CALABASAS : Actor to Deliver Motivational Speech

Greed is not good, you got that Gordie?

The ruthless, competition-driven, rip-their-throats-out credo of the Gordon Gecko-styled corporate greed mongers of the ‘80s has become as unpalatable as the movie character’s greased-down look and power suspenders. At least that’s the opinion of actor Richard Hatch, who moonlights as a personal motivator.

The vilified wheeler-dealer of the ‘80s movie hit “Wall Street” is the antithesis of today’s real-life, kinder, gentler, corporate team player, who, having learned the valuable lessons of the ‘80s, is able to look beyond today’s bottom line, claims Hatch.

He will pitch his message to the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the Calabasas Inn, 23500 Park Sorrento.

Gone are the days when maximizing profits was the be-all, end-all, says Hatch. And business people who don’t realize that will end up, at worst, like Gordon Gecko, or at best, with not-so-satisfied customers or clients.

The new credo, Hatch says, is simple: Do the right thing.

“Instead of doing things for money, we should do things because we care about people, and then money will follow,” Hatch said. “Customers want to feel like people care about them. People want to be treated like human beings. People are tired of having people lie to them, talk them into things they don’t want to buy, products that don’t live up to their hype.”

Hatch, who has appeared in such TV series as “The Streets of San Francisco,” “All My Children,” and “Battlestar Galactica,” said the transition from actor to personal growth motivator was a natural one.

“Ever since I have been an actor, I have been into communication,” he said. “And for me, acting was a wonderful way to move through the fears and the insecurities.”

Marilynn Jones, a chiropractor and member of the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce who has heard Hatch speak and helped recruit him for Thursday’s talk, said she is sold on Hatch as a motivator.

“He really empowers you,” she said. “You float out of there a foot off the ground. He really made you feel like you can do whatever you want.”

“The ‘80s were a very greed-oriented, self-indulgent nauseating decade,” added Jones. “I hope when he says that the ‘90s are for service and not for greed, I certainly hope it’s true. It sounds like a wonderful idea.”

For information about the luncheon, call Arlene Bernholtz at (818) 222-5680.