I’m one of millions, millions, who look for stars to arise, hit it big like a rock star,
oohhh millions, millions who play this game called life  – D-Vvine, “Hit it Big”

You’d have to have your head in the sand not to have heard about the Syrian refugee crisis. My good friend, who performs under the name D-VVINE (pronounced “Dee-vine” – and trust me, she is divine) knows a thing or two about living in crisis, having survived a civil war, leaving behind her whole family and coming to New York City all on her own, with no support.  A talented and very successful musician today, D-VVINE recently wrote a song about hitting it big that reflects the challenges she survived, a darkly humorous song that only a true survivor could sing.  Another line:

And I’m gonna win it, yeah yeah, a-ha, from a world of madness to something so divine.

Here’s D-VVINE’s video: D-VVINE – Hit it Big

Website:  www.dvvine.com

http://jazztimes.com/articles/123487-toots-thielemans-91-announces-retirement

Last year I discovered Beanitos.  These are a snack chip made entirely from rice and beans, no corn at all, and which have a mouth feel and taste that gives me the same level of satisfaction as a good potato chip.  Unlike other snack chips, these are high in protein and, if not as healthy a choice as an actual dish of rice and beans, they at least have gotten me, to a great extent, away from my potato chip addiction.  They are also pointedly free of GMO products, which is a big thing with me.

My favorite variety has been pinto beans with flax seed, which have a great texture with the added attraction of all the great benefits flax seeds are known for.  Recently, I discovered that I could no longer find this variety, but could only find “Simply Pinto Bean.”  Great, but just not quite as amazing as the ones with flax.  (Or as Brad Pitt might confide after a few beers, “Jennifer was awesome, but Angelina is amazing.”)  

I learned from Beanitos’ Facebook page that they reluctantly had to discontinue the product because the process of crushing the flax seeds sometimes caused problems with the product, to the extent that some of it smelled rancid, and their customers “overwhelmingly” did not care for this.  I had never encountered this issue, and the thought occurred to me that they could not have possibly sold out of every bag.  There must be some unsold product somewhere.  I turned, of course, to Google, and searched for my chips.  One after another, I found the chips seemingly for sale, but accompanied by the words “currently unavailable.”  Then I searched for companies that sold things like unsold stock.  Ultimately, I found one company that sold mainly wholesale, and apparently had the chips in stock, either single bags or boxes of nine bags.  I called them to make sure, and learned they had exactly ten bags left.  I ordered all ten for $37.19, including shipping..  

They arrived within a few days.  Usually, when I get something delivered that I bought online, I hear in my head the “Wells Fargo Wagon” song from “The Music Man.”  When the box came today, I did not hear this song in my head. Instead, all I could hear was my dad’s voice, saying, “What are you, meshugenah?  Are you out of your mind?”  Maybe, since I just opened a bag, and… feh.  They smelled stale, and were inedible.

I called the distributor, and they’re sending Fed Ex to pick up the rest of them next week. So I’ll just be out the $3.75 for the bag I opened. 

Next time I get my mind wrapped around something and I can’t let go, I will say to myself, Beanitos! 

Qualified entries only!  To win, follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/coachandrew), then send an email (coach @ andrewporetz .com) with the subject line “Put me in, Coach!” In the body, tell me that you believe you’re the 75,000th listener, your Twitter name, and tell me the name of the guest and something you learned from any show of mine that you listened to. 

The second and third persons to write in will each win a one-month coaching package.  But wait, there’s more!  I will also choose the person who writes the most insightful response to what they learned from the show for a one-month coaching package!

All others will receive an initial assessment and free one-hour coaching session and a 10% discount on all coaching services just for participating! The three winners also qualify for a 20% discount on all future coaching services.

To find my show on iTunes, you might use this handy short URL: www.bit.ly/coachescorner, and you’ll be taken right to the page.

To celebrate my imminent 75,000th download, I also have a contest going. The first person to write to me (at coach @ andrewporetz.com) and say “I’m your 75,000th listener” (along with the guidelines below) will win a full three-month telephone coaching package and assessment valued at up to $1,497!

Qualified entries only!  To win, follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/coachandrew) and check for my announcement that I’ve surpassed 75,000 listeners, then send an e-mail with the subject line “Put me in, Coach!” In the body, tell me that you believe you’re the 75,000th listener, and tell me the name of my guest and a short description of the show you listened to.  Most importantly, tell me something you learned from listening to the show. 

The second and third persons to write in will each win a one-month coaching package.  But wait, there’s more!  I will also choose a random person who wrote the most insightful response to what they learned from the show for a one-month coaching package!

All others will receive an initial assessment and free one-hour coaching session and a 10% discount on all coaching services just for participating! The three winners also qualify for a 20% discount on all future coaching services.

The clock starts the moment my show reaches 75,000 listens (as of April 10th I’m at 73,653, so it can happen in the next day or so) and ends when I have my first three winners, though any qualified entry before Memorial Day will qualify for the free coaching session and discount.  Good luck!

She told me about her six-year journey to create a movie about the power of meditation, good chunks of footage for which have already been shot, and she told me about her kickstarter campaign for this movie, called Naked Mind.  When I read the website and saw the trailer, I felt compelled to help.  With only little more than a week to go, I wanted to do more than give a small donation.  Of course, I invited her onto my Coaches’ Corner radio show on BlogTalkRadio.  I also offered some of my services to be given away as kickstarter perks.

Tune in now to Coaches’ Corner with guest Sarah Barab and check out her Kickstarter campaign at Naked Mind.

The truth is, the movie “Groundhog Day” is my muse.   Recently my friend Charlotte exclaimed on Facebook, “You must live 720 days a year!”  This was after I had spent the early afternoon sledding in Central Park with one group of friends, met Charlotte for an exhibit in Tribeca about the late Andy Kaufman, and had taken the train back uptown with her.  A mere hour after she got off the train for her stop, she saw my post:  “On my way to a jam session in Times Square!”  Charlotte commented, “But you JUST GOT HOME!!!”  I hadn’t planned to go to a jam session until a “last minute” invitation from singer-songwriter Emily Forst came my way.   My intinct told me to say “yes,” and then figure out the “how” later.

It all comes from “Groundhog Day.”  If you’ve seen the movie, you know that Bill Murray’s character’s breakthrough begins when Andie Macdowell suggests he uses his time to improve himself, and he takes this on with gusto, using what had been a terrible curse,  but now the incredible gift (with a new perspective) of unlimited time, and learns so many things that would have otherwise taken literally lifetimes to learn.  He has the time, and takes the time, to learn about everyone he meets, no matter how seemingly insignificant they might have seemed before.  He becomes an expert pianist, ballroom dancer, ice sculptor, linguist, even a doctor. 

Of course, this is just a movie, and even if it weren’t, I’m not the one trapped in a time vortex.  But it does make me realize how short life is, and how much it is incumbent upon all of us to live life fully expressed, as much as is possible. 

So I’ll continue saying YES! to things that either advance my purpose or continue my journey of self expression, especially if it’s something that can positively impact other people.  I’ll do this even if it means I get less sleep than I should.  Because the truth is, all the great things that have come my way and the amazing people who’ve entered my world have happened because I was willing to say yes (or yes/and, as they say in improv), and then do it, and just let life surprise me with wonderful results, which, like “luck,” are simply the residue of what happens when opportunity meets preparation combined with intent and action. 

Stay tuned for my article about the power of Yes!

Andrew S. Poretz CPC
Certified Professional Coach
New York, New York

August 6, 2012

Personal and confidential

Ziglar, Inc.
5055 W. Park Boulevard, Suite 700
Plano, TX 75093
Attention: Zig Ziglar

Dear Zig,

I’m reflecting on my life as I’m writing a book in the personal development arena that will be part-memoir, and I’m thinking of my personal journey that brought me to coaching and professional development. When I think of the initial match that started the fire, so to speak, I’m brought back to June of 1979. I was a failed college student of 21, and in an act of desperation, I had taken a summer job selling books door to door for the Southwestern Book Sales Company of Nashville, Tennessee. When I arrived in Nashville for a week of sales training, we were handed kits that contained, in addition to training and business materials, several books we were required to read, including “The Richest Man in Babylon,” “The Greatest Salesman In The World,” and “Think and Grow Rich.” At our kick-off event, you were our keynote speaker. By the time of that keynote, my brain was probably exploding from the very new and different information from the books and the training. I remember being mesmerized by you. “I’ll see you not just at the top, but over the top!” Your voice rang in my ears and my mind for months to come. Although the job turned out to be a bust for me, it was also the great beginning. This opening to the Law of Attraction, to the rules of success, to having an attitude of gratitude, eventually allowed my increasingly open mind to explore strange new worlds, as Captain Kirk would say. It eventually propelled me to a long and continuing journey into personal and professional development. I often listen to you on my Audible account. Today, people pay me to coach them. I have an online radio show that has been downloaded many thousands of times. I’m writing a book. While the journey has taken longer than I would have liked and I’m still far from “there” (wherever “there” might be), I’m also still standing, still doing, still striving, and still excited about the possibilities that life has to offer! It occurred to me today that I’d better make sure I personally thanked you while I still have the opportunity.

So, Zig Ziglar, I thank you for all you do, for the great legacy of your many years of service to the world, and personally for the profound change you helped inspire in me. You have my everlasting gratitude.

With best personal regards,

Andrew S. Poretz

Many of New York City’s parks, playgrounds and beaches were severely
impacted by Hurricane Sandy. If you would like to volunteer with NYC
Parks to aid in clean-up and recovery, please review the list of
parks, playgrounds and beaches below that are in need of assistance
this Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday. Click the links below to sign up
in your borough and be sure to check back for updates on other parks
in need of volunteers!

Bronx

Crotona Park (Wednesday)
Orchard Beach (Saturday only)

Click here
https://a002-oom03.nyc.gov/IRF/EventRegistration/RegForm.aspx?eventGuid=dc74aba2-09ad-4a4c-a235-964f654fc40e

to volunteer in the Bronx

Brooklyn (Saturday only)

Coney Island

Click here
https://a002-oom03.nyc.gov/IRF/EventRegistration/RegForm.aspx?eventGuid=f9b90bfd-67b0-45e5-bdbe-92b624c47d17
to volunteer in Brooklyn

Manhattan

Fort Tryon Park (Saturday only)
Harlem River Park (Saturday only)
Inwood Hill Park (Sunday only)

Click here
https://a002-oom03.nyc.gov/IRF/EventRegistration/RegForm.aspx?eventGuid=23c3832e-2581-46e2-9225-559de124f9cd
to volunteer in Manhattan

Queens (Saturday only)

Joe Michael’s Mile
Crocheron Park
Queensbridge Park
Astoria Park

Click here
https://a002-oom03.nyc.gov/IRF/EventRegistration/RegForm.aspx?eventGuid=82a57a0e-7ab8-4c9f-a7c0-f5499367a916

to volunteer in Queens

Staten Island (Sunday only)

Kaltenmeier Playground

Click here
https://a002-oom03.nyc.gov/IRF/EventRegistration/RegForm.aspx?eventGuid=1c0260f2-1b1d-4a31-b9de-7321c6adb1f1
to volunteer in Staten Island

This show happened by way of a great bit of timing, some major generosity on the part of Peter Shankman, and my willingness to make a bold request. On the morning of September 27th, I saw a tweet from Peter, saying, “OK, guys… How can I help you today? Whatcha working on? Whatcha need?” The mere fact of this tweet blew me away. Peter has always been an incredibly generous man, and he does not reserve his generosity for only his closest friends. I immediately tweeted back, “I need people for my radio show who ‘touch, move and inspire.’ And yes, you’re in that category!” While I was hoping he’d jump on it himself, I’d have been thrilled to even get hooked up with one of his influential friends to interview. Instead, Peter responded, “@coachandrew I’ll do that for you. Contact Meagan, my assistant…” along with an email address. THUD! And just like that, it was on. I set up the show with Meagan for October 29th.

A little history. I’ve been doing the show for several years, and have done about 85 shows, interviewing people who “touch, move and inspire.” The shows have run the gamut from your basic life coach, to spiritual coaches, to childhood idols, and even my own dad. I closely follow the stats provided by BlogTalkRadio for my show. For the first couple of years, a good result would be 300 archived “listens” (downloads or streaming plays from the site or from iTunes), with most shows only having a handful of live listeners, with 28 being my highest number. With the exception of one show, with Karen Monteverdi of GreenMountain Enrichment and Empowerment Center (who is now my own coach), which had over 2,800 listens, an exceptional result was anything over 500. In recent months, things have changed. Nine of my top 10 shows have at least 1,000 listens, with the 10th at 951. Going into last night’s show with Peter Shankman, I had one show over 3,000, and two over 2,000. I submitted the show to be a featured show, which I’d never done before. This was bold request number two. When I received a note of congratulations from BlogTalkRadio telling me my show had been selected as a feature show, I got goosebumps from head to toe. I felt like a minor league pitcher who just got called to go to “The Show,” the major leagues. I started promoting the show in the week before.

It’s showtime! Monday, the 29th, was no ordinary day. As it turned out, Hurricane Sandy, a/k/a Frankenstorm, had arrived. New York City was on lockdown, and by 8 p.m., there were millions of people without power. I hadn’t heard back from my last note to Meagan, nor had Peter responded to my tweets about looking forward to our show. I was getting nervous. I opened the chatroom 8:40, and launched the live pre-show feed at 8:45. Normally my guests call in about five minutes before showtime. At 8:55, I sent a text to the last cell phone number I had for Peter. No response — probably not his current number. At 8:58, I tweeted at him to please call in. At 9 p.m., the show started. I announced my name and the show, and that we were in a major hurricane, and we are waiting for our guest to arrive. I killed a minute or two talking about the challenges of the storm, and invited people to call and chat about the storm. I then decided to play a song, and I began to play a cut by Drew Gasparini, my guest of the previous Monday. A minute or so into the song, I saw my virtual switchboard light up with a phone call. The buttons to pick up the call hadn’t properly rendered, which I made mention of, and refreshed my screen. Thankfully, the buttons appeared, and I was able to bring the call on the line. It was Peter! I skipped my own introduction, since I can always edit this in, introduced Peter, and away we went for the next 55 minutes, during which time we were both jarred by blasts of wind from Sandy, explosions, and the word that he might imminently lose his power.

It felt like a really good show, and my post-show feedback from my coach and from others was quite good. Then I went to look at the early numbers, which would include only the live listens at that time. What I saw made me literally rub my eyes. I even logged off and logged back in, to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. I had a total of 810 live listeners! This by itself made this a top 20 show. As the night went on, I’d check back to see how the archive shows were going. It was like watching an odometer on fast forward, with something like 150 every four or five minutes. By the time I’d gone to bed, it was nearly 4,000. A mere 25 hours after the show, my tally is 7,889 — and this is over 400 more than it was when I started the article 20 minutes ago!

There are lessons here. First, be bold! As William Hutchinson Murray famously said, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” Second, think big! We all have to start with the first steps. Eventually, we can take bigger and bigger steps. My dream guests include Anthony Robbins, Oprah Winfrey, Howard Stern, Jack Canfield and Sir Richard Branson. It may not happen tomorrow, but it will happen. The third? Have an attitude of gratitude! One of the things I’ve learned from following Peter Shankman over the years is to do nice things for people, and to be grateful and humble. And to wear a Scottevest. I will never forget this wonderful gesture, and I know I will pay it forward. Thanks, Peter!

Listen to the show here: Coaches’ Corner with Coach Andrew Poretz and guest Peter Shankman