By Stan Albert

John Kanary was an unusual candidate for becoming an internationally known speaker. He is an enigmatic personality who has persevered through a mind-boggling illness. He’s motivational, inspiring and educational. I spoke to him recently in Stoney Creek, Ont.

Stan Albert: John, we’ve known each other since when, 1972?

John Kanary: I believe it was 1973 in fact.

Albert: We did some business together in real estate.

Kanary: You listed my home at one point, long before there was a Re/Max. I believe you were with O’Neil Real Estate.

Albert: You sold me my first photocopier.

Kanary: They were great days; I opened a business equipment company for eastern Ontario. We chose Belleville as our headquarters, and you and your company quickly became a customer.

Albert: Did you become the top salesperson internationally at that time?

Kanary: Without knowing it at the time, we were leading the world for the company we were representing. Because we were installing more equipment than they were in New York, they send out auditors to find out what we were doing. At that time Xerox had 85 per cent of the world market except in our territory. We had 85 per cent of the market. It was a simple strategy – my wife Maureen and I had an agreement, if I reached our goal by Thursday night, we went to dinner. If not I had to work that night. We were presented with the trophy in Barbados as the world No. 1 dealer in our first year.

Albert: When did you become involved with Bob Proctor?

Kanary: I was using the Earl Nightingale material at the time of building this dealership in Belleville. At that time, Bob Proctor, who was a vice-president of Nightingale, approached the manufacturer we represented (Apeco) using us as an example of the production we were achieving. From there, I started working a lot with Bob, and I want to make a strong point here, because I have many people approach me to tell me how much Bob helped me, and I agree he did so much to help me. However, when we started the Xoces Company, we used my company to fund the personal development company. In fact Bob moved to Belleville, and the first Xoces seminar was held in Belleville.

I have so much gratitude for what I learned, but sometimes I wish I had stayed in Belleville, Stan.  What is that famous line, “Success is wanting what you have”?

Albert: What was the format of Xoces and how successful was it?

Kanary: It was super successful! We could not keep up with the pace, and this is how I suddenly was propelled from zero to hero. Bob was simply overworked at the time, and I stepped right in to these programs with as many as 500 to 1,500 participants in each one. Every day, it was challenging, scary and inspiring at the same time. In New York City alone we had 3,000 people registered for a four-day program.

We worked with a specific philosophy that represented the name of our company as well, XOCES.  X represented the algebraic equation for what we believe is the power that is everywhere, evenly present in the universe, and within everyone. I am not referring here to intellectual intelligence, but something much greater. O represented this power, which has no beginning or end; it is perfect, and responds to our choice of thoughts. CES represent cogito, ergo, sum.  When Descartes, the French philosopher, was searching for a meaning to his existence, he described it, “I can think, therefore I am.”

So the name Xoces (the x is silent) came to mean, “I can think, therefore I am, one with this power that just is.”  It was a real motivator for many people to look within themselves for more meaning in life. Remember, this was not too long after Vietnam and the Watergate Scandal. The Xoces seminar offered a lot of value and meaning for people.

Albert: You have spoken to many corporations.

Kanary: We worked extensively in the corporate world with amazing results at times. Life insurance companies; airlines like Singapore Air; the National Hockey League; soccer teams, real estate companies; and yes, we even did programs in churches, mosques and temples.

Albert: You are a world traveler.

Kanary:  I am happy to say that has been reduced tremendously, Stan. I dearly miss the people in Malaysia, Australia and England, where I spoke at Oxford, which was especially thrilling because I would never qualify as a student there. Then there is Singapore, where I had an office up until last year. In fact, I have considered moving there.

Albert: What unique business courses for all types of business do you offer currently?

Kanary: The two major programs I do are Breaking Through Limitations and The Top Performer. However, the best thing is the Inner Circle coaching program. It is so important, and I am happy to say, not your standard coaching based on the narrow view ratios only, or someone who was appointed a coach yesterday. It’s about the value and meaning people want from life.

Albert: Do you have some special hobbies?

Kanary: My love and passion for karate is very important and I do it most mornings. I have held a black belt for some time, and it’s not about the belt, it’s about learning to work with your chi (energy).

Albert: What are your current plans?

Kanary: Working on my Inner Circle coaching, doing my seminar on the web and writing some new short programs to be presented through webinars.

Albert: And you have written some books?

Kanary: Yes – Breaking Through limitations and The Sales Pro.

Albert: What would you say in conclusion was your best achievement(s) and what could you pass on to the readers?

Kanary: People need to take a day, sit down and ask themselves three questions, because to succeed we must change and to change we must have something remarkably special to change for. Ask:

What is it that would give my life the most meaning and the most value?

What is the single obstacle that is preventing me from living this life of value and meaning? Don’t say it’s you. You know it is fear. We were born with only two basic fears – the fear of heights and the fear of loud noises. All the rest we learned and developed, which means we can overcome fear. By the way, fear can be very useful.

We must learn to be at peace with what we want and to be at peace with what we fear. I am not talking about being on our knees here; we are all driven by two emotions, faith and fear, by belief in ourselves. Any time you have a feeling of any kind, whether it is positive or negative, you have the choice of the kind of thoughts you can mix with your feelings, which becomes the emotion that drives you.

Albert: Where can readers get more information?

Kanary: I can be reached at John Kanary International Inc. 3916 Pleasantview Lane, Vineland, ON L0R 2C0. Phone 905-562-5244, Email jk@johnkanary.com. Our web site is www.johnkanary.com.

Stan Albert, broker/manager, ABR, ASA at Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. can be reached for consultation at stanalb@rogers.com. Stan is now celebrating 40 years as an active real estate professional.