We arrived at 7:30 am, as planned, and things were just getting started. We found Deborah and she walked us down the hill to the big barn where the cows were still in their stalls.. Alex greeted us as he put away the portable milking device. We then turned our heads to see the small […]
Starting Out
What’s Your Passion? Lessons from a Roman Cheesemaker (Part One)
Deborah raced the tiny truck down the hair-pinned, rocky switchbacks with total confidence and passion. We’re on a mountainside that’s heavily treed and it’s raining. Deborah, our young, cute, tattooed driver is purposely hitting the bigger puddles so that we experience more of a water rollercoaster ride, each time loudly saying, “Scusami!” – Italian for […]
Linking Our Thinking: How Shifting Our Thoughts Connects Us with Others
On our hut-to-hut trip through the Dolomites of Italy, Reka and I befriended a couple from Scotland. Jasmine is a teacher and her husband, Ioan, is a professor. Ioan is a Welsh name for John and one that I struggled with pronouncing correctly. The primary reason I enjoyed his company so much wasn’t because we […]
Inclusion: How Engaging with the Unengaged Elevates Your Success
While resting at a beautiful hut perched high in the Dolomite Mountains, Reka and I shared a table with an older Italian couple that spoke no English and a German mom (about our age) with her 30-year-old deaf daughter. I know a handful (no pun intended) of American Sign Language from my sister, who teaches […]
Why Virtual Peer Accountability Groups Work
Virtual peer group coaching works. We have been running a beta test for almost 18 months with peer-based accountability groups, Pro-circles. These groups consist of up to seven participants, a facilitator/coach and in some cases, a scribe. These meetings are run through a cloud-based video conference solution and range from industry specific, general, mid-level management […]
The Lens of Life: Adjusting Your Focus to a Positive
“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.” – Arthur Conan Doyle A three-year-old girl sat in the middle of the trail trying to put on her shoe. She was making a very determined face and was, undoubtedly, going to get it done. A man with […]