Fran Capo is listed as a world record holder with Ripley's and Guinness World Records for being the fastest talker in the world; in fact, Fran has three world records. She is the co-host of the "Live it Up TV Show" a comedian and an adrenaline-high author who had the first ever book signing on top of Mount Kilimanjaro...
Pictures and Videos on Diva Maverick Mavens courtesy of Fran Capo.
How did you get started taking adventures?
Fran Capo
My mother always told me that nothing was impossible....so when I saw something that someone did that I liked I figured I could do that too. I started with simple things like skiing, whale watching and then loved the adrenaline rush and worked up to bigger things from there.
In one of your articles I read that women were as inclined to take adventures as the men in your life, can you explain your theories on this?
Fran Capo
Actually, I do many adventures that the men in my life would not do. I'm always more of the daredevil, not them. For instance, my present boyfriend Steve of 10 years, has run the marathon with me, done combat aircraft, gone to see the polar bears and slept in an ice hotel...but he won't dive with sharks, skydive, or zip line.
What was sleeping in the Ice hotel like?
Fran Capo
It was fantastic...a constant 22 degrees in the ice hotel. It was near Quebec Canada. Everything was ice, the bed, the chairs, the glasses you drank out of....it was funny though they had a wooden door to keep people out. I thought boy all they would need is a match to get in. Most people stay one night. In March when the weather gets warmer they bulldoze the entire hotel into the water and then rebuild it again the following year. Artists from all over the world compete to build a room in the hotel.
And Kilimanjaro? Did you have to train for the mountain?
Fran Capo
I was writing a chapter in my book, Adrenaline Adventures: Dream it, Read it, Do it!. The chapter was about a rock repel that I had done years earlier. I was checking to see if the outfit was still there. I spoke to this guy and in passing he said, "Have you ever climbed a mountain?" I started doing some research and found out that an 83 year- old woman climbed Kilimanjaro so I figured if she could do it, I could do it. Of course, I didn't realize she was in a wheelchair and got airlifted up there..anyway...I decided that if I was going to climb a mountain it would have to be one with a name...I mean who wants to climb Mt. Bob....so my son and I began to train...by bike riding....we rode bikes for 42 miles in a day and then 50 miles and then the following weekend we did 100 miles in one day..figured we were ready. They say that it depends on the altitude sickness if you make it or not. It's above 15,000 feet when it starts to affect you. Some marathon runners in great shape don't make it up...depends on your body. IT was the hardest challenge to date. Winds were 45 mph, and it was -15 degrees.
What did the mountain teach you?
Fran Capo
That with determination once again...nothing is impossible. Also as a motivational speaker I didn't want to just give people a cliche in life as in..."you can make it to the top of any mountaintop." I figured if I was telling people that I better darn well be able to practice what I preach. It was also a great challenge for my son, who was one of the youngest climbers to date at the time he was 15.
What has been your greatest adventure?
Fran Capo
Going down to the wreck site of the Titanic. When I finished my climb to Kilimanjaro the picture of me doing a book-signing up there circulated around the world because I got a record for doing that as the only and first author to do the highest book signing. Anyway, Brian Day O'conner, emailed me out of the blue, and told me he got permission to go down to the wreck site. You go in the Russian Mir submersibles (the same ones from movie the Titanic....) It's only 7 feet inside. You go down 2 1/2 miles...12, 340 feet down. You are down there for 10 hours, no bathroom....you see the bow, the stern, the debris field with cups labeled White Star on the ocean floor...its very surreal. Only 108 people in the world have gone down to the wreck site, more people have been to outer space. We found out recently that we were the last civilian voyage to go down...no more are allowed since Ballard (Who discovered the wreck 94 years ago) is now trying to place a virtual museum there instead. We saw life forms that are not commonly seen, everything there is albino as they have never seen the light of day. I also broke a record there as well (My 3rd world record) as the only author to do a book-signing down by the wreck site of the Titanic....and I became and ordained minister so I could say the first ever non-denominational prayer by the site.
Tell me about your philosophies on fear?
Fran Capo
People always think that I don't experience fear...I do...but this is the choice you have in life. You can either let fear paralyze you, or motivate you. I choose to have the fear and do it anyway. Plus, once you break through a fear of something it always stretches you further to do greater things. More than 90% of things people fear never come to fruition anyway....Plus the people who do things because of fear and the people who don't do things because of fear go through the same thing. Only the people who fear and do it...fear it only once and then they have the feeling of accomplishment. The people who fear and don't do it...re-live the fear many times, and always wonder in their lives if they should have made the choice to do it. Thus never getting that feeling of satisfaction or accomplishment. Once I decide, I am going to do something I put the fear aside and just concentrate on how to accomplish my goal then I visualize it accomplished and that I'm happy doing it.
Were you always a fast talker? Why the world speed talking record?
Fran Capo
Again, that goes to my philosophy of just say yes and figure it out later. I was working as a comic on a radio show in NYC. Kidding around one day I told the disc jockey that I could do a really cool Mae West Impression, but I called the character June East (Mae's long lost sister)...he flings the weather and traffic copy at me and the red tally light goes on...so I do the impression. A women from the Daily news happens to hear me, calls the station and says that she is doing a story on weather and traffic people, and how long have I been doing it. I wasn't going to say 30 seconds, so I said a while. She asks what I plan on doing next, I said...."AH breaking a world Record" She says for what? I say....I have to tell her later...I run out buy a Guinness book, see fast talking, call her back and tell her. She asks how fast a talker am I and I tell her the record is 552 wpm... and that I'm at 550, the last two words are a killer. She prints it in the paper, the next day the Larry King live people call me up and ask me to go on his show and break the record. I call Guinness, they tell me to do something from Shakespeare or the bible...I had the 91st Psalm that my mom had taught me...practiced for 5 hours till the limo came, and that night on the TV show I broke the record doing 585 wpm... I re-broke it at the Guinness Museum in Vegas doing 603.32wpm in 54.2 seconds...or 11 words a second or 7 miles an hour. I'm also listed in the Ripley's Believe it or Not book, and the Record holders republic book. I now do a lot of spokesperson work for corporations that have products that have to do with speediness. I also do corporate impostor work going in and pretending that I am a nervous salesperson etc....I get hired to do that to break up sales meetings. Kids love it at schools too.
With the just jump in mentality how do you fund some of your more expensive adventures?
Fran Capo
I get sponsorship. For example when I climbed Kilimanjaro I got Masterfoods and my publisher at the time, Authorhouse to sponsor me. I then did a book-signing at the top. Because of my stand up comedy, motivational speaking and world records I can guarantee a sponsor that I will mention their name on radio, or in the press (if they are a major sponsor). I also write for www.travelingmom.com (I'm adventure mom) and for Warner Brothers under "Fran's World)...I can always guarantee them press.
What advice could you give to women about sponsorship?
Fran Capo
You have to have a hook. My hook is my world records. You have to let people know what is special about what you are going to do, and what you as a personality bring to the table for them. You have to find your special talent and let it shine. Also one other note...learn to tie in all you do. I do motivational speaking...I have my "Dare to Do it", Creativity in Marketing, The Secrets of Publicity lectures I teach (and have on books and CD's). I also do Success Made Simple seminars with Fitness Celebrity John Basedow. I always find a way to tie in my adventures, comedy, etc to all I do. This way each one becomes another stream of income and you make your life your "passion" and get paid to do it.
Have you raced cars?
Fran Capo
I have driven race cars at the Bertill Roos school. The funny thing was we had a few hours of training, I was the only woman, and also the only one who didn't know how to drive a stick. They had to use 22 pillows so my feet would touch the pedals. I'm 5 feet 2 inches.
What advice can you give to women about creative marketing and publicity?
Fran Capo
Make a list of all you do. Brainstorm which things you can make as a marketing angle. Find a way to use that angle several times...i.e. humor in Parenting, humor in business speaking, humor in everyday life....write articles about it, blog about it, create products around it. Learn to be entertaining and informative...people always remember the funny commercials during the Superbowl. People like to be educated and entertained at the same time. Be the first, the best, the biggest, the smallest, the fastest, the slowest, etc. I have a 3 cd set called, "The Secrets of Publicity" that is a good starting point for anyone who wants to market themselves or their product. It is a simple to understand format, tells you how to develop a press kit, how to get booked on radio and tv shows and how to have the producers ask you back. It's available on my website, www.francapo.com.
What mini adventures would you recommend to the "petite diva"?
Fran Capo
Swimming with dolphins, panning for gold and hot air ballooning.
Tell me about your business, Fran and what makes you different from other speakers?
Fran Capo
My background is as a stand up comic....so my stage presence is different than traditional corporate speakers. I am able to improv on the spot and bring up something that happened that day to bring my point across. I always speak from the heart. People say I am exactly the same person on stage as I am in person. I am not afraid to tell an audience if I'm scared, hurt angry etc. People laugh and relate. I am a stand up comic, 11 time author, keynote motivational speaker, adventurer, spokesperson, radio host, TV host and writer.
Any parting words of advice and what contact info would you like to include?
Fran Capo
For booking information go to my website, www.francapo.com (it's very comprehensive and people will get a kick out of it.)
Parting words: Live everyday as if it's your last and one day you'll be right. Enjoy every moment on this planet. Say I love you to all that matter, and be thankful every morning for all you have. Never do anything in your life that you wouldn't want to appear in the headlines of a newspaper and teach your kids that nothing is impossible. I would also like to tell people that my new book, "Hopeville the city of light" is now available in e-book format on my website. All my books are available in my bookstore on my website...www.francapo.com. That's about it.
Angelia Miller is the founder of Diva Maverick Mavens www.divamaverickmavens.com a new bread of feisty, non-conformist adventure loving adrenaline-high entrepreneur. The tag line is: Empowering Women by Interviewing Empowered Women...Inspiring "You" to Take ACTION! Casting exceptional dynamic talent for fresh content is the mission of Diva Maverick Mavens. The interview is in the original transcript form with minimal editing to preserve the integrity of content.
