My development is arrested…I’m the crazy one

I was just thinking today that I probably don’t thank people enough.

Hell, after all, I have a website, which has a podcast and blog. I can, and do, use this medium as a way to reach hundreds of thousands of people a month.

I know this because I have fancy programs that tell me how many people are paying attention, and exactly where they are on the planet. Ain’t life grand?

When I want to thank someone, I can generally do it in a pretty big way, just by using my own resources.

For years people have asked me to write a book about my experiences in the fitness and weight loss game. Though I had written a book once before, about a totally different subject (it wasn’t even for adults, it was a children’s book), I didn’t want to do it.

I guess you could say it was sheer frustration. You see, I can’t stand the very industry I work in. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some nice people over the last thirty years.

My problem (as anyone who’s listened to my podcast knows) is that I work in an industry that would prefer to tell you a lie when it is just as easy to tell you the truth.

Listen, I’m no idiot. I know the only reason they lie is because there’s more money in it.

As it turns out, I’m not that interested in money.

I told you that to tell you this. My buddy Dean Lorey and I went back and forth for years about me writing a book. To be perfectly honest, I went to him first.

I was trying to write a book on health and fitness. One that wouldn’t be conventional.

Dean agreed that my ideas were different. He just wasn’t sure a book was there.

Even though we talked about it from time to time over a scotch, I had pretty much given up on the idea.

Then one night over dinner, he said to me, “Hey, I came up with a great idea. Give me a call tomorrow and we’ll talk about it.”

I said, “Really? What is this genius idea?”

You see, my buddy Dean gave me the idea of not trying to sell anything to anyone, other than a book to teach people how to get into the best shape of their life. A script so honest and pure in its concept that it was largely rejected by every publisher. As a matter of fact, publishers that wanted it asked to add sizzle to it.

We rejected that. We didn’t want the book to be like every other piece of crap that’s out there.

As it turns out, the big publishing houses were wrong. Dean and I were right.

Most people recognize Dean as the author of the Nightmare Academy series, movies such as Major Payne and Friday the 13th, and critically-acclaimed television shows like Arrested Development.

As I write this, Dean is part of the No. 1 new comedy starring Robin Williams, called The Crazy Ones.

I’m happy to call him my writing partner. But more so, I’m proud to call him my friend.