if i'm still here, i need to serve a purpose. >> i am hopeful that what i can do with the rest of my life is spend it in a way that creates peace. peace that i can continue to try to make the world a better to make the world a better place. -- captions by vitac -- www.tac.com tonight, he says he's got the cure for america. >> what are you passionate about? >> he's a best selling author, star and friend of president obama. >> we are going win with him as

president. that's my personal belief. i know the guy. >> tonight my one on one with hill harper. >> this is my cry, piers. >> and why kathy ireland avoids mirrors. >> i do. who has time for them. >> you're not vain like that at all? >> it's not what my life is about. >> a tribute to her good friend elizabeth taylor. >> you knew where you stood with elizabeth. so honest, genuine and on top of her affairs. >> and how a pair of socks changed her life. >> we started the brand with a pair of socks. >> literally a pair of socks. >> literally. >> these are $1.4 billion socks. this is "piers morgan tonight." you know hill harper from the cbs series "csi new york" and he's author of "the wealth

cure." hill harper, i suppose it's a good title. the problem is there ain't much wealth left in america now. wouldn't it be the chronic debt cure? >> i called my publisher and said, you know, can we rename this book the debt cure? they had been printed already. >> i suppose there is a sense of the rich getting richer. the problem is for most average americans, they are getting poorer. the economy is tanking. and they want a way out. tell me how this book gives them concrete ideas for how to get out of the financial malaise most people are in at the moment. >> there is a wealth gap that's happening. that's all over the world. the rich are getting richer and holding a higher percentage of money or wealth that's out there. in the book, i talk about expanding this idea, of redefining money. most of us have been taught the

wrong thing about money. that money is a result and we should chase it. we have a debt addiction. if we look at our country, personal debt since 1980 has exploded. >> i love your quote here. this one's from "mad" magazine. the only reason a great many american families don't own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments. >> right. >> there is truth in this which is that the debt currency, if you like of the modern american economy is part of the problem here. people think they can get anything. whatever they choose. >> we are buying things we can't afford. the debt problem in washington isn't the only debt problem we have. personal debt is a huge issue. 355 billion in personal debt carried in 1980. in 2008 it was $2.8 billion. what happens is many people are just paying credit card minimums and they are stuck.

there is no way to save or invest if you are just paying off debt. so the wealth cure is about taking a programatic approach to being more strategic about how you use your money. >> what's the best advice from somebody now watching the markets swirling around all over the world. they are watching savings crash, pensions crash, they are fearful. they don't trust the banks after what happened in the last crash. they're thinking, where do i put my money? gold is too expensive now. where are the safe havens for people? >> the number one safe haven is to invest in yourself first. >> what does that mean? >> if you use what i talk about, first, diagnose is problem. if you are unemployed and you have been attempting to get a job for months on end and you are not finding you're able to get the job then we have to take a step back, re-evaluate and say what training do i need? where are people getting hired? in the tech sector, other sectors where you may not have training. you have to make an adjustment and decide, i'm going to invest

in myself to get the training i need to move forward. if you don't have the money to do it, how do i get the money? >> the key thing for me as a premise for the book is how much money do you need to be happy? you have a quote from franklin. money never made a man happy. the more a man has the more he wants. instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one. most rich people i know are miserable. the holy grail never is what they think it is. >> at the end of the day, i talk about in the book that money plus wellness equals wealth. part of the problem with money books is they make you guilty to spend dollars. then there is one with a vision board and money will somehow magically find you. there are truths to both of these. if we talk about money plus

wellness is what creates wealth. what are the wellness factors? love, family, doing something you are passionate about. your health. a huge wellness factor. all the money in the world doesn't matter. for me, while i was writing the book i was diagnosed with cancer. it made me even re-evaluate. >> you have talked about a sense of abandonment from your mother. you were raised by your father. you have been dealt some pretty tough blows that many people don't have to put up with. >> is this my cry, piers? >> no. i don't have you down as the weepy type. all you actors can do it just like that. the point was having had tough blows, what is the secret for fulfillment? you must have reassigned your thought process. materialism isn't the answer. what's the way people at the moment that haven't got much

money, how can they find fulfillment without material things? i think it's about taking a step back in life saying, what do i love? what am i passionate about? one of my favorite words in the world is courage. the root is "core" or heart. we are pushed in our society to want bling, to want excess, to define success with what's external. whatever jewelry. >> you had a 9-year-old, you were part of a program to help him. >> yes. >> he said he would be successful in his eyes if he had a rolex and a bently. >> yes. >> i found it a dispiriting aspiration. >> those are the images he sees. he sees force fed images from music videos, the entertainment business where that's what happy people have. fancy cars and jewelry. >> how do you change that aspiration for a young boy? >> you challenge it by saying,

do you believe that having this thing, having this car really fulfills you? if so, let's talk about that and figure out what that is. i like to go with, what do you really want? i travel the country and i'm sure you meet people as well. after you push them they get away from the material. they talk about love, passion, giving back. >> none of the people i have interviewed on the show in the last six months, when you analyze what's made them happy, the ones who have found fulfillment and contentment, cite nothing to do with money. it's about personal relationships, family, friendship. i haven't heard one say, you know, when i finally got the yacht i was fulfilled. >> right. >> they get the yacht and they are normally more unhappy because things that are more important they haven't dealt with. >> absolutely. i try not to go down that road. i will tell you why.

it's easy to sit back and say, you are a guy that can afford that. it's easy for you to say it doesn't matter. i would rather be proactive in the conversations. like in my foundation where i deal with young people and say, what are you passionate about? what makes your heart beat a little bit faster. does your heart beat faster when you have a rolex? not really. does it beat faster when you have this car? not really. it beats faster when you do something you love. once you get people to engage in that way, they have big goals and dreams. >> you were at law school with a guy with big goals and dreams, barack obama, became president of the united states. he said the buck stops with him with the economy. how do you think he's doing in particular relation to the economy of this country? >> i think he's doing well. you know, he's building -- when he first came into office, he was criticized for wanting to bail out the auto industry and save tens of thousands of jobs.

he was able to do it specifically. if you look now, the government will make income off the investment made then. fast forward to now. obviously he's dealing with a congress that's hostile. you know, we are talking about a congress that's been in session more than 220 days. they have passed less legislation than any congress in recent memory. there is no jobs bill coming from congress. he can't sign a bill that doesn't exist. he's attempting to do things on his own, compromise and work hard, yet no one's meeting him halfway. >> you went to his 50th birthday party recently. >> yes. >> did you talk to him about money? how to get america back on track? you're mr. money guy. barack obama, come on. >> it was a birthday party. >> what better place? >> you don't want to talk about what's going on out there at a birthday party. you want to have fun, celebrate 50 years of an incredible life. on the personal side i have known him for more than 20 years

now. this is coming from my own personal experience with him. i know a lot of people. i can't imagine someone else i would rather have manning our country now. i know for a fact he gets up every day thinking about what's best for our country. he's working hard. i think he's on the right track. >> hold that thought. let's talk more about the president after the break. you did know him well. you went to law school and played basketball with him. i always think you can judge a guy by how he is on the sporting field. >> i think so. >> i want to know if he was a monster or a team man.

♪ that was hill harper, one of the stars of the "yes, we can" video in 2008. you have been friends with barack obama over 20 years. you played basketball with the man. i think, as i said, you can judge a guy by how he is on the sporting fields. what was he like? >> i agree with you. he was somebody who was a ball hog and wants to make it all about them or they pass the ball and make the team better. he's definitely one of those people. he was very good. he's tall with long arms. and he's left-handed so that's deceptive. >> is he aggressive? >> he plays hard and he wants to win. >> did you ever feel the presidential fist?

>> no. i never felt the presidential fist. >> how has he changed? as a friend, when you saw him at his 50th birthday party, he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders, literally. it's been a turbulent time to be president. how is he dealing with it physically, mentally, emotionally do you think? >> you know, i think he's dealing well. the one thing i wish more people would see given the weight of the magnitude of what he's dealing with is his sense of humor. extremely funny guy. he can deal with a lot but he's relaxed in a way we want our leaders to be. i think what happened before the bin laden incident at the white house correspondents dinner, him being able to joke a night before he knew -- >> extraordinary. >> it shows you about his

temperment and personality. this huge thing was going on, this mission was happening but he could make jokes the night before and we would never know. he's funny, clever. >> how do you feel about seeing a guy you obviously value highly as a friend. you like him enormously and have great respect for him. seeing his personal approval rating dropping all the time? seeing the pressure mounting. seeing the republicans trying to rip him apart and the election campaign around the corner. do you worry for him? >> one thing i realize is that polls represent present day fears not future results. we'll see results happen over the course of the next year and a half that are going to prove that the country is headed in the right direction. all of these things take time. do i think the country is better off with him in the white house? absolutely. >> when you see the republican candidates to date, what do you make of them? >> they have a strong field. >> who do you think is the most dangerous? >> dangerous? >> next time you see the president you want to say, you just want to watch that one? >> i don't know.

i'll be honest. i can't answer that. i think they have an interesting field, a diverse field and a group of pretty strong candidates. that's what we all want. at the end of the day we want a great president. we want great people running. you always want two really good people running. whoever wins you want someone good in there. i think there were candidates among the gop field that are very strong. >> the thing i have been surprised about are the number of african-americans who feel let down by barack obama. tavis smiley, cornell west, congresswoman maxine waters and others who say, you know, we invested all this faith in this guy and we feel a bit let down. understand that? what do you think? >> folks are able to have their own opinions. i would never say they are wrong for their opinion. however, he's the president of the united states. he's not the president of black

america. you have to look and peel back the onion. a lot of things he's been fighting for will help african-americans in a specific way. when we talk about improving the public education system that was decimated. we went from being number one in public education 30 years ago to number 22 in math and number 24 in science worldwide. >> the problem,as i see it, is that no one has seen demonstrable improvement in education in the last three years. the jobless figures have gone up, not down and like all presidents he made a pledge, it will get better. a lot of people, particularly poor african-americans, as tavis and cornell said, quite rightly they feel let down. their guy hasn't made their life better. >> let's be clear. poverty existed before january 20, 2008, before president obama took office.

he's fighting for things to make the lives of americans better. there are 40 million people that have health care as we speak now that didn't have it before he came into office. >> which i thought was -- >> that helped african-americans because we are underinsured. there are tacit benefits certainly. he wants what's better for all of america. there is a quote by ronald reagan and there is a lot of reaganism talk now and revisionist history. one point being in his first term the unemployment rate in 1982 was 10.4%. that's higher than it is now but reagan was re-elected. he said one of my favorite quotes. he said, putting people first has always been america's secret weapon. president obama puts people first. not just african-americans. not just rich folks, poor folks. he puts america first and people first. >> when he was losing at

basketball in a match, did he fire himself up? does he have that thing in him to say, right. like he might be doing now. >> i feel like you are painting an analogy that he's losing now. >> is that inaccurate? >> absolutely, piers. >> is he winning, do you think? >> we are winning. we are on that track. when you inherit -- >> when you look at the economy in america, you won't find many people saying america is winning. >> no. >> he's the boss and he said the buck stops with him. he's won battles, like the killing of bin laden, the automobile industry and things, great ticks on the box but there are minuses to address. >> absolutely. when you look at a systemic problem, when we have -- what made our country great historically, in my opinion are the public education system and the fact that we have been innovators. we led the world in many areas

because we have incentivized innovation. we got away from that. he's trying to put it back. that takes time. the guy from the titanic saying, you can't turn it on a dime. it takes time to turn it around. >> take me to the basketball court when he was losing. is he a good come from behind guy? >> absolutely. >> if you take any assumption he's not in a winning position now, you would back him to win? >> absolutely. without question. you don't count him out. he's there to support, fight and win. without question. we are going to win with him as president, i believe. that's my personal belief. i know the guy. now basketball aside, at the end of the day it's up to us as americans. the wonderful thing about this democracy is it's participatory. the tea party proves that folks who get involved can make a difference immediately. it debunks the myth that we can't make a difference.

that it's puppet masters and you can't make a change. you can make a difference. he believes it. i believe it. i hope more of us help him push the country in the right direction. >> thank you very much. "csi new york" premieres on cbs september 23. coming up, the supermodel who turned a pair of socks into a billion dollar empire. kathy ireland. yeah, it's new beneful healthy fiesta. gotta love the protein for muscles-- whoo-hoo! and omega-rich nutrition for that shiny coat. ever think healthy could taste so good? [ woman announcing ] new beneful healthy fiesta.

for men of a certain age, i.e. my age, the words "sports illustrated swimsuit issue" went with one name -- kathy ireland. she was one of the top supermodels of the '80s and '90s. this is a boyhood dream come true, kathy. welcome. >> thank you. it's great to be here. >> i have to be careful. christine o'donnell walked off my show and called me creepy. i don't want to be creepy. >> i promise i will not run away.

>> you won't hold it against me that you were on my college bedroom wall? >> no, thank you. >> it's a compliment? >> it feels like years ago. >> really? >> i have such respect for you watching your career from extraordinary journalist to "the apprentice." that was incredible. >> thank you very much. >> now cnn. >> unfortunately we are not here to laud my miserable achievements. i would rather talk about you. you're an extraordinary story. you go from a model. most models have a successful career, it fizzles off and they do mundane things. you go off and launch a business. great title by the way, kathy ireland worldwide. i love that. you get a business that's now worth apparently $1.4 billion. how? how did that happen? >> a lot of sweat equity. >> sweat equity? i love that.

>> it's been an extraordinary journey. i have learned so much along the way. i entered the modeling industry as a business person already. i always knew i belonged on the other side of the camera. >> did you? >> oh, yeah. >> what made you think that? >> i just knew it. i didn't feel like i was where i needed to be. i'm grateful. you have heard the term runaway bride. i was running away from the runway and for so long i was really ignoring my past career. i think because there's been difficulties, i think often times my ideas as a ceo would be taken more seriously more quickly if i showed up at a meeting with my business plan and sketches in hand rather than a past. but i'm not running away from it anymore. i'm grateful for it. it was a tremendous education. but i look at failure as education. in that respect i am so well educated.

>> have you had much failure? >> oh, my goodness, yeah. >> you're one of the world's top models with a $1.4 billion business. where is the failure? >> you're kind. i was okay as a model. >> okay? you were in the sports illustrated swim suit issue -- 13 years. world record. no one else has done it. >> julie campbell, the editor is such a dear friend. i learned so much from her, watching her as a woman in business navigate through men in a world that was often a boys' club and seeing how she did it. >> where is the failure you are going on about? i haven't seen it? i tried to find it. failure is not an obvious option here. >> that's how i have learned. the entire time i was modeling i was trying and failing at businesses. in fact, we would have started our business much sooner had i been more successful.

we didn't start until '93. i was pregnant at my kitchen table. we started our brand with a pair of socks. john and marilyn out of north carolina. >> literally a pair of socks? >> literally. >> what were the socks? how big were they? what color? these are the $1.4 billion socks. >> i was offered an opportunity to model the socks. it's not quite as glamorous as it sounds. it was a small budget. no exotic locations like sports illustrated. no photo retouch or any of the great perks, but it was a job at a time in my career where not a lot of job offers were coming my way. i felt if i didn't close the door on that chapter of my life i may not live my dream of design and business. i really liked these people. in business it's about people. it's about relationships. they were good people. i started doing research and i put a little team together when

i was modeling. people used to tease me. why are you so cheap? why don't you buy a nicer car? i was investing in people. experts in production, marketing. i know my strengths. painfully aware of the many weaknesses. i love sports. working toward a common goal. that's exciting to me. >> that necklace that keeps blinding me. >> yes. >> that's worth a lot of money, right? the ensemble, the earrings, necklace has and the ring which is almost liz tayloresque. the bangles here. you are a billion dollar lady to look at. >> thank you. i will take it as a compliment. >> it is. >> thank you. >> how does it feel to have made the migration from the model to the businesswoman? you're the empire. that's a totally different thing. >> it's extremely different. it's so humbling.

i'm so grateful. i have to say particularly to the women out there who got it, who embraced the brand. when we started, if you could have heard the laughter. the doors slamming in our face. people saying, you know, love the socks. who needs you? you can't start a brand with a pair of socks. i'm a curious person. i ask questions. well, why? people would say, it's never been done. it's never been done doesn't mean that it can't be done. >> what was the key when you began with the socks? what was the key moment for you that really propelled this from, you know, small business into the big leagues? >> in the beginning our socks were carried at a handful of sporting good stores, big five and a few others. a mass retailer started carrying them and one day the ceo called me into his office. he informed me that the socks were a blowout. we just had our first baby in diapers, so a blowout had a different meaning.

he assured me it was a good thing. >> i'm familiar. blowout is not a good thing. >> in business it's great. they asked for exclusivity. it was an opportunity to grow our brand. loved the executives. great people. as you know, in business executives change. change is everything. being dependent upon one retailer for our success, for our team didn't feel comfortable. started making plans to move into the independent channel of distribution. again, laughs, can't be done, impossible, never been done. it's a lot of work. >> here you are. >> it was worth it. >> we have a little break and then i want to talk to you about the ugliest day of your life. >> oh, okay. >> do you remember what it was? >> sure, yeah. >> that's okay. >> many.

back with my guest kathy ireland. there will be millions of people watching this thinking, how the hell does he look so good. what's the answer? >> thank you. you're very kind. hair, makeup, great lighting, photo retouching. those are my secrets. >> any secret secrets? what are the great beauty secrets for continuing to look like this? it shouldn't be allowed. it should be illegal. >> beauty comes from the inside. >> people that look like you always say that. it doesn't help me. no one looks at me and says, god, you're beautiful on the inside, piers. >> yes, they do. >> they don't. >> they do. the joy you have for what you do shines through and it's very attractive. >> you have to be able to work at the beauty on the outside, presumably. you know, when you're like 20 as a supermodel it's one thing.

i interviewed cindy crawford. she described poignantly the time she was about 40 or late 30s and walked down the same part of london she walked at 20 and then she stopped traffic. she had hair like you, amazing hair. she said now the difference was the traffic didn't stop. she looked slightly sad although realistic about it. describe that feeling when you move from the traffic stopping to something different. >> that was never on my radar, traffic stopping. it was never important to me. i intentionally built a business that has absolutely nothing to do with appearance. >> really? >> absolutely. years ago, i was doing something rather silly. i would say my sense of adventure outweighs my grace and i jumped in the kids' wagon. >> your ugliest moment. >> this is one of them for sure. standing in the wagon holding the steering wheel, asking my husband to push us around the circle brick driveway having fun until i noticed the park car,

over corrected the turn, wagon stopped abruptly. i kept going, smack, hit my face, landed smack on my face on the bricks. and i was a mess. my husband is an e.r. doctor. >> what kind of injuries? >> smashed up face, nose, smashed teeth, ripped shoulder, mouth, lips, eyes. i was unrecognizable. our daughter lily was 2 at the time. she thought i was a monster. she burst into tears. our son eric was 7. he thought it was fantastic. i could scare his friends. i had a girlfriend who took the liberty, took it upon herself to put a paper on the mirror so i wouldn't scare myself. but it was such a wonderful time in so many ways. i'm fortunate that i healed. my husband was afraid that as well as being a commercial fisherman he's an e.r. doctor.

he's usually so calm. to see him have that look of panic, he said a blow to the head like that could have been fatal. i just have a small scar on my nose. >> you went from being in an instant one of the most beautiful women in the world to somebody with their face smashed in with a totally different dynamic when you looked in the mirror. what did you learn about that? >> the minute it happened i thought, okay, this is going to be an adventure. i had no idea what the outcome was going to be. during that time, our business had the largest growth that it's ever experienced and for the first time, no one could say it had anything to do with my looks because i was a complete mess. >> ugly sells. >> it was a gift. absolutely. it was great for business. >> how important is it, do you think, if you are doing this

business to have the backdrop of a good, stable family? >> for me, it's everything. i couldn't imagine live without my children. my husband greg, our three children. i'm blessed with great parents, siblings, mother in law. we have a very close family. >> do you all hang out with ex-supermodels? i have a wonderful idea of you all strolling down malibu beach on a friday. me just missing out on the opportunity. >> you know, it was such a great job and a great opportunity. i was constantly trying other businesses. so i didn't really connect deeply. there are people i'm still in touch with. julie campbell, the editor of sports illustrated. >> none of the models? >> a few of them. we live different lives. traveling the world. family. >> present company accepted who

did you think was the most beautiful model you have ever seen? >> there are so many. >> if you could produce one magazine, say one sports illustrated before you died and you could put one woman as the cover, it can't be you? oh, my goodness. >> there were so many. when you look at people like christine brinkley, cheryl tiegs, naomi campbell, cindy crawford. these women were and continue to be seen and heard everywhere. >> one. give me a name. come on. >> one. >> you have to choice. i'm pinning you down. >> cindy crawford. she's fantastic. >> she'd be mine. i would do a split issue. the pair of you. >> a what? >> the pair of you. i would have a double issue. you know, you have to buy both copies. >> you'd have to dust mine off. >> i would be happy to. when we come back, i want to

talk more about your life and in particular about elizabeth taylor who was a close friend of yours. you were one of the few people invited to her funeral. (telephone ring. pick up) usa prime credit. my name ...peggy. you got problem? peggy? third time i've called, it's time i speak with a supervisor. supervisor is genius...i transfer. transfer! transfer! transfer! transfer! transfer! hello...my name is... peggy? come on!!! hello? want better customer service?

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here with my special guest kathy ireland. i read that you went through a weight battle. you said you put on a pound for 25 years. one a year for 25 years. i said, to me that's a diet. i didn't understand what the problem was. one pound a year for 25 years? i would happily take that. >> well, it's more about health and how that impacts your health. it can. 25 pounds can wreak havoc on your health. the c-reactiv protein levels. heart disease is the number one killer of women in america. my desire to be healthy has nothing to do with fitting in a certain size. it's about being there for my kids. >> one of your dearest friends was elizabeth taylor.

she sadly passed away recently. you were one of 40 people who went to her funeral. what was that like for you? >> it still doesn't -- i still feel like she's here. and she always will be. what an incredible person. heroic in so many ways. >> a proper star, wasn't she? >> absolutely, in every way. i really hope she is remembered for who she is. her courage, what she did, the fight against hiv aids, and continued to do throughout her life, despite death threats and all sorts of nonsense. to see what she did in '76 in antebbi and the jewish hostages. she contacted the israeli government and offered herself. they said, thank you. we have a plan but we'll hang on to this in case we need it and fortunately, idea of special forces was able to be successful.

but just, quietly, what she continued to do. so much untruths have been written about her and -- >> what was the biggest miss conception as somebody that knew her so well. what really annoyed you the most about the way she was characterized? >> people always said she was dying. they always focused on that and she was so vibrant, so full of life. so smart and brilliant to experience her in business meetings, this is say woman that would not hide behind representatives or lawyers. you knew where you stood with elizabeth. so direct and honest and genuine and so on top of all of her affairs. >> it sounded remarkably moving, uplifting occasion, actually, her funeral. was it like that? that's what i was told by people that were there. >> it was very surreal. i think none of us had really come to grips with what it was. but it was beautiful.

her family is amazing and it was such a gorgeous tribute, a beautiful tribute. she loved her family so much. an amazing mother. and i think that's what many people don't know about her. she was an extraordinary person. there's so much for all of us to learn from her. >> i totally agree. she will be greatly missed. because you're one of the very few people that have come on my show and not wanted to promote anything overtly, i've decided to award you a free promotional moment. you will now have, not that you need it. as i said, you have a business worth $1.4 billion, but i'm giving you a chance as a reward for not coming on demanding that i do something, over to you. >> thank you. >> what are you up to at the moment? what are you pushing now? >> our business is about solutions. our mission started with finding solutions for families, especially busy moms. it's expanded to finding solutions for people in business

and finding solutions for people in love. we've recently launched our collection of wedding gowns. and seven years of rejection with a gentlemen names steve lang and seven years of him saying "no." people said, why do you bother? why don't you find somebody else? it had to be the best. when you're talking about someone's wedding day, you can't mess it up. today we launched "kathy ireland's wedding" by -- >> when i talk to you, there's a quiet satisfaction that many, many people in your life and career have not mocked you, but slightly not taken you seriously enough. and here you are, you've arrived at this place where you're having the last laugh in spectacular fashion. do you feel vindicated? do you have a little laugh at them now? >> you know, it was interesting because for years we were building our brand very quietly.

i was okay as a model. by the time we started our brand i was fading out. and we were able to really enjoy that privacy and build it quietly. forbes outed our brand as the $1.4 billion brand. and people started asking questions and they did stop laughing. they started clocking and copying and that's great. i think that's a wonderful compliment. >> if you could write your own obituary headline in 60 or 07 years -- i'm sure you'll live forever. what would it be? "not just a pretty face?" >> i'd say a slow learner, hopefully, tough. i think that's a compliment. and it's important. you have to be tough. business is tough. >> kathy ireland, slow learner, so slow you managed to amass $1.4 billion in business. it's been a pleasure.

>> as millions of americans brace for the arrival of hurricane irene, a veteran cnn hero was there. 77-year-old wilma melville has been at every major disaster for the past 15 years. >> when the oklahoma city bombing happened, i saw the size of that building on television.

i had a hobby of learning to train a disaster search dog. i was deployed to oklahoma city. i did wonder -- can we really do this? can we really find live people? when i got home, i said -- what is this nation doing with approximately 15 fema certified dogs? this one building alone requires far more than 15. my name is wilma melville. our organization trains rescue dogs and firefighter handlers to save lives after a disaster. right turn -- we like to use shelter dogs. it's the humane thing to do. there is nothing better than a dog's nose to find a live human. [ dog barking ] >> we've