So Long Cy

Do you remember when you met someone who had an impact in your personal and professional life? I’ll never forget meeting Cy Wyse. Cy was a mountain of a man in his early 70’s. He had been an outstanding basketball and football player in his youth and you could tell that although he was older, he had been an imposing figure. He had the biggest hands I’d ever seen and a powerful grip. He introduced himself to me after my first basketball practice at North Kitsap High School. He asked permission to watch practices, not to critique me he carefully stated, but to watch his granddaughter, who was a junior on the team, play. I agreed and that was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Over the course of the next seven years, Cy became a friend and mentor. Now don’t get me wrong, he certainly had his opinions, but he was steadfast in his belief that the coach was the coach, and his or her word was law. Cy was always courtside at our games, even after his granddaughter graduated. He was always available to offer me sage advice, mentor me, and listen when I just needed to vent. He would invite me over to his house for some lemonade that his lovely bride, Alma would fix for us. I don’t think I ever got out in less than two hours! His stories and wisdom were priceless.

Cy passed away on Wednesday (September 19) and he will be missed by a large extended family, including the community he worked so hard to build. He was a champion for the youth, spending countless hours mentoring students, coaching athletes, and lobbying to gain increased parks and facilities. Cy was a good friend and mentor to me and I’m eternally grateful. I will miss him.

So who is that someone that has had an impact on you? Maybe the better question is - whose life have YOU impacted? We’re only on this earth a short time. Being a mentor and friend to someone else is not only a nice thing to do, it’s incumbent on all of us because someone did it for us. The best thing I can do in thanks for Cy’s generosity to me is to give that back to someone else. What about you? Whose life can you impact in a positive way?

Dan

Are You Prepared for the Unexpected?

I’m teaching my first class for the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research tomorrow in Seattle. The class is for Certified Insurance Service Representatives (CISR) and I’m at the stage of the process to teach the first half of the class. Presenting in front of a group has never been an issue for me; however there are a couple areas that have me nervous.

I’ve got a brand new laptop and projector with great slides that my daughter, Mindy helped me put together. The problem is I’ve never used either in a formal presentation, so I spent all Saturday night making sure I knew how to connect the laptop to the projector and make sure I knew how to use the wireless mouse and laser (I’ve never had control of a little red dot on a screen, but it’s pretty cool). Still, using new gadgets for the first time in a live presentation always makes me a little uneasy. You never know what challenges you will run into with the configuration of the room, the positioning of outlets, or a just Murphy showing up and imposing his law on you.

Being prepared for a presentation is really vital. It shows that you are a professional and ready for the unexpected. Have you ever been to a presentation where someone’s batteries died and their remote no longer worked? How about having dry erase markers that were out of ink (or whatever that stuff that is). I was at a presentation recently where the presenter’s batteries died and I had an extra set for him. Now, I need to remember to replace them in my briefcase!

I’ve tried to learn from experience to bring extra things just in case – batteries, dry erase pens, Kleenex…you never know what challenges you will have to overcome. Once, I had to bring in my own television to show a video clip because the room’s television didn’t accept my CD!

Remember, those people in your audience deserve your best. Make sure you come prepared to give it to them!

Dan

Are You Ready to Change?

My good friend Darren LaCroix (the guy to the right) recently moved from Tulsa, OK to Las Vegas and I followed his journey during the long drive between the two cities (read Darren’s blog). After speaking with him last night, it brought back memories of all the moves I’ve made with my family since I was married in 1986.

We’ve been in our current home for over six years and the home before that for eight years. Prior to that, though, we were like nomads; living in four different places in a five year period. I hate moving. It seems like every time you went out with a load of stuff, there was more stuff in the house you were leaving. It was like a bad episode of the Twilight Zone!

How do you handle change in your life? I always thought of myself as good change “handler” and then I remember the moving! They (not sure who “they” is) always say that when you close one door, another door opens. When change happens in your life, are you looking for that new door with excitement or dread?

If you’re like me, you’ve probably found more positive doors in your life that have opened up. Change, although difficult at times, will lead to new adventures, journeys, and experiences if you allow it to. Think of that the next time one door slams shut because there is probably another one WIDE open!

Dan

P.S. Speaking of Darren, he is going to be my guest in a teleseminar on September 26th at 7:00pm Pacific time. Please join us and you will learn how Darren took his presentation skills to new levels and how it turned into a great business for him. More importantly, learn what his lessons can do for you! Have a question for him…ask him yourself in this interactive call. To learn more, click here…