Socks n Undies Sunday

An example of everyday philanthropy...

Interview with the Bliss Mistress

Bliss Mistress, Edie Weinstein and a few other great women are coming to Philadelphia today, but she took a few moments to talk to me.




For more information about Amazing Woman's Days across the country go to http://www.amazingwomansday.com/

For more information about Edie, visit her website at http://www.liveinjoy.org/

Dignity Through Underwear: An Interview with Socks'n Undies Sunday's Jennifer Maulsby

Remember what your mother used to say about always putting on clean underwear?  Well for some it is not always possible to do as mom said. 

For those balancing the challenges of homelessness, in addition to trying to obtain shelter and food each day, many must also deal with how to maintain a semblance of normalcy in their personal attire.

In many homeless shelters, next to the food pantry is also a clothes closet that continually needs replenishing.  This is where people like Jennifer Maulsby and the Socks'nUndies Sunday Program comes to the rescue.

I recently had an opportunity to talk to Jennifer about her organization  -- Everyday Philanthrophy -- and its signature program, Socks'n Undies Sunday.

For more information about the Socks n Undies Program, visit their website at http://www.socksnundies.org/

Making Community Service a Family Affair: An Interview with Marissa Vogel

If we are civic minded parents and invest in our community through volunteerism, we hope that we instill that message of "giving back" to our children.  Yet, there is an even better way to develop that belief and practice in our children....INVOLVE THEM.

Anyone in education knows that we all learn differently.  Some of us can hear something once and retain it.  Others need to visualize it.  Still others need to have a hands on experience for the lessons to sink in.  The lesson of community service and volunteerism is one that doesn't have to wait until it's a high school graduation requirement.  It can start in early childhood. 

I had a wonderful talk with Marissa Vogel --  the founder and executive director of Little Helping Hands in Austin, Texas -- who shares this belief and put forth the effort to make family community service easier in her community.

For more information about Little Helping Hands, visit their website.

The Power of CARE and Co-Parenting

I had the pleasure of being a guest on Co-Parenting Matters -- a blog talk radio program about co-parenting.  Thank you to Deesha and Mike, the co-founders of coparenting101.org and to Talibah who started the WeParent.com website.

This was a chance to use the Power of CARE framework on the subject of co-parenting.

Listen to internet radio with Co-Parenting Matters on Blog Talk Radio

Making Wishes Come True: An Interview with Shimmy Mehta of Angelwish

When you were a child did you have a special wish?  Was there one toy you were desperately hoping to receive for a holiday or your birthday? 

In A Christmas Story we empathize with Ralphie's childhood desire -- borderline obsession -- for the "it" toy. By contrast in Jingle All The Way we sympathize with the parental angst and guilt associated with working to get said "it" toy for our child.  Now imagine this childhood desire and parental angst in the context of a family dealing with a chronic illness. 

I had the pleasure of speaking with Shimmy Mehta about his organization, Angelwish, which seeks to connect community angels with children and families with wishes.

Angelwish believes that who knows better what an 8 year old child might like than another 8 year old child. Therefore, they take monetary donations and place them in the hands of volunteer youth shoppers during "Giving Sprees" at toy stores. Here is a great video about one of these wonderful events.



Kyra Sedgwick hosts the the 2nd Annual Angelwish Giving Spree from Angelwish.org on Vimeo.


For more information about Angelwish and how you can help make a wish come true, visit their website.

Macolm Gladwell on Spaghetti Sauce: A Culinary Story of Choices and Happiness

Here is an interesting video from TED.  It is author Malcolm Gladwell talking about of all things....spaghetti sauce.  More to the point, he is talking about how choices impact our consumerism and vice versa.

An Effort to Help the Unemployable: An Interview with George Lee of Jobs Foundation

In this economy there are a lot of people looking for a job; but imagine if you were among the category of "unemployable" and looking for a job. 

Someone who is unemployable does not have a job and is unlikely to get a job, because they do not have the skills or abilities that an employer might want.  Likewise, certain past circumstances might impact ones chances for employment.  Those who were previously incarcerated fall into this category because of potential employers' not wanting to take that leap of faith in a person's rehabilitation.

For those in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, there is hope...in the form of George Lee and the Jobs Foundation, a non-profit whose missions is to "empower individuals toward economic stability and find personal fulfillment in their work" by providing paid on the job training to economically under served adults.

I had an opportunity to talk with George Lee about his organization and why he -- a success entrepreneur -- decided to jump into the not for profit arena.

For more information about the Jobs Foundation and how you can contribute, contact them through their website.  http://www.jobsfoundation.org/

Sheena Iyengar on the art of choosing

Here is a great TED Talk by Sheena Iyengar who does extensive research on how we make choices and our attitudes about our choices.

Creating a Powerful Brand -- An Interview with Paige Arnof-Fenn

What is your brand? Have you taken the time to think about what is means to craft and cultivate a powerful brand? It doesn't matter if you are a corporation, a small business, or just an individual professional, your brand is your reputation, the calling card that precedes you.

What is your brand? Is it working for you or against you?

I had a great conversation with marketing expert and founder of Mavens & Moguls, Paige Arnof-Fenn about creating ones brand.

Enjoy.

For more information about Paige and her business, visit Mavens & Moguls online. http://www.mavensandmoguls.com/

Improving the World One Meeting at a Time -- An Interview with Miri McDonald

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who says they love meetings.  But they'd dislike them a little less if more meetings were productive and dare I say it...fun.

I had a great conversation with Miri McDonald, an organization development and communications strategist about how we all can have better meetings.

For more information about Miri McDonald and her services, contact her through her website http://www.mirimcdonald.com/.

Happy meetings everyone.

Marketing Strategically -- An Interview with Mustang Marketing's Scott Harris

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Doing it well requires you to put forth some effort. To make the choice to be in goal mode and think and act strategically. This is so true when it comes to developing and implementing your marketing plan for your business or project.

I had a great talk with Scott Harris of Mustang Marketing, a full service marketing agency serving the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County, California.

If you want more information about Scott and Mustang Marketing, visit their website at www.mustangmktg.com

Interview with Author Jeffrey J. Fox of Fox and Company

Are you fierce?!?

Author Jeffrey J. Fox has written a new book --  "How To Be A Fierce Competitor".   I had an opportunity to talk to him about some of the things he feels are necessary to be and remain successful in our society; to be not just a competitor, but to be a fierce competitor.

I hope you enjoy our talk as much as we did.

For more information about Jeffrey J. Fox and his latest book, please visit his website.

http://www.foxandcompany.com/

Interview with Grant Harris of Image Granted

It's so amusing to me that in recent years, men who have shown an obvious choice to put forth some effort in their grooming and attire have gotten so much attention.  It has even warranted new vocabulary...can you say metrosexual? 

I guess my perspective is very different. For me, men putting forth some effort to look well groomed was just a given.  I grew up with a father who knew how to dress and dress well. In fact, it wasn't until I was in college that I recalled seeing my father in a pair of jeans. Between him and my mother, I'd much rather have gone shopping with him.  He had better taste and wasn't afraid to pay for quality.  He knows his stuff.  To this day if he asks me if I know of a certain designer and I say no he looks at me with a "how could you not know" look. He taught me what it meant to purchase "investment pieces" and how to build up an accessories wardrobe. I learned a long time ago, that although clothes don't make the person, you say a lot about yourself by the package you present to the world through your choice of attire.

So when I had the chance to talk with image consultant, Grant Harris, who specializes in helping men develop and improve their personal style, it wasn't hard for me to appreciate the work that he does.  For although many things may be obvious to folks like me and my father, there are still many a male out there who could use their own session of What Not to Wear.

I hope you enjoy our talk.

 

For more information about Grant Harris and his company, Image Granted, LLC of Washington DC, contact him at corporate@imagegranted.com.

Interview with Maggie Macaulay of Whole Hearted Parenting

Being a parent is one of the most rewarding but most challenging roles you will ever have.  This talk with parenting expert Maggie Macaulay of Whole Hearted Parenting will give you some tips on how to make better choices when it comes to building that relationship with your child(ren) and creating a more cooperative and cohesive family.











For more information about Seminars from Whole Hearted Parenting, please visit their website at http://www.wholeheartedparenting.com/

Interview with Ian Coburn

I had a funny and informative talk with author Ian Coburn about one of my favorite topics.....Choices.  Specifically, we talked about how we make them and how we can make better choices.

Ian is a former comedian and author of two books.  We talked mostly about his latest book:  Choice - the Meaning of LIFE.  

For more information about Ian and his books, visit him at his website, http://www.bestpossiblechoice.com/

Interview with Deesha Philyaw of Co-Parenting 101 Website

In this society filled with divorced parents and never married parents, the issue of Co-Parenting is very important.  The compromises and balancing acts that must exists when you are trying to raise healthy, happy and well adjusted children in multiple households can be even greater than those in a two-parent "traditional" household.  Whatever that is.  What is traditional anymore?

I had a great talk with Deesha Philyaw, one of the co-creators of a website dedicated to achieving success in co-parenting....www.coparenting101.org

I hope you enjoy our talk as much as we did.

For more information about Co-Parenting, visit the website http://www.coparenting101.org/

 

Interview with Cynthia Kazalia of New Directions Career Center

This is the time of year that many young college and high school grads are looking to secure that first real job.  Getting a job and keeping a job always requires putting forth the right effort and making good choices.  Yet, now more than ever, those entering - or re-entering - the job market have to be more professional and strategic in their daily actions and interaction with colleagues and supervisors.

I had the pleasure of talking with Cynthia Kazalia, a Placement Specialist at the New Directions Career Center in Columbus, Ohio.  We discussed Cynthia's tips for how one can survive and thrive in the workplace.

We had a lot to discuss...the talk is just over a half hour.   Enjoy.   And you might want to pass this on to a recent graduate you know.

For more information about the New Directions Career Center...visit their website at www.newdirectionscc.org

Interview with Judith & Jim -- The Heart of Marketing

Your Marketing plan does not have to include "hit your target market over the head" and "hard sell" types of strategies. So say Drs. Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski, Authors and Soft Sell Marketing authorities.

Please enjoy my latest Power of CARE Talk with Judith & Jim.

Judith and Jim's latest book is The Heart of Marketing.

You can learn more about them and their book at http://www.theheartofmarketing.com/

Do you have a Why Attitude?

In the Power of CARE, I talk about the importance of having the right attitude.  It's not just about having a positive attitude, although that is important.  Beyond positivity, it is also key that one have an attitude of continuous learning and teachability -- what I call having a Why Attitude™.

So what is a Why Attitude™?  There is a cliche that says, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."  In part, to care about someone means you have put forth the effort to understand her. To understand his why.   And once you understand the why of things and of people, you have the ability to be more effective and innovative.  To be more successful.   Think about teachers.  The most effective ones know that each student learns differently.  When she understands how each particular student learns, she has the ability to individualize her teaching to that student's style of learning.  How a student learns is impacted by a great many things...their socio-economic status, whether English is their first language, a learning disability, their level of interest in the subject matter, physical variables like near-sighetedness of hearing problems, etc. etc.  These all get to the why of the how...and when you understand the why, you can be a better teacher. 

Think about your relationships with your significant others.  How much more effective are you when you understand their thought processes and why it is they feel or do the things they feel or do?  As Stephen Covey teaches in his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, when we "seek first to understand and then to be understood", we have the ability to be more effective in our communication and in our relationships.  Your spouse may do something that drives you completely bananas, yet when you discover it stems from his childhood and "that's the way his family always did it" your attitude may change.  You may be able to live with the behavior because you understand "where he is coming from" or you may be better able to communicate about your feelings and his because now you understand the why behind the behavior.

In our society --  whether it is in your business or personal world --  knowing the how and the what only get you so far.  Those who are truly successful, understand the why.   I remember a quote -- I'm paraphrasing -- that said, "People who know the what and how will always have a job, but people who know the why will be their more successful employers."   When you have a Why Attitude™ you are continually seeking to understand, to get to the heart of the "why" of something or someone.

I came across this Ted Talk from Simon Sinek.  He doesn't call it the Why Attitude™ of course, but I was so intrigued by the similarities of much of what he said and what I have learned and taught in The Power of CARE. 

Please enjoy this wonderful lesson about the power of why.