Jack Canfield

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Jack Canfield is an American motivational speaker and author. He is best known as the co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series, which currently has over 124 titles and 100 million copies in print in over 47 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.

Canfield received a BA in Chinese History from Harvard University and a Masters from University of Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitator, and a psychotherapist.

Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. The stated mission of Self Esteem Seminars is to train entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The focus of The Foundation for Self Esteem is to train social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals.

In 1990,he shared with Hansen his idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. After three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories.

Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN's Talk Back Live, PBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live and the BBC.

Canfield's most recent book, The Success Principles (2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2006, he appeared in the DVD, "The Secret," and shared his insights on the Law of Attraction and tips for achieving success in personal and professional life.

In the summer of 2004 Canfield founded the Transformational Leadership Council which meets twice a year, and allows thought leaders to network and support each other.

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[edit] Personal

Jack Canfield was born on August 19, 1944, in Fort Worth, TX. He is the son of Elmer and Ellen (a homemaker; maiden name, Taylor). He attended high school at Linsly Military Institute, Wheeling, WV, 1962. He went to college at Harvard University, B.A., 1966; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.Ed., 1973. Canfield married Judith Ohlbaum in 1971 (divorced, November 1976); he married Georgia Lee Noble on September 9, 1978 (divorced, December 1999); he married Inga Marie Mahoney on July 4, 2001; children: (first marriage) Oran, Kyle; (second marriage) Christopher Noble. He is a Democrat and a Christian, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar.

[edit] Career

Motivational speaker, author, and editor. High school social studies teacher in Chicago, IL, 1967–68; Clinton Job Corps Center, Clinton, IA, director of teacher program, 1968–69; W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation, Chicago, associate director of education, 1969–70; New England Center, Amherst, MA, founder and director, 1971–77; Institute for Holistic Education, Amherst, founder and director, 1978–80; Insight Training Seminars, Santa Monica, CA, director of educational services, 1981–83; Self-Esteem Seminars, Santa Barbara, CA, president, 1983–; Foundation for Self-Esteem, founder and chairperson of the board, 1986–; Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises, Santa Barbara, chief executive officer, 1998–. National Council for Self-Esteem, co-founder and member of board of trustees, 1986–96, member of advisory board, 1996–. Maui Writers Conference & Retreat School, faculty member, beginning 1996.

[edit] Transformational leadership council

The Transformational Leadership Council (TLC) was founded by Canfield in 2004. Initially he invited about 30 people to his house in Santa Barbara, California, CA, with the intention of creating dialog and networking among writers and teachers in the personal development field. The second meeting was at the ranch of John Gray in Mendicino County later in 2004. Since that time the TLC has met twice a year, in January and July, usually in fairly exotic resorts in the US or Mexico.

In the summer of 2005, at the meeting in Aspen Colorado, the film The Secret was filmed at the TLC meeting. Almost all of the speakers featured in the film are TLC members.

the TLC is a closed member only organization. New members are selected by being nominated by an existing member, and the entire membership then votes before the new member is accepted. the current membership (as of 2008) is about 100.

[edit] Board of Directors

Jack Canfield, Founder & President
Marcia Martin, Vice President
Marci Shimoff
Pete Bissonette, Secretary/Treasurer
Stewart Emery, Vice President
Raymond Aaron

[edit] Trivia

  • Married three times; current wife is Inga.
  • Has five children, including three sons, a stepson and a stepdaughter.
  • Named Outstanding Young Man of America, U.S. Jaycees, 1978

[edit] External links

Languages