Speakers bring positive message to Lehighton students

The first week of school can be a time when thoughts and emotions are running wild among any student body.

Lehighton Area High School students heard a message of positivity and conquering conflicts on Thursday from a proven group of entrepreneurs led by Brad Modrich, the founder of CONFLICT, a motivational speaking company, and published author of “The Takeover.”

“We’re trying to get the students to know they can be more by doing more,” Modrich said. “The message we are trying to deliver is that there are four areas they need to focus on including exercise, self-development, work ethic and to live your life and experience new things. All of those things help you be the best version of yourself.”

Modrich is a serial entrepreneur who devoted his past 20 years to health and wellness as a vice president of LA Fitness, a national health club chain. He is a six-figure network marketer who decided to dedicate his life in creating future leaders with our millennials, empowering independence with women and to help people who have a drug addiction or criminal conviction get their life back on track.

Sue Howland, Lehighton Area High School principal, said the overall message is for students to realize that with hard work and determination, anything can occur.

“While obstacles such as poor demographics, poor decision making and life’s road blocks may deter you or get in the way if you reset, you have the ability to change and be successful,” she said.

Students heard Thursday from multiple speakers including Mark Joe, a business owner and certified personal trainer. Joe, Modrich said, did not have an easy path to his success. His passion for helping others was born in the darkest times of his life, and those experiences taught him no obstacle is too great to overcome.

A popular student and talented basketball player in high school, Joe quit the team, moved out of his parents’ house and began smoking and selling marijuana to try to make ends meet. He was eventually convicted on drug charges and spent five and a half years in prison.

“Me quitting the team and selling weed, that was an example of me just going with the flow,” Joe said. “I had no real direction. I didn’t know where I wanted my life to go.”

Now out of prison for a year and a half, Joe has turned his life around and aims to help others through his personal training.

“One of the biggest things I learned in prison is that you can’t just react to life,” Joe said. “There was a time when I didn’t believe that anything was possible and that you could be anything you wanted to be in life. After you take the time to sit and identify what you want to accomplish and where you want to go in life, do a little bit every day to put yourself closer to where you want to be.”

George “GK” Koufalis has launched multiple companies in the past seven years including direct sales, real estate investing, credit repair, fitness apparel and keynote speaking. In 2017, he published “The Dream Is Free, But The Hustle Is Sold Separately.”

After telling students of his days as a rebellious youth, including deliberately trying to get arrested so he could get out of his house, Koufalis spoke about using your energy for positive purposes.

“There is always someone who has the same situation as you that is turning it into something positive,” he said. “As a kid, I didn’t know about positivity. Nobody ever told me my mind was my biggest opportunity and my greatest demise.”

Students also heard from Westley Morris, who grew up around an immense amount of violence, infidelity, crime, drug use, divorce. After becoming homeless, hopeless and addicted to heroin, he began the process of change and today owns multiple businesses, and is a life coach, father, inspirational speaker, John Maxwell certified speaker coach and trainer.

“All four presenters today had similar stories, but different life experiences,” Howland said. “They learned through their mistakes, and overcame, and are now delivering their message/successes to students locally. They all felt, if they had someone sharing their “real” story with them earlier in their high school experiences the outcomes may be different. Each one of them has moved on to be nationally sought-out speakers, entrepreneurs, business owners through structure, sacrifice and hard work. If you grind it out with a passion and purpose, anything is possible.”