While I was eating dinner with Manny Pacquiao and family at a local Thai Restaurant in Los Angeles...I got the opportunity to meet Jo Koy. If you haven't heard of him...you will soon. He regularly does stand up in Las Vegas where he is from. He's been in two seasons of BET's The Comic View, appeared in Comedy Central, did stand up at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Chelsea Lately...and will soon film his own show "The Jo Koy Show." We watched some of his stand up at the restaurant's large projector screen while we were eating and I'm not going to lie to you....this guy is the funniest stand up guy I've ever seen. Here's a video of him at "The Tonight Show." I could not stop laughing. Food was coming out of my mouth.



He invited me to go watch his show at the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach. Sat me in the front and did an hour and a half of stand up. I had a blast! I'm looking forward to seeing him again...and again. Go to www.jokoy.com for more information and videos about the funniest comedian I've ever heard.

Your heart beats rapidly. Your palms sweat. Your voice squeaks. Public speaking ranks among the most dreaded prospects - even greater than most other fears. So how can you manage your fear and pull off your speech with finesse? Here are some strategies:

• Be prepared. Preparation can be the perfect cure to calm your nerves. Know your topic better than your audience does. Research and rehearse.
  
• Think positive thoughts to boost your confidence and don't feed into nervousness. Avoid negative thought patterns like, "My hands are shaking" or, "I feel my heart beating faster." Reprogram yur mind with thoughts that provide comfort and confidence.
• Tape-record your speech. Listen to it and try it again after making improvements to your voice, enunciation or pace.
• When you are at the podium, do not mistake blank faces for apathy or hostility. Some people do not smile when they are concentrating.
• Eat a light meal beforehand, such as fruit or a salad. A fat-rich meal can channel your body's energy into the digestive process and slow down your mind.
• Get a good night's sleep. Eight hours is recommended.
• Take care of your voice. If you smoke, stop. And avoid smoky environments before your speech.
• Dress appropriately for your audience and presentation.
• Breathe deeply.
• Keep a bottle of water and take small sips for vocal clarity.
• Don't avoid it. Avoidance makes your fear worse, never allowing you to work through your fear or improve.

Source: The Everything Public Speaking Book: Deliver a Winning Presentation Every Time byScott S. Smith, Adams Media, 2008.

Other Helpful Training

• Can You Guess Who I Am?
  
• Lessons from Geese
• "My Son Just Retired Me"

Warrick Dunn Lives By a Game Plan for Helping Others

• Measure yourself as a human by the acts of service you do for others.
• Use the opportunities you've been given in life to change the lives of other people.
• Help those in need reach a goal that might be out of their reach.
• keep continuity a focus and be reliable, both in your own life and for the people you help.
• Pay attention to the details. It's the little things that make life special.
• Don't forget to take time to enjoy your own life; it'll make you happier to help others.

TravelWithJake wishes you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I had the distinct honor and unique pleasure not only getting a chance to meet Manny Pacquiao but getting a chance to hang out with him and Team Pacquiao. At his house...in the gym while he's training...eating dinner at a Thai Restaurant. It's great to meet the team members and family of the greatest boxer in the world. Everyone knows he is the Tiger Woods of boxing. You can watch the first episode of the Pacquiao/DeLaHoya 24/7 on HBO. Click the picture below and see if you can find me in the episode hanging out with the most popular guy in the Philippines with the coolest, down to earth team, and awesome family.

This is a true story about my quest to meet Manny Pacquiao.  For those of you who don't know who Manny Pacquiao is...he is the most popular guy in the philippines and is boxing's Pound 4 Pound Best fighter in the world. In June 2001, was the first time I've seen Manny fight when he became the IBF SuperBantamweight champion.  Ever Since then...I've watch all his fights. He is now the WBC Lightweight Champion and has a upcoming fight on December 6, 2008 against Oscar DeLaHoya titled "The Dream Match". In November 2006, after I was jumping up and down doing cartwheels and backflips and screaming like a girl when Manny defeated Eric Morales...I made a decision that I wanted to meet Manny. So I put his picture on my vision board and titled it "Who I'd Like To Meet". I wrote on my journal "Meet Manny Pacquiao" as one of the top 25 things I want to accomplish. For 2 years, when I was working at Nordstrom @ The Grove in Los Angeles, I was looking for him. I always knew that he lives across the street from where I work. There was a couple of times when he would visit Nordstrom and I missed him because I was off or I was at my lunch break.  My co-workers would always tease me when I come back to work telling me that they saw Manny Pacquiao. One of them even took a picture with him and sent it to me. They know I'm a big fan so they like to tease me. The stock guys go to work early in the morning so they would see Manny running or shadow boxing at the park across the street. Even my girlfriend at the time sees Manny running when she drives to school early in the morning. They tease me about it all the time and I get mad about it. I told them and myself that I'm gonna meet him one day. I remember whenever the store have a meeting in the morning, I would get there earlier and wait at the park hoping I would get a chance to meet Manny. But it never happened. 

But one day...I was working and had a customer name Robert. I asked him "Are you filipino?" He said yeah. He asked me the same question and I said, "Yeah, I'm a Manny Pacquiao fan." The rest became history. He happened to know another filipino boxer name Vernie Torres who's been boxing with Manny since he was 10 years old. On June 30, 2008...Vernie came to the store one day with Manny's uncle, Noel...and invited me to the house to meet Manny. It was the coolest thing ever. I went to Sports Chalet and bought a pair of boxing gloves...got my camera and I was ready to go. Here's the first picture I took with Manny Pacquiao. You bet I enlarged it and showed it to my co-workers who's been teasing me about seeing him.

Here's a picture of my vision board. A vision board is a board full of things i want to be, do, or have...my goals basically. Check it out!