It's the weekend, and at Surprise Central, that usually means a little whimsy in the postings, hence this addition to my unabashed "Media Whore" category.
Two weeks from today, I'll be packing for a two-city stop with the prestigious and mammoth Power Within series, where I'll be delivering a speech called "How To Do The Impossible." As the saying goes, "This Ain't Your Father's Speaker Series"; over 5,000 people are expected in Ottawa on March 6, and attendance can easily top up over 10,000 in Vancouver on March 8, where we perform at GM Place, the home of the Canucks.
I say "We," as the ad below shows, I am sharing the stage with some pretty high-powered, well-known motivators and speakers.
While I am more than ready, and can't wait to take on the challenge (FOPs will remember my "Five Meme" confession that I am much more at ease on stage in front of 5,000 than at a dinner party of five), I've been consumed with thinking of ways how to break the ice with each of my collaborators.
Jim Fannin and Les Brown will be somewhat easy. I've read the former's S.C.O.R.E. books on and have seen the latter at previous Power Within events. Same wavelength and real pros.
Kenneth Cole...another breeze. In addition to being an early fan of his trend-setting, socially-activist ads, I've spent about $50,000 on his shoes, clothes, briefcases, bracelets and the like over the past two decades or so. He OWES me some time. Maybe if I spray myself with enough of his RSVP cologne that I just got for Valentine's Day, I can hit him up for a sponsorship; you know the "When Speaking In Front of 5,000 people, Andy Nulman Wears Kenneth Cole" type.
As for Vicente Fox, well, this may be a bit more difficult. While I've been to Acapulco, that was about 25 years ago. Perhaps I'll ask him what it was like climbing pyramids with George W. Bush and Stephen Harper (in a vest!). And then there's that Tortilla shortage thing. Come to think of it, I hope he's at my table for the VIP lunch.
As much as I respect Tony Robbins, the father of the life-coaching industry, as much as I am impressed with who he has motivated and what he has built, the burning question in my mind is if he REALLY uses the ROM machine (that wild contraption above), as its ads claim.
These babies go for over 14 grand apiece, and claim to produce the same results of an hour-and-a-half running, lifting weights and stretching in a gym in only 4 minutes. Me being an obsessive workout rat, if Tony does give the thumbs up, I'm gonna do my best to finagle an invite over to one of his homes (particularly the one in Fiji) to try one out.
And then there's Suzanne Somers. This is sort of a homecoming for Suzanne and yours truly. About 30 years ago, when I was a kid entertainment reporter for the Sunday Express Newspaper, I had the chance to interview Suzanne, who was in town to headline a charity telethon (photographic evidence below; yes, that WAS my real hair).
At the time, there was nobody hotter in showbiz. She was the star of the "controversial" (at least for those times) sitcom Three's Company, and the dream girl of every teenage boy...of which I was an awkward one. Despite all the ingredients that could've added up to Diva-dom, she was a joy; open, friendly and made a goofy, uber-nervous kid reporter feel comfortable and important. I never had a chance to thank her for it...but will finally get it come March.
I'll have the laptop with me, so expect updates as they happen. Until then, I wonder if the other guys on the Power Within bill are stressing over what they'll say to me...