Archive for October, 2006

Melinda came up to the stage and was introduced. She was the test speaker for the Division C evaluation contest for Toastmasters. I was an evaluator. Her eyes opened and she looked straight at me. She pointed her finger and in a loud crisp voice she asked… “Do you have the power?” Everyone in the room was mesmerized. She asked again, only this time a little louder and a little more pointed. She was expecting us to respond.

She asked again now with her eyes beaming. Everyone was in awe. Now she said with a loud voice.. repeat after me… “I have the power.” The audience went crazy. “I have the power,” was repeated by the large enthusiastic audience. “Again, but this time louder,” she boomed. And the audience responded with a roar… “I Have The Power!“ She had all of our attention now.

Melinda, a tall black woman, was dressed in bright green and had fire in her eyes. Her speaking style was like that of a fire and brimstone preacher. She started talking about the workplace and the negative influences that we all battle with everyday. The negative co-worker, the irritating boss, and the gossip hounds at the water cooler. She talked about their influences, how they bring us down and ruin our effectiveness.

Then she fired back… “You Have The Power… to overcome these forces.” She spent the next five minutes going over strategies for success. She talked about our uniqueness and our attitude. That we truly have the power to overcome and rise above mediocrity. We don’t have to be like them. She encouraged us to find our purpose and to use joy as our motivation.

She ended her speech powerfully admonishing all of us to use our power for greatness.

Now it was my turn. They took all of the evaluators out of the room and we had 5 minutes to get our notes together. This was no ordinary performance. How do you follow such a powerful speech? I knew that I couldn’t just give a standard evaluation, a dot the i and cross the t performance. No it had to be different… it had to be powerful.

I walked into the room, was introduced and I turned and faced the audience. Suddenly in the flash of a second, I was on fire! Melinda’s explosive enthusiasm had energized me like no one else had before. I started to speak loudly to the core of the room, my usually soft voice was now booming. I was preachin’ it just like Melinda. As I spoke to the audience and Melinda, the fire inside kept me going. Her powerful words were now coming back.

For three minutes I was transformed, sharing the power with the audience. I told her the strong points of her speech and then made a couple of recommendations. Melinda had a lot of points which were powerful but I suggested that she include a story of someone that had found the power to overcome. Tell a story, make a point , I extolled. The other suggestion was to create an acrostic of points that we could all take away. Spell something out that is easy to memorize and tell her story with it.

Soon the timing light turned yellow and I admonished the audience to take Melinda’s advice and make a difference… you have the power! I sat down in my seat visibly energized. Something had come out of me like never before. I’m sure my booming words startled the judges, but this was so different. I couldn’t be my usual self… after all… I was on fire.

One after the other, the next four contestants came in and gave their evaluations of Melinda. Everyone was passionate, but they all managed their demeanor and gave very structured evaluations. Soon the contest was over and the awards were given out. I wasn’t sure how I would do. I knew that my performance was over the top, but this was like no evaluation I had ever given before. This was by far one of my most powerful performances ever. Melinda had lit a fire on passions that I didn’t know I had.

When the trophies were handed out, I found that I had come in third. For once in my life, winning was not important. I’m sure my fiery preaching was a little hard to judge. As I talked with everyone afterwards, many mentioned that they had never seen me that passionate before.

I came home a changed person.

As I went to sleep, I knew that I had to tell this powerful story to others. The next thing that I knew it was three in the morning and words were flowing around in my head. The word “POWER” kept coming up and all of a sudden an acrostic appeared, just like I had mentioned in my evaluation. The following words tell the story…

• Personality: There is no one else like you in the whole world
• Opportunity: Today presents a unique opportunity for greatness
• Willpower: Will you see your dreams through?
• Enthusiasm: Live today with energy and excitement!
• Results: Are you ready for amazing things to happen?

These are such simple things, yet together they give us the unique power to overcome the negative forces that surround us. They help us find our true purpose. I will share with you today… take your unique personality, look for an opportunity, follow it through with enthusiasm, and expect great results.

You Have The POWER!

Thanks Melinda, for giving me an amazing story to tell!

Technorati Tags: toastmasters, public speaking, motivation

I couldn’t believe it. I was hearing something that was totally foreign to me. My stereotypes were shot. It went against everything I had ever been told about women.

After all…

• All women love to cook
• A woman’s place is in the kitchen

As I walked around my office I kept asking the same question…

Would you rather do yard work or cook a meal?

The answers kept coming back the same…

• I hate to cook!
• I hate the cleanup, I would much rather be outside.
• Give me a push mower over a frying pan anytime.
• My idea of cooking is Banquet and a Microwave.
• I love my roses and being outside. The kitchen is too confining.

The answers were part of my research into my card game called, Draw 50: The Productivity Game. The game consists of 10 housework cards that you shuffle and present to your spouse or significant other upside down on a tray. The reward for doing the task is placed at the top of the tray. This is usually money or a written note. The object of the game is to pick a card, do the task in 50 minutes and get the reward.

When I showed the cards to some of my co-workers the answers came back almost all the same. Out of the 10 cards, Women preferred the “yard work” card over all of the others. Their most despised card was “cooking a meal.” (They excluded the “Changing the Oil” card since they didn’t know how to do that.) For the guys, their answers were more varied.

As a guy, I was really surprised by the finding, with 8 out of the 10 women that I asked preferring yard work over cooking. Interestingly, the 2 women that preferred cooking were passionate about it. They didn’t just like to cook, they loved it.

I really thought that all women loved to cook. I was really wrong on this one. I guess that is why fast food is so popular!

The Draw 50 game has been very popular. You can download it for free and print it out at home or work on Avery business card stock.

I would love to hear your choice… cooking or yard work.??

Coming soon… Draw 50 for kids… including the ever popular “clean your room” card.

Technorati Tags: cooking, kitchen, yard work, games

I found an amazing statistic this morning that really affects the way many of us present our ideas to others. Whether it is a blog post, Powerpoint presentation, or printed copy, the first 20 words have a major impact. In fact if those first twenty words don’t have an impact… you have just lost your audience.

I found this great material when I was perusing Liz Strauss’s open-mic morning at her Successful-Blog. She is having her readers leave links today from their most popular posts. I picked up this great tip from Char over at Essential Keystrokes from her popular post entitled… “You’ve Only Got 30 Seconds or 20 Words.” Char writes…

We would all like to think that our web sites contain such compelling information that users will stick around, browse, and really get into our material, but the brutal truth is, they won’t. Statistics show that over 80% of your site’s visitors will leave your site within 30 seconds of arriving. At first I didn’t believe it, but then I looked at the web statistics for more than 20 sites I maintain/host, and yep, the stats tell the same story.

Additionally, did you know that you have twenty words to capture your visitor’s interest or they will be gone? Twenty. Your message needs to be short, sweet and to the point if you expect to keep them around.

This is an amazing statistic and one that should be of concern to all writers. I work with many people doing Powerpoint presentations and their focus is usually to cram as many bullet points into their presentation as possible. Many of their presentations do not have a title at all and just start out with a myriad of facts and figures.

A compelling title would change everything.

All of a sudden their audiences would be interested before the presentation starts. A good title adds suspense, interest, and keys in on a “benefit’ for the audience. If you can solve a problem or add a benefit in 20 words or less, you are on your way to a successful presentation.

Now take these powerful words and add a compelling picture.

Now you have the power of words combined with the story telling power of a picture. Stories are the backbone of any exciting presentation. Stories draw you in and add emotion. A picture can truly be worth a thousand words.

Here is an example for a Powerpoint title page that could be used to sell the features of the new iMac.

Use the words…

Experience The Creativity of the Mac & Run Windows Too!

Add a compelling picture and you have a great title page

Power up your presentations in 20 words or less!

Technorati Tags: powerpoint, writing, blogging

Welcome to Buzz-Discovery. This is a special Monday feature of Success Begins Today, highlighting some of the newest, coolest, and most unusual stuff. You may find outrageous prices, unusual bargains, or tipping point merchandise. The theme this week is “Reaction.” All of these items are unique and will elicit strong reactions.

The 2007 Toyota Tundra is due out this coming February. Nicknamed the “Iron Fist” after the bold new grill and nose, this truck aims to turn the American truck market on its ear. Bigger, bolder & more powerful than ever, this new truck beats most of it’s American competition on the spec sheet. But it’s coming out at a time of high gas prices and lower truck sales. Will gas prices kill the iron fist? Probably not, but with Chevy boasting 20 plus miles/gallon for their new truck, the competition is sure to heat up. 

The legendary Toyota quality will be a strong selling point and the available options are second to none. The bold new look has drawn extensive praise from the automotive press and focus groups. Park one of these in your driveway and the reaction will be great. Everyone will want to see it, drive it, and probably have one of their
own.

Her smokey deep voice may remind you of Billie Holiday, but her style is truly all her own. Madeleine Peyroux doesn’t simply interpret songs, she possesses them…and vice versa. Half the Perfect World is the much-anticipated follow-up to Peyroux’s breakthrough album, Careless Love, which drew critical raves from around the world and sold more than a million copies. This time around, Peyroux focuses primarily on songs written by artists from her lifetime, including Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Fred Neil.

I love her song “River” that she sings with K.D. Lang with lyrics, “I wish I had a river to skate on, I would teach my feet to fly.” It brings you back to a time in your childhood, with Billie Holiday on the 78. Her timeless voice and vintage lyrics are amazing and the reaction is one of true joy.

I couldn’t believe the reaction to this book. I had borrowed the book from our librarian and put it on my desk at work. People came by one after the other in amazement. The first reaction was one of shock. They would scan the title once or twice just to make sure what it said. Then they would open the book and break out into joyous laughter at the pictures and the text. Soon, they would borrow the book and show other people. I would hear laughter in the background and the book would usually show up again after 15 or 20 minutes.

Part of a five book series, Walter is one of the funniest books you’ll ever read. In the series Walter overcomes rough weather, has adventures at a yard sale, and even takes a cruise. These books make great gifts for children and adults alike, and are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!

This is an amazing device. Take it out of the box, adjust the stride length and clip it to your belt. Wear it all day long and take a look at the numbers at the end of the day. The Omron pedometer will surprise you just how far you walk in a day. My reaction was great… I found that I walk at least two or three miles a day on my job. The digital screen shows the number of steps that you walk, distance in miles, and calories burned. A healthy goal, according to the literature that comes with it, is 10,000 steps per day or just over 3 miles.

This quality device makes a great addition to any diet and exercise program. My wife and I love our unit and it usually elicits a walk at the end of the day to reach the magic 10,000 steps. Highly recommended!

Technorati Tags: trucks, childrens books, music, walking

I love reading blogs. I get a lot of great information from sites like Lifehacker, Lifehack.org, and Slacker Manager. There is always something new to learn or some new gadget or software to try out. These sites make blogging very useful. I may be the first to know about the latest technology with posts from Gina, Leon, and Bren.

In the business field I love to read Rosa’s blog, Talking Story, and routinely check in with members of her Ho’ohana community. Her offshoot blog, Joyful Jubilant Learning is now a daily staple. I have to check in from time to time with Steve Pavlina and see how he is doing on his latest adventure. He may be polyphasically sleeping, getting off coffee, or leading a blogging workshop.

Three of the hardest working bloggers are always amazing me with their tenacity and great posts. Dwayne Melancon of Genuine Curiosity comes up with the best tips for business travel, while Troy Worman keeps up on at least 100 bloggers and Phil Gerbyshak is determined to make it a great day for everyone.

While all of these blogs are on my daily RSS feed, three blogs have surfaced recently that fit into a little different niche. They all provide great content but they all have something else in common. They are all entertainers. I would like to highlight each one of them so you can join me in enjoying their humor and enlightenment.

The Raspy Humorist
When you first visit 43 folders, you’ll find many articles on personal productivity and time management. The whole site and the name are based around David Allen’s wildly popular book “Getting Things Done“. But there is something else that quickly becomes apparent. The writing is humorous and relates to real life situations. Author Merlin Mann has a dry wit and an amazing way with words. I love his stuff, because he writes about really serious things but puts them into the situational humor of everyday life.

But even better than his writing are his podcasts. Most are short commentaries on life and all are laugh out loud funny. His quick pace and use of metaphors really add to the entertainment value. You can subscribe on iTunes or from his site.

The Master SOB
I received an e-mail a while back stating that I was an SOB. At first I was offended… who was this Liz Strauss and how dare she call me an SOB? I looked a little further and a smile quickly came over my face. She had actually called me a Successful & Outstanding Blogger, which was a great compliment.

Liz writes daily on her Successful-Blog and is the master collaborator. She publishes a weekly newsletter and does one of the most interesting things I’ve ever seen done with a blog… she turns hers into a chat-room every Tuesday night. Her newsletter comes out every Tuesday morning and she publicizes her Tuesday open-mic night. Many of her readers join in the fun. She routinely gets over 300 comments in one evening to her blog. The link love from Technorati and Google is amazing.

The Dynamic Duo
Podcasting is a new phenomenon and many of the ‘casts I listen to are from one person. Podcasts are like listening to the radio and many of them have good information but the audio may be less than appealing. Some have poor audio quality and others are monotone and monotonous. But there is a shiny star in this new medium. Authors Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba of the Church of the Customer blog have great chemistry together creating one of the liveliest podcasts on iTunes.

Ben is the serious one, and Jackie is the Sparkplug. While their marketing and word of mouth podcasts offer great information, the interaction between the two provides great entertainment. These two really should be on the radio with a daily broadcast. They are that good!

Conclusion… while blogging is great as a learning and information medium, be sure not to miss the entertainment value. Bookmark these sites and make sure to download their free podcasts from iTunes on your iPod so you can take them with you wherever you go.

Technorati Tags: podcast, customer evangelism, lifehack

When you are planning out your next masterpiece for YouTube you’ll probably want to storyboard the concept and get your ideas sketched out in a visual format. You can use a standard storyboard, chalkboard, or large paper and markers. But what if you are sitting on the beach and a great idea comes to you? Will you lose the concept and possibly a million dollar idea?

Not if you have the Pocket Storyboarder along. Just pull out the desired cards and start writing with your amazing Fisher Space Pen. Don’t worry about the sand with this pen as it will write anywhere. Grab your title card and quickly write down a cool title for your idea. Then grab the actor cards and write a short bio for each one.

Now you are ready for scene one. Grab the scene card and draw a quick sketch. Now take out some story cards and start sketching the first scene story. Put a short title at the bottom of each and a number so you’ll know what order they go in. Go left to right in your mind with a card for each part of the story. Keep the creative juices flowing and finish up your first scene.

If your scene has dialog, grab an actor dialog card and write down the actors name in the small box along with the dialog in the large box. If you have background narration in a scene, grab a narration card and write down what is being said. Mark down the corresponding story card number the narration goes with so you can assemble it all together when you get home.

Keep the inspiration going, look up at the waves, and take a sip from your cool drink. This is heaven with a pen. Card after card will keep the story flowing. Soon you will find a complete scene created with actors, narration, and dialog. Clip everything together with your mini clip, slip the finished production in your pocket and enjoy the rest of your time at the beach.

When you get home, take out your cards, blow the sand off, and lay them out on a flat table. Start from left to right with the title card first, then the actor cards and then the first scene picture. Now take your story cards and continue them from left to right. Grab your narration and dialog cards and put them on top of the corresponding story card, so you can see the dialog that goes with the action.

Soon the whole scene is coming to life and your story emerges. It’s easy to continue on from here. Grab another scene card and illustrate what scene two is about. Start again with the individual story cards and add narration and dialog as necessary. Go from left to right and start a new row when necessary. Add scene transitions between cards as necessary. Use the focus card to zoom in on the action or highlight a character.

Within a short time the whole movie comes together on your table. You grab your camera and take a quick shot. The nice thing with the pocket storyboarder is you can move things around. You have complete flexibility. You can add actors in or take them out. Need to change the dialog, just grab a new card. Changes are quick and easy.

When you have everything the way you want it, take another picture and then gather up your cards starting at the bottom of the storyboard and work your way to the top. Now you have a complete outline which you can take back to your computer to write up the screen play. When you head out to shoot your first scene bring the cards along so your actors get a visual idea of the action.

Since the cards are flexible you can just lay out the scene you are shooting. This makes it much easier to work with than the standard large storyboard. If you find the scene is not working in real life, just grab some new cards and quickly make the changes. It’s quick, easy and very visual. Your actors will love the visual layout and they will pick up their lines quickly by making their own dialog cards. Your narrator will have an easy time with the voice-overs by just reading card after card.

This tool is easy to use and can be printed in under five minutes. Break the cards apart, grab a pen, some sharpies and some colored pencils. Have fun and create your multimedia masterpiece.

Instructions:

• Download the Pocket Storyboarder template
• Template includes 2 pages, a main template and 10 story cards
• Open in Microsoft Word
• Add text to the cards or print blank
• Cut & paste cards as needed
• Print out on Avery Business Card stock (10 card)
• Break cards apart
• Lay them out on your desk or table
• Start with the Title Card
• Add Actor Cards
• Add a Scene Card
• Add Individual Story Cards
• Create a great storyboard
• Modify as necessary

When you create the next masterpiece be sure to let us know!

Other Five Minute Items you may be interested in:

Five Minute Organizer
Five Minute Flowchart
Five Minute Outliner
Five Minute Motivators
Five Minute Diet Planner
Instant Garage Sale

Technorati Tags: Movies, YouTube, Storyboard, Five Minute