Heart Leader

Recently I was on vacation in Cabo San Lucas and I was working out in the hotel gym. I met a personal trainer named Modu Seye. On the back of Modu’s shirt was the quote, “What if I couldn’t?” It got me thinking and reflecting on my own life and all of the opportunity I have to make a positive impact on the lives of the people I touch both in my professional life and my personal life.

I have this quote written down and pinned to a bulletin board on my office wall to remind me that I have been given a lot and I feel a sense of responsibility to use what I have been given to make the world a little better. This quote/sentence haunts me. I guess… Continue reading What If I Couldn’t?...

Did you ever see the TV show “Scared Straight”? It was about some hardened criminals who stood in front of a group of teenagers and told them about their lives of crime and what it is like to be in prison. It was designed to scare viewers into choosing a crime free lifestyle and thus avoiding going to prison. Sometimes having a potentially deadly disease can also feel like prison.

I strongly believe in the power of reflection. I am talking about taking some intentionally scheduled time on a regular basis (daily or weekly) to think about your life, where you are now and what direction you would like your life to go in.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)According to Wikipedia, Emotional Intelligence (EI) describes the ability, capacity, skill or, in the case of the trait EI model, a self-perceived ability, to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one’s self, of others, and of groups.

I am in my mid-40’s and more and more I am hearing from friends and family about illness and death among people in my age group. Am I getting to “that” age where it is “normal” for some of my peers to get sick and in some cases die? During the past few months I have lost several friends and several others are suffering through illness. All of this doesn’t take into account all of those suffering financially through this rough economic period. I find myself much more contemplative and reflective lately…

In my almost 45 years of life experience, when something feels right in my gut, it usually is right. I have spent the past 20 years leading, managing and caring for people in business. I have learned through the years to listen to my gut and to do what it tells me to do. Occasionally I have been wrong and my gut has led me astray. However, the great majority of the time it has led me to a positive relationship or a right decision. Some of those opportunities and decisions and shaped and improved my life far beyond my expectation.In my almost 45 years of life experience, when something feels right in my gut, it usually is right. I have spent the past 20 years leading, managing and caring for people in business. I have learned through the years to listen to my gut and to do what it tells me to do. Occasionally I have been wrong and my gut has led me astray. However, the great majority of the time it has led me to a positive relationship or a right decision. Some of those opportunities and decisions and shaped and improved my life far beyond my expectation.

I am blessed to have 2 brother’s that I have been very close with our entire lives. They are identical twins three years younger than me (they are 41). My brother Jason lives in Park Slope (Brooklyn) in New York and with families and careers is has been challenging to spend a lot of time together during the past 15+ years. Jason’s wife & 2 kids are out of the country for a few weeks visiting friends and relatives. Jason invited my brother Randy and I to come to NYC for a long weekend. That “brothers weekend” happened this past weekend. To say the least, it was magical. The last time the three of us were together for a “brothers weekend” was in 1994. This reunion was way overdue.

When was the last time you took a written test that applied to your vocation and your ability to earn a living? I am 44 years old and I haven’t taken a written test with any real meaning in many, many years. I owned a mortgage banking company for almost 20 years and we were licensed by the Department of Real Estate (DRE). The DRE required a license to conduct activites as a loan originator in the mortgage business. All of us who worked at our mortgage company had a DRE license. I earned my DRE license in 1990 and I haven’t taken a meaningful test since.

I have been blessed to know my mother in law, Rene Piemonte, for 28 years. Rene and I met in July 1982 when I met my wife Ondrea. I was 16 years old. Rene and I met in a nail salon where my mother worked. Rene took Ondrea to the salon where Rene was getting her nails done. My mom met and spoke to Ondrea and called me to the salon to meet Ondrea. The rest is history.