by Rachel Witkowski
Staff Writer
At 13 years old, Marci Shimoff knew she would be a professional speaker for women.
After 20 years of experience in the field, Shimoff has motivated thousands of women in the nation through her speeches on self-esteem and empowerment. She’s headed to Jacksonville May 4 as the keynote speaker for the Executive Women International’s Advancing Women breakfast at the Hyatt.
“We’re trying to bring somebody new and unique to Jacksonville,” said Julie Covington, president of the EWI Jacksonville chapter.
Shimoff is co-author of “Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul” and has since written five additional Chicken Soup books including “Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul.” Her books have been a No. 1 best seller in the New York Times and have sold more than 13 million copies, according to Shimoff. The books are comprised of inspiring true stories about everyday people overcoming obstacles, living dreams and the power of love, said Shimoff.
“What’s been remarkable is the response we’ve gotten from readers through these stories,” she said. “It’s really struck a chord for the collective soul.”
Shimoff co-authored “Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul” with Jack Cafield, Mark Victor Hansen and Jennifer Read Hawthorne. Several others contributed stories to the book. There are about 100 stories in all the Chicken Soup books.
Shimoff said she was inspired to become a professional speaker when she saw her first motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, at 13 years old.
“I felt moved and stirred that this is what I wanted to do,” she said.
Shimoff is also a corporate trainer for many Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T and General Motors. She received her masters in training and development from the University of California, Los Angeles. Shimoff is currently writing a book about happiness. The book will contain stories similar to those in Chicken Soup and how to obtain “cutting edge resources for happiness” and is expected to be released next year, she said. One in five women in America is on antidepressants, according to Shimoff.
“I think they (women) feel overwhelmed,” she said. “Women are searching for a deeper sense of meaning and purpose while feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and empty.”
Her theme for the women’s breakfast at the Hyatt is “chicken soup ingredients for success and happiness in life.” Shimoff said she will present three key points to form practical tools that people can take with them and apply to their daily life. She will also share her favorite stories from Chicken Soup.
“I would describe myself as someone who feels a deep commitment to to living the best life I can and helping others do the same,” said Shimoff.
She is also president and co-founder of the Esteem Group, a company that specifies in teaching seminars for women.
Tickets for the event are available to the public for $59 each and will benefit two annual scholarships sponsored by the EWI, according to Covington. One scholarship is an educational achievement award for high school juniors and the second is a need-based award for adults who experienced a difficult transition and would like to go back to school, Covington said.
The breakfast is the first of an annual event that will “bring women together and provide a forum for nationally best selling authors and motivational speakers to educate, motivate and empower women of Jacksonville,” said Covington. The room can accomodate 400 people and Covington expects nearly that many to attend.
Registration begins at 7 a.m. and Shimoff will begin speaking at 8 a.m. Covington said she encourages people to preregister at www.ewijax.org/advancingwomen or contact Caitlin Constant at (904) 249-3729.
“It’s not often a best selling author like this comes to town,” she said. “We’re hoping to have a good turnout.”