Tamara's Blog

How to Become a Motivational Speaker in Three Semi-Easy Steps

Tamara — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:45:17 GMT

The question I’m most often asked is “How do I become a motivational speaker?” Often followed by, “Could you mentor me?” In this month’s blog I will attempt to answer these questions to the best of my ability. You know me-- I get to the point-- so please forgive me in advance for being astringent as iodine. It’ll hurt before it will help.

Here we go, Step One: Don’t do it for the money-- because in all reality you will never make your living as a speaker. I know that doesn’t sound like a highly motivational thing to start off with, but I’m just keepin’ it real. Do it because you want to add value to others. Let that be your sole objective.

Years ago a dear friend of mine came to me for advice about how to start a second career as a motivational speaker. He brought along a detailed business plan—and trust me, the man is a genius. If anyone could hammer out a successful system, it’s this guy. Now, five years later, my friend reminded me of the meeting and said, “You told me to be prepared to lose $25,000. I didn’t believe it at the time,” he said, “But you were right. I actually lost $30,000.”

If you have illusions of fame and fortune in the speaking business, I want to save you a boatload of disappointment. There are MUCH easier ways to get rich and famous! But, if you want to help others, inspire them, share your expertise, add value to their lives and have a lot of fun doing it— by all means, come join us! There’s always room for another motivator!

Step Two: Learn the Skill of Public Speaking. It is a sin to bore people with a presentation. Hone your skill at Toastmasters or by joining a professional public speaker’s organization. Add humor to your presentations. Use vocal variety. Study stand-up comedy. Move around on stage—but don’t pace back and forth like a caged animal. Memorize your speech. Don’t talk too fast. Use pauses for effect. Practice, practice, practice. Videotape yourself and critique it. Get the audience involved. Be passionate. Add stories and illustrations. Work on your delivery. And most important of all: Stick to time! It’s the mark of a professional.

Step Three: Volunteer for Everything. The paying gigs will only happen after you’ve paid your dues (or perhaps won a few Olympic gold medals, earned a Nobel Prize or successfully landed a plane on the Hudson)! In the meantime, volunteer to speak for free everywhere you can.

Although I’d like to take on more protégés, in this season of my life I can only mentor a few handpicked teens and young adults. My plate is full. However, you can have experts from every field of occupation mentor you from afar through their books, DVDs, and seminars. I’ve never met many of my mentors, but they’ve had a profound influence on me through their speeches and written works.

There you have it! If you’ve got the chips to ante up, this is the game for you!

July 2009: Summer Adventures

Tamara — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:58:15 GMT

As you can tell by my conspicuous silence, I’ve been super busy!

In between speaking all over the country and doing media, I’ve been enjoying a jam-packed summer with my family. Blaize just turned 11 and is currently doing inner city relief work with his youth group (pray for him). Our older son, Zack, just turned 16 and got his driver’s license (pray for me!). I’m already experiencing early empty nest syndrome! I’m counting the summers left with our boys and am determined to make the most of them.

Last month Peter took Zack on their annual father-son trip. They went to Africa and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. No joke. Previous father-son trips include taking the boys swimming with whale sharks in Mexico and on a zero-gravity flight with Astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

I started feeling a bit ripped off and thought… Why does Peter get all the cool trips with the boys? I’m vying for market share so this year I decided to do something wild on my mother-son trip with Blaize. Are you ready for this? I took the boy bear hunting in Ketchikan, Alaska! And horseback riding, and halibut fishing, and biked the Alaska trail! The picture above is me chillin’ while Blaize and our guide loaded up the boat before our hunt.

Now if you want to see the bear pictures... yes, both Blaize and I got a bear (mine was a 500-pound trophy bear)… you’ll have to friend me on Facebook and check out the Alaska photo album! By the way, I’m also on Twitter if you’d like to follow me there. I admit, I’m better at keeping up with my own life in 140 characters or less than I am at blogging!

Hope you are having a beautiful summer with those you love!

Tamara’s Blog: Failures of the Rich and Famous

Tamara — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 07:41:39 GMT

I normally write about motivation and success, but I’m going in a different direction today. Buckle up. You’re about to get the full tilt Tamara Lowe experience, which I’m always a little reluctant to let fly because, well, some people just can’t handle the truth.

Recently I’ve been barraged by inquiries from the media, seminar attendees, friends and family about the newest addition to our Get Motivated Seminar line-up: Olympian extraordinaire, Michael Phelps. Specifically, enquiring minds want to know, what do I think about Michael’s extracurricular activities in light of the now-infamous photo of him sucking on a bong? Hasn’t this guy completely discredited himself, disappointed his fans, and embarrassed the nation he represents? And is he still going to be allowed on our program?

The Get Motivated Seminar is known as the most coveted platform in the world of high-powered speakers. We’ve featured on our stage Presidents Reagan, Bush, Ford, Clinton and Carter as well as countless world leaders like Margaret Thatcher, Benjamin Netanyahu and Mikhail Gorbechev. Entertainment legends Charlton Heston, Christopher Reeve, Larry King, Bill Cosby and Johnny Cash have graced our platform. Sports superstars Mohammed Ali, Joe Montana, Mary Lou Retton, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Jeff Gordon and Hank Aaron have spoken for us. So have Rudy Giuliani, Colin Powell, Michael Eisner, and Goldie Hawn. The list goes on and on and on. And will we now allow Phelps to join this elite group?

Breathtaking achievements notwithstanding, even among the list of luminaries I just mentioned, foibles and failings abound. One of our speakers “did not have sex with that woman.” Another leader of the free world actually shot his hunting buddy. One of our speakers has had a most notorious drinking problem. And yet another has been married so many times he has permanent rice marks on his face! What do all great leaders have in common with everyone else? Feet of clay. Our superheroes are frustratingly, irreparably human.

Believe me, I am not minimizing the magnitude of what Michael did. It’s disappointing on so many levels. Michael says he regrets what he did six months ago and I’m sure he does. But you know what? I regret things I did today-- and it’s not even noon! Already this morning I’ve been impatient and sarcastic. I also intentionally broke the speed limit, bought an overpriced pair of suede boots and ate chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. I make errors in judgment on a daily basis. And in all seriousness, I don’t want to add to my list of personal failings a rigid, judgmental hypocrisy that can’t show mercy to those who need it.

In spite of our own weaknesses we each have an incessant inner critic that loves to pass judgment on others: I can’t believe she did that! What a jerk!... Why did he marry her? He could have done better... That fat boy needs to lay off the donuts… Where do they hire these incompetents? Truckload of idiots…

I’ve got an idea. Let’s press the mute button on the inner critic and show a little grace. Here’s a thought: How about we let the law of love prevail?

My 15-year-old, Zack, brought home a detention paper from school yesterday. Yes, my 4.0 student, star football player and all-around terrific teenager that I brag about in my book, Get Motivated, is being disciplined for disrupting his class. Zack and his friends kept dropping their pencils and shooting rubber bands. When I was 15, me and my friends were dropping acid and shooting heroin. No joke. I’m not excusing Zack’s actions or mine, nor do I believe that we should give everyone a Get Out of Jail Free card. Bad behavior should incur consequences. I’m just saying, most of us need compassion more than condemnation.

The incident with Michael Phelps was very unfortunate, and I don’t want to diminish its severity. Michael broke the law and exhibited bad judgment. While I don’t condone his behavior, let me go on record as saying that I believe in Michael Phelps. He has some lessons to learn, but I trust he’ll use the same motivation he has shown as an Olympic champion into putting this sort of problem behind him.

Undoubtedly detractors will read this blog and completely miss the point. Rather than quieting the inner critic they will unleash the beast and insist that all sinners must be scorned and misdeeds punished to the fullest extent of the law, lest anarchy prevail. I love critics. Their haughty verbosity amuses me. Grace I have, but I’m still working on the sarcasm.

Choco-blog: December 14, 2008

Tamara — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:00:00 GMT

So much of life is, frankly, mundane. There is traffic, the unloading of groceries, telemarketing calls at dinnertime, doing dishes, paying bills, spam, spam and yet more spam. To counterbalance the commonplace, we must occasionally indulge ourselves in the motivational value of life’s luxuries. Allow me to elaborate.

Ugg’s slippers: Like walking on a cloud.

A feather-light cashmere sweater: Like being hugged all day long.

And speaking of feathers, a goose down comforter: Toasty in the winter, cool in the summer.

A spectacular sunset: Proof positive that it is possible to be intoxicated by color.

A perfect day in the Caribbean: It makes you feel madly in love.

A perfect day snowboarding: Any day snowboarding is a perfect day!

I admit it; I am a fool for the luxuries listed above. They woo me. They make me glad to be alive. But what can compare with the delightful decadence of dark chocolate truffles? It’s incomparable, I tell you! But it must be dark chocolate. Milk chocolate is defiled and diluted, unworthy of consumption. “White chocolate” is a misnomer. Like Napoleon Dynamite’s ligar, there is no such animal.

My favorite chocolatier is a Belgian fellow in Abbotsford, Canada who produces the most breathtaking, mind-blowing combination of chocolate and Kyoto cherry rose, chocolate and ginger, chocolate and rooibas tea, chocolate and Arabic coffee, chocolate and cinnamon, chocolate and lavender… These truffles are as beautiful as they are delectable.

The outer shells are deliciously delicate and the fillings are like velvet and silk. I cannot explain to you how incredible these truffles are. Wim Tas is the name of the gifted artist who produces these little jewels. Wim was once the personal chocolatier to the royal family of Belgium. Now he is the best kept secret in Canada. His company, Chocolatas, can be found online at www.chocolatas.com. It has been almost two years since I have savored one of Wim’s tiny masterpieces. I lament my misfortune.

To console myself this evening, I had my second favorite truffles… from the new G collection by Godiva. They are a distant second, though still fabulous. The Salt Caramel is sensational and the island-inspired Tahitian Vanilla is sultry. To conclude my choco-blog rhapsody, I shall leave you now with three quotations about my favorite little luxury. Enjoy!

"Chocolate is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficent restorer of exhausted power. It is the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits."
- Baron Justus von Liebig

"Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it I wash my mouth out with chocolate"
- Charles M. Schultz

"Researchers have discovered that chocolate produced some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two, but can't remember what they are."
- Matt Lauer, on NBC's Today Show

The GET MOTIVATED Journal

Tamara — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:00:00 GMT

November 13, 2008

Yesterday we had an amazing GET MOTIVATED Seminar for 20,000 business people in Kansas City. What’s it like to produce such an event? Wonder no longer! Here’s a blog-umentary that chronicles the day’s festivities.

5:00 a.m. - I awake and look at the clock… Good! I’ve got another hour to sleep! I roll over. Wait. It’s seminar day. Where am I? Kansas City. Okay, it’s seminar day, but I can still sleep for another hour. Sleep… Sleep...

5:15- I look at the clock again. Just close your eyes. You can still sleep for 45 minutes! Ugh! It’s no use. Seminar day is just too exciting! I get up, dress, check email, and look over the day’s schedule. On the local news, television reporters are advising commuters about our event and bracing them for the traffic that is pouring into the downtown area.

6:45- As I’m waiting for the hotel elevator, I look out the window and see Get Motivated gridlock on the highway as far as the eye can see! Once in the lobby I spot our senior vice president, Brian Forte (who also happens to be my genius little brother) and Krish Dhanam, one of our morning speakers, having breakfast. I join them for coffee.

7:45 I arrive at the Sprint Center and am taken to my backstage holding room. Since I spend so much time in windowless arenas my room is laced with a few girly indulgences: candles, iPod speaker, electric foot massager, and a cashmere blanket on the loveseat. And of course there are the necessary electronics—portable printer, walkie-talkie to communicate with my staff, countdown clock linked to the stage clock so I can see how many minutes the speakers have remaining and a television to monitor the stage. I put on my headset microphone and then start organizing the speaker intros since I am emceeing today’s event.

8:00—The lower bowl of the arena is packed to the gills, but thousands of people are still streaming in to the upper bowls. My friend, Leon Patillo, former lead singer for Santana, bounds on to the stage to do a stirring rendition of the National Anthem complete with a fantastic display of stage pyro at the end. Next, I’m up—welcoming the crowd and introducing our first speaker, comedian and political impressionist, Jim Morris. Jim notices that I’ve stayed to watch his performance and addresses me using the voices of several of the presidents who have spoken on our Get Motivated stage including Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton. Surreal.

8:50 Introduce Krish… and start the back-and-forth sprint to my holding room that will continue at least 20 times throughout the day. I wanted to wear stilettos but I’m glad to be wearing sensible shoes today!

9:20- I give away a big screen TV for the door prize drawing, dismiss the audience for a 10-minute break… then run back to backstage to make sure the General is miked up and ready to roll.

9:30- Introduce Colin Powell, who is fine form, by the way—as cute and funny and inspiring as ever!

10:12 Introduce investing expert, Phil Town. More pyro. Fifteen foot flames shoot up from the four corners of the stage with a blast of heat that freaks me out every time!

10:20 Convene with the “Prayer Force,” a team of local folks who have committed to spend the day praying for our event. We have a Prayer Force at every Get Motivated Seminar. Over the past few years, more than 700 people have supported us in prayer at our events. The flavor of every group is a little different, but one thing never changes—I always enjoy praying with them and hate to leave! But after 25 minutes my assistant comes to whisk me away to attend to some minor crisis. My beloved Peter is in London today so the buck stops with me.

11:19- Next, my speech… I’m the emcee AND one of the speakers at today’s seminar. I do a sales training program based around my new book. There is a rhythm to public speaking that is hard to describe, but when you’re in the zone, it’s just intoxicating. The audience is brilliant, as evidenced by the fact that they laugh heartily at all my jokes!

I’m donating all the proceeds from my new book to 36 children’s charities and one of my charity partners is in the house today. Children International has brought a big group from their headquarters and when I mention CI from the stage a big whoop whoop goes up from them.

12:16 p.m.- I dismiss the audience for lunch and run backstage to film an interview with Coach Bill Self of the University of Kansas Jayhawks basketball team. What a nice guy! So humble and gracious.

12:45- Dash to my emcee room for a few bites of sushi before the beach party.

1:30- I’m on stage and the beach party is in full swing (no pun intended). Crazy KCer’s are dancing wildly around me. Beach balls are flying. Yeah, it’s fun! The winner of the Disneyworld vacation, by audience applause, is a handsome young soldier named Joe, decked in his army fatigues! The boy can do a mean caterpillar, but I think it was the handstand that put him over the top!

1:35- I introduce Bill Self to 20,000 screaming fans, “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, COACH BILLLLLL SELLLLLLLLLLLLFFFFFFFFF!” The music blares. The people cheer. No Bill Self appears. Instead my SVP/ brother comes running to the stage, “He had to go to the bathroom.” Dear God, this is “live television” and we can’t cut to commercial. Improvise, Tamara. Alright we’ll do the wave. Just as I get the crowd ready to do the wave, I see Bill Self coming through the speaker tunnel. Scratch the wave. Take two: “BILLL SELLLLLLFFFFF!” The crowd goes nuts, again. Sheesh!

2:00- Introduce Zig Ziglar, and his daughter Julie, who interviews her 82-year-old dad. It is sweet, moving, poignant. Zig is kind of like my dad too. I’ve spent 20 years working with him. He’s awesome, as usual.

2:36- Next up, my friend, James Smith, one of our business trainers. He’s got a rather abrasive sense of humor and berates the audience, lovingly, for thirty minutes. The more he spanks them, the harder they laugh. Gotta love James.

3:00- I’m writing a thank you card and wrapping up a gorgeous box of Gurkha cigars. I did the research—these stogies are rumored to be the best. And if the rumors didn’t convince me, the packaging did. Each cigar is encapsulated in an individual glass tube, sealed at the top with wax and gold foil. The Gurkhas are a gift for Rudy Giuliani who wrote the most stellar foreword for my book. In all honesty, I have never read a better foreword for ANY book. I’m honored.

3:20- Rudy loves the cigars! And he tells me again how much he loved my book. He says, “I learned so much—in fact, I underlined the whole thing as I read through it! It’s a really terrific book! It’s going to help so many people, Tamara. I loved the section on motivating kids too. I wish I had read your book 20 years ago when I was raising my kids!” What a dear man!

3:35- On stage again… “Let’s give a huge patriotic welcome to America’s Mayor…. RUDY GIULIANI!” Confetti cannons shoot red, white and blue confetti and streamers throughout the arena, the Mayor comes striding to the platform, the music is playing, “I want to be a part of it, New York, New York!” This is one of my favorite parts of the day! The energy in the room is electrifying! And of course, like his beloved Yankees, Rudy hits it out of the ballpark!

4:40- I introduce KC Chiefs Pro Bowl champion, Tony Gonzales. Oh, the ladies love him! Settle down, girls—he’s married. His beautiful wife, October—and their yummy 5-month old daughter—are on the front row! I interview Tony onstage and every answer meets with thunderous applause! Then we go backstage where I do another filmed interview with Tony.

5:29- SVP/bro Brian closes the show for me and dismisses the audience. It’s always a celebration following one of our events and our team is in high spirits. Brian and I hang around afterward to talk to a number of our staff members who are scurrying around doing the breakdown. We are blessed with such awesome people! I love these guys!

6:30- Back at the hotel, Brian and I have changed into jeans and are catching a cab to Bristol, one of KC’s fine restaurants in the Power and Light district. We are stopped by a big group who had attended the seminar… handshakes, hugs, and business cards all around. They had a great time and want to know when we’re coming back to KC.

7:15 pm- One of the nicest parts of my day is getting to have dinner and debrief with my little brother! I am so super blessed. I get to do work I love with people that I love. All that’s missing is my redhead!

So there you have it. That’s what it’s like to produce a GET MOTIVATED Seminar. It’s crazy busy, incredibly demanding and totally exhilarating!

November 1, 2008: The Balancing Act

Tamara — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT

So I missed a month in my blog (to be fair, by one day) but it’s got me thinking about this balancing act we call “life.” Last month, October 2008, was packed to the brim with work, family, fun, travel, celebration, crisis… all the miscellaneous pieces of life.

I began October in Colorado Springs with a group of dynamic, inspiring ladies that I have the joy to call friends. We had a three-day retreat in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I was played up, prayed up and pampered… and then I reentered the gravitational pull of real life. More travel, more speaking (last month I spoke to over 30,000 people in live seminars). My teenager is a football star, and I couldn’t miss a game. My younger son required casts on both feet—twice!—to stretch his Achilles tendons, so I had to take him to two out-of-town doctor’s appointments for that. And of course, all the last-second book stuff was hitting: final edits, marketing plans, radio spots, endorsements, foreword, magazine excerpts due. Then there was the 50^th birthday celebration of my beloved husband. Oh, and I preached three services at my church while my pastor was in South Africa. Did I mention that I still need to run a business in the midst of all of this?

It’s got me thinking about balance in life. How in the world can we make it work? Apparently, my husband has been thinking about the same thing. A day before the final edits were due for Get Motivated! my publisher, Random House, invited Peter to write a preface for my book. Rudy Giuliani has written a stellar, spectacular foreword for Get Motivated! I didn’t think anything could match that, but my beloved did it. Here’s an excerpt from Peter’s preface:

I have always been saddened when women attendees of our seminars tell me that they have been successful in business, but that they feel they’ve failed in their relationships. There is a certain expectation that our culture imposes on them, and that women place upon themselves, to be “Superwoman.” So many women have told me that they feel it’s an impossible ideal and that they struggle to balance career and family. And yes, it’s true that men struggle with a similar balancing act. Allow me to speak a word of encouragement to you: it’s not impossible. You really can find a happy balance in your life, and my best advice to you would be to consider Tamara’s example.

This is a woman who possesses not only a brilliant mind for business, but also godly wisdom, sincere love for others and a mother’s heart. She has devoted herself to me and our children while working tirelessly in our company, travelling and speaking-- and has still managed to find time for volunteerism, exercise, cooking, helping with homework, and the endless other demands of life. The fruit of Tamara’s balanced approach to life is seen in our marriage. It is evident in our children. And it can be seen in the countless lives she has touched. If ever there were an individual to model for success in life, it is the woman that I have the great privilege to call my very best friend and wife, Tamara Lowe.

Such a loving tribute, from such an amazing man! Coming from him, it is especially meaningful. I’ve never known anyone to work as long and hard as Peter does, yet I am not shortchanged as a wife, and our kids are so connected to their dad. It’s because, as my friend Ron Luce (Founder and President of one of my charity partners, Teen Mania) says, Peter takes time to “lean in” to our lives. And here’s just one small example…

Last night, after dinner, Peter produced two forks, a toothpick, a cork and a drinking glass for each of our children. He said, “Here’s my challenge for you: Make the toothpick balance on the rim of the glass. You must use the forks and the cork to help you-- but neither the forks, the cork, nor the toothpick can touch the table. And only the toothpick can touch the glass.” Twenty minutes and lots of laughter later, the kids were begging Dad for the solution (which you can see in the photo above). It’s not an easy puzzle to solve. And I think there’s a metaphor in there somewhere: to make a balanced life work… we all have to stay connected.

Your L- Factor: The Secret of Magnetic Appeal

Tamara — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Sarah Palin has it. So does Barak Obama. Politics aside, here are two politicians with an off-the-charts likeability factor. What is likeability? It’s that elusive something that causes others to be drawn to you, want to get know you, listen to and cooperate with you. Being likeable won’t necessarily get you elected to public office or help you land your dream job, but it sure can’t hurt! Here’s my take on the twelve key ingredients that I believe are guaranteed to raise anyone’s L-Factor.

1. Openness: People feel that you are friendly and approachable.

2. Humility: An unpretentious attitude. Even if you are in a position of power, you do not think you are better than anyone else and don’t demand special treatment.

3. Capability: You have specialized knowledge, expertise and the ability to take positive action.

4. Confidence: A calm assurance that springs from true competence. Confident people are not arrogant, but possess a freedom from insecurity and uncertainty because they are prepared.

5. Authenticity: Likeable people are the real deal. They are genuine and unguarded.

6. Concern: You really care about others, take time to listen to them and make efforts to help them.

7. Optimism: An ability to communicate the best possible outcome and inspire others.

8. Personal Connection: You make eye contact, smile, offer a friendly touch and connect with the wants and needs of others.

9. Generous with Praise: You make others feel special. You acknowledge their talents and celebrate their accomplishments.

10. Non-Judgmental: Even if you disagree with others, you love and accept them, without trying to change them or force your standards on them.

11. Integrity: People know they can count on you. You are a person of your word and do not compromise your principles.

12. Provide Real Value: You are a problem solver. You don’t simply identify challenges; you conquer them. You don’t just point out what is wrong; you add tangible value by offering solutions that work.

Brett Favre Addresses Packer Fans LIVE on the Get Motivated Stage, One Week After Trade to NY Jets!

Tamara — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Brett Farve

I just returned from our Get Motivated Seminar in Green Bay, WI… What a great event it was! Of course Green Bay is world famous for the Packers and their “Cheeseheads,” some of the most enthusiastic, devoted football fans in the world. Our Get Motivated audience in Green Bay rocked the Resch Center with the same intensity that they flaunt at Lambeau Field.

One of the highlights of the day, and the moment everyone was waiting for… was when I interviewed Brett Favre live from our Get Motivated stage! Last season the 38-year-old Favre took a Packer team that few expected to make the playoffs to within one game of the Super Bowl. As I’m sure you know, Favre came out of his 6-month retirement and, after 16 seasons with the Packers, was traded to the NY Jets last week.

As you can imagine, everyone in Green Bay has strong opinions about Favre coming out of retirement, the events surrounding the trade and the idea of Favre wearing a Jets jersey. But I have to tell you, Packers fans are a class act! When I introduced Brett, who appeared live via satellite from the Jets training camp, Green Bay rose to give him the longest standing ovation I’ve ever seen! It was a moving experience for everyone. Brett was clearly touched by it.

I asked Brett to talk about his favorite memories and the highlights from his years with the Packers. He spoke of winning the Super Bowl and starting in 253 consecutive games.

“But who’s counting?!” I said. The audience roared.

“Oh, I’m counting!” Brett said. “You can be sure of that!”

And you can be sure of this too, we’ll all be tuned in to watch Brett Favre make his Big Apple debut in the 2008 season. Especially Jets fans, who see Favre as the most iconic figure to don a Jets jersey since Joe Namath—and the team’s best hope to duplicate Namath’s delivery of a Super Bowl title…