| |
or...
stop being so darned professional and take a break today!
|
|
| Welcome! 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. |
|
|
|
|
So, I've decided to quit speaking and all my entrepreneurial endeavors and retire!!! Yeah, right...April Fools! What I have been doing is having a blast traveling and reconnecting with friends while speaking to great audiences. Oh it's good to be me. LOL. 
Locally, got a chance to be with Alden Senior at Morgan Services Local is always good!!! One of my New Year's intentions was to sign up quarterly for a business or personal development program so I can continue growing by participating. So for the first quarter I was with my great friend and peer, Mark LeBlanc for his Small Business Success 24-Hour Event in Minneapolis.  I've always considered myself a work-in-progress kinda gal and believe we all never stop learning. Who said, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks?" Well, Mark (right) certainly did. 
Off to Denver to speak for GA Wright (with Gary Wright at left) and later met up with my new sponsor, Kate Friedman of Atelier Shoes who will soon be premiering my own shoe line. Yay!! Read about it in the Shoe-Be-Doo section below.
No rest for the weary - off I went to Memphis to speak at Bill Pretsch's Fabric Structures when tornado warnings were in effect. Last month a tsunami in Hawaii, now this... reallllllllllly! Well, I made it through my speech before the power went out - we ate lunch in the dark! I did get out on time although it was hard to get my hair on the plane - oh, the humidity in Memphis! Alas, alack, no time for ribs at The Rendezvous. The month ended with a wonderful week at Chez Mikki, Florida. Off to NY to see THE son, speak in my ol' neighborhood at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, CT and connect with  with friends in NY and CT. Saw the new broadway musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Why did I go see that? Here's the description, you figure it out. :) "Every conceivable surface has been decked with sequins, spattered with colored lights, plastered in mirrored chips or trimmed in feathers and fringe." Now I ask you... I hope you're having an outrageous month!
|
|
|
| I LOVE THIS BOOK! |  The Pursuit of PERFECT by Tal Ben-Shafar, Ph.D.
You read my review of his first book, Happier, which I loved (go get it!) and absolutely found this one as inspiring. You should know that he teaches a course at Harvard on happiness (gotta love that!). He tells us that we are not only trying to be happier but we are trying to have a perfect life which is why so many of us are unhappy. This is not your rah-rah self-help/self-hype book, this is grounded in research from positive psychology (the science of happiness). In discovering whether you are a perfectionist or an optimalist or to what degree of both, we can learn to accept our failures along with our successes and in turn lead happier lives. In dealing with the fear of failure or the agony of our mistakes I loved his PRP process, giving himself "permission" to be human, "reconstructing" the situation and gaining a wider "perspective." I love the metaphors: "emotions are the printout of the soul," "self-esteem is the immune system of consciousness."
Go get this book!!!
|
 | |
Join me and some of my fabulous friends for fun and informative tele-conversations!
Don't miss the next tele-conversation on
Wednesday, March 23rd at 12:00 noon CST.
No cost, no obligation. Just CLICK HERE to register.
Conversation with Mikki and
Hunter Lott
Spring Cleaning HR Style
Hunter Lott has traveled to every state in the country delivering over 4000 presentations on hiring, firing and staying out of court. He will continue on his mission until every manager and CEO gets out of the "baby-sitting" business. Hunter was born in Texas, grew up in Kansas City and lived in Minnesota, Chicago and New Orleans. He brings to every program a Midwest set of values, big city smarts and a little chicory in the coffee. It's time to clean house. In most cases, probationary periods, exit interviews, $50 gift card for 10 years of service, no dating, bereavement and sick leave policies don't work!
Discover what is working:
- Define, document and deal with "bad attitude" at work.
- Policies and practices to reward good people.
- Why do we give employees a party on their last day and not their first?
- Learn how to think like "outsiders" think.
No cost, no obligation. Just CLICK HERE to register.
For more information about Hunter Lott visit: AllianceTraining and Consulting
NEXT TELE-CONVERSATION: Thursday, May 26th at 12:00 Noon CST
Alex Freitag: OWNERSHIP THINKING: THE BUSINESS MODEL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
|
| BIZ BYTES |
 My first three years of professional speaking was mostly international work...by choice. A desire to "experience" the world was one of my primary motivators in pursuing this career. As a new feature I will share my fascinating journeys. Hope you will enjoy the recap with me.Speaking in Israel  Thank goodness I choreographed "Fiddler on the Roof." I guess that's what you call a transferable skill. I received the invitation shortly after I spoke for the Million Dollar Round Table and I was ecstatic...and worried. What about all that tsuris (that's Yiddish for trouble)? Is it safe? Will I eat too much? How's the shopping? All speakers' questions obviously not covered at my last NSA Convention. Traveling internationally provides you with many minor aha's. Do I need shots, a visa, currency calculators? Since I travel so much internationally, I have bought enough gadgets from The Sharper Image catalog to own the company. You must have a fax (remember those?), email, wire transfer access to your business account, and a lot of patience. What time is it there? Is it less expensive to call now or later? Will the operator speak English? And lots of minor frustrations that must be dealt with graciously. Never was the term relationship selling so important. My host met us at the airport with flowere and a gun in his belt - GULP! READ MORE, and you MUST, just to understand what the table in the photo represents!
|
| CREATIVE CAPTIONS | 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:
Hunks Who Haul Junk (junk pickup)
Two Boy with their Minds in the Gutter
(gutter cleaning service)
***********************************************************I hope you'll continue to send me ones you know of. Please send to mikki@mikkiwilliams.com
|
| SHOE-BE-DOO STORIES | 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!"
Announcing (drum roll, please...): The Mikki Collection  at Atelier Shoes
My friend, peer, speaker and former Vistage member Merit Gest , knowing my love of shoes, sent me an article a while back from her Denver newspaper about a design your own shoe company, Atelier Shoes. Well, you know that grass doesn't grow under this gal's feet so I immediately contacted the owner Kate Friedman, arranged for her to fly to Chicago and invited 30 of my shoe-lovin' friends to my home for a design-your-own-shoe party. The results were fantastic, the shoes amazing. Since then Kate and I have been collaborating which resulted in a new partnership where her company will be sponsoring many of my events. Together we are creating the most unique shoe line: The Mikki Collection at Atelier Shoes which will debut this spring through my ezine and website . Don't panic, they won't all be bling and wild stilettos. But they will all have a flair, of course! Here's one of my more "subdued" pairs. Watch for exciting programs, parties, Shoe-Be-Doo Club, shoe of the month and more. If you want to become a rep in your city/state, contact Kate directly. If you just can't wait to order here is a link to the site - just use Mikki as a code for a 10% discount on your order.  Atelier Shoes was started in 2007 by Kate Friedman, a thirty-something corporate lawyer with an eye for glamorous shoes and an entrepreneurial itch. After tough days in the office Kate rewarded herself with a new pair of shoes and what started as a woe-is-me spending habit turned into a brainstorm while on vacation, turned into a business plan and is now the most comprehensive design your own shoe business on the Web. Kate lives in Denver, CO with her husband Greg and her son Levi.
READ MORE...
|
| WONDERFUL WEBSITEings | |
I come across so many and so many are shared with me that I thought I'd share with you.
AirBnB.com
Stay at fabulous homes/hotels at great prices around the world
|
MIKKI MOUTH:
QUOTATIONS I WISH I'D SAID AND SOME I DID SAY! |  Enjoy a quote each month from my new book - some funny, some poignant, some professional, some just darn cute!
"Isn't it appropriate that the month of the tax begins with April Fool's Day and ends with cries of "May Day!"?" ~ Author Unknown
|
| MILLENNIAL INSIGHTS | Kr isten DaRosa is an adventure-seeking young consultant specializing in relationship management and marketing. Her Chicago-based consultancy is dedicated to helping her nationally-based clients do just about anything related to the art of 'talk'. DaRosa is an ambassador for a premier MBA school where she facilitates relationship management with global corporations. She will be sharing with us her perspective on what many call "the entitled generation."
Talk to the Hand I recently decided to sign up for my first marathon. For any of you considering this challenge, be forewarned. Even as an in-shape 28 year-old this is no simple feat. Suddenly you feel like a Ford Pinto tooting along a country road as Mustangs three times your age scream along the Autobahn. As a new runner with an ego that hasn't yet been whittled down by time and shin splints, there are two options here - embrace your snail-like pace as a growth opportunity or, that of the amateur, put lipstick on a pig (I'm the pig) and compete for first on the Autobahn. Because after all, your sweatpants and snot don't exactly measure up to the prancing Lulu Lemon gazelles and your pride can only withstand so much. My running coach, a former professor turned actor, advises new runners to hit the path during low traffic times. 'Keep your pace and don't compete with the others," he told me. My, my, what sound advice for us all. How many times have you approached an intersection to see the white walking man turn to a flashing hand and jetted across the street? Here in Chicago intersections count down the seconds pedestrians have until the light turns yellow, and to me this is a challenge. Oh really hand? Six seconds? I'll have this street crossed in two. Perhaps by no surprise there was a significant increase in rear-end collisions when cities across North America rolled out photo-enforced traffic violations for speeding through orange-ish-red lights. We're important Americans and there are too many complexities around slowing down. This month I challenge you to slow down and establish a pace that levels your breathing. Once you've found it keep your pace and don't compete with others. The only Autobahn here in America is in your head.
Kristen_darosa@hotmail.com
Visit Kristen's blog: WhineAfter5
|
| TITILLATING TRIVIA |
The San Francisco cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments. |
| ,WASSUP WITH WELLNESS |  John Godoy is a wellness coach and fitness trainer to Chicago's business and entertainment elite. He is the founder of JGF (John Godoy Fitness), specializing in the vitalization of health and wellness and in the development of active lifestyles.
Godoy is a former head University sports coach and a published health and fitness expert, a regular Ironman competitor and trains in the martial arts. His certifications include the National Academy of Sports medicine (NASM), The CHEK institute and the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP).
Why do people buy fake Rolexes? For some people it's to create the illusion of wealth, to add to their personal brand. In buying the fake Rolex we attempt to influence others' perceptions of us, and it works. It's like going into a high-end store dressed as a prince versus a punk. There will be a difference in perception, reception and service. What does fitness have to do with this? Well, just as buying a fake Rolex is easier (not to mention way cheaper!) than buying a real one, there are ways to create the impression of better fitness with less effort. If you're one of the 70% of this country who either does not exercise enough (or at all) because you just can't stand it then here's a mindset tip for you. Research shows that a person's level of fitness influences people's perceptions of us, and in turn how they interact with us, so if we want to give the illusion of fitness we can pseudo-mask our less-than-frequent exercise routines by doing a few simple things. Now, they do involve setting foot in a gym, but the thing is, the mindset is different. You're no longer going to exercise because it's healthy (IT IS!), you're just going to do the minimum required in order to give the illusion of good fitness. Here are 5 tips to do just that. 1. Keep in mind that this is for the illusion of fitness, not the actual health benefit (although that's a bonus). 2. Do some squats - they'll burn calories and make your butt look better. 3. Do a lot of pulling movements like rows or pull-ups - these will help you look taller by working on your posture. 4. Do some cardio - you will look slimmer in the face, over time. 5. Quit doing crunches - use that time to do something else like the 3 tips above. Hey, if people don't go to the gym despite all the knowledge they have about how important it is, then maybe a change in mindset will get them going. It sure beats the alternative, which is doing nothing.
john@johngodoy.com www.johngodoy.com
312.804.8498 |
| HE WHO LAUGHS...LASTS! | 
The Four Stages of Life
 |
| SOCIAL MEDIA GURU GUY | Dave Nelsen
Entrepreneur and Social Media Guide
Dave's formal title is President, Dialog Consulting Group. From 2005 to 2009 he was CEO of TalkShoe, a social media company now serving more than one million monthly listeners...and the fabulous company I use to produce my monthly teleseminars.
A Better Way to Run Your Website Many people (as in 200,000,000) are familiar with blogging, one of the earliest forms of social media. But did you know that you can use a blog platform, WordPress, to build your entire website? Check out my website, www.WeSocialize.biz as an example. You'll see a tab labeled "Blog" where I add posts once or twice a month. You'll also see a raft of other pages: "Home", "About", "Speaking", etc. All of these are pages are actually powered by WordPress. The big advantage of this approach to running your website is that you can change it in under 60 seconds without knowing HTML, CSS, Java, and the like. Imagine, cost and cycle-time for changes go to zero. If you can edit Microsoft Word, you can run a WordPress-based website. In fact, there's even a button on the WordPress toolbar called "Paste from Word." If you've got content in Word, you can publish it to your website with just a couple of clicks. The trick to getting started is to get a WordPress "template". There are thousands of free templates and countless more for sale at modest prices (often around $30). Or you can hire a designer to create one for you as I did. Once you have your template, you log into your WordPress account, click "Pages" to access your set of pages, and then select the one you want to edit (e.g., "Home", "About", etc.). With WordPress it's easy to add photos, videos, and virtually every other aspect of social media to your website. Did you notice the Twitter feed on my Homepage? There's an app for that (actually called plug-ins in WordPress parlance). In fact, there are plug-ins for virtually everything. Check out the calendar of events on my "Speaking" tab. As a visitor, you can change the calendar view from "list" to "week" to "month" to "year". You can hover over a date and see where I'll be speaking. All of this functionality comes from a free plug-in that is just as easy for me to use on the backend. Two other tips: 1) For search engine optimization (SEO) purposes, it's best to have your own instance of WordPress. GoDaddy, BlueHost, Rackspace, and many other hosting providers feature a one-click WordPress install option for roughly $100 per year. 2) Use your keywords (I wrote last time about Google's AdWords Keyword tool for finding these) in your page titles, blog titles, and always in your first hundred words of content. That way, people will find you when they search for what you do. If WordPress doesn't provide exactly what you need, look for a leading content management system (CMS) instead. Like WordPress, you'll focus on editing content instead of on coding HTML, or worse... paying someone else and waiting on them. You can find more formal details here: wesocialize.biz
To contact Dave directly: dave@WeSocialize.biz |
| THE HAPPY COOKER | |
Yes, that was the name of one of my businesses and oh, come on, I know guys cook too.
Grilled Cheese and Fried Egg Sandwiches
Makes 4
 12 slices pancetta
(Italian bacon)
2 tablespoons butter
4 slices sourdough bread
8 thin slices provolone cheese
4 large eggs
1 small green onion, chopped
Parmesan cheese shavings
12 fresh basil leaves or arugula leaves
Cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Reserve skillet with drippings.
Melt butter in extra-large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 bread slices; top each with 2 provolone slices. Sprinkle with black pepper. Cook until cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat skillet with drippings over medium heat. Crack eggs into skillet; cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Set 6 pancetta slices and 2 eggs atop each of 2 cheese toasts. Top eggs with onion, Parmesan, and basil, then remaining bread slices, cheese side down. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.
|
| MIKKI'S MANTRA |
Be outrageous...it's the only place that isn't crowded.
My quote was chosen again from over 5,000 submissions to be featured in The Woman's Advantage Shared Wisdom Calendar for 2011. I'm on July 3rd (a coincidence since my birthday is July 4th) and the chosen quote was "Life gives you choices, not chances and it's those choices that determine the quality of your life."
For more information call 919.841.0401
or visit The Woman's Advantage
|
| INSPIRATIONS | As the wordsmith that I have always been, from my high school honors in English (and French) to my calling as a professional speaker, each of the "inspirations" that I share every month are from years and years of collecting words that have inspired me.
People In Our Lives
God doesn't give you the people you want; He gives you the people you need...
to help you,
to hurt you,
to leave you,
to love you
...and to make you into the person you were meant to be.
|
| MIKKI ON THE MOVE |  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
|
| | |
The next Speakers School is in session on
April 14-16, 2011 in Chicago
 | | Why Should You Come to Speakers School? |
REGISTER NOW!
Day One: Presentation Skills
Day Two: Learning Lab (Your opportunity to practice what you learned in Day One. You must have completed Day One to participate.)
Day Three: Getting Booked
Speakers School is for people at all levels; novices, wannabes, CEOs, professionals or anyone who needs to improve their communication skills. And who doesn't??
Upcoming Speakers Schools:
September 22-24, 2011
REGISTER NOW!
I have attended Speakers School three times and learn more each time. My ratings as a speaker continue to improve as a result. It's very generous of you to allow attendees to return over and over again for merely the cost of food and handouts, what a value proposition!! Worth the original time and money investment ten times over. YOU and your professional acumen are worth the cross country trip alone.
Sherry LeBed Davis, CEO
Healthy-Steps
www.gohealthysteps.com
|
|
VISIONARY VOLUNTEERISM
| |
Visionary - adjective (esp. of a person), thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom
 I speak of volunteerism is my speeches. I tell stories to inspire and challenge audiences to volunteer as individuals, as responsible business and community leaders. as parents/grandparents, and to get their children involved early. By the way, volunteerism is the number one way to raise self-esteem. What are you doing in this visionary effort? Each month I will give you a link to a site where you can volunteer. Please send me a link to your favorite volunteer opportunity to post.
Is there anything more important than helping children? My Sam has been a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer for nearly nine years, helping abused and/or neglected in the foster care system to find safe and permanent homes. CASAforChildren She says the work not only helps the kids but it makes her feel good about herself. "There are programs all over the country so even if you don't live in Chicago you can get involved. Just click here to find an opportunity in your area. There are lots of ways you can help these kids. Consider making a bequest to CASA in your will, trust, life insurance or estate plan. It's a great way to ensure a future for these kids. Thanks so much!" |
|
Become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, connect with me on LinkedIn, catch me on YouTube, look for me on Plaxo:
    
Don't forget to check out my blog every Sunday
for a new post:
Would love for you to join my Facebook Fan page. Just click the icon below:
In case you've missed past issues of the ezine
Click here to visit the archives.
|
| 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 Mikki or Samantha |
| MIKKI WILLIAMS, CSP | 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 tri-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 |
Thanks for spending time with us! 
|
|
|
|
*If you enjoyed this ezine and know others who would like to receive it, please forward this along to friends, family and colleagues! Use the "Forward e-mail" link at the bottom of this newsletter.
** To unsubscribe please use the link at the bottom of this newsletter (but we'd rather you didn't!).
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.
|
|
|
|
|
