An Amazing Ride for MS

Phil Koeghan, host of The Amazing Race, rode 3,500 miles across the USA, in just over a month (28 March – 9 May), to raise funds for the National MS Society. MS, or Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating disease that can impair your vision, or cause your memory to fail without warning or reason, and affect your ability to walk or stand. The symptoms of MS are different, and devastating, for everyone - the only certainty is that it will affect yet another person every hour of every day.

Phil registered for the MS Bike Tour because he wanted to do something for the people who have been diagnosed. He also wanted to do everything to prevent more people from learning what it means to live with this disease. Today, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability. 

Phil is author of the bestselling NOW – No Opportunity Wasted, a self-motivation book based on his wanton global adventures. I was influenced by his numerous stories in NOW that I finished several Ironman triathlons, and finally met multiple-Ironman Sister Madonna Budder (78 years young) at the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida last year.

The reasons for Phil riding about 100 miles (160km) a day were:

1.    For a great cause - Bike MS

2.   To promote riding - because riding makes sense/cents: in these times, riding has never been a better option

3.   To share the Ultimate Food - NOW One Square Meal: a new perfectly balanced meal for any adventure, including riding across America!

He alternated between two bikes: the Specialized Transition and the Specialized Roubaix.

Phil aimed to raise US$30,000, and he is almost there. You may consider donating, as he has now raised about US$27,168.01. You can help make the difference for MS!

Image from http://www.philridesacrossamerica.com/

Letting Them Beat You Occasionally: A Coach's Journey

He has breathed the rarefied air of Kona, Hawaii and raced with the best of the best. He is a serious age-grouper, and being on the podium was almost a habit. On his second attempt at Ironman, he qualified (and completed) in the World Championships. He also completed the world championships for the Olympic Distance triathlon one week before Kona. He has won twice the Open-water Swim in the Masters’ category in Singapore in 2006 and 2007. One fateful, weather-influenced day he lost by the narrowest of margins the first-place spot in the Olympic-distance triathlon, after the judges unfairly dismissed the results of the swim leg (where he emerged from the water first). Australian, CRAIG HOLLAND lives with these personal disappointments, and converts them to lessons for his students. Read the interview of how lessons learnt from triathlons can be taught to international executives leading corporations to their best performances.

Spreading the Word

Thank you, readers for spreading your word about this blog. Initial interest in this virgin blog has been highly encouraging. Our community has been very supportive, with your kind words, thoughts and special gestures. Thank you, evangelists for spreading your goodwill! I am inspired, as I was with the film Field of Dreams, where a voice urges an Iowa farmer (Kevin Costner) to build a baseball diamond within his crops. ‘Build it and they will come!’

Here are some voices I’ve heard recently – THANK YOU ALL!

'Thanks, Enrico your blog is great! Look forward to working with you.’

‘Great interview!! Truly Inspiring.’

‘I read it. It was a very good interview. It was clear and concise. Well done! Keep up the good work. Congrats on your sporting achievement.’

‘Congratulations on your new blog! I was indeed impressed, particularly in your usage of the English Language, your excellent writing skills, and your willingness to impart your experiences and knowledge to others.’

‘Very good, impressive.’

Wrestling with Reality

THE WRESTLER  is a film that focuses on the quasi-world of professional wrestling, and how aging sports stars (with alliterative names) cope with their mortality, both inside and outside of the ring.

Mickey Rourke surprised with a sensitive portrayal of a wrestler yearning to get back into the professional ring. The bum deal is that he has to come to grips with his life, after he experiences a near-fatal heart attack. Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson attempts to reconcile with his estranged daughter, who despises her father for not being there for her during his heydays.

Marisa Tomei is Cassidy, the exotic-dancer, single-mother who breaks her own rules when she takes a liking to the sensitive, behemoth with the shocking-blond mane. This is a vastly different role she has taken, after a brilliant career start with her Academy-winning role in My Cousin Vinny (1992) and going through a rollercoaster of hits and misses like The Guru, Anger Management, and What Women Want.

Both Rourke and Tomei needed this big break as their careers were meandering aimlessly. Imagine this - Rourke turned successful professional boxer for a while (1991-1995)! The Wrestler restored Rouke’s flaccid career, and critics have hailed him as Hollywood’s Comeback Kid. He is realistic as a wrestler, and his physical presence is a real as it gets: trying to make rent, verbal choreography before a match, extensive sports-taping before a match, injecting himself with steroids and working out at the gym. You will gain a sense that the world of wrestling is not as glamorous as it aims to be. Former-Minnesota governor and ex-WWF wrestling star, Jesse Ventura wrote a thesis about the business in his insightful biography ‘I Ain't Got Time to Bleed: Reworking the Body Politic from the Bottom Up’ (Kindle Books). Whether you revere them, or revile them, the politics and pre-work involved may not, necessarily, mean a wrestler will hit pay dirt. It is a gig, and you hope to have as many as your body and spirit can muster – so you can make ends meet.

The film hints at a vicious cycle of a ‘no-win’ situation. Wrestler gets paid for a performance, goes back and nurtures his wounds, pays for pharmaceutical assistance, recovers, and then goes back to square one. At one point in the film, a wrestler-pusher offers Rourke a cache of drugs to help him heal, which pretty much exhausts his earnings. Why do it then, if you have nothing to show for? Quit or stay? Then again, life outside the ring can be even harder. This parallels Balboa: Rocky 6 where the retired boxer punches his way out of relative obscurity because the young champion challenges him on his legacy. So, what’s The Wrestler’s legacy? To stay in the ring, or outside the ring – that is the question.

Director, Darren Aronofsky attempts to recreate the adrenaline rush that precedes each match, and he has succeeded in bringing the realism to screen. You can see the blood, pain, sweat and tears. This is not a happy film; unlike ex-WWE star, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in Disney’s in Race to Witch Mountain.

In spite of its flawed characters, the little imperfections add to the sum of a greater whole – that there is humanity at every moment, whether we choose to notice or identify with it.

It was no wonder that this film was nominated (and won) for the big prizes (Golden Globe; BAFTA) at all major film festivals. It certainly gave Slumdog Millionaire a fight for its money, although The Wrestler is also about ‘winning’ in a different way.

 

Rating: 4.5/5

A State of Wellness

15 May 2009, SUNTEC City, Singapore - I delivered a keynote address to an audience of about 200 staff of the National University of Singapore (NUS). It was an entrance to a full-day Wellness Conference, which included three workshops on optimism, pilates and nutrition. My topic was ‘Making Change – Finding Resilience During Tough Times’.

In my keynote speech, I shared that resilience is about restoring your original state/shape. Think of a stretched rubber band, however not an over-stretched one. Our capability and capacity can be tested, without us breaking down (as an individual) or apart (as a team). Resilience involves other values such as determination, persistence, tenacity, flexibility and optimism. Terms like ‘bouncing back’, ‘recovery’, and ‘buoyant’ are used to describe resilient people. On an optimistic note, I reiterated the belief that ‘Tough times don’t last – tough people do’.

Flexibility is the ability to generate more choices for yourself when you encounter problems. The late-Anita Roddick of The Body Shop used to say: ‘Three choices are a good beginning.’ So, come up with at least three choices when you intend to solve a problem. These choices pave the way to your decision-making – a core competency of leaders.

The Wellness Centre of NUS manages clients that comprise students and staff. The audience I enjoyed this morning can be described as enthusiastic, engaging and participative. I used magical illusions to illustrate my points about change, people involvement, and the ability to create more choices.

Coming corporate presentations for the Education Sector:

Positive Thinking, 28 May 2009

Managing Stress with Humour at the Workplace, 5 June 2009

‘Mr Enrico. You are a man of "many talents". I like the keynote speech you gave this morning, especially incorporating magic into a serious topic "Making Change – Finding resilience during tough times" which you delivered it very well in a fun and easy to understand way. I believe many of my colleagues also enjoyed the session. I will share with my union colleagues on the experience.’ - Michael TAN (Mr)

Singapore Actors at Cannes

This is film festival week in Cannes, France.

Director Eric Khoo and actors/co-stars, Bosco Francis and Jathishweran were invited to walk the red carpet in the Festival De Cannes last year. Khoo’s film, My Magic was the first Singaporean film to ever qualify as finalists for the prestigious category of official selection competition. Francis was nominated in the Best Actor category. Wong Kim Hoh and Eric Khoo wrote the poignant screenplay.

You can read more about this landmark event for Singapore in my interview with Francis here and here.

Conversation with Achievers: Entrepreneur/Business-Leader/Ironman, Dave Low

Full name: David Teh-Hui Low

Age: 46

Status: Single

Profession: Managing Director, Hawaii Capital Management

Years in profession: 20

City of Residence: Honolulu

Years in triathlon: 4

Pet peeves: Indecision; Selfishness

Hobbies: Triathlons, Ferraris, Ducatis & Watches.

I first met Dave Low in Singapore, during the 70.3 Singapore 2008. He was competing in the Fittest CEO Challenge, where one slot for the Ironman Triathlon

World Championships in Kona, Hawaii would be given to the winner. Dave crossed the line at a blistering 5:10, beating a field of seven other business-leaders. A large contingent of Triathlon Family Singapore met the charming and affable Dave for dinner to celebrate his achievement. He subsequently completed his first full Ironman in Kona in 11:52.

Dave is a managing director of Hawaii Capital Management, based in Honolulu, Hawaii. His office is located within an historic bank building in downtown Honolulu. His company’s slogan is ‘Number 1 in building health and wealth’. The company’s core value is ‘Integrity with Aloha’. He takes pride in triathlon and being a triathlete, and this can be clearly seen on one page of his corporate website where he describes his achievements, including ‘Hawaii’s Fittest CEO’. He has been featured in the Hawaii Business magazine, as well as Triathlete magazine.

Dave is a journalist’s dream. I barely edited his responses, as he gives succinct and clear answers. Communicating clearly is one of the hallmarks of leaders, and he is certainly a successful entrepreneur and businessperson. Enjoy the interview.

Enrico: Good day, Dave. Thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Dave Low: It would be an honor to be interviewed by you, a 7-time Ironman!

EV: My pleasure, mate. Walk us through your active lifestyle. You run a successful business in Honolulu, and are an active and competitive sportsman. How do you do it?

Dave Low: By structuring each day to include some form of triathlon or fitness training, whether before an important business meeting, or at the end of the day.

EV: When taking on these physical challenges, how do you maintain your work/life/family balance?

DL: To be honest, it is very difficult to maintain a good balance. Since scaling back on competing this year, it is a little easier. I have made fitness a top priority though, because a healthy, fit lifestyle translates into so many positive spinoffs, such as healthy relationships, success in business and a happy, positive outlook.

EV: How does an active physical lifestyle tie in to your work as an entrepreneur and businessperson, as well as a leader?

DL: Being competitive in a triathlon or private equity deal keeps me on track to be my best in all aspects of life. Success provides credibility as a leader. But first, you have to train hard in order to produce results.

EV: What made you do Ironman? How many years did you train before you qualified for Kona?

DL: About six years ago, I was a morbidly obese couch-potato. Then, one day out of the blue, I looked in the mirror and got off the couch. Started running 5k's, marathons...eventually transitioning into triathlons in 2005. I put forth a serious campaign for Kona just last year with Hawaii 70.3 and the Singapore 70.3 CEO Challenge where I won the Kona slot.

EV: Congratulations again for that effort! What was your day like, when you won ‘The Fittest CEO Challenge’ in the Singapore 70.3?

DL: It was a momentous accomplishment for me. As equally rewarding as competing in, and finishing Kona.

EV: What did you do to prepare for Kona? Which sacrifices did you make?

DL: I trained with my triathlon group, Boca Hawaii and coach, Raul Torres, to prepare for the mother of all triathlons. I had achieved my goal of qualifying for Kona so I really didn't think of anything as being sacrificial. I had a job to do and that was finish - hopefully, under-12 hours. I finished in 11:53.

EV: Why the Ironman triathlon? What started you on that?

DL: Training with so many talented triathletes and friends who all aspire to finish an Ironman, it was only inevitable.

EV: Who are your biggest influences in your life? Why them?

DL: Firstly, my mother, who is in her 70’s, stays fit by swimming an hour a day. Secondly, my high-school wrestling coach who taught me how to set goals and work for them. I'll never forget his credo: "Don't wish for it. Work for it."

EV: What is your strategy for racing? Is it ‘all or nothing’, or ‘one step at a time’, or ‘be the best’?

DL: All out for the podium (age group). However, there are so many fast triathletes in Hawaii that I have to hope they don't show up.

EV: [Laughs] You’ve got a point! I, too, hope that they don’t show up, however they do. Now, what mental skills/anchors do you use once you really start hurting (in a race) and the grizzly bear climbs on your back telling you to just walk or quit?

DL: My fragile male ego emerges. Good for overriding all pain.

EV: I can relate to that. How do you stay motivated to repeat similar challenges once you have ticked the box, i.e. Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona?

DL: It is getting harder as there is not much left after I ran the Boston Marathon and finished Kona. Although I hear from multiple Ironman studs like you and Clifford that IM China is even tougher, so maybe I will do IM China one day!

EV: You should do it. I’m sure you’ll do well. How did you decide to become an entrepreneur? Were you ever a ‘corporate slave’?

DL: I worked for Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and a few other prominent Wall Street firms that have since gone belly-up. The cut-throat corporate culture drove me to venture forth on my own. I did not make a very good corporate slave. It was the best career decision I have made.

EV: How long have you been an entrepreneur?

DL: I started my own firm back in 2000.

EV: What lessons from triathlons have you brought into your profession as an entrepreneur and self-directed leader?

DL: Triathlons and the training it requires to be successful, parallels business and career success. One must set high goals and work hard to achieve them.

EV: What was your proudest moment in triathlon? What have been your major achievements?

DL: Triathlon: Winning the Singapore 70.3 CEO Challenge, and finishing Kona (both of which I’m equally proud).

EV: Major achievement?

DL: Metamorphosis from a fat, lazy slob into Hawaii's Fittest CEO and swimsuit/fitness model.

EV: Tell us more about your famous fashion shoot for Triathlete magazine.

DL: It was both terrifying and exciting. I had no experience as a model. Remember, I was a fat dude that hated myself for the way I looked. You can't tell by the photos, but I was a nervous wreck...It turned out well and led to more modeling. I've since decided that I really don't like standing around for hours getting my photo taken. But it was fun for a while!

EV: How has Ironman training and racing benefitted you, both personally and professionally?

DL: Ironman training and competition brings out the best in me, resulting in a healthy lifestyle.

EV: What’s next on the list of ‘to do’ or ‘to conquer’ list? What's after Kona? DL: I'm still struggling to come up with the next challenge. Thought about Everest, but I don't want to die and I hate cold weather! I guess the challenge for me is to not be so competitive and just enjoy training with good friends. But it's difficult because most of them are competitive bastards like me!

EV: What is your philosophy towards life? The host of ‘The Amazing race’, Phil Koegan wrote a book ‘NOW – No Opportunity Wasted’. What is your take on that?

DL: Life is short. Live it well with no regrets.

EV: How do you maintain a healthy business when trying to give 110 % towards training, etc?

DL: Yin-Yang. It is a challenge to balance. One must read Confucius to learn the right blend. He who trains too hard will stumble...

EV: What methods do you use to monitor the onset of fatigue/flat spells/de-motivation during training for such events that come down to you performing at your best on a single day?

DL: This is a good question, the answer to which I am still searching for. For each individual it is different. My body is the single best gauge, which tells me to back off or rest.

EV: Thank you for a great interview, Dave.

DL: I hope your training is going well and safe. I’ve been taking it easy since Kona. Give my best to all my Singapore buddies.

Final results of Singapore 70.3 CEO Challenge 2008

1^st: Dave Low, Hawaii Capital Management, Honolulu - (S 43, B 2:39, R 1:47) = 5:10* Kona slot winner

2^nd: Matthew Wong, PRIMA USA Ltd, New York - (S 45, B 2:48, R 1:54) = 5:28

3^rd: Craig Kerr, PRTM Management, Shanghai - (S 35, B 2:46, R 2:08) = 5:30

4^th: Fred Uytengsu, Alaska Milk, Manila - (S 33, B 2:54, R 2:26) = 5:54

5^th: David Charlton, David's Salon, Manila - (S 50, B 3:18, R 3:31) = 7:40

Interview by: Enrico Varella

Photographs: Chad Bethel and Ted Kennedy

© 2009 Enrico Varella & lead2tri.blogspot.com

Reproduction of material from any Lead2Tri.blogspot.com page without written permission is strictly prohibited.

An Interview with Entrepreneur/Business-Leader/Ironman, Dave Low

This is the beginning of many interviews with people of distinction. These are leaders in industry, who demonstrate their capability and capacity through their discernment, diligence and decisiveness.

David Low, 47, is the Managing Director of Hawaii Capital Management, based in Honolulu, Hawaii. A regular podium-finisher, he was winner of the Fittest CEO Challenge at the 2008 Aviva Singapore 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Singapore. His timing of 5:10 easily won him a slot at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii that same year. I caught up with him for an Ironman-to-Ironman interview. He talks about leadership, being a model for Triathlete magazine, finding time to train, his motivations, aspirations and ambitions. The full interview will be posted shortly.

Business Stripped Bare – Richard Branson (2008)

‘At its heart, business is not about formality, or winning, or ‘the bottom line’, or profit, or trade, or commerce, or any of the things the business books tell you it’s about. Business is what concerns us. If you care about something enough to do something about it, you’re in business, and you’ll find ideas in this books that will help you.’

I enjoy reading biographies of entrepreneurs and businesspeople. Much has been written about Richard Branson and the Virgin brand. If you read between the lines, Branson offers a whole lot more. The rebel billionaire (yes, he is worth a lot in stocks) who is dyslexic isn’t a person whom you would give a PowerPoint presentation. He is highly intuitive, and unconventional. He is a people person, who lives by his own credo on how to conduct business. One such axiom he lives by is ‘Screw it. Just do it!’ (That happens to be the title of one of his earlier books). He also believes in the ‘David versus Goliath’ approach when Virgin Airlines took on Big Boys, British Airways – and won.

In this book, published in 2008, covers the topics of People, Brand, Delivery, Learning from Mistakes and Setbacks, Innovation, Entrepreneurs and Leadership, and Social Responsibility. He includes many case studies, some of success, and some of failure yet they reflect his hindsight, insights, and foresight. There are a lot of perspectives to be gleaned from his unconventional wisdom. Also, this book describes the many values that strongly reflect the corporate core values of Virgin. Branson explains the equalities he looks for in the people he hires. He shares how he manages a crisis. He also talks about the entrepreneurs he admires.

I heartily recommend this book for the executive, entrepreneur and start-up companies.

Q-Tips for Penetrating Writing(#1)

Students often ask me: How can I write better?

Here is my response, in installments, via e-lessons. I hope that it helps.

Q-Tip #1: Write, write, and write some more

Stephen King urges us to ‘write’ if we are to become better writers. He spends three hours each day in a bare room, with minimal distractions, so that he can write. Even if he churns out one, quality sentence, he is pleased.

We need not be so extreme. Instead, we can send an electronic mail, post a reply on a blog, post a blog, send out a text message (in complete sentences), or Twitter. In Facebook or Twitter, we are encouraged to condense our thought and concept of usefulness. In secondary or high school, we learnt précis writing. That was a very useful skill, as it was about brevity. You may recall reducing a 500-word article into 150 words? It was challenging, to say the least.

Text message, or SMS is merely a tool, yet it does not mean we have to compromise our written language with shorthand script and emoticons. Write in full. I have replied to my customers in clear sentences on SMS, to minimize confusion. Attempt to write on one screen, your text message response. That is précis writing. Be precise, accurate and exact.

Keep a journal. Write in it regularly. I suggest using an A5-sized diary, where you can scribble notes and random thoughts. If you awake from a dream, and you are intrigued by an idea, jot it down. It will vanish when you awake. Our unconscious mind can be highly creative while we sleep.

Learn to edit other people’s work. Write and edit your department's Minutes of the Meeting (MOM). Writing the MOM requires unique writing and thinking skills. You will have to listen carefully, condense the conversation, contain the gist of the discussion, capture the essence, and summarise the decisions. Why do you think many staff still fear writing MOMs? They avoid it; thus, they are not confident with their skills of observation, summary and writing.

What do you write about? For starters, write about what is your favourite book, piece of music or recent experience? Focus on the content, and let the words flow. Build the sentence and the words will come. Writing is a habit. It involves learning, and discipline. Start writing, and your thoughts will flow.