Interviews with interesting people
Comedian, actor, writer, director, pilot and monkey-handler are just some of the things Wil Shriner is good at. He says he just keeps moving from job to job; I say he’s multi-talented. He grew up in show biz, so he’s pretty well acquainted with all of its sides. If you want to be an entertainer, Wil has some advice for you. And, no, the Shriner Auditorium is not named for him.
This is the story of a poor kid turned marketing guru. As a child, Tim Conley learned quickly how to sell anything. Now Tim not only does marketing but teaches others to how to do it too. You may have heard his Foolish Adventure podcast or read his articles. But his biggest insights have been much more personal in nature.
Robert Scoble comes by his love of technology naturally. He grew up in Cupertino, California, what some would say was the center of the known universe of tech. Robert entered science fairs as a kid but never caught the engineering bug. He enjoyed using technology more than generating code. He has always enjoyed learning from talking to people, which he still does. To visit Robert’s site, click here.
What happens when you whisper at wood? When Marc Spagnuolo does it, it talks back…but in a nice way. He gave up working in a lab or cubicle for the adventure of starting a podcast on woodworking. Even more surprising is that his wife supported his efforts. And the show has been a hit. Marc’s advice: buy your equipment before you leave your day job. To check out Marc’s site click here.
If you want to listen to Ray Charles, you buy an album. If you want to put the likeness of Ray Charles on a t-shirt or sing his song in a movie, you call Tony Gumina. He knew Ray, traveled with him, and now represents his legacy. You’ll love his story of how he went from golf caddy to casino owner at the age of 12.
Tony died on April 27, 2014. He was 56, way too young to leave us.
Rewards can change the lives of everyone around you, of every species. Dogs, dolphins, elephants, employees, children and you all share in the willingness to trade behavior for rewards. Dolphins jump for fish, you go to work for money. Everyone is impacted by smiles, hugs and nodding your head. Karen Pryor suggests you learn how to thoughtfully use operant conditioning. These principles mean you don’t have to push anyone around, impress them or dominate them. And if you don’t learn these tools, you tend to fall back on being a primate. Check out Karen Pryor’s ClickerTraining site here.
If you want to play blues guitar, you need Anthony Stauffer’s StevieSnacks. Every week there’s a new lick to learn. Anthony has a degree in electrical engineering, so it’s not surprising that he finds fingering is like an engineering problem: little components can be added together into more complex patterns. His advice is to do what you do best. Others might come along and do it better but until they arrive get out your slide rule, pick up your guitar and keep going. For more on Stevie Snacks click here.