Yep.

Another gem sent to the Sunshine Club from my mom…

The world needs more mothers like her and Emanuel’s mum.

Tara Griep

Special thanks to the very talented actor, model and MMP Team member, Tara Griep, for sending over the new theme song for our Sunshine Club.

It’s called The Sunshine Song and is performed by Jason Mraz. You can download it here from Amazon.  Enjoy!  -mp

“Well sometimes the sun shines on
Other people’s houses and not mine.
Some days the clouds paint the sky all gray
And it takes away my summertime.
Somehow the sun keeps shining upon you,
While I struggle to get mine.
If there’s a light in everybody,
Send out your ray of sunshine.

.

I want to walk the same roads as everybody else,
Through the trees and past the gates.
Getting high on heavenly breezes,
Making new friends along the way.
I won’t ask much of nobody,
I’m just here to sing along.
And make my mistakes looks gracious,
And learn some lessons from my wrongs.

Well sometimes the sun shines on
Other people’s houses and not mine.
Some days the clouds paint the sky all gray
And it takes away my summertime.
Somehow the sun keeps shining upon you,
While I struggle to get mine.
A little light never hurt nobody,
Send out your ray of sunshine.

Oh, if this little light of mine
Combined with yours today,
How many watts could we luminate?
How many villages could we save?
My umbrella’s tired of the weather,
Wearing me down.
Well, look at me now.

You should look as good as your outlook,
Would you mind if I took some time,
to soak up your light, your beautiful light?
You’ve got a paradise inside.
I get hungry for love and thirsty for life,
And much too full on the pain,
When I look to the sky to help me
And sometimes it looks like rain.

As the sun shines on other people’s houses
And not mine,
And the sky paints those clouds in a way
That it takes away the summertime,
Somehow the sun keeps shining upon you,
while I kindly stand by.
If theres a light in everybody,
Send out your ray of sunshine

You’re undeniably warm, you’re cerulean,
You’re perfect in desire.
Won’t you hang around
so the sun, it can shine on me,
And the clouds they can roll away,
And the sky can become a possibility?
If there’s a light in everybody,
Send out your ray of sunshine.”

Michael Walter and the Elite Team

On page 107, Michael Walter, the owner of Elite Entertainment, writes “My mom used to tell me,  -Being smart doesn’t mean you have to know all the answers.  It just means you have to know how to find them-.”

In his new book and proverbial treasure map,  Running Your Muil-Op, Michael spoon-feeds 20 years of advice on  how to recruit and develop talent, how to effectively manage and delegate day to day operations, and how to deal with the inevitable growing pains that come along with running a thriving small business.   It’s like Vince Lombardi opening up his playbook and handing it off to Captain Jack Sparrow.

All of the nuggets are delivered with enough real world experience and wit to keep the reader engaged, even during the self-described “more boring legal stuff” section.

Michael Walter, CEO of Elite Entertainment

What I love about the book is that Michael’s information is universal;  His tips about taking your employee’s spouses and significant others into consideration throughout the year is relevant to any CEO.   The sections about embracing technology for organizational purposes and marketing will be helpful to any entrepreneur.  And the parts about trust, resolve, humility, ego, reality and balance make the book a good read for anyone who likes to learn life lessons via entertaining anecdotes.   (I love how he and his former business partner decided that it was time to move into an office.)

2001 DJ of the Year Competition: Marcello Pedalino & Michael Walter

Walter is like a Gary Vee. He’s got  a lot of energy to burn and plenty of useful information to share that will motivate others to take action.  He also thrives on progress and readily admits that he likes the attention.  Walter is the kind of guy that you ask to take out to lunch someday after you see him speak at a national conference or read one of his re-tweeted articles. That’s actually how I met Michael 10 years ago.    He was asked to produce the DJ of the Year Competition by DJ Times Magazine back in 2001.  I put my hat in the ring and and was fortunate to win.  Not just because I won a couple of nice plaques and got some great press… but because I  met someone who would become one of my best friends.  (notice I didn’t say “lucky.”   Michael and Branch Rickey don’t really believe in luck)

If you follow this blog, you know I keep things positive, but I also keep things real.  So I was really happy that Mike’s book didn’t suck.  That would have been awkward.   To the contrary, I’m happy to report that all of the initial reviews, beyond our circle of friends since its debut last month-  have been stellar.

Kelly and Michael- Living It Up in London

“Mike has given away the keys to the candy store. Shared all the trade secrets. Divulged the secret recipe… is he crazy to do so? Maybe. Is he a genius? Definitely. And generous?  OH YES.” – Scott Faver

My favorite part of the book was the Epilogue: Words to Live By.   Mike shared several examples of what inspires his  business philosophy and life principles.  He quotes everybody from Sting to Aristotle and mentions everything from Fatal Attraction to The Serenity Prayer.  (it keeps you on your toes- like when Tony Hsieh quoted Winnie the Pooh in his book, Delivering Happiness)  This is a nice snapshot of what our entertainingly-eclectic conversations sound like when we are flying out to a speaking engagement together or while we are out for a training run.

Michael is a fellow “Life Is Good“ fan and he and the love of his life, Kelly, are big supporters of the Sunshine Club. I thought this excerpt from the final chapter of the book really encapsulates the Celebrate Life vibe we promote here and just might  inspire someone out there in the world today….    -mp

…” one of the more awesome things about DJing as long as I have, is bringing joy to so many people.  When we do what we do well, that’s what we do.   We get people to dance, laugh, sing, and celebrate.  We get them to leave their routine lives for a few hours and to enter a world where their troubles and difficulties don’t exist. There is only the here and the now at a good party.  Nothing else matters-”… ~Michael Walter

Click here to order your copy of Running Your Multi-Op.

Follow Michael on Twitter:  @DjMikeWalter

Alex Federico (May 2009)

In case you haven’t noticed all the positive themes here in The Sunshine Club, we Celebrate Life,  Love, Laughter, Inspiration, Achievement; on days like today….we Celebrate Results.

My good friend and frequent Sunshine Club contributor, Mike Walter, often says… “There’s two things you can make in life: results, or excuses.”

My new friend, Alex Federico, is all about the results…   Even though the odds were stacked high against the successful entrepreneur, (owning 22 ice cream trucks), he took control and made it happen.  Breaking up with his girlfriend also proved to be a powerful motivator.

Could you imagine yourself being 100 pounds heavier than you are right now? Alex can, because he was.  Last May, he weighed in at 296 lbs. If he didn’t show me this photo from a year ago, I wouldn’t have believed him either.  Today, ‘the new’ Alex weighs in at about 200. If pictures are worth a thousand words, feel free to look at these ‘after’ shots and write a few of your own in the comment section below.    I’ll start…  1) Wow! 2) Holy lifestyle intervention Batman! 3) I’m proud to be Italian.

Like our other dynamic guests here in the Sunshine Club, Alex was kind enough to share his success story and sage advice with all of MMP’s readers.   Enjoy!

mp: I’m always curious about the “trigger.”  Describe the moment you decided to change your life.

Alex Federico (Summer 2010)

AF: “Believe it or not, the quest to lose weight began the day after me and my ex-girlfriend of 6 years broke up.  May 9, 2009, I joined the gym and weighed in at 296lbs with 24% body fat.  Today, I weigh somewhere in the area of 200 lbs. and maintain a body fat percentage of well under 10%.”

mp: What adjustments did you make to your diet, lifestyle, etc.?

AF: “My lifestyle has not seen very many drastic changes in the way of dieting- mainly because I don’t diet.  I eat whatever I want but I am just extremely conscious of portion control and the times at which I eat.  I have a saying that I tell everyone looking to lose weight: “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” I do however workout for about an hour a day at 5am before I go to work with p90x, which is largely responsible for a majority of my weight loss.”

mp: Tell me more about the ice cream venture.

AF: “I started my ice cream truck business when I was 18 years old with one truck; currently I own 22 and have exclusive distribution rights to several large venues and park systems throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties.  Over the last 7 years of business, I have had extreme highs and dramatic lows but still manage to maintain order amongst chaos currently employing a little over 40 employees and managing about 30 or so national accounts. Although the ice cream business has been good to me over the years it is time to move on.  At the conclusion of the 2010 season I will be putting the ‘for sale’ sign on the door and moving on to my next venture in life which will be joining the family business out in Staten Island.“

mp: Now that you’ve dropped the weight, what goals are you currently working towards?

Life is good!

AF: “My personal goal since I was 18 has been to purchase a home by the time I’m 25. I am currently under contract and scheduled to close July 31, 2010 on a condo in Red Bank, NJ.  In business,  although the recent focus has been redirected from the ice cream industry to the family business which is plumbing supplies,  my goal  has always been to strive to lead the industry in sales and my goals shall remain the same as my career transition begins this fall.”

mp: When people see your photos, they’ll want to know what you learned throughout your journey.  What advice would you give them?

AF: “I’ve been offering the same advice to everyone I run into over the past few years in business, life and now in fitness.  Write down your goals and NEVER, no matter what anyone else says, GIVE UP!!!”

Thanks Alex, the Celebrate Life Team wishes you continued health, happiness and success.

Special thanks to my good friend, Gabe Savarese, for introducing me to Alex a few weeks ago.  He told me about Alex’s story and set up a quick lunch down the shore.  Gabe told me that in addition to Alex having a great story to tell, he was an awesome cook as well.   A few weeks later, Alex invited us both back to his beach house for a delicious barbeque lunch.   Life is good. 

Marcello Pedalino is a 3-time National DJ of the Year, ADJA Leadership Award Recipient and Health and Wellness enthusiast who believes that life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated.

If you have a Sunshine Club story you’d like to  share or know a person who should be on our radar, please submit an e-mail, photo or link for consideration.

This article was tailor-made for the Sunshine Club! Mike and Kelly turned me on to Michael Franti last year. His music, lifestyle trends and positive vibes found a new home here at the Celebrate Life headquarters.