Florence Littauer

She is one of the only a handful of women in the United States to earn both the CSP designation (Certified Speaking Professional) and the CPAE award (Council of Peers Award of Excellence) from the National Speakers Association. Littauer is in demand for church and business groups throughout the United States, Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand and has all available dates booked at least a year in advance. In addition to her speaking and writing, Littauer is also a business woman, the president of CLASS Speakers, Inc., an international organization which trains, promotes and books speakers.

Since 1978 when Littauer wrote her first book, she has written at least one a year with a current total of over 20. Her writing has been honored with numerous awards and many of her titles have sold over 100,000 copies with Personality Plus selling over 500,000. Her other popular books include: Blow Away the Black Clouds, After Every Wedding Comes a Marriage, It Takes So Little to Be Above Average, Your Personality Tree, Freeing Your Mind, Silver Boxes, Dare to Dream and one of her newest which is co-authored with her daughter Marita, The Personality Puzzle.

Prior to becoming a full-time professional speaker and writer, Littauer taught English, speech and drama on both the high school and college level. She graduated with honors in speech from the University of Massachusetts and taught at the University of Connecticut. Additionally, Littauer has professionally directed musical comedies, done fashion commentating for R.H. Macy's and was on the founding staff of the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut.

Florence and Fred Littauer have been married since 1953 and began ministering together on a full time basis in 1984. The have three grown children, Lauren, Marita and Fred. They reside in Lake San Marcos, California.

Littauer's versatile and energetic speaking style is appropriate for many different events. Her most popular presentations revolve around her best selling books: for seminars or weekend conferences, Personality Plus and Your Personality Tree; for a luncheon or other singular presentation, Silver Boxes or I've Found My Keys, Now Where's My Car. Additionally, Littauer and her husband frequently do weekend conferences based on Freeing Your Mind or their book on marriage, After Every Wedding Comes a Marriage. Recently they have added their new messages, Wake Up Women! and Wake Up Men! based on their books.

As a gifted Bible teacher, a dynamic communicator and a specialist at getting to the heart of human problems, Littauer gives practical and challenging solutions, and makes the whole experience fun!

Littauer has spoken for groups as diverse as the American Medical Association, Dental Conventions, Amway and New Image multi-level marketing rallies, Young Presidents Organization, women's business seminars, American Camping Association, and Underground Utilities Contractors. She is available to speak for a luncheon, a retreat, a business meeting, a national convention, or a church service on the topics which follow. Since Fred always travels with Littauer, he is frequently involved in the speaking. He can be included in certain sessions marked with if it is appropriate for the group.

Programs:

I'VE FOUND MY KEYS NOW WHERE'S MY CAR

This is Florence's hallmark, her testimony! Thousands of men and women across the country have laughed and cried with Florence as she has shared her life story. Using humorous stories she tells about her rise from poverty, living in three rooms behind her father's store, to apparent wealth through a Cinderella wedding that was covered by LIFE magazine. You'll struggle with her as she discovers that money isn't the panacea she thought it was. You'll cry with her over her crumbling marriage and the death of her two sons, a double trauma, resulting in double depression. Then you'll rejoice with her as you hear of the miraculous power of God's love in restoring a life and repairing a marriage.

An excellent choice for an outreach ministry, this message is especially effective for those women who have tried to make it on their own and have failed to find fulfillment. Florence's testimony is the basis for her ministry and is the best way to start a series, seminar or retreat featuring Florence Littauer.

SILVER BOXES WITH BOWS ON TOP

This classic message based, on Ephesians 4:29, shows how to speak words that edify, build up and minister grace to the hearer, and has become Florence's most popular presentation. Florence will inspire you to weigh your words as she teaches the value of encouragement through the story of her father who could have been a writer and her mother-in-law who wanted to be an opera singer. The examples are touching and the poetic conclusion is guaranteed to leave the listeners with wet eyes and a warm heart.

Select this moving message as a key-note address, a banquet speech or a concluding challenge.

DARE TO DREAM

Based on her book of the same name, this message will inspire the listener to new heights. First, they will learn to "dare to dream." For many who were told they would never make it and have never "dared to dream" or have been afraid of failure, this fear has kept them from reaching beyond their norm. Next, Florence will motivate them to "prepare the dream." Dreams are delightful but without preparation they are just a fantasy. Once the dream has been prepared we can move on to "wear the dream." But wearing the dream isn't just sitting back and enjoying it. While reaching our dreams is an accomplishment, we need to keep working to maintain them. Sometimes it doesn't work out as we'd hoped. What do we do then? It is time to "repair the dream", to go back and sometimes start over. Then it's time to "share the dream", to help others reach their goals and live their dreams.

Dare to Dream can be adjusted for a church service or a message to inspire Christian leaders by incorporating the story of the rise and fall of Saul.(I Samuel 8 and following - see "Changed by the Spirit")

BIBLE BASED TEACHING

Florence is a gifted Bible teacher who makes passages of scripture spring to life with new understanding. The following single presentations make biblical truths practical for our everyday needs.

AIM AND ACTION

This fast-paced message makes clear the aim of the Christian life and shows how to reach that goal. Florence shares Paul's plan from Philippians 3:10 to get to know Jesus, feel His power, share in His sufferings and become like Him. The action portion comes from Hebrews 12:1-2. Lay aside the weights, get rid of the sins that beset us, run the race with patience and look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Aim and Action is a challenge for all Christians and would be excellent as a final message in a series as well as a single presentation.

CHANGED BY THE SPIRIT

Since this is a versatile message on leadership, Florence can direct it toward the leaders themselves or she can broaden it to include everyone who is seeking God's call on their life. Using the story of Saul, I Samuel 8 and following, Florence traces how we, and he, are called by God, changed by His Spirit and chosen by the people. Weaving her own testimony throughout, Florence shows how we are committed to obedience but sometimes compromise our standards and, like Saul, build monuments to ourselves. This lesson explains how Christian leaders fall off their pedestals and challenges those in leadership to not abuse their call and fall like Saul.

HOW GOOD PEOPLE GET INTO TROUBLE

It is doubtful that any good Christians ever wake up in the morning and say, "I guess I'll go commit adultery." But many God-fearing people have already done it. God's favorite son, David, knew better, just as you and I do when we do something that displeases God and gets us in trouble. He felt guilty and tried to cover up his actions but God forgave, punished and blessed David in spite of his failures. The study of II Samuel 11 and 12 and Psalm 51 will reassure you of God's love, give you a more forgiving attitude for other "good people" who have gotten into trouble, and show you how to get your heart right with God.

"Changed by the Spirit" and "How Good People Get Into Trouble" combine especially well and would be an excellent teaching for a weekend retreat where biblical practicality and depth are desired and where a touch of humor is appreciated.

HOW TO GET ALONG WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE

Do you know anyone who is difficult to get along with? You may know of a handful or two. You may live with or work with one. Perhaps you are the difficult person. In any case, everyone benefits from this message based on Paul's techniques for getting along with the difficult people in his life as he shares them in the book of Philemon. You CAN get along with difficult people. Everyone who knows a difficult person will benefit form this topic which can be directed toward business, marriage and/or child raising.

MATURITY IS MORE THAN JUST WRINKLES

Florence has been presenting this message on maturity for over 25 years, yet it continues to be current and up to the minute in its impact. While she has constantly updated the examples, she maintains the heart message which is valid, timeless and convicting. Florence defines maturity and asks us if we blame other people, our circumstances, or our lacks in life for our problems. Do we rationalize, judge others or sit in self-pity? She shows us how to grow up, accept our responsibilities and stop making excuses.

A Bible study based on Adam and Eve can be a part of this motivating message when a longer time frame is allowed. The humorous stories that are a part of this message can be directed towards marriage and/or child raising.

Any of these single presentations can be used in combination with one another to make a complete retreat or seminar package. When selecting the topics which will best meet the needs of your group, it is suggested that you start with "I've Found My Keys Now Where's My Car" and incorporate "Silver Boxes" as either a powerful closing message or as a banquet presentation.

SEMINAR SUBJECTS

(Each of these presentations can be done in a longer time frame, from a half-day session to a full weekend conference. For a retreat setting, these seminar subjects may be combined with one or two of the single presentations.)

PERSONALITY PLUS*

This seminar is what Florence is best known for and is everyone's favorite. It is exciting, entertaining and educational. Each of us comes into the world with a basic personality that has a positive and a negative side, a "Personality Plus" and a minus. Personality Plus will teach you how to function in your strengths, not your weaknesses. You will learn how to identify the Popular Sanguine, the Powerful Choleric, the Perfect Melancholy and the Peaceful Phlegmatic. By learning the basic personality traits and emotional needs of the people you live and work with, you will be better able to make those relationships a "plus" and you'll even be able to get along with difficult people. Thousands of lives have been changed and marriages restored in the twenty-five years Florence and Fred have been sharing the concepts of the four basic personalities using hilarious examples from their own marriage, children and grandchildren. They know from experience how quickly you can change your attitude towards others once you realize that "just because they're different doesn't make them wrong."

AFTER EVERY WEDDING COMES A MARRIAGE*

Every year millions of dollars are spent planning the perfect wedding only to find out the couples aren't prepared for the marriage! It doesn't always work out as Bride's Magazine promised. In this seminar you'll learn what makes each of us think so differently through an overview study of the personalities and move on to other areas such as, How to be a Pleasing Wife or a Loving Husband, Meeting Your Mate's Emotional Needs, Healing the Hurts in Marriage and Communication: Creative and Caring. Whether your wedding is in the future or the distant past, you can benefit from this entertaining and educational seminar. As marriages everywhere are struggling, there has never been a better time to focus on this important relationship. Even good marriages can be better!

BLOW AWAY THE BLACK CLOUDS*

We live in a time of economic uncertainties, failing marriages, teenage struggles, loneliness, diseases and addictions. It is no wonder depression is one of the most universal problems today. Both the suicide rate and sales of mood altering drugs are up. Perhaps you, like Florence once was, are one of the many who are struggling to get out from under the black cloud of depression. Maybe you know someone who dreads the dawn of each new day. Is there anything that can be done to blow away the black clouds? Through the loss of her two sons, Florence was covered with the black cloud of doom and despair but because of the healing power of our God she is again able to face each new day with joy and promise. This seminar is for everyone. Presented with Florence's usual vibrancy and humor, it is a seminar on depression that won't depress you! First, Florence will share her personal battle to blow the black clouds away. She will help you through the steps that God has brought her and thousands of others through so you can see the sun again. The seminar concludes with guidelines for helping others who are struggling with depression. This is a seminar which will truly bless, benefit and build up the church, denomination or district that is interested in reaching out to those who hurt and equipping others to help.

RAISING CHRISTIANS, NOT JUST CHILDREN*

Based on her popular book by the same name, this seminar is for parents with children of all ages. By combining humorous stories from her own parenting years with practical teaching, charts and worksheets, and biblical guidelines, Florence offers guidance in many areas of raising children. Starting with a study on the personalities, you will learn about both your own personality, your children's and how you will interact together. Depending on the time allowed, this session can address family meetings and prayer times, household responsibilities and job charts, allowances and teaching children about money, making the mealtime fun, and discipline. Raising Christians, Not Just Children will answer questions and give hope to both the new and experienced parents!

Whatever the occasion and whatever subjects you choose, you will have a dynamic, entertaining and inspirational event! Copies of speech outlines, video and audio tapes are available for you to preview.