August 24th, 2009
Recently speaking to a group of educators in western North Carolina I learned that they too also share in the back to school butterflies. Kids get them, adults need to listen to them. It does not seem to matter how many years we go through this August ritual. The night before we meet our new students we get butterflies! I told my audience I thought it was natures way of letting us know just how much we enjoy and value what we educators do!
Here’s to all the individuals feeling the butterflies…..
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August 4th, 2009
I can’t believe it is August! Folks in the southeast are enjoying fresh goodies from their gardens and folks in the northeast are still waiting for summer to arrive! This continues to be a very challenging time for individuals and businesses of every make and shape and when getting though a day sometimes means we are okay! People everywhere are being asked to do more with less…at home, in the workplace, in school…these are tough times for just about everyone. I was recently speaking to a group of destination employees and they were telling me all about their low morale, their being asked for more…I told them their comes a time when it is all about personal pride. People can choose to complain, grumble, spread and speak the negatives of work life here or there but sooner or later the movers and shakers will zip their lips and get on with work! They will choose to step up to the plate or leave the game and should they choose to leave, that is perfectly okay because they will then go in search of their perfect world. It really is what we make it to be.
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June 8th, 2009
I was recently speaking to a group of business folks in Western North Carolina (actually conducting a wine seminar for them) and we were talking about what a wine label really says and that price is not the way to purchase that fine fruit. At the end of the seminar I asked if there are any questions as I always do and this middle aged gentleman asked me how I got started in the wine business at Biltmore and could he get a job! I went on to tell him that after I retired from public school life I wanted to play with adults and wine and heard about Biltmore Estate. After doing some research, I decided that I would throw my hat into the ring to see if I could work at the Winery. I was fortunate to get a position and started out pouring wine to thousands of people in the country’s biggest and busiest tasting room! Before long I was asked to write and create a new wine training program for all employees in the retail shops on the Estate. Once a teacher always a teacher I guess. It is now almost nine years later and I continue to learn new things about wine and the wine business. I write and teach employees how to give wine seminars as well as give refreshers to veteran staff members, and introduce the rookies to the world of wine. I assist guests in food and wine pairings and just help people to demystify the world of wine. This is a most challenging time in the economic world of retail and the wine world is no different. Many company’s are not hiring, taking steps to reduce the work force, cutting benefits and trying to find ways to keep their heads above water. Losing time and benefits is difficult, but when a job is lost it is tragic. So the answer to that middle aged gentleman was, probably not now.
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May 23rd, 2009
As a public speaker I often times get to express my thoughts and opinions on a wide range of topics. I was recently speaking to a group of business people in Asheville North Carolina. The topic of food and wine (two of my favorites) came up. I can say without a doubt that discussions on these two topics can last for hours if not for days. As I spoke about the balance of wine and grape differences I could not help but metion that a big factor between a good taste and a fantastic taste sometimes comes down to memory and expectation.
From the time we are children we begin to create food and beverage memories and expectations. Take mac and cheese for instance. As a child, we love the mac and cheese our mom’s made us and as we tasted other people’s mac and cheese we did not seem to like it so much. It doesn’t mean it wasn’t good, it just means it did not meet our expectation. We set a standard, by memory. We do this all the time but seldom think about it. When I peruse a menu in a restaurant and see the prime rib listed, my thoughts immediately go to the fantastic prime rib that my Dad would cook for special occasions and I expect that every prime rib I have will taste like my Dad’s. We do the same thing when it comes to beverages, wine in particular. I will never forget the incredible bottle of 1998 Pinot Noir that I had with friends at the top of Mt. Washington and this was way before Pinot Noir was fashionable! Of course, having just reached the summit of this beautiful mountain might also have had something to do with my memory of such a fine wine. I am a Pinot lover and that bottle memory is the one that I use to base all my Pinot’s against. If my expectation is not met, it does not necessarily mean that the wine was not good it just means that it did not meet my expectation. Our memory banks set our food and beverage expectations everyday. From burgers, pizza and casseroles to fillets, baked stuffed shrimp and crown pork roast! When it comes to wine it can be plastic, organic cork or a plain old screw top….as long as my expectation is met it matters not to me what the bottle is sealed with.
What’s in your memory bank?
Salute!
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May 9th, 2009
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April 26th, 2009
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April 7th, 2009
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March 4th, 2009
Taxes, taxes, taxes…..seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. Of course, this is the season we all “do” our taxes and our State and Federal governments talk about raising taxes (never much said about lowering taxes). We have heard many times that the only sure things in life are “death and taxes”. I remember hearing my Dad say those very words to me many, many years ago when he was struggling to keep a roof over our heads and food on our table. So I reflect now as the years have passed that although much in our lives has changed, many things have not. No matter where one lives or works in this country, our economic journey appears to be plotted before us.
As a public/motivational speaker I not only get to address audiences from many geographical areas, but from all walks of life. I not only have the opportunity to speak, I have a wonderful opportunity to listen. And listen I do. I hear the same concerns here in western North Carolina as I do in New England, the Mid-West and the Pacific coast line. People are having to make difficult decisions… from feeding and caring for their families to finding money to educate their children. Folks are out of work and their are long lines at the unemployment office. One thing has stood out for me in my listening and that is that people still believe that with hard work and hope in a new government things will get better. Perhaps not as quickly as all would like, but in time, this will continue to be the land of opportunity. A land in which people can dream of owning their own home, of having health care for their families and college educations for their children.
Yes, “death and taxes” are two things we all know for sure will be part of our lives, let us also add a third thing we all know for sure….most people want to work.
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February 10th, 2009
My enjoyment of speaking in public began many years ago. As a public school teacher, coach and administrator, I served on many local and state wide committees. It seemed that I was always the one chosen to make the presentations, to deliver the message and to get the stakeholders to buy into whatever the message was. My style then and now remains quite the same. I tell folks what I am going to tell them, I directly tell them and then I tell them what I told them! Using personal stories of triumph and tragedy, often times filled with laughter and maybe a few tears, my passion and belief in my message successfully comes through. In my professional life I had many opportunities to fine tune my speaking skills. Athletic award dinners, Emceeing various events, delivering eulogies, writing and delivering educational workshops and wine seminars to name a few. Speaking with people and to people about a common goal/purpose is natural and rewarding for me. My sense of accomplishment upon the completion of a speaking event is energizing and rewarding. I knew early on that I had found an avenue of expression that I would continue to build on. As I continue to develop meaningful presentations for the public I have learned that a forced fit does not work for anyone. I have learned that doing the preliminary homework once approached by a prospective client is so very important. Sometimes it is at this juncture that I find that I must in fact decline engagements. The goal for me is to provide some insights while seeking to entertain and engage my audiences. Public/motivational speaking, not unlike writing, happens best when the content is about things we know. Thus, much of my material is born in and of myself and the lessons I have learned along the way that I can share with others.
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