Bottagaro steps out of character

“Mario the Peddler” is originally from Sicily, but has made his home in New York City where he is a street peddler, philosopher and humorist.

“Poppy the Explorer” is an adventure seeker and storyteller who is always looking for something new he hasn’t seen before.

And Tony Bottagaro is a Colorado resident, father and entertainer who created them.

All three come from different backgrounds and have led different lives, but all three teach love, kindness and respect and all three are Bottagaro.

For more than 30 years Bottagaro has brought a message about the power of unconditional love to audiences. He’s expanding his reach with a new presentation directed toward businesses.

Bottagaro was in real-estate development when he felt a calling to deliver a message of love. After taking time for introspection he wrote a spiritual book, “To Create a World More Human and Divine.” A year later he produced a documentary with the same title.

Bottagaro followed up with a work of fiction, a book called “The poet, the count and the peddler,” about a man named Mario, who never gave up his quest for love, justice and peace.

Bottagaro wanted to find a way to keep that message alive and he created a one-man play, based on the whimsical main character.

Mario started his life in Sicily, baking bread, came to New York and became a street peddler. The show started as a full stage production with lights, props and a set that Bottagaro performed as a fundraiser for nonprofit groups. He later created a scaled-down version of the show he could perform in smaller venues, but the message stayed the same. It’s about unity, kindness and love. He still performs the show as a way to raise money for nonprofits.

Everyone takes away something different from Bottagaro’s presentations, but the messages cross over into all aspects of life, from personal relationships to work.

Sometimes things happen in ways we don’t expect or want.

“Even with turmoil and chaos you need to come out of the ashes,” Bottagaro said. “You need to learn to identify success in all kinds of forms. Sometimes you need to fail to succeed.”

As the show grew in popularity, Bottagaro started getting requests to create a children’s version. While the Mario show is suitable for all ages, “Poppy the Explorer,” was written by Bottagaro specifically for kids. Woven into Poppy’s stories are lessons in self-esteem, respect and kindness. Bottagaro performs it for groups like Boys and Girls Clubs.

Poppy goes on wild adventures and seeks to find things he’s never seen before, telling kids the challenge is to see something new, because you don’t always know what to look for. Poppy’s wild adventures teach how to look at the world differently and how to transform it.

“Life is a process and each day we learn something new,” he said.

Bottagaro’s messages apply to everyone, whether they are a kid or a businessperson, Bottagaro said.

That’s why Bottagaro decided to launch a new performance, but this one doesn’t involve a make-believe character. It’s Bottagaro talking as himself, drawing from his own experiences, for about 20 minutes. He only recently created the program, which is designed for businesses of all sizes and in all industries.

Bottagaro likes speaking as himself.

“When you are out there by yourself, you are kinda naked and that’s perfect,” he said. “It’s you. You are out from behind a mask.”

The talk contains the same messages as his performances, touching on integrity, respect, diversity and love.

Bottagaro’s presentation is introspective and not a “how-to” talk, he said. Nor, despite his inspiration, are any of his presentations religious.

“It’s about the belief that love – unconditional love – is the one enduring, and the operative word is enduring, piece to all of life’s challenges, whether they are global or personal,” Bottagaro said. “That is the key element in everything.”

Everyone takes away something different from his presentations, but Bottagaro hopes that people take away a realization that how we treat each other matters, he said. It can influence not just how a person feels, but how they work. Happier employees are more productive, which is good for the business, he said.

It’s meant to be motivating, uplifting and empower employees and promote a culture where people can thrive and meet their potential.

“If you really do live the message of love, its life-changing at work or play,” he said. “I think that is the magic of this talk.”    

For more information: http://www.anthonybottagaro.com

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