 Hair She Is...!
A Mikki Williams Quality-of-Life Ezine
or...
Stop being so darned "professional" and take a break today!
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Welcome to issue six of my ezine. If you enjoyed last month you'll be craaaaazy about this month! The purpose of this ezine continues to be inspiration, humor, business, personal and just plain fun; aka the don't-take-yourself-so-seriously ezine.
You can now access all previous ezines and special editions on our website. At the bottom of the home page mikkiwilliams.com is a "View our Ezine Archive" link .
The theme this month is:
SHE CAME, SHE WORE, SHE CONQUERED!
as we celebrate my July 4th birthday. Yay me!!! (C'mon, did you think I'd be born on any other day?)
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MUSINGS FROM MIKKI
For those of you dying to hear about the week-long French Riviera July 4th Birthday Bash for 12 gals, you'll be able to enjoy it on my  new blog which is coming very soon. Too many pictures (no, not the topless ones) and too much info to do in this ezine, so if you're so inclined (and you should be) just know that it was fabulous!!! Here's a photo of the birthday gal, moi (see how much French I picked up?), in Monte Carlo for my big bash at The Hotel de Paris.For those of you who actually read last month's ezine then you know I got the Above and Beyond Speaker Award from Vistage International, the world's largest executive organization. I then went to San Diego for the awards dinner, sat next to our Chairman, Rafael Pastor, who delighted me with his sense of playfulness and self-effacing humor. I partied with dear friends and speaker buddies also being honored: Jeff Blackman, Chuck Reaves and Michael Allosso. The next morning the awards ceremony took place at Vistage headquarters in San Diego in front of the entire staff. A traditional opening of Vistage all-staff meetings is for newcomers to introduce them and offer the audience information most people do not know about them. Here is what my good friend, Jeff Blackman  told the audience during the awards ceremony: "My dear friend Mikki Williams gets her clothes from my closet." (He's standing to my right in the picture.) Now, Jeff, if that were true, it would not be black and it would have had lots of bling on it! In the afternoon, I was asked to be a part of the new Speaker Advisory Board and actually got a platform for my oh so subtle opinions☺
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Strengths Finder 2.0
by Tom Rath
In the 2001 bestseller, Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham (btw, a great book) Tom Rath and other scientists in the field of strengths psychology included an early version of this assessment. Now by reading this book and getting your own private online code to take the assessment, you too can have the opportunity to do what you do best EVERY DAY!.
This book will help you uncover your talents and find unlimited amounts of strategies for applying your strengths. Now with the help of the Gallup organization this new improved version will just amaze you. It is a detailed, personalized eye-opening look into the way you look at yourself and the world around you. As the work-in-progress kinda gal that I profess to be, and the myriad of behavioral instruments that I have taken, from DISC, Myers-Briggs, True Colors and oh so many more, this profile of me was by far the most enlightening.
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I
love creativity and as a wordsmith I love double entendres,
alliteration, onomato... whatever the heck that one was. One of my
quirky habits is collecting names of businesses that display any of the
above. Here are two of my favorites:
Remains to be Seen - An antique store. (Thanks to Ken Alan for that one.)
We Curl Up and Dye For You (a beauty salon)
We love that you all keep sending us your favorites. Keep them coming. Please send to mikki@mikkiwilliams.com
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Yes, I own about a billion pairs of shoes. And each pair has a story to inspire, a lesson to be learned, a laugh or an "aha!" OK, OK, now you do get a sneak peek into the Birthday Extravaganza as I just had to include the shoes I wore on my birthday night celebration. Our drivers picked us up as they had every night and drove us to Eze to the Fragonard Perfume Factory where we got a tour on how perfume is made, then got to shop in the perfume gift shop. Can you only imagine 12 gals let loose in a perfume/cosmetics shop?
It was in the parking lot that I then announced the surprise of the week, the party I was making in Monte Carlo. I have dreamed of going to Monte Carlo every since Grace Kelly became Princess. We started the night at the Hotel de Paris, cocktails and dinner at Le Grill, magnificent fireworks over this breathtaking hamlet, no bigger than Central Park. Then to the world-famous Le Casino where we did NOT indulge in the outrageous bets being placed. I never saw so many Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Maseratis, Ferraris and some I never even heard of...untold wealth. We finished the night at Jimmy'z, the hottest nightclub on the Riviera, with lots of champagne, dancing, laughter, new friendships and the most amazing and memorable birthday ever.
Left to right, Tamilee Webb, CA, Catherine Davidson, VA,
Pamila Ausley, VA,The Birthday Gal, Chicago, Pam Cosmi, Detroit,Ellen Hefter, NJ, Vicki Thomas, CT, Karen Kennedy, Chicago, bottom row L to R, Anna Belyaev, Chicago, Sharon Greco, NY, Jan Dastur, Chicago, missing Chris Leach, Wales, UK.
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The weekend before France I went for Chair training (that's not for how to sit in a chair, it's for the facilitation techniques of "herding cats." Oops, I mean leading my CEO's). At the closing night banquet one of my fellow Chairs said, "Just how many pairs of shoes DO you have?" Now, get a bunch of high-testosterone males in a room where there's a scent of gambling and watch out. So the next thing you know, there's a betting frenzy, money being thrown on the table (and even in my shoes!) as all got involved. The purse turned into $180.00 and the winner was Ed Stillman, shown below with a big grin on his face.
Sooooooo, would you like to win a copy of my Mikki Mouth book? Just guess the correct answer to the question: Just how many pairs of shoes DO I have??
Send your guesses to me at mikki@mikkiwilliams.com by July 31st and the one closest to the real number will win.
Vistage Chairs: Shhhhhhh...confidentiality agreement in play☺
Ed Stillman holding all the cash, and my foot!
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MIKKI MOUTH:
QUOTATIONS I WISH I'D SAID AND SOME I DID SAY!
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 Enjoy a quote each month from my new book - some funny, some poignant, some professional, some just darn cute!
"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism."
Erma Bombeck
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As a speaker resource for Vistage International for 15 years and Chair of two groups for seven years I have the opportunity to interact with some of the most dynamic business leaders. Vistage is the world's largest executive organization with 14,000 members worldwide. It is to my delight to profile one of them each month.
Bill Cusick has been a member of my Chief Executive group for five years  and he is founder and CEO of Vox, Inc., a successful customer experience consulting firm in Chicago. Vox helps companies increase customer retention and profitability by strategically improving the customer experience.
Prior to founding Vox, Bill worked for Allstate Insurance Company for 11 years, leading a number of communications, marketing and advertising programs, and eventually running the Customer Communications area. Corporate clients include Zurich US, AIG, and Allstate Insurance, as well as mid-sized banks, accounting firms, software development companies and more.
Bill is currently writing a book, "Irrational Customers," that demonstrates why companies have been approaching customer retention in the wrong way...and just what they can do about it. He's also a popular speaker on customer experience issues for companies and industry events.
He lives with his wife, Marti, three kids, two dogs, and a mouse (uninvited) in a relatively draft-free Victorian in Oak Park, Illinois.
For more information on VOX, Inc. contact Bill at bill.cusick@voxinc.com or call 312.676.1312.
For more information on Vistage International click here:
Vistage International
If you are interested in becoming a member of a Vistage group anywhere in the world, or a speaker or a Chair, drop us a line:
mikki@mikkiwilliams.com
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4th of July Humor 
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 Yes, that was the name of one of my businesses and oh, come on, I know guys cook too.
Here's another FAVORITE summer grill recipe ... it's quick and easy!
Hey, it's summer, so you should still be grillin'
Spicy Grilled Corn on the Cob
12 ears of corn still in the husks
1 cup mayonnaise
12 oz. finely crumbled feta cheese
chili powder
lime wedges
Soaking the corn keeps the husks form burning and helps the corn stay moist. Pull back husks, remove silk and fold husks back over corn. Soak in la arge pot of cold water for 30 minutes.
Prepare barbeque to medium high heat. Drain the corn, still in the husk, and then grill until the kernels are just tender, turning occasionally, somewhere around 8 minutes. Pull back husks and spread the corn with mayonnaise, sprinkle with cheese, chili powder, salt and pepper. Arrange corn on a large platter and serve with lime wedges. Serves 12. Maybe. People love this and may grab more than one!
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If any of you remember the movie or Broadway show "Auntie Mame" or if you're old enough to admit you remember it, then you might recall that Mame was famous for her eclectic circle of friends. I pride myself on that same principle of knowing so many diverse people and calling many of them my friends. I would like to profile them and their expertise by offering this monthly addition of tips, tactics and techniques shared by experts in their field. Although someone once told me not to refer to myself as an expert as an ex is a has-been and a spurt is little more than a drip.  Tamilee Webb aka Miss Buns of Steel
Tamilee and I met over 25 years ago when I was also in the fitness business. We have remained very close friends and she was one of the special gals who accompanied me on my birthday bash to France. She is CEO of Webb International, Inc. and millions of fans worldwide have long admired Tamilee's no-nonsense approach to mind, body, health and fitness that can be achieved within the home.
Her accolades include Fitness Instructor of the Year award, bestowed by IDEA, the association of fitness professionals, (yours truly won their Business Person of the Year award - hey, this issue IS all about me!). She also received the coveted Self Magazine Award for her award-winning Buns of Steel videos. Tamilee has been the recipient of numerous other awards for outstanding achievement in the field of personal fitness, including Best Exercise Video and Best Training Organization, she has been honored by California State University as an Outstanding Alumni and this year 2008 Tamilee has been inducted into the Fitness Hall of Fame along with such luminaries as Jack LaLanne, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joe Weider, Kathy Smith.
Tamilee continues to dominate in a field that has grown competitively. Her workouts have found their way into the homes and offices of people who appreciate the importance of good health and fitness of mind and body as necessary ingredients for longevity and quality of life. She has dedicated herself to a goal from which she has never allowed herself to be deterred.
Check out Tamilee's website: TamileeWebb.com
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Be outrageous...it's the only place that isn't crowded.
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In memory of the gifted and outrageous George Carlin and...and his wonderful thoughts on staying young. Plus his last words at the end of this banter (as he would call it) is my favorite quote of all time and the one embedded in my emails and quote book.
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
(How fitting for my birthday theme!)
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her. 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 4. Enjoy the simple things. 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
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 Check out where Mikki will be speaking and piggyback your company or association event. Or just invite her to dinner or shopping!
Click here for her calendar:
Mikki On The Move
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"I cannot begin to tell you how great it is to be included in your emails. I look forward to everything that comes in and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it all!!!!!!! You are one of the brightest, talented, smartest women I know and when I come back in my next life I am coming back as YOU!!!!! Keep 'em coming...
Sandy Nacewicz, CT
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SPEAKERS SCHOOL with Mikki Williams, CSP
The April Speakers School was a great success. Read a testimonial below from one of the fabulous attendees.
The Next Speakers School will be September 25-26, 2008.
It's for people at all levels: novices, wannabes, CEOs, professionals.
Click here to register:
Speakers School
Thanks so much for the wealth of information you shared with us at Speakers School. The two days were organized, fast paced, and provided all the information, tactics, and pointers necessary to launch a speaking career. You provided us insights in how to craft our message and techniques on delivering it. I personally appreciated your willingness to help me find my unique message and direction. Thanks again to you and Sam for an enriching experience.
Fred D. Potthoff
President
Kroff Chemical Company, Inc. |
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To book Mikki for your next event as a keynoter, emcee, panelist, seminar or workshop leader (she doesn't do floors or windows) or for more info on Vistage, Speakers Schools, coaching or consulting or anything else that's on your mind, contact Samantha or Mikki
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My Sam (as I have always affectionately referred to my incredible Director of Everything), Samantha Hoffman, sent me off to France with a digital recorder and a wrapped gift. As is typical of her she left me explicit instructions about playing the message at my birthday dinner (and written instructions on how to work the recorder - ah...she knows me so well!). It was her voice, reciting a poem she had written for me accompanied by a beautiful, creative book of her poem, complete with illustrations and pictures.
Here's a little exerpt starting when Sam saw my want ad for a new assistant:
I went up on your website to see what you were about
And said, "My god, what is all this?" I was a bit freaked out.
Your caricature winked, you music played, those lips were everywhere,
How could I work for someone like this? We were sure to be circle and square.
But then we met and what a shock! You were normal, you were bright.
We hit it off right off the bat and knew that it was right.
You gather friends wherever you go, you'll keep them 'til you die.
You have more friends than Oprah does and you don't even try.
Your life's been so successful, the trails that you have blazed
I sit in awe of what you do, you never cease to amaze.
She's a clever girl, my Sam!
Thanks for spending time with us!
P.S. Will it surprise you to know I forced Sam to wear that apron for the picture? I got that from a flight attendant early in the month when I told her my b'day was the 4th of July.
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Mikki Williams, CSP is a professional speaker/trainer, specializing in business dynamics and human potential as well as a Resource Speaker for Vistage International, the worlds largest CEO organization. She is a small business consultant, runs bi-annual Speaker Schools, Chairs two Executive Think Tanks, affilated with Vistage International and is a Life Architect, helping people design their lives and businesses through a coaching model. To learn more about Mikki Williams Unltd. and all the services provided
CALL ME: 312.664.8447
FAX ME: 312.664.8460
E ME: mikki@mikkiwilliams.com
SEE ME: www.mikkiwilliams.com
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All contents � 2008, except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide. Duplication or reprint only with expressed permission from Mikki Williams. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. All contents provided as is. In our extensive research we've made every attempt to be accurate in attributing quotes, poems, jokes and the like and want to apologize in advance if we have not given proper credit or given it erroneously.
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