Friendly Encounters

This is a regular series featuring my friends who have met celebs.

Global Traveler magazine Publisher Fran Gallagher has had many opportunities to meet celebrities over the years.  I have even been with him at some of those events.  Unfortunately, I was not there for his most recent celebrity encounter.
A couple months ago, Fran attended a benefit dinner for the Richie Ashburn-Harry Kalas Foundation.  There were many former and current Phillies in attendance.  Basically, this is a Phillies fan's dream and Fran certainly has become a Phillies fan.
Oh I rib Fran for jumping on the bandwagon and for his lack of knowledge, but I have to admit, he is learning quickly and he is a loyal supporter.  Fortunately, he is also a loyal supporter of Johngy's Beat (see promo videos on the right).  Fran made sure to get his picture taken with Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz and former pitcher Ricky Bottalico.  Actually, I think Fran squeezed himself into the picture, but I would have done the same.  Global Traveler is the best source for business and travel news, but you won't see a lot of sports or celebrity coverage in it.  That's why Fran sends his celebrity encounters to Johngy's Beat!

Carlos Ruiz, Ricky Bottalico and Fran Gallagher in Philadelphia, PA-May 2011.

In New York With Global Traveler

When this post appears, I will be in New York for the annual wine-tasting event for Global Traveler (GT) magazine.  All of the airlines submit their wine to be judged by a panel of experts.  GT oversees this and presents awards to the winners at a later date.
Since the inception of this blog, I have mentioned GT 44 times. Some people have asked me what GT is and what I have to do with it.
GT is the creation of Fran Gallagher a long-time friend of mine (from my college job days). GT is a magazine aimed at the frequent or business traveler. It is distributed nationwide and internationally. Louie Atsaves (another long-time friend, but this time from my Lerner days) and I handle the distribution. We have worked at GT from the beginning, which really was before the first issue in February 2004.
I also contribute an online piece for GT every Wednesday, as well as having contributed to the actual printed magazine. This lead me to winning the 2009 Globility award (as I have previously discussed).
Many of my interviews are because of GT. Sometimes it is not a matter of real content, but more of getting the GT name out there (and getting me on major league fields). Many of my trips are GT-related.
If you have a few minutes, shoot over to the GT site and see all of the great travel, business and technology GT covers and then check out the GT blogs, especially the one which appears every Wednesday!

The GT staff in New York, NY-January 2010.

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebs.

Fran Gallagher probably thinks he should be the celebrity featured in a "Friendly Encounter".  As Publisher of the world famous Global Traveler magazine, Gallagher has gained a bit of notoriety (especially on GT's website), but even though he is a great friend, I still can't call him a celebrity.  Still, I can feature him here though, because he has met a bunch of celebs over the years.
Today, I am running the story on him meeting actress Joan Collins, who Fran described as "a real piece of work".  It seems Fran made a deal for Collins to light the Plazas Hotel's Christmas tree in exchange for Collins getting an extra night in her suite.  Collins no-showed the tree-lighting and used the limo that was provided for airport transfer to shop around NYC.
I have to give credit to Fran though.  When she checked out, he told the hotel to charge her credit card, which they did.  Fran later heard from an angry Collins via a phone call, but he didn't back down.  Apparently the Dynasty diva had met her match!

Fran Gallagher and Joan Collins in New York, NY-Mid 1990's.

Greetings From New York

Today I am in New York for the annual Global Traveler awards and anniversary event.  Last year, I walked aware with some unexpected hardware in the form of the Globility Award.  This year, I'll be on stage as the Globility Award is presented to this year's recipient.
Global Traveler has come a long way since its debut in February of 2004.  This has been the dream of longtime friend and GT Publisher Fran Gallagher and I have been fortunate enough to be along for the ride from the beginning and it has been quite a ride. 
Hopefully, I'll have a few stories to share when I return.  Unfortunately, they probably won't be as entertaining as me ripping my pants, winning the Globility Award, tripping as I climbed the stage and having actor-award presenter Terrence Howard save me from falling off the stage.

The GT staff at the Andaz in New York, NY-January 2010.

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly feature highlighting friends who have met celebs.

Fran Gallagher has been a great friend for a long time. After briefly working together in 1984, we joined forces again in 2005, as I joined Fran's team for Global Traveler magazine.
I have mocked Fran's passion for golf. Of course, he has mocked my passion for 16 inch softball (and just about everything else, now that I think of it). I don't mock his golf column, GTee, which appears in every issue. GTee is a popular feature (but not as popular as my weekly blog for GT). Fran's love for golf finally was of use to me, when he met pro golfer Rory McIlroy at the Scarsdale Country Club near New York City.
Clearly, Fran jumped at the chance at this 'Friendly Encounter'. Oh sure, Fran has his own magazine where he can run as many pictures of himself that he might want, but we are talking Johngy's Beat here. Fran might play it cool, but we all know that he loves being featured here.

Fran Gallagher and Rory McIlroy in Hartsdale, NY-Spring 2010.

Celeb Rookie Cards #15 Fran Gallagher & Michael Jordan

They aren't perfect, but they are my attempt at the world of virtual cards. They are the Celebrity Rookie Cards.

Today's first selection might be controversial. Is Fran Gallagher really a celebrity? Well, he publishes his own magazine (Global Traveler) and he contributes to part of my income. On those qualifications, I gave him one. Fran jumped on the Phillies bandwagon in time for their World Series run in 2008. I did give him a non-playing position on the card. Manager equals Publisher in my mind.
Next up is Michael Jordan, but not in his White Sox uni (that would be too easy). Michael joined the Hawks craze earlier this year. Fortunately he never laced up for the Hawks, as I am sure the results would be worse than his baseball experience.

Friendly Encounters

This is a series dedicated to my friends meeting celebs.

I have featured my friend and Global Traveler Publisher Fran Gallagher many times here. Today, I am featuring Fran's eldest daughter, Kate. What can I say about Kate? Well, for one, she's not Fran! That's a good thing. For another, she has survived growing up with him. That's not only good, it's sort of surprising. Oh I am just kidding (mostly). Fran is a great guy and longtime friend.
I had met Kate several times over the years, but got to know her a bit better when she joined the GT staff last year. I know Kate has done more important things, but her work with the company newsletter is outstanding. Being in charge of any company newsletter is a less-than-thankless task. Kate handles it smoothly and gets it done successfully.
In January at GT's annual awards event, Kate was busy handling (and juggling) many responsibilities, but she always had time to find humor in something. It was a real pleasure working with her.

Fran Gallagher, Kate Gallagher and Terrence Howard in New York, NY-January 2010.

Johngy Wins Globility Award

I have been writing a blog for Global Traveler magazine for over two years. I shamelessly promote the blog and I usually get a handful of comments (always more than my Publisher Fran Gallagher gets...not that I keep track).
I have told my Rick Monday-David Stein story before, but I will recap it briefly for any new readers.
For my July 4th (2008) piece, I decided to write a piece on Monday saving the US flag during a game in 1976. Coincidentally, I was attending a game in Los Angeles (where Monday was now a broadcaster) in June. I managed to get an interview with Monday in the clubhouse (thanks to advice from Laurie).
The piece, An Act of Patriotism, appeared on GT's site as planned. That night, I was shocked to hear David Stein of Sporting News Radio reading my blog over the air nationwide.
Of course, I had to tell (brag to) Fran. After taking his barbs about the usual content of my pieces, I had to rub it in a bit. He was ecstatic at the exposure and thanked me in a company-wide email.
Fast forward to January 21, 2010. I was in NY at the newly opened Andaz for GT's annual awards event. As Fran was starting to present the many awards (to airlines, hotels, etc), I went to the restroom. Unfortunately, I did not exit unscathed as my suit pants zipper broke. Fortunately, my room was in the hotel, so I went upstairs to attempt to fix the zipper. After a few futile moments, I threw on my jeans, figuring nobody would even notice, as I wasn't the main focus (or even a secondary focus).
As I reentered the event, I heard Fran talking about a blog. Then I heard a recording of Stein reading my piece on Monday. Kim Krol summoned me to the stage area, just as Fran announced that I was the winner of this year's Globility award. (The Globility award is given for the quality of being open to a world of cultures and experiences.)
Then I tripped as I went to the stage and Terrence Howard (actor and awards-presenter) saved me from tumbling off. I have met a lot of celebs, but this was one of the most memorable!
It was a huge surprise and a great experience. I guess I can now say I am an award-winning blogger! I also have to say I owe you, Laurie!

Terrence Howard and me (and my jeans) in New York, NY-January 2010.

Friendly Encounters

This is weekly feature highlighting friends who have met celebs.

Louie and I will be joining the rest of the Global Traveler gang in NY this week for the annual awards luncheon. I can't believe this will be the fifth event already. This year's guest of honor is Terrence Howard.
Today, I am featuring GT's head honcho Fran Gallagher. At a pre-GT business luncheon, Gallagher met Janet Leigh. Leigh is perhaps best known for her role in Psycho and for being the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis.
Gallagher described Leigh as a "total class act", which hopefully means he was on his best behavior. We all know that Gallagher can sometimes be a bit psycho.

Fran Gallagher and Janet Leigh in New York, NY-mid 90's.

World Series Tangents:Fran Gallagher

There he is, my guy, Fran Gallagher...at the World Series! Fran Gallagher at the World Series. Game 4! Just like Fran Gallagher was at Super Bowl XLI when the Indianapolis Colts beat my Chicago Bears.
At least in this case, the Phillies are his hometown team. Oh sure, I can say that he probably can't name more than 5 of the current Phillies (and probably no more than 15 Phillies of years gone by). I could also mock his cheese and crackers tailgating effort. But hey, Fran is a good friend and a fun guy. Besides, we have enough fodder to supply us with a lifetime of bantering.
My only real problem with Fran in this case is that he eschewed a potential "Friendly Encounters" appearance with Phillies legend Greg Luzinski. Luzinski has a barbeque joint at the ballpark and gladly poses with fans. This would have been perfect. Luzinski is the Bull and Fran is full of...umm fun!

Fran and Michelle Gallagher at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA-November 2009.

Bob Uecker Comments on Fran Gallagher

A couple weeks ago, I was at Miller Park to see a game and do some interviews. When I saw the legendary Bob Uecker, I had to get him.
You might recall from a 'Friendly Encounters' a while back that Fran Gallagher (Publisher of Global Traveler magazine) golfed with Uecker a few months ago. I had to take this opportunity to discuss Gallagher with Uecker.
Uecker's answer was a classic. Uecker is one funny guy. Then again, so is Gallagher. I can't imagine being in a golfing foursome with the two of them.
My chat with Mr. Baseball about Mr. Travel can be found here. Be sure to check out all of my 'fascinating' interviews on my YouTube channel.

Bob Uecker and me in Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI-July 2009.

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

Global Traveler's Fran Gallagher is an excellent golfer (or so he says). He even claims he could beat Louie Atsaves, although the two have yet to tee it up together. Gallagher is pretty much a casual sports fan.
When he told me he would be playing golf with former major leaguer Bob Uecker, I was very tempted to set up my friend. I thought about telling Gallagher about Uecker's World Series grand slam. Or Uecker's 25 game hitting streak. Or Uecker's 20 homer season batting behind Hank Aaron.
Of course, any real baseball fan knows that none of those events happened to Uecker. Uecker was a backup catcher for 6 seasons. He finished with 14 career HR's and a crispy .200 batting average.
Oh how easy it would have been to let Gallagher spout off some hilariously wrong stats to Uecker. Mr. Baseball might have even enjoyed the joke. In the end, I settled for telling Gallagher about Uecker's only grand slam and that he and I share a birthday (1/26).
I let Gallagher off the hook on that one. Of course, anyone who knows him knows that buys me nothing for the future. I am still on the receiving end of most of his humor.
I know I should have told Gallagher about the unassisted triple play Uecker made while playing for the Padres in 1970! Darn it!

Bob Uecker and Fran Gallagher in Yardley, PA-Summer 2008.

Looking Back:Johngy in Global Traveler

A little over a year ago, Lisa Matte, Editor of Global Traveler magazine contacted me about writing an article for the May 2008 issue. The fact that the piece was to be about Chicago made it an absolute no-brainer.
Matte knew that I had done some writing before. I had several pieces published in Lerner Newspapers and a few random pieces published in autograph or collecting publications. This piece would certainly be my biggest in terms of size and exposure.
Using the format for the 'Destination One' section in which my Chicago article would appear, I broke down my assignment into 5 parts. The first and most important part would be the interview with Mayor Richard M. Daley.
In other GT pieces, the interview segment would often highlight a Director of Transportation at the airport. In smaller cities, occasionally a Mayor was featured. Clearly, Mayor Daley would be the biggest interview subject and I was determined to land hizzoner!
I immediately contacted an old colleague, Brian Steele, who was Director of Communications for the Chicago Dept. of Transportation. Steele guided me to several other members of Mayor Daley's staff. Each would play a vital role in the article.
One of Steele's leads was Kate Sansone, a spokesperson for Mayor Daley. Sansone was very receptive to my request, but Mayor Daley was very busy, of course. Sansone promised the interview, but time was an issue.
With that on the backburner, I finished the easiest part first. The 'Info To Go' section is a few paragraphs on transportation in and out of Chicago, as well as around the city. Basically, this was a blurb on O'Hare, Midway and the CTA, including website info.
With one part done and another part simmering, I tackled the toughest part, the meat of the article. With Chicago's rich history, I had too many options on my mind.I decided I didn't want to simply regurgitate the history of Chicago for the umpteenth time. I wanted to present today's Chicago, as I have seen it change in recent years. I wanted to concentrate on Chicago's ascension to world class status under the regime of Mayor Daley.
I did a quick 3 paragraph recap of the history of Chicago, just to set the stage. Then I immediately jumped into the improvements made during Mayor Daley's reign.
I discussed the beautification plan. I talked about how city investment had been followed by private development in many areas of the city. I mentioned Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. All of these factors and several more were reasons why Chicago is poised to take its rightful place on the global stage. I also included a quote by Jennifer Martinez, Director of Media Relations to add some color.
A few (about 25) rewrites and this part of the article would be tight and (more importantly) done. I trimmed it and reworked it until I really thought it was solid.
Two parts were now finished. Sansone had kept in contact and kept assuring me that Daley would come through with the interview. I was starting to worry, but threw that energy into the next part, a section called 'Diversions'.
This section is a several paragraph mini-article about things to do in a day in Chicago. I refused to go the typical high-brow (boring) route. I wanted to list stuff real people did and enjoyed. I researched on the web and through friends. I came up with several activities such as a Shoreline Sightseeing Cruise, a ball game at Wrigley Field and a concert at Ravinia. I was happy with this part.
Later I would realize that the 'Diversions' section contained the one error I did not catch. I mentioned the 146 foot Ferris wheel at Navy Pier. I never liked the metric system and it came back to bite me here, as the Ferris wheel is actually 146 metres or about 3 times the size I listed. Oooops.
That made 3 parts down, one in limbo and one to go. The last part I did was the highlighting of 3 restaurants and 3 hotels in Chicago. Again, I did not want to go with the standard easy choices. I wanted to pick places from a Chicagoan's point of view.
For restaurants, I picked Gibson's, Costa's and LaLuce. I have eaten at each and each is outstanding. For hotels, I chose the Amalfi (a trendy hotel just north of the river), the Sheraton (an awesome hotel with a great view of everything) and the Peninsula (a favorite of GT readers, as well).
Like in any great drama, just when I thought it was hopeless, Sansone came through for me and I had my interview with Mayor Daley! I couldn't have been more pleased!
I breathed a sigh of relief and anxiously waited for the article to appear in print. Coincidentally, I received a copy direct from Fran Gallagher (the Publisher), while I was in New York for a GT event. I absolutely loved seeing it in print.
I really appreciated Fran and Lisa for giving me the chance. I give thanks to Brian, Kate, Jennifer and Mayor Daley for their cooperation. I also thank Laurie for honing my skills at Lerner and giving me confidence to be able to do such a piece ("she started it").

Global Traveler, Fran Gallagher and 5 Years

In February, Global Traveler (the monthly magazine for the business traveler) turned 5 years old. However, before there was a Global Traveler magazine, there was Fran Gallagher.
Several years back, when Fran made the decision to launch his own magazine, he would call me and pick my brain about circulation ideas and questions. Eventually he asked if I wanted to handle the national distribution.
I had years of experience in distribution, but this was a much larger project than I had ever handled. I knew I would need help and who better than my coworker and longtime friend Louie Atsaves?!
The next time Fran came to Chicago, we set up a dinner meeting to finalize things and for Fran and Louie to officially meet. Over a long and fun-filled dinner and a few drinks, we outlined everything and hoped for success.

Fast forward 5 years and GT has succeeded and grown beyond our expectations. The once skeleton staff has doubled in size. The multi-coast 5 year anniversary parties speak of GT's success. It's been a great 5 years.

The GT family in Times Square in NY, NY-March 2009.

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

As many of you know, I have known Fran Gallagher for many years, having worked with him over 25 years ago. Before he started Global Traveler magazine and made it the premier magazine for the business traveler, Gallagher worked for another business travel magazine.
While at the other magazine, Gallagher hosted many events. At one of those events, Christie Brinkley was the guest speaker.
Of course, many men would be perfectly happy to meet Brinkley. While I would have nothing against meeting Brinkley, had I been involved in that event, I certainly would have pushed Fran to make certain that Brinkley's then-husband Billy Joel escorted her.
On the other hand, I am glad that Joel did not accompany Brinkley to that event, since I wasn't there. It is bad enough that GT's Chris Ottaunick and Kim Krol have had the chance to cross paths with Joel. If Gallagher had ever met Joel, I would just lose my mind.

Christie Brinkley and Fran Gallagher in New York-mid 90's.

GT in LA

Happy 5th anniversary to Global Traveler magazine. Longtime friend and GT big cheese Fran Gallagher had a vision and he made it a reality.
I have known Fran since we worked together at Cresmer, Woodward, O'Mara and Ormsbee (CWO&O). I worked part-time while attending DePaul and Fran was a young salesman recently relocated from the Philadelphia area. We only worked together for about 6 months, before Fran moved back East, but we have remained friends.
I don't remember when the idea of GT actually came to Fran, but he started to seriously discuss it with me several years ago. Over dinner at the Rosewood in Rosemont (IL), Fran outlined his vision and officially invited me on board. I was pretty inexperienced at national distribution, but Fran trusted me and gave me the opportunity. I brought in Louie Atsaves (another longtime friend and coworker at Lerner Newspapers) and together we tackled GT's national distribution.
It has been an interesting 5 years since the debut issue. There has been a lot of hard work, but a lot more fun. GT has undergone some changes in design and staffing, but all for the better. A few originals remain (fortunately, I am one of them). I have met a lot of great people at GT and even a few celebrities (some appeared on this site already).
The staff of GT has been in Los Angeles for the past few days. We were there for the annual GT Readers' Awards ceremony, along with celebrating our 5th anniversary. Periodically in the near future, I will be dropping in some of the more interesting moments on this trip.

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

Were they separated at birth? No, they are just a lot alike. One is big, goofy and fun-loving. The other is Clifford. Ah but seriously folks...
My longtime friend and the big Cheese at Global Traveler magazine, Fran Gallagher joined Clifford the big Red Dog, in the Yardley (PA) Christmas Parade. Gallagher is never one to miss a good time (or a camera op), although he might want to ease back on the sugar. I think he is scaring Clifford.

Fran Gallagher and Clifford in Yardley, PA-December 2007.

More Losers

Wow, look at this great action shot of the starting off-guard of the Losers, namely me (although it is definitely pre-Johngy). I love this photo because it has so much to offer. My hair. My glasses. My athletic form. My 80's clothing style (hey at least it wasn't a jogging suit).
The ref to my right is Fr. Mike O'Keefe, one of our teachers. He was a real tough guy, who once challenged me to a bathroom brawl for some classroom indiscretion on my part. I don't even remember what I did, but assuming I was wrong, I still think a fight in the bathroom was not a way to build my character.
Also in the shot (although barely visible to my left) is Fr. Gavin Quinn. Ironically, he bore a resemblance to Gavin MacLeod. I attended a basketball game after graduation and ran into Fr. Gavin. Shortly after, he dropped my name to an alum who was looking for some part-time office help. I landed the job at CWO&O, which I kept all throughout my college years. I also met friend and future client Fran Gallagher of Global Traveler magazine at that job (but that's a story for another day).
With that crisp inbounds pass, I am sure we scored quickly (or more likely it was intercepted and slammed home by one of our opponents). I think I managed to score a crispy 2 points per game, but had there been a 3 point shot back then, it would have been 2.5 points per game!

Fr. Mike (the ref) and me in Mt. Carmel gym in Chicago, IL-Spring 1983.

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

My long-time friend and the Big Cheese of Global Traveler magazine, Fran Gallagher invited Donald Trump to the annual GT awards luncheon in 2005. I had the opportunity to photographically capture the meeting of the titans. Trump had a better tie, but Fran had the better hair.

The Donald and The Francis in New York-January 2005.