I’ve been running around like crazy the last several weeks, or maybe I should say the last 5 years. It’s unbelievable to think that I have been in business since 2005 and that 2011 is knocking on the door. Last week I had the chance to travel to San Diego. I belong to a CEO group called Vistage. We had a national conference where I was able to spend two days immersed in learning. It was great. In my company, we really believe that we can’t be good trainers if we are not exceptional learners. I was so happy to take a couple of days to learn from other business owners as well as an unbelievable line up of speakers and authors.
What a GREAT few days. At a basic level it’s pretty awesome to be in San Diego in November. The weather is nothing short of SPECTACULAR! Add to the great weather and the beautiful San Diego bay, Patrick Lencioni, Guy Kawasaki, AmyK Hutchens, and 3 days with my Vistage chair Nancy Starr, and you have a perfect recipe for energy, learning, and “OH I can’t wait to tell you everything I learned” cake!
We had other speakers and workshops that I did not mention here but the three I’ve listed had the most impact for me. I came home with books, action item summaries, and a willingness to implement (I’d like to say all) but realistically I’ll be happy to implement some or most of the things that I know will make a difference in my business and my life.
Patrick Lencioni may be the best speaker I’ve ever heard. (Except for Zig Ziglar of course – No one can take his place in my heart or mind!) Lencioni is the author of books like The Three Temptations of a CEO, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and the book I bought for me and everyone on my team – Getting Naked! You have to read it. Lencioni writes in a fable style so the read is easy and quick and FULL of insight! If you can get to the book store, go today – If you have a Kindle or another electronic reader download it now! You won’t be sorry.
I’ve had the opportunity to see Guy Kawasaki speak in the past and had actually read the Art of the Start before I started my company. Guy is entertaining and he’s a brilliant marketer. I bought his newest book Reality Check. I haven’t read a word of it yet but promise to let you know all the best ideas if you are interested. If you’ve read my blog or walked through my experience of meeting Zig Ziglar you know that I am a star struck goofball, so I gotta’ tell you it was A LOT of fun to meet Patrick and Guy in person. They autographed the books I bought and was over the moon with enthusiasm about the whole situation!
Amyk – WOW. I think that about covers it. AmyK held a workshop that focused on being a good leader. Honestly, her 90–minute workshop was a life changing experience. In that short time she was able to clearly deliver a strong message and give us the tools to implement what she was teaching, the minute we crossed the threshold of the door of that class!
Her topic wasn’t just about being a good leader but rather how to be a happy strong leader. Here’s the short version of the best thing I saw for changing behavior. We have thoughts and feelings about every circumstance that comes up at work, life, or play. Those thoughts and feelings cause us to act or react in a certain way, and there are always results or even repercussions that we face as a direct results of those thoughts, feelings, and actions. Amyk’s message was that if we choose to change the thought – we can change the result. She refers to this method as CTFAR:
- C – Circumstances are the facts, things that happen in the real world.
- T – Thoughts are those things that happen in our mind (that can be a wild place to be if you see the inside of my mind!)
- F – Feelings are the non physical vibrations that happen in your body as a result of your thoughts not the circumstance.
- A – Actions are the behaviors we do in the real world.
- R – Results are what happen in our world or lives as an effect of our actions.
I want to be clear that this information is not mine but from my notes provided by amyk inc. and www.ignitebrilliance.com.
I recommend that you spend as much time as you can sifting through her website. I asked Amy if she knew Byron Katie’s work, because I had heard of this similar “thought changing” process before. And Amy’s immediate answer was a resounding YES. So, if you want to look up Byron Katie–she’s awesome too!
So there you are – enough books to read through the end of the year. I’ll probably say a lot more about Patrick Lencioni’s work in upcoming emails or webinars. OH if you missed the webinar yesterday it was all about strategically planning your products for the New Year. It’s a GREAT time now to re–evaluate your products. Make changes and release them in January. The timing is perfect. Make sure you are priced for profit, that your products are simple to sell and buy, and that you’ve covered all your bases. Have products for children, teens, and adults (of course that only works if you have a product is for all generations)…OH but we are all kids at heart! Our next webinar is Nov. 23rd and it’s all about your people!
I digress. Have a great week. I hope to see some of you at IAAPA next week. Please stop by our booth, # 4451.
Also, if I could as a favor – please take a second to list the book you are reading right now.
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Happy selling!
