Archived February, 2011

The Highest Praise: Recognition from One’s Peers

Monday, February 28th, 2011

 

Steve-Weber-Forrest-Gump-Awards

Steve with his 3rd place Vegas Tribute Idol statue and his Best Actor Reel Award

 

Last week I attended the 11th Annual Celebrity Impersonators Convention (CIC) in Las Vegas. It’s the event started by Janna Joos that brings together look-alikes, celebrity impersonators, tribute artists, agents, and producers from all over the world. Attending has become an important part of my year as I renew friendships, make new friends, and learn from the other professionals in this lively and always interesting business.

 

For more details about Janna, the CIC, and the impersonator/entertainment business, please read last year’s “Report from the CIC”.  And if you don’t already know, read about the differences between a tribute artist, a celebrity impersonator, and a look-alike.

 

In 2007, the CIC joined with The Reel Awards, giving tribute artists and look-alikes two great events in one amazing place. The recently renovated Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas was a fantastic venue for both of this year’s events. We all had the chance to perform on the Gordie Brown Theater stage. The 20th Annual Reel Awards show featured singing, comedy, impressions, and celebrity impersonators. Seeing the best of the best on a single stage is both an entertainment treat and a ‘how to’ lesson for any first-time attendees. The Reel Awards is the Academy Awards for the best lookalikes and tribute artists in the business!

 

Guess what? I was fortunate enough to be honored with awards at both the CIC and the Reel Awards. Here are the details.

 

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A Visit with an Old Friend … 24 Years Later

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

 

Ricardo Levy's book: Letters To A Young Entrepreneur

Ricardo Levy's book: Letters To A Young Entrepreneur

On Monday I met with an old friend for breakfast. It had been 24 years since we last saw each other.

 

Thirty years ago, I moved from Pennsylvania to California. I needed a job and was hired by small entrepreneurial chemical research group. The name of the company was Catalytica, and one of its two principal founders was Ricardo Levy. On Monday, Ric and I had breakfast – 24 years after I left the company for my first sales job.

 

We talked about a variety of subjects, including how Catalytica had continued to grow rapidly, expand, go public, quadruple in size from the purchase of a much larger corporation, and eventually be sold and absorbed by another company – it was the era of rapid growth and mergers.

 

Ric asked about my own entrepreneurial ventures and the fortuitous events that led to my Gump career.

 

We talked of co-workers and friends, the personalities encountered along the way, family, and mentors. The discussion sprung from a perspective reserved for two humans who knew and respected each other. We both shared a concern for and curiosity about human nature, modern business, and the combination of human needs with corporate profits.

 

Here are five highlights (or lessons) I took from my breakfast with Ricardo.

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Forrest Gump, JFK, and “they was free”

Monday, February 21st, 2011

 

Forrest-Drinks-Dr-Pepper

Forrest musta drank about fifteen Dr Peppers

 

Last year I wrote about the three Presidents that Forrest met at the White House. To celebrate this year’s President’s Day, let’s take a closer look at Forrest’s first White House visit when he met President Kennedy.

 

Here’s how Forrest described his experience: “Now, the real good thing about meeting the President of the United States is the food.

 

“They put you in this little room with just about anything you’d want to eat or drink. And since number one, I wasn’t hungry, but thirsty…

 

“… and number two, they was free, I musta drank me about fifteen Dr Peppers.”

 

Now the memorable and humorous punch line occurs in the very next scene as Forrest shakes hands with JFK and mentions his need to, ahemm … relieve himself.

 

Let’s look more deeply at Forrest’s exact words, and some lessons we all can benefit from by their simplicity. And I’ll conclude by comparing those lessons to a free opportunity that exists in today’s world

 

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Forrest Gump and Charisma

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

 

Forrest-Chats-On-Bench

Forrest Gump had charisma and used it effectively

 

Charisma is defined as a special personal quality or power of an individual, making him capable of influencing or inspiring large numbers of people.

 

Charisma + Good Character = Great Things (e.g., Gandhi)

Charisma + Bad Character = Evil (e.g., Hitler)

 

Forrest Gump had both good character and great personal charm … Forrest had charisma.

 

Forrest was magnetic.

Forrest’s character appealed to others.

Forrest’s accomplishments developed a fascination and following.

Forrest had star quality. 

 

Forrest connected with the people he met in his life, and he connected with the movie audience in 1994. He connected with the population at large – and still connects 17 years after the movie was released.

 

Was he born that way? Or did he learn it from his mother? Or was it a little of both? 

 

Many believe charisma can be learned. Ellen Finkelstein’s How to Develop Charisma lists 12 qualities of charismatic speakers. Charisma Magazine takes a spiritual approach to charisma with news stories, features, online exclusives, and eight bloggers dedicated to helping individuals transform their lives.

 

Marianne Williamson said, “Charisma is a sparkle in people that money can’t buy. It’s an invisible energy with visible effects.”

 

When Forrest stood over Jenny’s grave, he said, “I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I … I think maybe it’s both. Maybe both is happening at the same time.”

 

Maybe we are born with charisma …

Or maybe it’s something we can learn …

Or maybe it’s a little of both.

 

Forrest Gump had charisma.

Are you using your charisma?

How are you using your charisma?

 

Next Blog Title:  Forrest Gump, JFK, and “they was free”

Next Blog Date:  February 21, 2011

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What If Every Day Was Like Valentine’s Day?

Monday, February 14th, 2011

 

JennySitsWithFlowers

Forrest picked flowers everyday for Jenny and put them in her room.

 

When Jenny’s hippie-ing days were over, she came home to Greenbow to the safety and sanity of the Gump House. Forrest said the following:

 

“Jenny came back and stayed with me. Maybe it was because she had nowhere else to go …

 

“Or maybe it was because she was so tired, because she went to bed and slept and slept like she hadn’t slept in years …

 

“It was wonderful having her home.”

 

“I did all the talkin’. Jenny most of the time was real quiet.”

 

“I never really knew why she came back, but I didn’t care. It was like olden times. We was like peas and carrots again …

 

“Every day I’d pick pretty flowers and put them in her room for her.”

 

Valentine’s Day was never specifically mentioned in the movie Forrest Gump.

 

But …

 

What if you had a place to go when there was nowhere else to go?

What if you had a place to sleep when you hadn’t slept for years?

What if you had someone who just listened, expecting nothing in return?

What if you had someone to pick flowers for you everyday?

 

What if every day was like Valentine’s Day?

 

 

Next Blog Title:  Forrest Gump and Charisma 

Next Blog Date:  February 17, 2011

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Stories of Gumption – Lyn Hanush

Friday, February 11th, 2011

 

stories-of-gumption
Stories of Gumption is a regular column that profiles individuals who admirably demonstrate Gumption as we define it. These are the stories of real people who exhibit gumption in overcoming personal challenges, and validate the spirit of Gumption during their journey. Let’s take inspiration from those who seize 100% personal responsibility and show us how to live a life that exhibits Gump-like character traits worthy of applause!

 

During Christmas week I was gumping in Monterey at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. A grandmotherly looking woman approached with her husband, some family members, and other friends. We had a normal interaction as group pictures were taken, good-natured jokes exchanged, and lots of smiles and laughter lightened the day.

 

Great-American-JourneyAs the assemblage started to wind down, this same woman approached, looking as if she wanted to share something personal. She said, “A lot of people compare me to Forrest Gump.” Now I’ve heard thousands of Gump stories in my fifteen years portraying Forrest, so I raised an eyebrow as if to prompt her, ‘Go on with your story.’ She proclaimed, “People say I’m like Forrest Gump because I walked all the way across America.”

 

From Blaine, Washington, to Key West, Florida: 4,026.5 miles. One year, two months, eleven days, and six hours!

 

Now I’m frequently amused by people’s stories … but rarely does a story launch me off the bench and make me plead, “May I share your walk in my Stories of Gumption blog series?” She graciously consented. 

 

Here is Lyn Hanush’s Putting a Face On America, The Great American Journey – the journey of three women who walked across America.

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Use Common Sense to Drive Integrity

Monday, February 7th, 2011

 

Forrest-Double-Paddle-Ping-Pong

Forrest's actions spoke louder than his words

 

Gumptionable is a combination of conventional gumption with Gumption and means being 100% personally responsible for your actions and interactions. So today, let’s examine the 1st of the 7 principles of being gumptionable more closely: Use common sense to drive Integrity.

 

Common sense will simply be defined as sound practical judgment.

 

From the original post on being gumptionable, here is how I described using common sense to drive integrity:

If we define integrity in its simplest form, then guiding it is as simple as the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Not just an adage, the Golden Rule is the oldest ‘common sense’ principle we have. 

 

Here are five ways to use common sense to drive integrity in either your life or at work. 

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5 Priorities of Living

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

 

Gump-Medical-Center

Forrest generously used his wealth to better his community

In the movie A Few Good Men, Lt. Kaffee (played by Tom Cruise) is privately questioning a man whom he is defending. The man is charged with murdering a fellow Marine. Lance Cpl. Dawson defiantly shouts his code: “Unit! Corps! God! Country!” In this Marine’s mind, these are his priorities of living. (From the exchange, it’s not clear if he places Unit or Country at the top of his priority list.)

 

The core values of all Marines are honor, courage, and commitment. Honor is loyalty and dedication to God, Country, Corps, Family, and Self.

 

So, this got me thinking, “What would Forrest Gump’s priorities for living have been?”

 

He believed in God. He was fiercely loyal to his family, the Army, and his country. His personal integrity demonstrated an uncompromising loyalty to himself: “A promise is a promise.”

 

Obviously, we can only surmise what Forrest’s priorities of living would have been. He never stated them directly.

 

What are your priorities for living life?

 

Here are my 5 Priorities of Living, and why I placed them in this particular order of importance. 

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