We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robert Mack a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Robert thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?
One day in LA…
I was making a purchase at the Beverly Center in Beverly Hills. As I was leaving the store, a gentleman stopped me on the street. He complimented me on my outfit, and I thanked him.
But then, we began talking about life and work. He asked me what I did for a living, so I told him about my work on the morning show, my work with E! and OWN, my books, and my psychology practice.
He asked me what inspired me to do the work that I do now, and I told him about the decades I spent suffering from depression, my suicidal ideation, my suicidal experience. Then, I showed him the suicide test marks on my wrist, the ones that I still have to do this
As the conversation ensued, I noticed a young man was standing to my right, and he was highly emotional. He was sobbing uncontrollably. I was concerned for him, asked him if I said anything upsetting to him, and began to apologize…
But he quickly interrupted me. He apologized for crying and explained why he was so emotional. Apparently, he had been severely depressed, contemplating suicide, and was planning to kill himself that night.
As it turns out, this young man, who looked a lot like me at his age, was the older gentleman’s son. That older gentleman, his father, looked even more surprised and concerned than me.
As the young man continued talking, however, he became calmer… and more joyful. Then, he began to thank me profusely for sharing my story.
He said, “I’m not going to do it, I’m not going to do it, Rob! I’m not going to kill myself anymore! If you can turn your life around and find true happiness, I know that I can do it, too!”
To this day, I think about this young man, and I’m awe-struck by his courage, confident vulnerability, and commitment. I don’t know where he is in the world, but I hope he’s ok. And I hope he knows how much he inspired me to do the work I do.
Robert, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am an Ivy League-Educated Positive Psychology Expert, Celebrity Happiness Coach, Published Author, and Television Host & Producer.
My work has been endorsed by Oprah, Vanessa Williams, Lisa Nichols, and many others.
In addition to serving as Celebrity Love Coach for “Famously Single” on the E! Network for two seasons, I have also worked as Consulting Producer and On-Camera Expert for “Mind Your Business” on the OWN Network and Executive Producer and Host of “Good Morning LaLa Land” on Apple TV and Hulu.
I have been featured on television shows like Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Morning Show, and Access Hollywood and in magazines like GQ, Self, Health, Cosmopolitan, Well + Good, and Glamour.
My first book, “Happiness from the Inside Out: The Art and Science of Fulfillment,” is celebrity-endorsed and critically-acclaimed.
My most recent release, “Love from the Inside Out: Lessons and Inspiration for Loving Yourself, Your Life, and Each Other,” is a best-seller.
I coach individuals from all walks of life—including professional athletes, popular entertainers, senior executives, and everyday people alike—and consult with organizations of all kinds, such as Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twilio, Microsoft, SalesForce, Deloitte Consulting, Capital One, and many others.
After pursuing an MBA, I attained a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP)—the science of happiness—from the University of Pennsylvania, an ivy-league institution. The MAPP degree is held by only a few dozen people in the world.
Prior to my current work, I worked as a Big 5 Management Consultant and, then, as a Professional Model and Actor. I worked for clients like Nike, Reebok, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Sandals Resorts, St. Kitts Tourism, and Toys-R-Us, and I played “Paco” on the CW’s short-lived TV series, “South Beach.”
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
If you want to be a happiness coach, it helps to actually be happy! Haha! This point cannot be overemphasized.
It’s easy to talk the talk, but it’s more important—and effective—to walk the walk. This is true not just in my profession, but in every profession.
Emotion is contagious, and nothing moves people to like you, trust you, partner with you, and purchase from you more than (a) happiness and (b) confidence.
This is not something that you fake—this is something you must feel. And you feel it from practicing it everyday.
This is also why I say that, “Happiness [and confidence] isn’t [aren’t] only the greatest success; it [they] also lead[s] to success!”
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
From a very early age, I was taught to work hard. That advice helped me to do well in school, do well in sports, and do well in corporate America.
Asa result of following that advice, I became salutatorian of my high school class; was a standout athlete in baseball, football, basketball, and cross country; obtained a full scholarship to college; became a management consultant at a Big 5 consulting company; became an ivy-league graduate; and more.
However, at some point, I learned that—while it’s helpful to work hard—it’s just as important, if not more important, to work smart.
Ideally, you want to work at the right things, with the right people, in the right way, at the right time. The idea is to achieve more with less. It’s to get better results with less time, energy, and resources.
I call it “lazy intelligence.”
To this day, I work hard, but I try not to make hard work of it.
And that has made all the difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coachrobmack.com
- Instagram: @robmackofficial
- Facebook: @robmackofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robmackofficial
- Twitter: @robmackofficial
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@happinessexpert-robertmack5057