Former Mail Boxes Etc. CEO keynote speaker for Napoleon Hill Day at UVa-Wise Oct. 24

James H. Amos, Jr., the former chairman of Mail Boxes Etc., will be the featured speaker during the eighth-annual Napoleon Hill Day at The University of Virginia's College at Wise on Monday, Oct. 24.

The event is part of the College's annual commemoration of the birthday of Napoleon Hill, the Wise County native and author of Think and Grow Rich and other motivational books. Amos' lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Chapel of All Faiths.

A renowned franchise executive, Amos is past chairman of the International Franchise Association. Under Amos' leadership, Mail Boxes Etc. became a $1.5 billion company and the world's largest and fastest growing franchiser of retail business, communication and postal service centers.   In 2001, Amos was instrumental in orchestrating the sale of Mail Boxes Etc. to United Parcel Services, who subsequently renamed the system The UPS Store.

Chairman and CEO of Sona MedSpa International, Inc. since 2004, Amos is extending the franchise model to the medical spa marketplace. Founded in 1999, the Franklin, Tenn.-based chain of medspas and laser centers, has 25 locations open across the U.S. with another 25 under construction.

A former Marine Corps captain and veteran of two combat tours in Vietnam, Amos earned 12 decorations, including the Purple Heart and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.   He is the author of three books:   Focus or Failure: America at the Crossroads , The Memorial , and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Franchising .

A graduate of the University of Missouri, Amos was honored as the 1998 scholar-in-residence and received the university's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000 and 2003. Amos has been recognized in Marquis Who's Who in America , Who's Who in American Executives , Who's Who in Finance and Industry , Who's Who in American Authors , and The International Authors and Writers Who's Who .

Amos' visit to UVa-Wise is sponsored by the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Headquartered on the campus of UVa-Wise, the Napoleon Hill Foundation is a non-profit educational institution dedicated to promoting Hill's philosophy and "to making the world a better place in which to live."

Napoleon Hill

Hill was born in poverty in a one-room cabin on the Pound River on Oct. 26, 1883. From these humble beginnings, the Wise County native became an advisor to presidents and a best-selling author. During the early 20th century, Hill interviewed the nation's most successful business leaders, including Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford. From those interviews and many more conducted over 20 years, Hill compiled his eight-volume set The Law of Success , a collection of the philosophy of individual achievement. He later condensed his research to compile Think and Grow Rich , often called one of the most important motivational books ever written.

First published in 1937, Think and Grow Rich has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and continues to appear on the list of top business books. In this classic on personal achievement, Hill introduced the concept "whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve." Thirteen principles form Hill's philosophy of personal achievement including cultivating a burning desire, faith, and persistence in the attainment of goals.

Hill's writings are still must-reads for business professionals. His volumes have influenced many successful individuals including Mary Kay Ash, Wally "Famous" Amos, Bruce Jenner, Paul Harvey and Senator Jennings Randolph.   Hill's works are licensed for publication in a host of other counties including China, Japan, South Korea, Nigeria, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Croatia, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Other works by Hill, which are also still widely distributed, include Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude , How to Raise Your Own Salary , How to Sell Your Way Through Life , and The Magic Ladder to Success .

During the 2004 Napoleon Hill Day, the Napoleon Hill Foundation presented UVa-Wise with a $200,000 gift to endow the Napoleon Hill Scholars Program.   Established at UVa-Wise in 1997, the Napoleon Hill Scholars Program annually selects 10 outstanding business students to participate.   The students complete the College's Keys to Success course, which is based on Hill's business philosophy, and share what they've learned with students at area high schools.  

Additionally, the Napoleon Hill Foundation has given $200,000 to UVa-Wise to establish an endowed professorship in business.