Comedian

Thanks to Darren LaCroix and the Champions Edge program, I learned about a documentary of Jerry Seinfeld perfecting an entirely new act after his TV show ended. It's called Comedian.

I swear I will never feel bad about stumbling and mumbling again when I am developing a new speech... and you shouldn't either.

Even Jerry Seinfeld used notes, forgot what he was talking about, said um and ah and er all the time when he was developing his new routine.

He got better... way better and was eventually wowing audiences again after working, and working, and working on his new routine in front of live audiences, refining every word and every bit until... he was Seinfeld again.

Carrot or stick?

Many organizations are faced with situations where they can take a carrot or stick approach with members or employees.

Too many choose the stick and then wonder why they meet resistance.

Let me ask, if you a dealing with customers or clients would you make the same choice? Would you even consider punishing customers? (Well if you were really considering your policies mindfully that is.)

Yet, often, organizations choose to punish members or employees who don't follow "the rules". For example, in requiring training or during a hastily conceived change.

What might be gained if organizations enticed members and employees to attend needed training or to embrace a change?

Treat your members and employees to a carrot more often than a stick. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Mackinac Bridge 50th Anniversary Walk

On Monday my wife Sharon & I walked the Mackinac Bridge with about 80,000 other people from all over the world. It is an annual event held every Labor Day (the only day pedestrians are allowed on the bridge). It is the quintessential Michigan occasion. This year is the Mighty Mac's 50th anniversary.

Back before the bridge was completed in 1957 a fleet of ferries took people and their vehicles across the straits of Mackinac between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

The ferry trip took about an hour and the average wait time for a ferry was 2 hours. There were longer waits than that during times like deer season (another big Michigan event). Many times no one could cross because of bad weather or ice, which stopped ferry service in the winter.

After the bridge, the entire crossing took only about 10 minutes with only rare closings due to weather.

No matter how many ferries, no matter how efficient the process, the ferry crossing would never have gotten as short as 10 minutes.

It took a completely new approach. A bridge.

There was a need to Do Something...Different!....to get radically different results.

"...I had this crazy opportunity to do something different."

So said Ashley Qualls (age 17) of Southgate, Michigan, the founder of whateverlife.com. She's an average 17 year old (yeah right!) who happens to be featured in this month's (September 2007) Fast Company magazine. Pretty normal event in the avereage 17 year old's life, right?

Well maybe not.

Here is someone with a business making $800,000+ a year that she started at age 15 from NOTHING. She borrowed the $8.00 for a domain name from her Mom.

So what's your rationalization for not starting something (or mine for that matter).

Check out the article about Ashley here. and here. and here.
and here. and here.

Do Something...Different!

The Toastmaster's Convention was HOT!

and I'm not just talking about the 110 degree temperatures.

There were so many great events, learning opportunities, and people at the convention I'm still processing everything that happened. Every Toastmaster owes it to him or her self to attend at least one International Convention.

By the way, that's me with the 2007 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Vikas Jhingran,

The three elements of personal and professional change that I talk with people about are: 1. Do Something...Different! (Go to Try Outs!) 2. Meet New People! (Get Help!) and 3. Tell New Stories!

The convention had all three elements.

It was my first time so it was something different. Another something different was attending the 1st ever Edgenet Summit on Tuesday August 14, just before the Convention. I also volunteered to help out at the convention...a great way to learn something new and meet new people. Always volunteer!

I met new people from all over the world, Australia, Bahrain, England, Germany, Russia what a great experience.

New stories? Yes I can tell you about the people I met, those I got to know better, and the kindness of strangers.

All in all a Grand Toastmasters Adventure In Phoenix, Arizona.

Toastmasters International Convention

I spent last week in Phoenix where I attended the Toastmasters International Convention and the Edgenet Summit sponsored by World Champion's Edge (Darren LaCroix, David Brooks, Ed Tate, Craig Valentine, Mark Brown, and Patricia Fripp). What a fun and educational week!

I will report more on these two events in the next week but let me say today that the Champ event was outstanding. I highly recommend these guys to anyone wanting to improve their public speaking or get into the information marketing business.

I also recommend Toastmasters to improve your speaking and leadership skills. Toastmasters also helps maintain your skills by giving you a place to practice in a safe atmosphere.

Toastmasters and the World Champions Edge makes an unbeatable combination.

More later.

Black Swan

A Black Swan according to Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a highly improbable event. And although any particular Black Swan is - ur - highly improbable, the chance of SOMETHING highly improbable happening is, well, actually highly probable. We just don't know what it might be.

This is still another reason to get out in the real world and try stuff and not just sit around and PLAN to do something really great...someday. The more you try the more likely it is that something highly improbable will happen...something good...some opportunity. Sieze on any opportunity or anything that looks like an opportunity. Maximize your chances for serendipity.