I’m going public - I am now out of the closet. Yes I went to a casting call for a reality TV show No it wasn’t The Batchelor (I’m blissfully married to a wonderful woman and have been for over 15 years and she’s not going anywhere without me) and it’s not Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, or The Big Loser. While America’s Got Talent, Tim doesn’t and my Real World doesn’t involve a Wife Swap. My Dancing With the Stars is limited to dancing with my little girls ages 3, 6, and 8. I have three Big Brothers and when I cook it’s usually Hell’s Kitchen…just ask my wife. The casting call I went to was Oprah’s new show called The Big Give. The show plus the incredible success of Bill Clinton’s new book Giving demonstrate a societal shift toward focusing on things that matter. When I heard about The Big Give, I made a trip to Nashville for the casting call. Sensing that there might be a big turnout, I got there early and took a seat in line behind ten other people who arrived before 6:00 am for a 9:00 call. While waiting for the doors to open people in line exchanged stories of why they were there and what they were doing to make a difference. I met a guy who worked with home owners to pay their mortgage after natural disasters. I met a man who was working on a documentary on the impact of hurricane Katrina. Through his efforts, he wanted to raise money for Katrina victims. There was the young medical student who was setting up a clinic with his father in Nigeria. Part of his motivation was to help his country overcome the negative perception due to the many Nigerian email scams. There were people of all ages, all ethic and religious backgrounds and all with the feeling that they could make a difference through their actions. It seems that there are many waiting for the opportunity to give big. When a celebrity or person of influence makes waves about the importance of giving, it seems to stir up others too.

While I didn’t make it on the show (heck, I didn’t even make it through round one), I was glad to meet some inspiring people and know that in the Reality crazed TV world we live in, there is finally a show that just might be worth watching.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

Share and Enjoy:

According to a report released today on National Public Radio, Bill Clinton made 10 Million in speaking fees last year. I made…well, slightly less than that. Bill is on the Celebrity 100 list. I have my own list and happen to occupy the top and only position. My list has at least a dozen “honey do’s” on it. Completing everything on my list will make me a celebrity to one person. I guess I will have to make a lot more impact as an inspirational speaker to be mentioned when Forbes releases their 2008 list. Oprah, Tiger, Madonna, the Rolling Stones, and Brad round out the top five for their bankable buzz. Google rankings and MySpace pages also factor in. Sorry this is so short, I have to get to my list… which doesn’t include getting Face(Book) on MySpace.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

 This past weekend, I stayed in the beautiful Antlers Hilton overlooking
Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. I am happy to report that I didn’t think
about Paris Hilton once. Yet, now that I think about it, I wonder if all the
times I stayed at a Hilton Hotel somehow contributing to the making of Paris
Hilton. Perhaps all business travelers should boycott Hilton Hotels during
the time she is in jail to voice displeasure of what she does and how she
leads such a pitiful life of total self indulgence.

Today was the day poor Paris was to start her jail sentence. She surprised
everyone and went two days early (a selfish act to avoid the media circus
that awaited her). I recently read that there was a campaign to save her
from going to jail. Here’s a quote I heard on CNN from one of the fan club
members trying to “help” Paris, “She provides hope for young people around
the world. She provides beauty and glamour for our mundane lives.” It’s a
sad commentary on our world when people hope in someone like Paris or her
rat pack group of friends.

I met some new friends while in Colorado Springs this weekend. They are
friends with disabilities who may represent the US in the Paralympic Games
in Beijing in 2008 or London in 2012. I had the pleasure of speaking to
these inspirational young people at the US Olympic Training Center. It was
truly one of the most amazing experiences of my professional speaking
career. In the days ahead, I will be writing about some of the people I met
there and the impact that they are having on others.

Note to Paris: if you want to help provide hope for young people around the
world, do something with your life. Volunteer to help young people with
disabilities. Or find something else to turn you on and turn your own
miserable life around by helping others. Just do it.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks
about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover,
increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He also is a leadership speaker, customer service trainer and sales motivator. For more information go to www.TimRichardson.com