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2019 How Words Brought Me Irish

27th, Connections

November By Mike Greenly Democratic and Republican me a kind of honorary Handmade Vodka. might identify as the Irish

First, some background. conventions and Hollywood’s Irishman! John gives wise and inspir- “gift of gab.”
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I shared my tips for giving
Among the Irish celebrities
With my last name, people Academy Awards interactive- successful presentations with ing speeches around the she has interviewed is Dublin-
EXAMINER so. My father’s original name questions and chasing stories the Irish Business tries as part of his work. born Patrick Connolly Bergin,
ly via computer ... answering
usually assume I’m Irish. Not
world, traveling to 150 coun-
perhaps best known for his
suggested by readers in Hong
Organization of New York.
Wherever he goes, he always
was “Greenberg” – but when
makes it clear that he honors
he was applying to medical
Kong, Italy, Nebraska – wher-
My talk went so well, and the
leading role opposite Julia
IRISH schools in the 1940s, some ever. members found it so useful, his Irish roots. Roberts in ‘Sleeping With the
Ultimately, I realized that,
that I was invited to join as an
institutions were not admit-
The IBO of New York has
Enemy’.
although I have no mechani-
That 1991 psychological
been around since 1973.
ting Jews. So he changed the
official IBO NY member.
name to “Greenly” and that’s cal skills and can barely (“You don’t have to be Irish You’ll find them on Twitter thriller set a world record at
what I was born with ... the change a light bulb, WORDS to join,” I was told. “You just as @IrishBusinessNY along the time for the highest
name my parents were proud are my only real gift. Now I have to LIKE the Irish!”) And with its current President, domestic opening for a
to see quoted in TIME maga- use my friends, The Words, I certainly do. @johnleemedia. female-centric film.
zine as “planet Earth’s first in writing speeches and Having sounded out my After attending IBO NY Rosie O’Donnell is also
interactive electronic journal- Powerpoints for corporate first poem at the age of four – breakfasts, lunches and din- among the Irish American
ist.” execs, coaching their effective and, of course, not yet know- ners, I feel like an honorary celebrities she has inter-
After leaving corporate life delivery on-stage and being a ing that I was destined to be a Irishman, myself. My positive viewed. (More about Rosie in
– having been VP of motivational speaker, myself. writer – I became an ardent experiences with the group just a bit.)
Marketing & My clients find it helpful admirer of such Irish notables led me to think about two My other close media
Communications at Avon, that, unlike most freelance as Oscar Wilde, George members of the media I know friend is Jimmy Star, who
back in the early 80s when it writers and coaches, I’ve lived Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker who’ve interacted with and hosts The Jimmy Star Show
was still the world’s #1 beau- life on their side of the desk. I and many more. interviewed Irish Americans. with Ron Russell.
ty company – I used to travel know what it’s like to be What’s more, I have the Journalist, Eileen Shapiro, By 2016, it had become the
around the country inter- responsible for billions of dol- pleasure of working with writes for over 40 publica- biggest Internet TV/radio
viewing people on various lars of sales. clients like John McDonnell, tions around the world. She syndicated show in the world,
topics. Well, my facility with Managing Director may not be Irish herself, but with over 4.5 million listeners
I was the first to cover the words seems to have made International at Tito’s she certainly has what others weekly.
Among the Irish American
celebrities Jimmy has inter-
viewed is Brendan Keeley
(one of Ireland’s most suc-
cessful singer/songwriters
with seven top 10 singles and
three platinum selling
albums.) Also, Pink, the
multi-platinum superstar, and
many more.
Recently I turned the
tables and interviewed the
interviewers, myself. Here’s
what I learned.

Eileen, let’s start with
you. Before we discuss
Rosie, whose career I’ve fol-
lowed from way back, I
know you’ve interviewed
hundreds of celebrities over
the years. How did you
become such a widely pub-
lished journalist?
My literary journey began
at age 18 when I was attend-
ing university and majoring in
nursing on a scholastic schol-
arship. In my attempt to
entertain myself while memo-
rizing biochemistry I began
watching late reruns of the
once popular science-fiction
series, Star Trek.
I became strangely fasci-
nated with Leonard Nimoy
who portrayed Spock. I devel-
oped an immature obsession
Eileen Shapiro and Rosie O’Donnell (Billy Hess) with Nimoy, himself, or Mr.