Todd Speciale: From Street Gambler to Successful Entrepreneur and Leadership Expert

Todd Speciale, a renowned sales and leadership trainer, has had a unique journey to success. Born in upstate New York, Speciale moved to Missouri for a few years before settling in Florida in 1998. Despite his humble beginnings, Speciale has always been driven by his love for his family and a desire to make his father proud.

Speciale’s journey began at the age of 15, when he began knocking on doors selling vacuum sweepers to make money. However, it wasn’t until he stumbled upon a pool hall at the age of 16 that his life truly changed. Intrigued by the gambling and negotiation tactics he witnessed, Speciale began to watch players for hours on end. Eventually, he picked up a pool stick and began to play himself, going on to win multiple tournaments and making a name for himself in the streets.

As his reputation grew, Speciale began to branch out into other games such as cribbage, tonk, pinochle, and gin to continue earning money. Gambling became a lifestyle for Speciale, and he eventually became the youngest district sales manager for a large jewelry organization in Florida.

In 2003, Speciale saw an opportunity in the poker craze and began running games out of his home. This led to him renting out penthouses for games and eventually quitting his retail job to focus on poker full-time. However, after being robbed three times at gunpoint, Speciale decided to leave the street life behind and go legit. He got his real estate license and entered the world of timeshare sales.

Today, Speciale is one of the top sales and leadership trainers in the world, running his own consulting firm, Make Sales Great Again. He has spoken on stage with notable figures such as Ashton Kutcher, Jack Canfield, and Les Brown, and is a 2x best-selling author with his third book set to release worldwide in 2023.

Speciale’s mission is to teach people to sell and lead the right way, emphasizing the importance of culture in success. He is also a philanthropist and Christian, and continues to change lives through his voice and teachings. You can follow him on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Clubhouse, Twitter, and check out his websites www.msgaconsulting.com, www.toddspeciale.com, www.gutcheckuncut.com.