October 2017– THE MOTIVATOR – Page 15
Bishop of Motivation Spence Finlayson
celebrates thirty years in business
Bahamian Born International
Motivational Speaker, Corporate
trainer , Bishop of Motivation,
Customer Service Evangelist, Talk
Show Host and Author Spence
Finlayson is celebrating thirty years in
business.
Spence Finlayson began his career
as a motivational speaker in 1987 while
working as an advertising sales
consultant for BATELCO's Yellow
Pages in the Bahamas. He chose the
business name of Spence Finlayson &
Associates (Sales Training Consultants)
and during the first few years he
concentrated on Customer Service
Training and Sales Training. After
attending training sessions with Ron
Willingham Integrity Training Systems
in Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix and
Nashville, he returned home and
decided to go full time as a
motivational speaker and a corporate
trainer, resigning from his lucrative job
at BATELCO.
He became an instant hit in his
native Bahamas attracting scores of
Bahamians to his high energy and
dynamic seminars and workshops. He
created his very first motivational
television show The Possible Dream at
the urging of Mr. Patric Walkes then
Sales Director at ZNS TV 13. The show
aired on Sundays at 5 pm and it
quickly became a 'must watch
program." Finlayson subsequently
created and hosted radio shows such as
Mind Your Own Business and The
Essence of Success which aired locally
and was syndicated throughout the
English Speaking Caribbean
Spence Finlayson was then hired by
Carnival Crystal Palace Hotel as a
motivational consultant by Mr. John
Allen , the then General Manager. In
1990 he received the Youth in Business
Award from the Ministry of Youth &
Sports and was prominently featured
in the local newspapers. In 1988 he was
named Rotarian of The Year by the
Rotary Club of New Providence.
In 1993 Finlayson made a leap of
faith trip to the Cayman Islands on the
invitation of his college friend Rollin
Jackson. His first motivational
presentation in the Cayman Islands at
the Hyatt Regency Hotel was very
impressive and that set the stage for
future engagements in Cayman for five
years. He then changed the name of his
business to Motivation International, as
he then did speaking tours of English
and Dutch Caribbean beginning in St.
Croix in the US Virgin Islands and
ending in Aruba with much success.
He was called the Caribbean's Number
One Motivational Speaker by a group
of Toastmasters in Curacao and St.
Maarten.
It was during a real low point in his
life that he changed the name of his
business for the final time to the
Phoenix Institute for Positive
Development & Empowerment.
Finlayson, a deeply spiritual
individual, was taken by the Phoenix
Bird from Greek and Egyptian
Mythology, with this bird representing
being born again to the early
Christians. In 2008 he created his
current television show Dare To Be
Great which is broadcast in 22
Caribbean countries, in New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut, in
Ontario, Canada and in the United
Kingdom on CaribVison.
Local and international celebrities
have appeared on his TV, Former show,
people like US Billionaire Micheal V.
Roberts of St. Louis, Weekend Anchor
Neki Mohan at WPLG Channel 10 in
South Florida, Trina Robinson, Anchor
at NBC Channel Six in South Florida,
Bahamas Consul General to Florida
Rhoda Jackson, Shirley Gibson, Mayor
of Miami Gardens and Founder of the
Jazz in the