We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeff Katz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeff below.
Jeff, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
My daughter Julia has very severe developmental disabilities and we were told that she would never crawl. Twenty one years later she does not crawl because she has learned how to walk. Her walk can be quite unsteady almost “Frankensteiny” but after countless hours working with therapists and wearing a variety of braces on her legs she walks. While she will always be a “toddler” because her developmental age is eighteen month, she inspires me every day. Watching her provides me with my purpose every single day. I am called to speak for, and advocate on behalf of, people like Julia.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I deliver four keynote speeches but my favorite one to present is “The Quest for Cookies” which details how my severely developmentally disabled daughter was able to navigate her way past multiple obstacles and serious roadblocks to our kitchen pantry where she succeeded in sampling every single cookie in there! I also speak on my time as a police officer (“Why Would Anyone Do That Job?), succeeding in the sales arena (“Lessons From The Worst Salesman Ever!) and a look at the humble and honorable life lived by my father (Sometimes You Just Do Things Because They Are The Right Thing To Do!). More details are at my website www.jeffkatz.us
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One of the most profound images driving my journey is the view that I had from my bedroom window growing up in the City of Philadelphia. When you looked out my window you saw an alley with trashcans. That was it, no grass, no flowers, no trees. That view inspired me to always seek out the life affirming vista that I now enjoy. Regardless of which window you gaze through in our home, you will see examples of God’s green earth.
One of the most important lessons which i took from studying Dale Carnegie was the realization that there is no sound sweeter to a person than their name. Always use a person’s name when chatting with them.
Remember that Sun Tzu advised in “The Art of War” to know and understand the goals of others. Zig Ziglar expounded on that when he said that “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want”.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
I love working with those I can offer real help to. As a Board Certified Coach it is my duty to come alongside those who want to make certain changes but are not sure how to get there. I employ a multitude of approaches and techniques but my underlying goal is always to help my client see for themselves how to best hit those milestones. I am passionate about helping other families with special needs members and law enforcement officers.
In delivering my keynote speeches I am driven by the opportunity to connect with the audience and help them see what their own obstacles are and inspire them to overcome them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jeffkatz.us
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/jeffreyakatz
Image Credits
Heidi Jaillet
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