Larry Winget - Motivation 3

Wherever he goes, Larry Winget is usually the coolest guy in the room.

A professional speaker, author and TV personality, he sports designer Western shirts and boots in explosive colors. His wrists and fingers are covered in silver jewelry. He exudes an appealing confidence: This is me, take it or leave it.

These days, a lot of people take what he has to offer. His new book, It's Called Work for a Reason!, made the Top 10 on the New York Times bestseller list in January. His TV show, Big Spender, will return for a second season on A&E. And the Paradise Valley man has become one of the highest-paid professional speakers in the nation.

"It's a great time in my life," Winget says, relaxing at home on a rare day off. "There are so many things I can do right now, so many opportunities to take advantage of."

As they say in Entertainment Weekly, Winget is having a moment. Part of the reason for his success is his aggressive style. He isn't a speaker who comforts his listeners. Instead, he challenges them to make changes and take control. Or, to borrow the name of his 2004 bestseller, Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life.

"I don't think you can motivate somebody from where they are to someplace else, but I'll guarantee I can make you so irritated with where you are, you'll want to change," he says in his Oklahoma drawl. "Change happens when you feel uncomfortable."

It is a bold stance for a professional speaker. But Winget, 54, isn't your standard speaker, from his hard-hitting patter to the big hoops he wears in both ears.

"He's flamboyant, and that's what makes him so good," says Diane Brossart, president of Valley Forward. She hired Winget to speak in December. "He gets your attention with the way he looks and the way he presents, but then he tells these stories about everyday life and gives messages that resonate with everyone."

If you had watched Winget a few years ago, the speech would have been much more tame - full of "typical motivational crap," as he puts it. And he looked like just about every other guy on the speaking circuit. He says an old-fashioned midlife crisis helped turn him into the man he is today: a colorful millionaire with plenty of irons in the fire.

"I'm unique," he says. "And once you discover your uniqueness, no one can duplicate that."