It started in the fourth grade when my teacher, Mr. McGowan, said “class, take out your math books; today, we learn word problems!” This was the first and last time math made my ears perk up. When I realized that word problems involved numbers, I quickly reverted back to hating math. From a very young age, I knew my strength was words. Ironically, I credit math for shaping my destiny. As Mr. McGowan held our hands through those first few word problems, he said something that has stuck with me for my entire life. “Words are your friends! Get clear on the words and you can solve any problem.” I took that literally and became obsessed with word clarity. To pass time, I would manipulate word combinations just to see how many different ways I could say the same thing. Little did I know, 25 years later I would become a speech writer and coach who helps Thought Leaders solve their word problems and deliver indelible presentations. I guess the old saying is true, you become what you think about.

~ Dez Thornton