Julie Sando’s grand plans to become a graphic designer took an unexpected detour more than a decade ago, when she began working with Trent, a 4-year-old boy with autism. A part-time job turned into a life-long passion. After Julie spent the next two years training in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a family she knew sought another path in a course of treatment called The Son-Rise Program®, offered by the Autism Treatment Center of America. Julie kept an open mind, and the profound results she saw there made her a believer. Within a few years she completed their training as a Child Facilitator and Teacher. Today, through her own company, she empowers parents to reach their autistic children in ways that once seemed unimaginable.
Julie and Trent (now a teenager) today
I have read The Go-Giver book three times. One of those times I read one law a night along with my two best friends. Each day we put that law into practice.
I had recently started my own company, Autistically Inclined. Through my company, I get to work with families who have children with autism.
When it came time to practice The Law of Compensation, I decided to write a note on Facebook to all the families I have connected with through my company, sharing some free advice for common challenges that come up. This was my way of reaching as many people as possible at once.
In my post, I wrote about how many kids on the autism spectrum can be overly controlling, and how we can help them become more flexible by being the most predictable people we can be around them, thereby giving them a sense of more control.
At the end of my post, I wrote:
“I would love to hear stories of how this impacted you, your child, and your team. Tell us one example of what you tried and how your child responded. And feel free to post any questions if anything feels unclear. You have a whole team of people here to support you!”
I was amazed to see the response: within the first six hours, people posted 25 comments. That’s pretty good for having had my business up and running for only 5 months!
It sparked a lot of interest in the book as well. These families run their own businesses as they have a team of therapists working with their kids day in and day out.
Reading The Go-Giver and putting it into practice has changed my path in a huge and exciting way, and I share it with as many people as I can!
Julie Sando, Founder, Autistically Inclined
Julie with Griffin
Julie with Eric and David
Alex Hines
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010My name is Alex Hines. I am 12 years old, in the 7th Grade and I disobeyed my mother, so she decided to require me to read your novels and write a summary on what I read. I would like to share my thoughts with you. Since I really enjoyed your first book, will you please send me a autographed copy?
After receiving this note, we did indeed send Alex an autographed copy of The Go-Giver—and we were blown away by his book report. In more than two years since the book’s release, Alex is the very first person to write to us with insight on why we chose the name Pindar for the mentor in the story, and what its implications are. Remarkable insights. Keep your eye on this young man: he’s going places. Here is the report:
The Go-Giver
By Alex Hines
This is a story of a man, Joe, who learns the 5 Laws.
My understanding of this book is that Joe is learning all these laws and putting them into everyday life. Once he learns all of them and does that, he receives great things, in his case a major part in a business.
He learned through Pindar, but I don’t think Pindar is the person who is teaching them, I think that it is many people who pass on the 5 Law philosophy once they have learned it from their own Pindar.
For example, in the end of the book, Joe took Claire, a seeker of his secret, to Ernesto Iafrate’s Café so she as well could learn. So in my mind, Joe just became another Pindar, and after Claire learns, she will become one as well.
Pindar is also a very symbolic name for the teachers. Pindar is a Greek poet and philosopher who taught many life lessons through his stories. Pindar is described as someone with a great storyteller’s voice in the book. I think Mann and Burg purposefully picked that name for the group of people.
Another thing that led me to have this view on the book: on the Internet, Pindar’s age was never revealed and nobody knew his last name. Do you want to know why? Because the author purposefully wanted you to see that it was a passed down philosophy for success that everyone can learn and teach.
Now I can go by Pindar’s laws and become a Pindar myself.
Wheeler High
Monday, January 25th, 2010From Don Gandy, the principal at Wheeler High School, in Valparaiso, Indiana.
I began reading The Go-Giver in early January [2009] in hopes of finding a book to give to all of our seniors in the school community (145 seniors in this class). This book truly inspired me to realize, in parable format, the importance of the “Golden Rule.” It was one of those WOW moments that hit me to truly see what is important in life.
My athletic director, Randy Stelter, and I are going to do a team-taught reading of The Go-Giver to all our seniors. We believe that this book will equip our seniors to deeply understand the principles of giving, and we want them to realize the importance of community. We are a public high school of approximately 600 students in grades 9–12. Every year the next senior class will read this book. It is our gift to them as they leave our school.
[... and from Randy Stelter, Wheeler High athletic director, some days later:]
We had our first discussion on The Go-Giver on Friday with the senior class. I was extremely pleased with their responses.
One of the seniors, Indy Roper, actually came up to Don at our basketball game on Friday and said, “I was a go-giver today!” She went on to share how she helped a lady whose car had died. She had to get her jumper cables and was able to help someone that was in need. Yes, this is only one student, but again, this can have a domino effect if enough of the Indys out there speak what they have learned.
Photo: Indy Roper with Don Gandy and Randy Stelter
Photo: Mike DeSimone (front) with Don Gandy and Randy Stelter
[... and a later note from Randy:]
Just finished our second senior class discussion of The Go-Giver. Must share that Mike DeSimone, our All-Conference Quarterback, has already finished the book — he was the first one finished. He answered questions like a scholar today, and I couldn’t have been more proud. Mike shared with me that it’s the best book he’s ever read and that “everyone should read it.”
I began with a five-question quiz and told the students that those who had all five correct would have a special gift next week.
I then shared the fifteen-minute movie clip from your blog, and the kids really enjoyed it. Many came up afterwards to express the support of today’s lesson. I challenged them to validate their experiences of “living and giving” the first law this weekend, and we would share those experiences next week.
Photo: A group of Wheeler High seniors
I really believe in what we are doing at Wheeler. I have already asked Don if we could start this project again at the beginning of next year so we could follow the progress of the “giver” mentality throughout the year. We want our seniors giving back to our younger students, and this is the perfect opportunity for them to catch the spirit.