Impact of StumbleUpon

Pretty cool visual of impact StumbleUpon makes. Check it out! Click on the image to take you to StumbleUpon and see the full size image.

Where Will You Be?

Two hunters decided to go on their annual Alaskan moose hunt. So they hired a pilot to take them deep into the far northern tundra wilderness and drop them off.

They had a successful hunt, each bagging a huge full-antlered moose bull.

As per the arrangement... the pilot came back to pick them up. He took one look at the huge moose and told the hunters, "I'm sorry, we will have to leave one of the moose behind. We wouldn't be able to make it back with that much weight."

But the hunters argued with the pilot, "That can't be! Last year we had the same plane model and weight capacity and the pilot had no problem getting our moose on the plane." Relentless as they were... eventually the pilot gave in and agreed to take both moose back.

The plane managed to take off, but it wasn't before long into the flight, as predicted by the pilot, that the plane started to experience trouble and eventually crashed in the wilderness.

The pilot was killed... but both hunters managed to survive and crawl out of the wreckage. One hunter asked the other, "Do you have any idea where we are?"

The other answered, "Yeah... it looks like the same place we crashed last year!"

Two questions for YOU dear reader ...

Where were you a year ago?

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY...

Where will you be a year from now?

It's your white room (translated: life)... Make it remarkable!

It's Not That Big of a Deal

It's not that big of a deal that we ran out of toys with the kids' meals at our fast food establishment (where we are "king"... not you)...

It's not that big of a deal that we advertise that you would receive a free "Go Green" reusable shopping bag, valued at ninety-nine cents when you buy two bottles of water (three times the amount) at our pharmaceutical big name chain store... and we were out...

It's not that big of a deal that the sticker price marked on the shoes you were going to buy was wrong and half the price of the actual amount...

It's not that big of a deal that we don't serve butter with our bread before the expensive meal you are going to eat and purchase at our five star dining restaurant...

Really?

It WAS a big deal to my kids who convinced us (mom and dad) to eat at this fast food (ugh!) establishment... and were disappointed because they didn't get the advertised toys that came with their kids' meal. The server however did find some old toys from meals gone by... way by!

It WAS a big deal to my daughter who is trying to "Go Green" and convinced me to buy the more expensive water to get the reusable shopping bag. It wasn't the ninety-nine cent value of the bag (well... partly)... it was a big deal because she didn't get her free bag, and I had to ask for it at the register, and the cashier had to call the manager, and I was holding up the line while the manager went to the location where I picked up the waters to verify my story (I was a liar until then), and he came back to tell me they ran out of those a long time ago... and yet when I exited the store... he still left the promotional sign up.

It WAS a big deal to my son who really wanted the shoes only to have the cashier who was scraping off the sticker (what I like to call "evidence") with her fingernail while she was explaining to us that the price on the box was wrong and having a customer behind me telling me, "Hey... it's still a good price at the original price (I'm sorry...are you my financial advisor?)"...

It WAS a big deal to have to ask for a dollop of butter, less than the size of a ping-pong ball, with my bread even though I'm dropping enough money on a meal that could have easily fed an entire family (it was a special occasion).

Next time you think something's not that big of a deal... whether in business or in life... think again!

Hey it's YOUR white room (translated: Life)... make it remarkable (because it IS a big deal!).

Think Before You Speak

On the golf course... I oftentimes hear friends offer advice like, "Ok... let's see a good swing on this one." Or when it comes to putting, "Make sure you get it to the hole."

My question is... "What do those statements actually mean?"

Is this their way of telling me I've been swinging bad the whole time? Perhaps intentionally? Because by them telling me to make a good swing... either I've always had the capability of making good swings and I just forgot.. and therefore I am indebted to them for reminding me... OR... I simply have been choosing NOT to make good swings, in which case they should mind their own business! For that matter... what IS a good swing?

And the statement, "Make sure you get it to the hole?" Seriously? I appreciate the tip, but that's kinda what I try to do every time I play golf... get it in the hole. For those of you reading this post who have only played miniature golf... did anyone have to tell you that the object of the game was to get the ball in the hole? I mean... when you first played golf... any type of golf... did you try to AVOID getting the ball in the hole?

These are just nonsense statements that really say nothing. It's no difference in business and life. Vague statements oftentimes lead to challenges that could have been avoided. Like the manager who wants the report by end of week. Does that mean by Friday morning... afternoon... evening? Is it okay for the co-worker to get the report in one minute before the office closes for the weekend? Or for that matter... is Saturday the end of the week?

Or... the marketing director who email blasts everyone in the database... "Great food at a Great Price!" As opposed to... average food at an average price? Her competitors say the same thing about their food. And how does she know that the $10 burger is a good price for me... considering I can go to a fast food restaurant and eat for under seven bucks! Including drink and fries... which costs extra at her place.

And there's just not enough space (or readers' attention spans)... to go through all of the vague/nonsense statements made in relationships, or in resumes (I'm a hard worker... Huh?), or religions, customer service, or schools, or... or... well... anywhere.

Moms and dads have tried to tell us...(although I didn't admit it back then):

"Think... before you speak."

Hey... It's YOUR white room. Make it remarkable! (Whatever "remarkable" means!)

Leadership Lessons from the Lesson Tee... Twitter style! - Part Two

I hope you enjoyed the last post... Here are a few more "tweets" about leadership, life and golf... just for you. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter if you don't already. Just go to Twitter and look for @HollywoodTheo and/or @CreateGolfers. 


And if you're looking for some golf tips that will help you with your golf game... visit my golf blog by clicking www.creategolfers.com. While there... why not sign up to receive my blog posts directly to your email box? It's free... and you might just shave those last few strokes off your game!


Enjoy!


Oh yeah... I almost forgot. It's your white room. Make it remarkable! FORE!!!


@HollywoodTheo: As a golf instructor & businessman, I'm not selling golf swings, I'm selling enjoyment, pleasure, dreams (of that epic round!). Pretty Cool!

Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: As a golf instructor & businessman, I know that my students have high expectations. My teaching therefore is an art. It's emotional.
Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: As a golf instructor and business man... I have the privilege of getting my students involved with their whole body and all of their senses.
Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: From my experience as a golf pro and businessman, INSPIRED students/guests/customers/etc... are the first voice in "word of mouth."
Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: As golf instructor and businessman, working with my students and learning to think and feel as they do, is what makes me successful.
Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: #leadership When on the golf lesson tee with a student... it's not so much what I say, it's how I say it. How does your company say, "it?"
Shared via Tweetcaster

Leadership Lessons from the Lesson Tee... Twitter style!

I've been teaching golf now for nearly 18 years. 18 YEARS!! WOW! And though I do many other things (I'm also a writer, leadership/guest service consultant, speaker, etc...), teaching is still close to my heart. I mean who wouldn't love it? I get to meet people from all over the world! I have the privilege of teaching at a world class facility (Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge, Winter Garden, Florida). And I get paid!!

Many people think I'm "just" a golf instructor... however... I'm much, much more. True, I teach golf. But... I'm also a marketing director, salesperson, bookkeeper, businessman, CEO, President, guest service director, personal development coach, manager, scheduler, psychologist, golfer, human resource director, change agent, artist, videographer, student, etc... WOW!

So being a golf coach or golf instructor... is only one of the many titles I wear. I do and am so much more!

Some of you may have found my blog through Twitter... (If you don't follow me on Twitter... please do so. Either at: @HollywoodTheo or @CreateGolfers) And if you do... then you know that I love tweeting about golf, life and business. I think they're all connected. Here are some of my tweets. Enjoy! More to follow on my next post!

@HollywoodTheo: #branding As a golf instructor... I don't own my brand. My student's do. It's what they say about me that counts... not what I say about me.
Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: Teaching is complex. It involves guiding students from their rational way of doing things, 2 an irrational belief of trusting something new.
Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: #leadership As a golf coach, I try to create stories for my students. Their stories. Their best score. Their hole-in-one. Their long drive.
Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: Y pick me ovr 27000 other golf pros? I "guide (not direct)" people 2 explore, discover, learn, & perform. It's an experience, not a golf lesson
Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: As a golf and business coach... I try to solve problems while creating opportunities. What does your company do?
Shared via Tweetcaster

@HollywoodTheo: As golf instructor and businessman, I need to be authentic and relevant.

Shared via Tweetcaster


Hey... It's your white room (translated:life). Make it Remarkable!

Failing to Succeed

In 1979, Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox, became the fifteenth player to reach the three thousand hit mark. About a week prior to this monumental event, a reporter asked, "Hey Yaz, aren't you afraid all of this attention will go to your head?"


Yastrzemski replied, "I look at it this way. In my career, I've been up to bat over ten thousand times. That means I've been unsuccessful at the plate over seven thousand times. That fact alone keeps me from getting a swollen head."


That means... on average... out of 10 attempts... Yaz got a hit three times. Which in baseball is a .300 batting average and is considered great!


Oh.... but here's how we grade our kids in most schools. On a ten question test...


All correct answers... 100%... Grade: A
Nine correct answers... 90%... Grade A
Eight correct answers... 80%... Grade B
Seven correct answers... 70%... Grade C
Six correct answers... 60%... Grade D
Five correct answers... 50%... Grade Fail!
Four correct answers... 40%... Grade Fail!
Three correct answers... 30%... Grade Fail! (Three hits out of 10! Sorry Yaz! You're a failure!)


I know, I know... we have to grade based on what's being taught to see if the student retains...
But it's not so much the grades. It's... well... with this type of "learning system," no wonder as adults we're afraid of trying something new. It's because we've been conditioned to avoid failure!


I mean... fail the test and you may have to take it over again... OR repeat the same grade again OR not graduate!
I mean... fail the test and you might be considered "dumb," "stupid" or with some type of learning disability.
I mean... fail the test and there's the whole embarrassment thing from your "smarter" peers that comes along with the grade.
I mean... fail the test and you can't get into a "good" school.
I mean... fail the test and you may not be able to find a "good" job.
I mean... fail the test and you feel the heavy burden of disappointment heaped on you from your parents or significant other.


It doesn't stop at school does it? It continues on in life, at work, in your home, with your finances, with your relationships, etc...


How about you? Will you risk "failure" to "succeed?"


As Woody Allen says, "If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not trying anything very innovative."


Hey… it’s your white room (translated: life). Make it remarkable!