Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Exclusive Interview with Uri Man

Uri Man, who formerly starred in Millionaire Matchmaker and who currently contributes to Fox News / CNBC, is the radio talk show host  of  The Uri Man Review. Uri Man  (@Uriman) combines nationwide news on finance, government, and bjybusiness with his own views to create an intense analysis of how citizens have the possibility of becoming misinformed by the media and government agencies. As a Global Market Strategist, Uri Man's passion for real estate, business management, and finance has grown in him to such extent that today many of those who follow these topics, anxiously anticipate to hear what Uri Man has to say every time he is on the air. In this interview he reveals what you might not expect to hear!


1. As a contributor for CNBC and Fox News by expressing your views on nationwide issues, I'm very curious to ask you the following: Despite your extensive knowledge and vast experience, what is your perspective of other contributors that have a different opinion other than yours on any given situation or topic of interest?
Uri Man: Firstly, thank you for the exaggerated comment regarding my level of knowledge and experience!  I certainly don't have all the answers regarding the incredible problems our country currently faces.  I'm a voracious reader and I try to stay on top of the key issues because I care about the future of our great country.  I don't have an issue with other contributors having differing opinions from mine. When you see me get heated in a TV interview, its most often because some clueless politician has just been given airtime.  Too often its not that politicians have a differing opinions to mine, its that they just don't have any opinion at all.  Most of our leaders in Washington do not have a clue of what the issues are.  And I'm sure you'll agree, if they don't know what the issues are, you know they do not have a real plan to fix them.  There is not a single leader in Washington today that has a real, credible plan to turn our economy around to ensure our country returns to prosperity.  But you can't blame just the leaders, much of the problem also lies with our media.  Over the past few years, especially during the current administration, our media has turned into a pink poodle, instead of being the fierce watchdog we once depended on.  Many of the contributors and journalists which once served our country's interests, seem to find it politically incorrect to criticize or place blame on our current government.  Ask them what the current government is doing wrong and their answer is almost always "Well the current government was handed a bad situation by the previous government."  It seems often that nobody wants to make our government accountable.  There are many TV contributors and show hosts which I do admire such as Sean Hannnity, Peter Schiff,  Bill O'Reilly, John Stoseel, and Ron Paul are just a few.


2. Your appearance in the dance competition Calando Fuerte was pretty sensational and impressive! In the avaliable clip you mentioned that you had been dancing salsa for only a year and a half. As a huge fan of stage dancing, I'd love to ask you: How did this passion for salsa grew into such an astonishing skill so quickly? Did you possess a history in stage dancing prior to the introduction of it in your life?
Uri Man: I've always loved dancing and since I moved cities every 2 years during most of my business career. I found that dance classes helped me meet people and have fun at the same time.  I'm competitive by nature.  Some dancers told me that one of the best ways to get better was to join a performance dance team so I started auditioning.  Although it was a long shot, in 2007 I auditioned for Cirque Du Soleil.   I didn't expect to get accepted but they selected me and I danced for Cirque Du Soleil in their 2007 Superbowl Show front and center on the 50 yard line.  Practicing for Cirque Du Soleil for hours on end helped improve my dance skills tremendously.  I still dance socially at least once a week.  I even invested in a dance studio in Miami called AventuraDance.com.   I find dancing helps me forget about work and stress and its truly something I expect to enjoy for the rest of my life.


3. How do you describe your appearance in the Millionare Matchmaker? Also, it appears that your presence on tv has become very acceptable and greatly admired. Since you have gained now even more popularity with your radio show, would you ever take it to the next level and host your own tv show someday?
Uri Man: I had a wonderful experience as one of the bachelors on the Millionaire Matchmaker.   I'd say my appearance on the show gave a glimpse into my life.  One thing that might have been portrayed incorrectly is that I'm definitely not shy as the show made it seem.  

After the show aired, I was very grateful for all the positive feedback I received.   I had so many people write to me saying that they were impressed to see a gentleman on the show.  Even a Chabad Rabbi (didn't realize they watch Bravo haha) wrote to me to tell me I did a good job representing Jews on TV.  That was nice to hear.  I have Patti to thank for the friendship she helped me create with Tatiana, we are still in touch although not romantic.  With regards to TV News, I'd say that I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to share my views regarding business, the economy, and politics.  My radio show, The Uri Man Review, will hopefully someday become a TV show.   I'm sure it won't happen overnight but I do think that transparent discussion of our economy and leaders in Washington is something that is needed, and something that my radio show provides.  The media needs more people like me, who aren't afraid to criticize Washington.

4. I was going through your blog and found a recent post titled: Cheaper Concerts? Something good about a bad economy? - You were touching the subject of how music sales were decreasing and how more artists were encouraging themselves to offer concerts at a lower value compared to to other years. I'd love to go deeper in this subject with you. After all, do you think that the popular immersion of digital sales such as iTunes could have been a factor to that decrease in record sales? Also, if there is a significant price change in those tickets, do you think that it is going to subsequently affect the performance of musicians, dancers, or choir members, producers, etc., knowing that they might get payed less?
Uri Man: You're absolutely correct that musicians have been hurt by the digital age. In many cases, artists just cannot make money from music sales anymore, so its concerts that bring revenue to our artists.  In bad times historically, entertainment options, like concerts did fairly well as people wanted an "escape" from reality.  Today, however, there is something noticeably different.  Touring artists just cannot get the price per ticket that they once did due to the state of the economy and especially due to the level of unemployment.   I predict its going to get a lot worse when the next financial crisis hits our country in the next 12-24 months.

5. Speaking of entertainment and the economy: In one of your Fox Business News appearances you were asked a question about your opinion on Hugh Hefner's recent engagement.  On a recent appearance to HDNet's Naughty But Nice, Holly was asked if she was going to attend Heff's wedding. She expressed that she might not attend because the attention should be on them, not an ex girlfriend. Do you think that she was trying to acknowledge that she made a mistake in making her initial opinion so public?
Uri Man: I don't want to theorize what Holly's intentions were, but I usually give anyone the benefit of the doubt.  I'm sure she meant well.   When asked about Hugh Hefner's engagement on FOX News I was quick to remark that a man of his age getting married to a young woman means he must truly be ambitious and optimistic.  I wish some of our leaders in Washington had the kind of "drive" that Hugh has; we'd all be better off.   Whenever I hear that someone is in love, I am always happy for them.   I'm very happy for Hugh and his new fiance.   I'm still single and looking.




6. And finally, how do you describe yourself? What are your hobbies, and what are the things that we might not now about you but are an integral part of your life?
Uri Man: With regards to my hobbies, you know about salsa already.   I also love outdoors, especially boating on the water.  I recently started flowriding.   I'm very close with my family.  In fact, my brothers and I all bought homes on the same street, which is great because we can see each other often.  I would say that family is everything to me.   Being from Israel originally (we moved to the USA when I was 5 weeks old) Judaism has played a big role in defining who I am today.   My family isn't super religious but we do celebrate the holidays in a big way and spend Shabbat dinner together every week.   I guess if you wanted to know how I describe myself, I would say motivated to make the most of life.   As a grandson of holocaust survivors and a son of a prisoner of war and veteran of two wars, I am the first generation of my family not to see war firsthand.  I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up in this great country and I want to make the most of my life.  I truly feel blessed so I am always striving to accomplish and live life thoroughly.   Something you may not know about me is that I am passionate about helping people with diabetes as I have friends and family which have been affected by diabetes complications.   My latest entrepreneurial venture is a new product for people with diabetes called 'Sugar Crush' which is a new dietary supplement that helps people with diabetes maintain healthier blood sugar levels.   I'm very proud that this past year our Sugar Crush clinical study was accepted for publication by two of the most prestigious US medical societies for diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE).  Your readers can learn more about these great products for diabetes at www.BuySugarCrush.com.  Lastly, I do love to write.  I recently published my first book last year "Job Tactics, The Secret to Finding a Good Job in Tough Times" which is available at amazon.com.  I'm working on a new book, "How to fix America in 6 months" which should be published this year.   

Watch an interview of Uri Man with Diabetes Health Magazine here!

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