The PennZone

CLEVELAND & BRUSSELS - PennZone -- A former NATO speechwriter based in Brussels, Belgium, Matthew Cossolotto is the author of The Joy of Public Speaking and the forthcoming Embrace Your Promise Power with a foreword by Jack Canfield. Borrowing a promise-keeping method used by basketball legend LeBron James, Cossolotto believes James' use of an "I Promise" wristband is a powerful way to prevent millions of people from abandoning their New Year's resolutions on Quitter's Day.

Cossolotto's high-level leadership communications career spans the corridors of power and influence on both sides of the Atlantic. He served as a speechwriter for top officials at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and for the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. He also worked as a legislative assistant for Congressman Leon Panetta. He has coached and penned speeches for many corporate and academic leaders — from the Chancellor of UCLA to CEOs and other senior executives at GTE (now Verizon), AT&T, IBM, Pepsi-Cola, MasterCard, LaFarge, and many more.

"The second Friday in January is now called Quitter's Day," says Cossolotto, "because that's when about 80% of people have given up on their resolutions. This year, Quitter's Day falls on January 10^th. So I offer the following personal empowerment life hack: Turn New Year's resolutions into New Year's promises and adopt LeBron James' method of wearing an "I Promise" wristband as a constant reminder of your promise."

An article in Cleveland Magazine (January 2025) describes LeBron James' wristband this way: "LeBron James wears a rubber band on his wrist… the bracelet carries a bold statement: I PROMISE. The message reminds the superstar athlete of his mission — the one that's bigger than his goals on the court. His promise to uplift the community that made him."

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Here's a link to the full article:
https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/sports/articles/house-three-thirty-continues-the-lebron-james-family-foundations-promise-to-akron

Cossolotto comments: "So LeBron James made a bold promise to himself and he wears a rubber band on his wrist to remind him of that promise. In my Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks), I urge participants to wear a rubber band on their wrists as a constant reminder of a goal or a promise. LeBron's wristband technique reinforces the power of this practice."

Over the years, Cossolotto has championed the idea that a promise is like a goal or resolution on steroids. Promises come from the heart, he says, whereas goals and resolutions are more cerebral.

"By making a heartfelt promise to yourself, to a deity, or to someone you care about," asserts Cossolotto, "you have some emotional skin in the game. You feel more accountable. Your integrity is on the line."

A Promise to His Mother
In his books and PEPTalks Cossolotto describes a life-changing promise he made: "I made a promise to my mother on her deathbed that I would finish writing a book she had been encouraging me to write and dedicate it to her memory. With tears in her eyes, she said: 'You do that, Matthew. You do that. This makes me very happy.'"

Cossolotto knew right away that failure was not an option. "I'm proud to say I kept that promise," continues Cossolotto. "Doing so put me on my current path as a personal empowerment author, speaker, and coach. My mission is to spread the power of making a promise to millions of people around the world."

Success Is An Inside Job
As part of his speaking and coaching business, Cossolotto recently launched a new website (www.MatthewCossolotto.com), complete with a demo video and a lineup of Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks). His overriding goal is to help his audiences and clients replace negative, disempowering habits of thought with positive, empowering mindsets. This approach applies to all three "power tools" in his Triad Empowerment System – Habits / Speaking / Promises.

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The Joy of Public Speaking is the first book in Cossolotto's personal empowerment trilogy. Two additional books are planned for publication in 2025. Harness Your HabitForce highlights the seven habits of FAILURE and SUCCESS. Embrace Your Promise Power features an extensive foreword by Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul^® series.

Cossolotto comments on the power of a promise generally: "Fortunately, the power of a promise is something all people can readily access. They can easily do so by turning goals and resolutions into heartfelt promises. Making a promise is a secret weapon in our personal empowerment arsenal. If people really want to make positive changes in their lives in 2025 and beyond — lose weight, get fit, travel, start a business, find that dream job, learn a foreign language, quit smoking, or write a book — the first step is to make a heartfelt promise. This unleashes an irresistible force that will help them follow through. Remember this: People can change a goal or resolution, but they can only break a promise. And most people are loath to break their promises."

The Joy of Public Speaking: Turn Stage Fright Into Stage Delight
Cossolotto urges leaders and aspiring leaders — whether they are experienced, novice, or terrified speakers — to make a New Year's promise to improve their public speaking skills in 2025. "It's widely understood that effective public speaking skills are key for career advancement and leadership enhancement," says Cossolotto. "It's also a crucial tool for personal empowerment. The single best thing you do to boost your potential for success is to become a more comfortable, compelling, and joyful speaker. That's why I focus on the mindset shifts needed to turn stage fright into stage delight. People who learn to enjoy public speaking tend to be better at it than those who are hampered by anxiety, trepidation, or outright terror."

More About Matthew Cossolotto
As a guest speaker and workshop leader, Cossolotto has shared his ideas and expertise with a wide range of domestic and international audiences, including corporations, associations, government agencies, conferences, schools, community groups, and nonprofits/NGOs.

To book Matthew Cossolotto as a speaker or speech coach, visit www.MatthewCossolotto.com.