Making Excellence Easy

I help people make hard things easy, "deep" things simple and challenges more fun.

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Archive for July, 2009

How to Become a Motivational Speaker

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

The most important element in any kind of inspirational speaking is to believe in what you are communicating. Simply put, its PASSION.
#1  Have PASSION for a topic or concept then craft it into an organized talk

#2  Practice SPEAKING as much as you can to polish your skills. Different audiences respond differently to content. The more you are exposed to different situations, the better your response will be with the unexpected.

#3  Get CREATIVE. Avoid doing the “same old, same old” type of canned talk.  Upgrade your style, approach and delivery methodology. Do not be afraid to be unique and interesting…that is exactly what makes people LISTEN. :)

Add these tips to your personal development plan and you will be the next keynote speaker before no time!

For more information on creating top notch presentations check out article Present Your Ideas with Precision, Poise and Heart (part of Do Your Own Thing, Little Business, Big Advice e-book)

New E-Book for SOS Children’s Village coming soon…

Friday, July 24th, 2009

The new e-book, I AM Worthy of Greatness by Kristin Mackey and Scott Baker (written especially for the wonderful folks at SOS Children’s Village) is coming soon…

Its a book on creating a life you love and its FREE.  It is a personal development tool with a dash of coaching. Its begins with insights on healing negative emotion and ends with a practical personal development plan and useful resources.

Look for this little success book soon…

How to Give an Awesome Keynote Address

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

A keynote is a powerful, short and very organized presentation. Its usually found at the beginning or end of a large event. Follow these  top tips to make your address count:
Tip #1  START & END STRONG (use a joke or story etc…)
Tip #2 CREATE KEY POINTS (items for the audience to remember)
Tip #3 PRACTICE!

A keynote is a powerful performance. Make it count by doing your homework, designing a solid delivery structure and practice out the bumps until its worthy of opening or closing an important event. Also, never underestimate the power of your own style.   We are most influential when we are authentic.  Also, it never hurts to eat well, exercise and feel good.

A Focus on Children

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

I had the opportunity to meet Maggie Macaulay, President of Whole Hearted Parenting and highly recommend her work.  We are in the midst of great change.  Change can generate both excitement and stress. Upgrading our skills and our ability to relate to each other while fostering loving environments for children especially is the responsibility of every adult. Our children are precious and they will shape the future.

Please visit Maggie at  http://www.wholeheartedparenting.com/ and learn about her mission, attend one of her workshops to upgrade your own parenting skills or simply stay connected to her newsletter.  The more we partner for a peaceful and loving world, the more of that world we will see around us.

Partnering with The Nyman Group for Lockheed Martin

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Coming in August, I will be partnering with a The Nyman Group to deliver leadership training at The National Conference Center for Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed Martin invests in fostering great leaders with organized career coaching, management leadership training and personal development plans. This week is always a memorable event.

Leading in Times of Change Prevention Conference , August 5th

Monday, July 20th, 2009

I have the pleasure of speaking at the upcoming Leading in Times of Change Prevention Conference at The Rock Island Professional Center for the Broward County School District.

The workshop Move the Room; Delivering Powerful Presentation will be designed to impact all North Area-Prevention Liaisons. These folks serve as a conduit for all things prevention in their schools.

Many of the folks attending were chosen based on their potential for leadership so I am thrilled to partner for such a worthy cause and make their message count!

Dear Executive…

Monday, July 20th, 2009

If you are a leader of an organization you probably have proved good leadership ability. Skills such as successful decision-making, organization and the ability to execute your plans are essential as basics. All good stuff, really.  But what if the terrain is changing and you are asked to upgrade your already fabulous skill-set but are not sure where to put your focus? Below are the ABC’s of next generation leadership:

AAdaptability: It is essential to master adaptability. Here’s the thing…being able to change is not where the challenge lies.  The challenge is being able to constantly adjust to  different situations with poise, balance and a clear head.  Your success in being adaptable is actually a skill in managing your internal emotional landscape.

Tip: Have a personal development plan.

BFocus: We are in information overload!  Now more then ever it is important to decide your priorities and invest your energy wisely.

Tip: Create and stay committed to a planning system that supports your lifestyle and all of its facets.

C – Have fun: Yes, this is a leadership skill.  If you can inject fun into the work world you have mastered the above steps and will attract and retain top talent.

Tip: Check out Be the Leader You Would Want article in new e-book Do Your Own Thing; Little Business, Big Advice.

What is Life Coaching?

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

First, let me explain what life coaching is not. Life coaching is not therapy. Therapy is structured much differently. When you hire a coach you hire a partner to get things done. Things that really matter to you. A coach will help you with clarity, vision and goals. A good coach really listens, customizes an action plan and holds you accountable. Just like a ball player desires to score or perhaps needs that extra emotional and directional support toward the end of the game when energy is low – a coach is there to help you get you where you want to go.

In my practice, whether I am doing executive coaching, personal coaching or even leadership training, I take the time to understand the objectives to properly create a solid action-plan. You see, information is easy to come by…we can google anything! But execution is where the emotional rubber hits the everyday tasks road, and this is where coaching can really help.  Having a clear personal development plan is essential to success.  Without action, your vision is and will remain just a concept.

Coaching can be delivered and experienced in many ways. Sometimes we hire a coach and set up weekly calls. Other ways to reap the benefits of coaching is through success and leadership books or materials on personal development. Identifying the right tool for you will enable you to gain the benefits of your investment. Regardless the methodology, you are ultimately investing in yourself.   And whether your investment is through leadership training, career coaching or working with a life coach as you navigate a life transition – YOU are  always worth it.

It is Never too Late to be Great

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

I will never forget my seminar in Portland. I walked into the room and began preparing for the day and a lovely women walked in, unpacked the boxes and started the registrations. Her hair was a beautiful silver and her smile ear to ear. At the lunch break we had a chance to sit and talk. We talked about life, creativity and living your dreams. She shared with me that she had always wanted to be an actress. She always carried this dream her entire life. She said, “back then..you know I am 70 years old…. we had fewer options”…she went on to say how she was married for 25 years, had 5 children but following her divorce, she sold her house, most of her belongings, bought a camper, banked the rest and headed to California. It was there she said he embraced her dream of being an actress – at 70. I asked her how she did. She said she landed a small part in the movie Prince of Tides as the nurse. She had no acting experience but they cast her!

This silver-haired beauty reminded me of the power of a dream and the courage it takes to move toward it. She gave herself the experience she always wanted. She had a rich and full life but when faced with change, she embraced the new and made it her own…her very own dream come true.

Follow your bliss and never have a single thought about it otherwise.

Perfection vs Excellence

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

If only we all embraced our humanity already! We are not perfect and never will be. Perfection is stillness and human beings are simply organic beings…we are always moving, creating and expanding in this wonderful universe. In my seminars, I always stress the difference between perfection and excellence. Perfection (like a painting) does not move, it is still. Excellence is often the result of our enjoying the practice of something so much that we develop a polished skill in a particular area.

One of my greatest skills is public speaking. I never read a single book on it, but I practiced my craft all over the united states and now beyond. My excellence came from my experiencing a countless number of situations I had to learn to respond to well. It came from making and correcting mistakes over many years. I conducted successful programs under great pressure and around challenging circumstances.  My only goal was that folks love the program, leave happy and feel inspired to do something great for themselves…whether it be polishing their professional image, organizing their stuff or staying in balance under great stress.

I drove through fires, missed a tornado by 2 miles, had hail balls dent my rental car, was flooded out somewhere in Kentucky, experienced what I considered to be the most frightening lighting EVER in Texas,  managed a room with smoke so thick you could not see the last row and found ways to still deliver.

When the certifications and opportunities to take my craft even further came, I was open, willing and ready.  And in every public speaking class I teach, I offer  my best ideas, strategies and tools to my participants – so that they can reach excellence without the fires, tornadoes, over booked rooms and every other hurtle I jumped to deliver content with ease.

Practice  brings excellence. Strive for that, not perfection.  And besides, its never the destination but the journey that carries the most fun, isn’t it?

…where’s my luggage….