Jeffo Motivation Keynote Speaker
Jeffrey Smith, a.k.a. Amazing Jeffo, is a motivational speaker. For 29 years he has delivered his extraordinary story of overcoming life-threatening disease, disability and societal barriers with a blend of magic and humor as America’s only multiply disabled magician who is blind (at least as far as he can see).
Why Amazing Jeffo? It’s his own amazement at surviving what he should not have survived.
- A diagnosis of ulcerative colitis at 5 years old
- Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 6
- Weighing an unsustainable 28 pounds at age 8 from the effects of colitis
- Totally blind by age 15
- A devastating stutter for decades
But faith and a healthy dose of humor have proven to be as great a medicine to him as any prescription or treatment.
Laugh and be encouraged by a blind man whose vision is filled with joy and a sense of humor that motivates others to adopt their own “can do” attitude and see their challenges differently.
With perseverance, optimism and a natural gift for comedy, Smith’s resounding message is, “The most disabling thing in our lives is the thing we can do the most about-our attitude.”
He will share a collection of stories stranger than fiction, achievements and lessons learned in a laugh-filled, uplifting and inspiring presentation at a budget friendly fee. His presentations are targeted to older teen and adult audiences.
Jeff’s message of overcoming adversity through humor and faith is vividly detailed in his memoir, Seeing Light in the Darkness, and in his new books: Splashes of Laughter in the Storm, and The Will to Laugh.
Book Title:
Seeing Light in the Darkness -
A Story of Surviving Affliction with Laughter and Grace
About Jeffrey C. Smith a.k.a. Jeffo
Celebrating over 30 years of illuminating performances, encompassing over 4000 magic shows, Jeffo has shared his humorous with such esteemed clientele as:
- University of Minnesota
- Hamline University
- 3M
- American Express
- St. Paul Companies
- St. Paul Saints
- Mount Olivet Lutheran
- Harding High School
- The Minnesota Zoo
- Iten Chevrolet
- FDA
- Army Corp. of Engineers
- IRS
- Delux Checking
- USDA
- Metro Council
- Veterans Administration
"A man who lives up to his title ~ Amazing!"
~ R. J. Fritz - WCCO Television
"The State Conference got off to a great start thanks largely to a superb opening speaker ~ The Amazing Jeffo." ~ Jon Gurban - Executive Director of MN Parks & Recreation Keeping Up Magazine
"It’s the best entertainment we’ve had in a long time. We came away feeling entertained, refreshed and recharged." ~ Loren Novack - President, Prior Lake Optimist Club
“This is not a story about a man who cannot see. It is a story about a man who refuses to see the obstacles in front of him.” ~ Rod Rassman - KSTP - TV
Jeff Smith is the first person to point out that sighted people are rarely comfortable initially with a blind individual. That’s where his humor enters in, alternatively referred to as silly, cheeky, and sometimes corny. My humor is a vehicle that enables Jeffo to transition from one ‘subject’ to the next keeping the audience on their toes.
Amazing Jeffo shares his personal passion and awareness of the power of attitude in overcoming challenges. A button he wears on his lapel illustrates this. It reads, "DISABILITY," however, there is a slash through the first syllable. Amazing Jeffo's message and example is a positive reminder of the heights we can reach when not limited by a negative attitude.
From Jeffo’s point of view: What amazes me the most is how God has matched what natural abilities and talents I have with the perfect job for me. I tried to find traditional employment for many years and in spite of having a 4 year degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota I was unsuccessful landing a viable job. There’s something like a 70% unemployment rate among the blind. One employment opportunity that currently exists for the blind relates to working with computers, such as data entry or programming. Despite advances in adaptive technology that enable the blind to use the computer, computers and I have a love hate relationship. I’m so grateful that god took my natural gifts of humor, creativity and desire to teach, and turned it into this wonderful opportunity for me as Amazing Jeffo. In retrospect, I see how God has positioned me in a place where I can share the gifts He has given me with others. He’s always bringing caring people into my life that are encouraging and teaching me to explore new avenues that I hadn't had confidence enough to try on my own.
One of my greatest challenges I had through the years was overcoming a severe verbal disfluency in the form of stuttering. But God never gave me more than I could handle, gently leading me forward when He knew I was ready. I know the opportunity I had to present my message in front of audiences was made easier because of the magic. It’s been a vehicle I could sort of hide behind, shifting the focus of the audience away from my speech difficulties on to the magic. It helped take the pressure off from thinking I had to be a perfect speaker. The approval I’ve received from audiences has given me the confidence to not only speak fluently but to now take on greater challenges as a motivational and Christian speaker.
To Book Speaker Jeffrey Smith, Please Call 651-457-7300