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Everything is Connected
The Circle of Life, Ying and Yang, give and take, the Earth has a way of balancing and interconnecting everything. These are two of my favorite videos that not only show the interconnectedness of life, but also how one small act can make an entire world of difference.
In 1938, Sir Nicholas Winton, saved almost 700 Jewish children from the Nazis by helping to get them out of Czech. He kept the act a secret for over 50 years, until his wife discovered his scrapbook and tracked down the children. This one man took on an insurmountable task. His “single” act, that seemed like an impossible task, spawned 100s of families – 15,000 lives to be exact. See the longer interview and backstory.
Everything I Do in Business I Learned from Swimming
Growing up in Florida, swim team was a way of life for most children in my neighborhood. As the years progressed and I became more involved in swim team, more hours were spent in a pool and around my coaches and teammates than with my own family. Unknowingly, I didn’t just learn to be a D1 competitive swimmer, I also learned many life lessons.
Training
It takes only 48 hours to lose muscle strength. Yes, it’s seriously that fast. Swimming is one sport that you have to constantly and continuously train for because it is so strenuous. Business, particularly marketing is similar. The digital space moves at light speed and you need to constantly be “training”, learning new technologies and actively seeking out new partnerships to grow your business.
There’s No Substitute for Experience
A National swim meet is very different than a club meet and especially different from practices. In swimming, there’s no amount of training that can replicate what you experience at a National or State meet. Similarly, in business, no amount of arm-chair critiques or strategy recommendations can prepare you for scaling something like social media to an enterprise level. Teachings can come close, but nothing compares to actual, real scenario experiences. You can’t simply train or strategize, you have to go out, test and learn in the real environment. As my coach constantly said, “Studying for the spelling test is not the same as *taking* the spelling test.”
You Can’t Win Alone
While swimming, just like sitting in your office, may seem like a solitary sport, you cannot reach “the big leagues” without a plethora of support. In swimming, you have a coach that provides you with workouts, motivation and critiques on your stroke. In business, you have mentors. You have team members that not only make the experience fun, but also cheer you on during races and push you past your limits in practices. Like any sport, you also have your supporters – your parents, fans and friends that encourage you. No matter what you’re doing, you can’t win without a great team.
Little did I know that what I practiced in the pool would be the perfect learning ground for the business world.
Greener Grass
It took a few viewings of Almost Famous for the great lessons of the movie to take hold. My favorite lesson is about Mystique. It’s been four years since I wrote about that lesson. It’s one I’m still working to learn.
Is it movies that have instilled the belief the grass is always greener somewhere else? Or, is it the desire for perfection, the drive to not settle for nothing but the best that keeps us searching? Yet, when the search is for the unknown, it’s a challenge to realize when it’s been found.
I’ve spent the last two months criss-crossing the United States. Florida >> Small Town USA >> Hawaii >> Las Vegas >> San Jose >> Napa >> San Francisco. While the new cities on the list were experiences I’ve always wanted to have, most made me realize the grass isn’t greener there. Each city has it’s pros and cons. You’re the one who needs to decide which pros outweigh the cons.
Several years ago, one of my mentors gave the advice, “It’s better to understand what you DON’T like doing, than knowing what you do like.” In this summer of trial, error and a lot of fun, I’ve continued to hone in on the things I don’t like.
I’m still in search of my patch of green grass.
10 Moments, 100 Discoveries: Moment 9 – Going West
In 2011, I set out on an adventure of 100 Discoveries. I thought I could finish in a year. But, the reality is, you should never finish an adventure like the one I created. With that in mind, this post is part of that project. You can see all 10 Moments here and the entire project here. Enjoy the moments, I sure am!
It was deja vu circa 2006. On the last weekend in May 2006, I raced across the United States going from Florida to Las Vegas in a mere 2.5 days. My goal was to beat my friend’s time of 3 days. While I accomplished that goal, I didn’t slow down on that trip. The most exciting sight I took in was a Texas-shaped BBQ grill at a rest stop. In retrospect, I vowed that if I ever got the chance again, I’d take it slow.
Eight years later, I strangely found myself in a position I never imagined – the need to drive from Florida to Las Vegas. Again. With eight more years of wisdom under my belt, I altered my route slightly and took out to explore small town USA in a much slower fashion. While I didn’t take in any Texas-shaped BBQ grills, I did visit:
- Peaches (and peach ice cream) galore in Georgia
- Graceland
- Beale St. in Memphis (their version of Bourbon St.)
- Downtown Memphis while staying at the Peabody Hotel
- Historic Route 66
- National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, OK
- Palo Duro Canyon (the “Grand Canyon of Texas,” it’s the second largest canyon in the US)
- Route 66 Midpoint Cafe… the one that inspired Flo’s V-8 Cafe in the movie Cars
- Cadillac Ranch
- The largest Teepee in AZ
- Meteor Crater, AZ
- Brandy’s Restaurant
- The Grand Canyon (South Rim)
Some places, like Graceland, are things I’ve always wanted to do. Others, like exploring a Meteor Crater, weren’t on any “Bucket List,” but were experiences nonetheless. Did I wish I could have slowed down even more? Absolutely! The Grand Canyon alone could be a 3+ day hiking extravaganza.
The lesson? Slow down enough to act on curiosity. It’s the best part of the journey.
Posted in 10 Moments, 100 Discoveries, Event, Personal
Beginnings
I always love a good ad campaign and Dell nails it with this ad, “Beginnings” in their “Do More” series. The history, the meaning and the simplicity all pull at the heart strings. No fancy words nor fancy concepts needed.
We are a company that personifies entrepreneurial spirit, celebrates it every day, and embodies it in everything we do. Michael, a dreamer in his own right, started this company in his dorm room and has since grown Dell beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.
This celebration of that spirit, and it’s often humble beginnings, is a reminder to all of us that with vision, audaciousness and the right technology, anything is possible – no matter if your company started in a dorm room or at the dinner table.
Dell is proud to have played a role in helping so many remarkable companies find the power to do more.
Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Video
10 Moments of 2013
It’s that time of year when we all look back and reflect. When I started this series in 2008, I thought it was silly and overdone. These days, it’s one of my favorite sets of posts to reread. They bring back the memories of the people and events that were important to me in year’s past- 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 all hold special memories.
Similar to a snowflake, 2013 was unlike any year before it. This year, I was more like the turtle than the hare – slow and steady to finish the line. Surprisingly, I didn’t mind the slow and steady pace. I stopped often and slowly to smell the roses and I made my dream life of a Mexican Fisherman a reality.
Without further adieu, here’s the Top 10 of 2013:
- Changed my stars and took a leap I had been dreaming of since 5th grade. I was so scared that I came thisclose to backing out. As always, the things that scare us the most turn out to be some of life’s best decisions.
- Twelve races colored this year, including conquering a Spartan and half marathons in DC, Cleveland, Key West, San Francisco and Palm Beach
- Completed my first (and second) triathlon!
- Said goodbye to Columbus, Ohio
- While I didn’t add any new cities to my list, I traveled well, often spending a month at a time in various cities
- I checked a few more items off my bucket list, including spending Harvest Season (and my birthday) in Napa
- I watched the last of my college friends’ get married in two of my favorite weddings
- I took up bike riding. Who knew it was the secret to finally making my thighs smaller?!
- Third time’s the charm. Fingers crossed, I’ve finally made working for myself a sustainable reality
- I made the time to slow down and cherish time spent with family and friends. Thursdays with Grandma were the highlight of my year.
We’re Failing Social Media. Again.
It seems like every other day the Twitterverse is gloating over another social media “failure”. A tweet that’s gone awry, someone who tweeted to the company account instead of their personal one, a “cute” post taken not quite right.
Most are mistakes made by interns or freshly minted associates. You could say, teachable moments. Others, are made by more seasoned professionals. And still, some are made by our peers. Yet, in each instance, the Twitterverse viciously and immediately demands someone be fired, without even knowing the backstory. It’s shocking. This is real life, not a reality TV show.
Tonight, a corporate communications employee tweeted something tongue in cheek on her personal twitter account. Many were outraged. Others wondered if someone had hacked her phone. But, the mob turned the incident into a trending topic on twitter. Even brands got in on the “real-time marketing opportunity.” Looking back through her tweets, to me, it seemed right in line with her personality – sarcastic, raunchy and a self-proclaimed troublemaker. In fact, she sounds like someone I’d like to be friends with.
Sure, for those who don’t know her and taken out of context, the tweet is inappropriate. But, what happens when we all start censoring our opinions for fear of being fired or called out? What happens when we stop being ourselves because the crowd doesn’t agree with us? What happens when we don’t speak up because our opinion is different than others? Maybe this is a leap, but it’s a scary one. Yes, yes, there’s a time and place for everything, and some opinions really are factually not right… but, what happens when we stop sharing because we’re too afraid?
It’s a sad world when you joyously root and take pleasure in watching someone get fired for a single misstep. Social media managers aren’t failing, society is.
Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Rant, Social Media, Thoughts
A Decade of Memories
A decade of memories is all we have. Ten years ago seems like a whole different life. I can’t even fathom what you’d be like today, but I know I’d be proud.
I stumbled upon this quote by Jasinda Wilder this week. It’s not quite apropos, but it made me realize, that while you are always in my thoughts, I’m okay.
You don’t ever really let go, though. You don’t stop. You don’t stop hurting, you don’t stop loving. It doesn’t go away, you just keep living and eventually things get pushed into the background of your life so it’s not consuming you every day. And then one day you know you’re okay. It still hurts, you still miss that person. And yeah, you forget the details. The way she smelled, the way her mouth tasted, how her skin felt, the sound of her voice. It’s almost like a different life, a different person that loved her, was with her. But on a day-to-day level, you know you’re okay. Sort of.
In loving memory, today and always.
Posted in Personal
Almost There
“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is something valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch.” – e.e cummings
Perception is a funny thing. Oftentimes, it’s also a reality. And more often then not, our own perceptions are our worst enemies.
Our perceptions tell us that the number on the scale hasn’t moved. The reality? We’ve lost 5% body fat.
Our perceptions tell us that our heels don’t touch the floor in downward dog. The reality? We’re only a quarter of an inch away.
Our perceptions tell us that we’re not good enough, we didn’t respond fast enough or our proposal was too short. The reality? We responded faster than other vendors and our proposal was more professional than all the rest.
Sometimes, we’re almost there, but we can’t see it for ourselves. We need a little bit of help from those around us to shift our perception. Sometimes, it’s a word; sometimes it’s a hand to push us down and show us our heels are thisclose to meeting the floor 
Have you helped someone shift their perception today? Show someone that they really are, almost there.
10 Scares, 100 Discoveries: Scare 11 – Karaoke
In 2011, I set out on an adventure of 100 Discoveries. I thought I could finish in a year. But, the reality is, you should never finish an adventure like the one I created. With that in mind, this post is part of that project. You can see the entire project here. Enjoy the moments, I sure am!
Karaoke has been on this list from Day One. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but it’s never been quite the right time, place or partner. While it took 3 years to cross it off, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to do it.
On the eve of Yom Kippur (the symbolic closing of a chapter), road tripping from Ohio to Florida (a physical closing of a chapter) in a small town hotel bar, on the eve of Friday the 13th, I cut my Karaoke teeth with the bartender and six welcoming strangers watching. Needless to say, I was awful, but no one told me that. ‘After Livin’ on a Prayer’, I went on to do six more songs, one being a solo of ‘Brandy, You’re a Fine Girl’ and many duets with the bartender, including my favorite, ‘Rio’ by Duran Duran.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever do Karaoke with people I actually know… my mom scarred me for life when she told me (truthfully), “Please never sing. Not even in the shower.” But, in the middle of nowhere, in a room full of strangers I had one of the most fun and memorable nights of 2013.
Posted in 10 Scares, 100 Discoveries