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- - - - - - - - - - - - By Damien Cave June 19, 2000 | Peter Lund doesn't sound like he has left television for the wild, wild Web. When I spoke to the former CEO of CBS Inc., he was captivated by the "amazing" ratings of his former employer's new hit "Survivor." Needless to say, this was off-topic, but then again, the show -- in which 16 people are marooned on an island and must regularly vote to kick someone off -- is beginning to look like a pretty good metaphor for the online habitat that Lund recently entered. Indeed, each week we watch as one Internet company is challenged to eat grubs in public while backing out of its IPO and another is booted right out of the new economy. Yet, with optimism appropriate to his task, Lund is bullish about his new company, Dreamlife, the self-help portal founded by personal improvement coach and infomercial star Anthony (Tony) Robbins. The site offers chats with spiritual celebs like Shirley MacLaine, courses on everything from "Fitness for Absolute Beginners" to how to "Sell Your Screenplay the Hollywood Way" and member discussions with suggested topics like "How to Be a Better Lover." Several dozen "experts" help run subsites devoted to subjects like "Money & Finance" or "Creativity & Fun." And Dreamlife has partnered with other personal development organizations like the Learning Channel to expand its offerings. In short, the site has something for everyone who wants to learn how to become his or her best self.
Lund says he's not a devotee of Robbins, the author of books like "Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical & Financial Destiny!" and the "Time of Your Life" 10-cassette time management course." But Lund, who worked his way up the TV and radio ranks for decades before he got the top slot at CBS, is eager to try his hand at building an online audience. How did you get involved with Tony Robbins? Have you attended his seminars? Read his books? I've read the books, but I haven't been to the seminars. Why do you think there's such a demand for these self-improvement programs? I don't have a smart answer for you. But it's everywhere you look. Everything from "I want to look better, I want to feel better, I want to be smarter, I want to be a better person" -- it certainly is part of the landscape. It's always been there, and with the communication tools that we have in this era, it's more possible to access it now.
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