Always do what you love!

Get Your Love Time

Do what you love to do.

Even doing it for a few minutes a day will revitalize and recharge you. Dancing is one of my personal favorites. Take 15 mintues and shake what your mamma gave you. As you lose track of time being immersed in what you love doing innovative problem solving ideas can occure. Hobbies hold clues to life and career changes.

The Blessing Is...God is the Kinda Guy You Can Trust

"God is the Kinda Guy You Can Trust" was the best advice I have ever been given. He has shown what unconditional loving looks like. If you are looking for a daily dose of inspiration go to http://theblessings.org/

My wonderful friend, coach and minister, John Morton, has written an exquisite book.

Eli Davidson on the Today show

Since my Today Show appearance, folks have been asking to hear more about what my "dark days" were like.

In 18 months I lost my marriage, business and health with $88,000 of corporate debt. I went from having 23 folks making my products to living on peanut butter in a friend's guest house.

Losing the love of my life (much to my surprise he was wildly unfaithful) was devastating. I had Meniere's Syndrome which is a disease that causes some to be bed ridden for the rest of their lives. Losing the business was like losing a baby. I started it with $17 and a glue gun and grown it to $1.5 million in retail sales in four years.

There were dark days in which suicide looked like an inviting option.

During the bleak parade of March days I hit bottom. The woman weeping in her car in the alley so the neighbors don't hear her- that was me. I knew that I was supposed to "love myself". But how? I couldn't find a book to give me hand's on tools to lift myself out of my 'funk'. I was desperate.

Even though I didn't have the money, I enrolled in the Spiritual Psychology at University of Santa Monica. ( I bet you guys would love it!) I had given up on myself. But the faculty at USM didn't give up on me. They saw the magnificence in me...even if I didn't. Miracles of healing began to appear. I quadrupled my income in the next two years.

In four years I went from living in a guest house, to having a home with my own guest house...without a rich boyfriend. Folks saw my very dramatic transformation and asked me to coach them.

FAB TIP:
Take a small step.
For me it was enrolling in a school to get the support in reclaiming my dreams.

Be Finicky
Stop playing nice. If you are honest with yourself- you know who is stealing your energy and positive focus...stay away from them.

Endure to the Win.
I almost gave up a month before the biggest media appearance. Don't give up until you get what you are striving for

My clients doubled and tripled their income, they started flourishing businesses, lost weight, they stopped smoking and started dating after a two year dry spell. Soon word spread and I was coaching my heroes- Emmy, Grammy and Golden Globe winners and even a founding member of Fed Ex.

The Red Carpet, Your Office and Burnt Popcorn

As a motivational speaker, I was fortunate to be on a program with Mariel Hemingway last week. As an Oscar nominee, she talked about her life in the limelight and her journey to love and accept herself.

Do you look at the gorgeous actresses in those gowns and get jealous? Well, don't. Mariel shared that for 3 years she lived on burnt popcorn. Burnt popcorn? Why? Because her diet didn't allow for any oil or salt. Burning the popcorn was the only way to give it some sort of flavor. Many of those stars that look like they are living a life of leisure are subsisting on charred corn.

Why all this talk of burnt popcorn? In my coaching business practice I see that burnout is a huge problem. More and more managers and small business owners are working longer hours, skipping weekends and vacations. The news of the economic downturn is just making matters worse. Before you burn yourself, take some time to take a break. A recent study from Harvard documents that productivity goes down when a person doesn't take regular breaks.

Fab Tip:
Set your PDA with an alarm to eat lunch
Make plans for weekend adventures on Monday and Tuesday.
Get a hobby and have a hobby buddy to double your fun.
Before you burn yourself, take some time to take a break. A recent study from Harvard documents that productivity goes down when a person doesn't take regular breaks.

Managment Tips: Lessons From A Baseball Hero

As a motivational speaker, I learn so much from the example set by baseball legend Ernie Banks. He is someone who shows the power of going from Funky to Fabulous. What an honor to get to know he and his wife as friends and get to celebrate Ernie's 77th birthday last week.

If you think you have it tough at work, think again.
Ernie was one of the best players of the Chicago Cubs. Yet, he was not allowed to eat in the same restaurants or sleep in the same hotels as his teammates. Banks did not let his circumstances diminish his enthusiasm and love of the game. His trademark cry of “let's play two!” reflected the pure enjoyment he took in baseball.

Being a black Cubs baseball player was a revolutionary act. At dinner he confided, "I knew that any day I could end up on the wrong side of a rope." When I asked him how he could keep such a positive attitude in the midst of such challenges, he simply pointed to his head. "It's all right here." He told me that once he walked onto a baseball field everything that was negative evaporated. Ernie trained himself to keep his eyes on what he wanted to accomplish and turnaround those things that were negative.

2008 Funky to Fabulous Revolution: MOVE
This is a lesson that can help you be more effective in your office, home or even on the baseball field. (It's one of the many tools from my book.)

Fab Tip: Get Up to Get UP
Ernie used the baseball field as an anchor for what we all Neuro-Linguistic Programming "Pattern Interrupt." Walking onto the field interrupted negative thoughts, and he focused on success. Even if you can't get out to a baseball field you can use a turnaround technique today. Take a challenge. And then turn it around.

At some point this week, when you find yourself challenged by someone or something.
1. Physically stand up
2. Take 3 deep breaths
3. Walk for one minute while repeating the word happy or fabulous 25 times. (You might even envision thousands of fans rooting for you.)
4. Observe the difference in your attitude and ability to problem solve.

Let me know if what Turnaround Techniques you use.!

Management Tip: BNTE Mariel Hemingway and YOU!

This month's Better Homes and Gardens features one of my Tips in 29 Ways to Say I Love You. (If you have coached with me you will definitely know which tip came from me.) Thank goodness they have their own spell checker!

BNTE
Over the weekend I was at a conference and got an opportunity to speak for a large corporation. This came from guy who is now a big wig at an insurance company. He never forgot that I was nice to him when he was a receptionist ten years ago. BNTE is a top management tool used by billionaires like Kirk Kekorian I was working with a top political consultant who is on first name basis with "Kirk." What is BNTE? Be Nice To Everybody.

And what better day to Be Nice To Everybody? VALENTINES DAY.
For the first time in US history there are more singles than couples. So have some compassion on what I call Singles Awareness Day. It's a great time to give love rather than looking at what you don't have. And that goes for whether you are single or married.

Mariel Hemingway and I Speaking
BNTE, Valentine's Day and YOU! I just got off the phone and heard that that Mariel Hemingway and I will be the speaking Friday, February 8th. The event is free to the public. So If you are in Los Angeles...mark your calendars! There will be a great Valentine's mixer afterwards....so stay tuned for more details. It is hosted by the coolest store in Santa Monica- Hey, Kookla.

Friday, February 8th 5:00 to 7:00
Funky to Fabulous: From the Inside Out
Hey Kookla. 1329 Montana Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90403

If your organization is looking for a fresh, energetic FABULOUS speaker, please call our office.

FAB TIP
Take a few minutes today to BNTE.
Everybody.
Make sure that you spend a wee bit of time with the person that you ususally brush past. Pay extra attention to that customer or team member that isn't your favorite.
And please...remember to Be Nice To YOU!

Executive Coaching Tip: Radical Reinvention: LISTENING

I just got off the phone with a very large government agency who wants my training help their managers to be better leaders. Here are tools to use whether you are leading a team of 1,000 or just trying to have a better relationship with your 11 year old.


Don't Let The Words Distract You
Studies show that less than half of what is communicated through words. Listening to HOW someone says something is far more important than WHAT they say. Listen for infections, signs and coughs. These are unconscious body signals that 'highlight' a statement. They tell you that what was just said was important. for example If someone says, "I love working on that project." and then coughs or sighs it is likely that there is a part of them that doesn’t believe the statement.

Don't Skip The End
Pay particular attention to what someone says at the end of a sentence. "I'd like to do that but I don't know how." Often people have a preamble of what they think the listener would like you hear. Many state the most honest part of a statement at the end of a sentence.

Ask Is Not A Four Letter Word
Just because you speak the same language…don't think you understand another. The message sent is often not the message delivered.
Masterful listeners ask, ask, ask. Any masterful sales executive knows that the person asking the questions is the person in control of the conversation. One of the easiest ways to become an expert listener is to check to make sure that your perception of what was said was what the speaker meant.

Should, Can't, Have To, But…Crystal Ball.
Each one of these words conveys a judgment. Watch the statement that follows Should, Can't, Have To, But. The listener is telling you that they really don't want to do what they are saying. Watch these words closely and folks in your office will think you are plugged into the psychic hot line.

Yes, No…No Way
If you are asking a yes, no question you are not giving your listener the room to really communicate with depth. Power up your listening power with more open ended questions. (Questions that require something other than a yes or no answer.)

Don't Throw A Brick In The Salad...
Interrupting a speaker is a key signpost of lousey listening. When you listen wait at least 4 seconds after the person finishes speaking before you respond. This will help train you not to interrupt. Not interrupting a man is even more important because men are more linear than women. Here's an easy visual for gender communication styles. Do not interrupt a man laying bricks.
Man Speak = Laying Bricks
Woman Speak = Tossing Salad

Don't Listen With Your Ears.
The University of Santa Monica teaches a revolutionary program of Spiritual Psychology. One of the skills they teach is Heart Centered Listening. Imagine that your heart had ears. If you listen with your heart you will hear the depth of the message any person is trying to convey.

Want A Good Read?

As someone that visits the local library every Friday, and then Barnes & Noble every Sunday, I tend to read a lot. Many "self-help" books that I'm currently reading, are, well...a little dry.Sure, there full of information, but they don't deliver in a fun and personal way that your book, Funky to Fabulous does.

When I brought the bright pink, blue, yellow and green book home, my husband automatically thought it was another "Take time for yourself and have more fun!" books. But, you help us to find out who we are, you teaches us how to listen to our body, and you do it in a full-on, fun experience.I also had the wonderful opportunity to see you speak in person at the eWomen Network meeting in Irvine.

You were engaging, and had us up and out of our seats actually doing some of the practices.We felt that we had a coaching session by the end of your "talk" instead of just being talked at. Truly Fabulous!
Truly Fabulous!Rachel Pradhan

Motivational Speaker Named Award Winning Motivational Author

As a motivational speaker I was THRILLED that Funky to Fabulous has just been named one of the Top 10 Motivational Books of 2007.

Hot diggity dog!!! Cupcakes for everyone!! And $20,000 of shoes for Oprah so that she'll have me on the show.

The National Best Book Award was given to Funky to Fabulous as one of 8 finalists in the Motivational Self Help Category. This is HUGE since this category has the most entries. To put it into perspective...a little book called "The Secret: was the winner of the category.

Don’t Make The Same Old Mistakes..November is Goals Month

Don’t Make The Same Old Mistakes In 2008
How has this year gone so far? Is there a dream that you would like to give thanks for coming into your life this time next year? Contrary to most, I firmly believe that Thanksgiving is the best time to make your goals for next year. By New Years you are exhausted and guilty over all those glasses of eggnog and sugar cookies you ate.

When you look at your goals as to what would make you most grateful, you have a better shot at making it a heartfelt dream…instead of a internal obligation.

I just shot an episode of Making It!. In a previous show, Jack Canfield shared that even writing a goal down and putting it in a drawer gives you a 30 % better chance to achieve it. At my last birthday I wrote down – goals and put them in a dish. I looked at them once or twice during the year, more than half of them have become already become real.

Happiness? Stop Trying So Hard!

As a motivational speaker and coach, I have the good fortune to work with amazing people. Many of my clients have all the money they will ever need. The next illusive item I watch my clients and I chase is...happiness.

I noticed a trend. The more "high flying" a clients life, the more the "little stuff" bugged them. Today I saw my theory backed up with scientific research. The study by University of Virginia psychology professor Shigehiro Oishi and colleagues at three other institutions. They were looking at the relative happiness of Western Europeans versus those from Asia heritage.

Westerners tend to react more dramatically to negative events, and recover at a slower rate.

"We found that the more positive events a person has, the more they feel the effects of a negative event," Oishi said. "People seem to dwell on the negative thing when they have a large number of good events in their life.

So it seems that taking the good with the bad
Expecting your life to be HAPPY*HAPPY*HAPPY is a recipe for disappointment and a lower level of joy.

The Lesson of The Table

For the two yeeeeeeeeears I was dating my laptop and finishing my book, my biggest high was to sneak into Barnes & Noble. My heart would pound so hard that it was my B&N High. Instead of dreaming of kissing some hunky dude I salivated as I starred at the Self Improvement self imaging where my book might go.

What a crazy nut job. I'd never written a book. I'd never had a writing class. First time authors without a big publisher NEVER get onto the selves of a Big Book Store. I might as well have been on crack...which some store goers might have thought was the case.

Today, I was in that very same Barnes & Noble. My book wasn't on the shelf.
Nope. They had already sold out of the first batch.

They have sold so many copies that it was featured on the Self Improvement Table.

Funky to Fabulous was 2 books away from Oprah's new book. (And we all know what that means!) My book was there along with books that had changed my life. Louise Hay's, You Can Heal Your Life.

What does this mean to you...
Even if everyone in your life thinks your idea is ludicrous...keep at it.

Building After A Break Up

If you think your business isn't afffected by your personal life....you are NUTS! It is every woman's FUNKY TO FABULOUS. As a business coach, I am seeing how intertwined a clients personal and professional life is.

I went through a break up not too long ago...and want to share some Getting Over The Break Up tips

Mending a broken heart requires that you change habits. Recent scientific studies show that you need to change the neuro pathways in your brain in order to forget that past love- and redirect yourself toward your new life.


One Break Up Is Enough.
If it's over- it's over.
You make mending your broken heart tougher if you stay in contact.

Whatever you do- do NOT contact him.

Get Plenty of Vitamin G
Studies show that in times of stress women gain strength, comfort from the company of other women. Girl Time is so important that I call it Vitamin G. (lots of science to back this up!)

Call girlfriends and fill up 'couple time' with Vitamin G "Girl Time"

Alone time is the toughest time when you are mending. (It's natural to start thinking of Mr. Almost Right) Here are some Turnaround Techniques to use to stop from sliding into a pit

Mend Through Giving
Get busy-giving to others. Studies show that there is a "Helpers High" (with the same endorphin lift that runners get from exercise) that comes when you volunteer and help others less fortunate. Volunteering will help you:

• fill up with self esteem and be
  
• reminded of how valuable you are
  
• see that others have challenges bigger than yours
  
• have a more positive attitude
  

A Business Blunder...Grab The Wheel!

Imagine driving your car down the freeway-the wrong direction.

You wouldn't do it. Ever.

But, you probably did do that today when you talked to yourself or your team. It's staggering to see how often leaders deflate their teams. Negative focus creates negative results.

Ever time you have an interaction with a team member you are grabbing the steering wheel. If you are at a top level of managment, it's all the more important to direct your team toward the results you want.

Dr Kevin Money “Everyone experiences emotion at work so the challenge for employers is to get their people to think more positively and learn from what others do well. It is up to those at the top to create a positive culture where employees take time out to reflect and share experiences in terms of what is working well and why.” http://www.cipd.co.uk

A Small Business Blunder- and How To Fix It

As a motivational speaker and coach, my morning was already made before I had my first cup of coffee.

I am creating a new seminar: The 5 Top Small Business Blunders (and How to solve them). In our group coaching session this week, I gave the class a sneak peek.

Business Blunder : Being Spread Too Thin
Many small business owners are trying to be all things to all customers. Without focus your energy isn't concentrated to make a big impact. It's almost impossible to identify you key clients, and at the end of the day you and your bank account are drained.

FAB TIP: Pick A Lane.
Pick a market or category and Go for IT!
Case Study: I have an event planner as a coaching client. Within two weeks of implementing her Pick a Lane Plan had huge results. She decided to focus on weddings She met with OPRAH'S event planner. He loved her and her plan of focusing on weddings.

I just got an ecstatic email from her this morning. She is going to be featured in the premier wedding magazine in her city.

Making More Money- Are YOU Shooting Yourself In the Foot?

Working with a client yesterday, I saw the power of how attitude, goals and results converge.

It's important to set realistic goals. Often women feel hopeless becasue they never meet own internal expectations. If you aren't thin enough, rich enough or smart enough....welcome to the crowd.

I see clients flounder because the results they are chasing are unobtainable.

Turnaround Tip: Give Yourself A Break
If you think you can spend two hours a day at the gym five days a week (and never manage to make it), decide to go three days a week for an hour. When you accomplish a task (even something like feeding your cat) acknowledge yourself . The more frequently you appreciate yourself and others the greater attitude of gratitude you will have.

Turnaround Techniques Transform Technology Company

I’ve worked with you as a coaching client for a month. You are magical! My sales increase over 300% in our first month of coaching. I own a business into which I put a significant amount of money to launch and run. Business was soft this year. Month after month I was pulling from a home equity loan to keep the business going, plus my credit cards and other credit lines were maxed out. At the rate I was going, in three months I was going to lose my house and the business.

During our first coaching session we set several large goals. My work with you kept me focused in a way in which I was unable to do before. I un-volunteered from boards and committees, examined issues I would rather not have seen, and worked with my team to get results.

In one month of coaching with you we closed more business deals than in any month since I started the company six years ago.

With your help we are now on track to build the type and size company which I had initially set out to do. I can’t recommend your coaching highly enough!

Chole C.
President, Technology Industry
Los Angeles, Ca.

Relax Your Way to FABULOUS

You can go from Funky to Fabulous with out lifting a finger.

Contemplation or meditation is yet another way to unplug from your stress and access your inner FAB.

In a 2001 study at the University of Wisconsin, researchers used brain imaging to show that meditation shifts activity in the prefrontal cortex from the right hemisphere to the left. That translates to your being more enthusiastic, relaxed and happy. And that's pretty Fabulous.

FAB Tip: Take a FAB Break

1. Turn off your phone.
2. Close your eyes and observe your breathing.
3. If you are calmed by visual imagery, spend that time observing a flower or nature photo.
4. Had a long day? Lay down and relax every muscle in your body.

Everyone needs a little break once in a while. Healthy and Happy lives depend upon healthy and happy work environments.So go ahead, take a break!

13 “FAB” Tips To Go From Whiner To A Winner

1. Center Yourself.
Take in a deep breath. Let it out. Now, breathe in brilliance. Exhale out the burden. Do this three times so you feel more centered.

2. Ask for the Greatest Good.
As Mayor, take a moment and claim your office, and ask that your solutions be for the highest good for all.

3. Set Your Intention.
Set your intention to discover successful scenarios.

4. What Do You Want?
Take a moment to think of something fabulous you'd like to do, be, or have.

5. See It.
Let's say you want to double your income. Picture yourself enjoying the fun and freedom all that dough will give you.

6. Listen Up.
What goes on in your brain when you see yourself in those pictures? Do you hear all the reasons it won't happen? "It's impossible." "I can't make more money." "I got fired from my last job." "I'm not smart enough." Okey-dokey. Thank your Criticism Committee for showing up.

7. Make a Shift.
As Mayor, you are the one in charge of what you tell yourself. You can switch your self-talk.

8. Quick, a Pic.
Think of a way to make $1. Great. Now, think of an idea for making $100. Super. Now, think of an idea that will make $1,000. Excellent. Now, have a million-dollar idea. $1,000.000. Well done! (Every hairbrained concept counts!) Did you notice how you had different pictures for each?

9. Brainstorming.
Now, instruct your Mental Board to brainstorm solutions—how to manifest the picture of what you want. The best way to come up with a few really good ideas is to start with lots of ideas. They don't have to be good. They don't have to work. They don't even need to make a lot of sense. Just create a downpour of possibilities.

10. Write Them Down.
Jot down your Solution Solutions as they come to you (no editing or peeking from the Criticism Committee, please).

11. Review.
Once you have ten ideas (silly, stupid, and impossible ones count) reevaluate your list. Is there an approach you hadn't thought of? Is there a next step you can explore? Bravo! If not, that's fine too. You can keep playing the game to find the solution, instead of looking at the problem.

12. What You Focus on Grows.
Stay focused on what you want more of and how you can create it.

13. Thank Yourself.
Thank yourself for making a choice to discover the power of positive focus.

Funky to Fabulous

"Funky to Fabulous is really well done.

It reads as if you are speaking to me - I completely hear it as a present conversation with a girlfriend which makes it flow, easy to read and fun while providing very sensible and time-realistic exercises for deep issues/transformations. It also really does work as a "just turn to the page" guide for right now results (rather than having to read front to back to get a full message). There are exercises that I keep going back to and I love that I can use your book that way - get right to the point with clear step-by-step resolutions - and these exercises always call me straight back into the truth of fullness. Gotta love instant results! "


The book also captures your enthusiastic energy and your fabulous imagination for co-creation.
Angela B., Seattle Washington