I pulled into traffic on northbound 75. I felt my phone vibrate as I took my place in a lane. I reached for my phone. Looked at the message. I started responding immediately. Did the text require an immediate response? No. Was it worth endangering myself and others? No. Was the topic remotely urgent? No. Then why did I let the distraction take over? A - Because I could. B- Because the transaction would be immediate. C- Because rules and consequences don't apply to me. D- … [Read more...]
4 Keys to Amaze Your Customer
October 1, 2012 by
Last week, Jen "asked" me to donate it. The time had come. I had to say goodbye to my old friend. The 98 Lincoln. It had 260,000 miles on it. And it had a few issues. Some larger than others. The Lincoln had sit in front of the house for a month. I hate to say goodbye. I called the Dallas CAN Academy. They support education for students who struggle in traditional learning settings. One way they do this is by taking donated cars. They provided one of the … [Read more...]
The 3 Keys to getting ahead
September 13, 2012 by
He built a successful firm that helps people who are in a jam with the IRS. He also built a successful water company. And he's paid his mortgages with rental income for nearly 50 years. I sat across from him. He finished his lunch - A homemade sandwich and cheetos. We talked about what he learned along the way. He said three things: "Show up every day - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally - and committing to make the business just a little bit bigger and … [Read more...]
Are you in the Rabbit Hole?
September 6, 2012 by
Mobile devices. Text messages. Email. Unintentional side conversations. Web research that turns into an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole. It's no wonder it's easy to get lost doing nothing (results) while doing something (activity). It's easier than ever to live walking in circles day after day. We call each step progress. Yet the steps lead to nowhere. Then we mount the excuses for why we're not getting anywhere. Too busy. Too much to do. Too tired. Not enough time. … [Read more...]
Is it time to wake-up or go to sleep?
August 2, 2012 by
I wandered the kitchen lethargically. My face was long. Jen asked what was wrong. "I'm exhausted." It was dinner time. I was starving and didn't feel like cooking. I avoided starting a meal for 10 minutes as I wallowed in my tiredness and "don't wanna-ness." Two hours later, Jen said she was exhausted and ready for bed. I told her I was wide awake. She was perplexed, "Two hours ago, you were telling me how tired you were." I said, "I was tired. I woke-up when I cooked … [Read more...]
The Courage to Live
July 31, 2012 by
The other night I met with a man who a friend who connected me with. We don't know the 'why' behind our connection yet. We're figuring that out. He could become a friend, a mentor, a business opportunity... We'll see. We enjoyed a 3 hour conversation about business, life, and Spirit. For most of the night, the conversation was spontaneous and authentic. We were honest and real with one another. At around the two-hour mark, we started talking about the church that Jen and I started in … [Read more...]
What are you making believe?
July 26, 2012 by
A client turned around his shop's performance. He reshaped his team. He got them lined up with his plan and his vision. He did it in under 3 months. I asked him how he did it. "By making it believable." I asked him what he meant by that. He said, "people need to see before they believe. We're not where we need to be yet. I'm what they see". A team won't follow a leader unless the leader believes in where their team is going. People who lead others successfully make the … [Read more...]
Do you want something?
July 17, 2012 by
Yesterday I wrote about my mishaps and poor performance at my church's first open mic night. The stakes were low. The mistakes were high. My disappointment matched the mistakes. I was unprepared. I was uneasy. My friend asked me to do this open mic because they weren't sure they'd have enough performers. I got there. I saw no shortage of performers. I could have backed out. I didn't. I committed to my friend that I'd get up there. I also committed to myself. If we won't … [Read more...]
Do you want to be “One and done”?
July 16, 2012 by
I plugged the cable in. No sound. Nothing. Then I tried another cable. Again. Nothing. Thirty people were sitting around. Waiting. I took someone else's guitar. Plugged it in. It worked. I threw the strap around my neck. And stepped up to the microphone. 3 and half minutes flew by in the blink of an eternity. I got through the song. Barely. I was planning on singing two. I changed my mind. I strummed the last chord. Looked at the MC. And said, "That's good enough. … [Read more...]
Acting a part
July 10, 2012 by
Actors spend hours preparing. Learning lines. Committing to the words until they own them. Knowing their blocking (where they stand and when). They prepare for the risk. The big moment. When they step on stage. When they reveal themselves in real time. In front of many, hopefully. Trying to break a leg. Actors seek auditions. They look for opportunities to show their talent. They race rejection, frequently. When they get the part they invest their blood, spirit and soul … [Read more...]
