Racine Wis. resident facilitates Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking seminars throughout Southeastern Wisconsin

By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

For 33 years, Wayne Spaulding of Racine, Wis. was a smoker with a two-pack-a-day habit that he could not control.

Despite trying various methods to quit, none of them worked. Spaulding feared he would never break free of the smoking addiction that was holding him down.

Just when he thought there was no way out, Spaulding picked up a book titled “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking” by Allen Carr. After reading Carr’s best-selling book, Spaulding stopped smoking for good in September 2014.

The book changed his life in such dramatic fashion, that Spaulding found himself driven by the possibility of sharing his pathway to success with others. Four months after reading Allen Carr’s book, Spaulding traveled to Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking headquarters in London, England which resulted in his becoming the program’s first franchise owner in the United States.

“While I had stopped smoking by reading the book, I found out that there were Allen Carr Easyway to Stop Smoking seminars held in 50 different countries throughout the world where facilitators worked directly with smokers to help them quit,” Spaulding said. “I was so struck by the impact the book had made on me, that I was drawn to do more. I found out that the only seminars in the United States were in New York and Los Angeles.

“When I saw that, I felt there was an opportunity to expand the program’s reach and I believed that I was the person to help do just that,” he said. “I contacted the company and they told me that they were just about to start offering franchise ownership opportunities in the United States. I had already been looking at changing careers and I felt this was the perfect fit for me.”

After completing a series of training sessions in London, Spaulding has been serving as the facilitator at Allen Carr Easyway to Stop Smoking seminars throughout the Southern Wisconsin.

The six-hour seminars are designed to eliminate the fear smokers have about quitting, while pulling back the curtain on the many illusions about smoking.

“Smokers know all the reasons why they shouldn’t smoke, so the seminars don’t particularly get much into all of those negative aspects of it,” Spaulding said. “Instead, our seminars focus on why smokers continue to smoke, despite the overwhelming reasons to the contrary. We do about this through a combination of insight, common sense and a light relaxation exercise. We don’t use any drugs, gimmicks or tricks.

“We keep everyone engaged and explain that they really aren’t giving up anything,” he said. “We talk about the many illusions of smoking, including the one that smoking relieves stress. It really doesn’t do that at all. Non-smokers are actually less stressed than smokers. The physical side of Nicotine addiction is fully addressed but is only 5 percent of the problem. The other 95 percent is all in the head of the smoker. That is what I deal with in the seminar.”

While Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking offers a full money-back guarantee, Spaulding says 90 percent of seminar attendees never bother to inquire about this option.

“The success rate is very impressive among those that attend a seminar,” Spaulding said. “There have been sessions where 9 of the 10 people in attendance quit for good and our overall success rate after one year is well over 50 percent.

“However, I’ve found that the issue with attracting smokers is that they feel anxious, even fearful about quitting,” he said. “Virtually all of them want to quit, but just not today. There is always a reason not to do it. When a person makes the decision to attend a seminar, that is really the biggest step. Once they do that, they are already well on their way. If the seminar goes well, the person will leave with no desire or need to smoke ever again.”

For those that need a bit of extra assistance, up to two free back-up seminars are available.

“If someone struggles after taking the seminar, we do offer back-up seminars that with a bit of a different focus usually work” Spaulding said. “Four of five people that attend the second seminar quit and do not go back to smoking.”

Spaulding is also engaging corporate clients, which have plenty to gain from embracing Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking program.

“The corporate client aspect of the seminar program is very intriguing,” Spaulding said. “As a franchise owner, I am just beginning to explore this part of it and it is really a win-win proposition for employees and employers. There is really no downside to it. I am really excited about the possibilities of making a positive impact in workplace environments.”

To contact Wayne Spaulding about attending an upcoming Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking Seminar, call 262-770-1260, email wayne@easywaywisconsin.com, visit www.easywaywisconsin.com or www.us.allen.carr.com.

Additional information can be found on the Easyway Wisconsin Facebook page.