Shifting gears for today's post. 

I usually write about business communication.

Since most of us in the US won’t be working on Thanksgiving, we’ll have to communicate with relatives and friends.

Damn, it may be easier to go to work!

Here are 15 quick tips to help make your day festive and enjoyable.

Bookmark this post, as it will come in handy for the entire holiday season!

1. Forget previous holidays, discussions, disagreements, and conversations. Go in with a clean slate and an open mind that you will have a fabulous and relaxing day.

2. Close your mouth. Not every comment or question requires an answer. Silence and a smile are powerful. In other words, bite your tongue. This leads me to…

3. Use the phrase, “Isn’t that interesting?” If Uncle GrouchAF drops some off-color remarks, recite these three magical words. “Isn’t that interesting?” neutralizes most conversations. This phrase...

Building rapport with others—whether it’s in person or online—takes practice. Much of it is intuitive. 

Rapport is about creating a bond, link, connection, and understanding. 

The goal is to connect and engage people so that they are thinking, feeling, reacting, and involved.

Humans crave connection and want to be understood.  

Rapport building is an art and skill in communication that’s used daily in all our relationships.

Here are 10 tips to connect and build rapport with others: 

1. Act approachable. When mingling face-to-face, be aware of how you move and behave. Notice how confident and easy-going folks network. Use body language and gestures that are inviting. When you’re online, have a welcoming and intriguing profile or video. Smile in your profile picture; it matters! 

2. Ask good questions. People love to talk about themselves so develop your listening skills and curiosity. Learn how to ask powerful questions and...

I am LOVING my amazing client who brought in more money in Q4 of 2021 than all 3 previous quarters combined! 

Yep, John Woods beat a big competitor in the employee health benefits field.

The contract was worth $61,000.

 Here's the kicker: John had his best year—during the Pandemic! (Most of my other clients have as well )

 How did this banner year happen when John's marketing was inconsistent and paid ads didn't convert?  

 John says the results **finally** showed up…WHEN HE SHOWED UP, for himself. He made a commitment to private coaching with me. 

 And I immediately nailed John's real issue.

 It had ZILCH to do with marketing. 

 John had to clear out the blocks around his internal story and self-worth.

 John had never heard this from other coaches or consultants. 

He had to love his story --and himself--so decision-makers could appreciate his value and approach--and hire him. 

  Bottom line: If...

I am busting at the seams with excitement and pride.

I am now the CEO of my 21-year-old communications company.

On Monday, I woke up as the founder of Get in Front Communications.

By 11 AM, I stopped everything and decided to give myself a long-overdue promotion to CEO.

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It took years of me doing the same freakin’ thing…over and over…and expecting different results. (I know…it’s called madness.)

And as the hamster wheel began spinning on Monday, I made a decision. I DECIDED that this is not how a successful CEO operates day-to-day.

I’m getting real here so hold onto your hats.

And please, no judgment. “We teach what we need to learn,” said Jane Fonda.

You see, I’ve spent the past few months searching for the “right” Virtual Assistant.

That's fine, but not at the same time as a...

I don’t need International Women’s Day (#IWD2021) to recall one of the women who has had a profound impact on my life.

She passed away in 1994, yet to this day, I talk about and think about her. Every. Single. Day. 

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Her name was Nettie Freeman. My sisters and I called her "Mama." She was our maternal grandmother. 

Mama was born in 1899 in Brooklyn, New York. She was married for 63 years (to the same man), had three children and nine grandchildren. She lived to see 12 of her 21 great-grandchildren. She died at the age of 95.

How would Mama, who had a high school diploma and never worked outside the home, be an inspiration for International Women’s Day?

• Mama had never been on an airplane.
• She never lived anywhere except New York, and a short time in New Jersey.
• So what could Mama have taught me about business and my career in the 31...

Leaders are not supposed to know everything.

Plain and simple.

People everywhere—whether they are entrepreneurs, stay-at-home parents or retired—most often succeed when they are willing to ask for help.

They are smart about their strengths and weaknesses. 

{Untangle Your Words and Share Your Story. Learn the Story Magnets Method. Save Now for New Class- Starts Jan. 4th! Click Here for Details!} 

Like many entrepreneurs, I used to think that asking for help or admitting you don’t know something was a sign of weakness. But a few years into my entrepreneurial journey, I began thinking about delegation as a sign of humility; of being a human being. 

You just can't know everything.

No one does. And no one ever will.

Leaders appreciate and respect what they know—and don’t know.

They don’t see themselves as incompetent. They take a different approach by knowing they don't have to know everything.

Instead, successful folks look for people...

Business cards aren’t going out of style anytime soon, but there is one serious misuse of these calling cards that I want to share with you.

I recently went to a networking event with about 300 people. A client had invited me and then got stuck downtown at jury duty. With the delay—and rush hour traffic—she didn’t make it. Did I run back to my car and say, “Oh well…” No.

Even though I didn’t know anyone, I stayed,  mingled and watched.

And I remembered a lesson from many years ago about business cards: Don’t give anyone your card unless they ask for it.

Why?

It’s a waste of our collective time –and paper. I’ll bet most business cards given without being requested land in a:

• Car
• Desk drawer
• Purse
• Jacket pocket—and then the garbage

When we take a few minutes to connect human-to-human with a meaningful conversation and rapport, we can then decide to hand over a card. Not everyone will be a good fit...