The TexTBook, I See Great People! With Video

As seen in Real Detroit Weekly Magazine on November 10, 2010.

“Terrance Burney sees in people what they often have a difficult time seeing in themselves: greatness. And, with much success, he is using a somewhat unconventional — yet popular — medium by which to convey the sentiment.

The 28-year-old Lake Orion motivator uses the text-messaging component of his Blackberry mobile phone to thrice weekly send inspirational and motivational missives to everyone on his contacts list. The messages are fewer than 138 characters and are sent out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

So, some guy is sending out motivational messages to his phone contacts. Big deal, right? It is becoming a significant deal, actually, when one considers that Burney’s contact list includes local and national celebrities, including several current and former Pistons and Lions players, as well as members of their coaching staffs. The Rev. Jesse Jackson pulled him on stage when he was last in Detroit, and Burney has been contacted by the creators of Detroit 1-8-7 for a cameo in an episode next season, where he will portray a motivational speaker.

His phone list contains the names of professional athletes anyone would recognize, right alongside the names of strangers Burney has never met, living in states and other countries Burney has never visited.

His list contains more than 3,000 phone numbers and each one receives a text. A recent one read: “The longer you wait, the longer you go without. When we procrastinate, we just waste our time. Get your GREATNESS.” Come in contact with Burney and you won’t leave without him saying, “I see greatness in you.” Talk may be cheap, but Burney lives and breathes his belief… 

Tom Gendich is the co-owner of Rochester Media, who is working with Burney to publish a book containing 30 of Burney’s most popular motivational texts. They are currently in the initial draft stage. Gendich says he heard about Burney while having lunch with former Detroit Lions defensive tackle Luther Elliss.

“We were talking about publishing a friend of Luther’s and he said, ‘I need to get you in touch with this guy called The TexTBook,” Gendich says. “Later that day, I called Terrance and we met a few days later.

“He is the same whether he is talking to Jesse Jackson or spending an hour with some homeless guys living down in a sewer. The message is the same regardless of who he is talking to. This guy is not out to make a million dollars. He is not out for self-promotion or running for office. He is literally out to change the world through inspiration.”

To see the full article click here , By Senior Editor John Horn

About Tom and Ann Gendich

Founders of Rochester Media. Looking to provide great local news to all people in and around Rochester and Rochester Hills. Send them a note at info@rochestermedia.com.