“A Promise Is Like A Goal on Steroids!” Matthew Cossolotto, Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Pens “Put Your Heart Into It” Article for Personal Excellence Magazine, August 2011

Follow the GPS Success System – turn Goals into Promises = Success – and anchor promises to emotionally charged occasions including birthdays, holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and major milestones in life like weddings, the birth of children, and anniversaries

Following are a few excerpts from Cossolotto’s article, which appears in the August 2011 Personal Excellence (PE) Magazine.  Visit www.LeaderExcel.com for information about subscribing to PE.

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Put Heart Into It

By Matthew Cossolotto

If YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT reaching goals, I offer five simple words of advice: Put your heart into it—turn goals into promises and anchor them to emotionally charged occasions, including birthdays, holidays, and major milestones in life.

Take the Promise Challenge by turning your promptings and goals into heartfelt promises. Using two magic words—I Promise—makes all the difference. This is my GPS Success System in action: turn Goals into Promises = Success. Just like GPS navigational systems, my GPS system keeps you on track, moving in the right direction over time.

A promise is like a goal on steroids. It ratchets up your emotional stake in the outcome. Harnessing the power of heeding promptings and making promises is the New Frontier in personal achievement.

The reason for this goes back to childhood. As Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, notes in his foreword to my book The Power of Making a Promise: “A promise is a promise! I’ve heard that simple expression many times over the years. It’s been etched indelibly in my mind since childhood. I’m not really sure when I first heard somebody actually say those words, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t believe them.”

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Several Examples:

• Former President Bill Clinton made a promise to his daughter Chelsea before her wedding day that he would watch his diet and take better care of his health. This is a textbook example of turning what would otherwise be a rather mundane goal of pursuing a healthy lifestyle into a heartfelt promise to someone you care deeply about linked to an emotionally charged occasion—your daughter’s wedding. Bill Clinton’s healthy lifestyle commitment was morphed into an ironclad promise with emotional strings attached.

• Kody Bateman made a promise after the death of his brother: I ignored a prompting to say goodbye to my brother, Chris, when moving across the country. Two months later, I received the tragic news that my brother had been killed. I promised from that day forward to act on my promptings and help others do the same.

That emotion-charged promise led to the creation of SendOutCards, a business dedicated to helping people act on their promptings by sending cards and gifts to family members and friends.

• Kirk Smalley’s 11-year-old stepson, Ty Field, committed suicide after being bullied for months at school. Following this tragedy, Smalley made a promise on Father’s Day 2010 to do everything he could to stop bullying. Smalley has spoken to 30,000 students at 50 schools in his home state of Oklahoma and was invited to participate in the White House Conference on Preventing Bullying.

• After 19-year-old Tony McColl was tragically killed by a drunk driver last April, his family and friends turned tragedy into a positive campaign to honor Tony and save lives. They created a moving “I Promise” YouTube video and launched a Facebook group called “Tony’s Promise.”

As a result, thousands of people of all ages have publicly promised not to drink and drive and not to let their friends drive under the influence. Inspired by “Tony’s Promise” campaign, I urged young people to make a solemn promise to their mothers on Mother’s Day not to drink and drive.  The same idea applies to Father’s Day or other special days that have emotional meaning for you. The point is to increase your level of emotional commitment by making the promise to somebody you care about and anchoring that heartfelt promise to a special event or holiday.

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Let’s embrace new promise traditions like these:

• Make a patriotic promise on Independence Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, or Flag Day.
• Make a promise to that special someone on Valentine’s Day
• Make a promise to your spouse on your wedding anniversary
• Make a promise to your parents on graduation day
• Make a promise to take care of your newborn child.
• Select other days with special meaning and make a few heartfelt promises.

The options are endless, and the results could be priceless.

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An ebook, A Promise A Day, is available free to readers of PE by contacting Matthew.Promises@Gmail.com.  Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com to order the ebook for just $4.95.

About Matthew Cossolotto

Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4^th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is a former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta. Matthew also served as a CEO-level speechwriter and communications executive at MCI Communications, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE. Matthew is the founder and president of Study Abroad Alumni International, dedicated to “building a community of global citizens.” The author of The Almanac of European Politics, HabitForce!, and All The World’s A Podium, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield about the power of making a promise.  Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks” — to colleges, associations, and corporations.   Visit www.ThePodiumPro.com, www.MakeAPromiseDay.com, www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay.com.

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Guest Speaker Matthew Cossolotto, Author of HabitForce! and Creator of “Make A Promise Day,” Speaks About “The Power of Making a Promise” To The Eastchester, NY, Rotary Club

Highlighting the promise he made to his dying mother, Cossolotto declares “A promise is like a goal on steroids” and quotes John Assaraf — “We’re neurologically wired not to break our promises.”

Matthew’s Mantra:  Make A Promise.  Keep Your Word.  Change Your Life. Transform The World.

Yorktown Heights, NY – July 21, 2011 – Author and guest speaker Matthew Cossolotto (aka The Podium Pro) spoke to the Eastchester, NY, Rotary Club yesterday about “The Power of Making a Promise.”  Cossolotto is the creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4^th), which has been officially proclaimed by the Yorktown, NY, Town Board and the Westchester County Executive.  (See Proclamation links below.)

Author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, Cossolotto is a former aide to U.S. House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta (now Secretary of Defense).  He’s writing a book called The Power of Making a Promise with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Here are some of the highlights of Cossolotto’s remarks to the Eastchester Rotary.

• Cossolotto began by describing the promise he made to his mother on her deathbed that he would finish writing a book he had been discussing with her, get it published, and dedicate it to her memory.  His mother looked up at him, smiled brightly with determination, and said: “You do that, Matthew.  You do that.”  The resulting book, complete with Cossolotto’s dedication to his mother, is HabitForce! (signed copies available on http://www.ThePodiumPro.com.)

• “A promise is like a goal on steroids,” Cossolotto said.  “Whether you want to lose weight, stop smoking, or write a book, if you say those two magic words – I Promise – you’ll make a much stronger emotional commitment to the outcome than if you simply make a goal, a commitment, an intention, or a New Year’s resolution.  You should turn important goals into heartfelt promises because a promise is much more powerful.  You’re more accountable and a promise helps you put your heart into it.  If you also anchor a promise made to someone you care about to a special day of the year – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, your own birthday – you’ll increase your level of emotional commitment to the outcome.“

• Cossolotto recounted a heartwarming promise made by best-selling author John Assaraf.  In an interview for Cossolotto’s forthcoming book, Assaraf revealed for the first time a moving promise he made to God on the day each of his two sons was born.  In effect, he expressed gratitude to God for taking care of his sons in the womb and then he made a solemn promise to God that he would take care of his sons from now on the best way he could.

Cossolotto also quoted Assaraf as follows:  “We are neurologically wired not to break our promises.”  Assaraf and    Cossolotto also discussed the idea of starting a new tradition of making promises on the birth of our children. At one point in the interview Assaraf suggests: “Why not make a promise to a child that’s just been born?”

Read more about Cossolotto’s interview with John Assaraf by clicking on this link:  http://wp.me/pSLX3-7w.  Here’s the link to an edited version of Cossolotto’s interview the John Assaraf as posted on YouTube on Make A Promise Day, May 4, 2011: http://youtu.be/LYdemF5H1KA.

• Marshall Sylver – Host of “Get Rich Radio” – Takes The Promise Challenge.  Cossolotto described the very public promise made by Marshall Sylver, host of Get Rich Radio http://www.getrichradio.com, during Cossolotto’s interview on July 13, 2011.  Sylver promised his audience that he would lose 55 pounds by October 12, 2011.  He also promised if he didn’t get his weight down to 195 pounds or less, he would give $5,000 to the first caller to his radio show that day who asks about his weight.

• Tony’s Promise.  Cossolotto recounted the story of Tony’s Promise.  Tragically, 19-year-old Tony McColl was killed on April 16^th by a drunk driver in Canada.  Tony’s friends and family created a moving “I Promise” video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzGhT5hweNM) and “Tony’s Promise” Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_205770589445576).  Cossolotto said that the example of “Tony’s Promise” offers vivid testimony to the power of making a promise as a way to turn tragedy into a positive campaign to save lives and restore hope.  Inspired by Tony’s Promise, Cossolotto urged young people to make a promise not to drink and drive to their mothers on Mother’s Day and to their fathers on Father’s Day.

• Make A Promise Day Is Official!  The Westchester County Executive (New York) issued a proclamation designating May 4th 2011 and each year thereafter to be “Make A Promise Day.”  Here’s a link to a short YouTube video Cossolotto posted about this Proclamation.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fXex1ZjpXs.    To read more about the Proclamation, click here (http://wp.me/pSLX3-6W) and read this article on Patch.com (http://pelham.patch.com/articles/may-4-official-unofficial-make-a-promise-day).

To underscore the power of making a promise, Cossolotto often cites several high-profile examples:

• Oprah Winfrey made a promise to Nelson Mandela that she would build a school for girls in South Africa.

• Entertainer Danny Thomas made a promise to build a shrine to St. Jude.  That promise led to the establishment of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• Nancy Brinker, author of Promise Me and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, promised her sister and breast cancer victim Suzy that she would help find a cure.
• Before his daughter’s wedding, former president Bill Clinton made a promise to Chelsea that he would watch his diet and take care of his health.
• Kody Bateman, founder of Send Out Cards, made a promise to his older brother that led to the creation of this inspirational company.
• NBC’s Al Roker made a promise to his dying father that he would deal with his weight.

Just before “Make A Promise Day,” Cossolotto was featured as an “Inspirational Luminary? on Gail Lynne Goodwin’s popular Inspire Me Today website.  Here’s the link to the feature story: http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=1126. Also here’s the link to an edited version of the “What’s Your Promise?” interview Cossolotto recorded with Goodwin about the life-changing promise she made to her daughter:  http://youtu.be/NfsOpV92sB0

To celebrate “Make A Promise Day” 2011, Cossolotto published an ebook titled A Promise A Day – 30 Days to a Promising Future.  This is a unique collection of 30 personal empowerment promises including the potentially life-changing “Top Ten Promises for a SUCCESSFUL Life.”  Here’s a short video of Cossolotto announcing the publication of A Promise A Day. (http://youtu.be/tXEeMIlRTb4)  This powerful ebook is now available for a nominal investment on Cossolotto’s main website:  http://www.ThePodiumPro.com  

As a guest speaker, Cossolotto offers a lineup of programs for various audiences — colleges, associations, community organizations, nonprofits, and corporations.  He calls his presentations Personal Empowerment Programs … or PEPTalks.   Customized for each audiences, here are the titles of Cossolotto’s top three PEPTalks:

• The Power of Making a Promise:  Make A Promise.  Keep Your Word.  Change Your Life.  Transform The World.
• The Joy of Speaking: Turn Stage Fright Into Stage Delight and Speak Your Way to the Peak.
• Success Is An Inside Job:  Harness Your HabitForce! and Reach Your Peak Personal Potential.

About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE. The author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield about the power of making a promise. Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to colleges, associations, and corporations. Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com;  http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay.  “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other exciting gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz.

Marshall Sylver – Host of “Get Rich Radio” and Author of Passion, Profit, and Power – Accepts Matthew Cossolotto’s “Promise Challenge” … Makes Public Promise To Lose 55 Pounds by October 12, 2011, Or Give The First Caller $5,000.

Cossolotto — creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4^th) and author of HabitForce! – is writing a book titled The Power of Making a Promise featuring a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series

Yorktown Heights, NY – July 14, 2011 — Author and guest speaker Matthew Cossolotto – creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4^th) — appeared yesterday as a guest on Marshall Sylver’s “Get Rich Radio” show (http://www.getrichradio.com).  The interview touched on many of the empowering concepts contained in Matthew’s book HabitForce! and his forthcoming book about The Power of Making a Promise, with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta (now Defense Secretary), Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE.   Cossolotto recently published a motivational ebook titled, “A Promise A Day: 30 Days to a Promising Future,” now available for a nominal investment on http://www.ThePodiumPro.com.

Cossolotto began his “Get Rich Radio” interview by describing the promise he made to his mother on her deathbed that he would finish writing a book he had been discussing with her, get it published, and dedicate it to her memory.  The resulting book, complete with Cossolotto’s dedication to his mother, is HabitForce! (signed copies available on http://www.ThePodiumPro.com.)

“A promise is like a goal on steroids,” Cossolotto said during the interview.  “Let’s say you want to lose weight, stop smoking, quit drinking, or write a book.  If you say those two magic words – I Promise – you’ll make a much stronger emotional commitment to the outcome than if you simply make a goal, a commitment, an intention, or a resolution.  A promise is much more powerful because you’re more accountable and it helps you to really put your heart into it.  If you also anchor a promise made to someone you care about to a special day of the year – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, your own birthday – you’ll increase your level of emotional commitment to the outcome. “

Marshall Sylver said many times during the interview that he agreed completely with these ideas.  Then he decided to take the Promise Challenge by making a public promise to his audience that he would lose 55 pounds by October 12, 2011.  He said if he didn’t get his weight down to 195 pounds or less, he would give $5,000 to the first caller to his radio show that day who asks about his weight.

During the interview, Cossolotto recounted a heartwarming promise made by best-selling author John Assaraf.  In an interview for Cossolotto’s forthcoming book, Assaraf revealed for the first time a remarkable, life-changing promise he made to God on the day each of his two sons was born.  In effect, he expressed gratitude to God for taking care of his sons in the womb and then he made a solemn promise to God that he would take care of his sons from now on the best way he could.

On several occasions during the interview, Assaraf expressed strong support for Cossolotto’s “Make A Promise” initiative.  At one point, Assaraf asserts:  “We are neurologically wired, I believe, not to break our promises.”

Here’s the link to an edited version of Cossolotto’s interview the John Assaraf as posted on YouTube on Make A Promise Day, May 4, 2011: http://youtu.be/LYdemF5H1KA.

Leading up to Make A Promise Day 2011, Cossolotto was featured on Gail Lynne Goodwin’s popular Inspire Me Today website.  Here’s the link to the feature story: http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=1126.   Also here’s the link to a short version of the “What’s Your Promise?” interview Cossolotto recorded with Goodwin about the life-changing promise she made to her daughter:  http://youtu.be/NfsOpV92sB0

To underscore the power of making a promise, Cossolotto cites several high-profile examples:

• Oprah Winfrey made a promise to Nelson Mandela that she would build a school for girls in South Africa.

• Entertainer Danny Thomas made a promise to build a shrine to St. Jude.  That promise led to the establishment of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• Nancy Brinker, author of Promise Me and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, promised her sister and breast cancer victim Suzy that she would help find a cure.
• Before his daughter’s wedding, former president Bill Clinton made a promise to Chelsea that he would watch his diet and take care of his health.
• Kody Bateman, founder of Send Out Cards, made a promise to his older brother that led to the creation of this inspirational company.
• NBC’s Al Roker made a promise to his dying father that he would deal with his weight

Visit http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com for updates.  Matthew’s Mantra:  Make A Promise. Keep Your Word. Change Your Life. Transform The World.

About Marshal Sylver — The Millionaire Maker™.  Marshall Sylver is the #1 leading expert on subconscious reprogramming and irresistible influence. For over twenty years, Sylver has entertained, educated, and transformed the lives of thousands of people. He is the author of Passion, Profit, and Power, and through infomercials has sold over a million copies of his personal development programs worldwide.  A highly sought-after keynote speaker, Sylver has led training programs for IBM, Ford, KFC, and Pepsi, teaching the management of these leading corporations how to motivate employees while also teaching staff how to easily produce higher sales. Visit www.getrichradio.com, www.sylver.com, www.prosperityalliance.com.

About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE. The author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield about the power of making a promise.  Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to colleges, associations, and corporations. Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com;  http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay.  “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other exciting gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz.

Matthew Cossolotto, Creator of Make A Promise Day (May 4th) and Author of HabitForce!, Scheduled to Appear on the Mancow Muller Radio Show Tomorrow, June 29, 2011, 7:30 AM Eastern

Exciting News.  I just confirmed that I’ll be a guest on the No. 4 radio show in the country — the Mancow Muller radio show — tomorrow morning, approximately 7:30 AM (ET).  To find out how you can listen to the program live, please check out the station finder on the Mancow website.

http://www.mancow.com/stationfinder

The interview topic relates to  reprogramming your HabitForce so it works for you, not against you.  The key concept I plan to get across is this:  Success is an inside job.  What goes on between the ears, your habitual self-talk, your attitudes, your expectations, will determine your destiny.  I’ve said it before and I hope to say it tomorrow as well:  The most powerful motivational speech in the world is what you say to yourself.  Not just once in a while but on a consistent, habitual basis.

I hope to have time to discuss The Six Axioms of Personal Empowerment and the seven habits of SUCCESS and FAILURE — key concepts covered in detail in my book HabitForce!  I refer to the book as “The User’s Guide for your Personal Operating System.”  HabitForce is like a software program that gets programmed early in life.  Some people are fortunate to have a HabitForce program that works for them.  But most people have negative habits and mindsets that hold them back from achieving the goals and reaching their potential in life.  My book is all about personal empowerment, helping people follow the three Rs — recognize, reject and replace the FAILURE habits that hold them back with the SUCCESS habits that will help them succeed.

I hope I’ll have time to also tie my HabitForce concepts into my current focus on The Power of Making a Promise.  I believe making a promise is a powerful way to change the direction of your life.  Changing goals into promises is one way to jump start the process of personal change and reprogramming your HabitForce.

I’m working on a book called The Power of Making a Promise with a foreword by Jack Canfield.  In his foreword Jack writes about a promise he made to God when he was a young man.  Here’s a short excerpt from Jack’s foreword:

When Matthew first told me about the heartfelt promise he made to his mother and that he was launching a special day called “Make A Promise Day” on May 4th, I was hooked. You could say he had me at “I promise.”…

Contributing the foreword to this book and being associated with Matthew’s inspiring “Make-A-Promise” project is totally aligned with my life’s purpose. I applaud Matthew for collecting and celebrating these uplifting stories about promises made and promises kept.

In April I was featured on Gail Lynne Goodwin’s popular www.InspireMeToday.com website.  Here’s the link to the feature story: http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=1126.  Also here’s the link to a short version of the “What’s Your Promise?” interview I recorded with Gail Lynne Goodwin about the life-changing promise Gail made to her daughter:  http://youtu.be/NfsOpV92sB0.  It’s really an inspirational interview.  Check out my blog post on the Luminary Blog:  http://www.inspiremetoday.com/luminaryblog/

Additional “What’s Your Promise? interviews are available on my YouTube channel:  www.YouTube.com/ThePodiumProTV.  Featured promise-makers include John Assaraf, Chris Cade, Patti Wood, Stefania Lucchetti, Todd Newton, Roslyn Franken, and Kim Wright.

Background

Cossolotto knows about the power of making a promise from personal experience. He made a promise to his mother on her deathbed that he would finish writing a book he had been discussing with her, get it published, and dedicate it to her memory. The resulting book, complete with Cossolotto’s dedication to his mother, is HabitForce! (also available on http://www.ThePodiumPro.com.)

Motivated by that firsthand experience, Cossolotto launched the first annual “Make A Promise Day” last May 4th as part of his ongoing mission to share the power of making a promise with millions of people around the world. He’s writing a book about the power of making a promise with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The book includes stories about people who have made and kept important promises in their lives.

Following similar action by the Yorktown Town Board in New York, the Westchester County Executive, Robert Astorino, issued a proclamation designating May 4th 2011 and each year thereafter to be “Make A Promise Day.”  Here’s a link to a short YouTube video Cossolotto posted about this Proclamation.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fXex1ZjpXs.

To read more about the Proclamation, click here (http://wp.me/pSLX3-6W) and read this article on Patch.com (http://pelham.patch.com/articles/may-4-official-unofficial-make-a-promise-day).

To celebrate “Make A Promise Day” 2011, Cossolotto published a new ebook titled “A Promise A Day – 30 Days to a Promising Future.”  This is a unique collection of personal empowerment promises.  Think of it as a Promise Diary.  Now available for a nominal investment on Cossolotto’s main website — http://www.ThePodiumPro.com.

Cossolotto says:  “The key to reaching a goal or keeping a promise is to really put your heart into it.  Commit emotionally to the outcome.  Making a promise on a special day like Father’s Day or Mother’s Day or your own birthday increases your emotional connection, your heart connection, to fulfill that particular promise.  Let’s say you want to lose weight, stop smoking, quit drinking, or write a book.  If you say those two magic words – I Promise – to your father, your mother, your spouse or child — you’ll dramatically increase your chances of following through.”

To underscore the power of making a promise, Cossolotto cites several high-profile examples:
o    Oprah Winfrey made a promise to Nelson Mandela that she would build a school for girls in South Africa.
o    Entertainer Danny Thomas made a promise to build a shrine to St. Jude.  That promise led to the establishment of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
o    Nancy Brinker, author of Promise Me and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, promised her sister and breast cancer victim Suzy that she would help find a cure.
o    Before his daughter’s wedding, former president Bill Clinton made a promise to Chelsea that he would watch his diet and take care of his health.
o     Kody Bateman, founder of Send Out Cards, made a promise to his older brother that led to the creation of this inspirational company.
o     NBC’s Al Roker made a promise to his dying father that he would deal with his weight issues.

Cossolotto invites people to submit short summaries of their true promise stories for possible inclusion in forthcoming books, presentations, and interviews. Send a few sentences describing your promise to: Matthew.Promises@Gmail.com.

Matthew’s Mantra:  Make A Promise. Keep Your Word. Change Your Life. Transform The World.

About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE.  His line-up of leadership communications services includes:

• Executive Speechwriting
• One-on-One Speech Coaching
• Strategic Messaging/Ghostwriting/Media Relations
• PodiumPower! Keynotes and Workshops

The author of All The World’s A Podium, HabitForce! and The Almanac of European Politics, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield titled The Power of Making a Promise. Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to a wide range of audiences including colleges, nonprofits, associations, agencies, and corporations.

• The Power of Making a Promise
• The Joy of Speaking
• Success Is An Inside Job

Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay.  “Standing O” and “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other exciting gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz.

My New RTIR Ad About The Power of Making a Promise — New Tradition on Father’s Day and Other Special Days — Plus My Interview Today on “Straight Talk”

I’ll be a guest on “Straight Talk” (WCEM-AM 1240 in Cambridge, MD) at 10:30-11:00 AM (ET) June 7, 2011.  I plan to use the example of “Tony’s Promise” to underscore the power of those two magic words “I Promise.”

Watch the moving ‘I Promise’ video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzGhT5hweNM) and visit the ‘Tony’s Promise’ Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_205770589445576)for more information.

As I did with Mother’s Day, I’m urging young people in particular to make a promise on Father’s Day to their dads not to drink and drive and not to allow their friends to do so either.  Here’s the link to the radio station’s website: www.mtslive.com.

Here’s my new half-page ad running in the Early June Radio and Television Interview Report (RTIR).  This ad highlights the power of making a promise on special holidays and events — like Father’s Day, Independence Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

From yesterday’s press release:

Author and guest speaker Matthew Cossolotto – creator of Make A Promise Day and former aide to Congressman Leon Panetta and House Speaker Jim Wright – says we should make a heartfelt promise to our fathers on Father’s Day.  Cossolotto recently published a motivational ebook titled, “A Promise A Day: 30 Days to a Promising Future,” now available for a nominal investment on http://www.ThePodiumPro.com.

“This Father’s Day,” Cossolotto suggests, “start a new tradition and give your Dad a gift he’ll cherish forever.  Promise him you’ll do something you know will make him proud of you.  Doing so will make for a very special and memorable Father’s Day for both father and child.  For instance, I urge young people to follow the example of Tony’s Promise (see below) and promise their fathers they will never drink and drive or allow friends to do so.  They could also promise never to text and drive.  Promises like that will have real meaning to your Dad, and they will be especially empowering to you if you make the promise on Father’s Day.”

Matthew’s Mantra:  Make A Promise. Keep Your Word. Change Your Life. Transform The World.

About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE.  His line-up of leadership communications services includes:

• Executive Speechwriting
• One-on-One Speech Coaching
• Strategic Messaging/Ghostwriting/Media Relations
• PodiumPower! Keynotes and Workshops

The author of All The World’s A Podium, HabitForce! and The Almanac of European Politics, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield titled The Power of Making a Promise. Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to a wide range of audiences including colleges, nonprofits, associations, agencies, and corporations.

• The Power of Making a Promise
• The Joy of Speaking
• Success Is An Inside Job

Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay.  “Standing O” and “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other exciting gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz.

Let’s Start a New Father’s Day Tradition — Make A Heartfelt Promise to Your Father This Father’s Day

Matthew Cossolotto – Creator of “Make A Promise Day” and author of “A Promise A Day: 30 Days to a Promising Future” — says we should use those two magic words on Father’s Day: “I Promise.”  Follow “Tony’s Promise” example, Cossolotto says.

Author and guest speaker Matthew Cossolotto – creator of Make A Promise Day and former aide to Congressman Leon Panetta and House Speaker Jim Wright – says we should make a heartfelt promise to our fathers on Father’s Day.  Cossolotto recently published a motivational ebook titled, “A Promise A Day: 30 Days to a Promising Future,” now available for a nominal investment on http://www.ThePodiumPro.com.

“This Father’s Day,” Cossolotto suggests, “start a new tradition and give your Dad a gift he’ll cherish forever.  Promise him you’ll do something you know will make him proud of you.  Doing so will make for a very special and memorable Father’s Day for both father and child.  For instance, I urge young people to follow the example of Tony’s Promise (see below) and promise their fathers they will never drink and drive or allow friends to do so.  They could also promise never to text and drive.  Promises like that will have real meaning to your Dad, and they will be especially empowering to you if you make the promise on Father’s Day.”

In April, Cossolotto called attention to a moving “I Promise” video and anti-drunk driving campaign in honor of Anthony (Tony) McColl.  McColl was killed tragically on April 16th by a drunk driver on Highway 148 near Luskville, Quebec (Canada).

“This ‘I Promise’ video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzGhT5hweNM) and the ‘Tony’s Promise’ Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_205770589445576) offer vivid testimony to the power of making a promise,” Cossolotto said.  “It’s an inspiring, healing, heart-centered power that can help turn a terrible tragedy into a positive campaign to save lives and restore hope.  There is something very powerful about publicly declaring ‘I Promise.’ If you say those two magic words to your father on Father’s Day, it will mean the world to him … and the positive impact will last a very long time.”

Cossolotto also cited the Kirk Smalley example.  Smalley made a promise to his 11-year-old stepson, Ty Field, on Father’s Day 2010, after Field committed suicide as a result of being bullied for months at school.

Following this terrible tragedy, Smalley made a promise to do everything he could to stop bullying.  Smalley has spoken to more than 30,000 students at 50 schools in his home state of Oklahoma.   Smalley was also invited to participate in the White House Conference on Preventing Bullying.

“Kirk Smalley’s promise to his stepson demonstrates how powerful a promise can be, especially on a special day like Father’s Day,” said Cossolotto.  “The promise becomes a powerful motivator for people to keep going even when times are tough.  A promise like the one Kirk Smalley made comes directly from the heart and this heart-connection distinguishes a promise from a typical goal or objective.  This is why I urge people to turn important goals into heartfelt promises.  A promise is like a goal on steroids.”

This proposed new Father’s Day tradition is similar to the proposal Cossolotto made for Mother’s Day in May.  It’s all part of his campaign to share the power of making a promise with millions of people worldwide.

Cossolotto knows about the power of making a promise from personal experience. He made a promise to his mother on her deathbed that he would finish writing a book he had been discussing with her, get it published, and dedicate it to her memory. The resulting book, complete with Cossolotto’s dedication to his mother, is HabitForce! (also available on http://www.ThePodiumPro.com.)

Motivated by that firsthand experience, Cossolotto launched the first annual “Make A Promise Day” last May 4th as part of his ongoing mission to share the power of making a promise with millions of people around the world. He’s writing a book about the power of making a promise with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The book includes stories about people who have made and kept important promises in their lives.

Following similar action by the Yorktown Town Board in New York, the Westchester County Executive, Robert Astorino, issued a proclamation designating May 4th 2011 and each year thereafter to be “Make A Promise Day.”  Here’s a link to a short YouTube video Cossolotto posted about this Proclamation.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fXex1ZjpXs.

To read more about the Proclamation, click here (http://wp.me/pSLX3-6W) and read this article on Patch.com (http://pelham.patch.com/articles/may-4-official-unofficial-make-a-promise-day).

Leading up to Make A Promise Day 2011, Cossolotto was featured on Gail Lynne Goodwin’s popular Inspire Me Today website.  Here’s the link to the feature story: http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=1126.   Also here’s the link to a short version of the “What’s Your Promise?” interview Cossolotto recorded with Goodwin about the life-changing promise she made to her daughter:  http://youtu.be/NfsOpV92sB0

To celebrate “Make A Promise Day” 2011, Cossolotto published a new ebook titled “A Promise A Day – 30 Days to a Promising Future.”  This is a unique collection of personal empowerment promises.  Think of it as a Promise Diary.  Now available for a nominal investment on Cossolotto’s main website — http://www.ThePodiumPro.com — Cossolotto says the ebook is a great gift idea for just about any special occasion, including Father’s Day.

In addition to making a promise on Father’s Day, Cossolotto urges people to extend the spirit of “Make A Promise Day” and harness the power of making a promise on other days with special meaning – birthdays, Memorial Day, Valentine’s Day, wedding anniversaries, graduation day, even Independence Day.

“The key to reaching a goal or keeping a promise is to really put your heart into it.  Commit emotionally to the outcome.  Making a promise on a special day like Father’s Day increases your emotional connection, your heart connection, to fulfill that particular promise.  Let’s say you want to lose weight, stop smoking, quit drinking, or write a book.  If you say those two magic words – I Promise – to your father, your mother, your spouse or child — you’ll dramatically increase your chances of following through.”

To underscore the power of making a promise, Cossolotto cites several high-profile examples:

o     Oprah Winfrey made a promise to Nelson Mandela that she would build a school for girls in South Africa.

o     Entertainer Danny Thomas made a promise to build a shrine to St. Jude.  That promise led to the establishment of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

o     Nancy Brinker, author of Promise Me and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, promised her sister and breast cancer victim Suzy that she would help find a cure.

o     Before his daughter’s wedding, former president Bill Clinton made a promise to Chelsea that he would watch his diet and take care of his health.

o     Kody Bateman, founder of Send Out Cards, made a promise to his older brother that led to the creation of this inspirational company.

o     NBC’s Al Roker made a promise to his dying father that he would deal with his weight issues.

Cossolotto launched “Make A Promise Network” on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-A-Promise-Network/183664501663269?sk=info) and invites people from around the world to join the network and post stories and videos of their promises made and kept.  He also invites people to submit short summaries of their true promise stories for possible inclusion in forthcoming books, presentations, and interviews. Send a few sentences describing your promise to: Matthew.Promises@Gmail.com.

Matthew’s Mantra:  Make A Promise. Keep Your Word. Change Your Life. Transform The World.

About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE.  His line-up of leadership communications services includes:

• Executive Speechwriting
• One-on-One Speech Coaching
• Strategic Messaging/Ghostwriting/Media Relations
• PodiumPower! Keynotes and Workshops

The author of All The World’s A Podium, HabitForce! and The Almanac of European Politics, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield titled The Power of Making a Promise. Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to a wide range of audiences including colleges, nonprofits, associations, agencies, and corporations.

• The Power of Making a Promise
• The Joy of Speaking
• Success Is An Inside Job

Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay.  “Standing O” and “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other exciting gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz.

One Week Later … Author and Guest Speaker Matthew Cossolotto, Creator of “Make A Promise Day,” Recaps Major Developments Surrounding Second Annual Make A Promise Day, May 4th 2011 – May The Fourth Be With You!

Leading Up To MAPD, Cossolotto Released A Series of “What’s Your Promise?” Interviews –With Guests That Included Best-Selling Author John Assaraf – and Published Ebook Titled A Promise A Day: 30 Days To A Promising Future

May 11, 2011 – Matthew Cossolotto (aka The Podium Pro) today provided a recap of development surrounding the second annual Make A Promise Day – May 4, 2011.  Cossolotto, author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, is a former aide to U.S. House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta (now CIA Director).  He’s currently writing a book called The Power of Making a Promise with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Here are some of the major MAPD-related developments that occurred in recent weeks:

• Heartwarming John Assaraf Interview Released on May 4^th — Cossolotto released a heartwarming “What’s Your Promise?” interview with best-selling author John Assaraf.  During the interview, Assaraf revealed a remarkable, life-changing promise he made to God on the day each of his two sons was born.  On several occasions during the interview, Assaraf expresses strong support for Cossolotto’s “Make A Promise” initiative:  “It’s a great cause and a great mission you’re on.  Good purpose, good mission, good vision attracts good people.”  Read Cossolotto’s blog post for more details (http://wp.me/pSLX3-7w) and to get the link to the interview.

• Those Two Magic Words – I Promise:  Cossolotto proposed that we start a new tradition by making heartfelt promises to our mothers on Mather’s Day.  Inspired by friends and family of Tony McColl, a 19-year-old who was tragically killed on April 16^th by a drunk driver in Canada, Cossolotto urged young people everywhere to make a solemn promise to their mothers on Mother’s Day not to drink and drive and not to let their friends drive under the influence.  Cossolotto called attention to the moving “I Promise” video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzGhT5hweNM) created by Tony’s friends as well as the “Tony’s Promise” Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_205770589445576).  Both offer vivid testimony to the power of making a promise as a way to turn tragedy into a positive campaign to save lives and restore hope.

• The Westchester County Executive (New York) issued a proclamation designating May 4th 2011 and each year thereafter to be “Make A Promise Day.”  Here’s a link to a short YouTube video Cossolotto posted about this Proclamation.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fXex1ZjpXs.    To read more about the Proclamation, click here (http://wp.me/pSLX3-6W) and read this article on Patch.com (http://pelham.patch.com/articles/may-4-official-unofficial-make-a-promise-day).

• On Make A Promise Day, Cossolotto has announced a public promise to donate 10% of his guest speaking fees to Study Abroad Alumni International to foster study abroad opportunities and global awareness and understanding.  Cossolotto offers several Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks) to a variety of audiences including schools and colleges, corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits.  Here are the titles of Cossolotto’s top three PEPTalks:

• The Power of Making a Promise: Make A Promise. Keep Your Word. Change Your Life. Transform The World.

• The Joy of Speaking: Turn Stage Fright Into Stage Delight and Speak Your Way to the Peak

• Success Is An Inside Job:  Harness Your HabitForce and Reach Your Peak Personal Potential

• Just before “Make A Promise Day,” Cossolotto was featured as an “Inspirational Luminary? on Gail Lynne Goodwin’s popular Inspire Me Today website.  Here’s the link to the feature story: http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=1126. Also here’s the link to an edited version of the “What’s Your Promise?” interview Cossolotto recorded with Goodwin about the life-changing promise she made to her daughter:  http://youtu.be/NfsOpV92sB0

• Cossolotto spoke about the power of making a promise to the Human Capital Institute’s executive members.  This HCI seminar was a return appearance for Cossolotto.  The author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, Cossolotto conducted two executive conversation programs last year for HCI.  One program was titled “Supercharge Your HabitForce!” and the other was called “Energize Your PodiumPower!”

• Cossolotto spoke about HabitForce and the power of making a promise to the Project Management Institute of Westchester. Here’s what Paul O’Connor, the event organizer, said about Cossolotto’s presentation:  “Wow!  You achieved the incredible top rating of 87.5% as a keynote speaker to our Project Managers Group! Our member evaluations said you were highly thought-provoking, you skillfully engaged participants in meaningful discussions and inspired us in numerous positive and empowering ways.  Thanks again for your generous sharing of time and talent.”

• To celebrate “Make A Promise Day” 2011, Cossolotto published an updated, new and improved version of his ebook A Promise A Day – 30 Days to a Promising Future.  This is a unique collection of 30 personal empowerment promises including the potentially life-changing “Top Ten Promises for a SUCCESSFUL Life.”  Here’s a short video of Cossolotto announcing the publication of A Promise A Day. (http://youtu.be/tXEeMIlRTb4)  This powerful ebook is now available for a nominal investment on Cossolotto’s main website:  http://www.ThePodiumPro.com

 Other Noteworthy Developments Surrounding “Make A Promise Day” 2011

• From Brian Proctor’s Popular Insight of the Day Email (sign up for free:  http://www.InsightoftheDay.com)

“Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible.”

Hannah Arendt
1906-1975, Political Theorist

I want to call your attention to an exciting and inspiring initiative created by my friend Matthew Cossolotto. Matthew’s project launched last year on this day. He calls it “Make A Promise Day” – the first-ever “holiday” dedicated to personal empowerment and goal achievement. With “Make A Promise Day” (see Matthew’s “Top 10 Promises for a SUCCESSFUL Life”) Matthew is encouraging people to turn important goals into heartfelt promises. I really like that idea and I thought it would appeal to you as well.

Some of Matthew’s impressive career achievements are as a former aide to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a CEO-level speechwriter at major corporations, and as an author and personal empowerment speaker and coach. More details about “Make A Promise Day” are available at: www.MakeAPromiseDay.com

• From Author and Guest speaker Diana DiResta – Make A Promise To Be A Better Public Speaker

May 4th is Make a Promise Day which was started by Matthew Cossolotto. Why make a promise? Because a promise is more powerful than a goal. Quick! How many New Year’s Resolutions have you already broken? When you promise to be a better public speaker, there is an energy and commitment that drives you to action. My military father taught me to never break a promise. When you gave someone your word, that was sacred.

You may keep your promise to others; but what about yourself? I recently made a promise to give up chocolate for one month. It was hard, but I would never have done it if I hadn’t made a promise. A promise is putting a stake in the ground. It’s drawing a line in the sand. You can become a better public speaker right now and the first step begins with a promise.

Read the rest of DiResta’s insightful comments:  http://diresta.com/knockoutpresentationsblog/?p=687

• From Andrea Adams-Miller, “The Sexuality Tutor” — Making a Promise to Foster a Healthy Relationship

This blog is inspired by my friend, Matthew Cossolotto, Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com) because I would like all of you to make a promise to your partner. While Matthew discusses various financial, moral, and personal decisions when it comes to making a promise, my challenge to you is focused on your relationship and your partner. As a relationship consultant, I want you to make a promise to keep the words “Break Up” and “Divorce” out of your vocabulary. Each time we utter these words, we add power to them and start imaging our life as somehow happier if we were alone, rather than deal with the day to day stresses of maintaining a healthy relationship.  For more information visit http://www.sexualitytutor.com (click on BLOG tab)

Links to Additional “What’s Your Promise?” Interviews Recently Posted on www.YouTube.com/ThePodiumProTV

•  Todd Newton

Interview Link:  http://www.youtube.com/ThePodiumProTV#p/u/9/4ECJFj5wx-o

Blog Post Link:  http://wp.me/pSLX3-4Y

• Patti Wood

http://www.youtube.com/ThePodiumProTV#p/u/13/An7IbxbCuC8

• Gail Lynne Goodwin

Interview Link:  http://www.youtube.com/ThePodiumProTV#p/u/6/NfsOpV92sB0

• Chris Cade

Interview Link:  http://www.youtube.com/ThePodiumProTV#p/u/8/6ZzMtlVqR_0

Blog Post Link:  http://wp.me/pSLX3-5M

• Dallas Teague Snider

Interview Link:  http://www.youtube.com/ThePodiumProTV#p/u/0/BafbQAZ9L_w

Blog Post Link:  http://wp.me/SLX3

• Stefania Lucchetti

Interview Link: http://www.youtube.com/ThePodiumProTV#p/u/7/mHeajeyyJTg

Blog Post Link:  http://wp.me/pSLX3-5R

• Roslyn Franken

Interview Link: http://www.youtube.com/ThePodiumProTV#p/u/3/kV6Tv8J2ZYM

Blog Post Link:  http://wp.me/pSLX3-6v

• Kim Wright

Interview Link: http://www.youtube.com/ThePodiumProTV#p/u/4/mSZ4WaZT2Cs

Blog Post Link:  http://wp.me/pSLX3-6k

About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE. The author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield about the power of making a promise. Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to colleges, associations, and corporations.

Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com;  http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay.  “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other exciting gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz.

Author and Guest Speaker Matthew Cossolotto – aka “The Podium Pro” – Underscores His Audacious Mission To Share His Uplifting Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks) With Millions of People Around the World and Promises to Donate 10% of His Speaking Fees to Support Study Abroad Opportunities and Global Understanding

Leading Up To Make A Promise Day 2011, Cossolotto Speaks About The Power of Making A Promise to The Human Capital Institute and The Project Management Institute of Westchester

May 11, 2011 – Matthew Cossolotto (aka The Podium Pro) today underscored his audacious mission to share his uplifting messages including his Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks) with millions of people around the world.  In pursuit of that goal, he promises to donate 10% of his speaking fees to Study Abroad Alumni International, a nonprofit organization he launched dedicated to fostering study abroad opportunities and global understanding.

Cossolotto, a former aide to Congressman Leon Panetta and House Speaker Jim Wright, said that he was delighted to speak recently about the power of making a promise to the Human Capital Institute’s executive members.  This HCI seminar was a return appearance for Cossolotto.  The author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, Cossolotto conducted two executive conversation programs last year for HCI.  One program was titled “Supercharge Your HabitForce!” and the other was called “Energize Your PodiumPower!”

In an online message to executive members, HCI issued the follow announcement about Cossolotto’s April 29^th program:

Beyond traditional goal-setting–Focus and align results with a promise

Making and keeping an important promise affects a leader personally as well as their followers. Stated in the form of a promise, an affirmation about attaining a goal helps to define a personal or organizational vision. Join our Executive Conversation to discover the power of making Personal Empowerment Promises (PEP) and put a “pep” talk in every promise. Share your promises with others and you’ll inspire your team, and align focus on results. All Executive Members who actively participate in the conversation will receive a signed copy of Matthew Cossolotto’s book, HabitForce! All Executive Members will also receive a copy of Matthew’s eBook, A Promise A Day – 30 Days to a Promising Future, in honor of “Make a Promise Day” on May 4th. Leaders, plan your promises now!

Cossolotto also spoke recently about the power of making a promise to the Project Management Institute of Westchester. Here’s what Paul O’Connor, the event organizer, said about Cossolotto’s presentation:

“Wow!  You achieved the incredible top rating of 87.5% as a keynote speaker to our Project Managers Group! Our member evaluations said you were highly thought-provoking, you skillfully engaged participants in meaningful discussions and inspired us in numerous positive and empowering ways.  Thanks again for your generous sharing of time and talent.”

PEPTalks and a Promise

Cossolotto has made a public promise to donate 10% of his guest speaking fees to Study Abroad Alumni International to foster study abroad opportunities and global awareness and understanding.  Cossolotto offers several Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks) to a variety of audiences including schools and colleges, corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits.  Here are the titles of Cossolotto’s top three PEPTalks:

• The Power of Making a Promise: Make A Promise. Keep Your Word. Change Your Life. Transform The World.

• The Joy of Speaking: Turn Stage Fright Into Stage Delight and Speak Your Way to the Peak

• Success Is An Inside Job:  Harness Your HabitForce and Reach Your Peak Personal Potential

Other Developments Surrounding “Make A Promise Day” 2011

• The Westchester County Executive (New York) issued a proclamation designating May 4th 2011 and each year thereafter to be “Make A Promise Day.”  Here’s a link to a short YouTube video Cossolotto posted about this Proclamation.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fXex1ZjpXs.    To read more about the Proclamation, click here (http://wp.me/pSLX3-6W) and read this article on Patch.com (http://pelham.patch.com/articles/may-4-official-unofficial-make-a-promise-day).

•  Just before Make A Promise Day, Cossolotto was featured on Gail Lynne Goodwin’s popular Inspire Me Today website.  Here’s the link to the feature story: http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=1126.  Also here’s the link to a short version of the “What’s Your Promise?” interview Cossolotto recorded with Goodwin about the life-changing promise she made to her daughter:  http://youtu.be/NfsOpV92sB0

• Finally, to celebrate “Make A Promise Day” 2011, Cossolotto published a new and improved version of his ebook A Promise A Day – 30 Days to a Promising Future.  This is a unique collection of personal empowerment promises.  Think of it as a Promise Diary.  Now available for a nominal investment on Cossolotto’s main website:  http://www.ThePodiumPro.com

Make A Promise Day Background
Cossolotto knows about the power of making a promise from personal experience. He made a promise to his mother on her deathbed that he would finish writing a book he had been discussing with her, get it published, and dedicate it to her memory. The resulting book, complete with Cossolotto’s dedication to his mother, is HabitForce!

Motivated by that firsthand experience, Cossolotto launched the first annual “Make A Promise Day” last May 4th as part of his ongoing mission to share the power of making a promise with millions of people around the world. He’s writing a book about the power of making a promise with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The book includes stories about people who have made and kept important promises in their lives.

Here is a brief excerpt from Jack Canfield’s foreword to Cossolotto’s forthcoming book The Power of Making a Promise:

“When Matthew first told me about the heartfelt promise he made to his mother and that he was launching a special day called “Make A Promise Day” on May 4th, I was hooked. You could say he had me at “I promise.”… Contributing the foreword to this book and being associated with Matthew’s inspiring “Make-A-Promise” project is totally aligned with my life’s purpose.” http://www.JackCanfield.com

To highlight the power of making a promise, Cossolotto cites several high-profile examples:

• Oprah Winfrey made a promise to Nelson Mandela that she would build a school for girls in South Africa.
• Entertainer Danny Thomas made a promise to build a shrine to St. Jude.  That promise led to the establishment of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• Nancy Brinker, author of Promise Me and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, promised her sister and breast cancer victim Suzy that she would help find a cure.
• Before his daughter’s wedding, former president Bill Clinton made a promise to Chelsea that he would watch his diet and take care of his health.
•  Kody Bateman, founder of Send Out Cards, made a promise to his older brother that led to the creation of this inspirational company.
•  NBC’s Al Roker made a promise to his dying father that he would deal with his weight issues.

About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE. The author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield about the power of making a promise. Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to colleges, associations, and corporations.

Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com;  http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay.  “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other exciting gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz.

Matthew Cossolotto, Creator of “Make A Promise Day” and Author of The Forthcoming Book The Power of Making a Promise, Interviews Author Dallas Teague Snider About Her Promise to Tell Her Personal Story

Cossolotto recently announced his promise to donate 10% of his guest speaking fees to Study Abroad Alumni International to foster study abroad opportunities and global awareness and understanding.

Dallas Teague Snider, Author of The Power to Say Yes!

Matthew Cossolotto, creator of Make A Promise Day, interviewed Dallas Teague Snider, America’s Business Etiquette Coach, about her promise to share her personal story in the form of a book titled The Power To Say Yes. Matthew and Dallas talk about the importance of making a promise in reaching goals and staying on track toward your purpose and your passion in life.

Click on this link to listen to the 18-minute What’s Your Promise? interview: http://youtu.be/BafbQAZ9L_w

More About Dallas Teague Snider Dallas Teague Snider, America’s Business Etiquette Coach is a speaker, author and radio show host. LeadReferrals Consulting and Marketing Services Inc. was established in 1999 as networking, sales and marketing organization based on a strong code of ethics.

After attending the Protocol School of Washington® in 2007, Dallas launched Make Your Best Impression to offer training in the areas of business etiquette, communications, and personal development.  She is a columnist for Birmingham Works Magazine, Collinson Publishing, and has been featured as a guest columnist for America City Business Journals since 2004.

March 2009, Dallas was featured on the cover of Personal Excellence Magazine and quoted in the New York Times. Passionate to help others be their best -self and to eliminate the barriers that impede success, she offers workshops and seminars as well as personal coaching. Dallas’ warm personality and effervescent style will inspire audience members to experience new levels of building sustainable relationships. Dallas is the author of Professionally Polished, Business Etiquette Savvy for Today’s Competitive Market, a contributing author of Executive Etiquette Power, and now co-author of Success Skills for Life- a curriculum for high schools.

Dallas is a proud member of Meeting Professionals International, President- Elect for the American Society of Training and Development (Alabama Chapter), Women of Will, National Speakers Association and has partnered with Sunshine International Camps. Sunshine International Camps provide students from the English speaking world and China an opportunity to engage in a highly interactive, cross-cultural character and leadership development experience.

PEPTalks and a Promise

Cossolotto recently announced that he was making a public promise to donate 10% of his guest speaking fees to Study Abroad Alumni International to foster study abroad opportunities and global awareness and understanding. Cossolotto offers several Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks) to a variety of audiences including schools and colleges, corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits.

Here are the titles of Cossolotto’s top three PEPTalks:

• The Power of Making a Promise: Make A Promise. Keep Your Word. Change Your Life. Transform The World.

• The Joy of Speaking: Turn Stage Fright Into Stage Delight and Speak Your Way to the Peak

• Success Is An Inside Job: Harness Your HabitForce and Reach Your Peak Personal Potential

Why Is Make A Promise Day So Important?

Make A Promise Day is the only unofficial “holiday” dedicated to personal empowerment, goal-achievement and integrity enhancement. To share the power of making a promise with millions of people, Cossolotto conducts What’s Your Promise interviews, gives presentations and is now writing a book called The Power of Making a Promise with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

In his foreword to Cossolotto’s forthcoming book Canfield writes about a promise he made to God when he was a young man. Here’s a short excerpt from Canfield’s foreword:

“When Matthew first told me about the heartfelt promise he made to his mother and that he was launching a special day called “Make A Promise Day” on May 4th, I was hooked. You could say he had me at “I promise.”… Contributing the foreword to this book and being associated with Matthew’s inspiring “Make-A-Promise” project is totally aligned with my life’s purpose.  I applaud Matthew for collecting and celebrating these uplifting stories about promises made and promises kept.”

John Assaraf, best-selling author of Having It All, wrote this about my “Make A Promise” project: “I agree completely with that there is something uniquely powerful about making a promise that goes beyond traditional goal-setting.”

Here are a few prominent examples of the power of making a promise:

• Nancy Brinker, author of Promise Me and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, promised her sister and breast cancer victim Suzy that she would help find a cure.

• Bill Clinton made a promise to Chelsea that he would watch his diet and take care of his health.

• Oprah Winfrey made a promise to Nelson Mandela that she would build a school for girls in South Africa.

• Kody Bateman, founder of Send Out Cards, made a promise to his older brother that led to the creation of this inspirational company.

• NBC’s Al Roker made a promise to his dying father that he would deal with his weight issues.

The Westchester County Executive (New York) issued a proclamation designating May 4th 2011 and each year thereafter to be “Make A Promise Day.” Here’s a link to a short YouTube video I posted about this Proclamation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fXex1ZjpXs.

Leading up to Make A Promise Day, Cossolotto was featured last week on Gail Lynne Goodwin’s popular Inspire Me Today website. Here’s the link to the feature story:

http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=1126.

Also here’s the link to a short version of the “What’s Your Promise?” interview Cossolotto recorded with Goodwin about the life-changing promise she made to her daughter: http://youtu.be/NfsOpV92sB0

Additional “What’s Your Promise? interviews are available on Cossolotto’s YouTube channel: http://www.YouTube.com/ThePodiumProTV.

Finally, to celebrate “Make A Promise Day” 2011, Cossolotto published a new and improved version of his ebook A Promise A Day – 30 Days to a Promising Future. This is a unique collection of personal empowerment promises. Think of it as a Promise Diary. Now available for a nominal amount on Cossolotto’s main website: http://www.ThePodiumPro.com

About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE. The author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield about the power of making a promise. Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to colleges, associations, and corporations. Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay. “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other exciting gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz.

Matthew Cossolotto – Creator of “Make A Promise Day” and a Former Aide to Congressman Leon Panetta and House Speaker Jim Wright – Praises President Obama for Making and Keeping His Promise to Capture or Kill Osama bin Laden

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY – May 9, 2011 – Author and guest speaker Matthew Cossolotto – creator of Make A Promise Day and former aide to Congressman Leon Panetta and House Speaker Jim Wright – today praised President Obama for making and keeping his promise to get Osama bin Laden.

“Too often we’re disappointed by political leaders who break their campaign promises once they’re in office,” said Cossolotto.  “It’s refreshing to see a politician who makes a firm commitment during the campaign and then keeps his word after winning the election.  That’s just what President Obama did with this daring mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.  And so I say, ‘Job well done, Mr. President.  A promise well kept.’”

When he was a candidate for president, Barack Obama said on several occasions that he would make it a top priority to capture or kill Osama bin Laden.  Although he didn’t actually use the two magic words — “I Promise” – it was clear on those occasions that Obama was making a firm commitment.

• In a foreign policy speech in August 2007, Barack Obama said the following:

“I understand that President Musharraf has his own challenges. But let me make this clear. There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again. It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had a chance to take out an al Qaeda leadership meeting in 2005. If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will.”

• At the August 19, 2007, debate among Democratic candidates for president, candidate Obama said:  “I think that, if we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and we’ve exhausted all other options, we should take him out …”

• Finally, during the second presidential debate (Oct. 7, 2008) with Senator John McCain, candidate Obama made the promise to kill bin Laden explicit:

“What I have said is we’re going encourage democracy in Pakistan, expand our non-military aid to Pakistan so that they have more of a stake in working with us, but insisting that they go after these militants. And if we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take them out, then I think that we have to act, and we will take them out. We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al-Qaida. That has to be our biggest national security priority.”

In his White House speech on May 1, 2011, announcing the success of our commando mission against bin Laden, President Obama explained that “shortly after taking office” he ordered CIA Director Leon Panetta to make the capture or killing of Osama bin Laden “the top priority of our war against al Queda.”

“It’s clear from this brief recounting of the history,” Cossolotto said, “that candidate Obama made a specific promise on several occasions regarding bin Laden and that he took steps shortly after taking office to make good on that promise.  And of course the world now knows that President Obama kept his promise by ordering the courageous and expertly executed commando assault on bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.  This is an uplifting story of a solemn promise made and kept on the part of President Obama.  And by the way, as a former aide to Congressman Leon Panetta I also want to say how proud I am of Leon’s skill and leadership in bringing justice to bin Laden.”

Cossolotto knows about the power of making a promise from personal experience.  He made a promise to his mother on her deathbed that he would finish writing a book he had been discussing with her, get it published, and dedicate it to her memory. The resulting book, complete with Cossolotto’s dedication to his mother, is HabitForce!

Motivated by that firsthand experience, Cossolotto launched the first annual “Make A Promise Day” last May 4th as part of his ongoing mission to share the power of making a promise with millions of people around the world. He’s writing a book about the power of making a promise with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The book includes stories about people who have made and kept important promises in their lives.

Cossolotto says his mission is to share the power of making a promise with millions of people around the world.  He’s make strides toward that long-term mission.

The Westchester County Executive (New York) issued a proclamation designating May 4th 2011 and each year thereafter to be “Make A Promise Day.”  Here’s a link to a short YouTube video Cossolotto posted about this Proclamation.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fXex1ZjpXs.    To read more about the Proclamation, click here (http://wp.me/pSLX3-6W) and read this article on Patch.com (http://pelham.patch.com/articles/may-4-official-unofficial-make-a-promise-day).

Leading up to the second annual “Make A Promise Day” on May 4, 2011, Cossolotto was featured on Gail Lynne Goodwin’s popular Inspire Me Today website.  Here’s the link to the feature story: http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=1126.  Also here’s the link to a short version of the “What’s Your Promise?” interview Cossolotto recorded with Goodwin about the life-changing promise she made to her daughter:  http://youtu.be/NfsOpV92sB0

To celebrate “Make A Promise Day” 2011, Cossolotto published an ebook called A Promise A Day – 30 Days to a Promising Future.  This is a unique collection of personal empowerment promises.  Think of it as a Promise Diary.  Now available for a nominal amount on Cossolotto’s main website:  http://www.ThePodiumPro.com

In praising President Obama for keeping his promise, Cossolotto urges people to extend the spirit of “Make A Promise Day” and harness the power of making a promise on other days with special meaning – birthdays, Memorial Day, Valentine’s Day, wedding anniversaries, graduation day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, even Independence Day.

“On Independence Day,” Cossolotto suggests, “why not make a patriotic promise and commit to doing something positive for your country.  At a minimum, people could promise to vote on Independence Day.  On Memorial Day, why not make a promise to do something tangible to honor the men and women who have died in service to our country.”

To underscore the power of making a promise, Cossolotto cites several high-profile examples:

• Oprah Winfrey made a promise to Nelson Mandela that she would build a school for girls in South Africa.
• Entertainer Danny Thomas made a promise to build a shrine to St. Jude.  That promise led to the establishment of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• Nancy Brinker, author of Promise Me and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, promised her sister and breast cancer victim Suzy that she would help find a cure.
• Before his daughter’s wedding, former president Bill Clinton made a promise to Chelsea that he would watch his diet and take care of his health.
•  Kody Bateman, founder of Send Out Cards, made a promise to his older brother that led to the creation of this inspirational company.
•  NBC’s Al Roker made a promise to his dying father that he would deal with his weight issues.

Cossolotto invites people to submit short summaries of their true promise stories for possible inclusion in forthcoming books, presentations, and interviews. Send a few sentences describing your promise to: Matthew.Promises@Gmail.com.

About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (The Podium Pro) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE. The author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield about the power of making a promise. Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to colleges, associations, and corporations. Visit

http://www.ThePodiumPro.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay.  “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz