I had the pleasure of attending another client event this month! Although being out of the office is never easy (big things happen when I am out of the office-maybe I should travel more..) it's always worth it! I flew down to Savannah Georgia to see Amilya Antonetti, who spoke on her experience of growing a business as well as business succession planning. I also saw Bill Stainton who talks about the "Five Best Decisions the Beatles Ever Made," and applies their decisions to your business. We booked a Beatles cover band to play with Bill and it really took the keynote up to the next level. I mean how could it not with John, Paul, George and Ringo playing live on the stage!
If you are a leader in an organization you have to check-out Amilya's book: The Recipe
Amilya's vision on how to run organizations as well as the make-up of a team resonnates with me every time I hear her speak. I highly recommend checking-out her book.
It was another successful event! I was so excited to meet my clients face-to-face. Every time I get to meet a client in-person it reminds me of why we do what we do. As much as social media, the internet and phone allow us to connect and save time, there is nothing better than the "live" human connection and in-person meetings. Shaking a hand, looking someone in the eye and truly connecting with them will never go out of style in my book.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
A Business Lesson from Van Halen
I received the below story in my e-mail this week and it really made an impact. I have no idea if this story is true or not, but it makes you think about the "fine print" in our daily business. Sometimes it is the little things that do actually matter and make our business stand-out from the crowd. Enjoy!
Actionable Tip of the Week
Some of you may remember the stories of Van Halen’s (the rock group) backstage demands on their tours. The example that I recall was their insistence that they be provided with ample bowls of M&Ms. The only caveat to this was that they were not to include any brown ones in the mix. Until recently I thought that this was an example of quirky ‘rock star’ personalities and was really just a way of them re-enforcing their branding as being wacky and weird---hard rockers to the core. To reinforce this, it was usually it was some young lady telling me this fact, followed by a giggle.
Interesting enough, it turns out it was more an example of their astute business acumen than their wild and crazy life style.
“Part of Van Halen’s touring strategy was to perform in small, third-tier towns. That meant Van Halen had to truck in nine 18-wheeler loads of equipment, and set up staging that weighed a few tons. The band soon realized that promoters in small towns were treating the technical details of their concert contracts casually, putting the band at great risk. So, Van Halen hid a little rider in the middle of the contracts. It said that "all brown M&Ms had to be removed from the backstage area" or else the band would forfeit the show.
So, legend has it, that if Van Halen went backstage and saw brown M&Ms, it was a warning sign that the promoter hadn't read the entire contract, and the band would double-check all the staging to see what else the promoter missed. Inevitably, they would always find other omissions or errors. This, according to CBCradio.ca
How cool is that? My first response was to go back and listen to their music, which I had always been a little dismissive of. I figured that if they were that smart perhaps they were also great musicians, and that they deserved a second listen.
Regardless of whether or not you like their music, this is a great example of having well defined procedures and then being sure that everyone on your team sticks to them. Van Halen constructed the “M&M clause” as a simple way for them to monitor whether or not the procedure manual was being adhered to explicitly.
Actionable Tip of the Week
Some of you may remember the stories of Van Halen’s (the rock group) backstage demands on their tours. The example that I recall was their insistence that they be provided with ample bowls of M&Ms. The only caveat to this was that they were not to include any brown ones in the mix. Until recently I thought that this was an example of quirky ‘rock star’ personalities and was really just a way of them re-enforcing their branding as being wacky and weird---hard rockers to the core. To reinforce this, it was usually it was some young lady telling me this fact, followed by a giggle.
Interesting enough, it turns out it was more an example of their astute business acumen than their wild and crazy life style.
“Part of Van Halen’s touring strategy was to perform in small, third-tier towns. That meant Van Halen had to truck in nine 18-wheeler loads of equipment, and set up staging that weighed a few tons. The band soon realized that promoters in small towns were treating the technical details of their concert contracts casually, putting the band at great risk. So, Van Halen hid a little rider in the middle of the contracts. It said that "all brown M&Ms had to be removed from the backstage area" or else the band would forfeit the show.
So, legend has it, that if Van Halen went backstage and saw brown M&Ms, it was a warning sign that the promoter hadn't read the entire contract, and the band would double-check all the staging to see what else the promoter missed. Inevitably, they would always find other omissions or errors. This, according to CBCradio.ca
How cool is that? My first response was to go back and listen to their music, which I had always been a little dismissive of. I figured that if they were that smart perhaps they were also great musicians, and that they deserved a second listen.
Regardless of whether or not you like their music, this is a great example of having well defined procedures and then being sure that everyone on your team sticks to them. Van Halen constructed the “M&M clause” as a simple way for them to monitor whether or not the procedure manual was being adhered to explicitly.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Story of the Five Balls
One of my favorite things about the work I get to do, is the opportunity to be inspired and reminded of the most important thing-LIFE. The story below was a great way to start my morning as it was an important reminder! I hope you find this message just as important as I did...
I read something recently that said to try to imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you are keeping all of them in the air at the same time. One day you come to understand that work is a rubber ball-and if you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls are made of glass, and if you drop any one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed or even shattered.
Once you understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginning of balance in your life. Remember the best way to measure your life is the time you spend living it. Today is a gift-that is why it is called the present. So my message again is to work hard but please remember to play hard – and don’t forget to take the time to smell those roses.
I read something recently that said to try to imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you are keeping all of them in the air at the same time. One day you come to understand that work is a rubber ball-and if you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls are made of glass, and if you drop any one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed or even shattered.
Once you understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginning of balance in your life. Remember the best way to measure your life is the time you spend living it. Today is a gift-that is why it is called the present. So my message again is to work hard but please remember to play hard – and don’t forget to take the time to smell those roses.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Speaker Travels
I had the opportunity last week to experience a small sample of the life of a speaker. I traveled to Dallas to see the speakers I booked to Southwest Corporate Federal Credit Union. I love having the opportunity to visit with clients face-to-face and enjoy speakers LIVE! The event was an economic forum, so the speakers I had the opportunity to view included: Matthew Slaughter, Associate Dean of the MBA Program and the Signal Companies' Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth; Kathleen Cooper from SMU and just recently a first time grandmother; Marci Rossell the most energetic and bubbly economist I have ever seen; and Don Reynolds who I actually had to miss, but I heard was also excellent. It was such a great opportunity to see the world through 3 different economists eyes. What I took away from all the speeches is that there is hope for an economic recovery and one of our top priorities must be to fix our unemployement rate.
The next stop in my travles was sunny Florida. I headed to the Boca Raton Regional Hospital's annual Go Pink Luncheon. The keynote speaker this year was Fran Drescher who talked about her fight with cancer as well as the importance of early detection. This client puts on an amazing event every year and this year was no exception. Just in case you are wondering, Fran sounds just like she does on TV, just not as dramatic. I had the opportunity of chatting with her parents who came down for the luncheon from their home in Florida and her mom sounds just like her! Her parents were just the sweetest and her Dad was about to celebrate his 81st birthday the next day. They were a wonderful family. Her parents are so proud of her and the joy radiates off their faces. Several members from Fran's family attended the luncheon and cheered her on-it was great to see such wondeful support. Fran was a huge draw and sold the event out almost immediately.
After the luncheon I clicked my ruby red slippers together and landed back in Kansas (wish it had been that easy- I had a layover in Memphis where I had the opportunity to listen to an Elvis impersonator during my wait haha). It was a whirlwind of a week, but a great opportunity to visit with some great minds and great people!
The next stop in my travles was sunny Florida. I headed to the Boca Raton Regional Hospital's annual Go Pink Luncheon. The keynote speaker this year was Fran Drescher who talked about her fight with cancer as well as the importance of early detection. This client puts on an amazing event every year and this year was no exception. Just in case you are wondering, Fran sounds just like she does on TV, just not as dramatic. I had the opportunity of chatting with her parents who came down for the luncheon from their home in Florida and her mom sounds just like her! Her parents were just the sweetest and her Dad was about to celebrate his 81st birthday the next day. They were a wonderful family. Her parents are so proud of her and the joy radiates off their faces. Several members from Fran's family attended the luncheon and cheered her on-it was great to see such wondeful support. Fran was a huge draw and sold the event out almost immediately.
After the luncheon I clicked my ruby red slippers together and landed back in Kansas (wish it had been that easy- I had a layover in Memphis where I had the opportunity to listen to an Elvis impersonator during my wait haha). It was a whirlwind of a week, but a great opportunity to visit with some great minds and great people!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
I Am Yellow: Hear me talk
Each week at FIVE STAR we have the opportunity to chat with, and sometimes meet the awesome speakers we book. Last week we had an in-person experience with a new speaker that I thought was worth sharing. Scott Schwefel come into the office and analyzed our personality styles as he was using it as a way to show how we can better communicate in the office. Before he arrived we each answered a list of questions and from there our "color" was determined. Here is how the colors break down in a nutshell:
Red: Firery--wants things done immediately
Yellow: Very Social, Friendly
Green: Cares about others, wants to help
Blue: Detail Oriented, analytical
I am EXTREMELY yellow and my secondary color is red. The way my description came out was hilarious as it was so accurate! Here is just a small poriton of "how I interact with others." If you know me...you know this is correct!
Brittanny is very co-operative and articulate, communicating sympathy, concern and a willingness
to become involved. Her major goal is to create and maintain good feeling and harmony among
the people she relates to. Brittanny probably prefers more relaxed social interaction. Do not
assume this to be an indication that she is not serious about important issues. She prefers
communicating verbally rather than through the written word. She prefers a stimulating life of
co-operation and harmony.
She values harmonious human contacts and works well in jobs dealing with people. Energetic, gregarious and sociable, her intuition. heightens her insight, vision, curiosity and desire for new ideas. Brittanny has a remarkable ability to get people to follow her lead. Her outgoing nature may lead her to misinterpret the significance of some issues.
So now what is the point of knowing what color you are? As cool as it is to read how accurate this little quiz came out that is not the only take-away. The best part of doing this activity with the FIVE STAR team, is taking the info we learned and applying it to how we work together. Knowing that one of marketing assistants is Blue and extremely detail orientied, I might need to adjust how we work together on some projects, just like she'll have to adjust to work with me as a yellow!
Pretty interesting stuff! Improving communication is important, but learning why and how to improve your communication with others helps that much more.
Oh and I can tell you without even having my husband take the test he is a Blue...like they say...opposites attract!
Red: Firery--wants things done immediately
Yellow: Very Social, Friendly
Green: Cares about others, wants to help
Blue: Detail Oriented, analytical
I am EXTREMELY yellow and my secondary color is red. The way my description came out was hilarious as it was so accurate! Here is just a small poriton of "how I interact with others." If you know me...you know this is correct!
Brittanny is very co-operative and articulate, communicating sympathy, concern and a willingness
to become involved. Her major goal is to create and maintain good feeling and harmony among
the people she relates to. Brittanny probably prefers more relaxed social interaction. Do not
assume this to be an indication that she is not serious about important issues. She prefers
communicating verbally rather than through the written word. She prefers a stimulating life of
co-operation and harmony.
She values harmonious human contacts and works well in jobs dealing with people. Energetic, gregarious and sociable, her intuition. heightens her insight, vision, curiosity and desire for new ideas. Brittanny has a remarkable ability to get people to follow her lead. Her outgoing nature may lead her to misinterpret the significance of some issues.
So now what is the point of knowing what color you are? As cool as it is to read how accurate this little quiz came out that is not the only take-away. The best part of doing this activity with the FIVE STAR team, is taking the info we learned and applying it to how we work together. Knowing that one of marketing assistants is Blue and extremely detail orientied, I might need to adjust how we work together on some projects, just like she'll have to adjust to work with me as a yellow!
Pretty interesting stuff! Improving communication is important, but learning why and how to improve your communication with others helps that much more.
Oh and I can tell you without even having my husband take the test he is a Blue...like they say...opposites attract!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Weekend In Dallas!
What an amazing weekend! I had the opportunity to go to a client event. It's rare when I get to meet my clients in person and see the incredible speakers I work-with. I was especially excited to meet this client, Bill Phillip's Transformation Community, because of the life-changing work they do and the lives they have touched. I saw person after person come onto the stage and share beautiful stories about how Bill Phillips and the Transformation Community helped changed their lives, not only on the outside but also on the inside. Stories of overcoming depression, addiction and general unhappiness flowed out over Friday and Saturday afternoons. The happiness from this group radiated throughout the room. If you or anyone you know is looking for that type of change within a supportive online community, I highly encourage you to check-out into this group. I felt honored to be able to witness something so special and life-changing! It was also an honor to meet my client in-person along with her beautiful baby and family. She epitomizes everything the Transformation Community stands for in the way she worked with me to book speakers as well as how she worked with the speakers we booked -what a joy!
The speakers I got to see this weekend were outstanding. The weekend kicked off with Jason Thomas recounting his story of heroism on September 11, 2001. Sgt. Thomas ran into the rubble that day when everyone was running away and saved 2 people's lives. Because of his courage there are 2 people on this earth who would not have been here unless it was for him. He had no obligation to go to New York that day especially considering he had a family at home with small children; however, his life motto is, "never leave a brother behind" and on September 11, 2001 that motto became his reality. I left his presentation wondering-would I run into rubble and risk my own life for strangers? Would you?
The next speaker I saw was Dr. Karen Wolfe. I actually found Dr. Karen last year while I was doing some research for a client. I knew she would be absolutely perfect for this client, and I was right-what an amazing fit with client! Dr. Karen talked about the mind, body, spirit connection. It was a wonderful presentation combining content, passion and humor. The program highlight was when she performed sign language to a beautiful song by Jana Stanfield. She also illustrated some points in her presentation by using the Wizard of Oz as her reference-pretty funny considering I am from Kansas. I left reminded of the fact that our bodies our the vessels that carry our souls. Not only is physical health important, but also our spiritual health-not in a religious way-but in a way of taking care of the energy that makes us who we are.
Warren MacDonald kicked off Saturday morning with his incredible story. Poor Warren's plane was delayed and he was speaking on minimal sleep; however, you would NEVER know it! What a professional. I have booked Warren before and had heard rave reviews, so I was very excited to see him. Warren lost both his legs in a climbing accident several years ago-but Warren does not see himself as disabled. If you like an inpiring story, but you don't want a "sappy" speaker, Warren is your guy. Warren is to the point he just doesn't see his life without legs as a big deal-it's still his life! He believes once you change how you see the world, you can change the world. It's all about perspective-how you see your life is how you will live you life. Warren chooses to live a very happy and fulfilling life because of his perspective. My favorite funny quote from Warren's presentation-"I only feel handicapped when I am looking for a parking spot!" HA! I just love it-he was so funny. Warren has not let losing his legs change his life-he still climbs mountains!! I can't imagine going through what Warren has been through, but I sure hope if I face a life changing event like Warren-I have the perspective and courage of Warren MacDonald!
My favorite part of the weekend was to see the impact these speakers have on people's lives. I saw person after person approach each speaker with tears in their eyes or a sparkle in their eye. I know there were many people who left that weekend changed because of the speakers I have the privelage of working-with. As one of my clients told me-he was jealous of me because of all the people I have the opportunity to meet in my life because of my "job," and you know he is right. I am lucky... I get to meet some of the most inspiring and beautiful people and I am so grateful...
The speakers I got to see this weekend were outstanding. The weekend kicked off with Jason Thomas recounting his story of heroism on September 11, 2001. Sgt. Thomas ran into the rubble that day when everyone was running away and saved 2 people's lives. Because of his courage there are 2 people on this earth who would not have been here unless it was for him. He had no obligation to go to New York that day especially considering he had a family at home with small children; however, his life motto is, "never leave a brother behind" and on September 11, 2001 that motto became his reality. I left his presentation wondering-would I run into rubble and risk my own life for strangers? Would you?
The next speaker I saw was Dr. Karen Wolfe. I actually found Dr. Karen last year while I was doing some research for a client. I knew she would be absolutely perfect for this client, and I was right-what an amazing fit with client! Dr. Karen talked about the mind, body, spirit connection. It was a wonderful presentation combining content, passion and humor. The program highlight was when she performed sign language to a beautiful song by Jana Stanfield. She also illustrated some points in her presentation by using the Wizard of Oz as her reference-pretty funny considering I am from Kansas. I left reminded of the fact that our bodies our the vessels that carry our souls. Not only is physical health important, but also our spiritual health-not in a religious way-but in a way of taking care of the energy that makes us who we are.
Warren MacDonald kicked off Saturday morning with his incredible story. Poor Warren's plane was delayed and he was speaking on minimal sleep; however, you would NEVER know it! What a professional. I have booked Warren before and had heard rave reviews, so I was very excited to see him. Warren lost both his legs in a climbing accident several years ago-but Warren does not see himself as disabled. If you like an inpiring story, but you don't want a "sappy" speaker, Warren is your guy. Warren is to the point he just doesn't see his life without legs as a big deal-it's still his life! He believes once you change how you see the world, you can change the world. It's all about perspective-how you see your life is how you will live you life. Warren chooses to live a very happy and fulfilling life because of his perspective. My favorite funny quote from Warren's presentation-"I only feel handicapped when I am looking for a parking spot!" HA! I just love it-he was so funny. Warren has not let losing his legs change his life-he still climbs mountains!! I can't imagine going through what Warren has been through, but I sure hope if I face a life changing event like Warren-I have the perspective and courage of Warren MacDonald!
My favorite part of the weekend was to see the impact these speakers have on people's lives. I saw person after person approach each speaker with tears in their eyes or a sparkle in their eye. I know there were many people who left that weekend changed because of the speakers I have the privelage of working-with. As one of my clients told me-he was jealous of me because of all the people I have the opportunity to meet in my life because of my "job," and you know he is right. I am lucky... I get to meet some of the most inspiring and beautiful people and I am so grateful...
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