Spreading the Transforming Power of Improvisation

What Bernie Madoff Couldn’t Steal From Me

I want to preface this by saying that if this is the first you are hearing that Geneen and I were long-time investors with Bernie Madoff and got financially whacked when he turned out to be a fraud--- I want you to know that we’re doing okay. More than okay, actually--- we’ve both been in a fabulously creative period this past few months since the Madoff debacle. Enjoy the video (no, really, it has some good laughs in it!) and please pass the link on to anyone you know who might find it valuable.
Much love,
Matt

Get Embed Code

Rating:
Tags: antarctica, happiness, madoff, matt, penguins, More…stress, weinstein
Views: 416
Favorite of 1 person

You need to be a member of The Applied Improvisation Network to add comments!

Join this Ning Network

Comment by Sven Veine on June 27, 2009 at 1:53pm: Wow, Matt! You touched me - again! :-) Thank you. All the best, Sven

Comment by Belina Raffy on May 10, 2009 at 1:39am: Great talk, Matt. Really inspiring!
Best wishes,
Belina

Comment by Teresa Norton on April 13, 2009 at 4:40pm: Terrific, Matt -- such a timely message and delivered with warmth and sincerity. A lovely way to begin a beautiful morning in Hong Kong.

All good things, Teresa

Comment by Viv McWaters on April 13, 2009 at 3:55am: Thanks for sharing this Matt (I first saw it on Johnnie Moore's web site) and have now posted it on mine. A great talk, a great attitude and a great message. Looking forwrad to reconnecting in your home territory in October.
Cheers
Viv

Comment by Richard Friedman on April 9, 2009 at 5:09pm: Perhaps my post that follows this one would be clearer if I add that the Madoff news broke on December 11, 2008, and we found out just a week before we were to leave on a trip to Antarctica, including Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, that our life savings had just vanished.

Comment by Richard Friedman on April 9, 2009 at 5:05pm: Paralleling Matt's experience, my wife and I planned & paid for a year in advance a trip to Antarctica, leaving NY on 12/18/08. Matt was "stuck" there; but, how could we possibly go and have a good time? We could stay home and forfeit another $20,000, also knowing we may not ever have another vacation like this again. We chose to live! As Matt said, we could not at this point get Madoff out of our minds 24/7, nor could we tell anybody with us. It was not their problem & was their vacation.
How bitterly ironic it was that our entire lives we lived modestly, when vacationing taking modest accommodations, but on this trip we were in the largest, most expensive cabin, but no longer had the money to afford it! Madoff was on our minds 24/7 especially with being kept awake, tossed around in the Drake Passage. We were like prisoners of our own misery. We tried the best we could to have "Madoff free moments." Matt understands. 6 weeks later, we were on Dr. Phil, he echoed Matt when he told me "The only thing worse than this guy getting your money, would be this guy getting your life." Matt had it right. In time, the good memories of the trip will stand out, just like with our lives, since we chose to live again.

Comment by Henk van der Steen on April 9, 2009 at 12:28pm: indeed a great laughs! And what a story...great that you could use it imediately in your work!
all the best! Henk

Comment by Matt Weinstein on April 9, 2009 at 10:30am: Zohar, thanks so much for adding my video to your blog, I feel honored to be there! I loved reading about what you're up to there....
Matt

Comment by Zohar Adner on April 9, 2009 at 4:52am: Great video, Matt!

I agree completely. it's aligned with what I've been saying too and will spread it around.