Sunday Night With John: It's Going to Happen

Well Sunday Night With John: Live, isn’t going to technically happen, because the event isn’t going to be on a Sunday Night. It’s more like Saturday Afternoon With John: Live, but the spirit of the idea is alive, well, and growing everyday. The idea to put on my own event was a pipe dream just 4 months ago. Ten years ago when I started this whole adventure I couldn’t fathom being in this position today. With the belief from family, friends, and supporters of my message Share Emotions, Emotions Matter, support came pouring in over the last two months and this idea transformed into an actual real life event. I’m ecstatic to announce Saturday Afternoon With John: Live! will be presented in Mason City, Iowa on April 2nd, 2016.

This isn’t the first time an idea of mine was put into motion by people who believe in me and what I was attempting to accomplish. Ten years ago three people came together in a perfect storm to allow John Paul Derryberry to hatch, and laid the foundation of my message that years later morphed into Share Emotions, Emotions Matter. First, was a professor who I have written about before, but he was first man to openly challenge my big mouth and say put your money where mouth is. He asked me write out my speech and present it to him in his office, just me and him. The first notes for what would become my first keynote was put to the test.  Being the lazy, do it the quick type, I only outlined my talk, figuring I could ad-lib my way through my story. He rejected my thinking and set me on my way to his in words, “No short cuts, and write it all out, Mr. Derryberry.” I did write it out and the second time I was given his blessing and he set up my first talk at the College to a room full of my professors.

The second influential person on this journey is another professor who took a liking to my outlook on life that classes could be second to a nice spring day, and there was more to life than classroom education. It’s safe to say I found my place with the flexible thinkers in the philosophy department. As we chatted before and after classes and during his office hours, this professor became my sounding board the last two years of school. When it came time for my graduation moving onto the next chapter of my life, I visited my professor’s office one last time and we went for a walk around campus. As we chatted, he said he had been teaching at GrandView for 15 years and hadn’t ever had a student like me. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing as we had our last long session. He finally said to me, “What-ever you do in life, and wherever you go, don't forget you have the potential to change the world for the better.” How do I not rise to the occasion after a mentor lays that line on you?

Lastly, I have never been good at waiting my turn, playing the game, or seeking permission. I have often stated rules are things that apply to other people. The famous quote by Pablo Picasso “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist," could be my motto.  I was told by a couple of people I was too young to public speak and put a message out there. I was chatting with my brother one day on the phone about how to get all this off the ground and he just came out and said he would help with the cost of getting me going. He stated, “If I can bet on anyone, I’m going to bet on my brother.”

With that push from big brother, John Paul Derryberry speaking was more than just hatched, it began to take flight. Over the years while learning to fly, I have crashed landed numerous times, but I constantly I’m picked up, dusted off, and sent on my way by caring and compassionate who believe in my message and me. The best thing about "Share Emotions, Emotions Matter," is I can name thirty people off the top of my head over the last ten years who have put a fresh coat of paint on this project, who helped reconstruct part of it, and yes even people who believe in me enough to say, demo most of it and start over. So Saturday Afternoon with John: Live! is Going to Happen, because of all the same reason my public speaking career started, people believing in my message, what I’m trying to accomplish, and most importantly in me.

I will take the stage in Mason City, Iowa on April 2, 2016 with ten plus years of speaking under my belt in the hopes of still conquering what I set out to do when I started: talk to enough people, in enough places so nobody ever feels all alone.

Saturday Afternoon With John: Live!

Share Emotions, Emotions Matter

April 2nd, 2016

North Iowa Regional Commerce Center in Downtown Mason City, Iowa

2:00pm

This event is an invitation event and if you would like to attend please contact me @ jpderryberry@gmail.com. We would love to make room for more!