Michael Hingson
9/11 Survivor; Spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind
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TRAVELS FROM: California
Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author and international lecturer. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Hingson gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children’s Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. Hingson is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association’s 2012 Hero Dog Awards. In countless TV and radio appearances, feature articles, and speaking engagements, Hingson does much more than simply tell his own 9-11 story; he continuously explores the broader lessons of his life and experiences inspiring and motivating audience members.
Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author and international lecturer. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Hingson gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children’s Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few.
In countless TV and radio appearances, newspaper features and magazine articles, Michael Hingson does much more than recount his 9-11 story; he continuously explores the broader lessons of his life and experiences as a blind person in today's world and shares these lessons to educate, inspire and empower audiences world-wide. Michael has appeared on Larry King five times, and other major national broadcasts such as the Today Show, Fox and Friends, the 700 Club, Joy Behar, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and the Hallmark Channel.
Hingson is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association’s 2012 Hero Dog Awards. Prior to becoming the National Public Affairs Representative for Guide Dogs for the Blind, Michael was district sales manager for Quantum Data Protection Division of Irvine, California, overseeing a sales force and field operations. He has a master’s degree in physics from the University of California at Irvine. He is a former member of the California State Guide Dog Board, and is a member of the National Federation of the Blind. Michael lives with his wife, Karen, in Novato, California.
In countless TV and radio appearances, newspaper features and magazine articles, Michael Hingson does much more than recount his 9-11 story; he continuously explores the broader lessons of his life and experiences as a blind person in today's world and shares these lessons to educate, inspire and empower audiences world-wide. Michael has appeared on Larry King five times, and other major national broadcasts such as the Today Show, Fox and Friends, the 700 Club, Joy Behar, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and the Hallmark Channel.
Hingson is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association’s 2012 Hero Dog Awards. Prior to becoming the National Public Affairs Representative for Guide Dogs for the Blind, Michael was district sales manager for Quantum Data Protection Division of Irvine, California, overseeing a sales force and field operations. He has a master’s degree in physics from the University of California at Irvine. He is a former member of the California State Guide Dog Board, and is a member of the National Federation of the Blind. Michael lives with his wife, Karen, in Novato, California.
Topics:
- Ethics The Real Bottom Line Bringing Principles Back
- Is This the Choice That Will Change Your Life? Strategies for Success in a Challenging World
Your audience will learn firsthand how to think about the ramifications of the choices they make each day. They will learn from Mike's firsthand experiences why a little forethought can help make a wiser choice than having a knee-jerk reaction to a situation. They will discover that strategizing about the choices they make will greatly reduce stress and help make them happier people. They will discover, like Mike, how they can come to believe that there is no such thing as the "no-win scenario" and that even though a solution to a problem may not come right away they can go on without panicking and over stressing in their lives. - The Incredible Power of the Human-Animal Bond Lessons from a Guide Dog Team
During this presentation Michael will tell the story of his escape from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 and how he and his guide dog not only helped each other but helped many others to remain calm and escape. Michael will share with your audience methods he has developed and uses daily to focus on the task at hand and how to keep from being distracted by outside influences. Through his stories laced with humor and wit as well as a serious side Mike will show how we all can learn from animals whether we encounter them on the job or not. He will leave your audience pondering the question of why they haven't spent more time learning from some of the best teachers available to us - the animals in our lives. - Trust & Teamwork Lessons from 9/11
In a world where trust seems to be under attack from all quarters and were real teamwork does not appear to be the norm Michael Hingson's existence and life relies on both just to survive. Mr. Hingson, who happens to be blind, uses a guide dog who "he trusts with his life every day and who puts her life in his hands in return". He is an expert on Trust and Teamwork not only because of the bonds that he has built with seven guide dogs over 48 years, but also because he has had to create teams with humans to accomplish tasks that made him and them successful. Michael shares lessons with his audiences on teambuilding skills through being open to trust and creating a desire on the part of all people involved to get the job done. Throughout his adult life Michael Hingson has worked in sales, sales management and upper management positions where he has worked for more than 35 years with teams of all kinds and sizes. He knows the qualities that any good team possesses and he knows how to turn ineffective teams into great working organizations no matter the size. - Turning the Tales on Terrorism Lessons from the Twin Towers
As a survivor of the 9/11 tragedy as well as being a person who happens to be blind, Michael Hingson enthralls audiences worldwide with his unique perspective on life and relationships. He describes himself as a person who has grown up, survived, and flourished in a world full of misconceptions about blindness and increasingly poor and distrustful attitudes toward people in general. On September 11, 2001 Michael Hingson was working on the 78th floor of Tower One of the World Trade Center when his building was attacked by terrorists. Mike needed to use all of his life skills to escape and survive that day. As Mike explains it, "my story is not how I escaped the World Trade Center, but rather the story is how I got there in the first place". Because of Michael Hingson's experiences living in a world where he was and is constantly told why blind people can't be "normal" and succeed even though he and countless other blind people prove the misconceptions wrong daily Mike is in the best position possible to talk about how we can "turn the tables on our fears". Michael Hingson shows his audiences through humorous and sometimes tremendously serious and sad examples how he has learned to turn his perceived liabilities into assets. "Sometimes", as Mike explains during his talks, "the so-called liabilities are of my own making, but often they are perceived liabilities or misconceptions that other people have about me". As he points out we all have perceived liabilities. He teaches his audiences how to turn these challenges around to be successes. - Thinking Inside the Box Preparing Your Lifeskills Toolbox
Mike inspires his audiences with stories and lessons about how all of us can find and enhance our own inner strengths and tools in order to accomplish whatever we desire and need to do. He will captivate your audience with his personal story of heroism and inner strength escaping from the World Trade Center on 9/11. He will teach them how they can find their own inner tools and how to put them to use in their daily lives. Your audience will leave with lasting memories of a man who does not let obstacles stand in his way. They will leave their time with Mike pepped up and they will take away tools they can use for a lifetime to be better and stronger than they are today. No matter how good they are as managers, team builders, life coaches, leaders and followers or friends and colleagues every member of your audience will be enthralled with Michael Hingson and they will leave saying to themselves "if he can survive and thrive in today's world than so can I." - Labrador Lessons from a Canine Hero Michael and Guide Dog Africa Ultimate Trust & Teamwork
Mr. Hingson will share and discuss the 10 lessons of "Guide Dog Wisdom" presented in his number one New York Times best-selling book, Thunder Dog and he will show the audience how to apply these same lessons in their own lives. He will use his story of survival and escape from the World Trade Center on 9/11, 2001 as a backdrop to show how each of us can become a better team player and team builder. Audiences take from Mike's talks lessons and ideas they can immediately apply in their work and home environments to make life more fun and build stronger and richer relationships with the people around them. Mike says, "there's a lot to be said for thinking more like a Labrador". "Don't knock it till you have tried it." Mike promises that you will be enthralled and captivated and won't miss a minute of his speech unlike Africa who has heard it all before and will probably sleep through most of it. - Out of the Ashes Learning to Survive in a Changing World
Using the compelling account of his harrowing journey out of the World Trade Center to safety on 9/11, Michael captivates audiences and challenges them to access and strengthen their skills, trust, teamwork, risk-taking, and creativity, to ease their way through changes in their work and personal lives. Mike uses humor his personal stories and life lessons and concrete examples about change to give his audiences tools that they can begin to use immediately to help cope with change on all levels. During this presentation he teaches his audiences the overriding secret to dealing with change and how following one basic lesson will help anyone who has to deal with expected and unexpected obstacles in their lives.
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