In the event you haven’t already noticed, I’m kind of on a summer schedule here.

Unbelievably, this is my 250th post … in just over 16 months.

While I take my little hiatus feel free to look around and see what you might have missed. Some of my favorite posts are over on the sidebar under Readers’ Favorites. You’ll see some really great comments too!

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For now…

I hope you’re having a great summer. I’d really love to know what you’re doing. Please say hello! (It’s super easy, just click on the word “comment” next to my byline.)

I’ll go first. Here’s a little update on what we’re doing:

My husband and I are heading to an alumni gathering of entrepreneurs in San Diego in a couple of weeks. At a spa, no less! (We’re not exactly spa people.)

We’re also planning at least one white water rafting trip sometime in August. You may know we have our own raft… and rafting friends. Now, THIS beats a spa experience every day.

The apartment market around here is hot, so I’m spending a little more time on acquisition and asset management.

I’ve been taking on some new coaching clients. Enough for a summer schedule. Oh, and congratulations to the winners of my contest! (btw – It’s not too late to play, sleepy heads.) I get the awesome opportunity to work with Leanne Chesser over at Wham Solution and with my blogging friend Derek Potocki over at Goalsblogger. Your answers rocked!

We are having our 120 year old Victorian home painted (as I write this). I’ll post some before and after shots. Choosing colors, and deciding on color placement, has revitalized my semi-dormant graphic designer side:)

Jack, our new kitty, and Morgan are getting along famously. Hooray! I really thought it would take Morgan some time to warm up to Jack. Yes, he’s little kitten maniac, but she’s handling it brilliantly!

I’m playing a lot of golf with my husband. And I have standing golf date with my mom on Friday afternoons.

We’re going to some Rockies games.

And you’ll always find me playing the piano. In the summer I feel like the neighborhood is my audience (doors and windows are open). By the way, my worst critic is my bird Charlie. He squawks every time I hit a sour note. It’s amazing how he knows when something is out of tune!

We’ll be hanging out with friends and family. BBQs, laughs and good old summer fun. Hiking, camping, bike rides… maybe a concert. Before we know it the snow will be flying. Let’s make the most of it!

Your turn! What are you doing this summer? What’s your idea of the best summer ever?

No related posts.

Three weeks ago we added a new employee to our team. But he had no name.

It’s a funny thing though. I kind of knew his name all along. My husband, Richard, took some convincing… now he’s fully on board! (And he played a key role in figuring out his last name.)

Meet Jack:

Jack Blue to be more specific. (And when we’re feeling really chummy, he’s JB.)

Jack’s been learning the trade since we first introduced him to you. And he’s acquired some great skills. Things like swatting at the cursor on our computer screens. Stealing our chairs the minute we get up. He makes a pretty good paper weight too.

And then of course, there’s the thing he does best:

He’s pretty great at power naps… while still expecting his hourly rate.

Not a bad idea!

Oh! and a very special thanks to all of you who gave us some great ideas for names! We loved every single one of them. You guys are amazingly creative.

Related posts:

1. If we don’t feel valued, we walk.
2. Will You Help Us Name Our New Employee?

In a recent post, I asked the question “If you hired a coach today, what’s the number one thing you would work on?” I also conducted ‘live’ interviews, where I asked, “What are you looking for in a coach?” and, “Have you ever had a coach before?”

Surprising Answers

To my great surprise, very few of those I talked to had an interest in coaching around psychology. They wanted a coach who would:

• Tell them what to do.
• Give them a step by step game plan.

In other words, they were looking for direction. A girlfriend told me, “Look I don’t want to talk about how I think or where I’m coming from in my heart and mind, I just want someone to tell me what to do.”

A friend from one of my mastermind groups told me she didn’t want to hear how she could “get out of her own way.”

Most people I talked to wanted step-by-step coaching.

Yet…

Your Mind is Your Greatest Asset

I believe our subconscious drives our decision making. And I believe our mind is our biggest asset. This is exactly what I write about. I do everything in my power to give a voice to the idea that we create through our thoughts and we deliver results by possessing the right mindset.

So, my little ask campaign* has me stumped. (*see footnote)

The Easy Road

Most of you know I’ve been coaching for years. And I love step by step coaching. It’s easy to do. In fact, it’s too easy. For both the coach and the coachee.

The challenge is in finding what’s really holding you back from greatness. A coach can’t help you find an answer if they’re telling you what to do. And if we’re not getting help from our coaches on how to think, where are we getting it? Napoleon Hill knew our success was a direct result of how we thought… back in 1937. Has something changed? Are processes simply an easier way to exist?

I may begin a coaching relationship with a step by step process, heavy in accountability, but I promise by the end of the coaching process my clients know how to move on their own. So my question today is this: Do we really want a paint by numbers existence?

I’d love to know your thoughts on this.

(And yes, this discussion walks a thin line between the role of a coach and a consultant. I get that:) I’ll save that topic for another post… )

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footnote:

*Ask Campaigns

An ask campaign is one where you ask your clients what they’re looking for. It’s that simple.

But most businesses don’t do it.

My conversations and interviews about coaching are part of a typical ask campaign. Want to know what your clients are willing (and dying) to pay for? Ask them! How can you provide solutions to problems if you don’t know what problems your clients are facing? Have you created a product or service that no one wants? Better to find out early in the game, not later.

Have you conducted an ask campaign for your business? When? Times change. Needs shift. Desires are fickle.

You may be surprised by the answers you get. And it’s really simple to do. You can ask via email, or post your questions (or surveys… another great tool!) on your website or blog, or you can do a simple one on one conversation with your existing clients. This is a great tip.

Related posts:

1. The Heart of a Lion and the Mind of a Sheep
2. What Would You Be Doing Right Now if You Had a Coach?

I had a very interesting conversation with one of my mastermind groups this morning.

I asked them,

“If you hired a coach today, what’s the number one thing you would work on?”

I’ll share the results (and why I asked the question) in a later post, but first…

how would you answer this question?

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I would love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking on the word “comments” below the post headline.

No related posts.

I wrote a post in March. It was called “Being Right”.

Here it is, the entire post:

“ ‘Sometimes it’s harder on a person to be right than it is to be wrong.’

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What does this mean to you?

And, can you be wrong about something right now?”

That’s it. Guess what? It received zero comments. In fact, even my related posts plugin refused to find a single related post. Huh.

This post has sort of haunted me.

Just as the quote did when I first read it.

Here’s what I think.

Sometimes I want to be right so bad, I’ll push an issue long past its shelf life. I’ll make arguments for my side until it feels like it’s the only thing I think about. I’ll re-visit conversations and become increasingly, agitate-idly (not a word, I know), soooo not going to drop it.

But… wouldn’t it be easier, or saner, to let it go? (I know, I’m still making words up, but you get the idea.)

When I think about this quote, I think about:

• Giving an inch.
• Having an ability to see the other side.
• Possessing the graciousness to acquiesce.
• Being able to say, “You’re right!”

The result? Wow, life can be so much easier.

To me, this quote says, “don’t dig your heels in so deep a Mac truck couldn’t get you to budge”.

It’s okay to be wrong. (Even if maybe — just possibly — you’re not. But who’s to say, really?) Wouldn’t it be easier to cry “Uncle” sometimes?

You do realize, don’t you, how liberating it is to say, “Hey, I just may be wrong about this.”

For the sake of sanity? Or creativity? Or innovation?

Try this,

“You know, I really think I’m right but that’s okay, I’ve been known to be wrong before.”

Rarely is something solved singularly (is that the correct use of an adverb? I could be wrong). And thank God for that. There are so many ways to do a single thing well. And correctly, or right.

For example, in your business you may have a certain way of doing things. Yet… wouldn’t your team be empowered if you let them find their own solution to a problem? To let them innovate if it supports the larger vision or strategy? Isn’t it okay if they take another route to a solution that works?

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Finally, the very first thing that popped into my mind when I read this quote was the idea that the next time I argue about something with my husband, it would be so much better to say,

“You’re right. I’m wrong.”

Easy, isn’t it?

Your turn. Can you be wrong about something right now? Have you ever suffered by being right? Have you dropped something just for the sake of making life more pleasant?

Related posts:

1. Asking Someone to Mentor You and Part II of the Joel Comm Project
2. Owning a Part Time Business While Working Nine to Five

And now, for something totally different.

With the increase in traffic to my blog, we decided to add another member to the team.

Here kitty, kitty, kitty…

Meet:

We love him and we’re thrilled to have him join us, but… he doesn’t have a name.

Yet.

He doesn’t exactly come when we call. He doesn’t even know we’re talking to him when we assign tasks. But maybe that’s deliberate : )

So we’re putting this out to you guys. Will you help us name him?

The terms and conditions of his employment are still under negotiation and he’s already sleeping on the job!

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For those of you who visit here often you know this is a BIG deal! We had to put Mister C down in January. He was my big time blogging buddy. And my husband’s pal.

(The post at this link was dedicated to Mister C.)

There was only one Mr. C, which is why we decided against getting another black kitten, as much as we love black cats. But there are a ton of other great colors for kittens, and gray is a very nice color indeed.  The woman at the shelter told us his computer skills were pretty good.

Now, if we can only teach him how to type…and get him a name then we’ll be in business!  We look forward to your comments.

Please share this with your family and friends. The more the merrier!

R & T

No related posts.

I usually wake up in the morning thinking, “How can I think differently today?”

Partly because that’s just what I do. And partly because I write a blog about how to think like an entrepreneur. And to me that means thinking about things that would never occur to the majority.

I hate routine. Routine anything.

Here’s what you can do…

Be YOU, but a super condensed version of you.

Campbell’s soup without a can of water mixed in. Exaggerate your personality. Why not try it for a day? I have three sisters and when I hang out with any of them I can make them laugh all day long. Why? Because I don’t hold back. I’m totally goofy. I try to make them laugh. I say things off the top of my head. I make faces and I make fun of myself.

Does this work with my brothers? Sometimes, but they think they’re pretty cool. They’d rather be the funny ones. Does this work on everyone else? You’d be AMAZED at how people respond. This one little thing can change your life.

Talk to the radio, TV or Internet.

Tell the side of the story they’re not telling. This is one I really love. I play devil’s advocate all the time. Otherwise I’d go crazy. Don’t buy everything you read and hear. Ask “what if”. What if the story you just heard on the radio was a crock of sh*t? There are always two sides to a story. What do you imagine the other side would say?

This is the best way to completely change your thinking. Even if you agree… disagree for a change. How else can you come up with new ideas? Do you really want someone to spoon feed you with their ideas?

It helps to do this out loud. In the mirror. You may be saying some outrageous things… it really helps to have someone to look at, even if it’s just you.

Test an idea or project.

If you’re working on a book and you’re tired of working on it… stop. Pick your best chapter and send it to someone you like and trust. Ask for feedback. Give your product away for free to the first 10 people who want it and ask them what they think.

A little feedback can totally rejuvenate you. It can re-inspire you to work on, and improve, something you might be getting really tired of. Have you ever worked on something until you’re sick of trying to perfect it? Let someone else help.

**Break the rules**

Wear shoes that don’t match.

Or show up to a meeting, or your office, wearing socks, no shoes. The person who points it out just opened the door for a great conversation.

Leave your bed unmade.

And if that’s normal for you, then make your bed. If you’re a neat freak, like me, leaving a messy room can give you permission to act like a completely different person. It can be liberating to break the rules. Even if they’re rules you made (or had ingrained into you at an early age).

Part your hair on the other side.

You’ll feel funny. You’ll probably look great. And no one will really notice anyway. Except you. And that’s the point.

Take another route.

Take the scenic route to wherever you’re going today. If you work at home, walk around the block to get to your office. Ride your bike. Ever notice how different the world looks, and smells, as it passes by — from the seat of motorcycle?

Eat something bizarre for breakfast.

Or lunch. I drink my coffee with cream. But when I serve it black, every time I take a sip I’m like, “Oh yeah… this IS different. It’s awful.” But for the hour it takes me to drink an entire mug, as it grows colder and colder, I remember I’m supposed to tackle everything I’m doing with a new and fresh perspective.

Ok this is why this is important.

When you let apology, reticence, habit or routine be a part of how you move through your day, you can’t possibly be creative. It becomes harder and harder to have original thoughts. Routine is… well, it’s just a total party downer. Unfun.

Your turn. How do you change the way you think? Do you love a routine or are you totally cool stepping away from habitual behaviors? Let go… comment like you’ve never commented before:)

No related posts.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” — Carl Jung

My husband loves attending seminars – of all kinds. Business seminars, personal growth weekends, networking events; over the years he’s introduced me to some life changing experiences. (Thanks Richard.)

I remember in the early years of our marriage, he wanted me to attend a personal growth seminar. I dug in my heels and said, “No, you can go to this one without me.” My gut reaction was that it was some kind of cult… after all what kind of group keeps you working 18 hours straight in a hotel room with a bunch of strangers? It sounded like a serious sleep deprivation technique–with the ultimate goal of brainwashing the participants.

Ultimately I attended my own session. Then I went on to participate in almost every other seminar they offered… with my husband. We did ropes courses, mountain climbing, solo overnight camping and team exercises based on pure trust… it was amazing.

I’ve been thinking lately about another event we attended together.

During the event we were asked,

“What if, when you react to someone in a judgmental manner, you’re doing it because the other person is mirroring something about yourself you’d really rather avoid?”

Our host introduced the idea that when we have someone in our life who truly irritates us, our higher self just might have been the one who invited the other person to show up and push our buttons. What would Jung think of this?

He suggested we look at this as a gift from the other person and as an opportunity to see something in ourselves we might be avoiding.

Here’s an example.

Your results really bother me.

Have you ever reacted to someone’s success in a judgmental way? It’s easy to fall into that trap. It’s easy to say, “Well sure those numbers are great, but I would never do what he’s doing”.

Instead, why not stop and ask, “What is it about the other person’s success really bothers me?

Perhaps the other person is doing nothing wrong… just going about things in a way you don’t embrace. So what is it about the other guy’s success? Does he or she work harder? Are they doing a ton of marketing? Do they have a better product? Are they making more money?

Is it because they are promoting themselves at every opportunity… and you don’t? Hmmm. Maybe it’s time to think, “Why not promote the heck out of myself?”

We have a golden opportunity to learn from our reaction to other people. And we can choose to see our response to the other guy as a gift.

Your turn. What pushes your buttons? Where do you see an opportunity to learn from the stuff that really irritates you? Who can’t you stand, and why? What annoys you… and what can you learn about yourself from it?

Related posts:

1. You… Just Like Clark Kent. Glasses… No Glasses.

What does transparently competitive behavior cost you?

Here’s what I mean by this.

A person is transparently competitive when they:

• Visit someone’s home to attend a network marketing event and they promote their own networking business to the participants.
• Visit another person’s business (brick and mortar, or online) and they promote their own product or service… without shame.
• Disagree with the other guy in an attempt to demonstrate their own superiority.

And while their intentions may be noble (in their mind), their actions say otherwise. I mean, they may have no real malicious intent to do someone harm, yet actions like these demonstrate a grievous lack of good judgment.

I’m an advocate for:

• Being gracious for an invitation to participate.
• Recognizing the best in people by pointing out a job well done.
• Showing pride in your friends, contemporaries, colleagues, team members and yes, even your ‘competition’.
• Offering kindness and respect.
• Extending compliments.
• Showing gratitude for another person’s contribution to the world… whether that person be a friend, an acquaintance, or a total stranger.
• Promoting your competition.
• Giving thanks for knowledge shared.
• Being a perfect guest.

Anything less can be costly. To your reputation. To your image. And to your bottom line.

All of this is just plain good sense… or is it? I’m sometimes appalled by the behavior of others, especially so in the online world (and by extension email, texting, comments, etc.).

Perhaps it’s a wonderful idea to take a step back and do an honest introspection on how we are being. What are we trying to create?

Your turn. What would you add to my list of how to demonstrate excellence in business? And in life, for that matter?

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Wondering how this way of thinking can explode your business? Let’s talk.

Related posts:

1. On Being Elegant

I thought a little cliché might brighten your day! Did it work?

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There’s nothing more appealing to your customers as when you answer your phone with a smile on your face (and by extension your voice).

This may seem obvious, but… have you tried it? Do you you answer your phone with a smile? Back when I was a headhunter in training this was drilled into me until it came naturally. We also practiced standing up when we talked on the phone. You might be surprised at how much of this stuff comes across a phone line. Or at your front door.

It also does wonders for your own attitude. And your attitude can positively influence sales and customer relations.

When was the last time you said ‘Buenos días’ to a complete stranger? In some cultures this goes without saying. Or rather, it goes with saying… morning, noon and night. Buenos días, Buenas tardes, Buenas noches. Nice isn’t it?

I recently had a coaching client hire me after finding me on the internet.

When I asked her how she arrived at my blog she couldn’t recall. “Darn!” I thought. It would be so good to know this. I could do more of it. Was it facebook? Twitter? Did she search for coaching?

So I asked her the next obvious question. “Why did you decide to call me rather than the other coaches you found online?”

Her answer? “You look so happy.”

A smile goes a long way.

The way you are being influences others. Who would you rather work with? Someone who loves what they do or someone who begrudges every minute spent on the job?

Do you remember the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”? Have you ever wondered why a song like that gets stuck in your head?

Related posts:

1. “What happened to 44%? We lost money!”
2. You Had Me at Hello

“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

We are elegant when we are:

Dignified in our behavior.

Succinct in our communication.

Fair in our description of others.

Simple in our problem solving.

Graceful in our acceptance of others.

Gentle.

Creative in our approach or perspective.

Introspective before we react.

Collaborative versus competitive.

Honest about our mistakes.

Humble.

Unadorned.

A good friend.

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Elegance is a seduction. It is a grace of style. Of being in a way that attracts rather then repels.

What would you add to this list?

Related posts:

1. Kick the But: Big Blue Monsters That Hold You Back
2. Happy Holidays! A Wish For the New Year

When you dress like a million bucks, people treat you like a million bucks.

…and pretty soon, you’ll get more comfortable in that skin.

When you seem capable, others will see you that way. When you walk and talk with confidence behind every gesture and nuance, you will become that person.

When someone tells you can do anything often enough, eventually you’ll believe it. Even when it’s you doing the telling.

The telling part is good.

The BEING part is great.

When you take actions, actions that produce results – no matter how small — you are showing yourself that you can do, or be, anything. Anything? Yes, anything.

Tell me something is impossible and I’ll work really hard to prove you wrong. Tell me I’m capable of anything I set my mind to and I won’t let you down.

What motivates you? How do you talk to yourself? Do you believe that you are capable of great things?

No related posts.

Today marks the first anniversary of BigFishTopDogs.com. I’d say, “I can’t believe it!” — but believe it, I do. I’d exclaim, “Wow, this year has literally flown by!” if I could make it believable.

Actually,

it seems like a million years ago when my friend Adam said, “Just start blogging, the rest will come” and I believed him. His comment propelled me to act on blind faith. I had no idea of what was ultimately to come. And frankly, I didn’t have big plans or a rock solid strategy for where I was going.

What I didn’t know, when I started, was how much I would love writing, how thrilled I would be to discover my voice, and how amazing it would be to unearth an ability to inspire by putting my thoughts down in writing.

And the biggest wonderment of all has been all of you who visit, read, comment and share.

I’ve always lived a life where I’m constantly thinking about how I can inspire others to believe differently. To change their language. To embrace action. To marvel at a shift in thinking. To hang out with motivating and inspiring people. It’s why I became a mentor and a coach.

Blogging has given me that incredible platform. It also led me to discover there are hundreds of people who feel the same as I do. I’ve gained so much from meeting all of you. A community who engages enthusiastically. With me. And, incredibly, with each other.

Thank you.

Oh! And one more thing. What marvelous and amazing things have you discovered over the past year?

(You know I love your comments!)

Related posts:

1. Feel Like Inspiring Someone Today? The Archives Challenge
2. You Want To Be An Entrepreneur? Start Today

“We don’t live to learn; we learn to live!” – Walter Moers

When I read this little phrase recently, I couldn’t help but stop and think about it. A small voice inside my head began whispering, “But you love to learn … that’s what keeps you going! How can this be true?”

And while I do feel that I live to learn — to learn something new every single day — I found myself asking, “What am I doing each day to learn to live?”

Until fairly recently, I had temporarily lost my ability to pause and appreciate a single moment. It wasn’t until I was shoveling snow off the walks the other morning, and stopped to look around at my stunningly beautiful surroundings, that I realized I was back. Back from a short trip of appreciating very little.

It’s nice to appreciate both: the never ending search for learning and the simple act of cherishing a moment or action.

What do you think? And, how have you learned to live?

Snowy walks in the early morning.

Related posts:

1. Yes, you can learn to be an entrepreneur!
2. What Can You Learn From a Team at Harvard Business School? A Lot.

Do you ever stop and think about how you’re being? Who you are in the doing?

Last week, one of the members of our mastermind group suggested we write down our top 10 goals and share them with the rest of the group. In itself, that’s not an unusual thing to do. Mastermind groups are a fabulous place to share and work on goals.

But Martha added a twist.

She suggested we write down how we wanted to be as we achieved those goals. After doing the exercise, an interesting, and surprising theme emerged — to a person. It became immediately apparent that quality of life trumped ‘quantity’ (as in money and possessions).

What actually developed was a list that read like, “This is how I’m going to enjoy my life as I achieve my goals.”

Maybe there’s a pleasant side effect to this recession after all. What ails us is not all bad. My group consists of some pretty high achieving individuals who, two years ago, might have had goals that sounded like they came straight out of the Donald Trump school of thought. You know, make big bucks, have all the luxuries, work super hard, things like that.

Instead, the predominant thought was more like ‘simplify’.

We would be:

• Worry free.
• Spending quality time with loved ones.
• Open to new opportunities.
• More playful.
• Body aware.
• Introspective.
• Sleeping soundly.
• Outgoing and exuberant.
• Believers in impossible things.
• Friends and mentors.
• Able to find happiness in each day.

I was truly amazed to do a goal setting exercise that had such a wonderful result. It helped me open my eyes to the fact that the way we spend our days is the ultimate gauge of our quality of life. And, in the end, of how our lives were lived (yes, read ‘past tense’).

When was the last time you asked yourself, “How am I being?”

Enjoy yourself.  It’s later than you think.  ~Chinese Proverb

Who are you right now? Dream it and begin it.

Related posts:

1. How’re you doing on those resolutions?
2. How to Start a Mastermind Group

Mister C was our 14 year old Abyssinian black cat. The C was for Mr. Cool, as in Cool Cat.  He was indeed a very cool cat in every sense of the word.  Regal, good lookin’, friendly, a lover boy, good lap companion, alarm cat every morning at 5:00 am and cat blogger extraordinaire (see photo). We had to have him put down today rather unexpectedly, although we knew it was coming at some point in the not too distant future.

We know that Mister C was “just a cat”, or “just a dog” or just a “turtle”, etc., but he was our cat — our special cat — and that is why we want to honor him publicly.  So, to all of you who have had to say goodbye to an animal friend, our hearts go out to you.  And we say, “We will miss you all but have joy in the memories and all the laughs and good times you brought us.” We wish Mister C and all his animal friends god’s speed as they move on to the next dimension.  Be well.

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This post was written by my darling husband Richard. Mister C was his buddy.

Many of you don’t know that Mister C was a pretty big part of my daily blogging. As I wrote, he was almost always sitting at my desk between my monitor and my keyboard. He was good company. I will miss him. Now please excuse me while I go have a little cry. Or better yet, I think I’ll I go downstairs and play Imagine by John Lennon on my piano. Mister C always seemed to show up when I played that song.

No related posts.

Happy New Year! When I sat down at my laptop to write a New Year Greeting I decided to look back at what I’ve written throughout 2010 for some inspiration.

Here’s my New Year’s wish for you in a greeting composed of some of my post titles. And, if you’re really motivated about starting the New Year off right, this little greeting has links to some of my favorite posts.

A New Year Greeting

You gotta know you’re good.

Be useful and compassionate.

Hit the ball out of the park.

Believe impossible things.

Ask for the money.

Expect something to happen.

Shift your perspective: serve others.

Take everything as a challenge.

Find inspiration in a single action.

Ask empowering questions.

Find your why.

Be more childlike.

Set goals.

Don’t let overwhelm stop you before you begin.

Get into action.

Pay yourself first.

Never give someone a fruitcake.

Happy New Year to all of you! Let life be an experiment with amazing and unexpected outcomes.

And, of course, I’m always thrilled to get your comments.

Related posts:

1. Kick the But: Big Blue Monsters That Hold You Back
2. Back Into Your New Year’s Resolutions

I love having a BlackBerry, especially when it comes to email. It allows me to send and reply to messages in a manner that is short and concise. It lets me cut to the chase without a lot of chatter.

Some people seem really paranoid about smartphone emails.

For example, I’ve read some great signatures designed, seemingly, to insult no one. Paranoid signatures? Or smart? Or simply polite?

Here are some of my favs:

“Sent via a really tiny keyboard”

“Sent from my BlackBerry (please excuse terseness)”

And then there’s the default signature – heavy on shameless manufacturer and carrier self promotion:

“Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile”

And,

“Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry” (Wireless?)

For some reason these signatures remind me of the scene from the movie Jurassic Park where the Velociraptors tag-ambush the hunter Muldoon. Moments before he dies, Muldoon turns around and looks at the Velociraptor sneaking up behind him and says, “Clever Girl”.

I say, “Clever Company”. Those default signatures have ambushed your email messages.

So, what does your signature say? And why? And if you don’t have a smartphone what would your signature say if you did?

Just curious…

Oh, and in case you’re wondering what mine says, see my comment below. And while you’re here why not grab my RSS feed or subscribe by email?

No related posts.

Never one to let an awesome comment hide away below a single blog post… I’m compelled to put this comment from Sol front and center:

“An opportunist once said ‘we keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths’. ‘Moving forward’ seems a phrase apropos for this group.

Quite frankly, it’s that underlying advancing current that keeps me coming back to this blog. When we act on instinct borne of lessons learned, executing and adjusting mid-stride instead of stopping to wallow in the regret of inaction, it’s then we can gain momentum, then we can share encouragement and counsel with our sisters and brothers as we all move forward, action propelled… “ – Sol @ugotsol

I absolutely love the Walt Disney quote. We’ll leave it open to discussion whether he was a genius or an opportunistic genius.

Sisters and brothers. Don’t you just love that? And we get to do this without being limited to 140 characters or mixed in with what you had for lunch.

Thanks Sol for keeping us moving forward. What an incredible comment worth thinking about! Glad to see so many of you playing.

This is an awesome place for you to leave a comment.

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“Deep listening is miraculous for both listener and speaker. When someone receives us with open-hearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand.” –Sue Patton Thoele

Last Friday my mom and I were having a conversation and she interrupted me five times. And then she complimented me on my listening skills.

The next thing she said really surprised me. She suggested I write a blog post about this. She actually dictated those first two sentences. Without her prompt, I would never have written that she interrupted me 5 times. It sounds disrespectful. I didn’t even realize she was interrupting me.

So, maybe years of practice have actually paid off. I wasn’t always a good listener. In the past, I spent more time thinking about what I was going to say next than I did listening to what the other person was saying. Do you do this too?

This summer I was at a barbecue with my husband and a bunch of our friends. We started telling fantastic dog stories. One story would remind someone of a story they knew and the conversation just fed itself. Then our friend David made a comment I still remember.

When it was his turn to tell his story he said, “Here’s another good story.” I remember it because he was doing what we all do. Jumping in with his own contribution but he also showed he was listening instead of racing to get his two cents in. What struck me was how he did it. By saying “Here’s another good story” he was validating all the stories already told. He was making it clear he had listened to everyone else. And that they were all good stories.

Would you like to be a better listener? During the upcoming holidays we will all have an incredible opportunity to practice our listening skills. We’ll be around people we know and love and we’ll most likely be meeting new people.

Listening is an active process. And it takes practice.

One of the best ways to improve your listening skills is to act like a good listener. Pretend to be a good listener until it becomes true. Until it’s something you can do with ease. This is one of the best tips I can give you.

One of my former business partners, Barb, was the best listener I’ve ever known. She made it look easy. When I practiced my listening skills I used to pretend I was her. She rarely talked about herself. Instead, she asked a lot of genuinely interested questions. She was a genius at it and our clients adored her.

Instead of giving your opinion or telling your own story, ask questions. If someone interrupts you well… that’s OK. Go ahead and listen to what they have to say. Let the conversation go where it will. You don’t have to go back to what you were going to say, ever. Go with the flow. You’ll never hear the other person if you do all the talking.

Practice these techniques over the coming weeks:

• Let the other person finish what they are saying.
• Be aware of the fact that you are listening.
• Ask questions that demonstrate a bona fide interest in the other person.
• Listen for enjoyment.
• Listen with an open mind.
• Make eye contact. Listen with your face and your body.

“To listen fully means to pay close attention to what is being said beneath the words. You listen not only to the ‘music,’ but to the essence of the person speaking. You listen not only for what someone knows, but for what he or she is…” — Peter Senge

Sometimes a gentle reminder to listen is all we need. You’ll have some really good opportunities to practice this over the weeks to come.

How about it? Are you willing to hone your listening skills through the rest of 2010? I always love reading your comments!

Oh! If you haven’t done so already, grab my RSS feed or subscribe by email to bigfishtopdogs over on the right sidebar of this blog… you’ll be the first to receive new posts hot off the press!

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