You know your getting old when...

I had a conversation with one of my "old" basketball players...one I coached when she was in the 3rd through 6th grade. She's know a senior and I asked her if she planned on attending her dad's alma mater, Laverne College in California. She smirked, and said, "No. It doesn't interest me." When I told her I used to tease her dad that he went to Laverne & Shirley College, all I got was a blank stare.

I said, "You know, Laverne and Shirley, the old TV show..."

She just shrugged and gave me that look that I think I gave adults 25 years ago.

25 years ago...geez. Time sure flies doesn't it.

I guess all I can say is - 'Schlemiel, schlimazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated!'

Dan

P.S. Want to see the old Laverne and Shirley theme song? Click here.
P.S.S. Time's running out to take advantage of my Panic to Power Early Bird Special. I added three new names in the last two days so we are filling up. Jump on the bandwagon today by going to my store now...

The Empress Hotel in Victoria

I'm in Victoria for a Rotary conference this weekend. I came up an evening early to enjoy the sights and restaurants of Victoria BC. If you've never been, make it a "to do". It's a beautiful city and I really enjoy being at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Elegance in the true Old Victorian style. I will input photos in another post. The meetings start soon so that's all for now!

Dan

I need your help...

I'm doing a survey to help me develop a one-day Boot Camp to help business owners de-mystify the insurance process. By completing this survey, you will help me make the Boot Camp valuable to you and other business owners. You will receive a 20% discount to my next Boot Camp if you participate in this survey. To take this 6-question survey, click on the link:

http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB227GUBGGJJL

It should take less than 5 minutes. Thank you for your help!

Dan

P.S. Only a little over a week left to sign up for my Panic to Power Boot Camp before the Early Bird Special ends. To register right now (what are you waiting for) go to www.danweedin.com/store.php.

13 Greatest Mistakes for Consultants

If you know me well, you know that I'm a big Alan Weiss fan. I read all his stuff, especially his blogs. You can get great insight from a true "rock star" of consultants and speakers. That being said, here is a link to a recent blog I found fascinating. If you are a consultant, it's worth your while the read. http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/the-13-greatest-mistakes-consultants-make-and-how-to-avoid-them/

Dan

P.S. Is it just me or why doesn't my spell check on Blogger work? It's been about 2 weeks. I'm not a consistently good typer and I need it!

P.S.S. Want to be a better consultant? Improve your presentation skills. Time is running out for my early bird special on my Panic to Power Boot Camp. Register today by clicking here.

The Last Lecture - Dr Randy Pausch

I just received an e-mail from a good friend who sent this You Tube video out. You need to see it. I had heard the name Dr. Randy Pausch from my friend Doug Petch, but I didn't know why he mentioned him. I should have asked.

Want to get out of the blues? Want to be energized? Need a pick me up on life or just your day?

Watch this video by clicking here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tIyt8oSLVs

We do have a choice in how we approach life...thanks for the reminder!

Dan

Valentine's Day

Last night, I spent a good portion of my evening working on my Rotary Auction project as I'm the chair of the committee. I came upstairs, bleery-eyed after a couple of hours of working...ready to hit the stack.

My wife Barb was sitting on the coach waiting for me and asked, "Dan, do you know what tomorrow is?"

My reply - "Thursday."

Her facetious response was fitting - "Boy, did I marry the most romantic guy!"

Whoops.

Happy Valentines Day to everyone, especially Barb!

Dan

P.S. Speaking of my auction, you can help support our cause regardless of where you live. We are doing an online auction starting March 4 and running through April 18. To donate an item or register to bid, go to http://poulsborotary.cmarket.com. Help us make a difference in the lives of millions.

What's your story?

I just returned from a two-day boot camp in Las Vegas on Storytelling. Darren LaCroix and Craig Valentine (right) - two World Champions of Public Speaking - were our instructors and what a great camp it was. Regardless of what kind of presenting you do, you will find that telling stories will better connect you with your audience, deliver your message, and impact the lives of those who hear you. If you are in sales, stories will illustrate your product or service. If you are a CEO, stories will humanize you to your employees. Patricia Fripp says, "Life is a series of sales situations". Regardless of what kind of "presentations" you make, stories will anchor your message and make you memorable.

Dan

P.S. If you want to learn about the Champs boot camps, go to http://www.worldchampionspeakers.com/. Craig Valentine has a great home-study system for storytelling on his web site at http://www.craigvalentine.com/.

Things that make you go Hmmmmm....

If you're my age or older, you probably remember Arsenio Hall and this famous catch phrase. I was reminded of it just this morning.

I called my local newspaper where I had an advertising account for their internet site. I had been on a monthly payment plan for a year-long agreement. I ended up paying it off early and let it ruin out since I wasn't getting value from it.

Well, the end of the agreement came and went and I started receiving invoices showing a $50 credit. I had obviously overpaid. This continued for a couple of months as I kept looking in the envelope for a refund. Finally, today I had enough after receiving another invoice showing my credit.

I called over and spoke with a very nice young woman who when looking at my account, confirmed they owed me money. "Would you like us to mail that to you?", she asked. I felt like responding, "No...I'll just drive 20 miles each way and pick it up!"

My frustration stemmed from the fact that they made me call to ask for my own money back instead of just mailing me a check months ago. Poor customer service in my eyes.

Our customers are our lifeblood. Making sure they are satisified should be our number one goal. Good communications is the key. Had they at least written and said "We require you call or write us to get your refund", that would have been better than doing nothing. It's a good lesson for all of us to remember to make it easy and simple for our customers...not ourselves.

Dan

Game On!

Funny how life works out sometimes, isn't it? The New England Patriots were crowned the best team in the league...the best team of the decade...maybe even the best team EVER midway through the season. They had the golden boy, Tom Brady. They had the revitalized all-pro Randy Moss. They had the genius coach wearing the ugly hoodie. Their destiny would be 19-0 and their claim to the greatest team ever was inevitable.

The only problem was that no one bothered to tell the New York Giants. Even if they did, it wouldn't have mattered. The Giants were a team that started 0-2. The coach was on the hot seat. The quarterback couldn't lead. They couldn't play as a team.

As it turned out, all those assumptions were wrong and they proved themselves the best team in the world on Sunday. Why? Becasue more than the Patriots, they played as a team. They overcame adversity. They didn't listen to their critics. They believed in themselves when no one else would. In the end, they stand on top of the mountains as champions.

What about you? How does it respond to adversity? Are you prepared to fight in your Super Bowl, whatever that might be for you? Maybe it's your career, maybe it's your family, maybe it's your spiritual life. Do you believe your critics or do you believe in yourself?

You don't have to be an NFL team to show true character and great teamwork. You don't even have to win the Lombardi Trophy to walk away as a winner. To play the game and live your life as a true champion, you must exhibit all the traits that the Giants showed the world last night - teamwork, passion, confidence, and commitment. And...as Nike so concisely says, "Leave Nothing"!

Dan