Curley inspires with life story
February 24, 2010
By J.B. Wogan
New: Feb. 24, 11:56 a.m.
In a rousing speech Feb. 18, City Councilman John Curley shared his personal Horatio Alger-like tale of a dyslexic college dropout who used people skills and dogged persistence to change the direction of his life.
An immaculate entertainer, Curley spoke with energy as he wove through a packed room, pointing to audience members and asking questions throughout the talk. The Sammamish Chamber of Commerce hosted the event at Bake’s Place at Providence Point in Issaquah Feb. 18.
Curley described several low points in his life — failing the fourth grade twice, cheating on the SATs, selling medical supplies and breaking chicken necks. But in a chance encounter with a man collecting toll money on the Ben Franklin Bridge between New Jersey and Philadelphia, Curley realized his worldview had been too narrow.
He explained how Robert (the man in the toll booth) took the time to memorize each driver’s name, something that compelled Curley get in his lane every Tuesday morning on his way into Philadelphia. When Curley asked why Robert memorized the names, Robert said it came down to one word: recognition.
The word “recognition” played a chief part in Curley’s story. Referring to the current Sammamish City Council, Curley acknowledged that he might not agree with every council member on every issue, but he recognized that they all share a common need to serve.
The talk was called “How to change your luck in seven-tenths of a second” and Curley said he changed his luck by letting people into his life and seeing them as something other than a potential medical supplies sale.
In being open to other people, you connect with them and learn from them, Curley explained in a later interview.
“You share ideas and they share ideas. It has an effect upon the direction of your life … in effect, it changes your luck,” he said.
Curley said he honed the speech over the last four years, giving versions of it all over the country. He said it was important to him to bust open preconceived notions of what kind of person ends up on television and to share his unconventional journey.
Dawn Sanders, a former president of the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce, had seen Curley give the same talk at a regional volunteer manager meeting in January.
She recommended that the chamber invite him to hear his spiel.
Sanders said she decided to stick around to hear it again.
“I almost enjoyed it more,” she said. “I really like what he said about making connections and really focusing on the people that you’re working with.”
Sanders added that she thought business owners struggling in a down economy might take inspiration from Curley’s rise from troubled beginnings.
Deb Sogge, executive director for the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce, said that business owners should take Curley’s message to heart.
“I thought that the one word, recognition, was really what networking is all about,” Sogge said. “If you participate, like going to functions where you can connect with people, then you build relationships and your business is going to grow.”
Several years after his life-changing encounter on the Ben Franklin Bridge, Curley became a weatherman in Grand Junction, Colo. and bounced around the country at various local television news stations until he landed his job at KING 5 as the host of Evening Magazine for 14 years.
He is now married with two children. Sammamish voters elected him to the council last November. He makes a living as a licensed auctioneer and is training for his second Ironman triathlon.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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