Robert Bradford on "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" Podcast

Check out Episode 64 from the "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" podcast.  In this episode you will hear from Robert Bradford, the CEO of The Center for Simplified Strategic Planning.  



Enjoy.

Find more information at www.robertbradford.com or www.cssp.com

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Cool Things My Friends Do (Week #126) - Neen James Becomes a US Citizen

Each week on this blog I enjoy highlighting some of the cool things my friends do in their personal and professional lives.

Today my friend Neen James became a citizen of the United States of America.  Now that deserves a post on "Cool Things My Friends Do" (Week #126).  

This is not the first time Neen has been featured on my blog in a "Cool Things My Friends Do" post.  She also was early guest on the "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" podcast.  She does lots of cool things, so it is not a surprise (Click below to read or hear her past accolades):

"Thought Leader and Harley Rider" - June 13, 2012 

"Folding Time" - June 21, 2013

"Neen James on Podcast" - November 18, 2014 

I have known Neen, a native of Australia, for the past six years.  She is a very successful business owner and a delightfully caring friend.  We met via the National Speakers Association, and she has been one of my most important friends and mentors in the speaking industry. Neen is a powerhouse of a speaker and if you do not follow her on Twitter, I suggest you make her a favorite (@neenjames). 

More than a decade ago Neen and her husband moved to Pennsylvania.  Together they have built a great life and it is exciting that this "Happy Little Aussie" (her popular hashtag on Twitter is #HappyLittleAussie) has decided that America is forever her adopted home.  

I was excited to see her announcement on Facebook today and happy to welcome her to the "club".

Congratulations, Neen!!!

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Cool Things My Friends Do (Week #125) - Dr. Deborah Gilboa

Each week on this blog I enjoy highlighting some of the cool things my friends do in their personal and professional lives.

It has been some time since I have written a "Cool Things My Friends Do" post.  This is due to my focus on the "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" Podcast.  Today I am sharing this new post and also promoting an upcoming podcast interview. In this "Cool Things" I am writing about a new friend (we just met via a Twitter introduction), who will soon be a guest on the show.  While the podcast interview is about a month away, I could not wait to share some information about this fascinating person.

Dr. Deborah Gilboa (popularly known as Dr G) is a medical doctor, author, parenting expert, mother of four, and a keynote speaker.  Although we have not met yet in person, we had a great phone conversation, and I was impressed with her deep entrepreneurial spirit.  This woman does not sit back and hope things will happen, she goes out and creates opportunities.

It is not often you meet a doctor who earned her undergraduate degree in Drama and then worked for Second City.  But that is because Dr. G is not average.  

In addition to an active medical practice, she speaks regularly on parenting and youth development.  Deborah appears often in parenting publication (ie: Parents Magazine) and on television and radio.  She has also authored three activity books based on her 3R’s of Parenting; Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. These “little books” are popular go-to, user-friendly parenting advice. Teach Resilience: Raising Kids Who Can Launch!, Teach Responsibility: Empower Kids with a Great Work Ethic, and her latest, Teach Respect: That’s My Kid! were designed for today’s busy parents with age specific tips and ideas for building character in kids.

Check out her YouTube Channel for awesome short videos on parenting topics.  In these short videos she shares useful tips on a variety of topics.  Her straight-forward style is delightful, and I wish I had heard some of these tips when my own kids were younger.

I look forward to having Dr G as a guest on the podcast and getting to share more of her story with my listeners.  Subscribe to the show now on iTunes so that you will be alerted to when her show appears in mid-May.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Appreciation: Past, Present and Future

There is a strong feeling of gratitude sailing through my heart.

Recently I celebrated the 6-year anniversary of working for myself (I got laid-off from my last "real job" on April 1, 2009), and the passing of this milestone got me reflecting heavily on my journey. 

There have been many people who have helped me along the way.  I am overwhelmed with positive vibes about how this has all worked out in the long run.  While losing my job sucked, the incident forced me to follow my dream of being an entrepreneur.  It has been hard, and I am not always prepared for the heavy weight of running my own business. However, it has also been awesome.

When you are full of appreciation, I think it is best to let it out into the world.  Tell the people who matter.  Write a post.  Film a video.  Share your understanding.  Let the joy ooze out. 

If you bottle up the grateful feelings they will wither.

There have been so many clients, friends, and other speakers who have had an impact on the direction of my business.  Some are "Forever Friends" (those special people who are by your side in good times and bad, who never waiver in their loving support), and others have come and gone. But it is people who make the difference in how we succeed or fail.

Along the way I have made mistakes, but I work hard to own those missteps and learn from my faults.  I am slow to anger, and fast to forgive others.  I love the word "journey", as that is how I view my life.  If I am halfway to the end (figuring I live to be 99-years-old like my father), then I also know that the best times are ahead.  It is weird to think that the experiences so far are just the foundation of what is to come.  It is also exciting.

The thrilling part is about the people in my life.  Especially those I have not yet met.  I know some new folks will enter my life and together we will have a mutually-beneficial impact on each other's paths.  

Before I moved to Austin, 24 years ago, I could never have imagined the amazing people I would encounter, but they appeared.  Together we shared some laughs and tears.  I am fortunate to have called so many people "Friend".  There are so many people I adore.  And tomorrow holds new friendships and associations that will also produce win/win situations that are unpredictable today.

Appreciation to all is my song. Cheers to those who have been on this journey in the past, present and future.  My heart is full of gratitude.  You fill my sails with new winds.

Thanks

Have A Great Day

thom singer