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🗣️ In 1978, Dave Raymond became the FIRST person to ever wear the Phillie Phanatic costume. He had no training, no acting experience, and his only direction? "Go have fun. G-rated fun."

For 16 years, he brought joy to millions. He danced with nuns. He handed babies to strangers. He knocked over ground crews. He made the Phanatic an icon.

But behind the mask, his life was falling apart.

When tragedy struck, Dave told the Phillies he had to quit. But during his final appearances, something unexpected happened:

"When I got out of the costume, I felt a tick better."

The Phanatic saved his life.

Key insights:
🗣️ His deaf mom taught him physical comedy - becoming his greatest gift when he needed it most
🗣️ "Go have fun" was his only direction - he made it up as he went
🗣️ The fanatic puts the FUN in funerals - powerful fun works everywhere
🗣️ Philadelphia fans threw snowballs at Santa because "Santa sucked that day"
🗣️ He handed babies to strangers for laughs (yes, really)
🗣️ Vodka + water = the secret to cleaning mascot costumes
🗣️ When you're in crisis, your brain tells you things feel "legitimate" that aren't
🗣️ A 17-year-old girl told him she was thinking about ending her life - after hearing his story, she changed her mind

POWERFUL FUN methodology:
🗣️ F = Force (Fun isn't just for break time - it's a tool everywhere)
🗣️ U = Universal (It works at funerals, hospitals, layoffs - anywhere)
🗣️ N = No (Learning to overcome the "fun killers" who say "don't do that")

🎥 Check out this episode on Youtube for photos and videos of Dave in action! https://youtu.be/fj_mmB4pE0Q?si=rtkAT6AvY32ci9ll

Resources:

Website: DaveRaymondSpeaks.com - https://daveraymondspeaks.com/

Book: "The Power of Fun" - https://daveraymondspeaks.com/the-book/

Chapters:
[00:00] Introduction & Hosts Preview
[02:15] Growing Up with Tubby Raymond
[04:19] Becoming the First Phillie Phanatic
[06:08] Meeting the Muppet People
[07:23] First Day: "Go Have Fun"
[10:18] Creating the Ground Crew Routine
[13:50] Dancing with Nuns from "Nunsense"
[16:10] Why Mascots Matter
[19:24] Vodka Spray Cleaning Trick
[22:34] The Baby Story
[25:13] How His Deaf Mom Taught Him Physical Comedy
[28:18] When Everything Changed
[32:51] How the Phanatic Saved His Life
[37:15] POWERFUL FUN Explained
[45:37] The Girl Who Needed His Story
[47:32] Writing the Book
[50:47] Why Santa Deserved Those Snowballs
[52:35] Outro

Connect with Gurus and Game Changers: 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GurusAndGameChangers 📲 Instagram - Stacey: https://www.instagram.com/staceymgrant/ 📲 Instagram - Mark: https://www.instagram.com/mark_lubragge_onair/

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⚠️ This conversation includes frank discussions about loss, grief, and mental health struggles. If you're struggling, please reach out to someone you trust.

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