She sat for the interview. Big blonde hair. Full red lips. Long acrylic nails. Ample breasts. A bright blue flower in her hair, matching her blue outfit. It was 1977. Barbara Walters was one of the best known interviewers of…
She sat for the interview. Big blonde hair. Full red lips. Long acrylic nails. Ample breasts. A bright blue flower in her hair, matching her blue outfit. It was 1977. Barbara Walters was one of the best known interviewers of…
An oft overlooked quality of a great leader is their willingness to first be led – to be inspired before inspiring others – to be teachable before showing the way. There’s no better example of that trait than Houston Texans…
Many people live in what are considered ‘tough’ neighborhoods – communities which are typically afflicted with poverty, unemployment, crime, and drugs. What can often be overlooked is that most of these areas also include highly-motivated, hard-working and law-abiding citizens. North Philly…
Paul is the second of six children, born and raised in Enschede, Netherlands – a town near the German-Dutch border. His parents had lived through the ravages of the Second World War and a by-product of that experience was the…
The most successful people are the ones who have found their purpose in life. For some, this takes a virtual lifetime. Others discover their purpose very early in life. Such was the case for James. At the age of four, he…
David has been a real “go-getter” his entire life. Like many before him, he discovered his entrepreneurial spirit by working a newspaper route as a young boy. After earning a Business Management degree (with an emphasis on Marketing) in 1984,…
Samuel was born March 14, 1921 in Eatonton, Georgia. He was the sixth of what soon would total seven children for Joseph and Lilla. Though Samuel was his given name, he was called by his middle name – Truett. When…
Kristen was born in Gainesville, Florida on February 26, 1988. Her family moved to Flagler Beach, Florida when she was two. She eventually returned to Gainesville where she attended the University of Florida. Fashion is an important for element in…
Growing up on a farm can teach invaluable lessons. John learned this was true while living on his 50-acre family farm outside of Canton, Ohio. One of five children, his step-father worked treating waste water while his mother worked full-time…
Richard was the first born of Edward and Eve Branson – born on July 18, 1950 in Blackheath, London. His father was a barrister, having followed his father, a judge at the High Court of Justice, into the legal realm.…
Zaha was born on October 31, 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. Her family was upper-class and well-educated. Her mother was an artist – her father, a successful industrialist. He was also politically active, co-founding the liberal National Democratic Party. Her family…
Many people, including myself, begin their year with the three words – Happy New Year. That phrase is a wonderful greeting and a terrific wish for ourselves and others – but it won’t sustain us through the year. Another set of…
Peter Kellner’s father was a Hungarian immigrant whose family consisted of a long line of entrepreneurs. His mother’s family had settled in Massachusetts in 1635. After he graduated from Princeton University, Peter traveled to Hungary on a Fulbright Scholarship. There…
Danny was born on October 25, 1948 in Waterloo, Iowa. His father, Mack, was a real estate salesman – his mother, Katie, was a homemaker. The family lived a modest, yet very satisfying lifestyle. For his part, Danny put a…
Two hamburger restaurants opened in 1948 within 45 miles of each other in the Greater Los Angeles area. Both were family-owned and operated, one by two brothers, the other by a husband and wife team – Harry and Esther. The…
Tom was born on his family’s farm about 20 minutes outside of Kirksville, a small town in north central Missouri. It was 1935 – the world was a much simpler time and being raised on a turkey farm was even…
Bob Smith was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont in 1879. Bill Wilson was born sixteen years later on November 26, less than 100 miles away, in East Dorset, Vermont. That distance, their difference in age and each pursuing different career paths…
Stanley Bert Eisen was born in upper Manhattan in 1952. Chaim Witz was born in Haiti, Israel in 1949, moved to Queens, New York at age 8. Each had challenges to face as youngsters. Stanley was born with a birth…
His was a turbulent childhood – born in Hayward, California, the only son of a Samoan mom and an African-American father. The family moved thirteen times during his youth. His father traveled often to find work – and that work paid…
Born in 1971, she was raised in Clearwater, Florida. Her father would ask her and her brother the same question every night at the dinner table – “What did you fail at today?” One night she answered – “I tried…
It was the second marriage for both of his parents While he was the second son born to the couple (February 7th, 1962). he was the youngest of six children. His mother had three children from her first marriage, his father had one.…
Life is filled with choices – some are easy to make, some are much more difficult – some have little significance, others will be life changing. Augustine faced a difficult choice – one that would definitely be life altering. He…
This weekend, the United States of America celebrates its birthday – and 239 years of independence. What does that mean? According to Merriam-Webster, independence means “freedom from outside control or support : the state of being independent”. Freedom is the…
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) boasts an enrollment of well over 40,000 students. It’s not a challenge to find co-eds who are bright, energetic, attractive and talented. Kirsten easily fit that profile. She graduated in 1993 with a…
Many would view his childhood as anything but normal. Not too many kids get expelled from school three times – before they reach age twelve – and most don’t leave home at the age of 12 1/2. For Christian, however, his youth…
Before they had even met – much less conceived him – World War II played a significant role in the lives of his parents. In July of 1941, Ed Nye, the man who would become his father, left San Francisco…
Carville, Louisiana is located in Iberville Parish just south of Baton Rouge. The town was given its name in the late 1800’s in honor of its postmaster. It is home to the National Hansen’s Disease Museum – located at the site of a former sugar plantation…
By his own account, his childhood was average at best – but more accurately, it was mundane, if not downbeat. The oldest of three boys, he was born in Ryan, Oklahoma on March 12, 1940. His father – a truck…
Though he was born in Chicago, IL- the fifth of eight children – he was raised in the small town of Clinton, Missouri, his mother’s hometown. She had moved to Illinois in the 1940’s, however, because her family wanted her…
There are people who seem to be destined for one particular position in life – to fulfill a particular role or profession. Such was the case with a boy born in Henderson, North Carolina in May of 1983. Located near the…
The entire U.S. oil industry was changed in 1908 when his father patented the two-cone roller bit. Wells could be drilled faster and in more diverse locations. That drill bit also had a significant impact on the family and the…
He was the middle child – number five out of nine. As a youth, he enjoyed reading books about heroic figures in American history. Being born and raised in Chicago, there was an endless list of local heroes in the four major professional…
The three had plenty in common beginning with their friendship. Each graduated from the University of San Francisco – one a history teacher, one a writer and one an English teacher. The three – Zev Siegel, Gordon Bowker and Jerry…
The concept that ‘more is better’ seems to have permeated our culture. This is especially true in food service and restaurants as evidenced by larger servings, ‘all-you-can-eat’ specials and unlimited drink refills. The belief is that quantity is the secret…
There were some very noteworthy events in 1966 – the U.S. began an aggressive escalation of military in Vietnam while anti-war protests grew exponentially, Indira Ghandi visited the U.S., the Miranda warning became law, Surveyor 1 landed on the moon…
Lives are filled with changes and twists – his was no exception. Early in his life those changes were driven by his father. whose various occupations included welder, shopkeeper and swimming pool manager to name but a few. His various jobs…
Born in Rockville Centre, NY in 1952 she was the only daughter in a family with four sons. That could have been daunting for her had it not been for her parents. They encouraged her to compete equally with her…
No other state may be more football crazy than Texas – high school football dominates Friday nights and the college teams own Saturdays. However, there was a big void in the Texas sports scene heading into the 1960’s – there was no professional football…
He was a student at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in his hometown of St. Louis when it happened. Pearl Harbor. America was drawn into World War II. He enlisted in the Navy where he became a…
It must have been cool that his father owned a recording studio in New York. It is also quite cool that he knew early in life what he wanted to do in the future. As a young boy he was able to…
Is your brand going bananas? It absolutely is. The critical question is this – What are you doing about it? Here’s what I mean. Think of your brand as a banana. It’s a fact of nature that bananas continue to ripen…
She was born in Oregon, into a family of ranchers and farmers. Her parents had moved to the city to raise her, believing they were providing her with opportunities they had lacked having grown up on farms. Ironically, her desire…
It was 1901 when they started to work on creating a motorized bicycle. The two friends were determined to integrate William’s motor design into a standard bike frame using Arthur’s machine shop connection. Two years later they had a finished…
Charles and John opened their stationery and fancy goods emporium in lower Manhattan in 1837 with a unique approach. For one thing, all items were clearly marked with their price to discourage the haggling common in those days. Another policy…
They were born in Brooklyn – four days apart. That was March of 1951 but they didn’t know each other until they met twelve years later in seventh grade. They would forge a friendship that would last a lifetime. Fast forward fourteen years.…
Two weeks ago I received an email from friend and fellow certified Go-Giver speaker and coach, Linda Ryan. It was an offer to participate in something called a Writer’s Blog Hop. I had never heard of the concept but told…
In the 1970’s Detroit was booming – Motown, Smokey Robinson, the Jackson 5; Ford, GM, Chrysler all robust; Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons all vibrant sport franchises. Detroit was in a renaissance of sorts. For one particular youngster life…
Richard was a young salesman in a men’s clothiers store. He knew his sales would have to improve. One day the district manager, a man named Harold, showed up for a store check. The salesman realized he had an opportunity…
Their livelihood depended on the ability to outrun and outmaneuver federal tax agents and local law enforcement. Reputations were built on who was the best at doing that. It was the Prohibition years, moonshine was their product and cars were their…
It’s a hot, humid summer night – a large bustling crowd surrounds the small white building on historic Route 66 in St. Louis. The building is illuminated – with its distinct dormers clearly visible in the dark of the night…
Caring about – and for – others came very early and quite naturally for him. Born in Canada, he and his twin sister were given up for adoption when they were just 3 1/2. At the age of 6 their…
It was March 1957, in Liverpool, England, when a sixteen year old boy started a band and named it The Quarrymen. He befriended a fifteen year old guitarist and added him to the group. That member brought one of his…
A new year has begun filled with all of the promise and hope and plans of new beginnings each January 1st creates. In just two short days the new year has brought us any number of significant happenings. Storms are…
He was a child vandal and later a thug. He was the white adopted son of Indians. He was wrongfully convicted of an IRA bombing. A gentleman lawyer, he was the heir to a prominent New York City family. He…
Imagine how adventurous one must be to start planning the celebration for their 5oth birthday years before turning 4o. Imagine being so bold as to openly invite the entire world to the party. Imagine the thrill of finding out one…
They are the fourth largest retailer in the United States and the second largest discount retailer. They are a part of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and rank thirty-sixth on Fortune 500. They rank twenty-second overall on both FORTUNE’s…
In the past two weeks Friday’s Fearless Brands have both been well known and delivered far reaching impact. ‘Madiba’ – Nelson Mandela – united a sorely divided country. His efforts reached well beyond geographic boundaries and touched the entire world.…
“‘Does it make money?’ is not a bad question. It’s a great question. It is just a bad first question. It starts you off pointed in the wrong direction. The first question should be ‘Does it serve? Does it add value to others?’ If the answer…
Do you know someone who is always busy? The kind of person that actually makes you a bit tired just by hearing about all their activities and interests and such? If you do, this Friday’s Fearless Brand will remind you…
Meet David John Ellis, Jr. this Friday’s Fearless Brand. What’s that you say? Yes, he’s my brother. No, he is not famous. Nor is he powerful. He’s certainly not incredibly wealthy – by monetary standards. Have I resorted to nepotism…
The Claret Jug is his. He just won The Open Championship by completing a stunning five under par fourth round. It is already being called a performance for the ages. For that he won $2.1 million (61% of which will…
Imagine this as a movie plot. A virtually unknown Mexican-American singer-songwriter from Detroit produces two albums in the early 1970’s which are complete commercial flops in the U.S. so he puts his energy into various labor jobs to support himself…
As a coach and speaker – a branding guy – I guide people in the discovery of their dreams and in creating the successful life they desire. Together we find their clarity of purpose – their why. Building fearless brands…
Recently I was sitting on the veranda of a bungalow in Sri Lanka. I was taking in the scenery – beautiful greenery, flowers, the pool – all of the rustic serenity this retreat resort provided. Warm breezes carried the sounds…
The first and most important plank of building a ‘Fearless Brand’ is to be authentic. This is true for any brand – your company, goods and/or services – but especially true for your personal brand. Your personal brand is ‘in…
The “I Have A Dream” speech from Martin Luther King Jr. is without a doubt one of the most powerful and impactful oratories in our country’s history. Dr. King was a man of passion, conviction and vision. It was his…
When I first decided to become a consultant after having just left the corporate world I was eager for business. So eager, in fact, that I would pursue most any piece of business which crossed my path. I used an…
Most Sunday mornings I spend having breakfast with a good friend of mine. Quite often he relates issues from his business life and then seeks my opinions and insights…which I’m more than happy to provide. Recently his topic was wondering…
The Law of Receptivity might be the most challenging of The Go-Giver’s Five Laws of Stratospheric Success. This could be why the authors – Bob Burg and John David Mann – deemed this to be the fifth, and final law…
“Shifting one’s focus from getting to giving; in this case meaning constantly and consistently adding value to peoples’ lives, is not only a nice way to live life, but a very financially profitable way, as well. ” Bob Burg The…
Have you ever been to a conference touting terrific speakers? Have you ever gone home thinking that at least one of the speakers left you wanting more? I have. Actually, I have at every conference I’ve attended…until The Go-Giver Retreat…
Spending five days in West Palm Beach, Florida in April was something I was really looking forward to. Sunshine, beaches, great restaurants and a relaxed attitude all sounded terrific and hey, I deserved all of that! 🙂 Add to that…
“Laisse les bon temps rouler!” If you’ve spent anytime in New Orleans you’ve heard this saying. Translation? “Let the good times roll!” South Louisiana is in my blood – literally. With a father born and raised in New Orleans and…
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