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Your dog is so cute… what kind of dog is it?
Whenever I walk my dog-Lily, which is every day and sometimes twice a day, I get this question- “what kind of dog is that, it’s so cute.” It never fails, day in and day out. I used to get annoyed because I was trying to get us both some exercise and had no time for chit chat. Now many months later, I just find it amusing and actually stop to answer their question. (Photo- This is the photo that drew me to Lily on Petfinders– she looks like snoopy- Look at that left ear!) For those who get my printed newsletter, you already know that I’m a huge dog lover. …
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Daring Escape from Corporate America
I don’t know about you, but I feel like 2 years ago I made a very daring escape from Corporate America. I’d be entrenched and chained to a desk since I was 22 and that’s a long time. I had always thought that I’d be like my Dad and work at the same place forever until I retired. Yet, that was not my story and that was not meant to be for me. My career path took some long and winding and winded turns along the way. I started out in sales and then got into marketing. My tale is long and blogs are for short stories… So suffice to…
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Are you singing the recession blues?
Well I sure hope not, because as an entrepreneur and business person, you need to be focused on how to increase your business. You need to get your head out of the sand and not use the excuse that the economy is in a recession and that’s why your business isn’t doing well. I just went and saw the most motivating and inspiring marketing mind ever. His name is Dan Kennedy. He’s so many light years ahead of businesses because of how he thinks, it’s a little bit scary. He’s the one that’s said many times, if you’re smart and you know how to market and who to market to,…
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Lost in Vacationland and Other Adventures…
Wow, I had hoped to communicate while I was on vacation, but it just wasn’t mean to be…. not sure what happened- maybe it was all the people that came to visit. Or maybe it was that I just needed to unplug, revamp and revitalize myself… Have you every had those moments, where you just need to take some time and unplug? I have to say it was really nice not being tethered to a computer and email and to enjoy my time off and all the company that came to visit. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to take more than 2 weeks off. In fact,…
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Discovering 4 Travel Secrets on my Trip to Martha’s Vineyard
Back at home now, I’m writing from my second floor office where the view out of my window is a bit dreary- the rain is back. Yet, as I sit and reflect about my trip to Martha’s Vineyard, it was far from dreary. In fact, I discovered 4 really cool secrets that I wanted to share with you. Before departing on our trip there’s the usual freneticness that goes along with any kind of travel these days requiring leaving your house for more than a few days. Since the summer is upon us, I know I’m not alone in my quest for sanity amidst the travel. Key for me was…
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Do You Ever Long to Feel like You Belong Somewhere?
I’m writing from the train, heading home to New Jersey. I’m on the way back from a business training meeting that was in Baltimore. (As an aside, riding in business class is the best way to ride up and down the east coast- no worries of gas or traffic!) To be honest, I wasn’t totally looking forward to working the whole weekend, yet I was so pleasantly surprised at what happened. Going there, I honestly had no expectations. I was ready to learn and discover new ways to help promote a business I’m working on with one of my clients. The weekend of discovery and training turned out to be…
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Know When To Hold em, When to Fold em…
Remember this line from Kenny Rogers song The Gambler- “Know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away and know when to run…” Well with this continuous talk of gloom and doom in the economy (I don’t watch the news anymore. Yet it seems people I talk to keep bringing up “the recession.”), this song came to mind which we could gleam some interesting things… For one, Hillary and Obama are all over the news this week. He finally declares victory and she’s chiding away from publicly announcing he’s got the nomination. Talk about “know when to fold em…” This whole thing to me…
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If money wasn’t an issue… what would you do for fun?
When I was going through a difficult time in 2004, after just being laid off yet again… I met the most wonderful person that really helped me during that difficult time. Her name is Tama J. Kieves and she wrote this fantastic book called- This Time I Dance! Creating The Work You Love… (which was just published in a new edition.) A friend I met at an unemployment seminar mentioned Tama to me and asked if I wanted to tag along to a seminar she was giving. It was the best thing I could have done at that time for myself. Tama is such a dynamic speaker and her story…
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7 Fascinating Discoveries on the Road to Recovery
As I’m laid up these past two weeks, can’t walk or drive, and trying to keep up with my frantic pace of my business I’ve noticed some fascinating discoveries: 1) I’m truly amazed at the human body and how fast it heals after the operation on my foot. (Photo- Here’s my view for the past 2 weeks of my feet 🙂 ) 2) Love my clients, my family, success team and support system- they have been there for me and wonderful while I’m trying to heal. (You know who you are- please accept my eternal gratitude for being in my life.) 3) Shocked at how rude and ridiculous some people…
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Are You Drowning Trying to Get it all done yourself?
Here’s a hot button topic that is making its way back into business news this week… I have to be honest and say that I struggle with this myself. How do I figure out what I can do versus what I can hire other people to do for me? And I can take this one step further this week, because I had to have some minor surgery on my right foot to repair an old running injury. The bottom line is I have to be off my feet for 7-12 days- no driving, no walking- just bed rest- yikes! And I won’t be walking or much less running for at…
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Need more money? Raise Your Prices… That Simple…
Here’s the deal, big talk out there of recession, banks closing and not willing to lend money and on and on. I have to be honest and tell you I really don’t know the half of it because I’m sticking to my word about not reading the newspaper or watching the news anymore. Yet, I have to admit that I just got back from my spring vacation where I’ll come clean and say that I did glance at a newspaper while waiting in the President’s Club at the airport to see what the news was reporting about our economy. Of course it wasn’t good, and everything was fear and horror,…
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Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone- Taking Risks…
For most of my life, I think I played it pretty safe. Yet, when I look back, there were times when I threw caution to the wind, went for a job as Director of International Marketing that I thought was out of my reach, and ended up getting it and literally saw the world. Then again, I also was laid off several times in a 6 year period and totally took a leap of faith and started my own business. ( I just finished writing about this experience. I have a chapter in an upcoming book that will be out this summer- more to come!) But to me, these things…
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Now for something a little different…
Have you ever gotten a new technology “toy” to play with and find yourself using it a lot because it’s so easy and fun? And yes I did use the words toy, easy and fun all in reference to technology. This certainly could be an anomaly because most technology certainly isn’t easy, or fun, especially when it comes to computers. Yet, there is a very cool shining star in stores right now that’s my favorite new, fun and easy technology toy. It’s called a Flip. Some of you may have already heard about it. In fact my favorite tech editor David Pogue from the New York Times just did an…
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The Little Engine That Could…
Do you remember this childhood story? I remember it well. Maybe because I’ve read it to my nieces, nephews and my own son many, many times. This story about the little engine, huffing and puffing his way up the mountain was always a favorite of theirs. I think it struck a cord because it was a classic tale of the little guy saying yes and going beyond his comfort level to persevere. This story was originally written by Watty Piper (a pseudonym used by publishing house Platt & Munk) and published in 1954. A quote from the book that is most famous today (which you may remember well) is one…
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Lessons from Oprah
Last night was a pretty big internet event- Oprah held her first ever online, live streaming video class. It was the first class of ten where she interviews and talks to Eckhart Tolle, author of A New World, Awakening To Your Life’s Purpose. It was a fascinating event. I signed on early and got my “seat,” wondering how they would pull this internet feet off without a hitch. I mean trying to stream video to over half a million people around the world is pretty gutsy and courageous, yet this IS Oprah. The first 20 minutes were amazing. Hearing him talk about why he wrote the book, how important is…