a lunch mother at the local school serving lunches to the kids.

I have three siblings:
(1) Brother Wally, who is now a retired Entrepreneur
(2) Sister Cindy, who serves as my Executive Assistant for my speaking, training and coaching business
(3) Sister Vicki, who passed away of a brain tumor

A big part of my inspiration in life comes from my sister Vicki who died from a brain tumor. Having the chance to spend quality brother-and-sister time with Vicki during the last few months of her life, was the greatest blessing God has ever given me in my life.

Because of becoming a successful Entrepreneur, I began getting asked to deliver motivational and business-building talks for corporations, colleges, youth groups, Professional Athletes and Coaches and Entrepreneur groups and became very successful giving around 3,000 presentations (still do speak a lot).

Because of that success as a paid speaker, numerous aspiring, beginning and experienced speakers asked me to teach them how to do the same. So several years ago, I also became a business marketing coach and created what is now called “The #1 Big Money Speaker Training” for anyone who wants to make a difference and get paid for sharing their life story, experience, advice and how-to information.

Currently, I’m blessed to be recognized as one of the most requested, in-demand business and motivational keynote speakers and marketing consultants in the world. I was featured on the Hit ABC TV Show, Secret Millionaire and was twice named National “College Speaker of the Year.” I’ve delivered over 3,000+ presentations for corporations, associations, business groups, colleges, universities and youth organizations worldwide and can speak for groups ranging from 20-30,000+.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

My personal brand is defined by a set of guiding principles that epitomize my mission:

1. Purpose Driven: We Are Here to Make A Difference!
2. Integrity Based: Based Doing What We Say— Earning Trust! Serving Others!
3. Serving Others: Creating Lifetime Friendships!
4. Student First: Taking Excellent Care of Our Students!
5. Amazing Content: Over-delivering and REALLY Teaching!

These 5 qualities have been the most impactful throughout my personal life and businesses.

We have been the leader for 20+ years in successfully teaching these core beliefs. And that makes me happy!

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I truly believe that…YOUR Voice! YOUR Story! YOUR Message! YOUR How-To Advice! …MATTERS! People Need YOU! The World Needs YOU! I Have Taught Tens of Thousands of People Over The Past 20+ Years How to Share Their Message, Make a Difference & Get Highly Paid!

I’m looking for the person who has a personal story of hope and inspiration who want to become a highly paid speaker.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Val Westover

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