THE ROSE AND THE RUBBER BAND

In my 25 years as a fashion photographer, and almost 40 years as a parent, I know there are millions of people in the world brimming over with potential. But so many are like roses with rubber bands wrapped around them and they can't blossom until someone removes it. 

The rubber band is a metaphor for people skills. When people learn good "people skills" in their early years they have a better chance to blossom and succeed, at home, at work and in love - I know, I have children over the age of 25 and they know their success and happiness depend on how well they connect with other people. 
 
When as much as 85% of your financial success in life comes from your people skills (the ability to engender trust and respect in other people), we have an obligation to teach these skills to our kids. 

When you know how, you can remove the rubber band in 90 minutes or less.

In 1999 I appeared on a television show called Breakfast Television in Toronto and announced I would go to any school that put together a group of kids who are of job-seeking age and teach them the ABCs (Attitude, Body-language and Conversation skills) of face-to-face communication in 90 minutes at no cost. Within 72 hours 9 schools had responded. In a period of three days I visited the schools and delivered my talk to 1,400 students. Since then I have spoken to tens of thousands of "blossoming roses" and received hundreds of emails and letters telling me how well it works. 

In March of 2007 I was asked by a local chapter of the Rotary if I was available to speak to 200 young Rotarians. As it happens I wasn't free that day and had to decline. When I told my youngest daughter Pippa about it she said, "Dad, let me do it. I know your material inside out. I'm really scared at the prospect but I'll do it."

Pippa prepared a speech and some slides and made the presentation. When I called and asked her how it went she said, "It was awesome. I spoke for 90 minutes: then spent another 90 minutes answering questions."

That was the birth of the TeenConnect90 program.

Our goal is to take it to the world.