www.exceptionalmag.com
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.
January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 3
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 Corp. 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 Corp. 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. Ambassador 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.
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.
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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
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Terry Grahls
Transforming Lives From the Outside In
Extraordinary Profiles
a lifeTerry Grahls - changer who has helped rebuild lives from the outside in for women and families living in homeless shelters. As an award-winning interior decorator, Grahls 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. Grahls 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)?
Grahls 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,” Grahls 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, Grahls 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?
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.
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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. January-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 7
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!
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.
10 | Exceptional People Magazine | January-February 2012
Minding My Business Company: Core MSO, LLC Position: CEO Profession/Field: Performance Optimization for Businesses and Health Care Providers Location: Dallas, 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 | 11
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.
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.
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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 othJanuary-February 2012 | Exceptional People Magazine | 13