This past weekend, October 1-3, 2009 I was invited to be a guest at the Rise event and Award show put on by Ellie Drake and the Braveheart Community.
If you’ll recall, a couple weeks ago I share the video of my guest appearance on Elle’s BraveHeart View TV show. If you missed it, you can see it here.
As smart marketers, Elle and her husband Charlie Drake invited several celebrities to be on panel conversations as well as recipients of several of the awards given out Saturday night.
Marketing Tidbit: The marketing strategy of using celebs to drive marketing has been going on for decades. In fact little known fact, The Horatio Alger awards, started in 1947 by Norman Vincent Peale, was created in a sense to gain access to celebs by giving them awards in order to feature them in his magazine Guideposts. The fact the awards grew into a distinguished honor that supports underprivileged kids is a major bonus. But I digress…
At the Rise Awards were several notable celebs including Courtney Cox, Loni Anderson, Delta Burke, Meshach Taylor (co-star from Designing Women) Frances Fisher, Stephanie Powers, Les Brown (the motivational speaker not the band leader), BrandU members Rev. Michael Beckwith & Ricki Byers-Beckwith, and several others. But the one who stood out to me is non other than the amazing Carol Channing and her husband Harry Kullijian.
While I was growing up, Carol was one of those entertainers who was part of the daily fabric of talk shows and celebrity goings-on. She is most associated with staring in Hello Dolly (stage & screen) and for singing Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend. I remember her being lit up from within, effervescent before I even knew what that meant.
Every time I saw her whether is was in a magazine, on a talk show, or starring in a role just—watching her made me feel uplifted—if only for the moment that she captivated me.
Well, after seeing her in person, at 88 years, I have to tell you Carol Channing has still got it! She might even have yours and everyone on your block as well.
Her joy and exuberance for life fills up the entire room and leaves you feeling renewed, uplifted, and wanting more of it….of her. Simply amazing!
After a lifetime of being a famous performer, she has certainly done quite well for herself financially, but even so she and her husband have started a foundation to support keeping the arts alive in California schools alive. Learn why this is so important and how it can help schools where you live too.
In a mere ten minutes, Carol Channing reminded me not only of why I’m in business to support you and conscious entrepreneurs all around the world to grow their business but also why I’m alive on the planet at this time—to lift the hearts of people and remind them of the amazing gift it is to be alive. The odd part is, I didn’t even know that I had forgotten that.
Most people who meet me would certainly not know that, but standing next her and feeling the energy pulsing off her very presence I admit, through the challenges of what it takes to thrive today, I have let some of my own light dwindle.
But I tell you…it’s all back in full beam!
So fasten your seat belts, and grab your tickets, and thank you for being a part of this ride.
Written by Kim Castle
No related posts.