How Trump Travels

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The Hidden Benefits Of Charity Work

First off, this isn’t going to be a preachy post were I pat myself repeatedly on the back about my charity work.  This is a post were I begin to explain how I came to realize I was benefiting from doing charity work and volunteering my services beyond the obvious.

I first started making monthly visits to Children’s hospitals in the mid-90’s when I lived in Memphis, Tennessee near the famed St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the LeBohner Children’s Hospital.  Since moving to Orlando in 1999, I’ve increased my volunteer work to include a ranch for at-risk children, the Boy’s and Girls Clubs of America, Give Kids the World, several faith-based organizations and more.  Keep in mind these events were not exclusively for children.  I began to notice that more and more jokes, bits of business and even full routines that were birthed during charity shows were beginning to creep into my regular act.  I started to pay closer attention to this.  Several years ago I made a bold statement to my wife that I had surmised the best, funniest shows I’ve done neither she nor the paying public had ever seen because they had been done at charity events.

As I delved into why I felt this way, I began to see a pattern, the obvious being:

NO PAYMENT – NO PRESSURE

When you are doing it for free, there’s less pressure to deliver the goods and possibly less time constraints and less worry in general.  John Cleese, in his autobiography, “So, Anyway…” says that inspiration and spontaneity do not come if you are under pressure.

Cleese describes the fact that because he thought that eventually he’d go into Law, that allowed him to be totally “free” on stage during the early part of his career.  He wasn’t worried about failure and therefore was “funnier” than he might have been otherwise.  The question was, what did the lack of pressure cause me to do differently?  I began to take notes:

TAKING MY SWEET TIME

I have a tendency to be fast-paced in my performances, a habit possibly formed from my long history of entertaining in a dinner show whereas you must grab the attention of the audience and hold on for dear life; at any moment you could lose their focus if a waiter happeneds to stroll by with an ice-cold pitcher of beer.  I noticed that at charity shows, I take my sweet time, feeling out the crowd, getting their vibes and allowing them to get mine.

IMPROVISATION AND AD-LIBBING

You can find reviews of my show on Tripadvisor and other travel blogs and articles that will state how much I interact and ad-lib with the audiences.  I realized in my charity shows I do even more, most likely because as I said above, I take my time.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34515-d1006747-Reviews-Outta_Control_Dinner_Show-Orlando_Florida.html

STICKING WITH THE NO-PLAN, PLAN

Heath Ledger as the Joker said, “I’m not a schemer, I don’t have a plan, I just DO things.”  I realized that in charity shows, I would take a “bag of tricks”, having no idea exactly what I was going to use in that bag, no idea of a show order at all.  I don’t necessarily recommend this ‘free-form” style, however for my personality it’s liberating.  I leave these types of shows invigorated and energized.  Having performed thousands of shows, the thought of doing them exactly the same way would have a negative effect on my performing style.

I’m not suggesting that you take part in volunteer/charity work in the hopes of personal gain but it did work out for me that way so I look at it as a win-win.

Stay Groovy,

Tony

Ridiculous Job Interviews

Many years ago I was younger.

During that time I spent many a day preparing for, waiting for and driving to, job interviews. You know how it is; it’s that period of your life when you aren’t exactly sure what you want to do for a living so you find yourself answering want ads for all kinds of jobs. Recently, I recalled a particularly strange job interview at a hotel in Memphis, TN for some sales position; I’ve long ago forgotten the company name and what they were selling; I probably blocked it out.

The interview took place in a chain hotel, possibly a Days Inn, Econolodge or Hampton Inn near the interstate. I remember being told on the phone to go to a particular room on the first floor and knock on the door. I was welcomed into the room by two gentlemen in suits. Glancing around the room it was obvious that the men had rearranged the furniture so that two straight-backed chairs sat at 45 degree angles facing a large fluffy almost bean bag-like chair that they had placed in the middle of the room near the bed. Now, the bean bag-like chair wasn’t an actual “bean bag” chair, it did have short legs, it was just so cushiony that it would be impossible to sit straight in and also so low that you’d have to look up to see the interviewer’s faces. The two straight back chairs sat against the sliding glass door so that the interviewers could sit with their backs to the sun, positioning the interviewee in such a way that they would be facing toward the sun.

After exchanging the usual minor pleasantries, one of the fellows pointed to the bean bag-like chair and asked me to have a seat. I sat my briefcase down (remember those?) and lowered myself into the squishy chair, wallowing for a good 23 seconds to try and position myself so that I would appear “professional” and not like a flopping carp in the bottom of the boat. I realized the absurdity of the situation, even though I was too young and green to comment. Believe me, if it happened today I would comment strongly and shame the two guys for having the audacity to make me feel like I’m part of the Nuremberg Trials. I instantly knew the moment they asked me to sit that there was no way I’d take a position with that company. Can you imagine working for a company that would go to the length of near-humiliation in their job interviews? I remember little else of the interview other than it was really short. I’m sure I gave the lamest answers possible to their questions in order to get it over with and get out of the hotel room.

Now, on the other hand, if all three of us had been sitting in bean bag chairs, I might still be working for that company today! That would have been awesome! Can you imagine it? I think all business meetings should be held in bean bag chairs providing that everybody sits in one.

It’s been many years since I’ve gone on a job interview, I’d love to hear your most ridiculous job interview situations.

Stay Groovy,

Tony