I Can't Believe I Get Paid to Do This!

I Can't Believe I Get Paid to Do This!, by Stacey Mayo, Book, 2004, Gold Leaf Publishing, $16.95.

Walt Disney's classic fairytale Cinderella has come out on DVD and of course is on my Christmas list. Forget the fairy godmother, wicked stepsisters, prince charming, those cute little mice, and the hints of abuse and problems with blended families. Why people want to ruin a perfectly good fairy tale is beyond me!

The story is really about a dream, Walt Disney's dream, to be exact. It was Disney's passion for creating cartoon characters, the value he placed on family life, and his ability to tell stories that transformed the entertainment industry. Without Disney's influence, George Lucas (Lucas Films), Steve Jobs (Pixar), and Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen (DreamWorks) would probably not have produced the work they have.

Look up the word "dream," and you will find the words "vision," "passion," and "belief" in the definition. (To remind yourself the importance of dreams, view the 3-minute Dream Movie here.) Ask entrepreneurs why they were willing to take the risks they did. Their answer is likely to reflect their passion, their belief in making the world a better place, and their desire to do more than live in their comfort zone. Money is certainly on the list, but it isn't near the top. For most of them, money came later, much later, if it ever did. These are some of the things you'll learn in I Can't Believe I Get Paid To Do This!

Use this book

This is not a book to read--it is a book to use. Mayo interviewed nine people for the book, all chosen for their personal achievements as well as their diversity of learning. Stacy Allison was the first American woman to climb Mt. Everest. Mary Youngblood went from being a welfare mom to a Grammy Award winner. Tom Glavine had to prove skeptics wrong all along the way to becoming a professional baseball player--and eventually was named the Most Valuable Player in the World Series.

Writing in a breezy conversational style, Mayo describes the beliefs, passions, frustrations, fears and greatest achievements of these remarkable people. At the end of each chapter, there is a summary of the three key learning principles that can be drawn from the interview, coaching questions to lead you to better awareness of your own opportunities, and lists of additional resources.

Mayo says,

  To keep dreaming is to keep living. But many people are afraid to
  pursue their dreams, for fear of losing what they have now. My goal is
  to provide people with proven strategies and techniques to help them
  move forward with their dreams in a way that works for them.

She knows what she is talking about. She left a high-paying job to invest in her passion to become a coach. Hard work, persistence, and her inner fire paid off. It gave her the confidence to write a book, which, after numerous attempts, became I Can't Believe I Get Paid To Do This! I've had the chance to speak with her on a number of occasions, and she seems sincere and authentic. She's been there, she understands, and it shows.

Stacey Mayo is now president of the Center for Balanced Living, a professional coaching firm in Roswell, Georgia; a Master Certified Coach; and author of two books, including the one under review.

The book certainly was what I needed. Four years ago, I was a Type A personality, run amok. I was on a one-way course to a wakeup call--if I was lucky enough to get one--and fortunately I did. Diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, it has taken me four years to get my life back again. Reading this book made me realize once again the importance of dreams and doing what you love.

If it's good enough for Walt

I started this review with Disney so it's fitting that end with him and some of the things he lived by during his long career, as Mayo explains in her book.

1. "Disneyland is a work of love. We didn't go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money."

2. "When I started on Disneyland, my wife used to say, 'But why do you want to build an amusement park? They're so dirty.' I told her that was just the point--mine wouldn't be." The people in Mayo's book passionately believe in what they are doing and that what they stand for and what they do will make a difference.

3. "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." All of these people believe in continuous learning. More often than not, they started with enormous fear and yet knew they would learn along the way.

4. "I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or 60." Most of these people succeeded later in life. Passion, drive, persistence, and belief are not only for the young.

5. "A man should never neglect his family for business." Strong family ties kept most of them going when discouragement was a constant theme in their lives. Family gave them hope and in most cases a stronger belief in what they were doing.

Recommendation

I recommend I Can't Believe I Get Paid To Do This! as a coaching tool or a team journal--to ignite your own fire and the drive to build your own dreams and to encourage others to do likewise.

I Can't Believe I Get Paid To Do Th ...

Stacey Mayo

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Review by Mireille Massue

Product Ratings

I Can't Believe I Get Paid to Do This!

Holds user interest  *** 1/2
Production quality   *** 1/2
Value of Content     *** 1/2
Self-Study Value     *** 1/2
Instructional Value  *** 1/2
Value for the money  *** 1/2
Overall rating       *** 1/2