Risk-Reward Innovation in Business

 

How To Maximize The Risk-Reward
Relationship In Corporate Settings
A Safe Environment For Expressing Ideas Plays
A Key Role In Innovation

There’s no shortage of fanfare for the hottest corporate buzzword of the past several years – innovation. As Forbes noted in a 2012 article, the word has become the “awesome” of corporate speak. 

Innovation is the quality desired by business leaders, who tend to believe that if you’re not innovating, you’re dying a slow death. While volumes have been written about the path to reliable innovation, corporate coach Maxine Attong has found none with the key ingredient that she has found so compelling in her work, safety.

“In order to take risks, which is the foundation of innovation and subsequent rewards, a team member has to feel safe,” says Attong, a certified facilitator and author of “Lead Your Team to Win: Achieve Optimal Performance By Providing A Safe Space For Employees” (www.MaxineAttong.com). 

“Anyone who has ever been in a classroom or company meeting knows the potential risk of making an out-of-the-box statement, which could be seen as silly, frivolous or ignorant – or as a groundbreaking insight. Without a sense of safety, most employees will decide to silence an unconventional statement that could risk their standing.”

Unusual and unconventional ideas are a sign of strength in a company, Attong says. It shows that team leaders really are open to innovative ideas. She further explains the importance of the idea and how to create safety to voice risk-taking ideas.

•  A safe space is the “office Vegas:” what happens in the room stays in the room. While business plans may be neatly fitted into a blueprint, the reality of any strategy involving humanity needs to account for our unpredictability. We’ve all had those days in which we were stressed out by personal matters. Meanwhile, deadlines and expectations loom as the workload continues to pile up. The more you try to ignore your personal problems the more they come to mind.

“What would it be like if you could go into a room where you have total support and have a good cry for the dead dog, vent how angry you are at your loved one, or rant about how stressed you are over your coworker’s behavior,” Attong says. “When you are done, you leave the room knowing that your behavior was not judged, and your statements were confidential. That’s the kind of safe space that can facilitate innovation.”

•  Human beings have an amazing capacity for brilliance. However, the list of negative distractions is formidable: sick children, marriage or divorce, financial issues and other problems can take a focused mind off track. A safe space can get a mind back on track and people working creatively on new solutions; enable leaders to develop an outstanding team and instill stability. Creating a safe space can create a work environment in which team members actually look forward to work, a place where they can drop off their problems at the door and deal with them later. A safe place enables members to keep their egos in check and feel open to explore ideas. Innovation is often fun; it doesn’t have to be scary.

•  Safe spaces work on the inertia of several human traits. Safe spaces have been shown to work in other human affairs, including religion, addiction recovery programs, therapeutic counseling or coaching. People need to be heard, but they won’t reveal themselves unless they feel free from judgment. And, we need sensible guidance. After the safe space has been explained to team members, they’ll feel free to pursue productivity. The space assumes that the adults in the room want to be in charge of their lives and want to have relevant work experiences that contribute to their overall goals.

About Maxine Attong

Maxine Attong (www.MaxineAttong.com) has been leading small and large teams for the past two decades – both in organizational settings and in her private coaching and facilitation practice. She has helped organizations come to consensus, overcome the perils of ineffective leadership, redesign processes to suit changing environments, and manage the internal chaos inherent in strategy implementation. She has been trained as a Gestalt Organizational Development practitioner, a Certified Evidence-Based Coach, a Certified Professional Facilitator, a Certified Management Accountant and is a former Quality Manager. Attong is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, and divides her time between the Caribbean and the United States. Her latest book is “Lead Your Team to Win: Achieve Optimal Performance By Providing A Safe Space For Employees.”

How To Be Your Own Economic Quarterback

You Need To Be The MVP Every Year, Financial Planner Says

After a lifetime of earning and saving, one might expect a comfortable and financially secure retirement, especially with a reliable financial advisor – right?

“Life is rarely that simple or black-and-white and, unfortunately, neither is the financial realm,” says Bryan S. Slovon, founder and CEO of Stuart Financial Group in Greenbelt, MD ().

“Perhaps the arithmetic of personal wealth should be much simpler, but like it or not, the rules of economics are riddled with fine print, unexpected or inadequately explained conditions, and loopholes.”

Further complicating matters are various professionals in the financial industry. Whether or not a professional means well, the fact remains that many are actually trying to sell products, he says.

“It’s worth reflecting on where your advisor is coming from,” Slovon says. “If they are not fully independent – as in not working for a large institution – their advice may be biased toward sales.”

Ultimately, each person must be his or her own best financial advocate. It may take a team of professionals in various fields to provide retirees with the good life, but individuals need to be their own most valuable player for their well-being. Slovon reviews basic measures to quarterback your life to financial wellness.

•  Listen to your doctor … so to speak. If you want to enjoy your golden years, good health is arguably the most important step – and it’s cost-effective.

“More specifically, doctors often tell patients that they can be of service only in as much as patients are doing their part for good health,” Slovon says. “A healthy diet, exercise, regular doctor’s visits, etc. are necessary. These things help provide good health. A similar kind of vigilance is required if you want to fully enjoy your money in retirement.”

•  Audit your current and future expenses; spell out your plan. If you don’t have a plan for your money then you’re just hoping for things to work out. You can do better than that, even though changes in your plan will likely occur at some point. The most basic aspect of a financial plan includes understanding your current budget, which could be compared to expenses expected in the future. The more technical side of things, such as how to save on taxes and make your money go further, would benefit from analysis by a truly independent financial advisor.

•  Focus on your taxes, and perhaps tax-favored investments. An important part of understanding your budget, and making it work better for you, is getting reliable professional analysis on your tax situation. You may be paying much more than is necessary. If you are expecting to retire in the near future, you may especially benefit from analysis of your tax budget.

Also, ask about investments that are tax-exempt and tax-deferrable. These include municipal bonds and certain money market funds, which provide a way to grow money that’s exempt from federal taxes.

“Most of us give our lives to our work and families our entire adult lives,” Slovon says. “If you’re nearing or in retirement, it’s time to focus on you. That means you’ll need at least some professional financial help. However, you are the best person to oversee your own economic fate.”

About Bryan Slovon

Bryan Slovon is the founder and CEO of Stuart Financial Group, (www.stuartfg.com), a boutique financial planning firm exclusively serving retirees and soon-to-be retirees in the District of Columbia metro area. He is a financial planner specializing in retirement planning and wealth preservation to a select group of clients. He currently holds his Series 65 license and is a Registered Financial Consultant as well as a Comprehensive Wealth Manager offering investment advisory services through Global Financial Private Capital, an SEC registered investment advisor.

Fitness Program for Women

 

Are Women’s Fitness Programs Outdated?
Celebrity Trainer Says Most Women Benefit From A Comprehensive Approach 

A study indicating why British women don’t workout as much as they’d prefer surely reflects the sentiments of American women, says celebrity trainer Holly Perkins.

The research revealed that 75 percent of women in the United Kingdom want to exercise more, but they’re discouraged for fear of being judged by others. The women surveyed worried about how they would look while exercising in front of others, their inexperience in personal fitness and the idea that they’re putting themselves first, ahead of their children.

“Whether she’s a stay-at-home mom, a busy executive or somewhere in the middle, these are concerns most women have about fitness,” Perkins says. “I believe this reflects their self-image, and it’s a shame that so many women live their lives short-changing themselves.”

Even today, most fitness programs women come across neglect important parts of the average woman’s mindset, she says. Many gyms have spinning and other classes targeting women, but they lack the comprehensive aspect so many women are searching for, she says.

“There are plenty of women who frequent gyms, but I think the culture of most of those places are framed by a male-dominated attitude, which is more comfortable blocking out ‘gym time’ in their schedule,” says Perkins, who recently released a home-exercise system designed specifically for women called baladea (www.baladea.com), with regimens she developed to fuse fitness and wellness exercises.

“I believe a woman’s attitude craves a more holistic approach, one in which overall well-being is factored into a how-to lifestyle program.”

Perkins describes what works for women in a fitness program.

•  Fun. “No pain, no gain” is definitely a man’s attitude. As women, we are not afraid of a healthy muscle burn, sweating and commitment – we’re designed to carry babies for nine months, and then deliver them, after all. However, we are much more relationship-oriented, and we thrive in positive feelings. The way to a woman’s heart in fitness is fun.

•  Purpose. For men who workout, the activity is almost a purpose in itself. There is a sense of accomplishment in lifting heavy weights and “gettin’ it done.” Women want to shine; we want to look and feel like we never felt possible. We want to be in touch with who we are, and fitness synergized with overall well-being can do that.

•  Steps. It’s good for anyone starting a fitness program to have a blueprint for what they’d like to achieve, and steps for improvement along the way. For those who are inexperienced, an introduction and detailed plan enables time for the mind to ease into the process. Confusion or uncertainty is a waste of energy, and implementing new workout phases allows women to maximize our effort.

•  Synergy. If you think women don’t need weights, think again. Resistance band training increases your power and revs your body’s fat-burning engine. We also want to be lithe, supple and physically elegant. Yoga helps us reshape trouble zones, and something I call “flow” optimizes flexibility and beautifies posture. And, when we are done, we can enjoy a calm that reinforces our motive for inner and outer beauty, leaving us with an energizing relaxation.

About Holly Perkins

Holly Perkins is a national fitness expert and developer of baladea (www.baladea.com), a customizable fitness and wellness system for women. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), one of the most prestigious certifications in the industry. She believes that making fitness a fun lifestyle is the best way to achieve true change. As one of the nation’s leading weight-loss experts and a highly sought-after celebrity trainer, she has been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers and on national TV shows.

Book Review: The Destiny of Humanity by Jonathan Bannon Maher

“I am confident this book will surely attract much public attention to the important task of building a peaceful and prosperous world for all.” – Norodom Sihamoni, King, Cambodia

“A pointing of horizons and goals to which we must be aware. The quest for harmony and a blend of attitudes that could reach the heights of the global and total dignity of human beings.” – Jose Maria Pereira Neves, Prime Minister, Cape Verde

“It is the kindness of people like you that continually renew my confidence about what we as Americans can achieve together.” – Jill Biden, Office of the Vice President, United States

“A brilliant look at where we are headed as a species shared in the context of an authentic personal background story.” – Panayiotis P. Georgotas, Amazon Customer

4 Ways Young People Can Impact The World
‘Why Wait To Make A Positive Impact?’ Entrepreneurial Activist Asks

The younger you are as a registered voter in the United States, the less likely you are to cast your ballot, and the more you may have to lose by not doing so.

According to the latest data from the United States Census Bureau, voters aged 18 to 24 have consistently been the demographic with the lowest turnout, demonstrating an overall trend toward disengagement. While the line chart spiked in 2008 for President Obama’s first election, the trend has once again headed downward.

“Midterm elections yield disproportionately low participation among young voters, at a time when each additional vote yields the greatest impact,” says Jonathan Bannon Maher, a former candidate for the United States Senate, and author of “The Destiny of Humanity,” a book endorsed by Kings, a Prime Minister and a Second Lady (www.jonathanmaher.com).

“Debt from wars and unadjusted retirement benefits is piled onto the shoulders of our future. Adults make the choices and kids get sent the unpaid portion of the bill with interest. It seems even informed, motivated youth often feel powerless to make a meaningful impact. If they were to believe they can drive broad positive change, they’d be more inclined to communicate their thoughts to decision makers and participate electorally.”

Maher reviews four ways young people can get involved and affect positive gains.

•  Encourage your friends to vote. Yes vote yourself, but encourage friends to do so as well, to demonstrate your support in numbers.  Whereas Obama inspired young people to vote in numbers not seen since the early 1970s, enthusiasm fell precipitously for midterm elections in 2010. Only 49 percent of young people, ages 18 to 29, were registered to vote in the 2010 midterm elections, 45 percent of whom said they weren’t interested. Twenty-four percent didn’t know how to register.

“Registering to vote is a straightforward process,” Maher says, “and you can learn more at your state’s elections office website or at rockthevote.org”

•  Volunteer for a candidate’s campaign. If this seems overly ambitious, you may not be giving your political views enough credit.

“My advice is to review as many candidates as you can find online, and support those with the courage, intelligence, and heart to identify and resolve problems, even if they have limited traction. If feeling particularly ambitious, expand your search to include those who have expressed an interest.”

Research candidates nationally and those whose campaign offices are within driving distance, and find someone whom you can feel enthusiastic about supporting. If you haven’t found anyone, keep looking.

•  Articulate your views to lawmakers in writing about a personally important issue. If promoting a candidate is just too much, don’t give up. Whether you know it or not, you are most likely passionate about at least one issue, whether it’s the environment or education. If you don’t know who represents you and your community, you can find it at the following site:openstates.org/find_your_legislator/.

“Politicians and their staff can be profoundly influenced by logical heartfelt correspondence, even if a direct response isn’t provided,” Maher says. “But no one responds to communications they don’t receive.”

•  Follow news sites on social media. Grand gestures can sometimes make a big impression. However, smaller measures can plant a seed that takes root in important ways, too. If you care about the world but want to learn more, start small. Simply by reading well-researched articles from well-educated journalists and public intellectuals, you’ll notice your feelings come out. “Researching an issue from all perspectives will allow you to be most persuasive,” Maher says. Following a site or opinion-maker that inspires you will keep you engaged. From there it may only be a matter of time before you decide to make a difference.

About Jonathan Bannon Maher

Jonathan Bannon Maher (www.jonathanmaher.com) writes network intrusion detection and prevention software for the Pentagon. In his free time, he writes investment management algorithms and works on startups. In 2012 at age 29, he ran for the United States Senate. Prior to that, Maher wrote software used to purchase and manage billions in assets at a hedge fund. His music has been licensed by MTV, VH1, and Discovery Networks, and he’s written two books, including “The Destiny of Humanity,” endorsed by world leaders, and “Building a Successful Organization”. He graduated from the University of San Diego with recommendations from the President and Dean.

Amazon Buy Link

Understanding Human Behavior by Studying Animals

What Can Animals Teach Us
About Kindness And Empathy?
Studies Of Our Non-Human Friends May Show
How Genes Inspire Our Better Tendencies

While humans are capable of acts of cruelty, greed and deception, they also possess plenty of positive characteristics such as kindness, compassion, friendliness and empathy.

But why? Are those better angels of our nature something nurtured in us by our parents, or do we arrive on the planet genetically predisposed for them?

It’s something scientists have puzzled over, and many of them may be finding answers not with human research but by concentrating on animals.

“The idea that we could learn about kindness or compassion by studying animals might seem strange,” says Peter Schattner, a scientist and author of the book “Sex, Love and DNA: What Molecular Biology Teaches Us About Being Human” (www.peterschattner.com). 

“But since similar genes are often found in animals and people, what we learn from animals may well be relevant to understanding human behavior as well.”
Dogs are especially good species to study to learn about kindness, devotion and other pro-social traits because they have been genetically bred to display those traits, Schattner says.

“Look at it this way,” he says. “Dogs are the result of an extended genetic ‘experiment’ carried out by humans to artificially select the very personality traits that we value in them.”

Another reason geneticists like to study dogs is that, as species go, they are relatively young.

“Most scientists estimate people began breeding wolves for gentleness and tameness 15,000 to 30,000 years ago,” Schattner says. “Compare that to humans. We are believed to have diverged from chimpanzees, our closest living evolutionary relatives, about 4 million to 9 million years ago.”

The time span is important because fewer DNA changes between dogs and wolves have had time to develop. That makes it easier – though not necessarily simple – to track genetic changes to determine what genes affect behaviors, Schattner says.

Dogs aren’t the only animals scientists study that could help unlock clues about human traits and their genetic origins, Schattner says. Other examples include:

•  Mice and friendliness. Scientists studying the biological origins of Williams Beuren syndrome are making progress with mice. The syndrome is a medical condition that has several traits, but one of the most striking is that people with this syndrome are unusually friendly, even toward strangers. Scientists can engineer mice to have a similar chromosomal makeup as people with Williams Beuren syndrome. One result of this research so far is that, at least in mice, the friendliness associated with the syndrome appears to be linked to a single gene.

•  Siberian silver foxes, gentleness and friendliness. Research on Siberian silver foxes began in what was then the Soviet Union in the 1950s in an area where local farmers raised the foxes for their fur. A Soviet geneticist began trying to breed a tamer fox that was easier for the farmers to handle. He did this by mating the tamest males with the tamest females. Within four generations – and a silver fox generation is only about three to four years – the animals were showing signs of domestication. Over time, the researchers showed that gentleness and friendliness were genetic. “One result of all this is the foxes became so tame and adorable that allowing them to be killed for fur became difficult for the scientists,” Schattner says. “They began selling them as pets.”

•  Rats and empathy. Perhaps one of the more surprising experiments involved rats. University of Chicago researchers placed two rats in a large cage. One rat was free to wander, but the other was trapped in a smaller cage within the cage. The trapped rat would cry out in alarm and, remarkably, the free rat would try to open the other rat’s cage, which was no easy task. Even with no reward, three-fourths of the free rats in the experiment chose to open the trapped rat’s cage. “The results of these experiments were disturbing to people who believe that only we humans are capable of empathy and compassion,” Schattner says. Some scientists were still skeptical, saying the rats’ may have been pro-social, but didn’t necessarily demonstrate empathy or compassion.

About Peter Schattner

Peter Schattner (www.peterschattner.com) is a scientist, educator and writer with 30 years of research experience in molecular biology, genetics, biomedical instrumentation and physics. He is a recipient of the Technical Innovation Award from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. Schattner received his doctorate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg and has held research and teaching positions at the University of California, California State University and Stanford Research Institute. He is the author of numerous scientific articles and reviews, as well as the textbook “Genomes, Browsers and Databases.” His latest book, “Sex, Love and DNA: What Molecular Biology Teaches Us About Being Human,” is his first book for non-scientists.

About Lisa Quast

5 Tips For Reducing Stress
The Day Of Your Job Interview
Little Things Can Easily Derail Your Big Moment
If You Don’t Prepare, Says Career Coach

After months of responding to job postings, you finally land an interview.

This could be a pivotal moment in your life and career so it’s natural to feel nervous. But there’s no reason to let stress rule the day, says Lisa Quast, author of the book “Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want Every Time” (www.careerwomaninc.com).

“Life routinely throws us curves, and that’s just as likely to happen on your job-interview day as any other day,” Quast says. “Traffic could be bad. You might spill something on the blouse you planned to wear. Any number of things could go wrong that aren’t directly related to the interview, but can knock you off your game.”

While it’s not possible to anticipate every scenario, Quast says a little preparation can help you keep the anxiety level manageable.

She offers these tips for navigating your interview day as stress free as possible:

•  Know where you need to go. Don’t wait until right before an interview to make sure you have the correct address and phone number. Verify these online by checking the company website a few days ahead of time. You also should download driving directions or program the address into your smart phone or GPS to find potential routes and estimated drive times. “When in doubt, do a trial run,” Quast says. “You can drive there the weekend before to get the lay of the land and see where to park.” Don’t rely on technology alone. Always have a hard copy with the address and driving directions, just in case GPS or the smartphone fails you.

•  Obtain the correctly spelled name of the interviewer. And remember, bring a printout of the job posting. “It always surprises me how many people show up for a job interview and can’t remember the name of the hiring manager or even the job title of the position they’re interviewing for,” Quast says. “Don’t be one of those people.”

•  Schedule enough time for the interview. Block your calendar so you won’t need to rush from one job interview to the next, or go straight to another appointment or back to work. “The interview could take much longer than you think going in,” Quast says. For example, if things are going well, you might be asked to interview with others in the organization. Be sure to schedule ample time in case you need to stay longer. “You don’t want to be stealing quick glances at your watch when you should be listening to what the hiring manager is saying,” Quast says.

•  Turn off your cell phone. “When I say off, I mean off,” Quast says. “Don’t put it on vibrate.” The reason, she says, is that almost everyone can hear a cell phone vibrating in a purse, briefcase or pocket. You will be aware that a call is coming in for you. The people interviewing you will be aware. And you will be aware that they are aware.

•  Take a bathroom break before the interview. Use the restroom before you leave your house and avoid too much coffee or other liquids shortly before your interview. If you need to use the bathroom when you arrive at the company, ask the receptionist to point you to them before he or she informs the hiring manager that you have arrived.

“One additional thing you can do is give yourself a pep talk before the interview,” Quast says. “Mentally remind yourself of all the things you plan to do during the interview, the points you want to make about your experience and the questions you have about the company.

“You may not be able to eliminate all the butterflies, but your preparation should help reduce the stress and let you concentrate on making the most of the opportunity.”

About Lisa Quast

Lisa Quast is a career coach, a business consultant and author of the book  “Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want Every Time” (www.careerwomaninc.com). 

As a former Fortune 500 executive who climbed from the lowest rung of the career ladder, Lisa has a unique, comprehensive perspective on what it takes to achieve professional success. Lisa shares her insight and expertise on all areas of job searching, hiring and navigating the workplace in regular columns for Forbes.com and The Seattle Times and frequently contributes to nationally published articles.

Her female-focused career blog won the 2012 and 2010 Stevie Awards for “Blog of the Year” and her first book “Your Career, Your Way” has received several accolades. In 2014, Lisa released her second book “Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach,” which shares all of her inside knowledge on how to conduct a successful job search. In it, she divulges the secrets she shares with her coaching clients to help them find and get a job they love with a 100% success rate.

Finding Zoe: A Deaf Woman’s Story of Identity, Love and Adoption & the ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Turns Twenty-Five Sunday, July 26
Former Miss Deaf America Says Act Helped Tear Down Barriers

The day the Americans With Disabilities Act passed in 1990, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin delivered a speech from the Senate floor in a way most of his colleagues didn’t understand.

Harkin, the bill’s sponsor, used sign language for the benefit of his brother who was deaf and had taught Harkin this lesson: “People should be judged on the basis of their abilities and not on the basis of their disabilities.”

With the country marking the Act’s 25th anniversary, Brandi Rarus, a former Miss Deaf America, remembers how important it was for people with disabilities to make it known they would no longer allow others to set limits on what they could achieve.

“Those of us with disabilities face many barriers,” says Rarus, co-author with Gail Harris of the book “Finding Zoe: A Deaf Woman’s Story of Identity, Love and Adoption.” (www.brandirarus.com)

“Some of those are unavoidable. I can’t listen to the radio as I drive to work in the morning. Often, because of communication barriers, I have to work twice as hard as a hearing person. Instead of taking me five minutes to make a doctor’s appointment, it takes me 10.”

But some barriers are avoidable, Rarus says. And that’s why the Americans With Disabilities Act has played such an important role in people’s lives for the last 25 years.

The ADA prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities when it comes to employment issues. The Act also requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for a disability unless it causes an “undue hardship.”

Harris, a professional storyteller and Rarus’ co-author, says that although Rarus is deaf, her life struggles are similar to everyone’s.

“We can all relate to finding our place in the world and fitting in, about self-acceptance, about being judged and judging others, and how we must look past all that to fulfill our dreams,” says Harris. (www.gailharrisauthor.com)

The U.S. Department of Labor says many concerns about the ADA never materialized. According to the department:

•  Complying isn’t expensive. The majority of workers with disabilities do not need accommodations, and for those who do, the cost is usually minimal. In fact, 57 percent of accommodations cost nothing, according to the Job Accommodation Network, a service from the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

•  Lawsuits have not flooded the courts. The majority of ADA employment-related disputes are resolved through informal negotiation or mediation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces the ADA’s employment provisions, investigates the merits of each case and offers alternatives to litigation. The number of ADA employment-related cases represents a tiny percentage of the millions of employers in the U.S.

•  The ADA is rarely misused. If an individual files a complaint under the ADA and does not have a condition that meets its definition of disability, the complaint is dismissed. While claims by people with false or minor conditions may get media attention, the reality is these complaints are usually dismissed.
Rarus, who became deaf at age 6 when she contracted spinal meningitis, was making strides toward success even before the passage of the ADA.

Winning the Miss Deaf America crown in 1988 led to numerous opportunities. She signed the National Anthem at a Chicago Cubs game. She spoke at corporate conferences and traveled the country speaking out for deaf children and building awareness of what it means to be deaf. She was understudy for Marlee Matlin in the play “Children of a Lesser God.”

Her latest project is “Finding Zoe.” The book Rarus and Harris joined forces to write tells the story of Rarus’ early years as she learned to live with being deaf, but the focal point becomes her effort to adopt Zoe, a deaf infant caught in the foster care system.

Harris, upon collaborating with Rarus on her story, was on a mission to help bring it forth, as everyone is deserving of basic human rights. “People don’t realize what the deaf have gone through,” she says.

 Working with Rarus and the anniversary of the ADA have reminded her of the challenges all people face, whether black or white, deaf or hearing, gay or straight.

“It’s how we deal with them that counts,” Harris says. “Brandi’s courage and tenacity can get us thinking about our own vulnerabilities and how they can make us strong.”

Praise for Finding Zoe

“Finding Zoe is a heartwarming story about identity, self-acceptance and love. Brandi beautifully captures the joy of finally fitting in, feeling at home, and finding yourself.”

Dr. Gerard J. BuckleyPRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAF

“The journey in Finding Zoe is captivating and inspirational, and above all, a story about doing what is right for our children, as well as ourselves, no matter how difficult….Finding Zoe is a joy to watch unfold.”

Jill Smokler NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF CONFESSIONAL OF A SCARY MOMMY

About Brandi Rarus and Gail Harris

Brandi Rarus (www.brandirarus.com), who lost her hearing at age 6, has traveled the country speaking out for deaf children and building awareness of what it means to be deaf. She was Miss Deaf America in 1988. She and her husband live in Austin, Texas, with their three sons and adopted daughter.

Gail Harris (www.gailharrisauthor.com) is an award-winning writer and teacher of the intuitive process who also adopted a child. In addition to co-writing “Finding Zoe,” she is the author of “Your Heart Knows the Answer.” She lives with her husband and son in Framingham, Mass.

Essentials of Living a Balanced Life

3 Reasons A Balanced Life Is A Better Life
At Work And At Home, Success Depends On Finding Equilibrium, Magazine Editor And Stroke Survivor Says

Life sometimes can seem off kilter as responsibilities mount and people plow all their physical and mental resources into what seems to be the most pressing crisis of the moment.

But Lumbie Mlambo says that’s a good time to take a step back. Everyone has the potential to shine in life’s darkest moments, but the key to achieving goals and an overall better existence is to maintain a balance so that one aspect of your life isn’t consumed by another.

While some people might say balance in life is an impossible goal, she disagrees and says when each of us find our equilibrium, we become more productive and a greater asset to our communities.

“There’s balance in everything we do, be it walking, talking, eating, sleeping, working or spending time with family,” says Mlambo, editor of Equanimity Magazine (www.equanimitymag.com), an online publication that features inspiring stories of life and success.

“For example, look at how we try to deal with our work-life situation. We balance our workload so that we can still make room for other activities, to spend more time with our spouses or our children. We do that because we understand how important it is.”

She offers these reasons for why living a balanced life is essential.

•  The health factor. Staying balanced is a key to a healthier and successful life. Both mental health and physical health benefit, and as a result, so do our overall lives. “When we’re healthy, we’re able to care for ourselves and others in our community,” Mlambo says.

•  The empathy factor. When we find balance in life, we can better understand the importance of helping the underprivileged, says Mlambo, who grew up in a rural area in Zimbabwe. You begin to realize that someday you could be in their situation, which makes you a more empathetic person. “Your economic situation is like your health,” she says. “Nothing is guaranteed.”

•  The role-model factor. Sharing our stories – whether it’s a tale of success or even a tale of failure – is important because others can learn from us or be inspired by us as they too strive for a balanced life. “When you tell your story, it empowers, motivates and encourages people to not give up on their dreams and goals,” Mlambo says. “Maybe you think your story is just not that interesting or important. But for someone out there, it may be the spark that ignites them to great things.”

Mlambo always strove to find balance in her life. But she became even more passionate about it after she suffered a stroke in 2001 that left her partially paralyzed. She since has recovered, but says the event had a profound impact on her and she will always consider herself a stroke patient.

“Before the stroke, I thought my life was balanced in a way,” she says. “I mean, I ate healthy foods. I exercised seven days a week. But it was not balanced in the way I wanted. I had been too focused on myself. I realized that life was not just about me, but about others.”

Finding balance in life isn’t just a feel-good concept, Mlambo says. As people achieve balance, they realize they have the potential to rise above their circumstances. They can become more productive in their communities and that is good for everyone.

“Staying proactive and shifting the way we think can even help the economy to grow and can help create more jobs,” she says.

Certainly, maintaining a balanced life may be tougher than ever because technology allows work – emails, text messages, telephone calls – to intrude on people’s “off” hours. But that’s just all the more reason to make a concerted effort to strive for balance, Mlambo says.

She says it’s become popular in some circles to argue that a balanced life is a myth and can’t be achieved. But regardless of their views, she says, most people seem to be trying to bring balance to their lives, even if they don’t think of it that way.

“We eat healthy to stay balanced, we get enough sleep or rest to avoid stress, we juggle our daily activities to stay balanced,” Mlambo says. “To be successful in anything we do, we must have some sort of balance.”

About Lumbie Mlambo

Lumbie Mlambo is editor of Equanimity Magazine (www.equanimitymag.com), a lifestyle publication that shares the stories of “real people and their search to lead better lives.” She also has a background in project management, computer/software engineering and business analysis. She holds an associate degree in computer science from Indiana University South Bend; and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from Texas Woman’s University. She is multilingual, speaking English, Zulu, Ndebele and French.

Book Promo: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

 The E-Myth Revisited:
Why Most Small Businesses
Don’t Work and
What to Do About It

 

by Michael E. Gerber

In this first new and totally revised edition of the 150,000-copy underground bestseller, The E-Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a business from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed. He then shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business whether or not it is a franchise. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. After you have read The E-Myth Revisited, you will truly be able to grow your business in a predictable and productive way.

The Master Game
By Michael E. Gerber

There once was a man named DeRopp who wrote a book titled The Master Game.  No need to discuss his book or his philosophy here, other than to say it had to do with the shaping of one’s life and options through a lens few of us normal people have ever looked through before.

It brings to mind a question many people have asked me over the years about the entrepreneurial genius of Steve Jobs. What did he know that the rest of us did not?   My answer was simply that Jobs didn’t actually know more than the rest of us; he simply cared more.

I believe that’s the heart of choice; caring more. Not just doing more. And, certainly not just doing something different than what you’re doing today.

So, the subject then becomes, what does “caring more” mean? What does it look like and how does it reveal itself, especially at your age and mine? 

In my work with entrepreneurs and small business owners, caring more is a huge conversation, in that most of my clients and students over the years were confused about what it meant and how it related to what they were doing in their work.

They actually believed they cared, even when it was obvious as we pursued the conversation that they didn’t.

Yes, they cared about the money.  To live without it would certainly throw a monkey wrench into their lives.  So, in one sense they cared about making money, just as we all do.  But, Steve Jobs didn’t! 

Think about it. Here was a guy who dropped out of college in his first year, wandered off to India on a spiritual hippy quest that seriously disappointed him, took an engineering  job for which he was hopelessly unsuited, and then started his own company, Apple, in his father’s garage, without any hope of succeeding, if you measure success by a financially robust outcome.

In short, Jobs didn’t care about the money.  He cared about his dream.   And his dream was so outrageously incongruent with what was going on in the world of his time as to be, on the face of it, absurd.

So caring, as we’re beginning to look at it, has nothing to do with any of us personally – neither DeRopp nor Jobs cared about themselves personally – it has to do with the impersonal.  It has to do with something huge outside of ourselves.  It has to do with someone else.  And it also has to do with the ineffable.

What is the ineffable?

To DeRopp it was the product of the Master Game.

To Jobs it was the product of Apple.  Not the computer, but the product of the computer, the profound impact the Mac would have on the lives of his customers, and, then, through his customers, the unexpected outcome for the world.

Everything Jobs did had to do with the ineffable, which couldn’t be described perfectly (thus the ineffable). But he could experience it inside, as a picture that appeared to him, in his imagination, in his unconscious, in his visual, emotional, functional and financial mind. (Yes, Apple was a financial engine as well as an innovative engine – the innovative engine of our time.) That vision drove Jobs and his company, and all of the people he attracted, to be a force moving forward with unabated determination to completely transform the world.

All one can say about that is, “Wow!”

From our perspective, what Jobs did and what DeRopp wrote about and how he lived are far more ambitious than what any of us would do, so why even put it into our consciousness here? To feel guilty? To feel overwhelmed? To feel diminished or minimalized?

No, not at all.  The point is to feel what it means when I say, “Steve Jobs didn’t know any more than the rest of us do, he simply cared more.” 

Because each of us has the ability to feel more, to care more, to discover more, than we’ve ever felt, cared about or discovered before.

And if that’s true (and at age 79, working as I am on the creation of an enterprise  seemingly impossible for me to pursue,  I know that it is true)  then what in the world do we do about it?

That’s the question I wanted to pose to you: What DO you care about? And why? And what difference will it make to the world?

What is your ineffable?

How does it show up in your mind, in your imagination, in your heart, in your spirit?

What is your Apple?

What is your Master Game?

What is it that you’ve been placed on this earth to create?

About Michael E. Gerber

Michael E. Gerber (www.michaelegerbercompanies.com) is an entrepreneur, thought leader, speaker and best-selling author whose modern classic, “The E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It,” has sold more than 3 million copies. He is the founder of The Dreaming Room™, where entrepreneurs and others are provided the tools and facilitation to see, experience, develop and design their Dream, Vision, Purpose and Mission. A free subscription to his Dreaming Room Monologues, a series of taped inspirational talks, is available through his website. His next book, “Beyond The E-Myth” is a passionate response to America’s current inspiration deficit.

Book Review: Conflicting Webs by Darlene Quinn

6 Ways Reading Brings Joy To Our Lives
A Good Book Can Transport Us To Other Worlds, Or Reveal More About This One, Author Says

The options for latching onto a great book – whether a classic by Victor Hugo or the latest bestseller by John Grisham – appear limitless these days.

Printed books remain popular, but e-readers provide additional choices. We can still visit bookstores and libraries, but a seemingly infinite selection of titles is available for ordering online.

And, despite periodic worries about the reading habits of the young, a Pew Research Center study released last year showed that young adults, ages 18-29, were the group most likely to have read a book in the previous 12 months.

It’s not surprising people are still eager to lose themselves in a richly plotted novel, a well-researched biography or any title on a favorite topic, says Darlene Quinn, an author whose latest novel, “Conflicting Webs” (www.darlenequinn.net) is the fifth in her standalone Webs Series, which features stories steeped in family issues in today’s rapidly paced world.

“Reading is beneficial for everyone, whether we do it for entertainment, to pass the time or to learn,” Quinn says. “We can grow and change from the first page to the last page, and anywhere in between. A love for reading can open a lot of doors.”

Quinn, a lifelong lover of books, suggests six ways reading brings joy to our lives:

•  Relaxation factor. After a busy day, down time with a book can be a rewarding way to segue into bedtime. “Putting up your feet with a cup of tea and a timeless story can make the stress melt away,” Quinn says. “What better way to unwind?” The beauty of ending the day with a good book is that you can still have mental stimulation even as you seek a distraction from personal issues, work concerns and the unexpected complications of life.

•  Universal appeal, personal experience. People can read the same book, yet come away with an experience that is distinct for them, Quinn says. That puts her in agreement with Edmund Wilson, the American literary and social critic, who observed that “no two persons ever read the same book.”  Quinn says we often alter what is written – or at least our interpretations of it – to reflect our situations, personalities and opinions.

•  Tech savvy welcome, but not required. E-readers are popular these days and it’s not hard to understand why, Quinn says. They bring numerous benefits to the reading experience, such as the ability to instantly download new books or change the type size on the screen. But tried-and-true print versions of books remain strong and it’s nice to be able to grab a book without charging its battery or bringing along a power cord, Quinn says. “And as far as I’m concerned, you just can’t beat the intoxicating aroma of fresh book pages,” she says.

•  To infinity and beyond. Trains, planes and automobiles all have limits on where they can take us. Books don’t. A science fiction novel can whisk us away to an alternate universe. A historical novel can plunk us down in the middle of the Salem witch trials. In the movie “Toy Story,” Buzz Lightyear’s catchphrase was “to infinity and beyond.” That aptly describes the reach of books and the power they have to transport us. “Right in our hands we have the passageway to a new world, a new language or a new understanding,” Quinn says. “We can be anywhere and we can be there at any time.”

•  Lessons within the pages. The opportunity to expand our creativity and knowledge is what reading is all about, Quinn says. Name a topic and a book exists that can help you learn more about it. The options are numerous – music, history, art, geography, exploration, science, nature, religion and more. “My goal has always been to be a lifelong learner and books are a fantastic asset for achieving that,” Quinn says.

John Green, author of such works as “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Paper Towns,” has said, “Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood.” Quinn says that might be the best reason of all to read.

“The feeling that someone else knows our struggles and relates to our lives can give us a sense of completeness, and help us realize we aren’t the only ones who feel or think the way we do,” she says.

“Reading can make us happy when we are sad. It can make us laugh when we are depressed. And it can excite us when we are disheartened. Those are great accomplishments for such a simple activity.”

About Darlene Quinn

Darlene Quinn (www.darlenequinn.net) is an author and journalist from Long Beach, Calif., whose novels about deceit, intrigue and glamour in the retail fashion industry were inspired by her years working in management with Bullocks Wilshire Specialty department stores. Quinn’s novels are steeped in family issues in today’s rapidly paced world. Her latest is “Conflicting Webs,” the fifth book in her epic Web series. Previous titles in the standalone series have been “Webs of Fate,” “Webs of Power,” “Twisted Webs” and “Unpredictable Webs.”

Endorsement for Conflicting Webs

“Darlene Quinn has done it again, writing a tension-filled story that kept my attention from the very first page to the end. Conflicting Webs weaves an intense story full of intrigue, questionable motives, and unforgettable characters. A compelling storyline with a series of twists keeps the reader engaged, wondering if the story will lead to a happy ending. You won’t be disappointed.”

—Dete Meserve
President, Wind Dancer Films
Author of Amazon Bestseller “Good Sam”