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January-February 2012
CONTENTS Extraordinary Profiles 4
Ambassador Theodore R. Britton—Service with Distinction
14
Terry Grahls—Transforming Lives from the Outside In
Minding My Business 22
New Ideas to Motivate Employees and Alleviate Stress
23
Top 20 Exceptional Business Icons
44
Transitioning from Employee to Entrepreneur
Cover Photo
Empowerment 48
Strategies to Avert Workplace Bullying
49
The Best Things You Can Do Now With $1,000
50
Smart Ways to Globally Increase Your Income
51
Why Public Relations is Good for Business
52
Finding Opportunities in Any Economy
53
Dead End Negotiations are Not Useless
54
Two Choices That Can Make This Year the Best Year of Your Life
55
Stress Reduction Tips
57
7 Easy Steps to Get What You Want
Success is a result of a well planned strategy and a series of actions that follow. What’s your next move?
Publisher’s Letter Dear Friend, I am happy to introduce the January/February 2012 issue of Exceptional People Magazine. The stories in this issue will inspire you to realize your true potential and use it in a way that serves others. Ambassador Theodore R. Britton shares his remarkable story of being among the first group of African American recruits to enter the Marine Corps between 1942 and 1949. We appreciate his military service and his continued commitment to serving mankind. The New Year has arrived. Most of us have set new goals and have begun planning to accomplish them. How prepared are you to fulfill your dreams and visions in 2012? Preparation and proper planning are necessary for achieving success, whether personally or professionally. It means having the right people on your team to help you make the best decisions. I am thrilled to be able to highlight the accomplishments of 20 top business icons that have been featured in Exceptional People Magazine over the past two years. Each of these individuals achieved success because they built a team of people who helped them plan for success. Their advice, principles and philosophies enabled them to greatly impact the business world, as well as individual lives. As you begin your journey to achieve personal and professional success, ensure that you have people on your team who believe in your vision and are committed to helping you fulfill it. With every good wish for great achievements,
Exceptional People Magazine is not just a magazine. It is a life-changing experience.
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Extraordinary Profiles
His incredible achievements and accolades are too numerous to reference here. However, an achievement that deserves top billing is that Ambassador Theodore R. Britton, Jr., and fellow Marines who served with him during World War II were recently selected as recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest civilian honor for distinguished achievement. I will begin with his service to his country as a U.S. Marine during World War II, where he participated in the staging for the invasion of Japan. His record speaks for itself, but I will elaborate on just a few of his accomplishments. He has become a part of history that has helped shape America’s opportunities for Blacks to serve in the military; in particular in the Marines. It was in 1942, that President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a directive, allowing Blacks to be recruited into the U.S. Marine Corps. As part of a large group of black men who entered the Marines during that time, Britton,
made the decision to serve his country. It was a time when segregation was still active but that didn’t deter Britton from his desire to serve. Between 1942 and 1949 Britton and about 20,000 other black men received training at Montford Point, at Camp Lejuene, North Carolina. They were the very first group of Blacks to enter the Marine Corps. From that point forward, Britton has served his country with honor and distinction. The men came from every corner of America, and they each fought for the rights of all Americans, even though their personal rights were curtailed by racism. They laid the foundation for greater equality and opportunities in the military for African Americans and other minorities. Britton and the other men of distinction who trained at Montford Point and served in the Marines during that time were honored in August of 2011 at Montford Point for their dedicated service. After World War II, Britton returned to civilian life but was later recalled for the Korean War. After serving a short stint during that war, he elected to be discharged
so that he could continue serving his country as a civilian. As a civilian, Ambassador Britton has been dedicated to serving others in ways that have produced remarkable results. Britton has always had a life-long interest in diplomatic and international affairs which led him to become involved in many programs within the U.S. Information Agency beginning in 1971. From 1974 to 1977 Britton served as Ambassador, (Chief of Mission) to Barbados and the State of Grenada, while simultaneously serving as the U.S. Special Representative to the States of Antigua, Dominica, St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. As a specialist in housing and finance, his civilian service also includes a career at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. His degrees in banking and finance enabled him to serve as an officer and director in the savings
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Extraordinary Profiles
Ambassador Britton with General James F. Amos, Commandant, USMC
and commercial banking arenas. He earned a B.S. degree and graduate diploma from New York University and from the American Savings and Loan Institute, respectively. He is a life-time supporter of education and has lectured at colleges and universities throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, the U.S., Central America and the Caribbean. It was truly an honor and pleasure to have the opportunity to speak with Ambassador Theodore R. Britton, Jr., about his experiences at Montford Point and his dedication to serving mankind. Monica: I want to congratulate you, on being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for your service as a member of the Montford Point Marines. Ambassador Britton: As you know, the Mint has to design and strike the metals, and there will be a presentation later in the year. I don't know whether it will be the White House or the Marine barracks. I do keep in close touch with the commandant of the Marine Corps. And by the way, he tells me it's the highlight of his career. Monica: That is wonderful. What does it mean to you to receive this recognition? Ambassador Britton: Well, as I told the commandant, the medal sounds
fine and I watched the reactions of the 120 or so old-timers who were at the Marine Corps barracks in August as his guests for breakfast. I said the idea of him standing there -- and as each one of these old-timers came up, sometimes in wheelchairs, sometimes with canes and so forth -- and he not only shook hands but then embraced them. His wife was standing a few paces in back of him. She too shook hands and sometimes embraced them. That did more for the Montford Point Marines than anything that anyone could ever do, be it metal or precious stones. This was from the heart. So that was really something. For many, it was their first and last time to set foot in that place. Three of them have died just last month. The medal will come along, and many of the 20,000 have long since gone. But the point is the interest of the commandant, James F. Amos. I have to mention that. It will always endure in the hearts and the minds of those of us who are alive. Monica: In 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the directive giving black men the opportunity to be recruited into the Marine Corps. Ambassador Britton: And President Truman issued the Executive Order 1981 that ensured that they would be included. After World War II, the Marine Corps had planned to go back to being all-white again. But President Truman stopped that, and he
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made sure that it became one Marine Corps, which it is today. In fact, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Marine Corps is a Lieutenant General who is black, Willie Williams from Savannah Georgia. That shows how far it's come. Monica: How did the opportunity to serve in the Marine Corps during World War II as a black man change your life? Ambassador Britton: That's an interesting story. I went overseas and spent the first eight months overseas in Guadalcanal in the British Solomon Islands. Because we were in a support and supply unit, I had access to all of the literature coming in, and I got what amounted to a college education. Number one, of course, I roomed with medical corpsmen, who were the most educated guys in the outfit but then again, my officers were all very supportive, so I got a thorough education. It completely changed my life. I look upon those as eight of the most glorious years of my life. I'm a great reader. It was like a book lover's heaven. We were not in combat at the time and so the question was, what do you do? For some people they might have been bored to death, but not me. I read everything I could get my hands on. Monica: Education is powerful.
Extraordinary Profiles
Ambassador Britton with former Commandant General
Ambassador Britton: Yes, and reading is fundamental as they say. Monica: Yes, it is. During your training at Montford Point, blacks were not allowed on the main campus without a white escort. How did that affect the emotions and the mental stability of black men who were serving at that time? Ambassador Britton: Well, keep in mind that one, for what reason would one want to go to the other camp? Transportation was not as accessible as it is today and the Montford Point camp was several miles away from the main camp. So in order to go there, you'd have to have some kind of transportation. Then again, since they were all white and we were all black, we really didn't know anyone there by and large. So the question was why you would want to go over there in the first place, not that you shouldn't want to, but it just never occurred to us. Secondly, we were so busy right after boot camp, which is recruit training. Many of us then began advance training preparatory to going overseas. I came in the 29th of January 1944 and three months later, I would have been finishing boot camp. But then I went into a training camp, which ultimately meant that by July 3rd I was on a ship headed out to the South Pacific, a 33day trip on a ship.
So it sounds very demeaning, and I'm sure it was for those persons who might have had reason to go to the main campus. But by and large, I don't know that it was necessarily something that was high in the psyche of all of us at the time -- of any of us at the time. Monica: What were the conditions for Blacks serving in the Marine Corps during that time? What were some of the things that you had to endure? Ambassador Britton: By the way, I was born in the South although most of my years were spent in New York City. But I knew what some of the practices were. For those who never experienced segregation or discrimination, it hit them hard. For those who were accustomed to it, it was almost like something that permeated everything they did. To go out of the camp meant that you went into Jacksonville, which was very racist at that time. Many of us just didn't have an inclination to go out. I served twice in the Marine Corps. The second time was in Korea where things had changed somewhat. In fact, one incident came up where I reported directly to the general in charge of the camp. They were attempting to segregate black visitors from white visitors. White visitors could go to the hostess house. Black wives and relatives were sent over to what's called NCO quarters, staff NCO quarters. When I told the gen-
eral about the discrimination going on there, he put a stop to it that same day. But as I say, going back to World War II, there were many more pressing things that preoccupied us. Many of the things that affected us we only learned of later. When I was in the Pacific, I read regulations stating that any time a black person and a white person served in the same outfit, the lowest ranking white person would always be in charge, no matter the rank of the black individual. This brings me back November 10, 1945. The first black officer was commissioned in the Marine Corps, and on the same day, he received an honorable discharge and was transferred to the Reserves. Now one would wonder why they would commission him and, at the same time, transfer him to the Reserves, the inactive Reserves. The reason is simple. If he stayed in, he would be in command, or he would come into contact with white Marines. They would have to salute him and respect him and if they were in the same organization, they would be subject to his command. So this was one way of making sure that that policy of white superiority was continued. Monica: How did that experience influence your perspective on life from that point on? Ambassador Britton: To some extent it meant that once we were out --
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Extraordinary Profiles
Ambassador Britton with friends Police Chief Samir Mucaj and Foreign Ministry Official Genci Mucaj in Tirana, Albania
once I was out, it was just an experience in life. I'll say this, as I began my college years, I expected that at some point I would go back into government service, because I really wanted to be in the Diplomatic and Consular Service. That's what it was called at that time. So I rejoined the Marine Corps in order to get my continuing credits in government service. One incident came up in 1948 when the Marine Corps did not want to integrate. I mean they wanted to set up a segregated, all-colored trucking company in Harlem. And I said, “Wait a minute. The President is talking about securing rights to integrate everything, and these men have been asking to join the active Reserve units. And instead you're talking about a segregated unit in Harlem no less.” I contacted Congressman Powell, who got in touch with the secretary of Defense. A letter was received from the assistant commandant stating, “Henceforth, all organizations will be open without regard to race, creed or color.” And at that point integration began. It came back to haunt me when I applied for a commission during the Korean War. One of the officers remembered my name and remembered that I had previously opposed the Marine Corps’ actions. My oral interview abruptly ended. I received word later that my application had been denied.
Well, at first it sounded like a setback. However, as I think of it -- and I’ve had friends who served in Korea after that, who talked about how the trucks would come up to Chosin Reservoir loaded with supplies and go back down to headquarters loaded with frozen bodies of Marines who had frozen to death in Chosin Reservoir. That would have been my reward had I been successful in my commission. Years later as an ambassador, I was able to have Marine security guards in my embassy. As far as I am aware, I'm the only Montford Point Marine to become a U.S. ambassador. I’ve represented the president and heads of state in foreign countries. So everything works out for the best. Monica: Absolutely. That is so true. Sometimes we may not see the blessing while we are going through some things, but there is a reason for it. Ambassador Britton: That's true. And I've come to know some of the top black generals in the Marine Corps. Needless to say, because of my rank and maybe my personality or something else, I have been accorded a number of considerations which don't come to many of the others. Monica: Was going into the military your only option? Why did you choose to go into the Marine Corps? Ambassador Britton: Interesting. I was offered the Army or the Navy and I said, “Neither.” Well, needless
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to say, in New York they say, “What are you, a wise guy or something?” I said, “No, I just think I'd like to try the Marine Corps.” And they said, “Well, their quota is filled.” Along came a gentleman, Sergeant Motere -I will always remember his name. And he said, “Well, let me see what I can do.” He came back and said, “You're in,” and that was it. Little did I know how meaningful it would be later in life. I'm sure thousands of African-American men went into the Army, the Navy, even the Air Force. But the Marine Corps is that kind of organization; we're just like a brotherhood and sisterhood whereby everyone identifies. When I wear the eagle, globe, and anchor on my lapel, it is always amazing to me how many fellows come up to me and hug me or shake hands. It crosses all nationalities, boundaries and ethnic groups. It's like a huge social fraternity and sorority combined into one. At the top, our president -- nowretired president of our local chapter here is a lady who is a retired gunnery sergeant. She has been, as far as I'm concerned, the best chapter president in all of the Montford Point Marine Association. She went in as a teenager and had to actually sit all day waiting for their attention before they took her into the camp for training. Even then she wasn't wholeheartedly accepted. Actually, black women were not accepted until 1949. We had black
Extraordinary Profiles
Ambassador Britton with Mayor of Macon, GA
women in the Army Air Corps, nursing, the Navy, if I recall, and certainly the Army, and the Women's Army Corps, but not in the Marine Corps until 1949. Monica: From your perspective what contributions did Blacks who served during that time make to the military? How did they facilitate the process for African Americans to serve in the military today? Ambassador Britton: Beginning in 1942 or 1941, a commandant said given a choice of 5,000 whites or 250,000 blacks he'd take the 5,000 whites. Well, in the South Pacific, starting with Saipan, he ran out of whites. The Japanese were attacking and ready to take over. One of the commanding officers noted that there were a large number of Marines on the beach waiting for supplies to come in, so they could bring them up front to the guys who were being overrun by the Japanese. And he said in effect, “To hell with that. Get your rifles and get up on the front line.� That's when the black Marines began to show what they could do. They stopped the Japanese advance and began to show themselves as real fighters, which is what we were trained to do. We were trained to kill people, even with our hands. And so to be waiting on a bunch of boxes when your comrades are up there being overrun by the enemy was something else. So from that point on, the word began to
travel through the ranks, and they really began to appreciate us. By the time the guys reached the upper islands, two of them were awarded the Bronze Star Medal. I'm told it was actually the Silver Star, which is the second-highest award in the military, in the Marine Corps. Gradually the idea of color meant nothing compared to whether a person was able to fight, to use his rifle, his bayonet and so forth, whether he could help protect his comrades. So it evolved over the years. I have to say that the Marine Corps did a lot for us as young AfricanAmericans -- things that we did not think about at the time. Keep in mind that by the time I went in, in January of 1944, all of the drill instructors were black, which meant that we, in a sense, had big brothers. We were teenagers. We had big brothers training us to be gentlemen, to be respectful, to fight and to handle weapons. We learned that unlike in the South where you looked down, in the Marine Corps you looked a person directly in the eyes. And by the same token, if you're asked a question, your answer should be heard at least half a block away -- yes, sir, or no, sir. Each of us were given a rifle with ammunition, a bayonet and taught how to use them. We were also taught judo, how to fight with our hands. Think of young black men coming from the South who had been very
respectful over the years, because of segregation and other things, suddenly being taught to carry themselves erect, shoulders erect, heads held high, to stride as if you were going someplace and to be ready to speak up and to look directly at a person. That was not something characteristic of the average black person, the black male in the South. So we came out of it an entirely different group of people. We made a great contribution to black people everywhere because of the training we received. Monica: Your vision or your dream early on was to become a part of the diplomatic arena. What inspired that interest? Ambassador Britton: When I was in Guadalcanal, I read about the formation of the United Nations. I had read a lot about it because, as I say, I had access to many of the periodicals and so forth. By the way, I was able to have a long conversation with the last surviving signer of the United Nations Charter, Harold Stassen, former governor of Minnesota. He was one of the youngest people at the signing. I began reading about the Diplomatic and Consular Service and I wanted to join. Initially, my ambitions were thwarted because even though State Department recruitment required that you have served as an officer in the military during World War II, under
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Extraordinary Profiles
Ambassador Britton - Speaker at 236th USMC birthday ball in Atlanta, GA
federal government regulations, I could not become an officer. Later on, of course, came the McCarthy years and I became a little disenchanted about it. But interestingly, I started working for the New York City Mission Society in Harlem and later with the American Baptist Home Mission Society. I was very active in my church, which is a very large church by the way, Riverside Church in New York City. Over the years, my sense of public service became stronger. When I finally went back into government at a very high rank, I attracted a lot of attention, especially when I began traveling overseas for foreign research. I was in charge of research and technology, and I began speaking for the embassies. Embassies were very impressed by my attention and support. Each embassy writes up a report of your visit. My visit reports began to attract a lot of attention from the State Department, the White House, the press, and Jet Magazine. With that, it became apparent that I had more than just a passing interest in diplomacy. I was asked if I would be interested in a diplomatic post. This was when President Nixon was in office. By the way, my chief supporter turned out to be Senator Strom Thurmond from South Carolina. When he learned that I was doing a lot of things to help South Carolina, he became one of my greatest supporters.
Monica: As a diplomat, one of the missions you served included the Middle East Peace Initiative to Israel and Palestine during 2007. What are your thoughts on the current situation between Israel and Palestine regarding the possibility of achieving peace between the two states? Ambassador Britton: You know, sometimes you almost feel that no one really wants peace. Peace means giving up something, and sometimes people don't want to give up anything. It’s true regarding the Israelis -- many of the Jewish people have been persecuted, and I have followed their history down through the years. They needed a homeland, someplace that they could actually call home, not that they're not firmly involved in other countries as well. They have been very clever and very efficient, so that when they have been attacked by the larger group, the Arab population, they have been able to overcome. But having been successful, it means that they are now reluctant to give up what they were able to achieve by virtue of the failure of others. Because of violence, they have begun putting up walls to separate themselves from other people at the same time that there are large numbers of Arabs within Israel. And they still have not quite resolved whether these people are citizens because it calls itself a Jewish state. But in the nature of things today, nothing is straightforward. So they have Muslims and they have Christians. And the question is
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how do you accommodate the Muslims and the Christians in a place that calls itself a Jewish state? But suffice it to say that the demands of each side are such that it's very difficult to have a meeting ground, a middle ground so that each side gets something, although they don't get everything they want. We have been talking about this since 1948, and here it is moving towards 1218 and we still have not solved the problem of the Israelis and the Palestinians. Yet, they're all very closely related. One is Semitic; one is Hermetic. But they are different. I was very close to Malcolm X when he was in New York, and I remember going to a program in which he and the others had been denouncing the white devils. I met Elijah Mohammed, and in came a gentleman from Egypt representing President Nasser of Egypt. He was bringing $10,000 to support the work of the black Muslims in America. He was blond and blue-eyed. His skin was as white as snow, and he was coming in to support the Black Muslims. He was a Muslim himself. I have been unable to determine the reaction of those men who recognized that their brother was one of the white devils they had been denouncing. This goes back to 1957. They would like to have peace but at their own price and you can't have it that way. It does mean giving up something.
Extraordinary Profiles
Ambassador Britton receives Honorary Doctorate at Kristal Univ. in Albania
Monica: Your profession is also in banking and finance, and you have served as an officer and director in the savings and commercial banking industry. Ambassador Britton: Yes, Carver Federal Savings Bank in New York. It’s is the largest black bank in the country. It's named after George Washington Carver. Monica: When did you join the bank? Ambassador Britton: In 1955 after I graduated from NYU. I had already majored in banking and finance. I also served on the board of Freedom National Bank. Monica: What do you think about the current financial problems that exist today on Wall Street and throughout our economy? Ambassador Britton: I'm not necessarily an expert, because there are so many intractable problems to it. I was listening to Congressman Barney Frank recently concerning the new loans on titles and various kinds of financing mechanisms which are totally unregulated because originally we thought only in terms of banking. I belong to a credit union where you have a credit union association, and they are regulated. But many lending institutions are not regulated. I think even Wal-Mart is considering a banking venture.
There have been a number of changes in the financial field that we never considered. We started off talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars. By the time I graduated, we were up to millions of dollar, and by the time I went back into the government, we were discussing billions of dollars. Ms. Davis, there was a case in point in 1971. President Nixon met with President Pompidou. I think it was in Iceland. At that time gold was being traded by the United States government on the basis of $32.50 an ounce. Americans could not own gold, but foreigners could. So any time a person was ready to present an obligation to the U.S. for payment, that person could demand payment in gold at $32.50 an ounce. Gold at that time was much more than $100 an ounce but President Pompidou announced that he was going to demand payment in gold. President Nixon removed us from the gold standard that night. We would have been wiped out. I had majored in banking, international banking and foreign exchange. But for some reason it did not dawn on me that the prices of everything in this country would rise, because whereas we had been taking our currency to $32.50 an ounce, suddenly that $32.50 an ounce became something like $232 or $332.50, which meant that all prices were going to go up. I completely missed it.
Houses in Harlem that used to sell for $10,000 -- I'm talking about the middle or the early '60s are now going for $1 million, and one wonders, “Well, what happened? They're the same houses.” In fact, they're even older. But it's the monetary mechanism. For those people to understand the monetary mechanism, the exchange rates, the values and so forth, it's amazing. I have to tell you this story. When I first went into banking at NYU, we had a professor from Kentucky who was introducing us to the study of money and banking. He pulled out a roll of bills, and said, “This is just paper. It has no intrinsic value at all. It's just paper.” He said, “It's a medium of exchange or a storehouse of value.” And he continued to talk, and he just really low-rated the bills. Finally, he put them back into his pocket. Well, we freshman sat there. We were stunned. It was like news from Mount Olympus. One guy said, “All right. If you suckers believe that, just pass your wallets to the left.” And we came out of our slumber. The professor, of course, could only laugh. It may have been just paper, but we weren't going to let go of the paper that we had in our pockets. I decided to major in banking because it was a respectable type of work, and also I liked the idea of figures, of business.
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Ambassador Britton with two professors at Kristal Univ. in Albania
Monica: I'm sure you made a great contribution to that industry as well.
Actually, many of the same practices still exist in many other countries.
ences, including China where I observed some real differences.
Ambassador Britton: We became the number one mortgage lender, certainly in the Harlem area. Whenever black people wanted mortgages, they came to us. Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee were some of our customers. Mickey and Sylvia -- I recall so many people, very prominent people whose houses were financed, because the majority of the white-owned banks were not anxious to loan to a black person.
Take Albania, which is looked upon generally as 70 percent Muslim. It's not the usual Sunni/Shiite. It's Bektashi but they are 70 percent Muslim. For many years the ruler was very rigid with the people, and those who had offended the state, especially those who wanted to integrate, were considered enemies of the state. That affected their entire families and even their children were barred from attending public schools. They could not go into public hospitals, public clinics or any public building. If they needed to transact business in a public building, a spokesperson would have to go speak for him or her.
I was invited to the Berlin Senate in Berlin, Germany to speak about social conditions and minorities. Their minorities were men who had come in as guest workers, but they were not allowed to bring their families in. They lived in what were formerly Army barracks. And any time you get a group of men in a situation like that, you have some unruliness and undesirable behavior. They talked about minorities, and they wanted me to compare the minorities there to the minorities here in the States. I had to point out that here we are families. We are citizens. We were not aliens, and we can protest. We can picket. We can sue the state. We can sue the city. We can sue federal officials. We can sue each other; however, these people don't have such rights.
A young lady is now the president of the Carver Federal Savings Bank, and she has really taken that bank to new heights. Monica: You're also an avid supporter of education, and you have lectured at many colleges and universities around the world. Ambassador Britton: I'm honorary chairman of Kristal University in Albania. Monica: When you travel around the world and you're speaking to students, what are some things that you talk about, and what specifically do you want students to glean from your experience and knowledge? Ambassador Britton: That success is always there. As strange as it may seem, in this country we look upon the differences between the races and the past practices of being limited.
Now just think about the South where black people were barred from some places, including libraries and many other public places. There is no difference. You may talk about the enemy of the state, but in the South you were not called an "enemy of the state," you were just called "colored." If you went to a waiting room, there was a colored waiting room and white waiting room. I've gone to maybe 30 or 40 African countries where oftentimes a tribe may find itself in difficulty because another tribe is in charge. Then I go to a place like Belgium where you have a problem between the Flemish and the French-speaking people. In many other places there are differ-
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I had to remind them that things in this country are changing drastically. The courts are ruling in favor of those who are seeking rights within our cities, something that didn't exist within their country. Well, I'm not certain whether it's because of my speech, but more and more of those people have become citizens of Germany. I'm talking about Turks, Greeks, Hispanics and many people from Africa. Monica: What has been your greatest reward in serving as an ambassador? Ambassador Britton: I think it was the ability to take my family out of
Extraordinary Profiles
Ambassador with wife Vernell at wedding of 20,000 couples in South Korea
the country, to see them living on a better scale. It lasted less than three years, but for those members of the family who experienced it, suddenly they were in a mansion with a swimming pool. They had a butler, maids, and security guards. Their father was the number one American on the island. They were the number one American family on the island. And so this was something that I always think of leaving as a legacy to my children. Unfortunately my oldest son never experienced it. He was in the military at the time, and he lost his life before I left. But this is the legacy that I leave to the children, and I'm so happy that I was able to do it. The entire family flew to Barbados as the arriving first family. We all traveled first-class. It was the first and only time that the family has ever traveled on an airplane together. This is something that they may take for granted, but for me I'll always remember it as something very special, even my little grandson who now works on Wall Street. Monica: What branch of the military did your son serve in? Ambassador Britton: He was in the Air Force. He drowned in an accident of some sort. Monica: I'm so sorry to hear that. Ambassador Britton: My other son served in the Air Force as well. My younger son was in the cadets in Bar-
bados, and my younger daughter was also in the Navy. So we've had some military experience. Monica: I want you to give me your thoughts on this quote. A woman by the name of Pearl S. Buck once said, “To serve is beautiful but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.” What are your thoughts on that? Ambassador Britton: She's right on the money, Pearl S. Buck -- The Good Earth and so many other wonderful books. I think it epitomizes what good public service or good service to humanity ought to be about. It's an open mind. It's a good heart and hopefully without any expectation of return. I’ve found that a lot of people say, “They never said, ‘Thanks.’” And sometimes I have to ask them, “Did you do it just for that?” You do good things because they are things to be done to help people, but not necessarily for the reward that you get. Otherwise, it's not exactly straightforward. Yesterday I was going into Kroger, and I stopped to put in some money in one of the Salvation Army canisters. The fellow who was collecting and I got into a conversation. He said, “That lady came here, and she just stuck a dime in the can.” He said, “Should I have been offended?” And my answer was no. I said, “The mere fact that she came may have inspired others, including me, to come here,” because I didn't know how much she
put in. It was less important. I'm not trying to match her. I said, “But the important thing is she stopped. So many people go right past you and never stop or do anything.” So believe me, the person who puts in a little is as important as a person who puts in a lot, because you never know how much it takes from that person to give even a small amount. I was at a retreat recently, and at the end they asked for contributions. They began with 25,000, then 15,000, 10,000 and 5000. Well, I'm not necessarily in that league, but afterwards I said, "Well, I got to give something," so I gave something. But I don't think that we should measure the return that we get for the good work that we do. I think that Pearl Buck in a sense epitomizes by suggesting that what you do and how you do it, is less important than what you get in return. Quite often, for a well-to-do person to help a poor person or a less well-to-do person, it has to be without expectations of any return. We say a quid pro quo. So it's something that we do because it's the right thing to do and not because it's something we are forced to do or where we have expectations of receiving something in return. She was one of my favorite writers. ♦
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 13
Terry Grahl
Transforming Lives From the Outside In
Extraordinary Profiles
Terry Grahl -
a lifechanger who has helped rebuild lives from the outside in for women and families living in homeless shelters. As an award-winning interior decorator, Grahl is using her creative eye for design and her love for making a difference to help improve and brighten the lives of the less fortunate. Her passion? To inspire people to dream while they’re awake. As a visionary and as the founder of Enchanted Makeovers, her love for decorating has resulted in amazing transformations for shelter residents living in her community. She’s found her true calling.
community. In addition to transforming shelters into enchanted havens, she is providing tailored solutions to meet the needs of women and children who are rebuilding their lives, helping them to realize their true worth, and teaching them life and coping skills to prepare them for a successful future. Grahl enthusiastically shared her vision with the founder of Exceptional People Magazine. Monica: You are an interior decorator, but at the same time you're helping to transform the lives of women and children by redesigning the shelters they live in. Where did you get the exceptional idea to start Enchanted Makeovers (EM)?
Grahl realized that change can often begin from the outside. When you change your physical surroundings, you inspire change from within. You instill in others, hope, renewed vision and the desire for change. People begin to envision themselves and their lives beyond their current circumstances.
Terry: Divine intervention. It was nothing I came up with. Of course, I had a decorating business that I started in '05.
“Today, my calling is to transform shelters into beautiful sanctuaries, uplift the human spirit and empower individuals from all walks of life to pursue their dreams,” Grahl says.
Terry: Well, for me, dreaming means action. I think you've got to put footsteps to your prayers. It's not just lying in bed and dreaming. It's dreaming. It's visualizing. It’s taking action. The imagination is powerful but it’s about taking action. There's no time to waste anymore.
The people that she has impacted through Enchanted Makeovers have new attitudes and see a brighter future for themselves. It is amazing how a change in your surroundings can ultimately change your attitude and outlook on life. Through her organization, Grahl is broadening her reach well beyond her
Monica: You said your mission is to inspire people to dream while they are awake. I know what you mean, but can you expand on that?
Monica: Do you believe that many people don't take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to them, or maybe they just don't see them, though they are surrounded by them.
Terry: I think that people don't see them. I always say it's an awakening. For me it's about nurturing the child from within. That's how I'm awakened. How many times have we not noticed butterflies or noticed even a hummingbird. I think people expect a grand finale. But I never take any small blessings for granted. When this all began in 2007, I noticed I was finding dimes. It wasn't pennies. And I thought, “This is strange. I keep finding dimes.” And to this day I still find them. And I decided that that was hope for me. In that moment it wasn't just a dime. No. It was a sign that I'm on the right path. And that's the awakening for me that I share with people. All of us hold that golden ticket. Monica: When you began your mission, although you had no money and you didn't have any volunteers lining up to help you, you continued to press forward. What does that say about the power of positive thinking and having faith? Terry: For me it's everything. That's the foundation for Enchanted Makeovers and for my life. It just feels right and I don't question it. When people walk away saying, “I don't want to do this anymore,” I have to go by how I feel. It feels right for me, and I'm going to keep pushing forward. I really believe this is my true calling. If I deny that, I deny myself, and I deny that many women and children will hopefully find their purpose or true calling someday. Monica: Pride can keep you from receiving your blessings.
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 15
Extraordinary Profiles
Terry: Yes, absolutely. What you're putting out ultimately is what comes back into your life. Monica: That is so true. You said that the first shelter you transformed
took more than just your decorating skills. In order to make the physical transformation of the shelter happen, you had to begin a transformation within yourself. You had to utilize all of your inner strength. Terry: Yes. I had to strip away all those things that I really hated about myself to begin to work with people and to understand the true mission of what we were trying to accomplish. Monica: What were some of those things you hated about yourself? Terry: Well, I hated that I was shy. I still am shy in many ways, but with
EM I'm not. I feel an enormous amount of inner strength with EM. I think there were many parts of me that had a lot of ego, and I believe that my ego was edging God out.
her doors to us to allow the women from the local shelter, Safe Horizon, to attend. I had entrepreneurs come in. I already had spoken with a lot of these women about sharing their stories. I said, “I want you to share that
Before
with everyone that's going to be at this event. You have to trust me on this. You have a powerful message that needs to be heard,” and all of them agreed. There were six women who stepped up, and they shared their stories with the women from the local shelter and the entrepreneurs and staff at Martha Stewart's. It was amazing because I knew what was going to happen. I've already been through it. I knew that that's where the unity would begin and the walls would be torn down. I see the greatness in the women and children, and that's what I want other people to see, not the images that you see on the television. That's not what EM is about.
It's all those things that I try to pass on to volunteers and donors to help them realize that this is a bigger change. If we can start with an inner transformation, that's where unity begins. I always say, “She is me.” All of us want to feel worthy. We want to feel loved, and we want to be recognized. Monica: Are you expanding into other states? Terry: Yes, yes. In 2010 we did several events. Our first event was at Martha Stewart's office. She opened
16 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Extraordinary Profiles
Monica: Oh, absolutely. What do you believe or what do you hope the women and families in the shelters that you work with will gain from your contribution? What is your dream for them?
Terry: My ultimate dream is that they realize it doesn't matter how much money you have or where you come from. It happened in my life. We were on food stamps. We lost our home. We've been through horrible things, all of our family members, but guess what? We're still moving forward and accomplishing great things, and so it's no different. This is just another -- this is a stepping stone in your life. It's part of the journey, but this it's not the end of the story. Monica: Some of the people on your team provide various services. I think you have a gentleman who actually does makeovers.
Terry: Yes, that's my brother. He has his own store, and he's been a makeup artist for 20 years. He works with celebrities and has been in a lot of national magazines. I'm very proud of my brother because all of us,
Terry: Well, I have a stronger faith in God, enormous strength. I mean my faith is everything. I have better coping skills. If something goes wrong with my house or if my kids do something, I have a different way of
After
coping with it. It seems like I'm just more at peace. I never had that before. Before, my first reaction was to just panic and cry. Now, I approach things differently.
we're a tribe because a lot of my family members are on the team. My mother does the cooking with the women and children, and Kevin -he's the handyman. He's a gentle giant. And then my sister does the volunteer coordinating, and she's the protector because Tracy has been through a lot of rough times in her life. She doesn't know how to save herself, but she wants to save everyone else. So we call her the protector. Monica: Yeah. In what ways has your life changed since you began changing their lives?
Monica: You have certainly made a difference in so many lives, and I know they truly appreciate it. Terry: Yes. I've sat and listened to many women in the shelter because it's all about listening. I think all of us want to be heard. Monica: What are your plans for the next couple of years? Have you redecorated shelters in other states?
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 17
Extraordinary Profiles
Terry: We want a national headquarters, and I have already found a home. People from Paris to Hong Kong have contacted us and said, “We want EM here. We need EM here.” Well, I can't be everywhere, so we need a national headquarters where we can train people. It starts with that one person. This is a transformation of one person who will go out in the community and empower all people. It will empower the women, the children and the community. Monica: How can people support you and your organization? Terry: Well, we have several projects. One is Capes for Kids, a sewing project. We have the doll project, which provides handmade dolls. The idea of things being handmade is very powerful to us. We don't believe in buying everything from a store -that's how I was brought up. My mom made everything, and I believe that's where the love is. That's part of the healing process for the giver and
the receiver. We also have the pillowcase program. People can learn more about these programs on our website. It's an emotional investment, because ultimately you're giving yourself away. You're sharing yourself. We have donors from Australia to Singapore, and people share their stories. That's what's so powerful about it. There was one woman who was making artwork from Singapore, and she talked about her dreams for the women and children. I remember all those things. You can't purchase that from a store. Monica: I love what you're doing. What legacy would you like to leave? Terry: She is me, that we see each other. We don't see the mistakes; we don't see the past. We just see that we all have dreams. We all want to feel worthy and loved, and we want to have a voice. That's it. We're not looking at the past.
18 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Monica: I think one of the most important things that people can learn from you is faith, patience and allowing God to act in your life. Terry: Yes. That has been the biggest thing. It's helped me so much, and I want to share that with people. I have to show them examples because a lot of people are kind of leery. Monica: It is absolutely amazing what you're doing through Enchanted Makeovers. Terry: I'm just very grateful that you let me share my story and the mission, and I'm very grateful for the people that believe in the mission. It's been a blessing. ♦
Surround yourself with remarkable, influential and successful people without leaving home!
Minding My Business
Each member of your team should be concerned with providing excellent customer service. In addition to listening to customers and providing great service, identifying unmet needs can result in new revenue opportunities.
Minding My Business
New Ideas to Motivate Employees and Alleviate Stress by Donna Carletta
After dealing with months of layoffs, pay cuts and worries, employees are stressed out and in need of something from you. As you keep the bottom line from slipping into the red, there are steps you can take that will improve morale, relieve stress and not cost anything. Consider these moves made by various bosses quoted in INC and The Wall Street Journal. One or more could position you to move forward as business improves.
• Upgrade job titles even if you can't pay more or can only make a token increase in pay. Several of your workers could be called "manager" or "director" of some facet of your business. It's especially appreciated by people who were out of the workforce for a time before you hired them. They can visualize the title showing up on future resumes. They will, however, probably want to stay with your company where they already have an important job.
• Let people work from home wherever possible. They will appreciate setting their own hours. Working remotely gives them the autonomy that many people like. It makes them feel like entrepreneurs.
• Create a bonus plan in lieu of pay raises. It could be tied to the amount of revenue they generate for the company.
• Hold weekly meetings where they can talk about their jobs. Let them make suggestions and voice complaints about issues you may not be aware of but that you could deal with. One boss met with employees individually and the more he listened, the better they felt. Let them be part of the solution by allowing them to offer suggestions on how to increase business and cut costs.
• Map out the company’s progress and share it with your people. Present a detailed plan you will execute over the next few months and in the coming year. Reinforce the company's vision. As one boss says, when people are focused on surviving, they forget that the end goal is thriving. Always be frank about current circumstances, but demonstrate a positive view of the
22 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
future. You know it's coming even if you don't know exactly just when it will arrive.
Minding My Business Company: Les Brown Enterprises, LLC Position: CEO Profession: Top Motivational Speaker, Speech Coach Location: Columbus, OH - Website: www.lesbrown.com
Les
Brown
“You have to continuously maintain a regimen to retrain your thinking, create new synapses to expand your vision beyond mental conditioning and circumstances. Constantly raise the bar for yourself and set goals beyond your comfort zone. In order to do something you’ve never done, you’ve got to become someone you’ve never been. Look at your relationships and upgrade them continuously. Look at your relationships and practice the principle of let go or be dragged. There are some people you need to let go, otherwise they will drag you down. Put your money where your mouth is. Once you open your mouth, you tell the world who you are.” 24 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: LivingDesigns 360 Position: Founder Profession/Field: Motivational Speaker, Life Design Expert Location: Horsham, PA - Website: www.deanamurphyglobal.com
Dr. Deana
Murphy, Ph.D.
“If you can monitor what you feed your mind, and granted, our mind is shaped by our environment, our upbringing, and society, there are still ways that you can live on purpose. Shape your mind and transform it to create for you whatever you want. I follow this principle, which is found in Romans 12:2, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." That is based on renewing your mind to the word of God." It's all about mindset. You have to discover who you want in your circle of influence, then each and every day you have to be diligent and dedicated to verbalize it and confess it. Don't be afraid to dream big. Dream outside of your comfort zone.� January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 25
Minding My Business Company: Nike, Inc. Position: President and CEO Profession/Field: Sports and Athletic Shoes, Clothing and Gear Location: Beaverton, OR - Website: www.nike.com
Mark
Parker
Long-term business success is a culmination of excellence derived from ethical values, and commitment to quality, as well as outstanding service. Employees from varied backgrounds can expand your vision to reach larger markets and assume social responsibility. A company’s success is as good as its leaders and the people it employs.
26 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: Core Transnational Health, LLC Position: President and CEO Profession/Field: Performance Optimization for Businesses and Health Care Providers Location: Grapevine, TX - Website: www.coremso.com
Carlene
Altom
“Surrounding yourself with the right team is very important. It’s okay to identify your weaknesses but it’s more important to focus on your strengths, then surround yourself with the right people, identify what their strengths are and use those strengths to help you improve your weaknesses. Your team is the key to your success. If you have a bad team your success will diminish. In between your branches of life, false hope can grow. Recognize that the Fruits of your labor will be small if they are not removed. Continue to seek and over time you will come to recognize the prosperity of a limb and the scarcity of a sucker.” January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 27
Minding My Business Company: Willie Jolley Worldwide, Inc. Position: President Profession/Field: Motivational Speaker, Corporate Trainer, Seminar Leader Location: Washington, D.C. - Website: www.williejolley.com
Willie
Jollie
“You must wake up and dream big dreams. You must show up and always give your best. You must stand up and become the leader that’s within you. You must step up to the plate and swing for the center. And last, but not least, you must think up and make up your mind to win.”
28 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: Ziglar Inc. Position: CEO Profession/Field: Performance Training Location: Plano, TX - Website: www.ziglar.com
Tom
Ziglar
“Pure and Simple is my motto. I like to simplify things as much as possible and I look at the pure approach from all aspects. So it’s physically pure, mentally pure and spiritually pure. Success is a number of things. From a spiritual standpoint, success means glorifying God in the process, not in the end result. Think of it this way; when I interact with people or when I do something, it is how I do it and why I do it that’s important. I can only control what I can do and how I do it.”
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 29
Minding My Business Company: Climatecars Position: Founder and Managing Director Profession/Field: Eco-Friendly Transportation Location: London, England - Website: www.climatecars.com
Nicko
Williamson
“Assembling a good team is key to business success. Whether it’s a team of people to work with or a team of people to advise and support you. Make sure that any new business you think of going into is well-researched. I think people dive into things without really understanding the market and the players and competitors. I did a lot of competitive analysis and research before I started, so I knew exactly what I was up against. Make sure the planning process is well done. If you miss something, the business can be completely and fundamentally flawed.” 30 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: Thienna, Inc. Position: Owner Profession/Field: Leading Expert on Human Skin Color, Health, Wellness and Fitness Location: San Francisco, CA - Website: www.thienna.com
Dr. Thienna
Ho, Ph.D.
Our individual adversities and problems will often inspire change within us and create a strong passion to help others who experience similar misfortunes. Adversity can result in triumph and an opportunity to transform lives. Trial and error is often necessary to achieve greatness. Once greatness is achieved, using it to enrich the lives of others it what matters most.
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 31
Minding My Business Company: Dell, Inc. Position: Chairman and CEO Profession/Field: Computer Technology, Philanthropist Location: Round Rock, TX - Website: www.dell.com
Michael
Dell
The ability to convert ideas into tangible objects is the secret of successful visionaries. They often breathe new inspiration into components of existing plans. They are visionaries partly because they foresee change in situations that may not exist but have the potential to come to fruition. Visionaries who become corporate leaders understand the importance of taking risks, defying conventional thinking and wisdom. They possess strong leadership skills and are committed to serving others. Is not enough to build a thriving empire, but you must impart your knowledge and the fruits of your labor to others in a way that best serves them. 32 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: The Baron Solution Group Position: CEO Profession/Field: Wealth & Business Coach, Seminar Leader, Top Motivational Business Speaker Location: Washington, D.C. - Website: www.baronseries.com
William R.
Patterson
“Vision, persistence, influence. It begins with that one great idea. The one that keeps you up every night, bordering on monomania. The one you know will change the world, or at least make you a few dollars in the process. Then you work on that vision forever. Nothing stops you, naysayers—lack of funds, momentary failure—they all crumble under the weight of a persistent force. Once your vision is clear and drive firmly in place, you need to be persuasive. Your support staff must be secured. The need to foster strategic partnerships will arise. Finally, the decision makers of the world must buy your product or service. Those individuals at the highest levels of success have all understood and possessed these traits.”
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 33
Minding My Business Company: Alexandra Watson Position: Founder Profession/Field: Leading Happiness Expert, Coach and Business Mentor Location: United Kingdom - Website: www.alexandrawatson.com
Alexandra
Watson
“Any success in life is 80 percent mindset and 20 percent strategy. As an entrepreneur, you have to trust yourself and your instincts 100 percent in order to grow your business.
There will always be moments in your life where you’ll have to take a leap of faith. Waiting for the ‘right time’ can have a negative impact on your business. Worrying about what other people think can also keep you from moving forward. My favorite philosophy is to learn as you go or hire a mentor or coach to help you and you will experience growth well beyond your expectations.” 34 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: Milestone Motivation, Inc. Position: Co-Founder Profession/Field: Leadership and Performance Location: Raleigh, NC - Website: www.milestonemotivation.com
Derrick
Miles
“The principle that I have used to my competitive advantage includes recognizing that I have a Gift and putting that Gift to work everyday. Unfortunately, most workers don't know they have a Gift or don't have command of their Gift. As a result, these workers work out of obligation (bills, lifestyle maintenance, etc.) and it doesn't take long for obligation to turn into burn-out and frustration. Burned-out and frustrated workers have a difficult time being creative, engaged, motivated or encouraged and these are the traits employers or potential partners are looking to connect with to add value to their clients. I'm very myopic on using my Gift of Leadership and partnering with others who have a Gift that I don't employ. This strategy allows me to focus on what I do well and give the people around me the same opportunity.� January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 35
Minding My Business Company: Baroness von Neumann Position: Founder Profession/Field: Philanthropist, Interior Designer, Entrepreneur Location: Los Angeles, CA -Website: Website: www.baronessvonneumann.com
Baroness Monica
von Neumann
“We all have to weather personal storms. When you’re going through the midst of adversity, you shouldn’t doubt yourself. Go with your intuition. Sometimes you should shut out other voices and go with your own thoughts. Have faith that your opinion is the one that matters most. Sometimes you have to look deep within yourself and realize that you’re enough. In the end you have to make the call. Your faith becomes your foundation. The legacy that I want to leave is that I am a giving and compassionate person and that I believe in making a difference in the lives of others and fighting for what’s right.” 36 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: William Dorfman, DDS Position: Cosmetic Dentist, Humanitarian, Inventor Profession/Field: Cosmetic Dentistry Location: Los Angeles, Website: www.billdorfmandds.com
Dr. William
Dorfman, D.D.S.
“I believe that part of our purpose here on earth is to make this world a better place for having been here and any part that I can take in doing that, I believe, just makes me a better person, and it makes the world a better place. It’s an honor and a privilege to do that. There aren’t many people who go to work each day and come home and at the end of the day say, “I helped make somebody else’s life better.” I believe that is it very important to share your success with others. It is a very satisfying feeling to know that I have contributed to changing the lives of others around the world. It’s not just about my success. In addition to raising money and partnering with various charities, it’s the ability to deliver care to people as well.” January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 37
Minding My Business Company: SturdiProducts, Inc. Position: CEO Profession/Field: Inventor and Distributor of Pet Products Location: Gig Harbor, WA - Website: www.sturdiproducts.com
Rich van
Engers
“Customer service is priority.. Listen to your customer, offer excellent customer service and continue to innovate and improve your products. We have many loyal customers who have been with us for years and they feel like family. If your customers have a problem with something, treat that product like it's your very own. With our customer service, we don't let people go to recordings. We answer the phone every time. We pride ourselves on it. I don't answer the phone very often, but if anybody ever wants to talk to me, they're more than welcome. I give them my direct line.� 38 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: FraserNet, Inc. Position: President and CEO Profession/Field: Education and Training Location: Cleveland, OH - Website: www.frasernet.com
George C.
Fraser
“You must love, give, serve and add value. That is the purpose of life. You have to first understand the purpose of life. You must live by that purpose, and all that is due you will come to you. The purpose of life is not very complicated because God doesn’t make anything complicated. If you want to be remembered, serve people. Give first. If you want to be forgotten, meet somebody for the first time and start asking for something. If you want to be remembered, meet someone for the first time and say, “I’ve got something that might be helpful to you.” Give somebody something as fast as you can -- it could be a compliment. Be the first in the relationship to do that and you’ll be remembered.” January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 39
Minding My Business Company: Shoplet, Inc. Position: Founder and CEO Profession/Field: Office Supply Products Location: New York, NY - Website: www.shoplet.com
Tony
Ellison
“Don't be afraid to make mistakes. There is no such thing as starting a business and doing everything right, so making mistakes is part of the learning process. When you have an idea, make sure that it's an idea that is sustainable and it gains you a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Make sure when you're starting up that you have a business model -- a business model that includes a unique value proposition to your customer and understand why that would make you successful. Most importantly, try to study your marketplace beforehand. Understand the void and try to address that rather than copying somebody else’s idea and trying to be just another player in the marketplace.”
40 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: Women’s International Networking Position: Founder Profession/Field: Leadership Location: Rome, Italy - Website: www.winconference.com
Kristin
Engvig
“Part of our goal is to cultivate authentic leadership and encourage feminine ways of doing business. Some feminine ways of doing business, I think are in everything we do including taking care of the people around us and taking care of the environment. It also means being authentic. We sometimes use intuition in making decisions and think holistically about things. It doesn’t always have to be a sharp and rational analysis. I would like to see as many women as possible gaining authentic power. I would like to see women in a position to help other women who are not as fortunate as themselves. You have to love what you do. You have to be passionate about it; otherwise, it won’t be sustainable during hard times.” January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 41
Minding My Business Company: Dr. Keith L. Black Position: Scientist Profession/Field: World Renowned Neurosurgeon, Medical Innovator Location: Los Angeles, CA - Website: www.cedars-sinai.edu
Dr. Keith L.
Black, M.D.
“Malcolm Gladwell, says in his book, Outliers – you have got to spend 10,000 hours before you get really good at something. But when you love what you're doing, those 10,000 hours don't matter. If you have any talent for it, then that combination comes together. You have a gift for what you do, you love what you do and you don’t mind working hard at it – that’s what really creates someone who can be happy and successful in life.
I just hope to leave the world a better place as a result of me being here, trying to take care of my patients and trying to find cures for bad diseases.” 42 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: PepsiCo, Inc. Position: Chairman and CEO Profession/Field: Major Food and Beverage Brands Location: Purchase, NY - Website: www.pepsico.com
Indra
Nooyi
“Performance with Purpose.” Serving as CEO of one of the largest food brand companies is more than just a job or career. It is a calling that requires total commitment, openness, fairness, strong ethics, as well as trust in your executive team and employees. An avid advocate of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Indra Nooyi’s strong leadership skills and work ethic are products of her upbringing from parents who instilled those qualities in her. “Whatever you choose to do, you must do it better than anyone else.” As a result, PepsiCo, Inc., is a consistent leader in snack food sales, cereal brands and other products that are enjoyed by millions of people everyday. January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 43
Minding My Business
Transitioning from Employee to Entrepreneur by Alexandra Watson Dear Alexandra, I’m thinking of starting my own business after 25 years as an executive in the marketing consulting industry. The trouble is, I don’t know how I will be able to make the transition from employee to entrepreneur and make this a success especially when so many of my friends and family think I’m crazy for trying. I really need to make sure I can earn at least 60% of what I was before in order to stay afloat, but this is the first time I will be without a pay check and to me having no regular income is a very scary prospect. Do you think I am doing the right thing and what advice would you give me to make a real go of this? Answer: Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. To many people the mere idea of setting up by themselves is just not conceivable, either because they would not know where to start or because they are afraid of the uncertainty and challenges that being a business owner brings. Can you imagine sitting at your desk at home, day in day out by yourself, with no other colleagues to communicate with and no one to blame if things go wrong? How about having to shift from being the admin person, to the technical director, to the business strategist to the chief marketing officer to the finance director to the CEO every single day? If that doesn’t appeal to you, don’t even think about starting your own enterprise. The transition you mentioned is huge. Being employed means you have certain support, camaraderie, resources, team goals and dynamics, while going solo means it’s you, your laptop and cell phone. That’s it. In my experience, the most successful start-up businesses began because of a passion, a burning desire of some sort. For me, it was the need to be my own boss. Basically I was a lousy employee who had very little respect for authority and had the misfortune to have some lousy bosses which helped seal this maverick tendency. As soon as I became ‘free’ I knew it was the right thing for me to do. I didn’t care what happened; all I cared about was that my fate, earning ability and day to day life was now up to me and me alone. 44 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Some entrepreneurs come from a different camp which is they have a passion for a new product or service they can provide (that came to me too a few years later). Perhaps then you can relate to either (or both) of these reasons for being self-employed? Of course, there are times when we are faced with no alternative due to the present economic struggles and so starting our own business is the only chance to create income. This is the hardest example of all as your mindset is less focused on passion and more in panic mode, but success is still possible. No matter why you decided to enter into this extraordinary world there are several simple keys to making your business a success whether you’re passionate or not, have the best new service or product or not or have personal financial survival as your master. I call them my ‘magic seven’ because without them, you will work too hard, leave a lot of money on the table and burnout quickly. If on the other hand, you let them be your guide then you can prosper and settle into a new and exciting future. My Magic 7 Keys to Business Success: Key One: Clarity You don’t have anything unless you have complete clarity about what business you are going to create exactly. This means having a clear vision about the type of business you want to have at the end of the day. You’ve heard the expression ‘start with the end in mind’; well it was created for this very reason. Don’t just pick up the phone and start contacting people. First you have to know what you’re building. What is it going to look like in five years? You must also have clarity about who it is you are actually going to serve, who exactly is your customer? Key Two: Tools The next area is looking at your business from a very ‘hands on’ perspective. Knowing what you’re building and for whom is the beginning, but then you have to ensure you’ve got the right tools for the job.
Minding My Business
This means success requires you to have in place the right:
• Mechanics (how to solve your clients problem) • Skills (ability, strengths) • Knowledge (expertise) You have to have all three in order to create a business that works effectively for your clients otherwise you will fail to make it from the starting gate and only succeed in creating frustration, chaos and stress for everyone involved. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve seen people start a business without these in place and of course, they fail miserably. Please don’t be one of them. At the same time don’t think you have to go to the other extreme which is thinking you have to be the most qualified person on the planet with countless qualifications and constantly taking course after course to prove your worth before you can become a success. It is one of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make which not only hinders there progress but keeps them feeling that they are not good enough yet. My advice is to be appropriately qualified before you start, but that’s it until you need to expand your business. Key Three: Finances It is so crucial to have your financial house in order when venturing out into the world of business. You must have financial goals that stretch you but are not over-the-top. They must be achievable. Similarly, you must have a very clear understanding of your expenses and costs. In other words don’t embark upon creating a seminar or workshop and paying for the venue without first knowing how to fill your event and make a good profit from it. I actually do believe in taking risks but this one is just too obvious. Also, always know what is available for you as far as grants, tax exemptions and sponsorship. It will enhance your business. Key Four: Be a CEO
think and act like a CEO. Yes, it’s true you do have to wear many hats when you first set up on your own business but it doesn’t mean it has to be like that for long. The sooner you can delegate menial tasks like administration, social media and the like, the sooner you can expand. Key Five: Sales and Selling To some, selling is a dirty word and a ruthless, soul destroying part of business which of course is a belief that sabotages their success. We all sell, and we’re selling all the time. Think about it, whether we are communicating to others at work or at home, we are putting ourselves out there. Here is my approach to selling: (this is golden) Instead, I see it as serving. If you can apply your solutions to your client’s needs and deliver it as a way of serving, then you are truly connected to your business, your clients and your ultimate success. Key Six: Future Proof your Business You must have a vision for your business that goes beyond five years. It has to be a long enough projection that it frees you to think big. By all means do your financial forecasts, but what I’m talking about is thinking and playing with boldness, with audacity and with intent. Play big or go home, as they say, and I believe that to be true. Key Seven: Mindset It is so important to have the right mindset when it comes to being a success in anything. In order to counteract any self-doubt, energy lows or moments of confusion and overwhelm, try your hardest to have positive self-belief. Your beliefs dictate your thoughts and then your actions, and will create your overall outcome and results. If your mindset is full of negative thoughts, those thoughts will be reflected in your actions and ruin all your hard work. So it is your responsibility to work inwardly too to understand your worth and the value you bring to people’s lives through your work.
When people go from being employed to being selfemployed, what I find is that they end up creating another job and one that is twice as hard. The trick is to simply January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 45
Food For Thought
ISSN 1944-9062 Founder and Editor-in-Chief Monica Davis
Editors
“Learn as though you would never be able to master it; hold it as though you would be in fear of losing it.”
Jon Crump Marla Gem Beatrice Roots
Confucius
Company Writers Donna Carletta Kathy Kentty Pat Markel
“Living well and beautifully and justly are all one thing.” Socrates
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Emerson
Other Writers and Contributors Angie Brennan Annemarie Cross Catherine Galasso-Vigorito Dawn Abraham Dawn McCoy Dean G. Campbell Dorothy Rosby Eileen Lichtenstein Greg Williams Inez Bracy Jack Canfield James Adonis Keasha Lee Margaret Paul Rosalind Sedacca Sharon Raiford Bush Shelley Riutta Sue Urda William R. Patterson
“Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them.” Publilius Syrus
“The great and glorious masterpiece of man is to know how to live to purpose.”
Exceptional People Magazine is published bimonthly by Atela Productions, Inc. The opinions of the contributors are not necessarily those of Atela Productions, Inc.
Atela Productions, Inc. 2961-A Hunter Mill Rd., PMB 624 Oakton, VA 22124-1704 www.exceptionalmag.com
For advertising information please contact The advertising department at 703-865-8308.
Montaigne Copyright © 2012 All rights reserved. Exceptional People Magazine is a copyright of Atela Productions, Inc. The contents of this publication may not be printed, copied or distributed without the express written consent of the Publisher. 46 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Empower Yourself...
Each time you're told “no” in response to your dreams, continue searching until you hear “yes”.
Empowerment
Workplace bullying has fast become a heated topic for discussion, with government and other professional organization’s launching special task forces with a mission to raise awareness, devise and implement proactive measures in order to combat and eliminate harassment in our places of employment. In my opinion, this has
• 82% of bullied individuals lost their jobs (44% involuntary departure, 38% voluntary);
• Is there a high percentage of staff absenteeism?
• Are staff morale levels low? • In 51% of cases Human Resources did nothing to help the victim despite requests; in 32% of cases HR supported the bully by reacting negatively to the victim;
• Are productivity and performance levels low?
Strategies to Avert Workplace Bullying by Annemarie Cross
not come quickly enough, with many workers being subject to workplace bullying, whether in a passive or a directly confrontational way without recourse. So what is workplace bullying? Workplace bullying has been defined as continued and deliberate unfair, unjust or abusive treatment of an individual at work by one or more coworkers, supervisors, managers or customers. Some Statistics:
• 21% or 1 in 5 US workers are bullied;
• 81% of bullies are bosses • 41% of bullied individuals were diagnosed with depression;
• Over 80% reported health effects such as severe anxiety, lost concentration, sleeplessness;
• 31% of female and 21% of male victims suffered from post traumatic stress disorder;
• In the US, work related diseases including stress account for a total cost of $26 billion annually. [Source: US Hostile Workplace Survey 2000, CAWB]
Is your place of work a toxic environment? Take the test:
• Does your workplace have a high staff turnover rate?
48 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Does there seem to be an ever increasing percentage of stress claims? If you are a victim of workplace bullying don’t put up with it. Report it immediately. While workplace bullying should not be tolerated and reported to the senior management immediately there are a number of strategies you can follow in order to address certain situations, before they escalate out of control.
Empowerment
In a situation where a colleague or supervisor throws burning criticism or downgrading and spiteful comments continuously, rather than providing constructive feedback, don’t let this type of behavior continue to rob you of your self-esteem. Instead, try implementing the following communication strategies in order to diffuse verbal abuse with dignity. You may be confronted with:
• “This is terrible! Even the cleaner would have had fewer errors in this report”, or “I don’t know why you were hired – you’re not pulling your weight at all!”
• Don’t become defensive or respond in kind by yelling abuse back in return. This will only add fuel to the fire and allow the abuser to see that they have successfully manipulated you into becoming upset.
• Try to respond instantly and calmly to these comments so that the abuser does not think you are an easy target. Instead, request respect for yourself and refuse to accept this harmful and unnecessary language: ask the abuser to stop this type of behavior.
• Don’t wave your fist or clench your teeth, but rather try to remain as calm and collected as possible.
• Endeavour to maintain a cool and flat tone of voice, with the volume low and words spaced evenly. “Ask the person to be specific in their comments, as hopefully by asking them to validate their comments may cease their broad and unhelpful comments.
• “In what specific way am I not pulling my weight?” or “Exactly what is it about this report that you do not believe is correct?”
Are You Expecting an Income Tax Refund? - The Best Things You Can Do Now With $1,000
• Record each and every event so that you have documented proof of each of the occurrences. [Keep this record at home and not in your workplace.]
• Assess and evaluate your workplace culture to see whether these types of bullying tactics are accepted or whether this is just an isolated incident. If rife within the organization you may wish to reevaluate your desire to work for such an organization.
• Look after yourself both physically and emotionally. Perhaps talk about this with someone outside your organization.
• Use your support network: friends and family may be able to provide assistance.
• Approach your HR department, Supervisor or Manager and request support and assistance in dealing with this situation. [They should do all in their power to stop the harassment/bullying].
• If all else fails, consult a lawyer who specializes in Workplace Issues.
• Seek support from a Therapist or Counselor.
To your success! Annemarie
You love the idea of getting an income tax refund check from Uncle Sam. But you know that it's really your own money, so consider these best-advised uses. 1. Stash it. In case of a calamity or job loss, you could need money for six months' worth of expenses. 2. Put it in a stock fund. Consider one by FMI Large Cap, recommends Money magazine. 3. Buy a new front-loading washing machine. It will save up to $125 or more in water and electric costs in the coming year. Substantial rebates are available. Other energy-saving appliances qualify for a rebate as well. 4. Buy a gym membership. You'll feel good and save money on medical expenses. A person 5 feet 10 inches tall who weighs more than 209 pounds spends an average of $1,429 more on health care costs in a year than someone weighing 174 pounds or less. For $1,000, you can buy a year's gym membership and the services of a personal trainer to advise you on what equipment to use and how to use it. 5. If you are age 50 or older, put the $1,000 into your individual retirement account. 6. Pay the $1,000 on your highest interest-rate debt. The interest you save, say 18 percent, is the same as getting a guaranteed 18 percent return on any investment. Eighteen percent is now common for credit cards.
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 49
Empowerment
Smart Ways to Globally Increase Your Income by William R. Patterson
Many
executives and entrepreneurs are missing huge opportunities and throwing away at least a 20% increase their income by not thinking about their businesses globally. Ask yourself, what would it mean to your bottom line if your company could:
• Do even a fraction of its domestic sales in the UK, India, China, Japan and other countries?
• Reduce the overhead of time consuming and expensive business processes by outsourcing to high skilled labor pools for 20-80% less than you are spending now?
• Differentiate yourself from competitors and generate 30-100% more income per customer interaction by selling international products and services in your domestic market?
and lower your overhead costs. The entire world awaits!
and transcription services outside their home country.
BARON Wealth and Business Success Actions:
Action 4: Use the internet and collaboration tools as a low cost way to build your business globally and maintain contact with your vendors and customers.
Action 1: Think about your business internationally. Get help from experts and establish local partnerships to overcome any language or cultural barriers. Action 2: Don't reinvent the wheel. Look for concepts that are working well in international markets and bring them to your market or vice versa.
Action 5: If you sell retail products, explore international trade shows as a way of connecting with international buyers. Also, look to establish distribution and private label opportunities which would allow others to sell your products internationally. ♦ In all you do, continued success!
Action 3: Outsource overhead and non-business critical functions internationally when appropriate to reputable vendors. Even small business owners can take advantage of this strategy by hiring lower cost virtual assistants, programmers, designers
If you are one of the savvy executives and entrepreneurs ahead of the curve already operating internationally, the next question you should ask is, how can your company partner with others to generate more income from more countries abroad? With billions of people and millions of companies in the world, if there is someone who has not heard of your product or service, there will always be an opportunity for you to expand your business, generate more income 50 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
William R. Patterson
Empowerment
Why Public Relations is Good for Business by Keasha Lee
A solid
public relations strategy is good for any business large or small. The use of public relations increases and expands awareness of a company’s brand. The good news is that good public relations can get publicity for your business for free. If you’re looking for a way to gain more interest from others in the product or service that you are selling; the first thing to think about is how your service or product provides a source of enrichment to someone else’s life. We know that anything worth spending our money on should be something that will add value to our lives, whether it’s purchasing the perfect cashmere sweater that will provide the much needed luxury piece to a wardrobe or reading a how-to guide on negotiation that will assist a job
candidate with the confidence and information needed to ask for the salary he or she desires. As an entrepreneur, you want to make a positive impact in the lives of others and the message about what you are promoting through your business should be clearly stated on your website, business card, and/or promotional information. A clear and concise message is important when pitching the media. You must first decide which media outlet is the most logical to pitch at any point in time for your business. For example, would your local newspaper be the best medium to feature the grand opening of the second location of your local restaurant or would MSNBC be more appropriate? It’s clear that a local paper might be the
first source you would pitch but a local television station may also be a good choice. It’s also a good idea to research any outlet that you plan to pitch your story to. You want to make sure you know who the main audience is for that outlet and if they are a match for what you have determined your clientele to be. A pitch can be in the form of a press release that is a few, short paragraphs long or through a phone call regarding your service or product. Either way, you must make sure your message is clear so practice until you feel it’s just right. When approaching a media outlet that has multiple staff members who cover different topics, find the right person to contact. This way, you don’t waste your time and if you follow up in a timely manner that isn’t too aggressive, you’re likely to get a response. Pitching the media to cover an aspect of your business is a great way to get free publicity. While doing your research, be sure to look at the publication’s Editorial Calendar. The information found on the calendar can help you strategize which story to pitch at what time of year since national publications will list the topics they will cover in each month during the year. The earlier you initiate contact regarding your new and versatile totes for spring for example, the better your chances of getting an email or call back so utilizing an Editorial Calendar is imperative. Be sure to have fun and let your creativity flow when pitching the media. ♦
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 51
Empowerment
Finding Opportunities in Any Economy by Jack Canfield
Your own beliefs and behaviors are great predictors of your success than any fluctuation in the marketplace. Even when the newspapers splash the word recession across the front page, you can write your own success story.
What’s the opportunity here? – or one of its inspiring variations:
• What can I learn from this event? • What will I do differently from now on? • Who can I turn to as a mentor or coach? • What’s my next action?
Master the Art of “Inverse Paranoia” Start by becoming an “Inverse Paranoid”. What I mean by this is, believe that every event in your life is the seed for your greater good; something meant to enrich you, empower you or advance your cause.
Remember the Three Things You Control
Imagine how much easier it would be to succeed in life if you were constantly expecting the world to support you and bring you opportunity.
I accepted the offer, and what I got in return was a bigger salary, an unlimited budget, and a laboratory for learning the success principles that transformed my life and launched a new career path.
You can easily verify this belief for yourself. Just think about the last time that a terrible event turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Ask Yourself: What Opportunity Exists Here?
A big blessing for me came during the 1970’s when I lost my job. I was working at the Job Corps Center in Clinton, Iowa, pioneering new ways to teach underachieving students. One day the word came down that the center was being relocated – and I was being laid off. While attending a workshop at the W. Clement & Jesse V. Stone Foundation in Chicago, I shared my predicament with the presenter. He happened to be vice president of the foundation, and he immediately offered me a job working with inner-city black and Latino kids.
Take the fast track to inspiration by constantly asking yourself: What’s the opportunity here? Make this a habit, and you’ll stay calm and centered during any event that seems like a setback. The beauty of this question is that it triggers your mind to respond with positive suggestions. Compare these to the useless information you get by asking yourself the questions such as: Why did this happen to me? Or, Who’s to blame for this mess? If you get passed over for a promotion or your retirement account takes a hit in the stock market, remember to ask:
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In a way, the economy is just a vague and sometimes ambiguous idea. It refers in a general way to trillions of dollars of goods, services and products by billions of people across the planet. When you face a financial challenge, is it the vast, impersonal economy at work? Or is it your personal economy, which you can directly control? You can’t always count on the economy, but you can always rely on yourself. Remember, you have absolute control over three things in your life:
• The thoughts you think • The images your visualize • The actions you take (including what you say to others) Your life experience is simply the sum total of the choices you make in these three areas. And you can attract new results at any time by making new choices. Use the ideas and exercise found in this article to do just that!
Empowerment
Dead End Negotiations are Not Useles Useless by Greg Williams Are you aware of when you’re headed for a dead-end in a negotiation? If you recognize the signs that could lead to a dead-end early in a negotiation, you can save lots of time, energy, and headaches, by knowing when to exit and knowing how long to stay engaged to reap the benefits. Don’t consider ending the negotiation, just because it could be headed for a dead-end. You can still learn something from the negotiation. Dead-end negotiations can be very frustrating, if you’re not aware of where a negotiation is headed before it hits a dead-end. To maximize the benefits from a dead-end negotiation observe the following: Before the negotiation:
• As with every negotiation, set your goals for the negotiation in the planning stage. Create a strategy addressing the possibility of not reaching a successful outcome. As part of the strategy, determine what benefits you can receive by engaging in the negotiation, even though you know it may meet an untimely demise. Prioritize the benefits, so you’ll have a readymade ‘hit list’, when it’s time to maneuver out of the negotiation. During the negotiation:
• During the negotiation, as soon as you sense you’re headed for a dead-end, at that point determine what is salvageable and beneficial to you. Take note of what might entice the other negotiator to concede items you can take from the negotiation.
• Try to comprehend why the other negotiator is not engaging in the negotiation in earnest. Based on your assessment, you’ll gain insight into how much time and effort you may wish to invest.
• Heighten your awareness of the possibility that a negotiation is headed for a dead-end, when more of a negotiation’s discussion revolves around conversations not related to the matter at hand. The more prolonged the non-pertinent discussion strays from the purpose of the negotiation, the greater the possibility the negotiation outcome will not meet your expectations. (Note: Be
aware, in some cultures, it’s customary to have an extended exchange of personal information and interaction before starting the ‘real’ negotiation. While such endeavors can be time consuming, the getting to know you process is essential in adding to a more sincere exchange of information.) After the negotiation:
• Seek insight as to what the real intent of the other negotiator’s efforts was for the negotiation. Ask yourself, what purpose was served by drawing you deeper into a negotiation that was either intended, or trended towards a dead-end. Consider what the other negotiator may have learned about your negotiation style and can use against you in the future. Assess what you learned about him, too. When you’re negotiating and you realize your efforts are not going to bear fruit, you can still benefit from the exchange that occurs in the negotiation. Even though you will have exposed how you might react to a certain stimulus in a negotiation, hopefully, you will have gained insight that you can use, too. Try not to expose more of your demeanor than the benefits you get … and everything will be right with the world. Remember, you’re always negotiating.
The Negotiation Tips Are … * In any negotiation, attempt to control as much of the process as possible. To the degree you control the negotiation process, you’ll be better positioned to thwart efforts created to draw you into dead-ends. * Be aware of when a negotiation may be headed for a dead-end. If you decide to remain engaged, determine what you wish to receive for your efforts (i.e. insight into how the person negotiates, strategies/tactics used, etc.). Get what you can, and then disengage. * When confronted by the potential of a dead-end negotiation, be cautious of the amount of time you invest. Also, be mindful of the mindset you maintain, once you sense a dead-end. Don’t let your mental guard down and be dragged into an unwanted position.
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 53
Empowerment
If there were two choices you could make that would change your whole experience of life for the better, would you make these choices - even if they were challenging? Read about these two choices in this article. What if there were just two choices you could make to insure that this year, and next year, would be wonderful?
Martin, on the other hand, is a person who is constantly complaining about everything. Nothing is ever good enough for him. He blames others for his circumstances, takes no responsibility for his own feelings, and has no belief that he is being spiritually guided. He feels like a victim most of the time. As a result of the stress he causes himself due to his negative thinking, he is often
Two Choices That Can Make This Year the Best Year of Your Life by Dr. Margaret Paul
There actually are, and these choices are quite simple in concept, yet not easy to do. They are not things you do on the outside, such as exercising your body (which is always a good thing to do!) but ways of thinking and being on the inside. These have to do with your attitude and your intent.
ill, and experiences many family problems. He plods along in his work, resentful that he even has to work. He often feels like life is passing him by.
Intent to Learn
Gratitude I'm sure you've all heard of the "attitude of gratitude." Studies show that the happiest and most successful people in the world are those who consistently live their lives with an attitude of gratitude, who see their cup as half full rather than half empty. Let's take an example. Alan and Martin are both firemen. They are both married with children, but this is where the similarities stop. Alan's life seems to always be filled with joy and success, while Martin's life always seems to be in turmoil. What is the difference? Alan is a very upbeat person who always sees the good in everything and is always in gratitude for what he has. He is thankful for his work, his health, his family and his friends. When difficulties arise, he faces them head-on with an attitude of gratitude for the opportunity to learn and to help others. He believes he is spiritually guided and accepts challenges as opportunities for learning and serving. As a result of his openness and caring, people trust him and have come to him with opportunities to invest his money in ways that have created a passive income for his family. He continues to work because he likes it, not because he has to financially.
God has given us the free will to choose our intention, to choose is what is most important to us in any given moment. The Inner Bonding process teaches us that in our relationship with ourselves and others, we have only two intentions to choose from: 1) The intent to learn, with our spiritual Guidance, about what is most loving to ourselves and others; 2) The intent to protect against the pain of rejection, abandonment, engulfment, or failure through some form of controlling behavior. Our intent to learn or protect/control determines our experience in any given moment.
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Empowerment
Hilary and Alice are both married with children. Both women work as nurses, but, as with Alan and Martin, this is where the similarity ends. Hilary and Alice have similar life challenges in both work and family, yet to look at Hilary you would think she doesn't have a care in the world. Hilary embraces all of life's challenges from a solid knowing that she is on a spiritual journey of the soul - a journey of learning to be the most loving person she can be, both with herself and with others. Due to her devoted Inner Bonding practice, she accepts responsibility for her own feelings and behavior, and opens to learning with Spirit and others when conflict occurs. Rather than shying away from conflict, she welcomes it as an opportunity for learning about herself and for healing any blocks to being a pure instrument of God's work upon the planet. Hilary feels much peace and joy in her life. Alice, on the other hand, is locked into the earthly journey of control. Instead of learning from conflicts, she avoids them with giving herself up or getting angry to have control over the outcome. Rather than taking responsibility for her own feelings, she often numbs out with food and wine. Control is her God. Alice is often anxious and depressed as a result of her intent to protect, and is on medication to deal with the resulting anxiety and depression. It is not life's circumstances that are causing Alan and Hilary to have so much more peace and joy than Alice and Martin. Choosing gratitude and the intent to learn, as opposed to complaining and the intent to protect or control makes all the difference in the world.
Stress Reduction Tips by Eileen Lichtenstein
Are you stressed? Are you feeling overwhelmed, unappreciated and angry? Are you experiencing difficulty meeting multiple job responsibilities and target dates? Are you juggling personal and business responsibilities? Are relationship issues overwhelming? Are you suffering from MOH, Medication Overuse Headaches? "For chronic headaches, consider non-drug treatments... such as Relaxation Techniques." - Consumer Reports, October 2008 p.13 Here are some quick and easy suggestions to reduce stress right now:
• Pay attention to your body, feelings, thoughts and intuitive self!
• Acknowledge personal stress cues and symptoms! • Recognize your tolerance! • Pause! Breathe! Detach! Relax! Take a mini-vacation!
Make this year the best year of your life by consistently practicing Inner Bonding and making these two choices gratitude and the intent to learn. ♦
• Change your internal environment! • Connect with Nature • Physically release and focus: dance, walk, yoga, workout, etc.
• Conduct internal "traffic control" several times a day. • Meditate and center yourself. • Embrace your personal power and spiritual connection.
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 55
Empowerment
Lifestyle Stress Statistics in the Workplace • Workplace stress costs the nation more than $300 billion each year in health care, missed work and stress reduction efforts.
• Stress is responsible for 19 percent of employee absenteeism and 40 percent of employee turnover.
• Stress is responsible for creating 60 percent of the cost of workplace accidents.
• Research shows that 60 to 90 percent of doctor visits are stress-related.
Take a 'Mini-Vacation' - Lie down or put your feet up and just be! Say No - Don't overextend yourself! Take a 'Joybreak' - Do something different that you enjoy such as reading a magazine, calling a friend, writing a thank-you note, stepping outdoors! Stretch - Yoga or office yoga releases physical tension and clears the mind! De-Clutter - Decrease 'visual noise'! Lift Weights - It will boost your metabolism too! (Hint: Keep light weights in the office.)
• A landmark 20-year study conducted by the University of London concluded that unmanaged reactions to stress were a more dangerous risk factor for cancer and heart disease than either cigarette smoking or high cholesterol foods.
Allow Time - Performance has variables and interruptions are inevitable! Think Positive - Let go of self-sabotaging language and worry!
• 90 percent of all disease is caused or complicated by stress.
Set SMART Goals: Specific • Measurable • Action • Realistic • Timely Breathe Deeply - Take three cleansing breaths by inhaling deeply through the nose, belly rising. Sustain the inhalation, then exhale (through mouth, belly deflating), making the exhalation forceful and sustained, like a sigh. This temporarily changes your physiology and can be the beginning of a sustained centering, relaxation or meditation sequence. Walk - A five-minute walk can begin to shift your mood. Fitness walking for longer time periods has additional benefits! Connect With Nature - A great stress reduction technique. Listen to Music - It can definitely be a mood changer! Eat Mindfully - An ever-present challenge to the busy person! Take time out to eat a healthy meal or snack. Mindful eating aids digestion and gives you time away, improving productivity in the long-run.
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Smile and Laugh - Proven to ease anxiety and reduce stress! Foster Forgiveness of Self and Others - Create inner peace by regularly practicing a loving-kindness meditation. ♦
Empowerment
7 Easy Steps to Get What You Want by Inez Bracy
Knowing what you really want is the first step in getting what you really want. How often do you see or hear something and think "that's nice, maybe that's what I should do?" Sometimes, so many "that's nice" things/opportunities come along that you lose clarity on what you really want. You get to decide. Do you want "that's nice" and bounce from thing to thing or will you stay focused on your goals? The choice is yours. 1. Make prompt decisions. Do you always struggle between two differing opinions? A person who makes quick decisions will most likely get what she wants. She creates circumstances and willingly tackles obstacles as opportunities. With a quick decision, firm will and clear focus, she is bound to get what she wants. 2. Have a thirst for knowledge. Do you already know it all? What do you already know? What do you want to know? Whatever you do in a new situation can present some difficulty. A person who uses prior knowledge to gather, analyze and assimilate new information will help keep difficulties from becoming overwhelming and go for what she wants. 3. Develop an overall plan. Do you just go with the flow? Begin by finding new and creative ways to fit all the pieces together. Think of the plan as if it is a puzzle, do you have the box top with the picture on it or do you get to figure it out? Look beyond routine effort to recognize as many opportunities as possible to put the plan together to get what you want. 4. Expect great things. Is just anything okay? In order to achieve your goals, you must set the intention, expect, demand and assume that you will have it. There is little room for chance when you go forth with self confidence in your expectation. It doesn’t matter what others think of you; you must believe in yourself to get what you want.
5. Accept change. Are you resistant to new situations or ideas? Change is inevitable whether planned or unplanned and occurs frequently. Accepting and embracing change provides the freedom to open the door to new opportunity. Look for ways to use old knowledge and ideas in a new way (change). Use change as a proactive way to get what you want. 6. Manage stress. Are you on an emotional roller coaster? Some stress is unavoidable; the way you handle it will determine if it interferes with your goals or you manage it and go forth. You will have ups and downs, enjoy the ups and use the downs for reflection and evaluation. If you let it, the pressure can feel overwhelming. Look for the problem that is causing the stress and remove it. Stay focused on the end result and not on the process of getting there. 7. Ask for help, and then listen. It is your goal but you might need some help getting there. You don’t have to do it all. It’s okay to share your passion and ask for help from someone you trust. Listen courteously and show appreciation. Remember, this is your goal and you can have what you want. Does it seem like a tall task to get what you want? If it does then perhaps it is a good idea for you to rethink your goals. Are your goals based on what you desire or what others told you to have? This is a very important distinction. When working on goals set for you by others, the goals don’t mean that much. Those goals lack the ‘fire’ needed to stick to achieving them. On the other hand, goals that come from within, from you, light a ‘fire’ that gives you the energy to achieve them. ♦
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www.exceptionalmag.com
January-February 2012
CONTENTS
Cover Photo
Extraordinary Profiles 60
Harry Shade—Leading Others to Live Purposefully
66
Dianne Samoff—Putting Her Best Foot Forward to End Domestic Abuse
Inspiration 72
The Door to Happiness is Always Open
74
What Creates Confidence?
The Lighter Side 76
Inspiring New Thoughts
78
Lights Out
79
Profile Resources
80
Writers and Contributors
Allow wings of courage to transport you to new heights.
Harry Shade
Leading Others to Live Purposefully
Extraordinary Profiles
As a community leader, veteran seminar leader and coach Harry Shade has an enormous dream of helping one million people become a “better version of themselves." One might say that he’s well on his way. As an individual who has dedicated his life to the service of others, Shade’s remarkable vision has truly come to life. His outstanding record of accomplishments includes over 30 years of seminar leadership, training, facilitating and coaching individuals to live their best lives. Through many years of personal experience and as a certified Master Life Coach, Shade understands what it takes to live life to its fullest. Through his work, Shade has enabled people of all backgrounds to become empowered to realize their true potential, their purpose in life and discover powerful ways to fulfill their aspirations. His successful leadership abilities are evident through the lives he’s touched, both young and old. For the past 33 years, Shade has also coached young athletes, instilling in them a true sense of responsibility, leadership, and the importance of dreaming big. He is the author of Rare Sense, One Day It Will Be Common: A Practical Guide to a Fulfilled and Balanced Life. His current book project is called “Raising Daughters; A Guide to Fathers” and “Raising Fathers; A Guide to Daughters”.
Shade states, “I thought I would put a book together on a father's guide to parenting a daughter. I decided it to be in the format of the ‘Chicken Soup’ series because I feel that the best way to learn is from others who have been there. Additionally, I wanted to give men the opportunity to share their stories and daughters the opportunity to honor their fathers, all while providing this information in a fun, creative, poignant way.” Through this latest project he is encouraging other fathers and daughters to share their stories as well. Shade enthusiastically shared his passion for serving others with the founder of Exceptional People Magazine. Monica: You have dedicated your life to the service of others. To you, what does it mean to serve others? Harry: For me it means to be there in any way I possibly can for other people, whether it's through doing seminars or writing. I’d like to say my purpose and passion in life, Monica, is helping people be the best they can be because that allows me to be the best I can be. And it really started when I was about 12 years old. My friends would come to me with their boyfriend/girlfriend problems around the seventh grade. I just had a knack for giving advice, whatever you want to call it, to help with those kinds of relationship issues even when I was young. For me, again, it's how can I help people in any way, shape or form. That type of service to others was instilled in me at a very young age by my mom, from family members and oth-
ers. My hometown is a little town of about 5,000 people where everybody knows your name. Everybody took care of each other, and they still do in a lot of ways today. It's just a very close-knit community. And so that's kind of where it all started. Monica: Sure. You have thousands of hours of training in so many areas of life, to include leadership. What led you into those various areas? Harry: Well, my first career was law enforcement. And that's where a lot of things like crisis management became a part of my life. A lot of my law enforcement time was in the military. So leadership training, those types of things was just all naturally a part of that. I've always been very curious and interested in personal development. I look at it from a viewpoint that all of life is a classroom and any opportunity presented to me that allows me to learn, grow and evolve, also allows me to become better at what I do. I went from law enforcement to 13 years of real estate and, again, I was helping people. The common theme for everything I've done through life has been helping and serving others. So even in real estate I did things to continue my education, not only professionally but also personally. I do that even to today on a daily basis. I ask myself what did I learn, how did I grow and how did I evolve? I had coached youth sports since I was 18 years old and I'm still coaching today, almost 32 years later. It all goes back to that mindset of how I could help and serve others.
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Extraordinary Profiles
Monica: You are the author of a book called Rare Sense: One Day It Will Be Common, a Practical Guide to a Fulfilled and Balanced Life. What do you define as rare sense? Harry: Well, I think it is, in fact, commonsense but that people just don't use it like they used to. Everybody has commonsense about them, but we seem to use it less and less. I think we have allowed technology in some respects to take some of that away from us, because we don't communicate the way we used to. I call it rare because I don't see it being used like I did as a child. We didn't have Google. You had to figure things out for yourself. It wasn't easy. If you wanted to do a research project, you went to the library, or you had encyclopedias at home. And so, again, you had to use that commonsense about how you viewed the world and how you interacted with others. Monica: Absolutely true, so true. What do you consider to be the elements for a fulfilled and balanced life? Harry: Balance for me has changed over time. I think when I was in my 20s, balance was going out and dancing six nights a week, going out with friends, having a good time, focusing on starting a career. It was totally different than when I became 30 and I was married and I had my first child. Balance became how much time I could spend with family, and I was a little deeper into my career. I left the military because I didn't see my daughter. I barely witnessed the first year of her life. Today balance is a little bit different. My daughter is 21, so I spend more time traveling, speaking and training. I spend time with my extended family. I had to find balance within myself. How do I take time from each day for myself? That's what I now view as balance. Monica: You have an amazing list of accomplishments. What would you like to do that you have not yet accomplished? Harry: Well, I haven't got my book on the New York Times bestseller list, so that's something I want to do. The things that I really want to accomplish in my life are to travel to places that I have not been, meet people that I haven’t met, continue to write and work on projects, have our show, Marvelous Mondays with Harry and Phil, become famous and have the Ray Network become one of the most popular radio networks in the world. There are 62 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
lots of things I have on my bucket list. I want to be fully active my entire life. I don’t see myself sitting in a chair flipping channels. I want to be traveling and speaking in my 80s because there's so much to see, learn and do. Monica: You have set a goal of helping at least one million people to become a better version of themselves. How are you fulfilling your vision, and how are you able to measure your success? Harry: Well, I'm fulfilling it every way I can, Monica, through the radio show I just mentioned, through my company and in every interaction that I have. My focus is what I can do in this moment to be of service and to help people. For every 10 people I help, if I can influence them in some way and those people do it for 10 more, that's another way of drilling down and saying, “I've reached this many people.” I know just in coaching youth sports -- I’ve coached over 450 kids to this point. So I know that for every life that I touch, they can go out and touch another life. Monica: Having the privilege to be able to coach so many young people, what have you learned from them? Harry: Oh God. One of the things that I look at is what I can learn from every single person I connect with. In fact, I'll tell the people in the seminars I teach, “I'm here to learn from you.” So what have I learned from these kids? Oh, so much. I've learned patience. I've learned to stay youthful. I've learned about teamwork. I'm constantly learning from them. You know, a lot of times people say, “Well, I'm the instructor, and, you know, I'm going to teach you these things.” No. I take the exact opposite view. I'm the instructor. I'm the coach, but what can you teach me? There’s a young lady, Morgan, on a team that I coach. One of the things that she teaches everybody around her is humility. She's a very good basketball player, but she's an even better person. They're exceptional young women. It’s
Extraordinary Profiles
priceless to see that they're willing to put in the time and effort to become better individuals. Monica: You are currently working on a series of books designed to help fathers raise daughters and for daughters to share how they have helped raise their fathers. What inspired you to begin this type of project? Harry: My daughter, very simply. When she was born and was handed to me, the doctor said, “You have a healthy baby girl.” The first word I heard was healthy, but then I heard girl. And I thought, “I don't know anything about girls.” I knew how to raise boys because I had coached boys’ baseball. I'm a male, so I understood them. So 21 years ago, I went out and I looked specifically for books on raising daughters. There was nothing out there. So I realized I was going to have to dive in and do the best I could. When my daughter was about 20, I realized there still wasn't anything specifically on that subject; how fathers can raise daughters. So I thought this would be an interesting thing to write about. I asked my daughter what she thought about it and she said, “Yes, that would be kind of fun to do.” Monica: What are some things that you believe can be learned from the father-daughter relationship that could possibly help improve the family unit? Harry: Well, one thing is a lot of times daughters just want their dads to be there. What I mean by that, for example, is going prom dress shopping with my daughter. I am going to share that story in the book. She didn't want me there from a fashion perspective, but she just wanted me to be there. She wanted me to see her come out of that dressing room in that dress. She wanted me to see her growing up and becoming a young lady. It was just important for me to be there. I think a lot of times men will discount that. We’ll sit back and say, “I don't want to go shopping.” It has nothing to do with shopping. It's just that they want their dad to be there in that moment and see his reaction when they come out.
biggest reward I get from any of that is simply two words, “thank you”. That's it. I don't really seek anything else, and I don't even necessarily seek that. It's just great when you hear it. Monica: It's nice to have people such as yourself who are positive role models in the lives of others to encourage them to make better decisions and choices. What’s your last word? Harry: My last word for everybody is that you matter. It’s as simple as that. Every single person matters.
Monica: Oh, absolutely it is. From all of your life experiences and the various fields that you have worked in, what stands out the most? What gives you the most fulfillment or what are you most proud of? Harry: I'm most proud of the fact that I can say that I have done everything that I can to be of service. The January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 63
Dianne Samoff
Putting Her Best Foot Forward to End Domestic Abuse
Extraordinary Profiles
Shoes, shoes and more shoes. They wear them in style and with attitude, but these ladies are doing more than just wearing stylish pumps. They may be “dressed to charm,” but they are literally putting their best foot forward to help victims of domestic violence. Diane Samoff, a victim of domestic violence for several years during her first marriage, knows firsthand the devastation that it can cause, both physically and emotionally. After escaping from her own devastating experiences, Samoff was encouraged to start Society of Women Who Love Shoes and Fashion in 2005. Having to start her life over, Samoff was faced with finding a job. She was given a suit and a pair of red shoes. This act of kindness gave her a sense of pride and great hope that she would once again become whole. As a result, she wanted to share that same sense of hope with other women who have experienced domestic violence. As founder of this great organization, Samoff’s dream is to allow her vision to take root around the world. She has inspired hundreds of women to share her vision -- their love of shoes to help women escape the clutches of domestic violence. Samoff says, “We all know that when a woman feels like a woman, there is POWER!” The Society of Women Who Love Shoes and Fashion is a non-profit organization that collects shoes and other items for victims of domestic violence. The organization promotes change and raises awareness through networking and social events.
It was a pleasure to speak with Samoff and her current husband, Roger concerning her vision to change and improve the lives of women worldwide whose lives have been drastically altered because of domestic violence. Monica: What type of abuse did you experience? Was it physical, emotional or mental abuse, or was it all of those? Dianne: A little bit of all of it. My former husband was an alcoholic. At first it occurred only when he drank, and then he started doing it even when he wasn't drinking. But he was a pretty angry alcoholic and it lasted until I left him -- ten long years. It started on the third day we were married. We dated three years, and my father was pretty strict, so I had to be in the house early. So I never saw him when he was drinking heavily. After the third day we were married, my aunt visited me and we were talking and laughing about something. He was in the kitchen, and I guess he didn't hear what we were talking about. After she left, I took a nap that afternoon. He had gone out to a club. When he came home, he woke me up and began pushing me against the wall. He said we had been talking about him, and he hit me in my mouth. Monica: I'm sure that came as a surprise to you. Dianne: Oh, absolutely. I mean here's this man I dated for three years. He had never hit me or anything, and then all of a sudden, I'm being hit. It was pretty bad. I found out later during our marriage all of the men in his family hit their wives except one brother.
Monica: I see. Did you have children at the time? Dianne: Yes, I have four children, three boys and a daughter. I'm very lucky. I married a wonderful man years later. None of my sons hit their wives, so I'm lucky because usually it runs in the family. It's hard to break that cycle. Monica: What was the breaking point that gave you the courage to escape the clutches of domestic abuse? Dianne: You know, going through it for 10 years, while you're living through it -- let me say that first -you're just surviving. I have had people during the marriage say, “Well, why don't you get out”? You're just trying to survive, especially when you have children. I know that sounds odd to people that haven’t had to deal with it. When I finally left, my youngest son was five, and I just decided it was time to get out. To be honest with you, Monica, it's almost like I woke up. I was living in Louisiana, and it seemed like I just woke up that one day. The good Lord just helped me to get out of it. I went to Dallas where I now live. I got a job and saved a little bit of money for a couple of weeks. I went back to my home in Louisiana, got my children from my parents and moved them to Dallas. It was just the grace of God. That's all I can really say. Monica: Were you working during your marriage? Dianne: No, because he was one of those who thought that if you worked, you were obviously flirting with people. One time we were walking down a sidewalk, I just happened to look
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Extraordinary Profiles
trying to make it, you do the best you can. Roger: The one thing I've learned about women, Monica, is that probably the most important thing to most women is security. I think when you get into these situations you find your security is breached. You don't know who you can trust. Monica: I'm glad you have overcome it all. Now you see life and yourself from a brand new perspective. What words would you use to describe how your life has changed since then?
up, and there was a man. He hit me in the face right there on the sidewalk in a shopping center. So, no, I wasn't allowed to work. I could barely speak to my male cousins because he accused me of flirting with them. He was a very jealous man. Roger: First I will tell you the nightmares for her ended about two years ago. After about 26 years her nightmares finally stopped. One of the things she didn’t mention in the past about working is that they were separated several times. During those times of separation, she was able to begin work, typically odd jobs because when you have four kids and you can't afford childcare, you have to work out something with the hotel where you're the night clerk or something else. But she has always been extremely ambitious to do multiple things to try to make ends meet. Dianne: That is right. I stayed at a hotel one time, and I worked at night when I was separated from him. I put my children in a room close to the office. When you're single and you're
Dianne: Overwhelming. My life is totally different. It took me awhile. Even married to a good man, I still, for a while, wouldn't trust him. I got a job and if I was a little bit late coming home, Roger would worry about me being in a large city like Houston. We didn't have a cell phone then, and he would be standing outside worried to death about me. I took that as jealousy. I would get angry because I thought that the situation was going to be repeated. But I learned he was just a caring man, not being jealous. Roger: Just from an observer's point of view, what I noticed with Dianne over the years is what she told you in the beginning, that she was kind of shy and timid. I think a lot of that timidity came from just a lack of support for a number of years. What I have noticed over our years is that she's begun to regain her confidence. She has begun to blossom, take risks and become very successful with the things that she's done. And I think it's the thing that's made the biggest difference in her ability to lead the Society of Women Who Love Shoes and grow that group like she has so far.
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Monica: You are using your experience in a way that can help women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence. You are helping them to find hope and inner strength. Your organization, of course, is called Society of Women Who Love Shoes and Fashion. What is the overall mission of the organization? Dianne: Goals often change as you create something like this. But we want to be an alliance. We want shelters to be able to call us. We reach out to different shelters and ask them what they need. We have a happy hour every month. We knew several shelters needed coats for November, so we had a coat drive. We always ask for shoes. There would also be months we would ask for school supplies or different things that they needed. And we've begun to get phone calls from individuals now. Monica: As far as the people who are in need, do they contact you directly?
Extraordinary Profiles
He wanted to assure me that it would never happen again. He was very comforting. Monica: What inspired the name Society for Women Who Love Shoes and Fashion? Dianne: That has begun. We've always just given to a shelter, which we will continue to do, but we are beginning to get direct phone calls. So there will be a time when we will supply items for those women who reach out to us as individuals. We are hoping next October to sponsor a walk or a run, because October is Domestic Violence Month. We're also reaching out to our board members and all of our volunteers. We're visiting churches, and we're putting something together for the churches. We hope that many of the pastors will preach on domestic violence at least one week during October. Roger: The biggest thing that we're driving, first of all, is awareness. When people become aware of how big the problem is and how many lives around them it touches, they want to become involved. So the first phase of activity of almost everything we’re doing is just to create a high level of awareness. That will hopefully be followed by action. We have a series of programs that will follow over the next couple of years to support that involvement.
them. A lot of women that come to our group are abused at the time. If they take one of our cards home or they come to our event, a lot of times the spouse has no idea it's for abuse because of the name of the organization. You may think it's just a society thing. Just know you are loved, and we do want to help. Go to your church. I know it's hard, believe me, but there are ways. People say, “Well, why don't you get out,” so you get out. If you’re like me, you never had a job. What are you going to do to support those children? You don't have a car. You have no furniture. Some women, when they leave, have a home, car, furniture and clothing. Monica: When you told Roger that you had been abused, how did he react? Dianne: Shocked. He didn't grow up in that. It’s hard for people that don’t live like that to realize that it really happens. He was very calming and compassionate and wanted to hug me.
Dianne: Oh my goodness. You know, when I left my abuser, I didn't have much. I borrowed a suit from someone, and I borrowed a pair of red shoes. And when you put on high heels, it just makes a woman feel so good. We all love shoes and it kind of came together from there. Monica: What is your plan for the organization for the next two to three years? How do you plan to grow it? Dianne: Well, I have women reach out all the time who want to volunteer. And a lot of our volunteers were abused. A lot of them have the same passion I have. As I mentioned earlier, I would love to reach out to the churches and have every church spread the message about abuse at least one Sunday in October. We want to start having runs and walks in October, and we’re hoping to reach out to the schools and start teaching children early on. We're hoping to be able to help women make the transition. There are women who may need to leave town, and they can't afford to.
Monica: What words of wisdom and inspiration can you give other women who are currently experiencing domestic abuse but don't know how to change their situations? Dianne: To know that there are people out there that care, and that's what we're hoping our group will also show All photos by marcuslopezphoto.com January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 69
Extraordinary Profiles
workplace. The reality is, as she mentioned, when you have a woman who's been beaten and she can't afford to miss a paycheck, and her boss says, “Come back when the bruises are healed,” she loses two, three, four weeks worth of pay. Now what? Her life is now dashed. So we want to develop more of a support system and get that in place across the U.S. Mothers Against Drunk Driving did a great job of making the problem visible and taking action. I think she'd like to follow that same model as it relates to those rules. We're hoping to be able to help them relocate. Monica: Absolutely. And so what kind of legacy would you like to leave other women, whether it's personally or through your organization? Dianne: I hope it goes on for years and years after I’m gone. I hope we can change laws and work situations where if a woman has been abused, she can still be paid when she's not working. There are women that are sent home because other people are looking at them. Some organizations do not pay them. They just tell them to stay home until their bruises are gone. We're hoping to change a lot of it.
Monica: It’s wonderful that you are participating in what your wife is doing, trying to make a difference as well. Roger: Well, the simple thing about Dianne -- you asked her a question about her legacy. My wish for her legacy is that the size of her heart and how deeply she cares about people’s situations and takes a personal interest in individuals’ well-being, that that character can be spread to anyone and everyone who is touched by the Society of Women Who Love Shoes.
Roger: Dianne's kind of timid sometimes in saying what she's really put in motion. But one of the things that she's asked me to help with is to work with some of the major human resources organizations, with the major corporations in the U.S., in forming a committee to develop more of a support system from the corporate side. Today most of the organizations have rules around domestic violence to keep domestic violence out of the 70 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Monica: How can others help you? How can we support you? Dianne: We have a website; www.societyofwomenwholoveshoes. org. And anyone that would like to get involved or start a chapter in their city, we would be willing to discuss it. We probably have 23 active volunteers. They do whatever it takes. When I attend an event, I do not have much to do except entertain the guests, because the volunteers take over and they are awesome. We have men and women who volunteer. Roger: We have an existing network of individuals across the country, so we have plans for national growth. We already have a network in place so we can take advantage of that and help individuals to do that. Monica: I want to thank you for all that you're doing through your organization to help abused women. I know you're going to have a major impact on the lives of many women, and I wish you much success with it. Dianne: Thank you so much.
Inspiration
If
you take the
less traveled path
you will find
prosperity and tranquility.
Seek it.
Inspiration
The Door to Happiness is Always Open by Catherine Galasso-Vigorito “I can’t be happy,” you may say. “I have experienced too many disappointments in my life.”
Adorning a beautiful smile across her face, Jen is kind to others, self-assured and determined to live productively.
“I have been pushed down countless times,” you declare. “So, I cannot be happy now.”
Interestingly enough, I read that if she comes across a difficulty, such as: what to wear, how to drive a car or what to do when she goes out to eat in a restaurant, Jen doesn’t dwell on the stumbling blocks. She modifies her surroundings; shops in children’s clothing stores, uses a pedal extender to drive, and she props herself up on pillows in restaurants to enjoy her meal.
“I’ll never live a joy-filled life,” you might utter, “because I have disadvantages.” Well, I say: stop talking yourself out of happiness! Don’t miss out on the blessings, joys and opportunities that are before you. No matter how many obstacles seem to be in your path, regardless of how young or how old you are, or despite some limitations, look forward and see the wonderful possibilities that are in your future. Jennifer was born with SED which is a genetic mutation that led to abnormal collagen formation. Thus, this rare bone growth disorder caused dwarfism. Because of Jen’s condition, she has endured more than 30 complicated surgeries. We can all find excuses not to be happy. Some people are stopped by fear. Others are halted by thoughts of deprivation. Yet, Jen never let challenges or lack of height to allow her to sit back, depressed, letting her precious life pass her by. Instead, she believes that her dreams are all attainable. Jen’s motto is to “Think big to overcome obstacles!” She chooses to be filled with joy, spunk and enthusiasm.
Over the years, Jen decided to fulfill her aspiration and go to college. She refused to listen to the word “no,” and set her sights on giving back to the world. Then, after graduation, Jen attended medical school specializing in caring for the smallest babies in the neo-natal unit. An inspiration to all, Jen sees no barriers! Today, at 3 feet 2 inches tall, Dr. Jennifer Arnold in her custom-made white coat is a highly trained pediatrician, a neonatal specialist and an assistant professor of pediatrics. In addition, she recently got married. The couple is building a new home and they’re planning to start a family. Moreover, Jen and her new husband Bill, have their own hit television show on The Learning Channel. And I believe that this is only the beginning of the blessings that God has in store for this remarkable woman! Like Jennifer, God has a great plan for you, too, for He has put you here on earth to be happy and succeed. So ask yourself, “What makes me come alive?” “What dreams are in my heart?”
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Inspiration
For happiness can be found in moving toward productive, meaningful, goal-oriented activities. The world needs people like you. And so, strive in the direction of excellence. Utilize your potential and unique talents, and the glow of happiness will be on your face. Look beyond imperfections and be thankful for all the good in your life. Enjoy the simple pleasures. Go for a walk in the sunlight, pet a sweet cat or dog, and create a peaceful, loving home environment. Find a hobby that you really enjoy. Make good choices for your health. And surround yourself with smiling, positive people, for happiness is contagious. Forget petty grievances. Put down the weights of the past. A few summers ago, my husband and I decided to construct a patio in our backyard. We went to a home improvement store, selected the brick, and had it delivered. Yet, before we began building the structure, first, one by one, we had to lift the bricks, place them in a wheelbarrow and wheel it to the side of the house, where we planned the patio. Well, I couldn’t wait to get those heavy bricks out of that wheelbarrow! The weight was almost unbearable. In the same way, we must stop living under the weights of guilt, disappointments or negative feelings. Lighten that load. And do as one reader suggests, “Let go and let God.” Be contented, happy in the here and now. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect in order to be happy. We all have encountered challenges. But for having gone through those difficulties, we have had the opportunity to become better, more compassionate people; more equipped to help others. There is a wonderful saying, “The greatest exercise for the human heart is to reach down and lift another up.” Reach out and make a difference by sharing your gifts. Treat people with respect. And if you can, help someone; give them a chance. May it be with your time, wisdom or putting in a good word for them. That recommendation or word of encouragement can be the boost they need, bringing them happiness and reaching their full Godgiven potential. For I believe this is the true joy of life. Remember, the door to happiness is always open and your name is on the door….saying, “Walk through.”
Quotables “There is one purpose to life and one only: to bear witness to and understand as much as possible of the complexity of the world - its beauty, its mysteries, its riddles. The more you understand, the more you look, the greater is your enjoyment of life and your sense of peace. That's all there is to it. If an activity is not grounded in "to love" or "to learn," it does not have value.” Anne Rice “You have to expect great things of yourself before you can do them.” Michael Jordan “The way we communicate with others ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” Anthony Robbins “Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is a direct route to serenity and contentment.” Grenville Kleiser “The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.” Sonya Friedman
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Inspiration
What Creates Confidence? by Dr. Margaret Paul
The Encarta World English Dictionary defines "confidence" as "a belief or self-assurance in your ability to succeed." We all know people who appear to be very confident professionally, yet when it comes to personal relationships, appear to be very insecure. Personal confidence is totally different than professional confidence in that personal confidence is about who you are and professional confidence is about what you do. Personal Confidence What creates personal confidence? How does one become confident in who they are? If you grew up with parents who valued their own inner qualities and were role models for inner confidence, and valued your inner qualities and supported you in being who you are, it is likely that you feel personally confident.
Your true Self is your essential inner qualities that you were born with, such as your ability to love, to be kind and caring, to be compassionate and empathic, and to listen well. It is about your basic goodness. It is also about your creativity, your unique talents, your particular forms of intelligence, your sense of humor, your smile, and your laugh - all that is uniquely you. If you were not valued for your true Self, then it is likely that you are not seeing or valuing your essence qualities. In fact, you might have decided a long time ago that you are not good enough - that you are somehow inadequate as a person. It is this false belief that creates feelings of inadequacy and a lack of personal confidence.
But must of us did not grow up that way. Most of us grew up with parents or other caregivers who not only lacked personal confidence, but who may have blamed and shamed us, undermining our sense of self.
Right now, imagine that you can see yourself, not from the eyes of your programmed ego wounded self, but from the eyes of your higher self - the eyes of love. Visualize yourself as a very small child and look inside at who that child is. What do you see? Is there anything about you as a small child that makes you unlovable? What are the wonderful qualities that are inherent in you as a child? If this child were your actual child, how would you feel about him or her?
However, no matter how much we may have been de-valued as children, it is never too late to learn to value ourselves now. The secret in gaining personal confidence is to get to know your true Self - your soul essence who you really are.
Throughout the day today, practice noticing and valuing your inner qualities. If you do something kind, say to your inner child, "I really value your kindness." If you are creative or funny, express appreciation for these qualities. Day by day, as you consis-
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Do you lack personal or professional confidence? Do you often wonder at how others can appear to feel so confident? Discover the path to both personal and professional confidence. tently value your intrinsic qualities, you will find yourself gaining in personal confidence. When you learn to appreciate rather than judge who you are, you will feel personally confident.
Professional Confidence Professional confidence comes with time and practice. The more you learn and practice a particular skill, the better you become at it and the more confidence you have regarding this skill. With enough time and practice, anyone can become confident in their ability to perform. Some people attempt to define themselves by their performance, believing that what they DO defines who they ARE. When this is the case, they will continue to lack personal confidence, no matter how successful they are professionally. When you attach your worth to your external success, then you have to continually succeed to be worthy, which creates much inner stress. If you find yourself constantly judging yourself to get yourself to perform, you might want to notice that it is this self-judgment that erodes your personal confidence. Confidence as an adult does not come from others approval. Valuing both who you are and what you do is what creates a deep level of inner confidence.
The Lighter Side
Oh come on. You're kidding!
Lighter Side
Inspiring New Thoughts by Dorothy Rosby
I read
somewhere that the average person thinks 60,000 thoughts every day! That sounds like A LOT! Of course, that's if you're average, and really, how many of us can say that? The author went on to say that, no matter how many thoughts you have, 95% of them are the same ones you had yesterday. Ouch! That makes me feel so shallow! And it did yesterday too.
that. Besides, “Where are my keys and my sunglasses,” there's “What am I going to make for dinner,” “Why can’t my stomach be flat,” and “There must be something in the water in Washington, D.C.” I know my life would be more interesting if I could think some new thoughts. I would probably be more interesting too. You're already very interesting, but I'm going to make some suggestions anyway. Ways to Have New Thoughts
I don't know if I even have 60,000 thoughts per day, but if I ever start counting, I'm pretty sure I'll have fewer of them. “Where did I put my car keys?” That's one. “What about my sunglasses?” That's two. “If only I would learn to put my sunglasses and my keys in the same place every day!” That's three--all of which I had today, yesterday, and pretty much every day last week. You can see how counting would discourage deep thought. Of course, like many other startling “facts,” these two may not even be . . . well . . . factual! An e-mail I received recently claimed red cars are stopped for speeding more often than any other color of car. That's probably true when you compare red cars that ARE speeding with other cars that are NOT. Or there's that “fact” that periodically makes the rounds on the internet about how more people are killed by donkeys than by airline accidents. There's probably no way to prove that since, as far as I know, no one keeps records of donkey-induced fatalities. But if it were a problem, I'm sure someone would be keeping stats. I apologize for getting off track, but I did give you something to think about, didn't it? And that's a good thing. I don' t know about you, but if I were honest with myself, which I seldom am, I would have to admit that many of the thoughts I’m having today are the same ones I had yesterday and probably the day before
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Try new things. I've never had a burning desire to try sky diving or bungee jumping. I worry that certain new experiences might kill me, and dead people are not known for their abundance of new thoughts. But I have tried sushi, and the cha-cha, and texting! In fact, because texting is my son's main form of communication, I have become--and I don't mean to brag here--almost adequate at it. Now I'm trying to encourage him to try something new too: CALL ME! Read. I read whatever is in front of me, including cereal boxes, which recently inspired several new thoughts: “Why wasn’t my box of Mini-Wheats the one with the $100 cash card inside?” And “What is tripotassium phosphate and why are they putting it in my Cheerios?” But when it comes to mysteries, I prefer mine in a book. Mystery novels prompt many new thoughts: “Whodunit? What was the motive? And what was that noise I just heard in my basement?” Travel. Traveling is a great way to trigger new thoughts: “Why do hot dogs cost $20 when you're away from home,” “Did I remember to lock the front door when I left,” and “Thank goodness, I'm flying and not riding a donkey.” ♦
Lighter Side
Psychiatry Seminar Psychiatry students were attending their first seminar. It was on emotional extremes. The professor wanted to establish some parameters, so he asked what they would say was the opposite of joy. “Sadness,” replied Mr. Nichols. Ms. Biggs defined the opposite of depression as elation. “And Mr. Martin, what is the opposite of woe?” Bubba replied, “I believe that would be giddyup!”
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Lighter Side
Lights Out! by Angie Brennan Dear Valued Customer, Here at Central Electric Company, it’s our job to ensure the regular and safe delivery of electricity to your home. But, as we all know, winter weather often means downed power lines. Should your electricity go out, we will do whatever it takes to restore it as quickly as possible. Yes, even though you recently wrote that angry-sounding letter to the editor complaining about our extremely reasonable rate increase. Hey, no hard feelings! THE LIGHTS ARE OUT. WHAT SHOULD I DO? Feel free to give us a call if your power goes out. Please do not call us back every ten minutes to check on the status of your restoration. If you feel an overwhelming urge to contact us repeatedly, simply read out loud the following message as many times as necessary: “This is Central Electricity Power Company. Your power outage has been reported. Please be assured that we are working to correct the problem. We anticipate your power being restored by…unknown. Thank you for calling. To hear this message again, press one.” IT’S MEALTIME AND I CAN’T USE MY MICROWAVE, ELECTRIC STOVE, OR OVEN. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT DINNER? It’s a pain to be without power, isn’t it, valued customer? Here are a couple of our “cabinet to table” favorites: Cereal Crunch: Pour cereal into a bowl. Get a spoon. Stop! DO NOT open the fridge to get milk unless you want your refrigerated items to spoil quickly. While your molars are busy pulverizing the chunks of dry granola, you might want to take a moment to reevaluate your letter about our rate increase. You get what you pay for, my friend. Just a thought. Choco-Sandwich: Measure out 1/2 cup slightlydiscolored chocolate chips that haven’t been used since you lost interest in baking two years ago. Place 78 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
chips inside a slice of bread. Fold bread over and enjoy! Very likely a few chocolate chips will end up on the floor. Just leave them. You can grope around in the dark for them later when you get hungry again. Sort of makes you thankful that Central Electric usually keeps things running smoothly, doesn’t it? Sort of makes you reconsider the idea that we’re committing “highway robbery” with our reasonable rate adjustment, doesn’t it? I’M FINISHED WITH DINNER. NOW WHAT? Hmmm…good question. You can’t watch a movie. You can’t go online. You could read for awhile using one of those cheap book lights…if you don’t mind a headache. Of course, you probably already have a headache from caffeine withdrawal. Try chewing a few coffee beans until you can use the coffee maker again. Speaking of being full of beans, your bitter rant accusing Central Electric of doing whatever we can “to keep electric bills soaring upward while customer service wallows in mediocrity” was quite a study in ignorant eloquence. As for your hinting around that we’ve acted behind the scenes to keep out competition….consider the possibility that, on this issue, you might be a bit “in the dark.” Would hate for you to remain that way, if you get our drift. HURRAY! THE LIGHTS ARE BACK ON! Welcome back to the power grid, valued customer! You’ll want to make a cup of coffee right away, then go ahead and sweep up those chocolate chips. As for next on the list, why not consider writing another letter to the editor? But this time, one that explores the idea that a 40% increase to be phased in over the next 12 months is, in the grand scheme of things, a small price to pay for the convenience of modern life. Aren’t you glad you’ve finally “seen the light?” Sincerely, Your Friendly Neighborhood Electric Company ♦
Profile Resources Part One Ambassador Theodore R. Britton, Pg. 4, Service with Distinction Terry Grahls, Pg. 14, Transforming Lives from the Outside In http://www.enchantedmakeovers.org/ Photo Credits Terry Grahls, Pg. 14, Enchanted Makeovers http://www.enchantedmakeovers.org/
Part Two Harry Shade, Pg. 60, Leading Others to Live Purposefully http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/ Dianne Samoff, Pg. 66, Putting Her Best Foot Forward to End Domestic Abuse http://www.societyforwomenwholoveshoes.org/ Photo Credits Harry Shade, Pg. 60, Leigh Caraccioli, Fleur de Leigh Photography, Dayton, Ohio, 937-422-3361 leighcaraccioli@gmail.com, http://atfleurdeleigh.com/ Dianne Samoff, Pg. 66, Marcus Lopez, 972-953-8881, marcus@marcuslopezphoto.com http://www.marcuslopezphoto.com Monica Davis, Back Cover, Ever After Visuals, http://everaftervisuals.com
Additional Credits Graphics and Design: Jeff Hayes, http://www.plasmafiregraphics.com
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Writers and Contributors
William R. Patterson
Annemarie Cross
Ranked as the #1 Business Motivational Speaker by Ranking.com, William R. Patterson is a three-time award-winning lecturer and international bestselling author who uses his trademark approach, THE BARON SOLUTION™, to coach, train, and motivate business leaders, sales professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors. His breakthrough book, The Baron Son, has been translated around the world and featured in the Forbes Book Club and Black Enterprise. William is an internationally recognized wealth and business coach who has been a featured guest on over 500 television and radio programs. William's website, BaronSeries.com, is winner of four 2009 Web Awards including: Best Speaker; Best Male Author; Best Business Advice Site; and Best WealthBuilding Site. For more information, visit http://www.baronseries.com
Annemarie Cross is a Career Management & Personal Branding Strategist, Speaker, Consultant, Radio Broadcaster, and Author of ’10 Key Steps to Ace that Interview!’ She is also the founder/ principal of Advanced Employment Concepts – Career Management and Corporate Career Development Specialists offering powerful programs for people striving for career success and fulfillment, as well as savvy companies committed to building and retaining their most important asset – their staff. Widely considered a personal change agent and success catalyst, Annemarie has distinguished herself as being people-focused, caring, inspirational and life-changing in her approach. Annemarie can be contacted at www.a-e-c.com.au email: info@a-e-c.com.au.
Catherine Galasso-Vigorito
James Adonis
Catherine Galasso-Vigorito’s nationally syndicated weekly column, “A New You,” has endeared her to readers worldwide for over 15 years.
James Adonis is a people-management thinker and the author of three books including his latest, ‘Corporate Punishment: Smashing the Management Clichés for Leaders in a New World’. Thought-provoking and entertaining, James's keynote presentations and workshops show companies how to solve staff turnover, engage all generations, and win the war for talent. He has presented to audiences across Australia, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with an impressive list of clients including McDonald's, American Express, CocaCola, Qantas, and Gucci. www.jamesadonis.com.
Known for her ability to uplift and encourage, Catherine has become America’s most beloved inspirational voice. Catherine is the founder and CEO of her own company, A New You Worldwide, developing and designing inspirational products. Her mission is to instill hope in the hearts of people everywhere, inspiring them to live a better life. She makes her home on the East Coast with her husband and three daughters. Visit her website at www.anewyouworldwide.com Searching for inspirational gifts - visit http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/app.nav/ params.class.K990/walk.yah.0101-K990.
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Writers and Contributors
Rosalind Sedacca
Margaret Paul
Recognized as The Voice of Child-Centered Divorce, Rosalind Sedacca is a Certified Corporate Trainer and founder of the Child-Centered Divorce Network for parents facing, moving through or transitioning beyond divorce. She is the author of How Do I Tell the Kids about the Divorce? A Create-a-Storybook™ Guide to Preparing Your Children – with Love! which offers a unique approach to breaking divorce news to your children based on her own personal experience. She is also the 2008 National First Place Winner of the Victorious Woman Award.
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is a noted public speaker, bestselling author, workshop leader, relationship expert, and Inner Bonding® facilitator. She has counseled individuals and couples, and led groups, classes, and workshops since 1968. She is the author and co-author of eight books, including the internationally bestselling Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?, Healing Your Aloneness, Inner Bonding, and Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By God?
As a Certified Corporate Trainer and Business Communication Strategist she provides consulting, speaking, training and Executive Coaching services to organizations nation-wide on marketing, public relations and business communication issues. She specializes in gender-related dynamics, marketing to women and employeemanagement collaboration in the workplace. To learn more about her book, free ezine, programs and other valuable resources on creating a positive ChildCentered Divorce, visit www.childcentereddivorce.com and www.howdoitellthekids.com. For more information about her customized programs, audio and videotapes, and other services, contact Rosalind at 561-742-3537 or Talk2Roz@bellsouth.net.
Dawn Abraham
She is the co-creator, along with Dr. Erika Chopich, of the Inner Bonding® healing process, recommended by actress Lindsay Wagner and singer Alanis Morissette, and featured on Oprah, and of the unique and popular website www.innerbonding.com. Their transformational selfhealing/conflict resolution software program, SelfQuest®, at www.selfquest.com, is being donated to prisons and schools and sold to the general public.
Sue Urda Sue Urda is an Author, Speaker, Inspirer and Co-Founder of Powerful You! Women’s Network, She was named twice on Inc. Magazines list of the 500 FastestGrowing Private Companies. Sue’s vision is to contribute to a global consciousness of women helping women succeed in business and in life and to open them to truth of who they are. www.sueurda.com.
Dawn Abraham is a Certified Life/Business Coach, and is an “Official Guide for Small Business Marketing at Selfgrowth.com. She also partners with professionals and entrepreneurs to help them create balanced lives while earning more money. Law of Attraction, Self Esteem, Abundance, Meditation, Motivation, Reiki, Private & Group Coaching, Free Life Changing Mp3's and Teleclasses are offered. http://www.qualified-lifecoach.com January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 81
Writers and Contributors
Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush
Shelley Riutta
Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush is CEO of News Archives International. This multiaward-winning journalist writes and publishes news articles about productive individuals committed to making positive changes in their lives and in the world around them. She also writes and directs live performances for young, exceptional artists throughout the Los Angeles region. Sharon shares her life with her husband, veteran actor Grand L. Bush.
Shelley Riutta MSE, LPC is a Holistic Psychotherapist and Inner Bonding Facilitator in private practice specializing in Transformational individual counseling, presentations, groups and Workshops. To get her free workbook "What Do You REALLY Want: Finding Purpose and Passion in Your Life" or for information about the free teleclasses she does every month visit her web-site www.RadiantLifeCounseling.com or call her at 877-346-1167.
To learn more about Sharon, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Sharon_Dahlonega_Raiford_Bush and http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonraifordbush. She can be contacted at https://www.facebook.com/TVwxGirl.
Dawn McCoy Dawn McCoy is author of "Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider's Guide to Success" http://flourishleadership.com/store/ index.html She is also is president and CEO of Flourish Leadership, LLC which provides coaching executives, public servants, and youth leaders. For author and speaker details, visit http:// www.flourishleadership.com.
Jack Canfield Jack is the founder and former CEO of Chicken Soup for the SoulÂŽ Enterprises, a billion dollar empire that encompasses licensing, merchandising and publishing activities around the globe. He is the Founder and Chairman of The Canfield Training Group which trains entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and motivated individuals how to accelerate the achievement of their personal and professional goals. Jack is also the founder of The Foundation for Self-Esteem which provides self-esteem resources and trainings to social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals. http://www.jackcanfield.com/ 82 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Inez Bracy Inez Bracy is the host of her own radio talk show; Living Smart and Well and is a columnist for Senior Stuff a local ezine, the Orlando Examiner, a former columnist for the Island Voice magazine and the author of Rejuvenate Your Life in 21 Days. Bracy’s radio show, Living Smart and Well shares tips on creating your best life and is heard globally on www.livingsmartandwell.com. Bracy is an author, a masterful coach, powerful trainer, and a dynamic speaker. With more than 20 years of experience working for educational institutions and non-profits, Bracy uses her knowledge to help people create extraordinary lives. http://overfiftyfineandfancy.com
Keasha Lee Keasha Lee is President of Striking Statements, LLC a company that provides public relations and social media strategy for small to mid sized businesses. www.strikingstatements.com
Writers and Contributors
Dorothy Rosby
Eileen Lichtenstein
Dorothy Rosby is an entertaining speaker and syndicated humor columnist whose work appears regularly in 30-plus newspapers in eleven Western and Midwestern states. She is also Community Relations Director for an organization which supports people with disabilities. She lives in Rapid City, South Dakota with her husband, son, mother, and hamster. Contact her at drosby@rushmore.com or see her website at www.dorothyrosby.com.
Eileen Lichtenstein, MS Ed, CEO of Balance & Power, Inc. is a certified Anger Management Specialist, Career and Mid-Life Coach, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique ) Practitioner and a former Biofeedback Therapist and faculty at Hofstra University. "SOAR! with Resilience™: The Interactive Book for Overcoming Obstacles & Achieving Success" is the core material for many of her trainings and a motivational read for anyone struggling to take their personal or professional life to a higher level of success and satisfaction. www.balanceandpower.com
Angie Brennan Angie Brennan is a humor writer and illustrator from Maryland. Visit her website at www.angiebrennan.com for cartoons, spoof advice, and more.
Greg Williams Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator, is an internationally sought after speaker/trainer. He provides negotiation expertise to corporate and individual clients that seek to maximize their negotiation efforts, at the negotiation table. You can sign up for Greg’s free negotiation tips at www.TheMasterNegotiator.com – You can also view his Negotiation Tip videos at http:// www.youtube.com/user/ TheMasterNegotiator - Greg’s motto is, “Remember, you’re always negotiating”.
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