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This is Part II of the interview with Kytka Hilmar-Jezek. The awesome insights and wisdom continues to flow in this next portion of the interview. In case you missed Part I, check it out HERE.)

1. What books or programs have influenced you the most? What has changed your thoughts or paradigms on life?

I don’t know that I can truly answer this. I have been a total and fanatic book junkie as long as I can remember. I remember writing down all of the titles to the books I read when I was 21 for some grant I was applying for, and at that time it was on my old word processor. I wanted to print it and it was like 120 pages, double column. At this time I have over 40 huge bins filled with books at the house. And that is what we were able to ship out of Costa Rica – so many boxes stayed there. But clearly – there has been a lot of influence along the way…

No, let me re-phrase, not influence, more like permission. In my life, I always had the gut feeling that something was right – but when I expressed it to my circle, I would always get negative feedback – too radical, crazy, uncommon, not normal and things like that. Wayne Dyer does a talk with Deepak and in it he tells the story of how the principle called him a “scurvy elephant” and he went home to tell his foster mom, and she went to the principles office and found out that he was actually called “A Disturbing Element”. That is one of my favorite stories he tells… And his passion for truly embracing that truth about his uniqueness shines though during the talk, Wayne is really proud of that, and he owns it. I am sure that for a long time, it may have also been the greatest source of pain for him. It took me a great many years, and losing everything, to get to the point of not wanting to please everyone all of the time and claiming my own life. When it’s just YOU and you decide that you will live for you.

But a specific book… I feel that the answer is this… as I have traveled on my own personal journey of life, different books came to mind at different times to be a guide and a friend along the journey. If you want this specifically for a certain person, I would have to know where they are on their journey. We live in a total info overload and I would hate to give a few book titles out to have some people go out, get them and they were not really the books to serve them at this juncture on their path. And maybe therein lies and even better answer to your question… TIME is running out, or speeding up, or will end as we know it – so soon, less than 2 years they say.

So who even has the time for more books, you know? So how do I answer in a way that will best serve… I will answer like this – because this is something all of the great gurus and teachers and mentors have come to discover on their own journey, and that so much of their story is about when they are speaking to you…

When do you start? Now.

Where is the best guru – in your mirror.

Who is your best teacher – the story of your own life.

Take a long hard look within and allow yourself to be guided. The Great Creator, the Universal Life Force, God or whatever you believe in has given you unlimited access to all. Ever heard of the Akashic Records, Books of Life or Memory of Nature? All of those terms refer to the same thing. Basically, we are conscious beings who can at any time tap into an infinite knowing universal consciousness of which we are all a part. We are one with this whether we wish to acknowledge it or not. We are so much more than this suit we wear made of flesh and bones. Some believe we have several bodies and levels of thought and consciousness. There is so much out there that we are just beginning to tap into, and yet for every “new” discovery, we see it is just fancy language for what the elders had tried to document for us hundreds, even thousands of years ago.

Life is what has changed my thoughts and paradigms on life. The day to day experience of living and then the comparison to how I believed it should be, how I thought it would be, what I know it could be – those kinds of things.

Turn off your iphone, get off the social media for the weekend. Turn off all electronics, light some candles and incense, and just sit – quietly with yourself. Write down the thoughts that come to mind… with no judgment or attachment to them. Sleep, rest, listen to the sound you no longer recognize – the sound of quiet and get familiar with it again. If you have a yard, sit outside on the grass. Put your head down on the earth – listen to her, can you hear her breathe? Go walk on the beach, barefoot. Not to hit happy hour in the beach bar or to cruise the hot bodies <laugh> but to watch the rhythmic rolling of the waves and see the ocean breathe… breathe with the ocean until her pattern aligns with yours. These are the greatest teachers…. And as far as time. Sit and watch time pass. Literally, look at an old clock with a large second hand, and watch the seconds of your life ticking by. Normally you are too busy to notice. Every second is a second gone, forever…. When you realize the value of your time – and you take the time to listen within, as if by magic, all sorts of things will begin to fall into place.

2. The internet is bringing people closer together than ever before and making the world a smaller place. Social media has been huge allowing people to openly connect with others freely and instantaneously. Can you describe your experiences with things like Facebook, Twitter, or even Meetup.com? Has it changed how you’ve networked?

I started online in 1996 in Yahoo group discussions. For me these new social media tools are just the natural evolution of those discussions. My website was “Waldorf Homeschoolers” and my clients and families were all over the world. We posted photos to the discussion board files section and we communicated in the only way we could, via the discussion groups. I see that the sites have evolved to be real time, to have more features – the potential for building closeness is amazing, but remember that it is in the computer screen (or the iphone, etc). Nothing beats REAL. Obviously, it is coming – and you also saw and heard Gary Vaynerchuk last week at the event we both attended. If you are not in social media, you are dead in business, etc… But there are two sides to the coin (as there are to all things in life) It physically hurts me to see kids not making real friends but rather online or on their cell, texting those moments away… there is just something so creepy about that to me. It has gotten so excessive, that I see a total fragmentation happening in personalities – and this, I feel, creates a shallow, bland, poor & diminished humanity.

John Taylor Gatto says that networks, even good ones, drain vitality from communities and families. He was talking about school as a network – I can’t even imagine what he would say about social media. I think that while we have the illusion of getting closer – that in reality we are getting further and further apart. And maybe the physical has to be completely wiped out of the equation to have us remember that we are not only body, but also soul and spirit. Ah, there is another DVD you should check out – Healing the Luminous Body by Dr. Alberto Villoldo. Fantastic. Yes, I could recommend books – but there isn’t time to read. Watch him speak in the video, and if it resonates then delve deeper in the books!

My connection with people has always come from my writing. Tweets and short facebook posts make me feel ripped off somehow – my heart and soul cannot flow in that format. But the people can find me there, and those that want to follow or look deeper, they reach out and we connect. I like twitter, facebook and all of the social media tools – but I think it will never ever replace human interaction, which is of the utmost importance with children and teens, and the elderly. Take time to build your social brand – but remember that the legacy you create will most directly affect those who are personally (and usually physically) closest to you. Make sure there is time for them… nothing can replace looking into another humans eyes as you communicate, even if you share without speaking a word.

3. Every time I go to my news feed on Facebook, you are putting out a lot of positive messages, helping people like me stay positive.

Thank you, I appreciate your follow and that you read my updates. It is a gift I AM GIVEN to be able to share positivity and light…

4. Where do you believe the source of your positivity comes from? How do you express it to others on a daily basis?

I usually take 45 minutes for my social media. It is primarily to see what is happening as far as events. I spend a lot more time getting to events than I do on facebook talking about them – because I am all about the real people, face to face. I put out quotes from the things I am reading or thinking about that day. I know how these few words helped me hang in there at challenging times. I am not too far to have forgotten what it felt like to have lost everything, and so I am hyper aware and conscious of being present, being in flow, being in the now… I try to remind people of that constantly.

My positivity comes from gratitude and feeling extremely blessed to have been given the life I have been given, to have had the privilege to have my 3 wonderful kids pick ME to be their mom so they can show me how to love, how to practice patience, how to face fear, how to stand strong, how to smile and laugh, how to love, how to cry, how to live… I am grateful for every step of my journey as it has taken me to so many places and I have had the incredible gift of meeting so many people. Brilliant minds and hearts and souls that I so admire. Do you know how totally awesome it is to have a regular dialogue with people that are setting the trends and changing the world?

But it’s funny – my entire life I have been surrounded by what others would call “fame” and I was never impressed by the lights, camera, action of it. I think that is why so many of the gurus feel comfortable with me and my kids. Because I never for a moment behave as though they are above me in any way. Do you understand? I do not bow down as so many people with a followers mindset do – I meet them face to face, standing with respect, but expecting a mutual respect because the greatest wisdom is in realizing that we are all the same – it is what we do with it that matters… and I have done more than enough in my life. If I died right now, I had done enough. That is a great feeling – and it does not come from crosses on my to-do list, it comes from a deep sense of knowing that TO BE IS ENOUGH.

5. If you had one concept or idea to attach your legacy to, what would it be and why?

How can I just have one concept… when there is so much to life – and yet it is all one, isn’t it. One breath, one mother, one sun, one moon, one love. I love quotes… for the pure attractor that of the millions of words that we spew over the course of our lives, out of the billions of mouths, in the trillions of combinations. – that quotes even exist. That the arrangement of space and time and the time spoken (or written) and that it was noticed or recorded just amazes me…. I love Zapata’s quote “I would rather die standing than to live on my knees”… Yeah, stand for something… just stand. And Deepak Chopra’s "The universe contains three things that cannot be destroyed: Being, Awareness, and Love." But my absolute favorite has to be Gandhi’s quote: “My life is my mission” because today, I truly understand how profound that is and how many wisdoms there are in that combination of 5 words.

Gary Vaynerchuk said that “Legacy is our greatest currency”, and if that is true than I am already the wealthiest and richest woman on the earth, because I have a life that has been my mission, where all I do is with complete being, awareness and love…

Thank you so much Josh, for taking the time to ask me these questions, and more so, for taking the time to listen. We truly learn from each other and in sharing our stories we may ease the soul of one, light the flame of inspiration for another, or just comfort and console – letting our fellow travelers on this journey of life know, that it is a journey we all must take, and we are not alone… [No, no… thank you Kytka. I am so thankful and grateful for you taking the time out of your busy schedule to provide such a thought provoking interview. I have no doubt in my mind that anyone who read either part of the interview has taken away some value from your insights and experience-Josh]

Peace, Love and Abundant Blessings…

Kytka

(Dr. Kytka Hilmar-Jezek, or "Kit", as her friends affectionately call her, is dedicated to assisting you harness your full potential.  Kit applies her expertise & credentials as a Dr. of Naturopathy, NLP Practitioner, Author, Personal Development Coach, Speaker, The Integration Expert, Reiki Master, Childbirth Educator, Waldorf Homeschooling Guru, Niche Marketing Queen and Serial Entrepreneur. She is an inspirational powerhouse; a mover and shaker who continuously challenges the status quo and walks her talk in all areas of her life…)

(This is an interview with Kytka Hilma-Jezek, another person I networked with through social media. The interview is on personal development, spirituality, and more. Her openness to share her experiences, positivity, and outlook on life are amazing. The first time I read this interview, I had to pause, reflect, and then re-read some of her answers…. it is that insightful. The interview is split into 2 parts because I did not want to do any editing and unintentionally miss some stuff.)

1. I think I first networked with you when I had signed up for an Anthony Robbins charity (I believe basket brigade) and then networked with you on Facebook. As many people have had their lives changed from Anthony Robbin’s tremendous work, can you tell me a little bit of how 1.) you learned of him & 2.) “Briefly” describe the biggest impact how his philosophy and tools have impacted your life.

Well Josh, what many people don’t know is HOW I came to Tony Robbins. My entire life has involved personal development, but much of it had a more “spiritual” flavor and in my experience at the time, I thought Tony to be primarily a corporate, fortune 500 type coach and mentor. I had always tended to lean towards Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Neale Donald Walsch, Eckard Tolle, and the world of peak performance coaching was something that I categorized as something for corporate folks and sales teams. That taught me a very important lesson in passing judgments without knowing all of the facts and details for myself. So, after we lost everything in Costa Rica and were deported and I ended up facing the grim reality of having to literally start over as a single mom, someone with no network, no contacts, no job, no home, no car, etc… I was devastated. My son wrote a 3 or 4 page letter to Tony saying basically this: “Tony, my mom is down. I have never seen her like this. All her life she is the pioneer, the radical, the one who lives the lessons, and this experience, I am afraid will kill her. She sits all day and night crying and has begun cutting herself. When I asked her if she wanted to die, she said there was no place for the pain that was so built up inside of her to go, so she cut herself to let it out.” Pretty extreme, isn’t it. But honestly, that is where I was at the time. And the worst part was, I could not find a reference for anyone who had been there before. I came back weighing 89 pounds, and all I had spent 43 years of my life building was taken away in one swoop. I lost over $2.5 million in assets, my marriage, my liberty for 59 days, my children for that time, my rhythm and daily routine – which as Waldorf Homeschooling parent is so important… I lost my home, my car, my friends, my community, my health… everything. So Zack wrote the letter and Tony’s personal assistant responded. Within days we were his special guests sitting with his platinum members at this UPW seminar. The experience of that was great, but the best part was that Tony wanted to meet the 16 year old boy who wrote the letter about his broken mother. And I gave him such a hard time… I recall bitching the whole way to Orlando telling my son “Of all the people to reach out to… Tony Robbins? Mr. Corporate? He is so NOT me – how can I relate to him son, how?”. Well, today I am eternally grateful that Tony extended his hand and listened to my sons cry for help. We got to meet Tony before the event, one on one – just me, Zachary and Tony and what I thought would be a 15 minute talk, turned out to be almost 3 hours of the most amazing and honest advice I have ever received in my life. Tony is a master at what he does – but more so because that is truly who he is – he cares. And I was so surprised that so much of his event was about the other things that most people don’t consider when they think of success. He shares so much about relationships, health, psychology, healing past wounds and moving on. He is an amazing man and I have to credit him and Zachary for saving my life. I would urge anyone who has not seen him live – forget the infomercials, forget the tapes and CDs and go see Tony live – the experience will truly shift your life in ways you didn’t know were possible. He is not a mentor, or a leader or a teacher – he is a force. How has he impacted my life – well, I suppose that he opened my eyes to everyone being so much more than what culture or society wants to pigeon hole them into. His spiritual lessons were right up there with the spiritual gurus… his relationship teachings were truly from the heart and REAL. He is an amazing human being.

2. Although personal development continues to grow in exposure, a lot of people seem to neglect it. Can you explain how personal development seminars, groups, or programs have helped you? How have you seen it help others? Why do you think people continue to disregard it?

I think people neglect it because, like myself a few years ago, people believe that “personal development” is only for a certain group. They don’t fully grasp the context of a “whole” existence. That without passion in your job, nothing else really works. That without a loving relationship, nothing else really works, that without deep healing and letting go of the past and baggage, nothing works, that without spiritual connection, nothing works, that without health and a well functioning organism known as your body, nothing works. So many people feel wealth in one area of their life, and this gives them a false sense of comfort that they are okay – but how many people do you know who are really and truly balanced in their lives with all of those areas in harmony? Very few and far between. Personal development is about that – about bringing balance into all of the areas of your life so that your entire life takes a quantum leap forward – and that realm is called living in true joy, happiness, gratitude. From that place things like the Law of Attraction become activated and life becomes easy, fun, good.

For me personally, I always tended to fragment out and separate things. Being a mom was a different persona I wore for my kids. Being a daughter was a persona I wore for my parents. I had a persona as a wife, and as a woman, at work, and at play… All of these masks we wear for so long, how many of us get lost and forget the true essence of who we really are? How many of us are so busy shifting between these roles, these masks – that we even have time to live as our true authentic selves? Again, few and far between. But people are waking up. They see that model doesn’t work. They wake up and they think “there has to be more than this”. They find themselves not being happy or satisfied with more – because the old model of “more”: no longer satisfies. This is the era of wholeness and that begins with us becoming whole within ourselves as individuals first. Only then can we collectively work on the global challenges. Since I have been back in the US, I have seen hundreds of lives personally influenced and changed for the better by personal development. I have seen people make quantum leaps and huge shifts, and they are happier – they live with purpose, and as Tony would say, with passion. Those who continue to disregard it will find themselves feeling though they have missed the boat, and <laugh> an image of Ebeneezer Scrooge comes to mind – they will look at the ghosts of their life past, and be overcome with regret. The best time for change in your life is NOW. Start where you are – don’t wait for circumstances to get better – they won’t. You have to make them better yourself. You have to take responsibility – and all of that responsibility is yours, and yours only. No one will come and “fix it” for you.

3. On Facebook, you continue to mention Reiki. I remember the first time I heard about it was in “Harmonic Wealth” by James Arthur Ray and immediately scheduled a session and was speechless of how it made me feel.

Ah James Ray. Yes, his Harmonic Wealth is a perfect example of what I was discussing. You know, James is famous for saying “balance is bogus” – he says that true wealth is having all of the components of your life in harmony, like a symphony where all of the beautiful music depends on each individual instrument, and that is so true. I am deeply saddened as to how the public responded to the tragic events in Sedona. But I have absolute faith that James will again rise and grow from this. A lesson I see in the whole thing is again, personal responsibility. It will be interesting to see where the media continues to take this and how he will respond to it all as it continues to unfold. As far as Reiki – it is energy work. Many people in the western world fail to understand that so many of these energy modalities have been practiced for thousands of years. They label it “new age” when in fact it is ancient wisdom that is finally re-appearing on the planet. I wanted my kids to be responsible for their own health. I am a firm believer in mind over matter – which placebo studies worldwide have evidenced to be true. So I wanted them to know that they have the power in their thoughts, to call upon the universe and ask for healing. At the time there was no book that clearly explained Reiki to children, so I wrote it. I have received hundreds of letters from Reiki Masters and parents worldwide singing praises for the book. I just wish it had greater exposure. I self published it in a workbook format and with some good redesign, I believe it would really top the charts. The information is very valuable. But I never really pushed it because, again, I wrote it for my own children… I am too busy living life in the now to do book launches. I figure when the time comes – the person whose passion it is to publish or promote books wants it, they’ll find me.

Can you tell me a little bit about your work and experience in Reiki and how it has changed you and others?

Although I am a Reiki Master, and I send Reiki to the planet and people who reach out to me, I primarily use it on myself and my children. Actually, the children are such pure conduits for the energy, they actually do more Reiki on me than I do on them. So my experience on a professional level is quite limited, though I did write the book, and I do know how the energy works. I am a firm believer in Reiki, as I am in all of the alternative healing modalities. By schooling I am actually a Doctor of Naturopathy, which I studied primarily for my own in depth understanding of all of those different healing modalities. But being totally unable to even imagine myself sitting in a wellness practice all day, I never practiced that either. I just study and practice that which I know I can use in my life – and when I get passionate about knowing something, I am in it 1000%.

4. I see you work for Jet Set Magazine which is targeted to the very affluent and high net worth individuals. What is it like to be working with such a select target clientele of entrepreneurs, visionaries, and thought leaders?

I primarily do marketing for the magazine, which is a nicer way of saying advertising sales. I like it because in the realm of personal development and peak performance, you tend to find the individuals who have taken their lives to that next level we keep hearing about. They have cracked the code and now they can afford the life of the “rich and famous” that so many dream about. Many of the business cards I receive from the interesting people that I meet at the events and seminars are the owners and CEO’s of some pretty affluent brands. If I like them, I talk to them about the magazine. If they don’t show an interest and they get their secretary to call me – then I figure that they are too “big” to really take a day to day interest and I don’t even follow up. Yes, I probably lose some business that way, but my life is not about the bottom line or my commission check – it is about enjoying the moment and the relationships I build along the way. So, like all “work” that I have performed in my life, it’s not full time. My life is my own, that is what I do full time. I am Kytka. Mom. Woman. Advocate. Writer, Speaker, Visionary. Pioneer, Entrepreneur… and I like it that way.

5. Films like “What the Bleep Do We Know” and “The Secret” have started a spiritual revolution across the world. For a very long time, there have been books such as “Think And Grow Rich”, “Science of the Mind”, “Science of Getting Rich”, “Science and Health”, etc. that have explored the concept we can express the reality we desire through the power of thought…

1. Can you tell me how you feel about this “new age” (I hate calling it that) spirituality and how it effects your personal development and growth?

Yes, I don’t much care for “New Age” either – again, new age = ancient wisdom. I feel very excited that these movies leaped out of the obscurity of some self-help section and made it to the mainstream, because the messages they carry are timeless messages that people need to hear. Especially at this time on the planet when things are developing at an insane pace. Sometimes I feel we are on the fast track to making ourselves extinct with all of this – and other times I celebrate that we are all blessed to be alive at this exciting time on the planet. We are truly living a miracle. Every day, miracles happen that we take for granted. Look at everything we can do in this century… it is amazing the quantum leap humanity is making right now. Speaking of films, a wonderful film I highly recommend is Barbara Marx Hubbard’s Humanity Ascending Series and Gregg Braden’s Fractal Time and The Science of Miracles. They are great to give you an idea of the shifts we are making collectively as the human species. On a more personal level, I love Deepak Chopra’s The Way of the Wizard: The Art of Spiritual Transformation and Debbie Ford’s The Shadow Effect. I would recommend books – but everyone is so busy these days, it’s hard enough to get people to commit to an hour and a half video!

If only people would slow down. That is the greatest lesson. SLOW DOWN. Stop even… stop and look around. I mean REALLY look around. And as you look around at your life ask yourself “what is wrong with this picture?”. Write down your thoughts… what isn’t working, what doesn’t feel right, what needs to be taken out of your life? We avoid all of this and decide instead to be busier so we don’t have to deal with it. But that doesn’t work. The truth ALWAYS comes out. In the end, our greatest challenge is in facing our own truth. Who are we? Why are we here? – You know… life’s greatest questions that no one has the answers to. Why? Here is the most greatest answer of all time – because it is not a group question! Because the answer for each human is as unique as the DNA running through their entire organism, and all of these tiny threads individually make up the collective of the whole. We keep trying to solve problems from the outside in – that won’t work. That is temporary, a band-aid… Problems are solved from the inside out.

My own growth is now what it has always been, only it is now that I am wise enough to realize that it has always been. Does that make sense? I thought I was spiritual, balanced, in harmony.. and then I lost it all. And I was mad. It shattered everything I thought my world was. And it was by losing “my world” that I learned what “my world” really is. It is hard to explain. You have to have the experience to fully grasp it – but more and more people are having and will have the experience. It is a part of our evolution. We are stripping off all of the bullshit and getting to our core., whether we want to or not.

2. Why do you think this type of teachings are gaining a lot of attention more than ever?

Because it is time. Because if we do not make a massive change, we will be extinct. Many thought leaders point to the galactic alignment. Ancient wisdom teachings foretold of this time. Mayans called it the end of time as we know it. But that is the measurement of the passing of time. So maybe our ideas of how a 24 hour day should be scheduled is over. I think that is a great thing. There is a huge difference between a schedule (which I see as rigid and non flexible) and a rhythm (which I see as a natural flow between events, like the tides or the procession of the sun.)

I think these teaching are gaining attention – or let’s just call it momentum – because it is a natural procession towards what is coming in 2012. John Major Jenkins, author of Maya Cosmogenesis 2012, who I met in Sarasota last year and who is a dear and lovely man believes this, and I quote:

“A door into the heart of space and time will open, the cosmos will be reborn or recreated and we will reach the Zero Point of the process – a moment of collective spiritual birth.” He believes that our basic orientations will be inverted. He says “On the level of human civilization, our basic assumptions and foundation values will be exposed, and we will have the opportunity to embrace values long since driven under the surface of our collective consciousness.”

So the desire for us to move so rapidly to learn about and re-discover our own power, to heal ourselves, to live a fulfilled life, etc are all about coming back to the ONEness of what and who we truly are.

(Dr. Kytka Hilmar-Jezek, or "Kit", as her friends affectionately call her, is dedicated to assisting you harness your full potential.  Kit applies her expertise & credentials as a Dr. of Naturopathy, NLP Practitioner, Author, Personal Development Coach, Speaker, The Integration Expert, Reiki Master, Childbirth Educator, Waldorf Homeschooling Guru, Niche Marketing Queen and Serial Entrepreneur. She is an inspirational powerhouse; a mover and shaker who continuously challenges the status quo and walks her talk in all areas of her life…)

This is the first of what I hope to be many Interview with Entrepreneurs….

I met Chris of Rizzo Tees somehow on Twitter and instantly began to like his humorous tweets (those are microblog posts for those who don’t know twitter) but more so liked the fact he coupled his light hearted spirit with his entrepreneurial spirit. Rizzo Tees is quickly emerging as a niche designer of funny t-shirts, I’ve been through the designs and they are quite hilarious. Below is my interview with him:

Background….

1. What did you do before Rizzo Tees? I am actually still doing it – I am a CPA and work as the CFO of a St. Louis organization. As I’m still gainfully employed and enjoying that as such, I must decline to say the name of the company. Lois Lane doesn’t even know my secret.
2. Did you like what you were doing in the past, work wise? I do enjoy what I do as a day job, but I dream about t-shirts. Rizzo was and is a blank slate – everything it becomes, every stumble it takes, it’s all me. It’s humbling, scary, and awesome. I wish there were ten of me right now, but I’m enjoying every minute of it.
3. How was Rizzo Tees born? I came up with the idea for Rizzo Tees in October 2007. We had just had our second child, and life was just crazy. My birthday is in October, and so I told my wife I’d just take care of my own birthday present, for which she was very thankful. I bought shirts from Busted Tees and SnorgTees and upon receiving them, “the light bulb” went off in my head. I started planning immediately.
4. Anything you want to add about your background that is unique or special that you want to share with others? I lived in Moscow for 6 months back in the ‘90’s, and I found it to be rather cold there.

On Personal Development….

1. How did you mentally decide you wanted to take the jump from Rizzo Tees being a concept in your head to making it a physical reality? I have always had the entrepreneurial bug. My grandpa and 2 partners started a window manufacturing company in 1949, right after WWII. The only problem was, I couldn’t decide what kind of company to start. At first, it was a dearth of ideas. Then, the ideas I had were either too expensive to implement, or they didn’t offer the promise of fun. T-shirts allow me to have fun, express myself, connect with people, and make money. Once I decided it was a good idea, I talked with my wife, and she supported me all the way. It was at that point that I started planning and writing checks, the latter of which really made it a physical reality.
2. You seem to have a laid back and humorous approach to life through your presence on twitter and facebook, a lot of people especially now are getting stressed with the current market and economy. How do you keep stayed focused on the positive and not on all the negative bullshit in today’s media? I could not care less about the bullshit in the media. Everyone’s got a story to tell, and axe to grind, a newspaper to sell. The media is such a wall of noise now. I don’t really give a shit what Cramer is saying, or which party is in power. It’s funny that you mention Twitter and Facebook here – that’s how to stay focused, believe it or not. With both, I can fine-tune my information intake, get done what I need to get done in a day, and have fun while doing it. As far as market and economy-related stress, it’s out there and it’s real. I personally know many people that have been laid off, folks approaching retirement with a decimated portfolio… I almost feel privileged in that our family had very little to lose to begin with!
3. All successful entrepreneurs have a unique mindset in which they embrace constant change and variables as they rise to the top, can you comment on how you have personally grown amidst the troubles start-up entrepreneurs face? Starting every business has its challenges, but another one of the reasons I picked t-shirts is that it’s a pretty easy business to run. I don’t want to downplay the number of hours I work, ‘cause when you combine both jobs, it’s a lot. But it’s fun. Couple that with the fact that my family is not currently relying on the income from Rizzo (of which there is none yet LOL), and it eliminates most of the stress. I do sometimes get a little antsy, wishing I had more time to work on Rizzo. Just as I was preparing my answers to this interview, I was thinking about my next tee, a bacon-related tee, and my mind was racing in all directions. That’s not necessarily stress, but sometimes I do have to stop and prioritize. I work off lists to keep from flying off on Internet tangents.
4. How do you continue to grow as a person? I try to learn something every day, and this is largely accomplished on the Internet. It’s rather hard to imagine life before it.
5. Any advice on how to develop the mindset of an entrepreneur? Work for one. Work for several different entrepreneurs – that’s really the way to do it. I will say that there is a certain “born to do it” aspect – that’s not me patting myself on the back, but you know the people…. Had their own paper route, sold lemonade, babysat kids, cut lawns. I was out in my backyard every Saturday selling golf balls to the golfers on the course behind my house. Maybe I shoulda been doing homework, but instead I’d go out in the golf course woods, find golf balls, and sell ‘em back to the golfers. More than one golfer saw the irony in that.

On connecting with clients/customers…

1. I somehow found you/connected with you on twitter and then on Facebook, how does social media impacted the way you connect with people? Facebook, and especially Twitter, are huge! Twitter has been a godsend to me. I am able to approach like-minded people, people that tweet about tees, and introduce them to my product. Once someone buys, you can stay in contact with them. The thing to note here: I would be on Twitter even if I didn’t have a business. I do plenty of non-business Tweets – man, they practically wrote Twitter for me! Funny t-shirts involve the quick expression of an idea – sound like any super-popular social media sites we frequent? Now, Twitter and Facebook are not without their perils. Just like in your personal life, where you have nice people and knuckleheads, there are those on social media sites, the “haters,” that will not hesitate to throw their ePunches at you. This is not unlike our families, our places of work, bricks and mortar businesses, and Internet businesses. As much fun as it must be to run a restaurant and create the most wonderful dishes that wow your patrons, there is always that one complete jerkoff that rolls in and just ruins your night. Is that really a reflection of the viability of your business? Unless your restaurant is horrible, the answer is no. Therefore, as much as it hurts to do so, you just have to discreetly deal with Mr. Jerkoff and just pray that the table turns over as soon as possible! It’s the same thing with Twitter and Facebook, only the damage to your business can happen so much more quickly. At my day job, we’ve had employees do Facebook updates saying they’re bored fucking stiff, AFTER they had friended their boss. Twitter and Facebook are mighty powerful, but you have to use them to enhance your brand, not damage it.
2. How do you go about relationships with your customers? It seems as if you have a loyal fan base that loves your products- how did that develop? I have seen advice from social media experts that say, on Twitter, you need to “bring value.” I understand that, but I tweet about a lot of random, nonsensical stuff too, and I don’t feel I’m doing anything wrong, or tweeting astray. We all need to be ourselves – my life is a mixture of family, friends, work, play… I think Twitter can and should be that way too. Otherwise, it just doesn’t work. I hope people can feel this from me, but I feel a deep gratitude to anyone that buys from me. This has been a labor of love for me, and any time someone parts with their hard-earned money, it validates all the hard work and the vision I had when I created the tee. Selfishly, that feels good, and I just can’t express enough how much I appreciate it. So I love to stay in contact with my customers on Twitter, and Facebook to a lesser extent.
3. Do you consider what you do branding yourself/Rizzo Tees or is it more you are providing a product you think your customer would like? It is definitely both. I just be myself and let the chips fall where they may. I am a one-man operation – I never try to fool people into thinking I’m some huge, established brand. So when I wrote my “About Us” page for my site, I just told the truth – it’s me, I do it at night, I love it, it’s my passion. I am hopeful people will see the “real me.” On Twitter and Facebook, I also do talk about my business in a way that will hopefully gain fans and ultimately help me sell some tees.

On goal setting …

1. Obviously start ups and businesses don’t start without a plan. How did you initially develop a plan for Rizzo Tees? How did you monitor and adjust your progress to achieve what you wanted? I am a serial planner – it’s a little scary. Frankly, Rizzo Tees might have gone live much earlier than November 1, 2008 if I hadn’t planned so much. The first thing I did was study all my competitors. There are so many great ones out there, from all different tee genres. I read so many news stories, blog posts, studied so many sites. I researched things thing in and out. I wrote a business plan (even though I had no partners or investors), I prepared spreadsheets, I hammered friends for advice. I even emailed tee companies for advice, and sometimes received responses. I actually plan on printing everything and posting it all over my basement office, just as a reminder that this was a helluva lot of work! I use lists to try to ensure that I don’t forget anything. There were times I deviated from the plan (like spending more to start the business up than I had planned!). The most important part of the plan was deciding what I was going to sell, who I was going to sell to, and how. No store, no partners, just me and a website. Not deviating from that plan means I stay on track and have time to spend with my family, too. My advice to entrepreneurs of all stripes is to put your business plan through ten grinders, shine it, fine tune it, and then love it. Don’t deviate just because someone emails you with a can’t miss proposal.
2. Do you have a daily ritual/practices to get you focused for the day? Coffee – 365 days a year. I’d be toast without it.
3. Any recommendations on books, seminars, programs that helped you? I read Fortune Small Business, Fast Company, Inc., Conde Nast Portfolio, Wired, and Automobile magazine, the last of which is my favorite!

Last question- if you could start all over again, having the knowledge you have right now, what would you do differently? I would have ordered less inventory. I was so damn sure I was gonna sell a ton of tees… and I feel that I still will. But generating traffic to your site in an economical way takes time. The upside is, I have tees in stock and ready for immediate shipment!

Thanks to Chris and Rizzo Tees for a great interview. If you want to see out his funny t-shirts, check out Rizzo Tees at www.rizzotees.com. If you are on twitter, be sure to follow him @rizzotees.