This has been quite the summer for me. No, I take that back, it's 

CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame award

been quite the year...in a great way. The Speaker Hall of Fame in July was certainly a highlight, and then this month I celebrated my July 4th birthday in a gigantic way, with 70 friends, family and Vistage members at the W Lakeshore Hotel. The theme was Hollywood Glamour, men were all in black tie, women wore white gowns/dresses...and me in my shocking pink sequined gown, SIZE 6 (yay! I made the goal!).

Guests sat at the Rita Hayworth table or the Bette Davis table or Katharine Hepburn, etc., all adorned with Hollywood photos, twinkling white lights, lighted white plume centerpieces, silver stars and sparkle table toppers. My gift to invitees were bottle openers in the shape of a shoe. Did I neglect to tell you that shoes were a major part of the theme (I'm sure this comes as no surprise)? 

Balloon artist Holly Nagel  dazzled us all with her gigantic shoe balloon sculptures, about 5 ft. wide by 6 ft tall!   

On all the cocktail tables there were rhinestone-decorated glass slippers that lit up...everything lit up, everything glittered...and the whole dazzling event was created by the immensely talented Jim Malone, my amazing designer. I had fabulous vendors: photographer, Dan Zaitz, videographer Steve Zagata (Video Active Productions, Inc.), and DJs JoJo and Gizep.

I was roasted, toasted, serenaded, people wrote poems...it was awesome. One of the highlights was Michael Allosso, entertainer and Vistage speaker extraordinaire, singing "I am Who I Am" from La Cage Aux Folles, changing the words to "She is Who She Is." 

The other highlight was being sung to by THE son, who's an amazing talent, and no, not just because I'm his mom...just ask the 70 people who were there.

Work?? Oh yes...work: I had a speaking gig in Iowa, one in Portland, and then training all the Northwest Vistage Chairs.  

It was just an outrageous summer!

Enjoy a quote each month from my book - some funny, some poignant, some professional, some just darn cute!

The closing line of my acceptance speech when I was inducted into the CPAE Speakers Hall of Fame in Philadelphia in July:

"You can be different and still make a difference."  

~Mikki Williams, CSP, CPAE Speakers Hall of Fame

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.    

Back in April I wrote about the importance of mobile technology given that the number of tablets (aka iPads) and smartphones now exceed traditional computers (desktops and notebooks whether Microsoft or Apple powered) roughly three to one. But what happens when someone visits your blog or website using a mobile device? If they're on a smartphone (i.e., a 4" screen), it's a good bet that they won't read it because your text is microscopic without pinching and zooming and dragging back and forth and back and forth across the page.

That is, unless you implement your website using "responsive design." You don't need to know the technical details - just be sure to use these two magic words when you interview your next web designer. Earlier this year I did exactly that.

With responsive design, your web server responds to the number of horizontal pixels (aka screen width) that your visitor is experiencing. If they're in front of a 24" monitor, that's one thing. If their browser is sized to just half that screen, it's another. If their iPad is in landscape mode and they rotate it 90 degrees, that's two other things. And their smartphone can be yet two more.

Regardless of screen width, responsive design ensures that text is presented in a readable font size, wrapping as necessary at the edges of the screen. Top-level menus that are too wide will either wrap, or more typically, become drop-downs. Videos will generally use the full screen width, while images and icons will scale up/down as necessary.

Try it out by visiting my website at www.DialogConsulting.com with a variety of devices in various orientations. How cool is that?

Next time you redesign your website (and the prevalence of mobile devices today is a good reason to do so immediately), hire a designer who's mastered responsive design.  If they can do it entirely on WordPress (a content management system that is as easy to edit as Microsoft Word), all the better. Feel free to get a quote from the team that did my website (no affiliation - just a merit-based recommendation): www.ProFromGo.com. They've mastered both technologies.

John Godoy is a healthy lifestyle expert. Through personal coaching, training and healthy lifestyle seminars, John guides clients in developing and sticking to the healthy habits necessary to tap their bodies enormous energy reserves - enriching their personal and

professional lives.

His website is www.johngodoy.com

That was the name of one of my businesses and oh, come on,

No formal recipe...just a little history, a little advice and easy instructions...in honor of the Jewish holidays:

Ashkenazi (European) Jews bake a special bread called challah, a rich, golden loaf that's related 

to Russian/Polish/Ukrainian babka and Easter breads such as Greek tsoureki and Italian pane di pasqua. Challah "seems to have originated in Germany, probably in the 15th century, with Jewish housewives copying their gentile neighbors' braided Sunday loaves." The soft, eggy dough is often shaped into elaborate braids, brushed with an egg wash to produce a shiny crust, and sprinkled with poppy seeds to represent biblical manna from heaven.

On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, challah takes on an extra significance. Representing hopes for "a sweet new year," the dough is studded with raisins, and pieces are dipped in honey before being eaten. Munching on these delicious morsels, celebrants pray that God will bestow on them a fate as pleasant as the bread's flavor. The bread becomes a tangible symbol of the holiday's deeper meaning.

That was the history. Now, here is the advice...go to the bakery and buy a fresh loaf unless you are inclined to make from scratch (I'm not), then make French toast out of it by cutting thick slices and dipping it in eggs beaten with a little milk (or you could add extracts like almond, coconut, hazlenut) and fry in butter on each side till golden. Serve with maple syrup. Yummy!!

Also from my July acceptance speech into the CPAE Speakers Hall of Fame...and yes, I really did say that. Outrageous!

"I believe if you wear enough pretty lipstick, sparkly jewelry and great shoes, no one will notice the size of your ass."

In honor of the the Jewish high holy days and with respect to whatever holidays you celebrate in any way religiously, spiritually or not at all.

I have been on a spiritual search for quite some time and I am delighted to tell you that I have found my spiritual home at Bodhi Spiritual Center in Chicago. A great deal of what is practiced at Bodhi is what is in alignment with most of the life lessons and core values that I

have been extolling from the platform for years.

Bodhi is a hip, real and deep trans-denominational, non-religious spiritual community that believes we are free and powerful beyond imagination and capable of changing the world through changing our minds. It is a community that believes that giving is receiving and that the more we give the more we are abundantly blessed in return. Bodhi is dedicated to creating a peace-filled, loving world anchored in the perfection of spirituality that supports each and every individual in expressing their unique gifts in a purposeful, fulfilling, passionate way. At Bodhi, this philosophy is fully embodied, not only as a theory but as a way of being in our everyday lives.

By Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. 
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? 
You are a child of God.

Your playing small 
Does not serve the world. 
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking 
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, 
As children do. 
We were born to make manifest 
The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; 
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, 
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 
As we're liberated from our own fear, 
Our presence automatically liberates others.

Note: This short, inspirational poem about life is taken from Marianne Williamson's book A Return to Love, often quoted as part of Nelson Mandela's moving inaugural speech. 

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.  

http://www.catchafire.org

A service that matches volunteers with charities - an eHarmony for not-for-profits

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

CALL ME: 312.664.8447                     

FAX ME: 312.664.8460

E ME: mikki@mikkiwilliams.com 

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