2018 TSoS4K project proposal
1- Success Secrets 4 Kids '12 things every 12 year old must know'- exciting new book/home curriculum that addresses today's issues- learning difficulties, inept socialization, mental ill-health, loneliness, physical health, etc. This book is unique in the market place and has been tested for many years. It is NOT a novel or a weighty tome. It IS a personal curriculum for middle school age children to navigate to higher levels of success that they define themselves.
Genre: self-help for tweens, words: 27,000
2- Grandpa's Success
'Success Clues from the past because New Ideas are found in Old Books'
An Authority Book for schools, parents and sponsors.
Genre: parenting/child development, words: 39,366

New Curriculum and Book- Success Secrets 4 Kids '12 things every 12 year old must know'
The limited time and resources available in the world of education should be aimed at developing and implementing truly evidence-based interventions and approaches.
^^^it’s what we have in Success Secrets!! ^^^
Since 1992 I have given over 1,000 live presentations to hundreds of thousands of school children. The standing ovations and kind reviews demonstrate how well the content is received. Kids literally stand and affirm what they learn during a performance. This book is interactive and entertaining as well.
The book/curriculum will teach and reinforce three life-altering lessons for middle schoolers:
1. I was born with special and unique gifts. I am not an accident!
2. The harder I work, the more successful and happy I will be.
3. I will treat others as I want to be treated.
This curriculum will initially be introduced in memorable live assembly and classroom
presentations that will incorporate dynamic feats of strength, storytelling, and interaction to
challenge the imagination.
Included will be a 45-day challenge delivered in print as well as with audio in a
either an App or Podcast format. It will feature the author Russell Jones reading the series
of daily five-minute stories with affirmations and a fifteen-minute workout, both designed to reinforce a healthy positive mental attitude. Russell can read and talk to the kids similar to how Peter Falk read to this grandson in the Princess Bride.
The limited time and resources available in the world of education should be aimed at developing and implementing truly evidence-based interventions and approaches.
^^^it’s what we have in Success Secrets!! ^^^
Since 1992 I have given over 1,000 live presentations to hundreds of thousands of school children. The standing ovations and kind reviews demonstrate how well the content is received. Kids literally stand and affirm what they learn during a performance. This book is interactive and entertaining as well.
The book/curriculum will teach and reinforce three life-altering lessons for middle schoolers:
1. I was born with special and unique gifts. I am not an accident!
2. The harder I work, the more successful and happy I will be.
3. I will treat others as I want to be treated.
This curriculum will initially be introduced in memorable live assembly and classroom
presentations that will incorporate dynamic feats of strength, storytelling, and interaction to
challenge the imagination.
Included will be a 45-day challenge delivered in print as well as with audio in a
either an App or Podcast format. It will feature the author Russell Jones reading the series
of daily five-minute stories with affirmations and a fifteen-minute workout, both designed to reinforce a healthy positive mental attitude. Russell can read and talk to the kids similar to how Peter Falk read to this grandson in the Princess Bride.

The physical component is vital: kids today are in worse physical condition than 100 years ago! Workouts will be custom-designed for kids with disabilities who cannot perform even the entry-level training. No one will be left out. Five levels can be achieved and an adult will witness mastery of each level before moving up.
Upon completion, students will receive a Certificate of Positive Attitude and People Skills noting their level of achievement. After the challenge, they can use their new people skills to find new confidence and new friendships.
Other components of the program include a journal for kids to write down their affirmations, log workouts, take notes, and record their goals.
A Goal Setting exercise with a “Who I Am” reminder will result in a folded up piece of paper or card that kids will carry everywhere and update periodically.
Upon completion, students will receive a Certificate of Positive Attitude and People Skills noting their level of achievement. After the challenge, they can use their new people skills to find new confidence and new friendships.
Other components of the program include a journal for kids to write down their affirmations, log workouts, take notes, and record their goals.
A Goal Setting exercise with a “Who I Am” reminder will result in a folded up piece of paper or card that kids will carry everywhere and update periodically.

*I will need to be the top expert on something for middle school age kids. After speaking with a long time principal this morning- Bullying is it— if you have a school of 600 & can get 10% with a positive attitude & people skills- those 60 kids can improve the overall school environment & they will be equipped to engage/include/make friends with the 40 kids in that school who are the outliers (from where the bullied & troubled are).
Neutralize Bullies- With all the difficulties facing schools today, the actual climate of the school will change if only 10% of the student body buy into the ideas. Bullying would be minimized without a doubt.
While the initial Certification might be 45 lessons, other phases could be added at a later date. What about a Smart Eating component as well?
#Grandfather2All or #GrandpaWisdom
Helping develop Positive, Optimistic, Motivated Kids with People Skills included- cutting out the middle-folks like Parents & Teachers only because they are generally Too Busy to address the subject properly. But they will always be invited to join in the fun!
Neutralize Bullies- With all the difficulties facing schools today, the actual climate of the school will change if only 10% of the student body buy into the ideas. Bullying would be minimized without a doubt.
While the initial Certification might be 45 lessons, other phases could be added at a later date. What about a Smart Eating component as well?
#Grandfather2All or #GrandpaWisdom
Helping develop Positive, Optimistic, Motivated Kids with People Skills included- cutting out the middle-folks like Parents & Teachers only because they are generally Too Busy to address the subject properly. But they will always be invited to join in the fun!
Our 1st sponsor:
Perillo Tours Empowering Youth around the World Giving Hope & Encouragement to Young People & their Families to Make Great Decisions so they can keep moving their Lives in a Positive Direction! Health, Fitness, Inspiration, Motivation, (real)Self- Esteem, Character Building, Anti- Bullying *some sample testimonials of historic proportions>>> |

*Book 2-
Grandpa's Success
'Success Clues from the past because New Ideas are found in Old Books'...
Here is a preview of the book with an 'about me' as well as Reaction to my original book Top Secrets of Success... 4 Kids which was self-published and sold 4,000 copies.
I grew up in a small immigrant-filled town in the USA. It was across the river from New York City. After elementary school, I commuted to Jersey City, New Jersey for most of my secondary education as well as part of my college.
I did all the unwise things that teenagers did in the 1960's. Even with 2 parents, I insisted on learning things the hard way. Never considering how mature wisdom and learning from the experience of others would make my life easier, less painful and more productive.
My initial college degree was pre-law political science and I also earned a secondary education teaching certification. I was briefly a super star in education and garnered the attention of a few Deans from Columbia University. They wanted me to teach in a progressive school district on Long Island but were concerned about my accent. At the time I spoke like everyone around me. I had never heard myself on tape. Wow! I worked for months on my speech patterns to the point that no one could tell where I was from.
But I had responsibilities at home so moving away was not an option. I also turned down Columbia's offer to enter one of their special Masters of Education programs. Having already worked a full time job while earning my entire undergrad degrees, I was tired so I turned that down as well.
I was a substitute teacher for a few years but did not land a full time position. I went back to school to earn a physical education/ health certification and with a couple of credits to go, the rest of my life got in the way.
A near fatal motorcycle crash left me with 3 surgically repaired limbs. My direction moved away from pursuing a teaching career. For the next 10 years I did a number of different things- owned a bar & restaurant, had an Amway business, drove tractor-trailers, and became a personal trainer.
As my own family began to grow however, I began to see things that were missing in education. Things that traditionally had been learned at home were somehow lost. My so called 'secrets of success' that I thought every kid should at least be made aware of, sadly were nowhere to be found.
One of my biggest struggles when I first got into education in college was speaking to a group of people- even children. So the thought of me pursuing a speaking career to share these secrets with young people seemed ridiculous.
In addition, why would any kid want to even listen to some pushing-40 white haired guy talk about things that changed his life for the better? I didn't sing or dance or do magic tricks or have a trained dog and I was a terrible joke teller. And power point wasn't invented yet...
Then in 1992 as fate would have it, I literally stumbled into a world that would open up many opportunities to connect with kids and parents as well. I have now given over 1,000 speaking presentations.
The world that opened things up for me was that of strength. The irony is that I was never particularly strong. But I was made aware of the sub-culture some refer to as strongmanism. I was fortunate enough to be the 1st student of Dennis Rogers. Dennis is a true legend in the field of strength.
I was taught the progressions that lead to being able to perform amazing feats of strength. It wasn't magic or illusion or trickery. It was real. Doing things that my conscious mind would say is impossible.
As Dennis' student I was placed in a very uncomfortable position. I had to overcome my fears in a real and tangible way. My physical strength had to be developed for sure but to accomplish my goals more was needed. Dennis led me to become stronger intellectually, psychologically, emotionally and even spiritually.
While developing a greater all-encompassing strength, I was refining the message I wanted to impart to kids. It was what I was sowing into my own children.
Renowned sport psychologist and educator Dr. Rob Gilbert helped me craft memorable stories. Most of the time we were able to connect a story with a strength feat and a powerful message. When the audience realizes that I am putting it all on the line, they become very engaged. It's much deeper and more powerful than just entertainment or me telling you how to live.
The book Top Secrets of Success 4 Kids was born of this.
Grandpa's Success
'Success Clues from the past because New Ideas are found in Old Books'...
Here is a preview of the book with an 'about me' as well as Reaction to my original book Top Secrets of Success... 4 Kids which was self-published and sold 4,000 copies.
I grew up in a small immigrant-filled town in the USA. It was across the river from New York City. After elementary school, I commuted to Jersey City, New Jersey for most of my secondary education as well as part of my college.
I did all the unwise things that teenagers did in the 1960's. Even with 2 parents, I insisted on learning things the hard way. Never considering how mature wisdom and learning from the experience of others would make my life easier, less painful and more productive.
My initial college degree was pre-law political science and I also earned a secondary education teaching certification. I was briefly a super star in education and garnered the attention of a few Deans from Columbia University. They wanted me to teach in a progressive school district on Long Island but were concerned about my accent. At the time I spoke like everyone around me. I had never heard myself on tape. Wow! I worked for months on my speech patterns to the point that no one could tell where I was from.
But I had responsibilities at home so moving away was not an option. I also turned down Columbia's offer to enter one of their special Masters of Education programs. Having already worked a full time job while earning my entire undergrad degrees, I was tired so I turned that down as well.
I was a substitute teacher for a few years but did not land a full time position. I went back to school to earn a physical education/ health certification and with a couple of credits to go, the rest of my life got in the way.
A near fatal motorcycle crash left me with 3 surgically repaired limbs. My direction moved away from pursuing a teaching career. For the next 10 years I did a number of different things- owned a bar & restaurant, had an Amway business, drove tractor-trailers, and became a personal trainer.
As my own family began to grow however, I began to see things that were missing in education. Things that traditionally had been learned at home were somehow lost. My so called 'secrets of success' that I thought every kid should at least be made aware of, sadly were nowhere to be found.
One of my biggest struggles when I first got into education in college was speaking to a group of people- even children. So the thought of me pursuing a speaking career to share these secrets with young people seemed ridiculous.
In addition, why would any kid want to even listen to some pushing-40 white haired guy talk about things that changed his life for the better? I didn't sing or dance or do magic tricks or have a trained dog and I was a terrible joke teller. And power point wasn't invented yet...
Then in 1992 as fate would have it, I literally stumbled into a world that would open up many opportunities to connect with kids and parents as well. I have now given over 1,000 speaking presentations.
The world that opened things up for me was that of strength. The irony is that I was never particularly strong. But I was made aware of the sub-culture some refer to as strongmanism. I was fortunate enough to be the 1st student of Dennis Rogers. Dennis is a true legend in the field of strength.
I was taught the progressions that lead to being able to perform amazing feats of strength. It wasn't magic or illusion or trickery. It was real. Doing things that my conscious mind would say is impossible.
As Dennis' student I was placed in a very uncomfortable position. I had to overcome my fears in a real and tangible way. My physical strength had to be developed for sure but to accomplish my goals more was needed. Dennis led me to become stronger intellectually, psychologically, emotionally and even spiritually.
While developing a greater all-encompassing strength, I was refining the message I wanted to impart to kids. It was what I was sowing into my own children.
Renowned sport psychologist and educator Dr. Rob Gilbert helped me craft memorable stories. Most of the time we were able to connect a story with a strength feat and a powerful message. When the audience realizes that I am putting it all on the line, they become very engaged. It's much deeper and more powerful than just entertainment or me telling you how to live.
The book Top Secrets of Success 4 Kids was born of this.
The Journey
Here are 38 Personal stories about me or my family that usually end with a message. One of the few critiques of my book 'Top Secrets of Success 4 Kids' was that there wasn't enough personal stuff. Well here it is. Many have enjoyed these stories over the years. I hope that some or all can be used to achieve the goal of introducing me to sponsors who will see value in the timeless lessons that we all need to learn- hopefully from the experiences of others.
Chapters-
Here are 38 Personal stories about me or my family that usually end with a message. One of the few critiques of my book 'Top Secrets of Success 4 Kids' was that there wasn't enough personal stuff. Well here it is. Many have enjoyed these stories over the years. I hope that some or all can be used to achieve the goal of introducing me to sponsors who will see value in the timeless lessons that we all need to learn- hopefully from the experiences of others.
Chapters-
- 2005 talk to parents- Top Secrets of Success… 4 Parents (encouragement, parenting tips-checklist/outline)
- Tree Story (truth vs opinion)
- My Special Needs Child (encouragement, proactive parenting)
- #WhatBookAreYouReading (attitude, association)
- As a Kid (health, environment, politics)
- Confidence (confidence, pressure, 3rd parties, attitude, success, mentor, preparation, competition, sports)
- Eric Liddell (encouragement, competition, sports, peace)
- Youth Sports R Dangerous (sports, coaches, family time)
- My Son- the Experiment (sports, coaches)
- Stir My Soul! (vision, passion)
- Raising Perfect Kids ROFLOL! (preparation, family, discipline)
- My Great-Grandfather (parenting, humility)
- Gay Student Suicide (diversity, bullying, suicide, values, family)
- ATTITUDE SESSION (attitude, family)
- Cumulative (work, dreams, goals, preparation)
- Russell Peter Jones (tragedy, family, attitude, hope)
- Breaking Bricks (fear, belief, negativity, confidence)
- Physically Strong Kids (health, fitness, preparation, work)
- My Mom (parenting, health)
- RevEat (health)
- Daily Check List- Daily Check List for a Better Life: How I overcome Depression, Anxiety, Sadness, Frustration, Fear, Insecurity and a Bad Attitude. (motivation, health, attitude, peace)
- Be Prepared (preparation, work, peace)
- INTERPRET THIS!!! (attitude, motivation, association)
- Ohhh-besity ((health, eating, fitness, parenting)
- Twas the Friday before Christmas (association, experience, family)
- BombBuilding 101 (eating, sports, preparation)
- Princesses and prostitutes (family, values, parenting)
- Grandpa Henry Lives! (confidence, encouragement)
- Be Encouraged! (encouragement, family)
- Sarah Palin & Cookie Burke (sports, competition, politics)
- Special Announcement (family, sports, coaches)
- 3 Quotes (intelligence, fear, optimism)
- Mother’s Day Surprise (family, preparation)
- My Feminine Side (family, parenting)
- SNIOP-ed?? (sports, associations, coaches, negativity)
- Drug Culture (parents, family, health)
- Award (health, fitness, preparation)
- Great Student (intelligence, association, work, motivation)
Here is a sample of my reading from the book: