Les Brown

A Challenging Background

Les was born in an abandoned building in Liberty City, a low-income section of Miami, Florida. At six weeks of age he was adopted by Mrs. Mamie Brown, a 38 year old single woman, cafeteria cook and domestic worker.

She had very little education or financial means, but she was determined and committed to care for Les Brown and his twin brother, Wesley. Les Brown calls himself "Mrs. Mamie Brown's Baby Boy" and claims "All that I am and all that I ever hoped to be, I owe to my mother".

In school he was referred to as “D.T.”, which stood for “Dumb Twin”. This obviously affected his self esteem. He was misdiagnosed in fifth grade as "educably mentally retarded". He did poorly in school due to his inattention to school work, restless energy, and his teachers' failure to recognize his true potential.

Today he would be easily labeled with add adhd diagnosis, as well as a plethora of learning disabilities. If it was not for Mamie Brown's belief in her son's ability, he would not have achieved and made such a difference in the lives of others. He said that "Her strength and character are my greatest inspiration, always have been and always will be."

His determination and persistence compelled him to search for ways to help Mamie Brown overcome poverty. His philosophy is “do whatever it takes to achieve success”. Thus he has become a distinguished authority on harnessing human potential and success. Although he did not have much formal education or training beyond high school, he was driven by a passion to learn and realize greatness in himself and others.

Achievements

After moving to Detroit, Les rented an office with an attorney. He slept on the floor and did not even want a blanket for the cold, hard floor. He did this to keep himself motivated.

In 1986, Les entered the public speaking arena on a full-time basis and formed his own company, Les Brown Enterprises, Inc. In 1989, he received the National Speakers Association's highest honor: the Council of Peers Award of Excellence.

In 1990, Les recorded his first in a series of speech presentations for the Public Broadcasting System. In 1991, the program entitled "You Deserve" was awarded a Chicago-area Emmy and became the leading fund-raising program of its kind for pledges to PBS stations nationwide.

In 1992, he was selected as one of the year's Top Five Outstanding Speakers by Toastmasters International. He was honored at the International Convention of the National Speaker's Association with the organization's most prestigious award for excellence in the field of communication and leadership: The Golden Gavel.

He rose from a hip-talking morning DJ to broadcast manager; from community activist to community leader; from political commentator to three-term State legislator in Ohio, and from a banquet and nightclub emcee to premier Keynote Speaker for audiences as large as 80,000 people, including Fortune 500 companies and groups worldwide.

As a Speech Coach, Les has coached and trained many successful young speakers nationwide. He is the author of several successful books icluding, "Live Your Dreams" and "It's Not Over Until You Win", and former host of The Les Brown Show, a nationally syndicated daily television talk show focusing on solutions.

In May 2008, Les joined Kerry McCreary of Ardmore PC and launched his new radio station, WLBR Radio. The station currently streams excerpts of Les' products and smooth jazz. By the end of 2008, WLBR will feature Les and other motivational speakers with live talk shows and interviews.

He also offers online courses at Success University. Les Brown was featured in the 2007 release of “Pass It On, Share the WISH”, which was a similar film to “The Secret” and “What The Bleep Do We Know?”

Role Model With A Heart

His passion is empowering youth and helping them have a larger vision for their lives. He motivates and engages people to embrace their greatness and realize their dreams. Charisma and sense of humor are his primary characteristics.

You can learn more about Les and his enthusiastic way of leading others to greatness at his website. Les sums up his vision and purpose in this way. "My mission is to get a message out that will help people become uncomfortable with their mediocrity. A lot of people are content with their discontent. I want to be the catalyst that enables them to see themselves having more and achieving more."

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