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BE PART OF THE LEGACY

TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

This FINAL encore experience will be unlike any other. Because like everything we do, it's been "reimagined" from beginning to end. It's not a virtual or hybrid event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a symposium. And it's not your typical run-of-the-mill everyday event crammed with stages, keynote speeches, team-building exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and all the other conventional humdrum. Because it's up close & personal by design. Where conversation trumps presentation. And where authentic connection runs deep.

The Stool

–Stories From The Dirt Road

The August weather was brutal and out in the tobacco fields, the sun beat down on anyone in the fields without mercy.  At the end of the day, Daddy would walk up on the porch and take off his work boots, wiping them clean and putting saddle soap on them to condition the leather.  Mom would hand him out a pitcher of iced tea and a basin of hot water to soak his feet.  He gathered the children together, sat on his stool, and had us tell him about our day.

This was a special time for Daddy as he would listen intently, smiling, laughing, and asking questions.  We would all tell him our stories and you could see the weight of the day slowly slip away.  The pain would leave his face to be replaced with his big smile and the sound of laughter.  For us, it was a time of love, joy, and a safe place to rest after a day of hard labor.

The work on a farm was very tiring and demanded all you had to give and more.  Yet these few moments at the end of every day made it all worthwhile.  Daddy was always telling us that we were the joy of his life and that he worked hard so we would have a home, food to eat, and a life filled with love and kindness.  Even now as I live my twilight years, I still remember the time we spent sitting around that old stool being with Daddy.  I miss him and my time with him, yet I have never forgotten him and his kind words.

Larry Tyler
Larry Tyler
Awaken the possibilities … then unleash them. After 55 years of successful retail management, I have returned to my passion of writing. I write Poetry, Storytelling, and Short Stories. As a child, I grew up on front porch storytelling. I would sit and listen to my Dad and his brothers tell these great stories that were captivating, and I always wanted to hear more. I wanted to experience the things they talked about. I started writing at a young age and reading everything I could get my hands on. At twelve years old I started a storytelling group and several of my friends became writers or poets. At 16 I hopped box cars and worked the tobacco fields, orange groves, picked cotton, and spent many nights around a campfire listing to life stories. Someone once asked me why I wrote. It consumes an amazing amount of time and I assure you it is not going to make me rich. I write so that my children can touch and feel my words telling of the ones that came before us and the stories they told me. These are the chronicles of our family and even though they come from my childhood memories and are deeply rooted in a child’s remembrance at least they may feel what it was like in the time before them and cherish the things the elders left behind. I am a Columnist & Featured Contributor, BIZCATALYST360 and I have The Writers Café, a group on LinkedIn that features Poets, Writers, Artists, Photographers, and Musicians . On Facebook I have two groups and one page; Dirt Road Storytelling, From Abandoned To Rescue Dogs And Cats, and About Life, Love And Living. As writers, it is true that we honestly do not know what we hold within us until we unleash it. When our words inspire others only then will inspiration return to the writer. I will spend my twilight years in search of the next story, the next poem, and the next image. I will take the time to enjoy my Wife, our Dogs, and Cats, and our amazing new home and I will always find the time to walk down a dirt road I truly hope is that I never have to read another book on Leadership, be on a conference call or see another plan o gram as these were the tool for what I did in life and not about who I am.

DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE


5 CONVERSATIONS

  1. “This was a special time for Daddy as he would listen intently, smiling, laughing, and asking questions. We would all tell him our stories and you could see the weight of the day slowly slip away. The pain would leave his face to be replaced with his big smile and the sound of laughter. For us, it was a time of love, joy, and a safe place to rest after a day of hard labor.”

    This heartfelt extract touched my heart and triggered my warm tears, my friend! I love your Daddy without having had the privilege to know him in person, and I’m thrilled you had the chance to be raised in a healthy family system!

    Thank you for sharing this seemingly simple, yet marvelous and powerful story of unconditional love! I’m grateful for how you made me feel!

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