This is the second part of our Interview with author and writer Les Edgerton. See Part 1 below (An Interview With HOOKED Author: Les Edgerton).
He has interesting things to share on how we can better manage our prison systems.
Provide real rehabilitation that leads to a real and good-paying job, not being a dishwasher or fry cook. There is virtually no rehabilitation these days and it's a big reason why people come back more than they ever have.
Get rid of those prisons as businesses located in other states. An inmate from Connecticut, sitting in a prison in Texas has lost his entire support system. Not to mention, many of them just warehouse prisoners and let them vegetate in a cell 23 hours a day.
Educate the politicians and media who have created all kinds of problems by scaring people about criminals unrealistically and without factual basis for their claims. Be aware that no matter where the institution is, doing time is never easy for anyone. "Lock 'em up and throw away the key" is a moronic concept. I guess that's why politicians and the media use it so much—they're infinitely qualified to espouse on moronic ideas.
Spend more money on good mental institutions and separate the folks with mental problems from bona fide criminals. I'd guess that at least 60% (and probably more) of those incarcerated aren't really criminals in the traditional sense, but are mentally ill. The state just feels it's cheaper to warehouse them in prisons than provide mental health care.
Develop decent libraries. If funds are an issue, take the money spent on teaching them to get a G.E.D. and spend it on more books. People will (truly) educate themselves if they have sufficient books available. Getting a G.E.D. "looks" like an education, but it's b.s.
Make prisons safe for inmates. Being sent to an environment where chances are excellent you'll be assaulted or raped constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in every way and is unconstitutional.
Get wardens/superintendents out of the food business. Most are given a monthly budget for inmate meals and if they come under, they get to keep the rest. I don't think any of them use even close to the budgeted amount.
Police inmates working in the dentist's and doctor's offices better. In case you don't know it, they're stealing the Novocain and other drugs and watering them down. It's why nobody wants to go to the dentist—who wants your tooth pulled when your gums have been deadened with saline?
Get women out of male institutions, at least in population. That's the nuttiest idea so-called "progressives" ever came up with. Just makes doing time a thousand times harder. Give those women jobs holding the flag at construction sites. (Am I being a male chauvinist hog? Sorry!)
If you're going to "lock 'em up and throw away the key" at least provide a bed for each inmate.
This is the second part of our Interview with author and writer Les Edgerton. See Part 1 below (An Interview With HOOKED Author: Les Edgerton).
He has interesting things to share on how we can better manage our prison systems.
If YOU were Secretary of the Interior, what would YOU change in how we manage our prisons What would be the top 3 things YOU would be remembered for after YOUR term?
This is easy! Except, I have more than three.
Provide real rehabilitation that leads to a real and good-paying job, not being a dishwasher or fry cook. There is virtually no rehabilitation these days and it's a big reason why people come back more than they ever have.
Get rid of those prisons as businesses located in other states. An inmate from Connecticut, sitting in a prison in Texas has lost his entire support system. Not to mention, many of them just warehouse prisoners and let them vegetate in a cell 23 hours a day.
Educate the politicians and media who have created all kinds of problems by scaring people about criminals unrealistically and without factual basis for their claims. Be aware that no matter where the institution is, doing time is never easy for anyone. "Lock 'em up and throw away the key" is a moronic concept. I guess that's why politicians and the media use it so much—they're infinitely qualified to espouse on moronic ideas.
Spend more money on good mental institutions and separate the folks with mental problems from bona fide criminals. I'd guess that at least 60% (and probably more) of those incarcerated aren't really criminals in the traditional sense, but are mentally ill. The state just feels it's cheaper to warehouse them in prisons than provide mental health care.
Develop decent libraries. If funds are an issue, take the money spent on teaching them to get a G.E.D. and spend it on more books. People will (truly) educate themselves if they have sufficient books available. Getting a G.E.D. "looks" like an education, but it's b.s.
Make prisons safe for inmates. Being sent to an environment where chances are excellent you'll be assaulted or raped constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in every way and is unconstitutional.
Get wardens/superintendents out of the food business. Most are given a monthly budget for inmate meals and if they come under, they get to keep the rest. I don't think any of them use even close to the budgeted amount.
Police inmates working in the dentist's and doctor's offices better. In case you don't know it, they're stealing the Novocain and other drugs and watering them down. It's why nobody wants to go to the dentist—who wants your tooth pulled when your gums have been deadened with saline?
Get women out of male institutions, at least in population. That's the nuttiest idea so-called "progressives" ever came up with. Just makes doing time a thousand times harder. Give those women jobs holding the flag at construction sites. (Am I being a male chauvinist hog? Sorry!)
If you're going to "lock 'em up and throw away the key" at least provide a bed for each inmate.
Write books, teach writing online for Writer's Digest, and coach writers privately on their novels.
What's the best thing about being a writer?
Don't have to wear a tie or have business cards. Can write in the nude. All the groupie chicks. (I lied about the last one. I wish!)
How does one find their inner voice?
Drink lots of Jack Daniels. Only mix with water and/or ice and never pop unless you want to be considered a kid or a punk. Seriously, just write as if you're relating a story to your best friend who knows the same things you do. You'll use that "shorthand" voice you do in such a case and therefore end up with writing that trusts the reader's intelligence. Get rid of your thesaurus—there is no such thing as a synonym anyway. There's just the perfect word. The perfect word doesn't come in groups.
What's key to being a great writer?
Be willing to go deep inside you to that place everyone tries to hide from others and be willing to expose it, warts and all. Tell the truth.
YOU had an interesting life, tell us what YOU learned while serving time in jail? While being a homeless man?
In prison, I learned to always find something you can use as a weapon when entering a room. An ashtray, a beer bottle, a fountain pen. Always try to keep your back to a wall. Don't believe or trust anyone.
While homeless, the biggest lesson I learned was to try not to go hungry. It's not always easy to accomplish that, especially when you don't have access to food. The Salvation Army has the best meals on holidays, except for the one in Baltimore. It's okay but I'd hesitate to give it four stars. New Orleans has the best food in shelters. Shelter food there is better than the best restaurants in Indiana. California is maybe the worst. They don't believe in meat in California – they're all ruminants and eat lots of grass dishes. At least, I think it's grass. (And not the good kind that you use in brownies.)
If YOU were Secretary of the Interior, what would YOU change in how we manage our prisons? What would be the top 3 things YOU would be remembered for after YOUR term?
Interviewer's Note: Due to Les' long answer to this question, we will published his answers on a separate post.
Tell us more about the story of YOUR favorite quote: Never let anyone rent space in your head.
My son Mike and I saw an episode of "Candid Camera" where the setup was a shop in a mall where a sign was placed by the register that read: "No change given back today." As various people came up with their purchases, there are a variety of reactions. Some argued, some got mad, some withdrew their purchases. One guy came up, handed over a bill and was due 99 cents in change. The clerk pointed to the sign and told him, "Sorry, we're not giving change back today." He smiled, shrugged, and walked out with his purchase. The interviewer caught up with him and asked why he didn't react differently. "Because," he answered, "I never let anyone rent space in my head." Mike and I thought it was a perfect life philosophy. This is a guy in charge of himself!
What's YOUR favorite book?
The Stranger by Albert Camus. A close second would be anything by James Lee Burke (today's Faulkner), Harry Crews, Lee Child, Christopher Moore, Elmore Leonard (his Killshot would be my second-favorite book), early David Sedaris, Dennis Lehane, Robert Crais... oh, you just wanted one... my bad!
Who are YOUR personal heroes?
Thomas Jefferson, my wife Mary, Paul Newman, and the person who invented tennis shoes.
What are YOU hungry for?
I assume you mean food? My top three are Oysters Rockefeller, crawfish etoufe and crawfish bisque. None of which are available in Indiana, alas! At least not done well.
Addition: I'm hungry for a lot less government in my life. I'm all grown up and can make my own decisions without a Big Brother looking out for me. On my dime.
What's the best job in the world?
I have the best job in the world. Nothing can possibly be better than being a writer. There's all those groupies, you know...
About Les Edgerton
I'm an incredibly rich, handsome man with a beautiful wife and three children. I live in paradise (Fort Wayne, Indiana). All of my nine books are huge bestsellers and everybody wants me on their TV show and to give interviews for the NY Times. I'm 66, but I look about 30. I can bench press 6,000 pounds and am probably the best lover ever. I'm also a fiction writer, as perhaps you can tell by the above. The key to good fiction is to include about 2% of the truth and people will then believe the rest. The 2% that's true above is the stuff about my wife and kids.
The boring part of my bio is that I did time in Pendleton, got out, went to college and got my B.A. from Indiana University and an MFA in Writing from Vermont College. Among other things, I was a burglar, armed robber, worked as a male escort for wealthy older ladies, sold and did drugs, was an award-winning hairstylist, drove in high-speed car chases with the police (and got away), have been shot at and fired back several times, been beaten by the police but without anyone there to film it (I have to say I probably deserved it—I was kind of a smart ass), acted in an Indy movie (really bad one...), acted in commercials, coached youth baseball, hung around with rock stars (they actually do have groupies... serious ones with virtually no physical blemishes...), taught in various colleges and universities, and have nine books in print. I'm finishing up my memoir right now (tentative title: Adrenaline Junkie) which is a 350-page bio, basically, so if anyone reading this is interested, rush out and buy 10-15 copies when it comes out (Christmas is right around the corner and it'll make a perfect gift).
I coach writers on writing their novels and if interested you can check me out at: http://www.lesedgerton.com.
Take us back to when YOU were starting Xing?
That's ancient history possibly Precambrian in Internet time. Peering through the mists Lars was working at his dining room table underneath a single bulb enveloped in a giant lampshade in the shape of a huge crown he looked like someone who wanted to be king and we were watching the new site like a hawk and as it grew minute by minute we both knew it was special. At the end of the first day of openBC (as it was called back then) we had paying customers. At the end of the 90th day we were cash flow positive and we knew we were creating value for people the feedback was tremendous.
How did Neo come about? Does it have a connection with the hero Neo in The Matrix movies?
I have dedicated my life to a world that works for everyone and I am convinced that the combination of the context we create and the words we speak are key to the way we are as human beings. Neo in the Matrix has the power to remake the Matrix by his will alone similarly with the right language YOU can remake your world and we can remake our world. Not in any supernatural way just by creating contexts that work such as viewing climate change as a call to action or even saying you will be fit and healthy and then taking actions that fit in with the language. Neo is a place where you can publicly declare what your new world and commitments will be and then record what actions you are taking that are consistent with the new future you have declared for yourself and others. I have dedicated my life to a world that works for everyone and I am taking actions every day that are consistent with that. I do not fly anymore for instance as the numbers associated with flying are not yet consistent with a world that works for everyone.
Tell us more about YOUR involvement with the Hunger Project?
I think it is more about the Hunger Project's involvement with me. I first encountered the Hunger Project when I was in a place of transition. I knew I wanted more out of life and I was stopped. First child on the way a mountain of debt renting from my parents it was not the place or time to be starting out as an entrepreneur. Then I met Lolita the country director of the Hunger Project Indian and she asked me a question that has shaped my life every since. She asked me who would I have to become in order to fulfill a 50,000 Dollar pledge to the Hunger Project without suffering. In that moment I realised that I would have to become someone almost completely unrecognisable from who I was back then. So I quit my job and started my own company and never looked back. I actually delivered 100,000 for that pledge and we now have provided a multiple of the the the Hunger Project's mission of empowerment over the years.
What is the Declaration of Earth Citizenship all about?
The Declaration of Earth Citizenship is language that was created by many anonymous authors to create a context that literally anyone can be a part of, that allows for people to see themselves first as citizens of Earth all working together towards common goals. It is there to create a sense of belonging to something bigger while at the same time empowering everyone as an individual to take control of their destiny. It forms the context within which people who join Neo can work together.
If YOU were Secretary General of the United Nations, what would be the top 3 projects that YOU will focus on (today)?
Reforestation is the number one priority I would be focused on that is why I founded www.weforest.com as the first child project of Neo Foundation because it is apparent to me that healing our world is our top priority if we wish to survive as a species and the fastest way I have found to do that is reforestation. You see rainforests actually seed clouds so they help make the rain this means if we reforest we can increase average cloud cover and a 2% increase in average cloud cover would halt global warming.
The equal first priority for me would be to double the size of the UN by mandating that each member nation be represented by a woman and a man from that nation each with equal authority. So in reality I am talking about empowerment of women and the UN is the only forum where such a change could be made overnight. Such a move would precipitate a seachange in global relations and positively change the destiny of our species.
How can we solve world hunger?
Simply put, the combination of empowerment of women and reforestation can solve Hunger and in fact without empowered women and without permaculture food forests I believe world Hunger is in the process of solving itself tragically. So to me having been immersed in both permaculture and the work of the Hunger project for so many years it is enough now we have to all take action to empower people and to heal our world. In villages where women and men have equal say there is a quantum drop in hunger as measured by infant mortality rates. And 1 acre of permaculture food forest can feed 10 people for life (1 acre of wheat barely 4.5 people and then on a very poor diet).
Empower women and reforest the land using best practices and hunger will be a memory only.
How can we individually and collectively change the world (for the better)?
As individuals by giving our word to good things and then honoring our word by taking actions consistent with that word. By planting trees and by striving and thriving towards empowerment for everyone. By using the tools of the Internet and mobile telephony to reach out and actually do something good every day. As a species by giving up petty and childish nationalistic infantile games and instead realising that we are close to destroying our world so investing in our forests and our technology with the purpose of a world that works for everyone.
How do I find JOY in my life?
Very simply joy comes and goes of its own accord just create a space for it to show up and it will. The best way to encourage Joy to come is not to seek it. Instead focus on contributing to others your contribution will bring more joy than your seeking.
Who are YOUR personal heroes?
There are so many I cannot provide a comprehensive list. Richard Feynman, Buckminster Fuller, Gandhi, Hildegarde of Bingen, Joan Holmes, My wife Kerrie my kids. The list is huge everyone is my teacher as Alan Webber says.
What are YOU hungry for?
A world that works for everyone and chocolate though not always in that order.
What's one advice YOU will give to today's youth?
Go out and be it before you try to go out and do it.
About Bill Liao (from Wikipedia)
Bill Liao (born William Fu Wei Liao, 1967), co-founder of the social network service XING, is an Australian entrepreneur and philanthropist who has participated in seven IPO's. He is also CEO of Finaxis AG, a privately held company in the financial services industry.
Bill is a social networking pioneer and philanthropist. Among his philanthropic endeavors is his participation as an investor and volunteer in The Hunger Project in Uganda, New York and Mexico.
Bill is presently focused on launching a global citizenship initiative entitled The Declaration of Earth Citizenship. Bill is also a regular attendee at the TED conferences and also the World Economic Forum New Champions conference.
In 2007, Bill founded neo.org, a philanthropic venture and social networking site where people can make a personal commitment for the future of the earth. Neo is an international non-profit organization based in Switzerland and supported by a team of individuals from across the globe and was set up to provide a forum for people to make a personal commitment for the future of the earth in the form of a Declaration of Global Citizenship. Neo has also setup its first external initiative, WeForest.com an organisation promoting reforestation as a way to combat global warming, poverty and water shortages.
Bill Liao is married with three children and divides his time between Switzerland and Germany.
There's a very interesting section from Guy Kawasaki's book Art of the Start and that's the concept of GIST – short for Great Ideas for Starting Things. It's a wonderful way to get ideas and YOUR business going. It's also a great way to start a movement (like HungryPeople).
GIST
[ GREAT IDEAS FOR STARTING THINGS ]
1 MAKE MEANING. The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning—to create a product or service that makes the world a better place. So your first task is to decide how you can make meaning.
2 MAKE MANTRA. Forget mission statements; theyʼre long, boring, and irrelevant. No one can ever remember them—much less implement them. Instead, take your meaning and make a mantra out of it. This will set your entire team on the right course.
3 GET GOING. Start creating and delivering your product or service. Think soldering irons, compilers, hammers, saws, and AutoCAD—whatever tools you use to build products and services. Donʼt focus on pitching, writing, and planning.
4 DEFINE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL. No matter what kind of organization youʼre starting, you have to figure out a way to make money. The greatest idea, technology, product, or service is short-lived without a sustainable business model.
5 WEAVE A MAT (MILESTONES, ASSUMPTIONS, AND TASKS). The final step is to compile three lists: (a) major milestones you need to meet; (b) assumptions that are built into your business model; and (c) tasks you need to accomplish to create an organization. This will enforce discipline and keep your organization on track when all hell breaks loose—and all hell will break loose.
HUNGRYPEOPLE'S GIST
HungryPeople is about conversations. In fact, we would LOVE to have a Conversation with YOU.
HungryPeople is for YOU! That's our mantra! At HungryPeople, there's always a “table” for YOU. You'd never go hungry when YOU'RE here.
HungryPeople is always ON 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
HungryPeople's Business Model is simple – it's FREE (read Chris Anderson's book entitled FREE).
HungryPeople's MAT is simple: to start millions of conversations with YOU about stories, about people, about ideas, about life every single day.
Learn more on Guy Kawasaki's work at http://blog.guykawasaki.com/.
What are YOU passionate about these days?
I am very passionate about my work at Kaya Natin which promotes Good Governance in our country and Social Entrepreneurship which looks for innovative ways of solving social problems in our nation.
Do you think that passion is something that you can develop over time or is it just something that's innate in that some people have it and some people don't?
I think passion can be developed over time but it helps if you are already doing something that you are passionate about.
Would you describe yourself as more visionary or execution oriented?
I am more for a visionary. I love to think of what is possible and making great things happen.
If YOU are a presidential candidate in next year's elections, how would YOU run YOUR campaign? What would be YOUR top three priorities?
My main priorities would be public education reform, access to quality health care for every Filipino and the promotion of greater transparency and social accountability in government.
How has social media changed the conversation landscape? Is it good or bad?
Good in the sense that its easier for people to get connected and for information to be shared. Bad in the sense that more personal interaction among friends are now less.
What should VOTERS look for in a Presidential Candidate? How would we know HE or SHE is the right ONE?
Kaya Natin always espouses effective, ethical and empowering leadership. These are the traits that one should look for among the presidentiables.
Why don't we have presidential primaries?
I think we will eventually get there, we just need to continue to improve our education system and continue to provide voters education especially when it comes to how our government systems work.
Who will YOU vote for next year? President to Senators?
I am supporting Sen. Noynoy Aquino for President and his runningmate Senator Mar Roxas. Among those who have declared for the Senate race, I will vote for Neric Acosta, TG Guingona, Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Frank Drilon and Ruffy Biazon.
Who are YOUR personal heroes? Why?
I admire Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City for being an effective, ethical and empowering leader in our country. I admire Dr. Nene Guevara of Synergeia Foundation for her undying passion to promote basic education reform all over the country. I admire Fr. Ben Nebres, S.J. for transforming Ateneo de Manila University to an agent of positive social change in our country.
What are YOU hungry for?
Hungry for a better country for every Filipino.
About Harvey Keh
Harvey S. Keh, 30, graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University and is currently the Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University's School of Government. He is one of the inaugural Fellows at the Asian Institute of Management's Mirant Center for Bridging Societal Divides and is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of AHON Foundation, an organization that helps promote literacy by building public elementary school libraries. Since its establishment last year, AHON Foundation has helped develop 27 public elementary school libraries that have benefitted more than 60,000 students.
In 2002, Harvey founded and established Pathways to Higher Education-Philippines, a Ford Foundation-funded program based at Ateneo de Manila that seeks to help poor but deserving students gain access to quality higher education. To date, Pathways is currently helping more than 500 college and more than 1,600 pubic high school students finish college. Aside from this, Harvey continues to sit as Treasurer and youngest Board Member of Synergeia Foundation, a coalition of institutions and individuals whose main aim is to uplift the state of basic education in the Philippines.
Harvey was also chosen as one of the 20 Young Leaders of Asia by the Asia Society, an international organization based in New York that aims to strengthen relationships and deepen understanding among the peoples of Asia and the United States of America.
Harvey also teaches Theology and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University. He writes regularly for the Manila Bulletin and Inquirer.net.
http://filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com/
Listen to Lider Totoo (True Leader) over Radyo Veritas 846 every Saturday, 9am to 1030am, you can also log in to www.veritas846.ph.
This is the most fascinating online interview we had. Sorry Josiah Go (see first interivew in our HungryPeople Interview Series), but Chiqui's interview really fascinated us. History tells us that behind every great man is a woman – and behind Josiah Go is not just a woman but an amazing woman! Chiqui's answers are clear yet different, long yet disruptive. Better yet, they pierce YOUR heart! This is quite long but very interesting. We publish the interview in full below.
Are YOU hungry?
Let's eat...
1. What's YOUR job like?
I have the best job in the world – I manage and bang heads with the best minds in marketing and sales from whom I get the latest updates in our fields, I get to share knowledge with my seminar participants who have become my friends and I get to travel and go to the best business schools so I can benchmark our programs and methodologies.
2. How did Josiah Go market himself to YOU?
A brilliant product will shine in any marketplace. Ako yung brilliant kaya I definitely dazzled Josiah. 
(I am brilliant that's why I definitely dazzled Josiah.)
Seriously, we were both student leaders in De La Salle University (DLSU) where we both saw each other’s strong characters – enough to create sparks, huge sparks. Back in college, he was already brilliant, confident, focused, determined – so rare among boys his age, and that was definitely attractive. (It also helped he was goodlooking.) As fate would have it, we were both in a leadership seminar in Baguio, I hit my head on a rock when I fell off a horse at Wright Park during a free day, he took care of me and the rest is history (25 years of marriage and counting).
3. Take us back to when YOU were starting the Young Market Masters Awards and the Market Masters Conference.
The Market Masters Conference was borne out of our desire to support our advocacies without having to beg for sponsorships and donations. We wanted something that would be win-win which is consistent with what we teach. Since our expertise is in marketing and sales training, we expanded our reach through conferences and forums and further differentiated ourselves by being advocacy-based – at least 30% of our annual profits go to various beneficiaries in education and youth empowerment. We wanted to give back to the marketing industry which has supported us all these years.
The Young Market Masters Awards was borne out of an insight I had through my close contact with our seminar participants and clients. They shared with us how attending Mansmith seminars helped them achieve their dreams, not just for the short-term gaining of knowledge to make their jobs easier but also for the long-term gaining of career goals because they did a good job. We have witnessed how many of them have risen from the ranks to now lead their marketing departments or even the entire company.
This insight led us to transform our promise from being a specialist in marketing and sales training to “helping your marketing and sales teams soar”!
4. Why is Life Good? (saw this on your Plurk account)
I am a forever optimist. I am definitely resilient. I always see my cup as overflowing that I must keep giving back.
My strong spiritual Paulinian upbringing has shaped me to see goodness in everything and everyone. One of my favorite principals in St. Paul Manila, Sr. Miriam Raymundo gave me one of the best lessons in life – a few years ago, I asked her why she looked so good at age 81 and she told me “If I looked old and mean, who would believe I have Jesus in my heart?” So there – the secret to eternal youth and happiness!
5. Who are YOUR personal heroes? Why?
Teachers. Especially good teachers. Especially public school teachers. They have the power to transform people and therefore our country. I hope they all know that.
6. What are YOU hungry for?
Seriously – happiness, world peace and true brotherhood among all men! Then there would be no suffering, no hunger, no war, no corruption. I do what I do in hope that even my smallest and humblest efforts can make a difference in even one person, who might pay it forward. Who knows, if all of us can do one simple act of kindness or goodness, the multiplying power of paying it forward can bring us to true peace and happiness. (I told you I am an optimist!)
7. If YOU were the Secrety of Tourism, how would YOU market our country (Philippines)? What would be the Top 3 Things YOU will be remembered for after your term?
Our world-class hospitality and world-class beaches (I love El Nido!).
Top 3 things I would like to be remembered for:
That I was able to make the Philippines a clean and green country.
That I was able to raise the dignity and pride of Filipino women involved in tourism through education.
That I was able to do no. 1 and 2 without corruption.
8. How do YOU think will social media change our lives? Our work?
Social media have already changed many lives. Worlds are smaller, many pieces of information are within easy reach, people are more in touch..
The challenge is to make these connections productive and purposeful.
9. What's the best thing about being a marketer?
The constant challenge of being ahead of the pack, of being able to effect change through interesting projects, the creativity that goes with insight and the close contact with people esp. the young ones who will be the future leaders of marketing.
10. Looking back at childhood, would they have said, "Chiqui, she's going to become an entrepreneur?"
No. I was a typical Filipino raised in a middle class family (7 kids) where my father worked in the government and my mother was a housewife. I was raised to study in a good school so I can get a good job in a top multinational corporation. Entrepreneurship was never in my frame of mind. As fate again intervened in our lives, Josiah and I got married right after college at a time when the Philippine economy was down because of the Ninoy Aquino assassination. There I was, a fresh graduate from DLSU, with a double degree in communication arts and marketing (accelerated program), a student leader and a dean’s lister unable to land a job because companies were not hiring.
Josiah was soon embarking on his own business as we were raising our kids and I saw the beauty (as well as the stress, but a kind of stress that brought out the best in people) of being an entrepreneur, where my employment was not dependent on the whims of the economy or politics but on myself. We earned in proportion to our efforts and we were both hardworking so it was so worth it. I learned the concept of frugality while starting up the business where we would buy second hand cars and lived in apartments so we could save up for the business, for our travels and finally for our dream house which we all enjoy because we’re debt free. We now can work hard and play hard. We are now reaping the rewards of our hard work and nothing beats the pleasure of being able to help others because we can; plus the peace of mind and the family harmony that go with it.
About me (Chiqui Escareal-Go)
I am the inspiration behind the genius of a man Josiah Go. We have 4 wonderful children (Chase, Juju, Tricia and Calel) who are all creative (fashion, digital art, photography, theatre) and with whom we spend lots of time doing things we all love most such as traveling abroad, eating out, malling, reading books and keeping ourselves updated and entertained with each other’s activities through Plurk and Facebook.
I am trying to finish my Masters in English and Literature Teaching from Ateneo so I can work on my personal advocacy of working with public school teachers. In the meantime, the many Mansmith seminars, conferences and advocacies are keeping my plate full.
We caught up with Leo Babauta today. He is one of the most popular bloggers in the world today with over 140,000 subscribers. He is also in Technorati's Top 100 Blogs List. He is one of the most successful bloggers in Internet history (hint: he made a lot of money by blogging). His insights into life and work are invaluable.
Are YOU Hungry?
Let's eat...
1. What's life like after all the success you've had after Zen Habits exploded?
It's been amazing. For the first time in my life, I'm able to make a living doing something I love. I have the freedom to work on projects I'm passionate about, and to ignore ones I'm not. That's never happened before in my life and it's absolutely revolutionary. I wish it on anyone who wants to be happy.
2. Take us back to when you started Zen Habits.
I really had no goals for Zen Habits in the early days, no expectations, and no idea what I was doing. I just wrote about things that interested me, that I was working on in my life, that were working for me, and people seemed to like it.
The early days were nice because when you only have a few readers, you can develop a pretty intimate (though non-sexual) relationship with each one of them. I responded to every comment and every email in the first 6 months. Also, with a small audience you don't self-censor as much as you do with a larger one, and there's no pressure to produce really good posts.
I'm not complaining about my success, though. :)
3. How can I as a blogger become better at what I do?
Write a lot, and read a lot, and reflect on all of it. The more you blog (and write in general), the better you get. Read a wide variety of blogs, magazines, books and other material, and reflect on what the writers are doing and why. There's no substitute for experience.
4. Where do YOU get ideas for all the things YOU write?
My life. It's a never-ending source of posts, as my life is a series of experiments, and my blog is my reflection on the results.
5. How do YOU manage to raise 6 kids while writing and running on the same time – on top of that, YOU'RE a vegan? Where do YOU get the energy to do all these?
I just do one thing at a time. It's the same way you eat an elephant -- one bite at a time. When I run, I don't think about all the work I have to do or all the things related to my kids -- I just run. Same when I write or play with my kids or read or eat.
6. Would you describe yourself as more visionary or execution oriented?
Execution, definitely. I have no vision for where I'm going. I just do what I love doing, and hope it turns out well.
7. Any advice you got early on that you didn’t take that you wish you had?
I've learned so much by doing that I would never have wanted someone to steer me in the right direction when I started out -- I'd have missed a lot of great learning. So my advice is to just do it -- don't worry about getting it perfect or what others will think or failure. Just do it, and learn from it.
8. Who are YOUR personal heroes?
I have too many to name, but it would be a cop-out if I didn't name a few. So: Gandhi, Thich Nhat Hanh, Tolstoy, Vonnegut, MLK, Obama, Kropotkin, Chomsky, Stephen Covey, my mom, my grandparents, my wife, my kids, my dad, my sisters, and anyone creating anything.
9. What are YOU hungry for?
I'm pretty content. I do love to help people, so I hope I can expand in that area.
10. How can I get a flat stomach?
Suck it in. Over the longer term, eat healthy, whole foods, eat less, and avoid processed stuff. And get active. It takes awhile.
11. In the Author Bio section of YOUR power of less blog, YOU wrote “Tripled his income” right after “Became a vegetarian.” Did becoming a vegetarian have anything to do with YOU tripling YOUR income?
Yes. One thing inevitably leads to another. I learned a lot from becoming a vegetarian -- including that we can adjust to just about anything if you do it slowly and gradually. This translates to increasing income more than you might think.
Please add any other stories, anecdotes or quotes that may help our readers.
My favorite quote is by Thich Nhat Hanh, and it's one that encapsulates my entire philosophy on life: "Smile, breathe, and go slowly."
Leo Babauta is a Top 100 blogger at ZenHabits.net with more than 140,000 subscribers, and the author of the best-selling book, The Power of Less (http://thepowerofless.com). He is also the creator of mnmlist.com, zenfamilyhabits.net, and writetodone.com, as well as several ebooks (http://zenhabits.net/books/).
HungryPeople would like to share this wonderful advice from Tom Peters Sales25. It is the Number 1 in Tom's timeless sales advice.
It's good to take note that we all need this advice, not only people in Sales. Everyday, whether we're a corporate banker doing the spreadsheets, an operations guy managing the logistics department or a marketer developing campaigns – we all need to KNOW the product (or service) we are selling. Whether we work for our own company or work for others, we have to LIVE the brand. And yes, have deep product knowledge. Life is selling. Happy Selling!
Know Your Product.
It's an obvious point, but well worth stating (and re-stating): You've got to be smarter than hell about what you're peddling! And the “secret” to product knowledge goes beyond attending some classes, beyond reading the literature, beyond training to do demos. True product knowledge is deep knowledge. “Straight knowledge” is a necessary jumping-off point, but no more than that.
Deep knowledge comes from finding every known factual – and editorial – comment about your product or service. Everything's that's ever been said or written about it in print, on the Internet, wherever. For example, you should know all “objections” raised in popular reviews of the product or service (and be able to answer each one, of course.)
Deep knowledge also means developing your internal network: Make friends with (deep) designers and (deep) engineers in your product development department, and encourage them to share the “real story behind the product” - along with the product's significant features and (yes) hidden shortcomings.
When it comes to developing product knowledge, remember: More, more, more. And, more important: Deeper, deeper, deeper.
In sum: He or she who has the largest appetite for Deep Knowledge wins.
