Eric Bailey has spoken to over 2 million people in more than 10 countries.
Eric is one of the world's foremost speakers on the subject of motivation and vision. Drawing on successful careers in professional sport, executive management, sales, and as a husband and father,
Eric continues to inspire audiences around the world with his story and the incredible power of vision.
He has delivered talks and training sessions to many multinational corporations, including Nike, McDonald's, Ford, Nissan, Reebok, Toshiba and Canon, to name a few. He has also brought uplifting, youth-focused messages to students at hundreds of schools around the world.
Eric has shared the stage with Sir Richard Branson, Tim Ferris, Michael Jordan, Jamie McIntyre, Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Harry Dent, and many more.
At birth Eric was identified as having Osgood-Schlatter's disease, a congenital deformity of the knee joint. Unwilling and unable to handle the responsibility of caring for a disabled newborn, Eric's biological parents gave him up for adoption.
Growing up in South Central L.A. Eric was forced to confront the significant barriers around him. Abject poverty, crime, drug abuse, inadequate medical care, a flawed educational system and negative peer influence were problems he routinely faced.
Many told him of an inevitable fate: gang violence, drug addiction, prison or death. The message was simple: You are destined to be an uneducated, disabled black man who will never amount to anything.
In spite of his knee disease, which doctors said would rule out any athletic endeavors in life, Eric was determined to play basketball. He made his high school team, training for up to 35 hours a week. His diligence was rewarded and by the time he graduated he had earned numerous awards, including Player of the Year, All CIF (California Interscholastic Federation), All City and Most Valuable Player.
In class, however, Eric struggled. Initial rejection by all of the colleges he applied to was something he took in stride. Undeterred, Eric went to a junior college to improve his grades and ended up obtaining a scholarship to Boise State University.
After retiring from his basketball career Eric went on to have a successful career as a top salesman with a number of companies. He has organized children's charity events and hosted celebrity basketball tournaments alongside the likes of ex-NBA phenomenon Michael Jordan and movie star Jamie Foxx. Eric also hosted an on-air radio show for 3 years and wrote a weekly newspaper column on the topics of health and motivation.
Ultimately, a desire to share his life experience and insights into the importance of vision led Eric to begin his career as a professional speaker.
Eric continues to inspire audiences around the world with his story and the incredible power of vision.
