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MARTIN
WILSON & DANIEL GREGORY
Two 40-year-olds think they
can give teenagers advice (No... Really!)
Co-authors Daniel Gregory (as seen on Andrew Denton’s
The Gruen Transfer) and Marty Wilson (as seen on
The Comedy Channel’s Jongleur’s Live)
interviewed over eighty extraordinary individuals
from all age groups, different cultures and various
walks of life. Each was asked the question: “If
you could go back in time and give your eighteen
year-old self one piece of advice, what would it
be?” Their answers were then put down along
side a suitably nerdy photo of each person at eighteen.
The result is a book that is touching, funny, heart
wrenching and heart warming.
After seeing a lot of blog entries popping up about
What I Wish I Knew at Eighteen it has became clear
to the authors that young people are taking in the
advice in the book – probably because it isn’t
being offered by a parent, who it is their birthright
to ignore after all.
During their talks Dan and Marty describe their journey
of writing the book and then run through some
of the incredible stories behind some of the interviews
such as Vietnamese refugee Anh Do, Siberian work
camp survivor Zbigniew Szymanski, and Buddhist
nun
Robina Courtin, who has worked with prisoners
on death row. They then go on to tell students how writing What I Wish I Knew at Eighteen has
given them their top 5 tips for living a life without regrets:
- The
importance of seeking mentors when you want to do anything
well
- How
choosing a career that makes you happy will make you more
successful
- Why
it's important to understand there are no mistakes, but
lots of lessons.
- How
to understand that life is change, so embrace uncertainty
- Our
lives are our own making, so create a life you love
Dan
and Marty have also developed a second presentation for schools
entitled From
17 rejection letters
to becoming a published author. Everyone
reckons they've
got a book in them, Dan and Marty reveal the
nuts and bolts behind getting something actually
published.
Daniel
and Marty have spent the past decade working as Writers,
Stand-Up Comics
and Advertising
Creatives
making the study of human behaviour and emotion
their stock and trade. They have spent two
lifetimes travelling
around the world seeking out role models
who would share the secrets of their success (it’s
amazing what people will divulge for the price
of a Caesar
Salad) and the advice they’ve collected
has always helped them stay ahead of the pack.
In
1993, they helped design and build VCD, a
business that within three years was named “Advertising
Agency Of The Year” and “Australia’s
Most Creative Agency”. Marty forged a
reputation for hilarious work with blue chip
clients such as
Coca-Cola and MTV. Daniel, by that time Creative
Director, garnered Australasia’s most
prestigious creative award and editorial interest
from as far
afield as the United States, Asia and Europe.
The boys’ most recent marketing success
is the recent launch of Coke Zero, officially
the most successful
new product launch in Australian history. Dan
has recently taken his ‘Adland’ credentials
to the small screen being the stand out presenter
on Andrew Denton’s The Gruen Transfer.
In
the late nineties, Daniel and Marty decided
it was time to lose the ponytails and seek
new challenges
in the brutal world of stand-up comedy. Both
were instant hits, appearing in the Sydney
and Melbourne
comedy festival’s Comic of the Year
show and Marty won Green Faces - Australia’s
only national comedy competition decided
by audience vote. Since
then, Marty’s “warm story-based
style” and
Daniel’s “let’s not kid
ourselves” attitude,
have split sides (and raised the moisture
content in underpants) across four continents.
They
have also written for magazines and
websites, scripted short-films with the
likes of Mary “Effie” Coustas
and TropFest winner comedian Gary Eck,
as well as developing TV props for author Bradley
Trevor
Grieve
and comedy scripts for the Bafta Award
winning The Sketch Show. (Phew!!!)
The
authors share a passion for teaching
and they have lectured and hosted seminars
on creativity,
comedy, and principles-based work practices.
Today,
ex-students can be found in New York,
Prague, London, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Hong
Kong and Singapore.
Around the world, there is scarcely an
episode of The West Wing that their protegés
have not annoyingly interrupted with a
sales pitch for washing
powder.
All of these experiences have helped
them develop a unique capacity to notice
the
profound and
amusing buried in the even the humblest
life story; and just
as importantly, the skills to tell a
powerful tale with integrity, empathy
and disarming
humour.
" Loved having Marty on our show. He was brilliant
talent and the phones rang all afternoon. The
book gave us so much to talk about and even more to reflect
on. Thanks to both Marty and Daniel for coming
up with such a winner."
Amanda Blair - Afternoon Host, FiveAA, Adelaide.
" Marty Wilson's comic sensibility lends a welcome
light touch to discussions about a book that
discusses some pretty heavy subjects. His passion for the project
is overwhelming and his utter lack of conceit
leaves you with the sense that you've just had a good old-fashioned
chinwag with a mate over a schooner or two."
Michael Rogers - News Reporter, Wentworth
Courier
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