Will Life Imitate Art?: TV NFL Player Comes “Out”

I have long believed life imitates art.  Leonardo da Vinci conceptualized a helicopter and a tank centuries before they were “invented.”  The pioneering submarine designer, Simon Lake, credited his inspiration to Jules Verne’s science fiction story, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”  It seems to me if we humans can envision it, it can happen and…

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Trusting Manti Te'o

It’s a matter of trust. Whether you’re talking about exceptional customer service, loyalty as a leader, or Manti Te’o’s place in the NFL Draft, it’s a matter of trust. In my speech and course entitled “Whom Do You Trust?” I tell my entrepreneurial and corporate audiences that word of mouth can make or break you…

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New Year's Resolutions from the Playoffs

My favorite time of year: NFL Playoffs! They delivered as usual: dramatic plays and touching moments. After last year’s playoffs, I wrote a blog with three lessons from the playoffs for us in the real work world. This year, there were three more lessons, which are my New Year’s Resolutions. 1. Shake off the bad…

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Beware the Trap Game

We have come to the last weeks of the NFL season . . .already . . .sigh.  It’s a short season to me, and now it’s time for the teams to really show what they are made of.  Playoffs are in the air, and subjects such as “momentum” and “trap games” are in the discussion. …

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Change? Deal With It!

So they are renovating my apartment building in Marina del Rey, and they made everyone move out.  I’ve lived there for 10 years and would have stayed forever—the view was killer.  I know “moving” is 100 points on the Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale, right up there with the death of a family member and the birth…

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NFL RedZone Scores Big? Not For Me.

Direct TV has a paid channel called NFL RedZone. A recent article in the LA Times says it scores big with football fans—especially fantasy players. That’s probably why I’m not a fan. Last year, I wrote a blog on fantasy football in which I made the point that it takes the “team” out of the game.…

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Speaking Can Grow Your Business

This morning I spoke to NAWBO-LA, women business owners.  My subject was The Business of Speaking:  Crafting Your Perfect Pitch.   As a professional public speaker with a star-studded track record, I have delivered speeches to audiences of thousands with huge celebrities.  As the “pitch coach” for ABC-TV’s American Inventor, I coached the winners to persuade…

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It's Only the 4th Quarter: Never Give Up!

This column could be a tribute to the Manning brother quarterbacks, Peyton and Eli.  After all, I did dedicate my book to Peyton, and Eli keeps astounding people with his cool performances under pressure.  But it’s more than that for me:  they are both masters of the 4th-quarter comeback.  You know:  when their respective teams…

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