How Do You Define Success? Find a NEW Way July 16

Have you ever asked yourself: "What does success mean to me?" or "How do I measure my success in life?"

The answers that shape your reality in today's New Normal may be much different than the answers would have been in the past. This process of self-exploration may be more challenging as our paradigms continue to shift and we find that our old definitions of success and leadership don't serve us in quite the same way anymore.

The GOOD NEWS is that you can get access to experts and resources to help guide you on your journey towards your unique, wonderful definition of success!

My colleague, Kate Siner Francis, founder of the Life Fulfillment Formula and the Larger Visions non-profit, is presenting the World Changing Success Summit from July 16-27. Each of the 12 teleseminars will teach you skills and lead you to insights aimed at answering your most important questions about how to improve your leadership abilities and realize your vision all the while feeling empowered to do so.

The best part – it's FREE to register! Listen in from wherever you are by phone or on your computer. It's just that easy!

The World Changing Success Summit brings together visionaries and leaders like YOU, and the helping professionals who want to find a heartfelt answer to what will bring you more satisfaction and joy in your life. These experts include Suzanne Evans (on Authentic Marketing), Anne Merkel (on Balancing Mind-Body-Spirit) and Gayle Joplin Hall (on Busting FEAR). You will be taught powerful tools and essential skills that will help you:

● Lead from a more empowered place
● Effectively deal with conflict or other work challenges
● Create more prosperity in your life and business
● Inspire yourself!
● Collaborate and partner most effectively for your vision
● Clearly see how you get stuck and how to get free

I'm so excited to be a part of the incredible line-up of 12 fantastic speakers who are ready to help you make the difference you were born to make. My session is Reconnect to Your Purpose: The Benefit of Doing Less with More. We're all sharing powerful and practical tools to create the life you have always wanted to live! There is no other time than NOW.

Mark your calendar and sign up now because this amazing event starts July 16th. Join us for the World Changing Success Summit! Learn from these master teachers and creative experts how to flourish living the life you were meant to live!

4 Tips to Beat Holiday Stress

'Tis (almost) the season to be jolly. That's what the holiday-themed store windows and commercials are telling us. Despite all of the early bird hoopla, I prefer to ease myself into the holiday season. It's my personal tactic to mitigate and manage the stress often associated with this time of year. That and watching my parents and their phenomenal choir perform the Handel's Messiah Concert at Abyssinian Church in December.

If you're seeking more ideas on how to ease into this holiday season, read on for 4 Tips to Beat Holiday Stress!

• Recognize your holiday stress triggers: A stress trigger is a change or occurrence in your life that causes you to have either a negative physical response (e.g., headache, cold, or muscle ache) or emotional response (e.g., anxiety, insomnia, or distractedness). The challenge during the holidays is that stress triggers can be associated with our family and personal relationships, or our financial situation. What are your potential triggers? Is it an expected encounter with someone or perhaps another person's absence? Have concerns about creating your holiday shopping list or scheduling your holiday travel? Becoming aware is your first step -- knowing what are your holiday stress triggers helps you be proactive in how you respond.

• Be willing to let go of the past: Once you've identified your triggers, consider viewing them from a NEW, fresh perspective. If you're already dreading an encounter with someone, try on the possibility that the experience will NOT be negative. Can you let go of past offenses and resentments? Set an intention to approach the person with a positive outlook, and not allow their comments or behaviors to change your mood or stress level. If your concern is about holiday shopping or travel because of your financial situation, be honest with yourself and your family about what you can and cannot take on this year. Seek out fun, lower cost options (like family "grab bags" or "Secret Santas," potluck dinners, and layaway for significant items). Focus your attention on how great it will feel to spend time with those whom you love and enjoy. Infuse yourself with the true holiday spirit of loving and sharing!

• Tune in to your holiday self-talk: In addition to your favorite holiday song or commercial jingle you can't forget, there's also a running script of "self-talk." These are thoughts or messages you repeat silently to yourself, often about your financial situation, your personal abilities, and your chances of achieving your goals in the coming year. It's great when these messages are positive; they can be very empowering. Sometimes, though, negative messages pop up when you're stressed out or overwhelmed. You CAN coach yourself to flip the script to create a more positive outlook. The next time you notice a negative thought or message, tell yourself to STOP! Take a deep breath, think of a positive statement, and reflect on someone who inspires and supports you. Take it a step further by writing down the negative message; then cross it out, and write down as many positive ideas and statements that prove your negative thought about yourself or your abilities is NOT true or valid. Create more space in your mind for joy and fulfillment!

• Give yourself holiday ME-TIME: With all of the hustle and bustle of the season, it can be easy to to forget about our own needs. Build time into your holiday schedule just for you. Consider taking on a new physical activity you might enjoy like a winter sport (from snowboarding to ice skating!); or a new social activity like volunteering to help others who are in need during the season; sharpen your mental abilities with a new book or game; unplug from your various devices for a little while to relax and quiet your mind. Explore and discover all that the holiday season has to offer!

If you're interested in more tips to jumpstart your career during the holiday season, read my blog post on how to Shine at Your Professional Holiday Parties.

And, if you'd like to learn more about the potential long-term impact of stress on your life, read my post on 9 Early Warning Signs that Stress is Negatively Impacting Your Life.

Know that I'm rooting for your success, health and wellbeing. Here's wishing you the start of an abundant, joyful, magical holiday season!

Date Smarter in 2009 - Online GIFT BAG EVENT Starts Today!

So, you may be intrigued – how can an online GIFT BAG EVENT help you date smarter in 2009? As a work-life coach, I know how important it is to have both aspects of our lives in balance. You may recall my post and podcast during the sumer on the challenges of urban dating -- it's an adventure!


Well, I’m excited to let you know that I’m participating in a fabulous event with Donna Sozio, author of the hilarious (but practical) dating advice book Never Trust a Man in Alligator Loafers: What his Shoes Really Say About his True Love Potential. As seen on the Tyra Banks show, she’ll teach you how to sum-up a man in 30-seconds just by looking at his shoes!


In our fantastic online GIFT BAG EVENT there’s over $5,827 worth of fun & fabulous prizes for savvy women like you to win including a Complimentary 30-minute Competent Advantage™ Phone Coaching Session!


It’s so easy to enter!

1. Buy a copy of Donna’s hilarious dating advice book Never Trust a Man in Alligator Loafers from Amazon.com from Nov. 3rd – 10th 2008.


2. Go to www.DonnaSozio.com/GIFTBAG


3. Enter your name, email address, and your Amazon.com receipt number

That’s it! You’re entered to win over $5,827 in premium GIFT BAG SWAG!

***PLUS*** If you purchase a copy of Never Trust a Man in Alligator Loafers and register, you'll receive over $800 in fun, stylish coupons and discounts on gorgeous jewelry, fashion, and more! So, you’ll look great on that first date!

For a complete list of prizes visit: www.DonnaSozio.com/PRIZES.

DON’T WAIT – take the first step to dating smarter in 2009! Register for the GIFT BAG EVENT TODAY!

Inspiration to Pursue Your Childhood Dreams

Last evening, I opened a link I'd received to the Last Lecture given by Randy Pausch, the esteemed Computer Science professor from Carnegie Mellon University who recently passed away due to pancreatic cancer. I couldn't believe how touched I was, on so many levels, by his commentary on life.

On a personal level, watching the connection between he and his wife caused me to wonder when I'll be blessed with such a great love. I also was re-inspired by his suggestion to "wait long enough and people will eventually impress you." In all honesty, patience is one virtue I consistently must cultivate; however, there have been times when giving people a little more time and space has worked out well.

On a professional level, I was intrigued by many concepts -- including the head fake [the concept of "tricking" people into learning complex things by teaching them something else fun and engaging]. As a trainer and even a coach, that premise resonates really well with me -- how can I help people have their "A-HA!" moments without making it so obvious that that's what I'm aiming to do?

I also relished his ironic interpretation of challenges and obstacles: "Brick walls are there to let us prove how badly we want something." There's something so basic in this concept and yet so compelling. How often have we scaled different "walls" despite our fears or reluctance? Or, when have we walked around other "walls" because they really have blocked the path to our true desires?

All in all, Randy's consistent dedication to helping his students and colleagues to pursue their childhood dreams is inspiring. The manifestation of my childhood "dream job" has changed a bit; although it's still in the realm of helping people. This became clearer to me as I was writing the purpose statement for my company about five years ago [to help people use their knowledge and abilities to achieve great things]. Although, I still believe I'm on a journey to find my ultimate purpose in life ... but, enough of my rambles (for now).

• What are your dreams?
• How are you pursuing them?
• Are you scaling the "walls" that get in your way?
• What "head fakes" have helped you have your A-HA! moments?

Do watch the video when you have the chance. And, thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)

Pictures from Nonprofit Coaching Event

Happy Friday! I've just posted pictures from yesterday's Advice-Link event to my Facebook page. Congratulations to Sue Green of Nonprofit Central for organizing this valuable, interactive event! And, kudos to Howard Levy of Red Rooster Group for updating our website so quickly!

It was great to meet nonprofit leaders in New York who are seeking creative ways to strengthen the capacity of their organizations. And, it also was fun to connect with other talented consultants. I'm looking forward to future strategic coaching events ... or, as I think they should be called 30-Minute Dating for Organizations. LOL!

Meet Komal Gulzar -- Intern with InStep Consulting

As I mentioned in my last post, InStep Consulting has an intern from Brooklyn College. I asked Komal to share some initial thoughts on her internship experience. Read on ... I think we ALL can gain some career tips from Komal!

CE: Why did you decide to do an internship this summer?
KG: I wanted to explore a new field in business management and learn about what this industry has to offer me once I graduate with a bachelor’s degree. I had the opportunity to get insight into the accounting and finance fields last year. So, I chose Business Consulting this summer. I was curious about what role a consultant plays and how he/she helps businesses. So far, I have learned that a consultant helps the employer and the employees bond to improve communication and effectiveness on both sides.

CE: What do you hope to gain from your internship?
KG: In the end, it’s all about the experience. Experience helps us make better choices and decide which career to pick. Why would we choose one career and not the other? It all depends on the quality of experience we have.
In my opinion, there are two types of internship experiences: one where we just "kill time" to fulfill the program requirements. We play a passive role and just expect the internship to be a good experience.
The second type makes all the difference. This is when we really put a lot of effort into it. We’re curious and ask a lot of questions. We want to know every little detail about every thing at the host site. We not only ask how something is done, but also why not do it some other way. Even if we’re not really interested in this field, we take it as a challenge and try to meet our goals.

CE: What advice would you give your fellow JFEW interns? (Jewish Foundation for the Education of Women)
KG: In short, we should treat our internships as if they were our first jobs. We should clarify that what we do in an internship is not for the supervisor or somebody else, but for ourselves.
Yes, we do help the company in the process; but the goal is to learn. And, if we don’t put our hearts into it, we’re not helping anybody, but wasting everybody’s time. Think of it as if it were for your own business or company. Wear what you do.

CE: Tell us what YOU think!
KG: Your answers to these questions might be different – maybe you want to explore a new field or to discover something new about an industry you’re already interested in. Don't take my word for it; experience it for yourself and then share your thoughts with the rest of us. We would love to hear from you!