Cynthia Kersey’s Unstoppable Giving Challenge

Millionaire Mentors ProgramWhat Will YOUR $1,000,000 Idea Be?

Mentor: Wyland

Twelve world-famous millionaires share their private secrets for generating $1,000,000 ideas...without accepting a single dollar in return...and show you, step by step, how you can create one, too…All while saving over 4,000 children’s lives!

James Cameron

Bob Proctor

Jack Healey

Rev. Michael Beckwith

Mark Victor Hansen

Wyland

Robert Kiyosaki

Bill Harris

Dave Bach

Dr. Ken Blanchard

Stewart Emory

Lynne Twist

www.unstoppablegivingchallenge.com

© 2008 Unstoppable Foundation.

G I V I N G

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THE MILLION DOLLAR IDEA: HOW TO DEVELOP A MILLION DOLLAR IDEA

TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND CHANGE THE WORLD

Cynthia Kersey interviewing Wyland – Mentor #10

Acclaimed Marine Life Artist and Conservation Advocate

MS. KERSEY: Hi. My name is Cynthia Kersey and I'd like to welcome you to another edition of the Million Dollar Idea: How to Develop a Million Dollar Idea to Change Your Life and Change the World.

And I'm really excited to bring you this next session of 12 interviews of world famous millionaires, philanthropists, artists and business leaders who will share their strategies to support you in not only generating an idea of how you can make millions of dollars but also how you can use these ideas to make a difference in the world.

And, of course, the intention behind this entire course is to build a minimum of 40 schools in Africa. So every single person who signs up for this course is contributing to changing the lives of children around the world. So I'm deeply grateful for you for your participation.

As a matter of fact, the momentum is really building. We're already breaking ground of our first school. I've been getting e-mails from people who are saying they want to become school builders and, of course, that just means that they share this with ten of their friends and their name goes on a plaque on a school.

I've got people who are sharing it with 25 friends and when you get 25 people [who raise $1000 each] to sign up that builds an entire school. So I'm so excited.

Go to http://www.unstoppablefoundation.org for updates. And if you haven't shared this with your friends, please do so. We're not only delivering amazing value, but we're doing it because we really want to make a difference. Building a school in Africa literally saves children's lives. So share it with your friends; http://www.unstoppablegivingchallenge.com.

So I am really excited about our millionaire mentor today. This man is truly a phenomenon. And I don't think I've used that word, so far, with any of the people and they're extraordinary.

So Wyland, first off, you know, when somebody just goes by their first name, you know they're pretty amazing. This man is a one-word, one-name person. His name is Wyland, and he is an acclaimed marine life artist; he's a conservation advocate; he's a world renowned artist who's literally created a multi-million dollar brand that's centered around environmentally friendly practices and is committed to creating a healthier planet.

That's one of the things I love about Wyland -- you guys are going to be blown away when you hear what he's done, not only from a business perspective, but he takes that and is really making a big difference in the world and I'm excited for him to share that as well.

He's an accomplished painter, sculptor, photographer, writer. Is there anything you can't do, Wyland?

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, well, sing.

MS. KERSEY: Sing, okay, he can't sing.

MR. WYLAND: But I could write songs. I actually just started Wyland Records. That was fun. We did a nice jazz CD called Rhythms of the Sea and --

MS. KERSEY: Unbelievable.

MR. WYLAND: -- all the great jazz artists in New York sang the songs I wrote. It was pretty cool. Probably the most fun I ever had, you know, with my clothes on. Am I allowed to say that? Why not?

MS. KERSEY: Well, you just did.

MR. WYLAND: See, artists will be free, you got to be careful.

MS. KERSEY: That's a very good point.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah.

MS. KERSEY: You know, and not only have you done all of that, I mean, you know, you can't sing, but, of course, he writes music, so we can't even put that in the category of what you can't do, but he's appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records, he has his own Discovery Channel shows, authored more than 18 books, and he has a non-profit called the Wyland Foundation that is actively involved in clean water education, and you've been recognized by the United Nations for your conversation efforts. So I could spend the entire time talking about your accolades.

MR. WYLAND: You're doing good, Cynthia.

MS. KERSEY: Am I doing good? I feel the love here.

MR. WYLAND: Your facts are correct. You did your homework. Thank you.

MS. KERSEY: You're welcome. Well today, basically, I'm going to ask you to share from your 30 years of experience in not only combining your business and your product, but you've taken this vision and created an extraordinary platform that's generated not only wonderful wealth, but it's allowed you to be a part of the solution of healing our planet.

And so first off, thank you. Welcome, Wyland, to our call today.

MR. WYLAND: Hey, nice to be part of this, you know. It's nice to have an artist invited in. And, you know, most artists are starving and in fact I just wrote a new book with Mark Victor Hansen called "Don't Be A Starving Artist".

MS. KERSEY: Oh, that's so great.

MR. WYLAND: Trying to give tips to the artist on how they can do well in this century. And, you know, it's probably the greatest time in history to be an artist because people are interested in buying art so there's more opportunity than ever --

MS. KERSEY: Really, even in this economy?

MR. WYLAND: Yeah. The economy, so what? You know, you can't watch the news. Turn the T.V. off and go to work.

MS. KERSEY: Exactly.

MR. WYLAND: I just asked my team, I said are we going to participate in this because I'm not. I'm not going to participate in any recession or anything like that. And everybody agreed so we just decided we weren't going to participate and we were just going to work harder and smarter and keep doing good things.

And my company has been green from the beginning, for 30 years. And the idea of the company being successful is important because with the success of the company, Wyland Worldwide, we can support the foundation, the Wyland Foundation goals and give more back. So they go hand-in-hand, really.

MS. KERSEY: They do. Now, before we get into all of that, I want to hear -- because you're right, so many people -- the term "starving artist" everybody knows that. So what enabled you -- give us a little bit about your story, some of your background.

MR. WYLAND: Well, you know, I've been a pure artist since I was 4. I used to paint dinosaurs and Jurassic scenes. And it's really funny because now I'm painting other giants. But those are living giants; the great whales. But I became really interested in the ocean and passionate about it by watching, you know, one of my heroes, Jacques Cousteau, the legendary underwater filmmaker/explorer. You know, he was really a poet and he instilled in me and, you know, our generation, a passion for the ocean and conservation. And his message and words still hold up today. And I don't even think he realized the impact that he had on people like me, but I felt compelled to use my art to bring awareness for, not only protecting whales, but the oceans, and now I have expanded that to water; every drop of water. Realizing that to protect the oceans and the reefs we need to protect the other habitats, the fresh-water habitats.

So what I'm doing is I'm on this journey. And I'm diving the world's oceans and barging down the Mississippi and looking at the Great Lakes and kind of joining with people and getting the most important information out in a very creative way through what's called the Wyland Clean Water Challenge, our art and science program. And we're thinking really big right now. And we have to. And it doesn't cost any more to think big. And the idea is we can't protect one piece of water without thinking about the next. Every drop counts. And as my friend Mark Victor Hansen will say, "Make every drop a clean drop."

And so I love collaboration. I love science. And I work with some of the greatest scientists on the planet, like Dr. Sylvia Earle, and Bob Ballard, who discovered the Titanic and has the JASON Project.

But the Wyland Foundation, I think, fills up a very important place in the conservation world. We're a small but mighty organization that is doing really important work out there and that is sharing the message of conservation with kids.

MS. KERSEY: So as you were drawing dinosaurs when you were 4 and then how -- what was the transition -- you started your galleries and then, of course, I want you to go into how you created all of these amazing affiliations. I mean, you've got over 24 affiliations on your website from licensing, to a Pro-Line boat, a line -- the Wyland Limited Edition boat. You have the first artist theme hotel in Hawaii, the Wyland Waikiki Hotel.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, it's kind of a hip boutique hotel.

MS. KERSEY: Unbelievable.

MR. WYLAND: You know, as I was saying to you earlier, people come in the Wyland Gallery and say how can one person do all this work --

MS. KERSEY: Yeah.

MR. WYLAND: -- or do all these things? I don't have a job, you know, it's kind of a hobby that got out of control. And it always has been like that. I don't want a job, by the way, so keep buying my art, so I tell my collectors.

I've been really fortunate, you know. I was an artist that was in the right place at the right time in history. You know, as the environmental movement grew in the early '70s, you know, I was a young artist and I was hearing that message and I just knew that art was going to play an important role in the 21st Century, you know, to help create a sea change, an environmental renaissance.

MS. KERSEY: So you always had the intention of using your art to make a difference?

MR. WYLAND: Always, yeah.

MS. KERSEY: Wow.

MR. WYLAND: And I saw the impact early.

MS. KERSEY: Yes.

MR. WYLAND: They say, you know, a picture's worth a million words and it's true; an image can change the world. An image can change the way the people see, you know, the environment, the planet and can have a profound impact and then change lives. And now, more importantly, not only am I trying to share my art through the giant Whaling Wall Project, the public murals, the paintings in the galleries and museums, the sculptures, but I'm sharing it forward with kids.

And I've been very fortunate, in 30 years I've personally painted with over a million kids, you know, in all 50 states and around the world.

MS. KERSEY: Wow. Well, I know you were a part of the Olympics with your "Hands Across the Ocean". Tell us a little bit about that. Was that the culmination?

MR. WYLAND: That was a great honor to be selected as the official U.S. Olympic artist.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah, wow.

MR. WYLAND: And what I did is, I kind of said, "Wow, wouldn't it be great if I could do my last Whaling Wall project", 27 years, by the way, after I did the first one in Laguna Beach, "in Beijing for the Green Olympics; the very first Green Olympics"? And I guess that's why I was chosen.

MS. KERSEY: So let me -- that was -- did you do 100 of those Whaling Walls? That was the hundredth?

MR. WYLAND: Yes, that was my hundredth Whaling Wall.

MS. KERSEY: A hundred. Wow.

MR. WYLAND: And I started looking at the calendar and I said, "I have to paint 4 more Whaling Walls in 3 months and they're all international." So I had to really speed it up and fortunately we did that. We went to American Samoa, painted one, wall 96; then we went into Santos, Brazil and did one; we went into England, into Plymouth, England, and the 99th wall was done in North Fort Lauderdale, 1000 foot wall.

MS. KERSEY: Wow.

MR. WYLAND: And then we went into Beijing and painted my last Whaling Wall called "Hands Across the Ocean". And what was great about that is, the idea was to invite all the kids from all 205 Olympic countries to join me in painting all the water regions from around the world; freshwater and saltwater habitats. And it was an amazing project. It was all done on giant canvases; it's nearly a mile long and encompassed all the water regions of the world and all the animals from the Red List which is the endangered species and threatened animals, large and small.

MS. KERSEY: Wow.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, it was art and science on a grand scale and on the biggest stage and we had tremendous participation from kids from countries all over the world.

We actually kicked it off in Norway where I painted with kids from 115 countries with the United Nations for UNEP's International Children Conference where I gave the keynote address. I mean, I've really had a lot of momentum but it took 30 years really to accomplish all these high goals.

MS. KERSEY: Well so -- first off, that is absolutely extraordinary, extraordinary. And, like I said, you know, we could spend a whole hour just tipping the tip of the iceberg of everything that you've done. But what I want to do, is give the people listening a sense of how do they develop this brand? Here you are, you're an artist really with a dream to make a difference.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, well, I tell you what, I truly believe the moment you're born you're a brand. I mean, you're whole, like, you're either supporting what you're doing or you're diminishing it. And if everybody just looked at themselves as a brand that would be awesome. Sorry, everybody's trying to get a hold of us; I guess we're doing good.

But, anyway, I've always kind of felt that -- you know, I didn't even know it was called a brand. I just said, "Hey, I'm going to try to do good things in the world with integrity and give it back and kind of share it forward." And that's been my philosophy. It's really been simple. And, you know, as I go around the world and talk to kids, I say, "You know, first things first. Be a good person. Have integrity and try to volunteer and give something back and it will come back to you a hundred fold." And it certainly has for me. And, you know, my heart is filled every time I do a project and I see kids getting the message and then thinking of ways that they can contribute to conservation of clean water and healthy oceans. And a lot of these kids have gone on to be marine biologists and started their own conservation groups and are developing clean energy technologies. It's just amazing --

MS. KERSEY: It's unbelievable.

MR. WYLAND: -- what you can do when you have passion, especially passion for the earth and the environment.

MS. KERSEY: So tell us -- you know, because what I'm hearing is you definitely have an ability to enroll people in your passion. What do you see as some of the lessons that you've learned on how to engage people in your dream and your projects?

MR. WYLAND: Right. Well, first of all, you got to believe in it, you know. You got to believe in what you're doing. And I truly believe that art is going to be important in this century and that it may very well be the one thing that inspires the creativity of this generation to create clean energy and other things.

Artists have always been, kind of, on the forefront of new ideas. But what's happening is they're gutting art out of the schools in America and it's really shameful. You know, they're putting money everywhere but in the right places. They're taking music and art and in some cases even science. They're gutting our education system when they need to be putting more into it. So one of my passions is going to keep art in the schools and keep the creativity there with this generation. If we lose that, we're going to lose our edge in the world and the world is going to be worse off for it. I guarantee it.

MS. KERSEY: I absolutely hear that. And so the first step, is to recap, is you've got to believe in your dream and clearly you're a strong believer in what you're doing.

MR. WYLAND: Absolutely, and it's balance, Cynthia, it's just absolutely balance. Listen, you can believe in the dream but you got to go out there and make it happen.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah, right.

MR. WYLAND: And so how you do that is you just got to be smart. You got to put your smart cap on and you have to -- once you envision your dream, you have to put it down there and you have to develop a strategy and a plan and then you just have to keep chipping away at it and never give up and always believe that anything that you think is possible can happen.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: And whether you believe it can happen or whether it won't happen, somebody once said, you're right.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah, you get to be right. Either way.

MR. WYLAND: Right. Just, you know, there's ways to ensure that it happens. You know, it has to be somewhat realistic but think big, dream big, and as Disney once said, another hero of mine, "If you can dream it, you can do it." In this world, there is so much opportunity for people that have passion first and foremost and will work hard to achieve their goals.

Also, I love collaboration. I like networking like we're doing now. I love collaborating with people because when two people get together and put ideas together they make more than two ideas. It's the mastermind theory and it's really true. Plus, it's a heck of a lot more fun. So you know, by networking and working together, in my case, for the big picture. I always felt that, you know, if you weren't green you're going to be gone and I'm starting to see it. Today, I've been saying it for 30 years that there's going to be wars about water. You know, water is going to be worth a lot more than oil because, at the end of the day, we can live without oil but -- and even food, you can live 3 weeks with no food but with water, if you don't have fresh water, 3 days.

MS. KERSEY: How many? Three days?

MR. WYLAND: So think about the value of that; water for life. And I've been on the message for a long time, as have a lot of other people in groups, but right now, it's on the forefront of the consciousness of this generation. In fact, the UN has declared this the decade for water; water for life, so that message is resonating around the world. And all we need is the willpower to change little things we're doing in our life to protect the environment and water and habitats. And, you know, there's plenty of resources here and the earth is very strong, but we're damaging it at a rate that it may be irreversible in some respects.

MS. KERSEY: Right. Well, it's interesting that you said the will of my mentor, Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity, he always told me for years that it's not that we don't have the resources, we just need the will and once we have the will, you know.

MR. WYLAND: The will and also the courage.

MS. KERSEY: Right, yes.

MR. WYLAND: You got to have the courage and we have to instill our courage into our leaders and, you know, our congress and our decision-makers. And the way you achieve that is by everybody coming together with one voice.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: So, you know, recently I just formed a group called the Ocean Artists Society and it's over 100 painters, sculptors, photographers and filmmakers like, James Cameron and all the people that are, kind of, ocean lovers.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: And we're artists united for the oceans. And when we decide to speak on an issue, like, let's say shark fining, you know, to stop the killing of sharks for shark fin soup and then when all these voices come together, we literally can impact a half a billion people in one message.

MS. KERSEY: Wow.

MR. WYLAND: So it's really strong when people unite for a cause. And, you know, mine has always been a cause-related brand. I've always had a cause behind it and I believe that's the future. People want to -- they want to support brands they believe in. And that really gives you an edge, particularly in this economy.

MS. KERSEY: Yes, I totally agree and that's been part of this course is not only come up with something that can make a lot of money, but how you can use your dream, your talent, your resources, to really heal the planet?

MR WYLAND: True, true. Well, and absolutely you can and people say, well, what can I do, what can one person do? Well, one person can change the world and certainly be part of the efforts to do good things, to share ideas forward. But it starts with one person. It starts with one, you know, maybe one change in your life, you know, one small thing. But it really is contagious when you get a hold of something that you're passionate about, that contagious, you know, excitement can be shared and be used to inspire not only your friends, but people around the world especially with the technology that we have with computers and the network in a day. We've never had an opportunity like this to do so much with so little.

MS. KERSEY: Absolutely. Would you mind sharing with the listeners your process when you started and you were an artist and then maybe your first big project? And then how you enrolled people and maybe some challenges that people will experience.

MR. WYLAND: Sure. Yeah, well, you know, as far as my Whaling Wall project, I decided early on that, you know, that I was painting whales on canvas and I decided that to paint the great whales I needed great canvases, so I started looking at the sides of buildings. And I felt that by painting whales in public that people would become more aware and sensitive to the plight of whales. And I realized the bigger picture was to protect whales and other marine life, we had to

protect the ocean. So by painting these public murals, I became immediately aware of the impact that they had on the community. They become part of the talk and, you know, you might be driving down the highway and there's so many things going on that our attention span is small. But when you see a beautiful mural even for one moment you may say, "wow, look how beautiful that ocean, that pristine ocean and those animals are." And it just puts it in the consciousness of the public. And that's pretty much where I've positioned my art, in the public consciousness. And with that, leads to the opportunity to inspire people to do things themselves. Like Cousteau inspired me through his films and his words and books, I'm trying to inspire people through my art.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah.

MR. WYLAND: But what I've seen is that little spark can really inspire people's imaginations, particularly, young people. I put virtually 100 percent of my energy into sharing what I know with kids, knowing that they're like sponges. And --

MS. KERSEY: Have you done anything --

MR. WYLAND: -- once they grab that, they'll never let go.

MS. KERSEY: I'm sorry, have you done anything with Free The Children? They're one of our in-country partners in building schools in Africa.

MR. WYLAND: I love that, and I have an art and science program that I developed with Scripps and Sylvia Earle, Dr. Sylvia Earle's the scientist, I'm the artist, and we developed it really, not only for the US schools -- by the way, it's available to every school in America -- but we want to share that with all the countries of the world and we're really kind of a grassroots organization. But we would love to be able to make that part of the curriculum because it's universal --

MS. KERSEY: It is.

MR. WYLAND: -- it regards every country and every water habitat. But I would love to have that as part of the school's programs and be part of that one.

MS. KERSEY: It's a great idea. Well, you know, they're Canadian based too, but they've built, I think, over 500 schools already around the world and they're kids. So I feel the same way that you do, our future really is in our youth.

MR. WYLAND: Well, they're in perfect sync with what we're trying to do with education and inspiration. And really, those are the two elements, I think, that are going to make a difference, you know, in kid's lives. And, like I said, if you catch them in school and you catch them early, they will never let it go.

MS. KERSEY: That's so true.

MR. WYLAND: Unfortunately, our generation didn't do a great job but we have an opportunity now to make up for lost time, I guess.

MS. KERSEY: Right. You know, I'd like to go back to when you were talking about the Whaling Wall projects. So, you're the first artist that proposes this idea but you're going to do a mural on the side of a building?

MR. WYLAND: A hundred murals.

MS. KERSEY: A hundred murals.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, and I felt it would take 30 years to accomplish that. Luckily, I was three years ahead of schedule. I finished my last one, the hundredth wall, in Beijing for the Green Olympics.

MS. KERSEY: That's amazing.

MR. WYLAND: Twenty-seven year project. You know, I'm the type of person, though, if I say I'm going to do something, I do it.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah.

MR. WYLAND: And I knew that it was going to be an enormous challenge but, my God, it was great. And it wasn't only a project of art and murals. It was a project that really every wall had a story of how people came together and gave a gift to that community. And nobody knows this, but all 100 walls were my gift to the world.

MS. KERSEY: Wow.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah.

MS. KERSEY: Wow, that's powerful.

MR.WYLAND: I'm just a volunteer, you know?

MS. KERSEY: Yes, well, I hear you. I'm a volunteer in this too and it's exciting to be part --

MR. WYLAND: Doesn't it feel good, though?

MS. KERSEY: Yes, it does.

MR. WYLAND: I mean, I really feel bad for people that don't volunteer --

MS. KERSEY: Yeah.

MR. WYLAND: -- and have that feeling, that sense of, you know, you're volunteering for things that really [matter], at the end of the day, it's for you.

MS. KERSEY: Oh, absolutely, absolutely.

MR. WYLAND: And people feel it, by the way, they really do.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah, they do. So when you came up with this idea, Wyland, did you get any ridicule or did anybody say you've got to be kidding me?

MR. WYLAND: Oh, yeah, virtually everyone said, yeah, right, he's going to paint 100 walls, sure, in 30 years. So I was so glad that when we dedicated Hands Across the Ocean to all the children from around the world and the Olympians and public officials and celebrities, everybody joined hands, all the art was placed around Chaoyang Park around the beautiful lake reflecting the art that the kids and I painted and the idea that water connects all the people in all the countries of the world. And what a dedication we had in Beijing, China.

MS. KERSEY: I'll bet.

MR. WYLAND: It was awesome. And then, the very next day, I launched my next 25-year project, 100 monumental sculptors of all the great whale species and other aquatic life, life-size and larger than life at Beijing's international sculpture park; very prestigious and, you know, the very next day I kicked off and unveiled the first of my 100. So only 99 more sculptures to go.

MS. KERSEY: Wow. And how many years on that one?

MR. WYLAND: This is going to take, I'm guessing, 25 to 30 years. Thank God, I'm a young artist.

MS. KERSEY: No kidding.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah. And I majored in sculpture, not painting.

MS. KERSEY: Oh, really.

MR. WYLAND: So I'm really excited about this project, too, because again, using art, public art. And when I was in Beijing for the Olympics as the official artist and we went to the events at the Bird's Nest and the Cube, as you walked up to these architectural wonders I thought, wow, my sculpture has to be on that scale, some of them. And just, you know, just the idea that that architecture was so powerful that when you walked up to it, you could feel it, and that's what I want with the 100 --

MS. KERSEY: How do you make that happen? I mean, do you get sponsors?

MR. WYLAND: Vision, vision. You just think big and then I'm going to be using a lot of water elements.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah.

MR. WYLAND: I'm going to pick 100 cities in the world to host one of my sculptures. And it's the largest sculpture project in history and it's global. If you want to see the 100 sculptures, you're going to have to tour the world to see them in all the major cities.

MS. KERSEY: Nice.

MR. WYLAND: So it's pretty exciting. And, you know, another big crazy project that people are probably saying, oh, yeah, right. But, you know what, now they believe me because I've already accomplished the first one.

MS. KERSEY: That's what I was thinking, yeah. This hundred is going to be a whole lot easier, at least to get support and to get people on board.

MR. WYLAND: Oh, no doubt, no doubt. We already have a lot of cities that are excited about getting one. So it's going to be a fun project too. Again, you know, I love sharing the art and when it's on a grand scale like that, it has the ability to change people's consciousness forever.

MS. KERSEY: Absolutely. You know, I interviewed Ken Kragen for my first book and he talked about how he did the Hands Across America campaign.

MR. WYLAND: Um-hum.

MS. KERSEY: And I hate to keep taking you back to the past, because, obviously that's done and you're already doing your next a hundred, but --

MR. WYLAND: Oh, believe me I was inspired by Hands Across America --

MS. KERSEY: Really?

MR. WYLAND: -- for Hands Across the Ocean.

MS. KERSEY: Yes, yes. It's an extraordinary -- and he talks about how he was on the plane and all of the hours and people saying you can't even get the insurance to make this happen and just the obstacles.

MR. WYLAND: Well, the naysayers are everywhere. But let that be the fuel to drive your passion and your dream. Let that be -- when people say you can't do something, let that be your fuel. I mean, I remember an old -- you know, an older neighbor that was a real negative person when I grew up in Michigan and I was leaving the very next day to California to begin my dream to be an artist in California and I'd went to college art school for two years. I was 19, and my mom was making me take out the garbage, still. So I'm taking out the garbage to the curb and this older lady comes up and she says, "I hear you're moving to California." I said, "Yeah, I 'm real excited," and she goes, "Well, you may be a good artist in Detroit, but you'll never make it in

California." And so my mom went -- I'm in, like, National Geographic or Time magazine, she always sends her all the articles.

MS. KERSEY: Oh, yeah, that's so great.

MR. WYLAND: My mom loves that stuff.

MS. KERSEY: And so that just fuels you?

MR. WYLAND: It really fueled me. So never give up. Never believe that you can't accomplish what you want to in this life. Because this is a great -- this is really a great world and life is a journey and life is a challenge. Of course there's going to be challenges but I'll tell you what, the most fun is when you overcome the challenges large and small.

MS. KERSEY: Absolutely. And for all of the things that you've done, with not only your art projects and the 100 walls and then, of course, all of the different -- like, USAopoly, and, you now, the boats and the hotels, what was the process of how you developed your brand? Did you start with the painting and the galleries or how did that evolve?

MR. WYLAND: Well, mine was originality and quality. That's always been the core behind it. But it had to have more than just a beautiful painting. It had to be able to move people.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: So mine have an emotional feeling. And it's a certain kind of look. You know, my art really evolved from the classic marine art into a new art form called marine life art and that's -- the past was man's conflict of the seas, mine is more man's celebration of the life in the ocean and the sea and water. And, I think, it really resonated with people obviously. I have 800,000 collectors in over 100 countries so -- and they're maniacs, too.

MS. KERSEY: Wow, 800,000?

MR. WYLAND: Yeah. And then as far as, you know, doing it in products and life sustaining things, you know, it was, like, natural. And how it happened was, you know, I'm down there painting my first Whaling Wall and somebody's selling Whaling Wall shirts. I go, "I don't have a Whaling Wall shirt." So I decided, well, maybe I should probably do licensing. And then --

MS. KERSEY: Wait, wait, let me see; so they were selling a Whaling Wall shirt based on what you're doing?

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, I'm up there doing the work, painting a wall, and they're capitalizing selling, you know, Wyland's Whaling Wall.

MS. KERSEY: That is so funny.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, and the whale didn't even look like the right species I was painting. So I said, "I'd better get my arms around this."

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: So I learned what intellectual property is and --

MS. KERSEY: Yeah. So you came up with T-shirts.

MR. WYLAND: -- a recent thing that happened was -- it wasn't too recent, about 14 years ago, you know, I let the California Cultural Commission came to one of my shows at Wyland Galleries in San Francisco and said, "Hey, we want to use one of your paintings for a whale tail plate, you know, a license plate, a personal license plate to raise money for the oceans and coasts." I said, "Sure." So anyway, by the way, I let them use it for 14 years, they raised 43.1 million. And, you know, that's fine but I said, "I need you guys to donate some of that money to the Wyland Foundation for our clean water initiatives, you know, because we're doing equally important work."

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: And they basically said, "We don't have to give you anything." And I said, "Well, then I don't have to let you use the image." And they went, "What?" So anyway, they kind of -- I've been kind of head butting with them. So what they said is, "Well, we're going to get another artist to copy your whale tail and then we don't have to pay him any royalties."

MS. KERSEY: Wow.

MR. WYLAND: And I said, "Well, you know, I don't want any royalties. All I want is I want you to give a grant to the Wyland Foundation every now and then." So anyway, artists have to

deal with those issues, too. And it's just sad, because here's the state -- and the artist gives them an image that helps them raise 43.1 million, and by the way, they donated 20,000 to the Wyland Foundation five years ago and they took 43.1 million; and totally ungrateful.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: So I'm kind of sticking up for artists' rights there too. Saying, you know, the artists have a right to survive and support their programs with their art.

MS. KERSEY: Um-hum.

MR. WYLAND: So I'm always, kind of, trying to pave the way and protect artists' rights. Another one was Detroit; I painted a Whaling Wall there and it's right -- positioned in right field at the new Tiger's stadium. Well, every time there's an All-Star game or something -- like, GMC, for instance, put a big banner right over the face of the wall, literally destroying it visually.

MS. KERSEY: Wow.

MR. WYLAND: It's worse than painting over it. And they didn't see a problem with that. And I said, "Look, if we can't protect public art, then every single piece of public art in the U.S. is at risk." So I had to take on General Motors. I beat them. I beat Reebok.

MS. KERSEY: Really?

MR. WYLAND: Yeah. Since 1990, thank God, public art is protected; it can't be defaced or destroyed in any way. Before that, if you painted a mural or sculpture, they could just literally destroy it. So, you know, I kind of have to take on those issues and I don't mind because I'm trying to stick up for the artist, you know.

MS. KERSEY: Well you're so multi-faceted. Not only are you creative, but then you're developing the brand and the licensing. And then as an artist, you have to move to the next part of, really, the legality of it.

MR. WYLAND: Like, yeah, the intellectual property.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah, right.

MR. WYLAND: You know, it's all fun, really. And I know a lot of artists that don't want to deal with the business. Believe me, that's fine, but at least understand it.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah.

MR. WYLAND: And, you know, I've had to learn it from day one from the beginning, you know, how to manage yourself as a professional artist. But what's really great is by doing all those things, you become more successful and it frees you up to do more charitable things, more things that you're interested in doing. I know most of the artists I know, they love to share the art and they just want to be invited to be part of it, you know. I happen to be a little different type of artist. I love people. You know, a lot of artists are, kind of, reclusive. Not me.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: I'm, like, out there. I'm loving that people are enjoying my art and the message. What a good gig, huh?

MS. KERSEY: Um-hum.

MR. WYLAND: My God, it's got to be the greatest job in the world. But I think -- I've always said, that Jimmy Buffet and I have the two best jobs. I mean, his music and my art. And it's a lifestyle; it's not even really a job.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah. Well, you are doing what you really love to do and it just exudes through your veins and through every word that you say. So tell people, if they're thinking -- you know, they've got a dream or they have an art or they have a project, what would you recommend as far as developing it -- I mean, you developed this mega brand?

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, absolutely. Well, sit in a quiet room and just, kind of, develop a strategic plan, a little strategy. And what I say is, develop a vision, you know, your vision, write it down, and where you want to be. You know, where you want to be in 10, 20, 50 years, you know where you want to be next year. But develop your plan and how you're going to get there and then be smart. Read, absorb as much information as you can on whatever subject you're interested in. And then talk to people. People like myself are always willing to share their ideas, like we're doing here, Cynthia.

MS. KERSEY: That's so true. I found in, the last -- over a decade of interviewing unstoppable people, you know, the most extraordinary people are willing to give of their time.

MR. WYLAND: You know why? It comes back and people appreciate it. I remember helping people early, early on and it came full circle back at me where those people would say, hey, you know, I have this or that or they end up being great collectors. I've had many students come in and say, "Hey, I'm in college, I can't afford anything but, when I'm a doctor and making money or a lawyer, I'm going to come back and buy some art." And they certainly do.

MS. KERSEY: And they do.

MR. WYLAND: So think long-term too. Every person you ever meet in your life, okay, savor that and stay in touch. Especially as an artist. Keep those people. I have the very first collectors I ever had that I sold at the art festivals in Laguna and they still collect. I mean, they always say, "Hey, we should have bought more earlier."

MS. KERSEY: Right, right.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, stay --

MS. KERSEY: How have you kept in touch with them over so many years?

MR. WYLAND: Well, I have a very sophisticated mailing list. And I always invite everybody to the shows and, you know, my virtual mailing list is probably 400,000.

MS. KERSEY: Wow.

MR. WYLAND: Where you can, nowadays, you can just do a quick e-mail, you're saving trees.

MS. KERSEY: Isn't that great?

MR. WYLAND: Yeah. And virtually anywhere I go, you know, I always have -- my core supporters always are there for me and supporting what I'm doing and I try to support them and --

MS. KERSEY: Did you have a lot of people come to Beijing?

MR. WYLAND: I did. I had a staggering amount of people come.

MS. KERSEY: Really?

MR. WYLAND: Yeah. And some of my best friends came for the whole event. And then, you know, there was a pre-Olympic event and then I went in for the opening of the Olympics with the President and did virtually the entire Olympics as the official US Olympic artist. They made me feel like an Olympian.

MS. KERSEY: You are.

MR. WYLAND: And they -- it was so successful; they asked me to be the official artist for the Vancouver Winter Olympics and also the Olympics in London.

MS. KERSEY: Nice.

MR. WYLAND: So 2010 and 2012. You know, job security and all that. Fun security.

MS. KERSEY: That's great. So what was the first project that you collaborated with someone else when you were first an artist?

MR. WYLAND: Well, Roy Tabora, he's a great seascape artist from Hawaii. I had this idea that, you know, if he painted the sea above the water and then I showed below the waves, below the rocks, you know, the coral reef and those things.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: So it was called Above and Below: The Best of Two Worlds.

MS. KERSEY: I like that.

MR. WYLAND: And believe me, it was so successful, it sold out in weeks. And the collectors got to collect two artists, two well-known artists, with one purchase.

MS. KERSEY: That's a great idea.

MR. WYLAND: So -- and we both signed it, and it kicked off a whole series of original collaboration pieces. The Best of Both Worlds we call it, with other artists from Wyland Galleries. And, you know, again, that was tremendous. And then I've also invited other artists like, Guy Harvey and Romero Britto to join me at various Whaling Wall projects and paintings. And, you know, they'll paint their specialty and it really adds to what I've created. And sometimes we challenge each other. You know, the artist that's collaborating may do something I go, "Wow, I never thought of that."

MS. KERSEY: Yeah.

MR. WYLAND: And I'm sure they're thinking the same thing.

MS. KERSEY: Awesome. So whether you're an artist or a business person or you have a cause or a project, what you're saying is to collaborate to --

MR. WYLAND: Collaborate. Look at Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield on "Chicken Soup for the Soul". Great collaboration.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: Collaborations are great. You know, sometimes you're working solo but I always found that in collaborating, you know, you elevate even higher and you push each other higher and higher. Plus, it's a lot more fun working with other people.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah. And you can leverage resources and your reach.

MR. WYLAND: Exactly. Do that, guys out there. You know, try to partner -- I call it partners in conservation; partner in anything. But get with people and each contribute good ideas and watch the fireworks.

MS. KERSEY: Right. Well, it's even just, like, this campaign, you know. It really was a collaboration, not only with the teachers that are involved, but just, you know, from the people writing the copy. I mean, it's been a big project. So it's exciting to get other people to support and really take it to another level.

MR. WYLAND: The core method, Cynthia, get involved and get other people involved.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah.

MR. WYLAND: But get involved and get out there and live it. Live it and share it forward has always been my big one. By sharing it forward, you really feel good about it, you know. What good is it to have success and all these great things if you're not sharing it --

MS. KERSEY: I love it. Share it forward.

MR. WYLAND: -- with your family, with your friends, with people you don't even know. Try to do something good and creative every day, if you can.

MS. KERSEY: Beautiful. So any final words? Our time has gone so quickly. What kind of final words do you have for people in this day and age? And it's such a great opportunity. I mean, people are more open to this than ever.

MR. WYLAND: Sure. My final words are just enjoy every moment. And, you know, you're going to have good days and bad days but for all intents and purposes, you know, we're alive. The world is vibrant and beautiful and incredible and people are awesome, given the chance to know them. Dig deep and enjoy every moment on the earth because we're only here for a short period.

But I've really found that by giving back, by sharing things, that it makes life worth living and it enhances everything we do in a way that you really can't put words to. But just take life in and share it out. Just share it out and continue to give back.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: And try to support as many individuals and groups as you can. And, believe me, they will support you because everything is connected. But get out there and make a difference.

MS. KERSEY: Right.

MR. WYLAND: And be part of the solution and not the problem.

MS. KERSEY: Um-hum. And I hope everyone has been encouraged by this to really link their brand, their project, their business, with a cause. I've always done that. I've done a lot --

MR. WYLAND: It's all related.

MS. KERSEY: -- with Habitat for Humanities.

MR. WYLAND: It's the future.

MS. KERSEY: It's just invigorates it.

MR. WYLAND: It's the future, guys. Get on it or miss it.

MS. KERSEY: Yeah.

MR. WYLAND: You know, have a cause related. Even if you've been doing something your whole life, tie it to a cause, okay. Or get with a cause or join forces. But it may be -- very well be one of the most challenging times in history because of the economy and so-called recession, but, you know what, as fast as it went down, it'll go back up and you can be part of it going up faster, so do that.

MS. KERSEY: Exactly. And in aligning with a cause, you know, studies show that consumers -- what is it, 86 percent of Americans said they would prefer -- they would choose a product that was linked to a cause. More so than when it isn't.

MR. WYLAND: No question about it. No question about it that the cause element can reap rewards both spiritually and financially.

MS. KERSEY: Yes, absolutely. Well, I love your words, the share it forward. I haven't heard that; I've heard pay it forward, but I love share it forward, Wyland.

MR. WYLAND: Yeah, I'm the share it forward, guy. Well, Cynthia, you are great for doing this and thanks for asking an artist to be part of it and I'm really proud of all the other people you've been speaking with and together we can inspire this generation to not only change the world, but make it a better place.

MS. KERSEY: Absolutely. So everyone, go to Wyland.com, check out his work, check out his extraordinary foundation. If this calls you, inspires you, join what Wyland's doing.

MR. WYLAND: Join the Wyland Foundation, we'd love to have you. You know, the first member was Lloyd Bridges. Remember him? Sea Hunt?

MS. KERSEY: Yes, of course.

MR. WYLAND: Well, he was the very first member of the Wyland Foundation and he always felt that my art was going to make a difference and have an effect.

MS. KERSEY: That it is and you are extraordinary.

MR. WYLAND: What a wonderful guy. Sea Hunt lives, Lloyd.

MS. KERSEY: Isn't that cool? Well, thank you, Wyland. And first off, thank you so much for your time. I'm inspired by you.

MR. WYLAND: Well, Cynthia Kersey, I'm inspired by you as well and I look forward to seeing you again soon. Let's keep collaborating.

MS. KERSEY: Let's do and to everyone listening, share this with your friends. Go to http://Unstoppablegivingchallenge.com and share it with your friends. You're building a school; you're being a part of really making a difference in the planet.

Wyland, thank you so much. God bless you and we'll talk to everyone soon. Bye-bye.

MR. WYLAND: Aloha. Bye.

MS. KERSEY: Bye-bye.