From His Upcoming Book: Steve Rizzo and I Talk About Life, Leadership

Steve Rizzo is an author (Becoming a Humor Being) and motivational speaker whose early career was as a nationally-known stand-up comedian, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, Drew Carey and others; over the years, he’s appeared on Showtime, The Comedy Channel, and Fox Television’s Comedy Strip Live. He’s also served as a consultant to MSNBC and the Oprah and Friends radio network.

Steve’s next book, due out in 2009, is Rizzo’s Heroes: Leadership Secrets from Around the World.

For some baffling, godforsaken reason, he decided he wanted to interview me for the book and an accompanying audio/CD project. Yeah, I know, go figure.

Anyhow, the audio interview is now available on Steve’s website. We chat about the role fun and passion play in success and happiness at work and life, and I attempt a lame joke or two. You may find my thoughts mildly interesting. Or incredibly annoying.

To listen, simply follow this link:

 Steve Rizzo Interview with Joe Fusco (link broken; see update, below)

Coincidentally, Steve was profiled and interviewed on CNBC last week (The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch) with Erin Brockovich and Paul Stanley of KISS fame; all three were voted “Least Likely to Succeed” in high school, but are now obviously enjoying successful careers.

Involving moi in your book project, however…c’mon, just how bright can he really be?

Does This Make Me A Jolly Good Fellow?

I’ve been sitting on some personal news, but I think I’d like to share it now.

About three months ago, I was asked to serve as a fellow of the Bell Leadership Institute in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For me this is the equivalent, if I were ten years old, of being asked to join the New York Yankees. I am the first person to be asked to serve the Institute in this capacity.

I was given this honor directly by Dr. Gerald Bell, a world-class thinker, writer and teacher on the subject of individual and organizational leadership mastery. He has helped hundreds of thousands of business and organizational leaders around the world become not only better, more effective human beings, but to make the lives of those around them better and more productive as well. Meeting and learning from him has been one of the greatest blessings of my personal and professional life.

For me, the great thrill is the opportunity to work simultaneously in two capacities — first, in my current position as an executive engaged in the daily lives and challenges of working managers. And second, being able to work and learn from Dr. Bell, developing both a deeper understanding of great leadership, and the ability to teach, coach, encourage and build great leaders.

He's Back

Buddy is back. And he’s making waves. Again.

I did a fair amount of work for Buddy Cianci in the early 1990s, specifically as a consultant on two of his mayoral campaigns (including his 1990 comeback election). As a starry-eyed twenty-six year-old, I overlooked most, if not all, of the man’s flaws because, quite frankly, he was charming and witty and personable and magnetic and razor smart. And I was having a lot of fun.

As he did when first forced from office in 1984, Buddy has returned to Providence as a talk radio personality. This gives him a natural platform to stay relevant, engaged and visible. It is also a devastatingly effective outlet for his natural gifts.

I just hope he resists his worst impulses, stays out of politics, and just tries to be the best Buddy he can be.

I'm Coming to Visit You

OK. So this is a test of two things.

First, does anybody anywhere actually visit (and read) this silly, self-indulgent stuff I write?

Second, does anybody anywhere actually want to be my friend?

Here’s the deal — in late-April, early-May, the blonde and I will be travelling from our home in Vermont to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and back again. I’ll be in no particular hurry; instead, we’ll be meandering over the back roads and scenic by-ways of the several states that comprise a general, though not perfect, straight line between Point A (Vermont) and Point B (Chapel Hill).

If you live along this general route, let’s connect. I’ll buy you lunch, or whatever, and, as an added bonus, interview you as part of this site’s occasional “Conversations” series.

Drop me a note, or leave me a comment.

Hmmm...

So I’m standing at the bathroom sink last night getting ready for bed and, for no reason I can fathom, the name “Kurt Vonnegut” pops into my head. I have not thought about him, nor had his name pop into my head, in years — probably a decade or more — nor would I have any reason to.

And I think, what must he be up to? Seriously, I spent about ten minutes thinking about this guy and what his daily routine must be as what I assumed is a “retired” or “elderly” writer. How does he spend his days? What does he think about? And so on…

It was a curous set of thoughts; I waded through them, and then, just as quickly as they came, I let them pass.

Then, this morning when I got to the office, this:

“Influential Author Vonnegut Dies at 84”

I may have some set of undefined special powers. I must explore this further…

Anyway, I met him once, a little over 20 years ago. He spoke at my university, and agreed to do a “meet-and-greet” immediately afterward. For some reason, I was the first one to show up, and we had a few minutes of inconsequential chitchat (and an autograph) before the horde found the room. It was special to me.

So it goes.