We all need a door opener or conversation starter. To the casual eye she’s blonde, short and doesn’t talk a lot. Sally, my Cairn Terrier, has opened more doors and started more conversations than a number of my human companions. I’ve been invited to meals, gotten jobs, even met local celebrities. Well, that last one […]
As a networker and random conversationalist, I have a tendency to observe people in hopes of engaging them in conversation. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Enter Rita. Or “Random Rita” as I’ve started to refer to her. She was the woman at Starbucks one morning. The barista called out her name, Rita, when her
This is my bicycle. It is a simple conveyance. It takes me from here to there, sometimes with lots of speed. It has special components, a lightweight frame and special handlebars and a computer. It is a fast machine. I learned to ride fast with fast people on my bicycle. From pacelines to drafting to
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(This post is a day late because when you put 25,000 guests into towns with populations of 900 to 4000 the cell service can’t keep up!) Charles City To West Union. Sixty-three-plus miles. On the road by 6:15 am and into the last overnight town at about 3:30 pm. A bit slower as we stopped
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We are up to Day 5 at RAGBRAI. I never thought I’d think of a 48-mile ride as a cool down ride. But it worked after yesterday’s century. Mason City to Charles City, a pretty little burg on a river. A beautiful bridge to walk and ride over to and from the campground. Out at
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If you are a LinkedIn user, chances are it’s happened to you: that kind, “personalized” message that shows up in your in box asking to connect. I call it the blind outreach. I chronicled it on a Networking Tip. A man I had never met in a geographic area I couldn’t identify, asked me to
It was her first time out to a public event. Sure, Harry had been many times but not Sally. My new, very young (4 months old) Cairn Terrier pup was going to be a part of our Fourth of July celebration in Downtown Dallas. Little did I know that it would become a feel-good story
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It’s a small act of kindness. One of those things we don’t always do and take for granted–that someone else will do it for you. Always tip the band. Last year, I dated a remarkable woman who had many talents, most of all being gracious and kind. Besides looking out for a long-retired World War
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Listen with curiosity, speak with honesty, act with integrity. This #powernetworking tweet had its origins in a quote I had read the day before. Roy Bennett is an author and writer who specializes in positive prose. I heard this right before I was set to spend a day helping my client, Claire Billingsley, tape her
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It’s a question I ask myself quite often. Especially when I get to procrastinating about doing some task or project. “What the hell else are you doing?” It’s a good question. My youngest son got it recently when he called to discuss a project he was considering taking on. Well, I almost got to ask
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