THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HARRY (Part 2)

Here is the second instalment from my chat with Harry Michaels OAM where I probe a little deeper into the man himself.

You became famous as Giovanni Lenzi, an Italian character in the tv show Number 96.  How did this help you?
Well firstly I’m possibly a better actor today than I was then (laughs).  I was young and the show was created to replicate something like the successful ‘Coronation Street’ show in the UK.  Ours was edgier and covered more adult themes.  It taught me that it pays to be different.  You have to stand out from the competition and that’s an ethos I have embraced in my business life.  

Tell us about the incredible success of Aerobics Oz Style
I’m very proud of this show for a number of reasons.  I started it in 1982 and it ran on various networks continuously until 2005.  We created 4,500 episodes during that time and launched a number of careers in the health and fitness industry for our presenters.  Initially we kicked off in a studio and then I realised that the magnificent city of Sydney provided a greater backdrop than any set we could build, so I took the team outdoors and we started shooting in front of the harbour and other famous landmarks, in beautiful gardens etc.  It gave us a real point of difference and showcased the city I love.  I’d like to think I’ve done more for tourism than most as the show was exported to 45 countries and continues to sell into many of them today.  For a long time, it was the most exported television show Australia has ever produced and I’m so proud that people are still buying and watching episodes.

So being different and standing out is important in business?

Of course! You cant expect to be recognised for being like everyone else.  But being different alone isn’t enough; you have to be good at what you do.  You have to be confident in what you do.  Years ago Donald Trump was very close to bankruptcy and the banks were ready to seize all of his assets.  He told them they could have keys to the casinos, the hotels etc, but that they couldn’t run them as well as he could, and if they wanted to get repaid, they’d be better off lending him more money and letting him trade out of the hole he was in.  They did.  He is a very confident man.

How did your childhood help shape the man you have become?

I had a hard childhood.  Things happened that shouldn’t happen to a child.  My father was killed before my eyes for example, but I don’t like to discuss these things - not because I’m traumatised, but because I don’t want sympathy.  There are no excuses in life.  I have learnt that what we have in life, emotionally as much as materially, we create.  We all suffer pain throughout our lives.  We can choose to grow from it, or we can give in to it and become emotionally paralysed.  That’s not living.  That’s not what we were created to do.  Pressure makes diamonds and hard times should only be viewed as lessons from which, we can learn and grow.

Very wise words indeed Harry.  Many thanks.