LA Trip: July 2006

In advance of the trip, Greg decided to keep a journal of sorts - a fun way to give a glimpse into what three days in his life is like when he is on the road doing events. This section of the website includes pictures from the trip, along with entries from Greg's journal (in italics) and feedback from those who attended the events.

MIDNIGHT-2 AM Answering e-mails, packing for trip.

2 AM Go to bed

Alarm set for 5:55 AM. Catch ride with driver named Robert.   It's early, I'm tired and stressed about traffic to airport.  Takes Robert all of five minutes to change that.  Spends much of the ride making me think, making me laugh, giving me travel tips -- and gets me to the airport safely and when I need to be there.

9:00 AM (Chicago time) - 11:30 AM (Calif time)  Spent much of the flight listening to the stories of a world-class violist sitting on my right. Tells me about his life, his kids, his music, his travels, and taught me the difference between a viola and violin among other things. He also ended up getting a copy of The First Thirty right there on the plane.

To order copies of The First Thirty and/or its companion workbook, A Place To Sit, online,  just click here

During the flight, the gentleman on my left took the time to teach me how to say the opening line in The First Thirty ("If life was nothing but straight lines, it wouldn't be worth living.") in Japanese.

11:30 AM-12:15 PM  Waiting for luggage, meet two guys who happen to be coming to the Convention. Offer to share a ride with them to the hotel (Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza). Will end up referencing relevant parts of our conversation on the way to the hotel in the speech later that night.

12:30 PM - 1:15 PM    Attend a meeting with Convention organizers and staff.  Grab some food and check into hotel.

1:30 PM - 3:40 PM   Omni Hotel has a nice pool out back. A towel waiting on every chair in case you don't bring one (perfect touch for a guy like me who tends to forget things).  So, I go sit out there, to prepare for the evening's speech.  (Take the liberty of 'borrowing' a couple of the towels from the unused lounge chairs) :)

 (Reassurance to School & Company Reps and Event Organizers who are thinking about inviting Greg to speak on campus or at an event:  He did eventually pick up the pad of paper and go over his notes, and was very prepared once it was time to give the speech later that night. It was just that, well, the Convention was in L.A.)

While sitting poolside, meet two guys in town for the Convention. Have long talk with them about notion of 'leveraging philanthropy'. (making maximum impact out of a small donation). Will  incorporate some of the relevant things we discussed into the speech later that evening.   

3:45 PM-4:20 PM  Borrow the guys' computer, check e-mail.

4:30 PM -  Quick work out in the hotel's Fitness Room

5:15 PM - Have phone call with head of organization based in California, that has just opened up a Chicago office. Talk about different possible ways of collaborating together.

To learn about a variety of organizations, NFL teams, companies, hotels, banks that have used The First Thirty as part of Staff or Leadership Development and/or purchased copies to donate to a school or charity in their local community, go to www.TheFirstThirty.com  - If your company/organization would like to do something similar, email Books@IdeaListEnterprises.com

My phone is not working well - have to talk on speaker phone - which results in me apologizing to a woman sitting nearby...which leads me to meeting her and her mom...both really sweet.

5:45 PM - Went for a long run around LA.   Enjoy the process for three reasons. One, four operations on my feet - never take it for granted that I can run at all. Two, a fun way to see the sights. Three, a fun way to meet other joggers, like my new pal Allison.

6:30 PM-8:00 PM -  Get dressed for the night's speech. Go across street to grab some dinner, go over thoughts for the speech.    Realize I have no belt. Walk around lobby, asking other guests if they have a spare.  Find a guy (Laurence) attending the Convention who has an extra, lets me borrow it.

8:15 PM  - 35 minutes until the speech.  Omni has Wi-Fi in the lobby, so I borrow someone's computer and check e-mails.  There are plenty of comfortable seats, but for some reason, the staircase seemed convenient :) First e-mail I send? To the friend who reminded me to pack the night before. Granted, I forgot a belt, but on the glass-is-half-full side of things, I would've forgotten a lot more if I waited until the morning to do it. (And yes, those are mismatched socks. Long story).

8:50 PM - 10:15 PM  Give a 45 minute speech about philanthropy. Attend break-out sessions based on the topic as well.

 Joe, College student, Virginia:  "I had a blast at the Convention. I really took what Greg said in the sessions to heart. It was definitely a great learning experience for me." 

Chris, College student, California: "[Greg's talk] about philanthropy carried a special validity to my life at ZBT....I am Community Service Chair [for the ZBT Chapter at my university]. Greg's speech inspired me to get an early start on service in hope that ZBT will be the most active fraternity in the community..."

10:30 PM - 11:00 PM Following the speech and break-out sessions, stick around to talk informally with some of the delegates at the Convention. To learn more about Greg's speeches and/or to see pics and feedbacks from some previous ones, click on Speeches

To inquire about booking Greg for an event, email Events@GregForbes.com

11 PM - Have had a very long day, but before going to bed, decide to go for a walk around downtown LA. An hour later, decide it's time to find my way back. Stop by The Standard Hotel to figure out where I am, how to get back to the Omni. Turns out I'm only ten minutes away from where I started (Don't bother trying to do the math to figure out how an hour of walking only gets me ten minutes from where I started. It doesn't add up. I think I tend to walk in circles). In any case, before I head back, I hear there's a party on the roof at The Standard. Decide to check it out as long as I'm there.

Great atmosphere. Good music. Everyone seems nice, laid back, including new friends, Amin and Brooke.  Great party overall, except that it turns out there really isn't any special occasion being celebrated. Turns out this is just business-as-usual on the rooftop at The Standard. I figured this out through the following exchange:

1:45 AM  Leaving The Standard, see Amin out front.  Walk over to say it was nice meeting him.  Introduces me to some friends.  Turns out two of them are hosting a party the next night at Red Buddha Lounge.  Invite me to go.  They ask where I'm going now.  Tell them I'm walking back to the Omni.  In unison, even though it's just ten minutes away, they insist I take a cab -- given the time of night and my penchant for getting lost.  Tell them I prefer to walk.  They say, in that case, they're going to walk me just to make sure I get there before sunrise.  So off we go... 

2:15 AM End up having a conversation for more than an hour on the way to -- and in front of -- the Omni. Talk about everything from books to sports to milkshakes to race relations and everything in between. 

3:30 AM Calif time.  Get to bed

8:30 AM - Have breakfast with some of the Convention attendees. Might seem like a good time to sit alone and focus on the speech I'm giving after breakfast instead, but in reality, sitting with them and learning more about their interests is a way of focusing on the speech.  Will end up incorporating much of what we discuss into the speech.

 9:30 AM -11:00 AM  Deliver 45 minute speech on Recruitment (getting more people involved in whatever it is you do).  Attend break-out sessions afterward as well.

To learn more about Greg's speeches and/or to see pics and feedbacks from some previous ones, click on Speeches

To inquire about booking Greg for an event, email Events@GregForbes.com

Josh, student, Texas: "I found both the speeches and the book to be inspirational...[In terms of the book], I love the completeness of the story. It really goes to show that you can’t judge someone until you really get to know them and their story."

11:00 AM - 1:15 PM  Spend some time working on my drawings.  Art is one of my favorite hobbies.  Then go hang out at the pool. 

For more on Greg's art, go to www.MySleeplessNights.com

1:15 PM - 1:30 PM  Run across the street and get a shake and protein bar.

1:30 PM - 4:00 PM During the second day of the Convention, attendees took part in some service projects in Los Angeles. Think it's always nice to leave a place a little better than you found it.  This is an easy, fun way to spend some time doing that.  So I think it's great they're doing it, and signed up to join them -- volunteering at a carnival for local youth. 

The kids were great. Thanks to this one (left) who was a good sport when she found out that I had decided to play tic-tac-toe instead of painting a bird.

Spend some time speaking with the local staffers overseeing the event (Always inspiring to meet devoted people who work with students, and it's another great excuse to practice my Spanish).  

Quick plug: For more on Greg's nonprofit organization (The 11-10-02 Foundation), go to www.ShakingUpAmerica.org

4 PM - Realize I forgot the charger for the camera. Ask a couple I just met (Devon & Kelly) if I can borrow theirs.

5:00 PM  Get a protein shake, lift weights at the local gym. The Omni has a nice facility, but this is an excuse for me to meet some locals, see the city a little. Great gym.

6 PM -  Go for jog around downtown LA. 

7:45 PM - 8:15 PM Borrow someone's computer and check e-mail.

8:15 PM - 10:00 PM Rather than eat by myself, decide to return the favor from earlier in the day and invite the ZBT Convention attendees who let me join them for breakfast to join me for dinner.

10:00 PM- Before leaving the restaurant, meet really fun couple named Roger & Yvonne. Tell me about the industry they work in (mortgage). Turns out they're on their way to go to a party. Invite me to go with. So, off we go...

12:30 AM - Say bye to new friends, set off to attend the party thrown by the guys I met the night before. But first, stop back by the Omni to invite the couple who lent me the camera charger earlier in the day. For one thing, it's a waste of space in a car if there are empty seats. For another thing, I like connecting dots between good people of different backgrounds. It's late, but they say to count them in. So off we go...

Devon, Kelly and I hang out at Red Buddha Lounge with my buddies from the night before...

...and some of their friends...

...and their friends' friends...

Red Buddha Lounge is great. Great music. Staff is real nice. Meet all kinds of interesting people. It's not every day you end up having a conversation in the middle of the night, at a club in LA, with a Rhodes Scholar from NY, about the evolution of hip-hop music.

2:45 AM  Get back to Omni, can't wait to get to sleep....but...run into a guy in the lobby who is attending the Convention.  Says he's already halfway done with The First Thirty   (had started reading it earlier in the day) and has a bunch of questions.  End up having a fun conversation about the book, school, charity, the value of remembering names, among other things. 

To order copies of The First Thirty and/or A Place To Sit (the workbook based on The First Thirty) online,  just click here

3:45 AM Call it a night, head upstairs.

Body exhausted but mind still awake, don't finally fall asleep until 4:55 AM (Calif time)

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM - Call the airline, see if it's possible to extend the trip by one day. Turns out not to be a realistic option, but end up having real fun conversation with the agent (Vanessa).  Reminds me of my Grandma. Before we say bye, I teach her how to say "If life was easy, it wouldn't be worth living" in Japanese

For more on Greg's Grandma, click here

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM  Have breakfast with some of the attendees at the Convention.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM  Go sit outside.  Call Kat to check in.  Kat is my assistant.  Well, actually, she's my old assistant.  Now has a great job at a bank, but I never got the memo that she left - so I still call her up and ask her to do little tasks (and she doesn't have the heart to remind me that she switched jobs).  Best assistant you could ever have.

11 AM- 11:15 AM : Heading out the front door of the Omni to go rent a car, when I meet a woman from New York, who apparently thought I was someone else (who she was waiting to pick up) and offers to give me a ride.  I didn't realize she thought I was someone else, so I say sure. Off we go... End up having a fun conversation about Nathan's in NY, that annual Eating Contest they sponsor and how people have different rates of metabolism.    At some point, she realizes I'm not the person she was waiting to pick up (and I realize she was waiting to pick someone up), so she ends up dropping me off. Have a good laugh about the mix-up.  

11:15 AM- 2:30 PM : Turns out I'm just a block away from the hotel where Roger & Yvonne, the mortgage people, are staying.  So I go in to see if they're by the pool.  They're not, but water looks nice, so I figure I'll go in for a minute. A minute lasts three hours...Meet all kinds of interesting people, including a woman (Dana) who teaches on the East Coast and coaches her school's Varsity Cheerleading squad...

... Also meet a woman (Katie) by the pool who is becoming a Teacher on the West Coast.  Have fun conversation about what's in store for her.  After eight years as an educator, it's always fun to meet people about to begin the process, to see/hear their enthusiasm.

3:00 PM-3:30 PM:   Head back to the Omni to schedule shuttle for airport for later that day and to fill out the Comment Card. Have fun conversation with Front Desk staff about accents (one of them is from England) and a dozen other things, in the process.   My first job ever was working at a hotel (restaurant busboy). One of my favorite parts of traveling ever since - meeting the people who work at the hotels.  Filling out those Comment Cards saying which staffers had been nice...such a small thing, costs nothing to do, takes 30 seconds to fill out.

3:45 PM - Realize I forgot to eat lunch again. Have a protein bar.

4 PM - Back at the local gym to work out for an hour.

5 PM -  Stop by the hotel where Roger & Yvonne were staying, to see if they're by the pool yet.  They're not, but the water still looks nice, so I figure I ought to get in to just to make sure. Meet some more really interesting, fun people.

...including one celebrating her birthday with friends (Happy Birthday, Claudia!)...

6:30 PM - 7:10 PM - Head back to Omni to change, get bags (they were kind enough to hold them for the afternoon after I checked out).  Stop to get a Sprite on the way.  End up staying there for a while, have fun conversation with woman at the counter. She moved to California from New York, to, in part, support her boyfriend's Hollywood dreams. 

7:20 PM -  Have a little under 90 minutes until shuttle arrives to take me to airport, so I go to local restaurant to get some carry-out food. One other person is waiting for carry-out as well. We start talking about her career ('behind the scenes' in TV).   Says she is getting food to bring to an outdoor dance troupe performance that she is going to attend with her boyfriend and some friends.  Invites me to join them.  So, off we go...

8:35 pm - The show is great, but have to leave to catch the shuttle.  Head back to Omni. One other guy on the shuttle. Spent the entire ride brainstorming with him about his plans to propose to his girlfriend and cool ways to do it. (No picture here - because we're not allowed to give away the secret that he's going to propose soon, in case his girlfriend sees this). Before heading into airport, shuttle driver Yuriy taught me how to say something in Russian ("The weather is not bad in Los Angeles.")

9:30 PM - A lot of people see waiting at the airport for a flight home as an inconvenience. Turned out to be a chance to spend the better part of an hour getting to know someone who is waiting for a flight of  her own.

We also end up talking about the importance of finding the right college and eventually the right career. (And he ends up buying a copy of The First Thirty right there on the spot).

11:15 PM (Calif time) - 5:30 AM (Chicago time) --  Flying home. Spend the first twenty minutes asking questions of the person sitting next to me, including: Where are you from? Where are you going? Why are you going there? And...do you snore?   Spend rest of flight getting a head start on writing thank you notes to everyone who played a role in the last three days.  Time-consuming, but thank you's are a big thing to me.  First one I write on the plane? To the taxi company that employs the driver, Robert, who brought me to the airport on Thursday morning.  Why? Because my Grandma always said it's important to remember where you started - and this trip started with him.

Favorite thing to do is 'connect dots'....Bari Levin, longtime educator and head of Bari's Book Club in suburban Chicago, selected The First Thirty for their reading, and, since I'm based in the city, invited me to attend. The dinner is scheduled for three days after I get back from L.A. I accepted the invite - on the condition that I could invite a couple people to attend as well...

I ended up adding two people to the table. One of them? The friend I emailed from the Omni Hotel's staircase, to thank her for reminding me to pack the night before.

The other? One of the two complete strangers I shared a cab ride with to the hotel when I arrived in LA. Turns out he's from Chicago, too.  

In the days that followed, other 'ripple effects' began occurring.  Among the first....after listening to Greg speak about philanthropy and then reading The First Thirty, the members of ZBT's Gamma Chapter who attended the Convention purchased additional copies of The First Thirty to donate to a local center for youth (who in turn have decided to make the books the focal point of their new curriculum).

Max, President, ZBT's Gamma Chapter:  "I read The First Thirty on the flight home from the Convention and felt truly inspired by it.   We wanted other young people to be inspired by this story as well."

 = A Convention attendee from the Southeast reports that: "Greg's stories from the Convention actually inspired me to put a fire under the guys in charge of philanthropy [in my Chapter of the fraternity], and now [a month after the Convention], we have adopted a road, planned events for a charity (Children's Miracle Network), and signed up to volunteer at various places."

= After returning home on the East Coast, Dana (the teacher from the pool) ordered a copy of The First Thirty and took part in Greg's Katrina-related project, www.ProjectThankYou.com  - which is absolutely FREE to be part of.

= A Convention attendee in Ohio emailed Greg and asked if he would have the time to speak with him by phone about philanthropy.   Greg agreed to do so, but called the wrong number and ended up speaking to a lady in Tennessee instead.  As fate would have it, the lady who answered the phone in Tennessee has a daughter (Renee) who is a teacher.   Mom put Greg and Renee in touch.  Renee has since ordered the book.

= A French woman, Claudine, serves as host at Bistro Provence in Florida.  After reading The First Thirty, she went on this website and learned about, among other things, what Max and his fraternity brothers had done (ordering copies of the book to give to others).  She said that was what she wanted to do as well.  That same day, she ordered one hundred copies of The First Thirty.  She said she would be distributing them to each member of her staff and to the Bistro's top clients as well as lending some of them to a local middle school for their English class.

== Around that same time, we received a note from Sarita M. Gardner, Middle School Program Manager for McGaw YMCA (where the Gamma Chapter of ZBT donated 30 copies of The First Thirty and now volunteer their time reading and discussing them with the kids).  Ms. Gardner wrote: "I am so amazed at how implementing this book into my after school curriculum has helped my boys with peer pressure, self determination and problem solving. My middle school boys love discussing the book's topics and engaging with our volunteers from [the ZBT Gamma Chapter] who run the workshop...."

= A few weeks later, Greg was in an elevator with a woman wearing a hat bearing the logo of the university Max attends - so Greg asked her if she knew him. She didn't, but the two continued talking as they got off the elevator. It turned out she was on her way to buy some furniture from a doctor who was moving to Arizona. Thinking that Greg and the woman were together, the doctor invited them both inside to see the furniture. Greg and the woman were so amused that they said nothing and both walked in. Greg ended up helping them move the furniture. A few days later, the doctor found out Greg didn't actually know the woman and had helped a complete stranger. The doctor said he appreciated Greg's small act of kindness, and as a result, he purchased a stack of copies of The First Thirty (which highlights the value of small acts of kindness). He kept one copy for himself. In the others, he signed his name  and encouraged the future readers to give thought to the books' lessons. Then, he gave the copies to Greg and asked him to give them out to people who did small acts of kindness 

To inquire about booking Greg for an event, email Events@GregForbes.com