Jay Coughlan
Former CEO of Lawson Software and XRS Corporation, Author
Jay Coughlan has been a CEO, a keynote speaker, and a mentor to aspiring business leaders. He is also a convicted felon, and has spent time in prison. During this dark part of his life, he began developing a framework for dealing with the troubles that life inevitably brings.
Jay uses lessons gleaned from his own missteps to help change the paths of individuals and organizations. He has captured the energy from his true passion and combined it with his experience as a chief executive, creating TruBalanced™: Building Better Business Leaders. His book, Five Bold Choices: Rise Above Your Circumstances and Redefine Your Life, co-authored with Larry Julian, was released in 2017.
The Power of Choices
Life happens. We make mistakes. We get derailed from our dreams and aspirations. The real danger comes when we lose heart. We lose our inspiration to learn, grow, and become the person we are destined to be. We grow comfortably numb. We drift. Each one of us is faced with defining moments in our life although we may not understand the impact of those moments at the time. Jay helps shine a light on these moments into choices that will bring a stronger clarity, balance and purpose to our lives.
Accidental Faith
Jay and his dad were not just father and son. They were best friends. They enjoyed a lot of things and liked to do them together. Like hunting. And drinking. While returning home from a hunting trip with his dad in 1998, Jay lost control of his car and slammed into a moving train. Jay was thrown from the car, unconscious, barely alive. His father was dead. As Jay describes it, he entered the deepest darkest reaches of hell on earth.
His climb out is a story of finding faith. In Accidental Faith, Jay describes how adversity brought him a sense of fulfillment unlike anything he had experienced. We learn how the tragedies we all face can be turned into sources of energy and motivation rather than burdens and guilt. It is a compelling story about finding faith, focus and hope.
Convict To CEO
Everyone has heard about CEO’s who have become convicts. Jay Coughlan is a convict who became a CEO. After being convicted for vehicular manslaughter, Jay describes how he was able to continue his career at Lawson Software commuting each day from his jail cell to the office. It’s a story about perseverance and achieving against the odds. By understanding the power of choice, each of us can create a clear and compelling purpose that provides unstoppable motivation.