When I was 11 years old, I dreamed of building my own raft and floating down the Mississippi River like Huck Finn. My parents thought this idea was insane and told me it would lead to my immediate and untimely death, so I came up with an alternative plan. I would still make a raft […]
Tell me what these two scenarios have in common: 1] Not long ago, I got a call from a previous client who said I was one of the few humorous speakers they were inviting back to their conference. They had booked a club comedian the previous year who wasn’t used to speaking in the corporate […]
Fred Bailey’s occupation is listed in the 1930 census as “laundryman.” In those times, working in a laundry was a fairly common profession. Men were needed to load huge amounts of clothes into giant washers and then transfer those wet clothes into industrial dryers that were several times larger than those found in today’s Laundromats. […]
I love getting packages in the mail or from FedEx or UPS. Tell me you don’t feel the same way. You see the delivery truck pull up to your house and there’s just a touch more excitement in your life, isn’t there? And when the driver steps out of his vehicle with that box and […]
With a little prodding, I can get my friend John Hicks to talk about the time he got a small part in the Coen brothers’ classic movie, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” One of John’s principle memories of the experience was the heat. The political rally scene in which John had his part was shot […]
These are scary times and I should know because I’m no stranger to fear. When I was nine years old I watched Earth vs. the Flying Saucers on TV and it flat out scared the living bejibbers out of me. Most of the movie wasn’t all that bad. I could handle the flying saucers zipping […]
My wife gave me a DNA test kit for Christmas and I had big hopes for the results. The first thing I was hoping for was some sort of exotic heritage so people will think I’m cooler than I really am. So when I found out that I am 1/1000 Japanese (True story. Not making […]
As I drove away from Holland, Michigan, I knew I might be in real trouble. I had read about blizzards and seen them on TV plenty of times, but I had never experienced one firsthand. Creeping eastward on I-196, the dim outline of dark shapes punctuated the whiteness on either side of my car. I […]
The beginning of the year is an excellent time to focus on your vision. I mean, after all, the year is 2020! What bigger hint do you need to take a moment and think about what you would like to see in your future? © 2020 Charles Marshall. Charles Marshall is a nationally known humorous […]
I’m lovin’ my Wisconsin folks! Here’s what some of them had to say about me. “Wisconsin motivational speaker Charles Marshall was a great choice for an opening session speaker for our annual technical conference. His presentation was motivational and humorous. Mr. Marshall catered his presentation to our membership and worked with our staff to make […]
