Charlie Moore, also known as the Mad Fisherman, is the widely popular host of Charlie Moore: No Offense on the NBC Sports Network and Charlie Moore Outdoors on New England Sports Network. He is also the author of the book, The Mad Fisherman, which chronicles his life from poverty to host of two top rated sports programs. I recently sat down with Charlie at his home in NH and I can say that he's as vibrant, insanely passionate, over the top, sincere, smart, and totally down to earth as they come. He's a no bullshit, tell it like it is, kind of guy who is hysterically candid. But, you know all of this if you've ever watched his shows. Charlie has built a massive career around interviewing wicked cool people, calling them out like no regular interviewer would do, and making people laugh, all while chilling on a boat somewhere around the country, fishing rod in one hand and cigar in the other.
Picture that it's 1995. Charlie is in his mid-twenties. He's married, has two kids at that time. He's living at his in-laws house with no job, no college education, no money, and totally depressed. He remembers one day in which he was walking his kids in a stroller, thinking about life, and feeling hopeless. While on his walk, he comes across a payphone, and calls his mother-in-law, asking her to come get the kids. He feels like he is falling apart and he just needs to be alone to think. His mother-in-law comes and gets the babies, and Charlie plops himself on the ground on the Beverly Salem Bridge, his head against a wall, inventorying his life. Simply, he has nothing except for big dreams. In his heart he knows he's meant to be a household name on television. He knows his destiny, yet he's so far away from it that it's almost impossible to believe.
On that bridge, Charlie makes a list of all the things he has going for him. There's a lot that he doesn't have, so he realizes he needs to build off of the few things he does. What he does have on his inventory list of blessings are two things: his mental attitude and his family. And those two blessings would need to create the spark to set him on a path of accomplishment.
"It's not gonna happen if I think it's not gonna happen." Charlie Moore started reprogramming his mental attitude that day on the bridge. Even though his dream was so far away, he realized that he couldn't let his mind stew in hopelessness. He says that today, when he talks to people who have big dreams and they can't even imagine how they are going to achieve them, he tells them, "Don't worry! Don't worry! I couldn't either." Charlie says that the start of his success began when he realized that when it came to his attitude, he had a choice on whether his was going to be one of winning or defeat. And, when it came to achieving his dreams, there was no choice at all, triumph was the only option. So what words of wisdom does the Mad Fisherman have for other big dreamers? Here are his 6 simple strategies to reeling in massive dreams Mad Fisherman style:
Energy, Momentum, Talent: According to Charlie, success in anything requires the trifecta of energy, momentum, and talent. He says that all three are a must. In order to do this, he says it's first important to figure out what you are really good at, better than anyone else. Once this is done, the next step is to create your own outlet for expressing it. In other words, says Charlie, "Figure out your talent then exploit the shit out of it." He says that when he sees people putting massive amounts of energy into something, without getting results, it's usually because they don't have the talent to back it up. On the other hand, when he sees extremely talented people who are settling for the status quo, he knows it's an issue of energy. They are not willing to put every ounce of their being into figuring out a way to achieve the dream. He says that if you've got the talent and you are willing to put in the work, then it's all about creating momentum, small baby steps at first. When Charlie first got his break, it was after calling on New England Sports Network for over a year, pitching his idea of a fishing segment where he would interview people. After a year went by, they gave him a 3 minute weekly segment on a show called Front Row. He was paid $50 per episode. It was small, but it was creating career momentum. The three minute segment eventually grew into a 30 minute program, and that was just four years from that fateful day when he called his mother-in-law to come get the kids.
Lose The Ego: No matter how big you think you are, it's only temporary. Charlie learned this from one of his favorite interviewees, Chuck Woolery, the famous gameshow host. Chuck said that everyone's career goes from "Get me Chuck Woolery. I need Chuck Woolery!" to "Find me someone like Chuck Woolery. I need someone like Chuck Woolery!" to "Who's Chuck Woolery?" Charlie says that he's thankful for his success but he also realizes that at the end of the day, he's just a guy who goes to work like everyone else. He's a husband, a dad, and a businessman. In truly hysterical Charlie Moore style, he was quick to remind me that it's not always so easy to lose the ego, especially when you are as good looking as he is. Charlie says that he goes to work every day and gives 150% of himself so that he can authentically deliver the best he's capable of. By doing so, ego is not necessary. Just be the best, let go of ego, and create a reputation for delivering more than is expected 100% of the time.
It's Your House: Charlie says that one lesson he always tries to instill in his kids is that each human being is personally responsible for the environment within which he lives. He says that we create our environments at home and at work. Charlie says that if you want an awesome relationship with your spouse, be an awesome spouse. Spend your time making people happy and people will make you happy too. He says that you should work diligently to create a great environment for yourself and when people who don't fit come within it, let them move on. Charlie says that he surrounds himself only with people who he loves to spend time with and people who throw off good energy. He says that if your environment is off in any way, it will not be conducive to building the life you want and attracting the things into your life which are meaningful.
You've Either Got It, Or You Don't: Charlie Moore believes that some people are born with extreme drive. They are born with something that makes them so unbelievably tenacious that when they have a dream, they are absolutely unstoppable. He says that drive is not something that one can learn. He compares it to making an apple pie. He says you can give ten people the same recipe and same ingredients, and you are not going to get ten of the same pie. Some will be slightly better than others. Drive is like that too....everyone has their own unique mix of ambition and determination. They've all got their own type of hustle. Charlie is passionate to say the least. He is so passionate about who he is and the value that he can bring to the table that he has no problem speaking up and asking for what he wants, even when it's the head of a huge TV studio on the other end of the line. Charlie says that you do not achieve dreams by accepting no for an answer. You do not achieve dreams by following the rules. And you certainly do not achieve dreams by believing that you cannot do something because you lack the money, education, and network. He says that any bar that has been set is fake. The sky is the absolute limit.
Find the Greatness in People: Charlie thrives when he's around people. He says he feeds off their energy. He has thousands of friends because he says he always looks for the best in people. He says that sometimes someone will say, "Why are you friends with that person...he's a bad dude?" Charlie's response, "He's always been good to me!" Charlie says that everyone in the world has something great about them, and he enjoys finding out what that is for each person and learning from them. He says that every human throws off an energy and a vibe, which allows for us to use our intuition when judging new friendships. The bottom line, says Charlie, is to judge others only by what you personally see and feel for that person, not on someone else's judgment. And, always find the good.
Own Your Art: Charlie says that one of the greatest lessons he has learned from fifteen years on television, is that ownership and control of your art is more important than money. He says that this is important because whatever your business is (your art), at the beginning stages nobody is going to want to buy it. Then when they notice your talent, people will start knocking on your door. They may want to control and own what you are putting out. Charlie says that when it comes to ownership and control of his own art, he drives a hard bargain. He's walked away from massive paychecks because he won't give up the ownership and control of what he's built, because it is who he is to the core. It would be like selling a piece of his soul. When you own and control the content you are putting out, you can do what you want with it forever. Charlie says this lesson applies in any business. When someone comes to you with a huge check, don't just jump for it, make sure you fully understand what you are losing by taking it.
Charlie Moore was one of the most exciting interviews I've experienced yet. Passion exudes from him. He says it like it is. Here's a guy that sucked in school, had no money, no network, and no prospect for a great future, yet he continues to achieve every dream he sets for himself. Charlie's parting advice for every big dreamer out there was this, "Stop worrying about shit that doesn't even matter in your life. Start going after your dream. The sand is running through the hour glass and you don't want to wake up one day only to realize you are too late." He is Charlie Moore, the Mad Fisherman, and he's the real deal.