Denis E. Waitley (born 1933), was an American

motivational speaker A motivational speaker (or inspirational speaker) is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speakers may attempt to challenge or transform their audiences. The speech itself is popularly known as a pep ta ...

, writer and

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. He has been recognized as the best-selling author of the audio series, ''The Psychology of Winning'' and books such as ''Seeds of Greatness'' and ''The Winner's Edge''. Waitley has been inducted into the International Speakers' Hall of Fame. Denis passed away on June 7th 2025.

Early life and education

Waitley was born in San Diego, California. His mother was a factory worker and his father worked in a warehouse, after serving during World War II. Waitley's parents divorced when he was ten and he had little contact with his father thereafter. He attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and became a naval aviator after graduation. Waitley received a Bachelor of Science from the Naval Academy.

Career

After leaving the navy, Waitley became a financial public relations representative for an electronics company. Later, he was offered a job by

Jonas Salk Jonas Edward Salk (; born Jonas Salk; October 28, 1914June 23, 1995) was an American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. He was born in New York City and attended the City College of New ...

to be a fundraiser at the

Salk Institute for Biological Studies The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is a scientific research institute in the La Jolla community of San Diego, California. The independent, non-profit institute was founded in 1960 by Jonas Salk, the developer of the polio vaccine; among th ...

. In 1976, Waitley recorded some of the audiotape that would become ''The Psychology of Winning'' at a local church. He released the audio program in 1978, which has sold more than 2 million copies and generated $100 million in sales. During the 1980s through the 2000s, Waitley released more than 15 books such as ''Seeds of Greatness'', ''The Winner's Edge'' and ''Empires of the Mind''. In 2007, Waitley announced his retirement from the

board of directors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

of Usana after Usana found that contrary to his claims, Waitley did not hold a

graduate degree Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor ...

from the US Navy, and that Waitley's Ph.D. credentials were similarly unverifiable. Waitley was also a founding member of the National Council for Self-Esteem and a former chairman of psychology for the U.S. Olympic Committee's Sports Medicine Council.

Selected bibliography

Waitley has authored 16 books and has released more than 10 best-selling audio programs. *''The Psychology of Winning'' (1979) *''Seeds of Greatness'' (1983) , *''The New Dynamics of Winning: Gain the Mind-Set of a Champion for Unlimited Success in Business and Life'' (1993) *''The Dragon And The Eagle'' *''Safari to the Soul'' (2004) *''The Seeds of Greatness Treasury'' *''The Psychology of Winning for Women'' (1999) *''Being the Best'' (1987) *''The Winners Edge: The Critical Attitude of Success'' (1985) *''The Joy of Working'' (1986) *''The New Dynamics of Goal Setting: Flextactics for a Fast-changing World'' (1996) *''Psychology of Success: Developing Your Self-esteem'' (1996) *''Quantum Fitness: Breakthrough to Excellence'' (1986) *''Empires of the Mind: Lessons to Lead and Succeed in a Knowledge-based World'' (1995)

References

External links

*
Waitley other website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waitley, Denis 1933 births Living people American motivational writers American motivational speakers Audiobook narrators Business speakers American self-help writers Popular psychology writers People associated with direct selling