When I sat down with Ace Curtis who is a certified life coach, motivational speaker, and longtime business builder I didn’t just hear a story of success.
I heard the raw, humbling, messy story behind it.
This is a story every entrepreneur, leader, military veteran, and investor needs to hear. Because too often, we think:
If I hit a wall, maybe I’m not meant for this.
But Ace?
He proved the opposite.
TEST: What did Ace try?
Ace wasn’t chasing fame or followers.
Coming out of the pandemic, he was chasing growth.
Not just reading books, but living them.
He dove into the work of Les Brown, Myron Golden, Tony Robbins, and Natasha Graziano.
And then he asked himself:
What if I turned all this into something practical? What if I built a process that helped other people?
He pulled from his deep background in coaching, talent development, and business strategy and decided to step on stage.
FAIL: What happened?
First live keynote.
Ace blanked.
Froze on stage.
In front of 300 people.
Not once.
Twice.
He’d done panels, Zooms, corporate talks, business presentations.
But speaking alone on a stage, without visual aids, under the lights was a whole different beast.
LEARN: What did he discover?
Ace realized: motivational speaking isn’t a side hustle.
It’s a business.
“It’s on par with entrepreneurship. There’s investment. There’s skill. There’s coaching, community, networking, craft, and constant refinement.”
He also realized:
The real challenge wasn’t the audience.
It was himself.
His preparation.
His mindset.
His willingness to fail publicly and come back stronger.
GROW: What changed?
Ace got smarter.
He started connecting with people who’d walked the road before.
He asked better questions, not just “how do you get booked?” but
“How did you build credibility? How did you navigate the failures?”
He refined his message.
He built artifacts acronyms like MINDSET:
Mentality to take the Initiative toward a New Determination that Shifts your Execution Today
He shifted from “giving a talk” to building a movement.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU
Because you’ve probably hit your own brick wall.
And you’re wondering:
Is this a sign I should stop?
Ace wants you to hear this loud and clear:
DON’T QUIT.
He quotes the late Randy Pausch, who delivered his legendary “Last Lecture” before dying of cancer at 47:
“The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. They’re not there to stop us. They’re there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.”
YOUR ACTION STEP TODAY
- Name your brick wall.
- Ask: Am I being blocked, or am I being tested?
- Make a promise to yourself. And as Kobe Bryant said:
“Rest at the end, not in the middle.”
THE BIG PROMISE
When you stop seeing failure as the end and start seeing it as data you unleash potential you didn’t know you had.
You don’t just improve your business.
You transform yourself and the people you lead, serve, and love.
WANT ACE TO SPEAK TO YOUR ORGANIZATION?
If you’re looking for a keynote speaker or coach to fire up your team and help them turn obstacles into fuel, reach out to Ace Curtis:
Instagram: Ace Curtis
DM him directly Ace is actively booking for 2025/2026 events and private coaching.
Final thought:
You are worth the commitment.
Keep your promise to yourself.
Rest at the end, not in the middle.
Keep Building,
Adam House Sr.
Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick®
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