Playing while Networking

Too often, I think people’s definition of working is being in meetings, answering emails, talking on the phone…
Occasionally they will give themselves some time for networking as a way to grow their business.
But fun time during the work week, it almost seems taboo.
WHY?
This week I had the opportunity to play golf with three really great referral partners (in the interest of disclosure, one of them was my husband). While we played golf, my partner (not my husband) and I chatted about what had been going on in each other’s businesses. I learned about a few new clients, a couple deals in the works, a challenge facing them, all while creaming the other team! (I am not a good golfer, so we compete cart against cart, using the best ball. If I had to use my own ball every time, I would certainly lose and it would take much longer. Occasionally, though, I have an amazing shot. This photo is my tee shot on #6 at Pebble Creek Country Club, a par 3 hole. I did putt this in for a birdie… and from there on, it was over for the competition.)

A personal post: Who are the Eager Beavers

As I am gearing up for fundraising this year, I thought I might share with you, my constant readers, about the Eager Beavers.
It took me a few years before I was able to write this… but I was finally able to.
Ann Beaver was my mother; she was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Stage 4, in 2001. Ann fought, went through chemo, where she lost all of her hair. Did she wear a wig? NO! She went bald & was proud. After her chemo & radiation she had a mastectomy. Finally, mid 2002, the doctor gave her a clean bill of health.
At the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year, Ann was very happy to be able to go back to taking care of the 2 year olds that she loved so much. The year before Ann was unable to teach because of germs and chemo!
Unfortunately, Ann was unable to finish teaching that year. The cancer had come back – it was time to start fighting again. Treatments started, but unfortunately, her breast cancer had spread to her lungs. In May, Ann was placed in hospice and eventually came home, where she spent her last

Writer’s Block

I LOVE to write, both fiction and non-fiction. I wrote my 1^st book in middle school, “The Secret Admirer”. It was a young adult novel, written in a similar style to Christopher Pike and R. L. Stein. I wrote it, by hand (computers were not mainstream yet) and I typed it up a few years later. The only person that ever read it, if I remember correctly, was my brother, Robert. He read it, did a book report on it, and even got an ‘A’. It was a pretty cool thing…

Now, most of my writing is focused on growing you business… even though if I had the time, I really should start putting the crazy ideas in my head down on paper, as some are just as good as a few of the downloads that I have gotten for my Kindle (I guess you get what you pay for, and they are free).

Friday Fun!

As we wrap up the week, I thought it might be FUN to share something silly or humorous on Fridays to help those of us who work a 5 day work week face that last day of the week…

My brother is known for his stupid & silly jokes, and I am going to give him an outlet to share some of them, thanks Robert!

Joke #1:
I had a dream last night about being a sea mammal. It was an otter body experience!
It is a bad joke, but I told it on porpoise.

Joke #2
How did the dead turtle cross the road?
It was stapled to the chicken!

Joke #3
What did the 0 say to the 8?

Share your answers (we will confirm the right answer), and your bad jokes… and we might see them shared here!

New Year’s Resolutions

I am not big on doing new year resolutions… but I have a few things I want to try to do this year.

Over the past week or so I have started working on my 1st goal – which is to read more business & personal development books. I finished reading Crush It! last week, thoroughly enjoyed it, and appreciate Renia letting me borrow it… now I am working on The Big Picture, which my dad shared with me! I have another dozen books to go through, that I already have, and then I am going to be looking for new titles & recommendations! I LOVE to read, but usually prefer fiction – but have to work on improvements as well!
My goal is one chapter a day, at the minimum!

I have been working on getting back in shape; in the fall of 2010 I decided to get it started, and lost almost 25 pounds. I have managed to keep it all off (well, usually, but I have put a pound or two of holiday weight on, but that will come off quick). I have been 10 pounds from my goal since then, and I have decided to get back focused and lose those last 10 pounds, so then I can go SHOPPING for a new wardrobe. I have given myself a deadline of  March 31st. And here it is in writing, I am going to do it!
In support of that, and to spend more time with my 4 legged family (in the photo is my 4 dogs and one that passed away last year as well as my aunts 3 dogs), I am going to walk &/or rollerblade with my dogs at least 4 times a week (weather permitting).
And if you are wondering why I have a stroller, one of my dogs has problems with her back legs and cannot walk long distances.

I have other things on my To Do list for this year, join a Toastmasters group, walk 2 3-Days, writing more… but the 2 above are high up on the list starting last week…

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

Flying the Friendly Skies

Over the past several years, airlines have gotten a bad rap, for doing SO many different things wrong. Some of the things that people complain about are often not even the fault of the airline, but we feel we need to blame someone.
This year, as we do almost every December, we went up to Cincinnati to spend time with my family. We had flights booked on Delta; I had not given much consideration to airline before we left.
We got on our plane in Tampa and my husband, Rob, was crammed in his window seat. For those of you that do not know my husband, he is 6’7”. At 5’4” it is pretty tight in those seats (we were sitting 3 to that section – me between a 6’7” man and a 6’5” man. Kimberly, the stewardess, (am I using the right term?) saw my poor husband, and offered to move us –

Rudolph – Brilliant or Bright?

Just this week I was visiting a BNI Chapter here in Tampa (Movers & Shakers) and I heard an intromercial by Brad Gray. The gist of the message he shared was that Rudolph was an amazing marketer – and it got me thinking.
Here is Rudolph, with his abnormal nose…  no one wanted to play with him, they tried to hide it.
He was an outcast!
But, who is the most famous reindeer of all (are you starting to hear the song in your head now?) It was Rudolph! Because he was different!
Rudolph utilized what he had and marketed himself to Santa Clause as the reindeer who could save Christmas. Okay, give me a little leeway here…  

For this post, I wanted to share with you a few words from another amazing women I know, Teri L. Morrow, CEBS, RHU, REBC is a Principal with My Benefit Partners. She is here to help us wrap up 2011 and move to 2012 being successful! 
Here are a few things to think on: 

The new year is a great time for employers to update their employment policies.  Make it your company’s New Year’s Resolution to take a look at the following three disciplines:

Resolution #1:  Review Your Employee Handbook

An employee handbook should be filled with useful information such as compensation, benefits, rights, rules and procedures.  Don’t assume all is well….when was the last time someone reviewed it?  Many employers fall into a compliance trap because they have failed to regularly update their employee handbook to reflect changes in the law or new policies. Now is the time for a review.  Don’t get caught with a handbook that lacks critical policies or holds employees to standards that no longer apply in the workplace.

Resolution #2:  Protect your Employees’ Personal Information

Keeping in Shape, while Keeping Busy!

Last year, I decided it was time to get in shape… and it was not an easy task, nor one that I have completed. I still have a few pounds left to go, but I am happy to say that I have maintained my current weight for a year. Soon, I will begin that journey to shed the last 10 pounds.
In the meantime, I thought I would share a few tips on how I have been successful, as I know many of you are as busy as me, or busier, and we often have a hard time making it to the gym.
A few of these ideas are ones I have come up with to help me out, others were shared with me by Marja Blitz from Rock Bottom Fitness, who has helped me out quite a bit!

Always have a healthy snack: When I leave the house for the day, I try to pack some healthy snack food with me. Veggies are best, I know, but on the days when I forget my cooler, what to do?

Are You Looking to Meet that Special Someone?

Growing your business through referral can be a powerful way to grow, and to insure those referrals, it’s important to have the right people in your network that can pass you referrals.
In the Certified Networker Program, we share that there are 8 different types of people that can get you referrals, and at the top of that list is people in your contact sphere (non-competing industry with the exact same target market). One of the struggles, though, is after you determine your target market, and figure out the professions that COULD be in your contact sphere, how do you meet them?
The top two ways I know to add people to your network are to get out networking yourself or ask for the referral!
You can get out there and network to see if you can meet the