I have had to toot my own horn my entire adult life.
I’ve never enjoyed writing content for my own promotion.
I’ve judged my approach as either too much egotistical bragging, or too much playing it safe.
Also, I’ve thought myself either too serious or too silly.
I aspire to display my lively sense of humor without minimizing my accomplishments with excessive playfulness.
I think I finally found the balance point.
I just put together a bio/resume for podcast hosts, and I’ve never had more fun tooting my horn.
It’s given me the gift of standing back from my life and seeing just how amazing it has been….so far!
Here’s what I wrote:
Born at an extremely young age in Brooklyn, NY, Scott Kalechstein changed his last name legally to Grace in 2010.
Scott certainly believes in past lives, because he has had at least nine of them so far.
Life #1 – An Outlaw in New York City
From age eighteen to twenty five Scott paid the bills as an unlicensed street peddler, selling laundry bags illegally on the sidewalks of the city to pay the bills. After years of being chased by the police, he decided to chase his dreams of being a full time singer, speaker, and workshop leader instead. Gradually, his popularity increased until 1990, when he sold his last laundry bag and became a law-abiding citizen. Scott moved to California, and fully embarked into his life’s work/play. His juicy tale of how he got off the streets and went From Bags to Riches has touched and inspired many.
Life #2 – An Opening Act
Scott made a name for himself as a performer by opening events led by rock star authors and personal growth celebrities. He shared the stage with such luminaries as Deepak Chopra, Dr. John Gray, Louise Hay, Ram Dass, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Byron Katie, Jack Canfield, Joan Borysenko, Mark Victor Hansen, Les Brown, Dr. Judith Orloff, Alan Cohen, Wally Famous Amos and others, including three presidential candidates, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dennis Kucinich, and Marianne Williamson.
He was sought after because he took the theme of each talk, created music and lyrics on the spot, and sang from the heart to an amazed audience. It took people’s breath away.
#3: Traveling Troubadour
In time Scott broke out as a solo artist, touring North and Central America, Europe and Africa (well, just Egypt, but Africa sounds more exotic), performing both humorous and touching anthems for those on a personal growth journey. From 1987 to 2004, Scott produced four cassettes and nine CD’s of his original songs.
#4 – The Corporate Years
Scott went from casual to business attire when he brought his talents to the corporate world. He was hired to compose songs on the spot about the items on their agenda, lightening up the often boring boardrooms with lively humor. In that life he was known as The Boardroom Bard.
#5 – Stand Up
Scott had always included humor in his work, but secretly harbored the fantasy of doing professional stand up, smuggling personal growth and spirituality across the border to unsuspecting audiences. In 2008 he broke the ice at various Bay Area Comedy Clubs and made enough of a splash that he was soon opening for Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, and a host of big name performers when they passed through Northern California. He called his brand Conscious Comedy. His content contrasted with most comedians who used their chops to make fun of people, circumstances, and themselves. Instead, Scott’s humor contained vastly more up-lifts than put-downs, and always made his audience feel better about themselves and more glad to be alive.#6 – The Spiritual Dr. Seuss
One night after reading his daughter a Dr. Seuss bedtime story, he couldn’t get the good doctor out of his head. He went to the computer and started transcribing the rhymes he was receiving. And thus, The Spiritual Dr. Seuss, Scott’s altered-ego, was born. The combination of entertainment and enlightenment went viral on YouTube. Soon Scott was hired to give keynotes entirely in rhyme, even the Q & A. His only gripe about being Dr. Seuss for adults is when it’s time bedtime he literally cannot stop rhyming.#7 Song Portrait Artist
Throughout his career Scott loved creating custom songs to support and cheer people on. In 2012 he began to channel that talent into songs to give as gifts. People were far more willing to spend money on their loved ones than on themselves. Soon Scott was immersed in writing and recording what he calls Song Portraits for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, and memorial services.#8 – Bestselling Author
Along the way Scott has written four books that fit nicely in both the self-help/spirituality section and the comedy/memoir aisle of a bookstore, if bookstores are still a thing at the time you are reading this. Astoundingly, all his books have spent at least 52 weeks on top of The NY Times Bestseller list.
* Scott’s Secret – When each of his books came out, he cut out The NY Times Bestseller list and placed a copy on top of it for a year.#9 Life Coach-Mentor-Guide
Scott’s first coaching client knocked on his door in 1985. Since then he has always enjoyed working one on one with people, his practice growing solely through word of mouth. Life After Sixty: The Reclining Years
These days Scott hangs his sombrero in Ajijic, Mexico, in a semi-retirement community called Namaste Village, where he practices being semi-retired, semi-serious, and fully committed to transforming the world for the better, one heart and mind at a time.
