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Virginian - Pilot

By ROBERTA T. VOWELL

BY ROBERTA T. VOWELL

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

IN HOLLYWOOD, Jake Steinfeld is known as a relentless fitness pitchman and personal trainer to the stars.

In Hampton Roads, hes remembered as a sitcom actor, taping Big Brother Jake for five years at The Family Channel in Virginia Beach.

Now, Steinfeld introduces a new persona business guru.

Hes put his experiences as a self-taught success into print with a cant-miss title: Ive Seen a Lot of Famous People Naked, and Theyve Got Nothing on You!: Business Secrets from the Ultimate Street- Smart Entrepreneur (AMACON, $19.95).

What I want is to see them smile, at the title and at my stories, Steinfeld said in a recent phone interview from California, to read this and say, If this guy Jake could do it, I could definitely do it.

Steinfeld grew up on Long Island, a husky kid with a stutter who discovered weightlifting in high school. Dreaming of a Mr. Olympic title, he headed to the West Coast to become a famous bodybuilder.

Instead, he helped famous people build their bodies. As a personal trainer, his A-list clients included Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg ET had bigger biceps, Steinfeld said. He hit the screen himself on his Body By Jake workout show and later his own network, FitTV, with Tim Robertson, Pat Robertsons son. Hed gotten to know the Robertsons, of course, while shooting his sitcom here, and Tim Robertson joined his latest venture, Major League Lacrosse.

With friends like this, who needs an MBA?

The American dream is doing what you want, having your own deal, Steinfeld said. The American dream is not to work for Donald Trump but to be Donald Trump.

Steinfeld brings his self-help sermon to Virginia Beach on Thursday, appearing live on The 700 Club, which airs locally at 10 a.m. on WAVY, Channel 10.

Q. So, do you miss us here in Virginia Beach?

A. You kidding me, pal? I love Virginia Beach. My daughter was born there, in Norfolk, Sept. 5, 1992. Shes 13 now.

Q. Its really been that long?

A. How bout that? I came to Virginia Beach in 1989, started the series in 1990, and it ran until 94.

Q. Youre coming to talk about your new book on CBN, but Im wondering, can you even say naked on The 700 Club?

A. (Laughs) Im a good friend of Pats, thats why I can say it. Im an FOP, Friend of Pat.

Q. I guess it helps that its not really about naked celebs.

A. No, Im not talking about seeing stars in the buff. (Laughs) Its all about when I was getting started as a personal trainer, and Id see people, really famous people, coming to me to work out. Theyd be without their makeup, their limos, stripped of all the glitz Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Madonna, Warren Beatty, Bette Midler and what I saw was that they were just people. But they worked hard; they had dreams, and they made their dreams happen.

Q. Why did you decide to write a business book?

A. I was inspired to do the book back in 2001, when I was speaking at a business school, at Stanford University, and I was blown away by the purity of the questions.

These students were not so much wanting to know about success as for me to tell them about my failures. What did you do when someone said No? What was the worst thing that happened to you?

And it hit me that theyre terrified of failing.

Q. Pretty much everything you achieved is a result of your own failure, right? When you realized youd never be a professional bodybuilder?

A. Boy, isnt that the truth? I was 19 when I came out to California to make it as a bodybuilder. Right away, I heard about these things called steroids. And I knew I couldnt make it in bodybuilding then without them, but I was afraid to put the needle in my butt.

So I thought, What am I going to do?

I ended up getting on this first wave of what was called personal training. I became famous by association with famous people.

Q. You really owe those famous naked people.

A. (Laughs). Ive done three fitness books, and a self-help book in 95 for Random House. I wanted to use this title on that book, and Random House said they would not be able to sell it.

I love that title! Everyone loves this title.

Its a great jumping-off point, a way to get attention for my points.

Q. Which are?

A. To succeed, you have to have a great idea. But you also have to be willing to try, to risk failure.

You have to be super-passionate about what you are doing.

And you have to have a can-do attitude. Hey, I know Im taking over here, but lemme tell you about my contest

Q. By all means.

A. Its called Live Your Dream, and the winner gets the money to start their company. A quarter million in seed money.

All they have to do is log on to http://aol.com/bizbyjake. You tell me, in an essay, what your idea is and how youre going to do it.

I dont take any part of your company you dont work for me. No string attached. Ill just say, Roberta, heres your money. Remember me when youre rich and famous.

Q. Umm, Jake, I dont have a great idea Are you seeing an increase in entrepreneurship?

A. Its so unbelievable how many people dont like what they do.

If youre going to get up in the morning, make it a good day. You might as well get up swinging, every day.

Reach Roberta Vowell at (757) 446-2327 or roberta.vowell@pilotonline.com.