Author, comedian and motivational speaker Steve Rizzo
This post marks another installment of my “7 Questions With an Author…” series, where I ask published authors an unchanging set of questions and share their responses here.
Today’s featured author is Steve Rizzo.
Steve Rizzo is a personal development expert, whose clients include American Airlines, BP, JP Morgan Chase, Scholastic, Sprint, and many others.
He’s also an accomplished comedian who has performed with headliners such as Drew Carey, Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld.
Additionally, Rizzo is a motivational speaker who’s known as the “Attitude Adjuster” and his latest book Get Your SHIFT Together serves as a hilarious but poignant guide that anyone can use to break negative thought and behavioral patterns and make key changes for a richer, more satisfying career and life.
Here are 7 Questions With an Author: Steve Rizzo
1. Tell us about the book?
Get Your Shift Together is a book that teaches people in business and in life how to start each day with an unstoppable attitude to succeed, while enjoying the process.
The examples and stories in this book reveal how the power of shifting your focus and way of thinking can affect your perception of challenging circumstances and even life’s tragedies – literally training yourself to become a happier, more confident, successful person at work and in life.
What separates this book from other Self-Help/Business books is that it’s a very funny read. That of course comes from my 15 years of being a stand-up-comedian. Throughout the book I use humor as a guise to convey my message; which is to show the reader how to think, laugh, and enjoy their way to success in business and in life.
In addition to providing the reader with common sense attitude adjustment strategies on how to bounce back from stressful situations, this book will also show how to knock down emotional and mental barriers and recreate a foundation of hope and optimism by developing rock-solid habits.
2. What led you to write the book?
I had a fear of success and failure (talk about not being able to make up your mind) and without realizing it I was 
sabotaging many opportunities that were coming my way. So I decided to go on a self-help quest to remove the boundaries that were keeping me from the life I truly desired.
The journey towards bettering myself brought my work full circle and I now understand that all of my past experiences were necessary to prepare me for my true calling: To help people learn to be happy and successful no matter what their current circumstances are.
I’ve spent much of my life learning how to pursue and achieve my own definition of success. That definition has evolved to include showing others my blueprint for realizing their dreams and achieving personal excellence and professional satisfaction.
The tools that I used to turn my life around are the tools that are incorporated in this book.
3. Who is a writer that inspires you and why?
I really don’t have a particular writer that inspires me. I have read so many books and there are too many to mention that have had a great impact on my life.
I love the kind of writer that talks from experience and can actually get in to my head. Whenever I find myself talking back at what I just read, then I know I’m hooked.
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced writing this book?
I’m a Personal Development Speaker. My job is to help people remove the barriers that are keeping them from the success and happiness they desire. People view me as someone who is supposed to have it together.
My biggest challenge was allowing myself to admit my fears and negative ways. Every now and then The Big Mouth inside my head would blurt out, “Are you kidding! Do you really want people to know this? This is personal stuff here! You better think about what you’re doing!”
Eventually, I realized that the only way to write the book and give it true value was to be totally honest. So that’s what I did.
5. What advice would you give to an inspiring writer?
Don’t do it! It will absolutely drive you crazy! I’m just kidding of course. It depends on why they’re writing it. If they want to write just to make money then I really wouldn’t know what to say. I mean there is nothing wrong with money. But in my opinion, writing should come from a deeper place.
My advice would be not to get caught up on everything that has to be done. Don’t be concerned about whether to publish or self-publish or what the title is going to be or what everyone else is going to think. To be honest, I don’t even recommend writing an outline. Just start writing for the sake of it. Write from your heart. You’ll find that everything will gradually fall into place.
You can be certain that there will be snags and moments of frustration along the way. Trust that insights and opportunities will arise as you move forward. There’s one last thing. Sometimes insights for the book will pop up at the most inopportune time.
They usually come when you’re taking a shower, or driving in your car or working out in a gym. Always carry with you some kind of little recording device. As soon as the idea or insight hits you, immediately record it. Don’t say you’ll remember it later, because you won’t. Believe me; you’ll thank me for that one. Happy writing!
6. Where do you get your ideas?
I mostly get my ideas from life’s experiences, my imagination and my Humor Being. What’s a Humor Being? Well, I guess you’ll have to buy the book to find out.
But every now and then I get great ideas from visions during meditation; which can be quite frustrating because I have to stop and write or record the vision I had. You asked the question. I’m just being honest.
7. Anything that you would like the readers to know that I haven’t asked?
Yes there is and thanks for asking. I want everyone to know that no matter what your current circumstances, you can adjust your attitude and create a brighter reality. Get Your SHIFT Together is an easy read. It’s not Brain Surgery, it’s Brain Adjustment.
If you practice and own the Attitude Adjustment Strategies within each part you will realize how much power you have over every aspect of your life. This book will make you laugh, make you think and make you laugh again. At times it will make you cry.
You can turn your life around. You can change our way of being. You can experience from a healthier perspective. You can create wealth and prosperity.
You can enjoy yourself during the process of whatever you are trying to achieve. You can laugh off your fears and you can happier that you ever imagined. You my friend can choose a better way to live.
