Morning Coffee and Mimosas

Innovation can be described as “the creation, development, and implementation of a new product, process or service, with the aim of improving efficiency, effectiveness or competitive advantage.” People have innovative thoughts all day long as they go through their routine activities. Joe’s work in consulting and process improvement has shown that almost every employee has an idea for a “better way...

How many of you feel guilty when you take time to do nothing? Sounds silly, but Leisure time, relaxation, even just doing nothing, is important. Equally important is making sure the way you are spending that precious downtime is truly recharging your batteries.  In this episode, we take a look at Leisure time and share some of the ways we like to relax. We also dig into ways that downtime can drai...

Selling, like dating, takes insight, intuition, and discretion to know when a prospect is interested. Will they return my calls? Are they telling me the truth? Have they been open about their selection process? Do they seem willing to take the next step? Are they leading you on?  Further complicating this is the type of opportunity…is it an RFP, or a query from your company’s website, or a cold ca...

Human beings are naturally social creatures. Being in a business setting doesn’t change that. Good relationships with colleagues will make our jobs more enjoyable. In the episode, we interview Martina Davitkova of Coconut Software. Martina discusses the topic of Professional Relationships. As you listen, you’ll notice her genuineness and sincerity. Martina reveals these traits and gives you the to...

Joe certainly has his phobias! You’ll hear him talk about them while Cristina also shares one of hers. As usual, Cristina’s phobia has some merit. But Joe’s? So what’s the difference between a fear and a phobia?  Fear is a natural emotion that protects people from harm when they face real danger. A phobia is an excessive fear or anxiety, out of proportion to the actual danger they might present. I...

A visit with Your Advocate Alliance (YAA)- Entrepreneurship, fatherly wisdom, and auto advice  Join us this week as we visit with Ray and Zach Shefska, founders of Your Advocate Alliance (YAA), a father-son duo that is revolutionizing the auto industry as advocates for everyday consumers through the car buying process.  They are a pair that inspired us as we began our father-daughter journey with...

The best leaders are masters at delegation. They know how to empower their teams to get work done. Delegating isn’t just giving work to others. It’s also creating an environment where employees are proud of their work and can call it their own.  Delegating is giving the right work to the right people. It’s about sharing a task  and  decision-making responsibilities. This results in increased commi...

Are You Listening to Me?  How many times has someone said that to you? How many times have you said that to someone? Listening is something so important, yet so easy to NOT do.  But why? Seems like an easy thing to do, but in actuality, listening takes work, and it takes paying attention. Good listening skills make YOU more compelling! Your value to others increases, you’ll notice fewer misunderst...

In the world today- the majority of communication is written. What you put in an email or text is forever. Don’t let poorly written or improperly crafted emails or texts embarrass you or tarnish your image.   Writing clear, concise, and well-constructed messages is critical for you to be understood and viewed as the professional you are. At any point in your career, or in everyday life, being an e...

Communication is by far one of the most valuable skills in any person’s toolkit. At any point in your career, or in everyday life, being an effective communicator is key to your success.  Do you want to communicate better? In this episode we break down three concepts that will help you become a more effective and influential communicator, thus greatly improving your work and personal relationships...

The purpose of communicating is so everyone involved understands the information. That sounds simple enough. But is it really? Miscommunication happens so frequently causing challenges in all aspects of business and personal life.  For everyone involved to be able to understand what has been communicated, we need to communicate in a way that is simple, straightforward, and targeted to the audience...

Having self-confidence is an attitude and mindset about your skills and capabilities. Your goals and dreams are limited unnecessarily when we limit or diminish our own abilities. It’s easy to lose confidence if you don’t believe in yourself. That’s why it’s important to build self-confidence and self-esteem. Self-confidence means trusting in your abilities, capabilities, and decision-making. Self-...

What motivates you to buy a certain product or choose a specific brand? Do you often purchase the least expensive item or will you pay more when there is a lower-cost alternative? Why? It’s useful to think about our own behaviors as consumers to better understand the motivations of the buyers of your products or services. This past week, Joe had such an amazing experience with Weber Grill’s custom...

A Little Known Message from the Past Contains your Success Secret for today and the future.  In this episode, Joe shares a story from 1889. (No, Joe was NOT born in 1889!) This story from the past expresses the timeless value individual initiative plays in accomplishing the tasks and responsibilities placed in front of us. The concept of individual initiative is worth exploring. When tasked with a...

We are all bombarded daily with calls, texts, emails, work, and family responsibilities. No wonder it’s so easy to have an entire day go by with nothing of importance accomplished. Just thinking about these daily distractions can make your head spin! What if you were able to adopt an easy practice to make each day YOUR day, and not be pushed around by other people's priorities? In this episode...

If you find yourself working hard with lots to do, yet little fulfillment, maybe it’s time to step back and ponder the following quote by Billionaire investor Warren Buffett:  ”The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything." A personal mission statement will help you decide when to say no. It points you in the...

Giving back. What does this mean to you, or for you? There’s no doubt that volunteering your time, giving back to others, has benefits that far exceed the obvious. But what are some of these benefits? What can we glean from some of those who have chosen to make “giving back” part of the fabric of their lives, and the lives of their families? We recently spent time with our community’s Rotary Club....

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, all those celebrating the father figures in their lives or missing a father. Fathers are ordinary men, given superhuman strength at different times when raising children. In this episode, we talk about the many seasons of fatherhood. Joe and Cristina reminisce, illustrating the way their relationship has evolved through the years.  We explore how peopl...

Opportunity costs can be easily overlooked, even missed entirely. That’s why awareness of this concept is so important. Does Joe install an appliance himself to save money or record this podcast? Does Cristina clean her house, or plan a strategy that wins new business? The challenge is to make these decisions with data and critical thought, rather than on autopilot. In this episode, we dig into th...

Is it really possible to be caught up? Is being caught up even something desirable? We all have so many tasks, responsibilities, and obligations. Just thinking about them can be overwhelming. And guess what? They’re not going away. Every day brings routine tasks that have to be done, responsibilities and obligations to be met. The issue isn’t can we ever be caught up. The issue is to think about t...

Have you ever struggled with a challenge, or perhaps can’t figure out how to say something? Then, when you least expect it, the answer amazingly comes to you, or the words just start flowing? That’s what this episode is about. Those are Eureka moments.  Eureka moments are one of life’s little pleasures. We struggle, ponder…get stressed, only to have that flash of brilliance! In this episode, we di...

Experts are everywhere these days. There is much to learn from them, but we must also be careful. It’s easy to feel inferior or believe their methods are the best methods, to be followed to the letter. In this episode, we put this into perspective. Join us as we banter about a healthy appetite for the opinion of experts and laugh our way to a whole new perspective. A perspective that will motivate...

We hear stories every day as we go through life...have you ever wondered how many of those stories are true?  In this episode, we reveal a family secret that Joe discovered and what it taught us about the stories we’ve accepted as truth for years and the reasons why they are told.  Join us to challenge your own thinking and the preconceived notions you’ve likely carried for years.  Here is the lin...

What is an invisible wall...or the recently popularized term “Imposter Syndrome?”   If you’ve ever doubted your abilities or felt like a fraud, you’re not alone.   In this episode, Cristina and Joe dig into their own invisible walls; their potentially self-limiting self-talk, and the importance of learning to quiet your inner critic. This negative self-talk can hold you back from success and fulfi...

What is the cost of a bad attitude? Bad attitudes disrupt organizations, families, and friendships. A persistent bad attitude can ruin careers, marriages, and relationships of all kinds.  We’ve all had a bad attitude at different points in our lives. What causes YOUR mood to turn sour? Is it possible to be aware of our attitude and change before we cause hurt or damage our careers and those around...