Bob Pranga aka Dr. Christmas

Happy Holidays friends!

Just remember to sparkle; the glitter gets you everywhere! These are the words from my dear friend Bob Pranga, who was my very first coaching client 20 years ago!

Bob hired me because he was feeling lost. He’d been struggling to make it as an actor while working three jobs as a waiter, tour guide, and department-store clerk. Even with three jobs, he was $60,000 in debt.

We talked once a week for a year, focusing on his passions, his priorities, and the mark he hoped to make on the world. In our discussions, Bob kept coming back to one particular interest, and every time he talked about it, his eyes lit up…

While working for Macy’s, the famed department store in Manhattan, Bob had decorated the huge Christmas tree, which is an annual tradition and big attraction for the store. He decorated the tree so beautifully that many people complimented him, including the actress Mia Farrow.

Bob mentioned this several times during our first few discussions. Then one day, he added, “I love decorating for Christmas so much that I’ve even wondered if I could make a living at it.”

My Bigger Game alert immediately went off. “Why don’t you do that?” I asked. I explained to Bob that starting his own Christmas decorating business matched up well with his desire for the freedom to set his own hours and workload. “You love Christmas, and you love being independent; why not organize your life around those two loves?”

Within a year, Bob had established a brand as Dr. Christmas, Tree Stylist to the Stars. He found a great ally by attracting a good friend, Debi Staron. Their skillful decorating and engaging personalities have attracted a clientele that includes Ryan Seacrest, Paris Hilton, the Jonas Brothers, Kate Hudson, Whoopi Goldberg, Heidi Klum, and Leeza Gibbons to name a few.

His business has grown to also providing holiday decorations for movies and television shows such as Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, Chuck, Veronica’s Closet, as well as the Home Shopping Network. Dr. Christmas also decorates for a corporate clientele that includes Wal- greens, Walmart, Tiffany & Co., The Beverly Hilton, Macy’s Herald Square, I. Magnin, The Walt Disney Studios, MGM, Warner Bros., and Paramount Pictures.

The moral of this blog post?! Anything is possible! Way back during my first coaching session with Bob neither of us envisioned his future success.

This story is a favorite of mine, and certainly fun to share this time of year. My hope and desire for you is that you realize your own passions and create a wildly fun and exciting life from that!

Sending you holiday blessings and love and joy for 2014…

Namaste-
Rick