Coaching Into Greatness:
The Interviews

Keith FerrazziKeith Ferrazzi

Bestselling Author, CEO, Connector

Keith's interview appears in the introduction of Coaching Into Greatness. Here's an excerpt:

Giving is at the heart of this book. [Keith] Ferrazzi has built his life and his business around his relationships and the idea that, "Relationships are like muscles—the more you work them, the bigger and stronger they become." He has what he and I call an abundant attitude about relationships. In Never Eat Alone, he shares the story of when he wanted to get into the entertainment industry. He'd already build a successful career by freely helping others, not because he expected anything in return, but because he understood clearly that giving always returns to the giver in greater numbers.

For more on Keith Ferrazzi, visit our Resources page.

Julia Butterfly HillJulia Butterfly Hill

Founder, The Circle of Life Organization and Bestselling Author

Julia's interview appears in the chapter on the Illusion of Not Enough. Here's an excerpt:

The gift of Hill's self-inquiry is getting to the core essence of who she is. The investigation was, to Hill, much like using a magnifying glass to start a fire. "When we choose to really delve into ourselves," she says, "is when we turn the magnifying glass toward the sun. That's when it gets fierce." We're so afraid of this intensity, we keep the magnifying glass turned the other way. "The results," she continues, "can only happen in the space of that intensity, so that in the process of being pulled in a million different directions and being unhappy most of my life, I can finally say ‘OK, I'm going to take it on now.'"

She did burn, but as she puts it, what burned were the illusions she had about who she was, and the illusions about not being enough. She switched from "being in the world of fear to being in the world of joy." She's learned to laugh more easily, and she can see more clearly the way our existing systems feed off our scarcity and fear.

Living in the tree wasn't two years and eight days as one event, she says. "It was two years and eight days of moment by moment access of who am I choosing to be in this moment, and recognizing that all we need to be is who we are." When asked "what can I do?" she responds: "What do you love to do? Find a way to offer some part of that. Who we are is exactly who we were meant to be." Hill concludes: "Everything I needed to be is already within me, but I had to be willing to embrace the real burning of the illusions; the letting go of the illusions.

In the butterfly analogy, the melting of myself so that I could become who I already am -- a newer, more vibrant expression of who I am."

For more information on Julia, visit our Resources page.

Ivan MisnerDr. Ivan Misner

Founder and Chairman of BNI and Bestselling Author

Dr. Misner's interview appears in the chapter on the Illusion of Comparisons. Here is an excerpt:

One of the traps of the illusion of Comparisons is that we look at successful people, especially dynamic and powerful speakers like Dr. Misner, and we say, "there's no way I can do that. I'd be terrified to stand on stage and deliver a speech to hundreds of people." When asked if successful people have no fear, Dr. Misner laughed. "That is so untrue, I don't even know where to start with that. Yes, success does help breed some level of confidence, but along the way, you certainly have the fears that anybody has. I love speaking and I still get nervous going up and speaking in front of a large group of people. I'll stand there and go ‘I'm not nervous. I'm not nervous; I'm too laid back. Wait, if I'm too laid back, I won't do a good presentation. Wait, I'm nervous – that's good.' I've done thousands and thousands of presentations and I generally get nervous. If I don't get nervous, I get nervous that I'm not nervous!"

This from a man who runs a successful worldwide organization and does more public presentations each month than many people talk to their spouses. He also scoffs at the notion that anyone can't do what they want to do because there might be a better alternative elsewhere. Here's his analogy for the idea that the grass is greener on the other side: "The grass is greener where you water it. If those people lack the fear that you have, it's because they've been watering those fears."

For more information on Dr. Misner, visit our Resources page.

Richard ReardonRichard Reardon

Organizational Development Consultant, Executive Coach, Author

Richard's interview appears in the chapter on the Illusion of Struggle. Here is an excerpt:

The better way is to start working towards what you most want to create. It doesn't come just because you want it; it comes because you're willing to work and change your orientation on how you view the world and how you view yourself. You're ready to change your operating system.

Living without struggle is an opportunity to transcend old limiting beliefs. Most businesses are living in limiting beliefs, limited capacity, and limited potential. That's a very serious operating philosophy. The key is to get them vision driven. Get them to say, for example, "We could become a world-class sales team" or "We could become a management team where we really do communicate." When they see they have an alternative, they don't struggle.

For more information on Richard, visit our Resources page.

DrokuKorrahn Droku

Web Design Coach

Korrahn's interview (his friends just call him Droku) appears in the chapter on the Illusion of Struggle. Here is an excerpt:

Some might look at Droku and say that he has a life filled with struggle. He'll tell you that he has many challenges to overcome that most people can't dream of, but he rarely struggles. "I define struggle as fighting against what is going on in your life," he says. He adds that "I've been disabled for 16 years, but I've met so many people who are walking but more disabled than I. They complain about things I'd love the opportunity to do – even something as simple as getting up and going to work in the morning!"

Droku learned that, as he says, "what will be, will be." Instead of fearing struggle, he has chosen to learn from life's challenges as an exercise of growth and expansion. Part of the problem people have, he says, is that they keep expecting too much, while taking everything else for granted. "I don't expect anything anymore," Droku claims. "I'm just exploring possibilities."

All this from a man who could have given up, resisted what happened, and then tried hard to be accepted for what he wasn't. "Greatness," Droku says, "is something from deep within. It's just how you choose to show up moment to moment."

For more information on Droku, visit our Resources page.

Susan AnnunzioSusan Annunzio

Chairman and CEO of Hudson Highland Center for High Performance, Author

Susan's interview appears in the chapter on the Illusion of Control. Here is an excerpt:

Annunzio explains that most companies focus individual development on strengthening weaknesses. That's totally backwards, she says. For example, look at any baseball team. You'll have someone who's a natural pitcher, you'll say, "This guy's got an arm. I'm going to work with him to make him a great pitcher." You wouldn't force him to play second base because he's weak at fielding. This is quite an issue of control, and it emphasizes one aspect of the illusion of control.

Annunzio notes that, "What I see in a lot of these young people is that they take their strengths for granted." She has observed that many companies, and individuals, don't look to strengthen or build on their natural talents. They don't consider it very important because it comes so naturally. One key way that the illusion of control comes up in organizations is to think that we can take anyone and shape him or her into whatever we want, even if it's not in alignment with their unique strengths. "A natural doesn't necessarily become a star," she says. "You can see a kid in a Little League game who's a natural pitcher, but if somebody doesn't identify that and take that on, they'll always be a natural pitcher, but they're never going to be a star."

For more information on Susan, visit our Resources page.

Mike2Mike2 from The Referral Institute®

Michael Macedonio – President of the Referral Institute
Michael Garrison – VP of the Referral Institute

Mike2's interview appears in the chapter on the Illusion of Time. Here is an excerpt:

Macedonio commented that many of the people he works with come in very afraid of their competition, and this keeps them being overly busy competing. Instead, he suggests they can see these as opportunities for collaboration, where they can work together and both can profit. He says that, "Coming from scarcity, they think they have to have or do it all, or somebody else is going to get it. To me, that communicates desperation. That's one of the things you have to learn about marketing, whether it comes out of your mouth or out in your behavior or your actions, when people see desperation they usually go the other way. Desperation is not referable."

For more information on Mike2, visit our Resources page.

Joe VitaleJoe Vitale

Bestselling Author and CEO of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc.

Dr. Vitale's interview appears in the chapter on the Illusion of Hope. Here's an excerpt:

The whole concept of hope, Joe says, is comforting; yet, it has a razor's edge to it. "You can end up falling to the other side and not doing anything. One side of hope is very positive and very feel-good; it's very illuminating and very comforting. The other side of hope is that you may not do anything because you're simply hoping things will work out." There are a number people who get into this kind of hopeful state and miss the other side, which Joe refers to as "taking inspired action." That is, when you want something, you take the action to make it happen, ensuring all the while to pay attention to your heart. According to Joe's experience, it's been his heart that's nudged him into action, doing things he's never before considered. When you get this kind of nudge, he says, "your job is to act on it."

For more information on Dr. Vitale, visit our Resources page.

Yasmin DaviddsYasmin Davidds

Bestselling Author and Empowerment Specialist

Yasmin's interview appears in the chapter on the Illusion of Certainty. Here's an excerpt:

The Illusion of Certainty brings with it a belief that there is a right way and a wrong way. Yasmin realized that "there's no right way, there's just my way. I know I'm going to fall on my face once in a while, but that's okay. I am the only expert of me – and I've been looking for the expert outside of me."

For more information on Yasmin, visit our Resources page.