When life experiences guide you to be a motivational speaker and author

Steve Hopper, Author of From Prison to Purpose, Motivational Speaker and Business Coach

About Steve

As one of the most inspiring speakers in the market today, Steve Hopper brings a fresh and powerful presence to the professional speaking industry. Steve has delivered hundreds of presentations at corporate events, leadership and business conferences, personal development seminars, high schools and universities, churches… and even correctional facilities!
With his life shifting keynotes seminars and workshops, Steve leaves his audience with an overwhelming desire to want more, to do more, and to become more!

Likewise, he’s been featured on TV, Radio and in several magazines and publications. As the Author of “From Prison to Purpose” he has inspired the masses through his personal story of turning a setback into a comeback and winning the most important game of all, life.

The First Phase

Football was Steve’s life. Until one night, when at a keg party on the beach in Florida, he engaged in a fight.

Three days later, the police showed up at his parent’s door. The clock stopped ticking.

The judge revoked Steve’s bond because the judge didn’t know if the boy Steve hit was going to live or die. Would it be a murder charge, or an attempted murder charge?

It was a bad choice, with bad consequences. Steve was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

He learned to fight for his life in prison. About 1 year into this new life Steve broke down.

In the darkest moment of his life, he remembered something that his grandfather had told him. His dreams and goals were gone. He felt his life was over. Then his grandfather’s message came to him, “Son, promise me that if you are ever at your darkest moment in life and your back is against the wall and you don’t think there is any way out, just get on your knees and pray to God.”

Steve took his grandfather’s advice and called out to God. He felt an immediate shift. Meaning and purpose came over him. In addition, he felt he was created for something way bigger for him than where he was at.

Steve spent the next portion of his prison sentence reading and absorbing everything he could for personal development.

He also started sharing what he was learning with other inmates. In some ways, this is what launched his second phase.

The Second Phase

When Steve was released from prison, he was able to get a job selling cars. He did very well and despite the title of ex-convict and having no college education he thrived. Happy and making six figures, life was great! Until, the company down sized and he was laid off.

Losing Everything…Again

Once again, Steve lost everything. Despite the fact that no one would hire him, he didn’t give up. Not being hired was actually a blessing as it forced him into entrepreneurship.

Becoming an Entrepreneur

Steve used the resources and experiences he had garnered during his time working to create a marketing company. He started looking at his skill set and what was happening with small business owners to identify a need.

It’s important to remember as we go through negative circumstances, that we’ve been through bad things before and we can survive again. Steve believes that God will use those circumstances to prepare us for the next level, the next thing we are meant to be and do.

Created to Do Something Amazing

We’ve all been created to do something crazy great in our lifetime. We just can’t forget and have to keep focusing on looking on those gifts.

Likewise, unique gifts have been given to each of us. It often takes these negative experiences to identify what those gifts are.

The Most Powerful Question

Steve is now a motivational speaker and business coach. He helps clients identify their goals and dreams that they haven’t tapped into yet. The most powerful question he asks someone is “if you weren’t getting paid a dime to do it, what would you wake up every day and do?” This answer is often what the person is passionate about and meant to be doing.

Ask yourself “If you could do anything what would it be?”.

Steve’s purpose and the thing he truly loved was speaking. He spoke for free for over a year.

It’s important to recognize the gifts that we have been given and tap into them.

Favorite Quote

“Knowledge is power, but sharing your knowledge is purpose.” – Steve Hopper

This is Steve’s favorite quote when encouraging coaching clients to share their gifts. Even if someone else is doing what you want to do, you should do it. No one else is going to do what you do the exact same way, which means that you will touch lives that others doing the same thing won’t be able to reach.

Nothing is Stopping You

It is important to remember that there is absolutely nothing stopping anyone from anything that they want to do. Steve is an ex-convict with no college education speaking in multi-million-dollar masterminds. Anything is possible.

He’s believes that what we import is what we export. We have to take the opportunities to gain education and college is an example of an opportunity to identify purpose.

If God is in control, and we trust that God is in control, we know that he will direct us to where we need to and doing what we need to do to serve our purpose.

Creating Live Events

You must have a topic that your audience is interested in. Create events on topics that your audience sees will solve a problem for them.

Start marketing the events 90 days out. Market in person at networking events as well as online. Engage with as many people as possible so that they come and then realize what is holding them back and that you have the answer for them.

Provide the value and be prepared to offer an additional program because people will want more.

Finally, don’t be afraid to do your own events. Doing your own events takes away the worry of getting paid or not getting paid.

“To get everything you want in your life, just help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziggler