"Manage U"

Years are sectioned into months. Months are divided into weeks. Weeks are split into days. Days are parted into hours. Those hours are organized into minutes. Minutes are fragmented into seconds. Seconds are regarded as precious and we strive to make them count.

I have been a reader of Jeff Goins Blog for a while. I have subscribed to his feed and I have purchased his books and participate in his e-course.

How does this dude manage all of this? We’ll he simply started.

Conversations with diverse individuals have led me to believe many of our problems, and many of our set backs, originate with us. As in you and I.

Why have we not graduated from our current situations in order to move on and attend the “School of Manage U”?

I have been putting out fires many of which could have been avoided. I have spoken with you and you experience the same thing.

Many of my readers have ambitions to become writers, producers, and artist managers.

I believe my friends can. I believe my friends will.

I believe that they are now attending the School of Manage U and have a plan to get themselves in order to full manage their lives, that they will manage their passion careers.

I mentioned Jeff Goins because I greatly respect his regular guy persona. He has become very successful at living his passion. He success is due to living and acting out on what he loves.

I recently emailed Jeff to ask him a few questions. Below are the questions and responses. 

Skye: Already having a very successful platform, how did your tribe play a role in negotiations with Moody?

Jeff: My tribe helped me negotiate a better advance and helped me get more resources (i.e. marketing dollars). It gave me a leg to stand on and negotiate from.

Skye:  Was getting a book deal your goal or did you have a continued back up plan to self publish? 

Jeff: I just wanted to write a book and have people buy it. If Moody didn't publish me, I would've self-published.

Skye: Can you provide an example of the way you and your agent worked toward mutual benefit with your publisher?

Jeff: Not really. The publisher contacted me, then I got the agent, and he negotiated a better contract for me.

This is an example of someone who is managing himself. Your life is a circle, inclusive of all of your activities.  If one area is off balance, your circle will cease to roll.

Are you able to recognize whether or not you are in the “

School of Manage U”?

Skye 

Healthy Her Fitness: Giavonni Nickson Interiew

Healthy Who?
Insights from Healthy Her Fitness with CEO Giavonni Nickson

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with a good friend, Giavonni Nickson.

There are many reasons it is appropriate to interview Giavonni at this time.  The one with most weight for you and me is that she is living her dream through her company Healthy Her Fitness.

I have known Giavonni since middle school I can truly say that she has always been very passionate about fitness. I was always the non-athletic friend in our bunch and Gina never pushed the issue to be fit by her words but she showed through her lifestyle and commitment to fitness.

 

Giavonni Nickson is a Certified Personal Trainer. She has worked with athletes at every level, pushing them to physically excel.

Please join me as I speak to Giavonni regarding entering into agreements.

Skye:  Giavonni, can you share with me the method in which your clientele come to Healthy Her Fitness.

Giavonni: Many of my clients come to me by referral either through a current client or if I make contact at a speaking engagement where I am discussing fitness.

Skye: Do you find that those potential clients have to be sold on the idea of a personal trainer?

Giavonni: Sometimes I have contact with clients that want a personal trainer but they are not sure what all it entails. For example some people may think a personal trainer costs less than what my service goes for.

Skye: How do you negotiate your prices with your clients when they feel as though they want or need your services but are not sure what the costs are? Or how do you separate the people from the problem.

Giavonni: I still have to sell my services when they come to me. I explain the benefits of the services and the price associated with it.   A Personal trainer is going to cost more than $10. I have to show my benefit by pointing out the potential I have to assist my clients in reaching their fitness goals.

Skye: I see that you have been able to secure clientele with your excellent services. Have you had any struggles with proposing mutual benefit to your potential clients?

Giavonni: When negotiating services prices, I listen to my client’s goals. With their goals as a focus we are able to set the value for the service Healthy Her Fitness Provides.

Skye: Do you find that you have to utilize objective criteria as related to the Fitness industry as a whole when negotiating with your clients?

Giavonni: I have had clients come to me with objective criteria in their favor when they realize that not only is Healthy Her competitively priced but often below industry standards.

Skye: How can my readers get in contact with you to start making steps towards being healthy?

Giavonni:  I hold fitness workshops, and I am also available for individual coaching. HealthyHerFitness.com has all of my contact information.

Skye: Thank you Giavonni! Your story is imperative to my readers that are anxious to do something about their fitness goals. I recently read that October is the new January. So why wait to get fit, when you can start today!

This concludes my interview with Giavonni Nickson of Healthy Her Fitness LLC. 

So are you still in??  I still want to hear about the changes you have made!

Skye 

Procrastination Death: Just Start Yesterday

Just start yesterday 

Procrastination

It has been apart of our lives at some point. Whether we choose to admit it or not, you too have procrastinated. 

Procrastination by Rennet Stowe(Creative Commons) 

Procrastination is a Bully

For a substantial amount of time I was the reigning queen of procrastination. I would mutter such phrases as " I work best under pressure" and " I will have more time to do it later".

 These statements are false!

I was seated on the thrown of procrastination. High and mighty I reigned, yet very unproductive. I was truly busy. I have always had a family, and a job to maintain.

While being busy, I wanted more. Perhaps  wanted is an understatement. I yearned for more. Not for more busy ,but for more of life. I truly wanted to participate in life. I wanted to start living my life the life of my dreams.

When thought of researching my dream would boldly show up, I would always talk myself out of it. As if I had the nerve to think I could add fulfillment and satisfaction into my busy.

I beat myself up each time I thought about devoting time to my dream. Until the day I stood up to myself and my busy and I started!

Just that simple, I began typing out my ideas and devised a plan for the rest of my life.

Enduring Postponement

Standing up to myself meant a lot . I worked on an action plan for two whole days. Soon, I thought I deserved a break. After all, I had done so well the past two whole days.

Jeff Goins speaks about reverse procrastination. This post was a few years late for me. According to the journal dates of my action plan that break lasted approximately four months.

The procrastination bully returned. I invited procrastination back in and it took over.

Reviewing my mistakes, I realized I did not deserve a break but I did deserve to pursue my dreams. I have turned those dreams into goals that I plan on achieving. I have committed the next few week to a series of steps to unveiling You.

You as in …

                        Who you are.

                        Where you want to be.

                        What is your plan to get there.

It’s not enough to commit to someone else without committing to you first. If you would like to beat procrastination, feel free to join me by responding, “I’m in”.

SKYE

P.S. Life is a journey of progress, lets go!

Photo Credit: Rennet Stowe

Spend your Time Reality Checking

Where is your time : 3 Reality Checks

 It is amazing to have a dream.

It is amazing to have a dream?

Photo Credit:ToniVC

I am not certain if that phrase should be declarative or interrogative.

Dreaming is fun. You wake up feeling like you may actually have a purpose in life. Of course you feel like Mary Poppins ready to go Fly a kite. You spent the night before making of list of all the wonderful things you wanted to accomplish. You titled it “Action Plan for Tomorrow and Beyond”.  You went to bed ready to wake up, ready to get started.

All is well until you get to work.  That’s when you realized you were ready. Past tense. It all changed when you were confronted with the reality of your cubicle.  This was confirmed by your task list in Outlook, and the memo lying on your chair announcing a working lunch staff meeting. Your lunch hour was supposed to be your premeditated, put the action plan in motion time.

Your day is not going as planned.

I have listed 3 reality checks to get you through the rest of the day.

1.You have to go to work.  The very reason Monday is so unpopular, is the very same force that sucks your action plan into the Abyss of Good intentions.

 Work is for those who need money right now. I am in that category, I show up faithfully everyday. I have a family. I have bills, therefore I work.  This is my reality.

Since the time you have in a day is limited, you must decide ahead of time how you will spend that time.

2.You Are Responsible For How You Spend Your Time. You may control some aspects of your day.

Lets look at a typical breakdown of time

7 days

24 hours a day

______________________

=168 hours a week to spend living

24 hours a day

-8 hours of sleep

-8 hours of work

-1 hour travel time

________________________

=7 hours of freedom a day = 49 hours in a week to do you.

 Seven whole hours in a simple day!

That is seven hours to be a part of a family, eat, perhaps shower and prepare to do it all over again the next day.

I have provided a very generous breakdown of time above. I actually get approximately 6 hours of sleep; My employer mandates that I work 7.5 hours daily.

My travel time depends upon to which office I am reporting.  I cover a very large portion of the state and have to get 4 kids to school and daycare. My husband usually cooks, but in the event he is working late, I have to feed the family.

I am in school. I am mommy. I am wife. I am supervisor. I am a volunteer.

I am responsible for the way I spend my time.  This is my reality.

  3.To Sleep And How Much To Sleep That Is The Question

Many try, but sleep is non-negotiable to a certain degree. Your health and overall level of pleasantness will be affected if you do not receive adequate sleep. I have to get my day started early in order to be ahead of all of the potential disasters my family of 6 to7 on any given day may encounter. Additionally, I don’t like to be grumpy, therefore I sleep.  

I have to go to work

Thankfully I love my job, my team and my supervisors. However if I did not have to go to work, I wouldn’t. Being honest here I could think of many things to do with this precious 8 hours. This is my reality.

What is your dream?

If you want to be something other than what you are identified as now. Lead Trainer, Gardening Assistant, Clerk. You have to embrace your reality as a snapshot of your life. This does not have to always be. You can do more. You can have more. You can live your dream by making time for it. Like money your time will leave if you do not designate a way to use it.

Today How will you plan to make time for your dream?

How will you plan to make time for your dream?

Tell me about it!

Certified

presentationmagazine.com

Today I listened to the Entreleadership Podcast that featured Mark Sanborn. Prior to this afternoon I had never heard of this leader. I am not hesitant to call Mark Sanborn not only because he is on Dave Ramsey’s podcast, but also because of the CSP,CPAE distinction associated with his name.

Any Joe Shmoe or Skye Berger for that matter who wants to be a professional speaker looks upon these letters as a mother who watches her child walk across the stage to receive a doctorate degree.

The Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) distinction is a high level of achievement for a professional speaker. Additionally less than 200 people have ever received the Council of  Peers  Award of Excellence (CPAE) Mark Sanborn is one of them.

This post is not about Mark Sanborn believe it or not even though I just followed him on Twitter, and liked him on Facebook.

This post is in regards to the Nation Speakers Association (NSA).

Once upon a time I wanted to be a professional speaker I stumbled upon the National Speaker Association (NSA) website and noted the membership fee that would look like this if it where a hotel $$$$$$$$$.$$$

Yeah I could not imagine being able to pay that in college with children and speaking only enough to fill the tank for the next engagement.

My ever-persistent search for the loophole caused me to find that the NSA offered free resources. I  gladly registered for the free webinars in lieu of the  $$$.$$ membership fee .

Since this post is not about Mark Sanborn, I would like to share something he stated in the afore mentioned post cast

According to Mark Sandborn, “Hope is  having something new to try and being willing to try it”.

I have taken this assignment/post in a new light because of this insight. 

The NSA offers hope to  aspiring speakers by providing resources that will empower them to obtain the CSP.   Only 10% of NSA  and  Global Speakers Federation (GSF) members have this high distinction. 

CPS is the mark in which every professional speaker  aims for.

This distinction indicates the highest quality of speakers. There are many  excellent speakers that  do not hold this post- nominal  due to the extended time of completion and  guidelines outlined by NSA.

The CSP may be the difference between  meeting planner’s hopeful inquiry to  the signed contract for a speaking engagement. 

That said , here are Three Steps To Choosing A Stellar Speaker.

 Step one

Start planning NOW.  I have attended many gatherings that did not receive  care and attention to planning . These details would have made the event memorable. The events I enjoyed the most where very well put together. 

Step two

Ask for participant input.  I do not believe in preaching to the choir. I do however believe in the power of the voice of people. There is nothing like attending a conference where the keynote presenter looses the audience due to routine. Presenting common field knowledge for the industry is a NO-NO. Use a survey ask the people what they want to learn, and who they want to hear then make every attempt to make it happen.

Step three

Why have a meeting when you can launch an encounter.  Your staff, volunteers and supporters are accustomed to your annual get together. Set your next event off with a speaker that has your topic area as a niche specialization. This will truly engage your participants in experience not just the buffet style lunch.

When I collect $$$.$$ I will join the NSA as a speaking Professional. Until then, I am committed to educating audiences of individuals to change their lives.   

Skye

Nuggets :

I have  the following additions to my to –do list

1.    Join NSA

2.   Obtain CSP distinction

Leave a comment and help me get there!

Lost Keys

Lost keys

carkeylocksmithphiladelphia.com

I have always wanted more.

I have been inspired throughout my life.

 I have much experience in the field of social services, specifically Child Welfare. When I began in this field, I never thought that I would hang out for more than two years.

It was my intent to build my resume and leave.  I speak about My Why often. I just wanted to live a life of fabulousness.

At the time I did not define what it meant to be fabulous.

I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.

I wanted to live beyond the expectations of my neighborhood.

I wanted to live on purpose.

There are a few “call to action” pieces that I refer back to in my life.

Who can remain the same after listening to Martin Luther Kings, I have a Dream Speech?

I am looking for one bold person to remain still after a whisper of, The Revolution Will not be Televised by Gill Scott Heron.

I urge you to watch Leymah Gbowee. If you have to question whether her call to action is pertinent to you, Lets talk about it.

 Leymah Gbowee is one of person that I can say showed me the other side of the game.

When I was initially introduced to her on TED I attempted to follow her on Twitter to no avail.

This very TED Talk is linked in hundreds of tweets, hashtags and all ,yet she does not have her own twitter account.

In the light of studying branding I view this as a testament to the good work she provides.

Leymah connects with the audience by speaking of girls who she could not reach due to lack, including her own limited resources and income. She could not afford to take them in. Not knowing the status of these girls lead her to empower girls of Liberia and around the world. As a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah was pivotal in ending the second Liberian Civil War.

Leymah tells us to “Unlockthe intelligence, passion, greatness of girls”.

Do you have Lost Keys?

When I began looking at the work being done in the lives of the families I came in contact with, I began to view me differently.

It no longer mattered who was mad at me.

I no longer allowed my bias to dictate the way I interacted with my families.  I wanted them to be well overall.

Their level of well being varied. Not like the cookie cutter services that were prescribed, but each of my families had very specific needs.

I called the clients my families.

Child welfare has come along way. Commissioner Brian Samuels of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has established a wonderful network of individuals who are diligently working to establish the basis and knowledge of overall child well being.

I am sensitive to the fact that many have no idea what the ACF is, as many have not heard of Nobel Prize winner Leymah Gbowee.

However we all read used to read the paper in print but now we have it online.

This is our call your call to action.

Is there a need that you can fulfill?

Will you be the one to stand up for something?

For anyone?

How are you going to find the lost key within you?