Episode Premiere: December 11th, 2008
Time: 8 pm / 7 pm Central
Network: FOX

As many of you know, my episode for Secret Millionaire premieres today. After I sold BlueLithium to Yahoo last year, I also signed a 3-year non-compete. So I decided to make a list of all the different things I wanted to do outside of “business.” One was to write my memoir, “The Dream”, and another was to develop reality-based television shows that could inspire people. In November 2007, I signed up with William Morris to explore both of these projects.

 My agent introduced me to a group of producers of who were doing a show at FOX called “Secret Millionaire,” And who asked me if I wanted to be on the show. I was skeptical at first but I liked the premise:  Going undercover and helping people that have no expectations. In February, I was cast as the first Secret Millionaire and began filming the show.  Surprisingly enough, this ended up becoming one of the best experiences of my life.

You sometimes wonder why certain things happen to you – especially at certain points in your life. Perhaps, this was God’s way of reminding me that no matter how successful I become – to never forget where I came from. This type of neighborhood was familiar territory for me because more than twenty years ago, when my parents came to the United States from India, we lived in the projects of East San Jose.

During the week I filmed the show, I spent most of my time at two charities. St. Anthony’s Dining Room (soup kitchen), and Raphael House (a woman’s shelter). At the soup kitchen, I stood in line, ate food with the homeless, and helped out in the kitchen. Through this, I met some incredible personalities. At Raphael House, I was fortunate that I was able to volunteer there. Since, it was a battered woman’s shelter and I was a man. Nevertheless, I met some amazing women who had one main goal in life, which was their desire to be great mothers. I’m very close to my grandmother, mother, and sisters and saw my emotional journey begin to take over. I realized how grateful I am for family and how blessed we all are in this world.

 At the end of my journey, I donated over $100,000 to the charities and to 3 individuals with whom I had developed an emotional connection. I also realized deep down inside, even though I am only 26 – that philanthropy is going to be a big part of my future. This show also goes beyond money. The gifting, while it was monetary – the emotional impact was far greater. It helped renew hope in humanity.

At the end of the day, philanthropy is not measured monetarily but based on the time and commitment someone offers. I hope we all continue to do our part and offer a hand. These are hard times in America. At times like these, it is good to help those who have less than you.

For more information about the two charities I mentioned above you can visit:

St. Anthony’s Dining Room: http://www.stanthonysf.org/
Raphael House: http://www.raphaelhouse.org/

I started my book/speaking/press tour last week and kicked it off in Philadelphia (the official kick-off happens in December). You can see the clips from NBC 10 and my BCA speech by clicking on the hyper links. If you’d like to attend or see any of my events for December – here’s my tentative schedule. My schedule is still being finalized so check back for additions. I’ll be talking about my story, The Dream, Secret Millionaire, other TV projects, and gWallet.

Television/Print

• Current TV Segment
• ABC News Now (Dec 1st)
• Mornings with Mike & Juliet on Fox (Dec 2nd)
• CW 11 New York (Dec 2nd)
• Fox News Edge
• Inside Edition
• Upclose and Personal with TVGuide.com
• Neil Cavuto on Fox (Dec 2nd)
• Fox & Friends Segment (Dec 3rd)
• Associated Press Television
• Extra TV Segment
• Secret Millionaire Premiere on Fox (Dec 3rd)
• Reality Chat with TV Guide Network (Dec 9th)
• Bonnie Hunt Talk Show (Dec 11th)
• Secret Millionaire (My Episode) on Fox (Dec 11th)
• Mens Fitness Magazine (Dec 2008 issue)
• Young Money Magazine Cover (Dec 2008 issue)
• Hindustan Times

Speaking Engagements

• Keynote Speech @ Pace University: The 5th Annual Pace Pitch Contest
Thursday, December 4th, 2008
5:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Schimmel Center, 1 Pace Plaza, NYC

Book Signings

• Schimmel Center/Pace University (1 Pace Plaza, NYC) 5pm (Dec 4th)
• Books Inc (Mountain View, CA) 7:30pm (Dec 16)
• Book Passage (San Francisco, CA) 7:00pm (Dec 18)
• Towne Center Books (Pleasanton Library) 2:00pm (January 18)
• Stacey’s Books (581 Market Street, San Francisco) 12:30pm (January 20)

2008 has been a crazy year for not only America but for the entire world. What’s even crazier is how much this world has changed in just the last six months. Early in 2008 – I think everyone was optimistic that the economic crisis is something we’ll easily be able to cruise by – but now you can’t turn on the TV without hearing another pessimistic outlook on how things really are.

Aside from those media reports, we’re also now seeing how the financial crisis is also taking a moral toll on people. Just in the last six weeks, here are some of the tragedies that have taken place.

•    Man who lost job at Santa Clara startup killed 3
•    Ohio woman, 90, attempts suicide after foreclosure
•    L.A. man kills family, himself over financial woes
•    City whiz Kirk Stephenson in suicide over credit crunch

I think the message that is missing in the media is to let people know that WE WILL prevail from this economic crisis. As a country, we have suffered from far worse (Great Depression), and have overcome it even stronger.

Even in my journey in life – I’ve been at several times at the brink of losing it all. But, anytime I had these moments of weakness I always considered that whatever crisis I was in – was a test from God to make me even a stronger person.

In my book I also mention this:

You will have bad days. There will be setbacks. You will have more than your fair share of failures. But at the end of the day, you pick yourself up and keep going. That’s the Big Secret of Life. You fall down, you get up.

I don’t know how the economic outlook will be in six months – but I am hoping these tragedies do come to an end. My prayers go to the families that have suffered.

We Will Prevail.

Today, I feel honored to be an American more than ever. We’ve witnessed a quantum leap forward in our nation’s history and have proven that the American Dream is still alive.

•    In 2000, Obama couldn’t get a floor pass to be at the DNC and left early.

•    He also lost a Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives that same year.

•    In July 2004, Obama was finally invited to deliver the keynote address at the 2004 DNC in Boston.

•    That year he ran for U.S. Senate. His running mate Jack Ryan withdrew from the race – leaving his new opponent only three months to campaign. Nevertheless, Obama won and became the U.S. Senator of Illinois.

•    On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States.

•    Eight years from losing his primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives, he proved to run the most successful campaign as the President of the United States.

Since his campaign began – Obama was the unlikely candidate to win. But, his strategy and determination prevailed to realize his ultimate dream. I congratulate Obama on his perseverance and strength – giving many across the Country the deep inspiration – that if we fight for something we really want – we will ultimately prevail.

Tomorrow marks a very special election. Probably – the most important election of our life time. I think we can safely say, the last 8 years were a few steps backward for this country. Here – we have a chance to begin moving forward. The two candidates are very smart in their own stance – but one is needed desperately to fix the confidence of this country, that man is Obama.If this Country’s priorities were different than they are now – such as national security – perhaps McCain may be more experienced for the job. But, it’s sad to say, the finest Country in the world is in turmoil. Here’s just a quick flashback of what happened in 2008:

•    Close to 1 million jobs lost in 2008
•    Highest foreclosures in 2008 since the great depression
•    Over $5 trillion in equity wiped off the stock market
•    Lack of foresight made Wall Street into Las Vegas Blvd
•    And of course the costly and never-ending wars

Bottom line is we do need change, but we also need a man that America can respect, a person that has the power to voice change, as well as instill confidence that America so desperately needs right now.

Rain or Shine. Go out and Vote. If you don’t know where to go, click here: http://maps.google.com/vote

The San Francisco Chronicle last Sunday did a profile piece on me, the book, and my upcoming projects. For those of you that didn’t see it you can check it out here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/26/LV8P13K9P3.DTL

This was a different type of interview – since it covered all sorts of levels of my life. Most previous interviews have focused on the headlines and monetary values of what I’ve created but this one I thoroughly enjoyed doing with Carolyne Zinko. We had lots to talk about – since she also had read my book and knew all about my journey thus far.

One of the areas I talk about in the book is about trust. Specifically with new people, friends, relationships, etc. The problem being: the more successful and more visible you become it becomes harder to trust people. It becomes harder to figure out peoples true intentions vs. when you’re just a child and meeting another person for the first time. Nevertheless, one of the readers that read my article had sent an email to Carolyne and she forwarded it to me. I’ve deleted any names associated with it – but I believe it’s a powerful story to share with a great ending.

Good morning, Carolyne:

Thank you for your article on Mr. Chahal in today’s Style section. I am an avid reader of the Chronicle and email writes when I feel like I have a local spin on their stories. I wanted to drop a line commenting on the difficulty in knowing who wants to be friends with you, just for you, when you have so much to sweeten the deal.

Like Mr. Chahal, my family came out to Silicon Valley to explore the vast opportunities that were offered in a blossoming Silicon Valley. My father was hired as an engineer and my mother was an Italian immigrant raising us in a foreign place. As a young adult, I fell in love with a struggling musician who got a record deal during our marriage and subsequently became an international pop star. We “had it all” very suddenly. We dined with other rock stars, shopped with our personal stylists and moved from a modest house to a poshy one, packed our designer bags and went on tour at a first class level. When our marriage predictably suffered from that instant fame and fortune, I moved back home to the Bay Area and was met with a new reality: I was not that girl from the farm-town anymore. I was not on the arm of the famous husband anymore. I had all that money could buy, but I had lost a formerly very strong sense of who I was and where I came from. I felt that I didn’t belong in either world…

Along came a “regular” guy I met at a friend’s birthday party. He knew that all of my friends were trying to fix me up with their well-to-do singles, but my broken heart must have been evident to him that day. He got my phone number and called me a week later.

When he pulled up to my house in San Francisco, he was in a 1980 pick-up truck and had two folding chairs and an empty paint can with four iced beers in the back. I was taken aback, but I smiled when I saw this simplistic approach to a date (no Bentleys, no tuxedos, no famous friends) and climbed in for the ride. He took me to an overpass so we could watch planes fly by and land. At the end of the evening, he shook my hand and said, “I will never be able to compete with the life you had, and I don’t need anything you own, but I can promise to always be an honest companion and love you for who you are.” I was shocked into giving him a second chance and by time we had several dates, I found that he was indeed very successful and had a keen eye for art collecting. He wanted me to like him for the person he was first and not judge whether or not our portfolios matched. As it goes, he was telling the truth way back then. We are still together.

My point to Mr. Chahal is this: There are people out there who will be able to see past your fortune (and soon to be fame) and appreciate that determined kid in a turban. Just give them a chance by keeping it simple at first. Sitting on an overpass waiting for the next plane to land (not your own!) gives ample opportunity for conversation. Actions and words reveal our true selves eventually. There is someone worthy of your friendship and love. Take time finding that gem. The money will just be another blessing to be shared between you.

Best wishes to you, Carolyne, and to all who strive to be who they are meant to be. And great thanks for supporting those who may be able to shock their father with an ample bank account one day if given the chance to shine.

Respectfully,

XXX

I will always remember 2008 now for 3 reasons: “The Dream”, Secret Millionaire, and Oprah. It’s always been a dream of mine to be interviewed by her and I’m glad I was able to share my story with her. What I didn’t expect was all of the positive support I would get after the segment aired. I’ve received thousands of emails over the last few days letting me know how I’ve inspired many to keep on dreaming.

So, first and foremost I’d like thank all of you for writing to me. Your words were priceless and I can’t thank all of you enough for the love and support you have given me. While, I still plan on going through all of the emails and responding to as many as I can – I wanted to share one special one with you from a 7-year old. Reading this – made a huge impact to me. It reminded me of all the reasons why I wrote “The Dream” – and realized it will make the impact I was looking for…

Name : XXXXXXXXXX

Company : Not yet. I’m only 7.

Email : XXXXXXXXXX

Phone Number: XXXXXXXXXX

Message : Hi G,

I saw you on the Oprah Show. Thank you for talking, to Oprah about being teased, in school. I am teased a lot; because, I have dyslexia. I think I am the least popular boy in my class. I’m trying to do what you told Oprah you did. I heard you say that you, “used the noise, for energy.” This is what I do, too.

I know wearing a turban and having dyslexia are not the same; but, we both turn negative noise into something positive. Hearing what you said, in your interview, gives me an extra boost of good energy.

Thanks,

XXXXXX

I heard a lot of things about “The Secret” but never really got the chance to read it or watch the movie that came out in 2006. I have a general stereotype about most self-help books – I don’t think most of them really do what they are made out to do. However, to my surprise – The Secret is completely different since it shares a similar philosophy to what I wrote in “The Dream.”

Our individual laws of attraction in the universe dictate our future. We choose our destiny by the decisions, feelings, and thoughts we make. When you look at your life – we all have moments we might think were miracles – but when we dig deeper we begin to realize – we created that positive energy to win and individually made them happen. When we were unsure about something, we dwelled about things, made negative energy consume us and never executed on what it was that we truly wanted.

Even as I went through the exercise of writing “The Dream” I began to have a flashback of all the great moments in my life – where failure was written all over it – but I chose to pick myself up and keep the eye on the prize. I didn’t let the negative noise around me stop me from pursuing any of them.

Everything starts with a dream – that singular emotion we all resonate is the beginning of our future. And that’s why; we all have that power to shape our own destiny.

Here’s also the first 20 minutes of The Secret Video:

I guess I can now officially say I crossed the quarter century mark! Last Thursday – I officially turned 26! It was kind of a crazy moment – since this was the first time I actually also took two weeks off to celebrate it. The best thing about it was I didn’t have to think about my blackberry. It was liberating – since for the last nine years of my life – I had the addiction of never taking a vacation.

One of the greatest moments for me was before I left for my vacation – my brother threw me a surprise birthday party. It was a great surprise since when I looked around the room – everyone I wanted to be there – was there. Most importantly, my sister flew down with my niece and nephew as well. Hugging, kissing and playing with my niece including having that 2 year old – say I love you over and over – was probably the best moment of all! It’s amazing how sometimes these little guys can lighten up your face by being innocent and pure about how they feel.

I guess there was also one other liberating thing about my birthday. I realized I was actually 26. All my life – because of the role I carried – everyone outside of my family/friends just assumed I was older. And you can say – with the responsibility I had – I kind of forgot how old I was. Might sound weird – but it’s kinda true. It was great to enjoy this year with true family and friends – and remind myself how old I was! And realize, I haven’t really lost my entire youth yet. Well, most of it – not all yet!

It’s amazing how fast the years go by - when your caught up in the race of life. When you finally slow down to take a breath – you get to appreciate what you have accomplished, where you are, and most importantly who is around you.

I might have grown some white hair already – but am truly looking forward to what the next 25 years have to offer.

Thanks again everyone for the bday wishes!!

It’s amazing when we are young – the more fearless we are. The older we get, the more fearful we become. I think it comes down to the idea of failure consuming us. Meet the most fearless 4 year old you will ever meet, Kaitlyn Maher. I saw her on TV today performing on a TV show.

As you watch this – you’ll realize that she’s not only talented but completely fearless of her surroundings. Perhaps, that’s what the beauty of being young is – you really don’t know what failure is – so you don’t spend any time thinking about it and you end up just doing what you love best.

I’ve been risk taker all my life – but I ended up taking my first risk at 16, not 4. So, even for me, this was great to watch someone so adorable, talented, and amazing perform to her best talents.

If at 4 she is this fearless, I am sure she’s going to live up to her dreams. I wish Katilyn Maher the very best.