OneSharpSword

Here’s a man who has been on stage in one of the most famous productions in the world and you’ve probably never noticed him. And that’s the point. No, he’s not some ninja or a camouflaged stage hand.    Antuan Magic Raimone is a Universal Swing, a dancer that can play the part of any of the dancers in any of the productions across the country. He’s been in In The Heights and he was among...

Based on my blog which got A LOT of great response, here are some key points to keep in mind as you watch/listen to this episode -  It’s not only exhausting, it’s ridiculous to want to be liked by everyone.   It’s important to be who you are, authentically. Trying to be something you’re not for the sake of trying to fit in is exhausting and delays the emergence of the real you.   Wi...

Two race cars are finely tuned, side by side, they’re efficient and they are at the starting line. One has been racing for days on end and has approached the starting line low on fuel. The other has been pulled off the track, tuned up, fueled up, and has been readied for the new race. Both are efficient. Only one will be effective.   You can burn the energy you have at an efficient pace, and...

March 1st was my mom’s birthday. She passed away 16 years ago. And, I miss her. Today I wanted to honor her by talking about some of the lessons I got from her while growing up. Pretty simply, they are: Be Kind - it doesn’t take much to just be a good human. Don’t say anything that’ll make waves just for the sake of making waves. On the other hand, don’t hold things in, either. My mom did hold thi...

We tell ourselves and others to make “good” choices, but we really don’t know whether a choice is good or bad until we see what the outcome is. You might be thinking that of course there are good and bad choices. The reality is that a decision or choice is just that. It’s a decision. It’s neither good nor bad. The outcome is what we judge and even that isn’t good or bad. The question is, will head...

Jennifer Kem grew up in the plantation town of Wailea, HI. As the young descendent of Filipino immigrants, she was a studious introvert. Her grandmother, a great influence, had her reading the business section of the newspaper, giving her a very important lesson early on: “You can think beyond what’s around you.”   Jen generously shares her story, taking us from childhood, through her MBA at...

We sure do talk to ourselves an awful lot, don’t we? For everything we do, all the chatter we allow, everything we eat, all of the relationships we engage in, ask this simple question: Is This Love?  You’re worthy of giving and receiving love. You are worthy of filtering out of your life anything that doesn’t feel like love - from the clothes you wear to the food you eat to the self-talk you...

Most people know Chase Tucker as the soft-spoken beast who does treadmill and strength training on Peloton. He’s so much more than that! Born from parents who struggled to make a life here, Chase recognizes a responsibility from his legacy. His mom was moved here from Haiti when she was four years old. And though she didn’t speak English and was ridiculed while growing up, she became a pediatricia...

“How much worse could it get?” I hear people ask that question as if it’s a cosmic challenge. And the Universe says, “here, hold my beer!”   We can see the bad all over the place in the world. We can get sucked into the bad, horrible news.  We could choose worse.   OR    You could choose to be a beacon of light in the darkness knowing that any amount of feeling bad for wha...

You’ve got goals, that’s great. And, from the last podcast, you know I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions.   I am a fan of goals, though. And I’m a fan of micro-goals. Moving toward your Desired Outcome (or what I call your EPO - Envisioned Positive Outcome) a little every day.   Here’s how to make that happen - it’s the same way that you’d set a GPS! You have to know where you’re...

Resolutions don’t stick for three key reasons You have to give something up It’s hard; being consistent is hard Doubt creeps in and you wonder whether it’ll all be worth it. It’s a waste of imagination as you might as easily imagine it being worth it beyond your wildest dreams.   So, what to do instead?    Pick a word - what word will you live into, incrementally, every day? Health...

Happy New Year!   You have a choice - to get through another day, month, quarter, and year. Or, to choose to grow and lift those around you every single day.    How do you want to start your day? How do you want to end each day?    Are you just getting through, living in fear and lack? Or can you step into your day, knowing you’re making a difference and embracing growth a...

Sarah is an actor and playwright out of New York, who started acting and dancing when she was nine years old, performing her whole life.  In the past decade, she’s written four plays.   Sarah is compelled to write and then gives herself freedom to write simply with her message in mind.  She notes that her belief in herself, without the attachment to outcome, is part of what’s made h...

Felicia teaches us that the dash between the dates of birth and death is what we need to celebrate.    As an events planner and after seeing that funeral homes were simply templated, Felicia wanted to find a way to personalize each person’s life celebration.  In normalizing death as a part of life, she discovered the Death Positive Movement.   There are so many ways to celebrat...

The holidays can be stressful. Here are five M-A-G-I-C tips for successfully managing any gathering, whether it's with family at the holidays or a team meeting. Learn more https://waynepernell.com/ Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www. WaynePernell.com/blog    

What does the guy who used to be known as The Get-It-Done-Guy who happens to be an MIT engineer and Harvard MBA have to teach us about becoming extraordinary?  A lot, naturally.   Stever Robbins was raised in a travelling commune. With such a different background, his approach to life, politics, and economics gives us a perspective worth pondering.     Stever and I couldn’...

What does the guy who used to be known as The Get-It-Done-Guy who happens to be an MIT engineer and Harvard MBA have to teach us about becoming extraordinary?  A lot, naturally.   Stever Robbins was raised in a travelling commune. With such a different background, his approach to life, politics, and economics gives us a perspective worth pondering.     Stever and I couldn’...

Rob Thomas is a networking hero - he teaches people how to make connections work. It’s a lost art and he’s got it.   The son of old-school communications parents, he learned the importance of crafting the way we engage. His commitment and integrity shine through as examples for any of us.   From the old-style fax toner salesman to the instructor he is now, he says, “don’t be that guy who...

What can being punched in the face teach you about leadership? From Vice-Champion fighter to success coach, Nico Veressen has taken some blows. And as someone used to winning, he knows how to dish it out, too.   Raised in Belgium and now living in Portugal, Nico says he was shy at 14 and that’s when he knew he wanted to get into competitive fighting. After winning his way up the ranks in cham...

Carolyn has almost two decades of business coaching coming from her experience in the corporate world and trying things out - what works and what doesn’t.  She says she’s been a bit of a risk taker, and the lesson here is to bet on yourself! Carolyn continues, noting that her strategy was based on the mistakes she’s made. So just know that you’ll make make your own mistakes and keep moving fo...

From high-school english teacher to broadway producer to founder of Small Pond Enterprises, Michael Roderick shares his amazing insights on How To Create A Referrable Brand!    Great lessons from this beautiful soul today include (and I’m paraphrasing what he actually said):  When an opportunity that matches your dreams arises, don’t hold back. Step into it. That’s how he met Broadw...

Working at 14, but forbidden from going to college… from drilling in a warehouse to becoming a fashion executive - What A Story!   Jill says that she just tried things. She took on the family label for her - Firecracker - and forged into the world.  Drawing on courage and tenacity, Jill embraced the New. And we can all learn from her.   She saw beyond the tradition of the industry a...

SUCH GREAT GEMS on this show!  Marisa, from actress (and waitress) to educational psychologist and organizational change agent, she brings us concepts so useful in our everyday lives.    What a delight to find someone so aligned in our thinking yet so different in our world paths!   Marisa approaches the world and her clients, not from a place of “what’s wrong?” but from a plac...

You are powerful. Noone else has had the experiences you’ve had. Noone else has lived your life.    Here’s the bottom line on this - you get to choose how you approach others. What comes out of you can serve to lift them. And in terms of the M-A-G-I-C formula, the “I” stands for Inspiration.   When you inspire someone else to act or even to think differently, you’ve demonstrated you...

It is SO easy to complain about all of the things going on and going wrong with the world right now. And that complaining does what?   It lowers your ability to be aware of, or receptive to, opportunities that may be right in front of you. Complaining might make you feel better… for a moment. And then, it’s almost like you have to do it again.   Instead, there’s another way to approach t...