John S. Wolfe

Nine speakers shared wisdom and advice with 10,000 people Feb. 4 at Jobing.com Arena. Here’s an opinion on how they ranked:

1. Phil Town: The investor/author offered advice for the small investor. With corporations, fund managers and pensions controlling 85% of Wall Street’s volume, the “little guy” has some odds stacked against him. But Town explained that information available on the Internet can give individuals an advantage — by alerting them to changing stock positions held by the “big guys,” who are forced to spread out buys and sells over 6 to 8 weeks to avoid attention.

2. Steve Forbes: The lone voice in the wilderness pounded two themes: All of this printing of money by the federal government is doing serious harm to the U.S. dollar; it needs to be strengthened and stabilized before something really bad happens; and Americans are overtaxed. Even though the feds and states and cities are crying about problems — and tax increases to pay for them — Forbes read off a litany of taxes everyone pays everyday, like sales taxes, utility and phone taxes, and business taxes. Trying to beat the income tax is a waste of time and resources; he wants a simple 17% flat tax.

3. Kurt Warner: The retiring Cardinals quarterback kicked off the event with a noteless presentation recounting the challenges he faced to start a pro career and the role of faith in his life. He was funny, describing his competitiveness in playing video games with his 6-year-old. His takeaway message: Don’t settle for “good enough.” Aim for perfection and, when you fail, you’ll simply be great.

4. Zig Ziglar: The legendary motivational speaker made an appearance with his daughter. Though 83 and still suffering the effects of a recent fall, he shared a few words about his 63-year marriage to “the redhead,” his name for wife Jean, and noted that she “always told me she believed in me.” A video montage of stories he told over the last 40 years was played.

5. Rudy Giuliani: The mayor of New York talked about the challenges of 9/11 and the importance of plugging into the Information Age. He kept things simple: read, listen to others’ stories, debate issues with people with alternative views, write down your thoughts, and set aside time to think.

6. Laura Bush: The former first lady recapped the eight years she and her husband spent in the White House. She lauded “W” for doing what he thought was right for the country. She used the ceremonial first pitch he threw in Game 3 of the 2001 World Series to convey that each of us should challenge ourselves, even if we run the chance of failing or being humiliated.

7. James Smith: Admittedly a bit abrasive and candid, Smith explained how to achieve financial success through “gaming” the system. He noted that, especially in Arizona, there are incredible buys available in real estate — if one knows about foreclosures, tax liens, probate, DEA confiscations, HUD rules, VA programs, and the tax code. He advised women and minorities to start a business, even if they already have a job, because the government is giving away funds.

8. Tamara Lowe: The event organizer, with her husband, Peter, Tamara’s talk was geared toward sales people and office dynamics. She described each person’s unique DNA — drives, needs and awards — and how different approaches are needed to communicate with them. Presentation was a bit heavy with photos of Tamara with celebrities, and a bit too religious for some tastes.

9. Colin Powell: One keeps hoping that the former Secretary of State will take a stand on issues of the day, instead of simply falling back on platitudes. For most of his talk — the last of the day — he described how he misses things like his 757 jet and a suite at the Waldorf in New York City. In this era, it looks whiny and superficial. His best point was that the United States is unique in the world in its embrace of diverse ethnicities, and that bringing immigrants into the country makes us stronger.

10. Steve Nash: Two-time MVP Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns appeared in a Q-and-A video on the big screen after Powell’s speech. Unfortunately, the questions weren’t interesting and his responses were vague.