Through my friend’s eyes, Frederic Bye

Hello again;

A year or so ago I was feeling down, and my friend and online media client Adriana Gavazzoni told me something that made me feel better.

Adriana’s Predictions

She said Max, someday soon we are going to be rich and famous best-selling authors.

She said we are going to have our books made into movies, and we are going to rock the red carpets.

She said we are going to inspire, motivate, and entertain the world.

And she said when that happens we are going to write a book called The Blind Blogger and The Brazilian Lawyer, How Two Friends Conquered the World.

I told her I loved the idea, but why wait until someday.

If you know anything about me at all, you know I’m one of those people who would rather take action to make something happen now as opposed to waiting for tomorrow, next week, next month, or that mythical time known as someday.

I suggested to Adriana that we start writing a book now that would share people’s stories of their experiences with me The Blind Blogger.

They could relate stories about me, and share things they learned by being exposed to me.

Denise Gives The Book A Name

Well, Adriana loved the idea, but most other people thought it was a loser.

They wondered what would be the point to the book. They asked me what problem would it solve or what pain would it relieve.

I kind of shelved the idea for a while. But then last winter I was talking with my new business Coach, Denise Thompson.

I told her about the idea. She not only liked it, but she had a name for it and a reason for it.

She said we will call it through my friend’s eyes.

Then she said the people who agree to share their stories about and lessons learned from Max Ivey The Blind Blogger will have the opportunity to be promoted along with the book.

She suggested interviews on my podcast featuring the book’s contributors.

She said we could come up with a marketing plan that would include things like articles in the Global Voice Magazine and a social media campaign.

But life got in the way. I was talking with Denise again this week, and she reminded me of this book idea along with another one for a series of collaborative books titled What’s Your Excuse?

And that got me moving.

I remembered that my friend and former radio show co-host Frederic Bye had graciously sent me his submission for the book.

I feel bad that I haven’t posted his thoughts before now. I consider Fred one of my best friends, and this isn’t the way a friend treats his friends.

So, today you get to read an excerpt from his submission to the Through My Friend’s Eyes Book.

I am not going to post his entire letter. I want to save some of it for the book. 🙂

Fred’s Vision Of The Blind Blogger

They say you should surround yourself with high-energy, positive people. I am happy to say that I consider Max one of these people in my entourage. Even though I never met him in person, it seems that I know him enough from online that I consider him a friend.

I like Max so much that he later became one of my partners for the podcast network I had started.

I needed a guy a with a good story, who cared about people, and could talk to people.

I knew that the audience would easily relate to Max as he interviewed people from all walks of life. People who faced adversity.

I truly believe that one of Max’s purposes in life is to inspire people. He has his way about him that I wish I had.

I remember when we did our show, he was nervous about doing the shows by himself alone with the guest. I started with him as his co-host, and then gradually, he started taking more and more time on his own with the guest.

Finally, he gained the confidence to host the entire show himself…and did a great job.

I think Max is great. But I don’t think Max realizes how great HE really is.

If he would, it would scare him.

And that is what makes him unique and relatable… something else that I learn from him: being relatable.

Max can easily talk about his mistakes, his failures, the times when things did not work out.

And that is what people care about.

That is how you relate to people.

In a crazy way, you have to be humble enough, and have the guts, to tell the world about the things you are most ashamed of.

That is what people listen to.

I Was Looking For Fred

I should mention that when I met Fred I had been projecting the desire to do my own show.

Many podcast and radio show hosts had asked me when I was going to start my own show.

I would explain my fear of the technology and belief that I needed someone to watch the monitor and dials while I focused on having a great conversation.

Then Fred showed up and was exactly who I had been praying for or manifesting for depending on your beliefs.

I knew I could rely on him to make sure the tech stuff was all working properly while I focused on the guest.

He would also make sure the interviews got uploaded to the hosting platform and syndication sites.

And he would jump in with great questions whenever he felt I needed him to.

We Remember It Differently

He remembers me deciding to take on more of the responsibilities of doing the show.

I remember him pushing me to believe that I could do the show myself.

Regardless of who is right on this subject, the point is I did get there.

Thanks to Zoom and their highly accessible platform with a very reliable recording mechanism I was able to start doing the show myself.

However, I missed Fred and still miss him.

I know I enjoyed doing the show more with him even with the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from doing the show solo now.

Maybe I can convince Fred to be my co-host once a month or something. How does that sound Fred?

Future Plans

I appreciate Fred’s contribution. He took the time to write some great things about me and to make me see some things about myself I had been denying.

But one chapter doesn’t make a book.

For this to work I need about fifteen people to provide their own chapters of approximately 1,500 words each.

I will also need each author to contribute $300 towards the editing, formatting, cover art design, and promotion of the book.

I will have more details shortly as to what all I will be doing to promote you in return.

I think my friends, those who know me as a person, know that making this request is very hard for me.

I rarely think of or ask for things like this from my friends.

Whether you are a close friend who has become part of my online family or a new acquaintance who I have enjoyed helping; I never do it thinking what is Max going to get out of this.

I hope you will see this as my offering you a partnership an opportunity to be part of an awesome project that could result in inspiring so many people.

If you are interested in participating by sharing your story, then please write me at justask@theblindblogger.net

I look forward to hearing your comments on Fred’s contribution along with your thoughts about this project in general.

Are you in?

Until next time thank you, God bless you, and take care out there, Max