Month: November 2025

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365 Coaching Tips: 325th, 326th & 327th

November 21st Coaching Tip: Baking Up Traditions.

For decades, I’ve been baking bread, pumpkin bread and pie for Thanksgiving. It’s just what I do. One of my nephews loves my pumpkin bread, so I double up the recipe to make him a couple extra loaves; I give a couple loaves to my mom (she adds her cheeseball on top of the pumpkin bread) and of course, I make me some extra muffins as well.

Our family over the last few years just isn’t eating as much as we have in the past, so I have had more leftovers of my baking goods than previous years. As we celebrate in the future, making a single batch will probably be just fine. But I don’t want to stop baking; I love baking at Thanksgiving. It’s a pleasure to make goodies for my people, deliver it, and share the yummy-ness. I love traditions and until I die, I’ll keep baking pumpkin bread.

November 22nd Coaching Tip: Don’t Miss Celebrations Of Life.

As mom and I are prepping for our early Thanksgiving dinner, I let her know that I would need to leave in the middle of the day to go attend a celebration of life for my friend of nearly 20 years, Mike. My mom and dad were great examples of showing up: they made the decision to attend funerals to share their respects, meet with the family, and share stories. Showing up is a challenge at times of grief; sometimes it is exhausting to make the effort to go share your respect. However, I choose to think of it this way: whatever I’m feeling about this loss, the family is most likely feeling it all at a much deeper level. So just go to funerals, or send that sympathy note/card, or make a contribution in their honor to a charity of their choice, or call them a few weeks after the funeral/celebration of life is done and gone. Bottom line, don’t miss them.

November 23rd Coaching Tip: Early Thanksgiving.

Again this year, we as a family had to be flexible and make a Thanksgiving dinner work for nearly all of the family members to attend at my mom’s home in NW Indiana. We landed on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving this year; last year it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving. My mother loves Thanksgiving and decorated her home so beautifully. She has a tradition of many of us sitting at her long, Amish-made cherry wood table, saying the Lord’s prayer together as we hold hands, and then topping it off by each of us sharing our thankfulness. It brings us to tears. This year, mom reminded everyone of how her grandmother (Kate) came here from Lithuania, from Antwerp to Ellis Island, after her boyfriend (William) had come three years earlier, worked, saved enough money to get her on her voyage to the USA. This message by my mom was so thoughtful, especially during these times of immigration crisis’s all over the world due to instability in the daily lives of many. Our early Thanksgiving was a beautiful gathering of our family and homemade food. We make it work, even though not everyone was able to attend.

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365 Coaching Tips: 322nd, 323rd and 324th

November 18th Coaching Tip: Ask For A Favor.

Today and tomorrow are filled with important back-to-back meetings for me. I needed a slight adjustment in a meeting tomorrow morning at 9am that impacted four different people; I really needed to move it forward to today at 430pm. How do you ask for a last-minute favor, when it is uncomfortable to ask across four different parties? Tell the truth and ask the favor, as most of us are forgiving especially if you’ve been and are authentic. Once I explained that I couldn’t make it tomorrow morning (for a couple reasons) and asked to do it at the end of the business day today, we all realized quickly that it was about the same “business” time. The end of one business day is just one hour different that doing it first thing the next morning. It worked; I asked for the favor and we all adjusted. Favors are granted more freely when you’re kind, you’ve developed a relationship and give people a bit of a heads up. No one like surprises, but if you need a favor, be wise and truthful.

November 19th Coaching Tip: Dig Thru Those 50% OFF Clearance Boxes.

After work today, I decided to take a few minutes and go shopping at a few stores that carry some pretty cool Indiana University gear. The first couple stores had great gear, but the prices seemed a bit high, i.e. a hoodie with the IU Bison on it was $78-$90. I’m a HUGE Indiana fan, but that was out of reach for me.

As I walked down the street, I looked across the street and saw another smaller store with IU gear. As I neared my car, I stepped in to that small store (the 4th of four stores) with little to no nope. And boom, as I walked in, I saw boxes on the floor with 50% off marked on them. I quickly started going thru one of the boxes and found a $15 soft and thick “Indiana Football” black sweatshirt. Perfect, just perfect. The price was very friendly and the fit and feel were yummy. Dig in those clearance boxes, you’ll be surprised at what you find.

November 20th Coaching Tip: Ask For Help.

For some reason, my identify needed to be verified at work. I had been trying to “confirm” my digital and personal identify since late September, with zero success. As the clock wound down this week before my access was going to be eliminated, I went over to the local leaders in the office and told them my problem. At first they didn’t really understand; then after I kept trying on my own, I went back to them. And sure enough, one of them was experiencing the same “error” that I was receiving on my work laptop. Once I found the right person who had experienced the same painful process that I was going thru, she gave me not one but two names to help me. It worked! I was granted access immediately and was easily able to verify that I was a real person and working in a real Merrill office. Yes, AI is here to stay, however know when to leverage your connections and the power of a caring human. Ask for help, and be resilient, until you find the right person who can help. This was something that AI nor a robot could resolve 🙂

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365 Coaching Tips: 319th, 320th & 321st

November 15th Coaching Tip: Witness History.

When you think history making moments are going to happen, plan to go. It might be a once in a lifetime moment. That indeed was the situation today, as our Indiana University Hoosier football team played their last home game of the season, only to set three records: IU now has the longest home game winning streak (15 games), the quarterback (Fernando Mendoza) threw his 30th touchdown pass, and IU is 11-0 (first time ever in program history).

A couple weeks ago, I could see this potentially happening, so I grabbed 16 tickets, and reached out to the fun friends in my life who would be up for seeing history be made. In no time, I had 16 friends agree to go to the game. We had a blast, laughing, eating, cheering, and celebrating our Hoosiers. Make those memories; plan and think ahead and involved those that you love and know how to have fun. Witness history together.

November 16th Coaching Tip: Big Week Ahead.

After a fun and record-breaking day yesterday, getting my rest was crucial for the big week ahead. Why such a big week? Lots of meetings this week and speaking nationally again. Prep for our early Thanksgiving dinner and my uncle is arriving and staying with us for four evenings. My partner and I went thru our calendars multiple times today and really discussed scenarios, when I would be where, what she needed to get done, and the what if’s. I’ve found that doing this on Sundays, while resting and refreshing, really keeps us on the same page. Talking it over with clarity, openness, and curiousity will help you all prep for the big weeks ahead.

November 17th Coaching Tip: Keep Reducing.

My word for the year was “Reduce.” Reduce the amount of food that I eat, reduce using plastics in my kitchen, reduce any work drama, reduce my weight. I did not really reduce my screen time (on my iPhone) and read more. However, starting December 1st, I’m going to drastically reduce my iPhone screen time on social media apps = Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok. Going to reduce intentionally for 31 days; I’m also going to recommit reducing the amount of food that I’m eating (I took a three-month break from September thru November) to reduce my weight by a few pounds before the new year begins.

I also reduced inside my homes; over the last couple of months, I opened cabinet and closet doors to make four decisions on organization: what needed to be donated, repurposed, thrown away, or utilized. For example, I had four small containers of mousse for my hair. Quickly I realized that two were not even working properly, so I threw them away; two more were useable and I have been using them. As we finished the remodeled home, I was able to repurpose items that were infrequently to now be purposefully utilized as key staples in that home. I’ve made multiple trips to Goodwill and have another big trip to do before yearend. Reduce has been a wonderful word for the year, and I’m doubling down on it in December.

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365 Coaching Tips: 316th, 317th & 318th

November 12th Coaching Tip: Catch Those Northern Lights.

My iPhone was all of the sudden starting to “blow up.” I was getting photos from my godson, his daughter, her mother, etc. Multiple photos. They were almost in tears, realizing that they were witnessing the Northern Lights. They were driving to their farm, the skies were dark, the stars were bright, and then they noticed the Northern Lights. Out popped their phones, and they just started taking photos.

I felt honored that they wanted to share their excitement with me; they felt pure joy. Only God can create those views, only God. The next evening, I was able to go outside and see the Northern Lights thru a photo, but I couldn’t witness them with the naked eye. Being in Indiana, this is not a normal thing to see the Northern Lights. If you can intentional, catch them.

November 13th Coaching Tip: Prepping for Appropriate Sleep.

We have a big weekend planned, with seven of us staying over in our newly remodeled home all weekend and a total of 16 of us pre-gaming for IU football versus Wisconsin. Sleep and steady pace at work were crucial this week. In fact, this evening I ordered some groceries, picked them up, drove to our “party” home for the weekend a whole evening early. I want to sleep well tonight, and also sleep in a bit on Friday morning.

Guess what? It worked. I slept great and was ready for our fun weekend ahead. Now that I’m in my 60’s, it’s in my best interest to get the appropriate amount of sleep. That means talk it over with your friends/spouse/family, and then get your sleep.

November 14th Coaching Tip: Show Up for Others.

Two years ago, Indiana University awarded me the Leanne Grotke award. The I-Association selects two female, former athletes who are still alive and making a difference in life and for IU. This evening, another one of my teammates was a winner of this prestigious award. Cindy was all-Big Ten all four years she played at IU, then she moved to California and soared with her career in the Cal State system teaching and inspiring other young adults. I was so glad that I showed up for her evening; Cindy’s parents and brother was there, and it was super to catch up with them, because we used to see them nearly every weekend during the season. And one other teammate showed up, Diane. Kindness showed up.

Was I busy? tired? Heck yeah I was. Do I have company coming over for the weekend? Yes I do. But it was the right thing to do to show up for Cindy. She appreciated it and we shared a moment about how we both have been deeply impacted by the horrors of dementia with those we love. Show up for others! We were basketball teammates, and now we’re teammates in life.

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365 Coaching Tips: 313th, 314th & 315th

November 9th Coaching Tip: Brunching On Sundays.

It was time to get together again with some of our friends, so we quickly made plans to do brunch on Sunday around 11am. Biscuits and gravy, eggs, grilled cheese sandwich and soup, coffee, bloody Mary’s, etc. were devoured as we caught up, and then began to plan our next weekend together. In a matter of minutes, we went from sitting around on Sunday to instead having a prayer over our meal, visiting with friends, and planning our next adventure. Take time to do the brunch thing on Sundays. It’s good for our health to socially connect; great for our overall wellness.

November 10th Coaching Tip: Back At It.

Got back on the treadmill these last few days, as I’m noticing that my VO2 Max has lowered since it was at the level of 39 when I was in great shape prior to the Summer National Senior Games. I took a break in August-October, as my right hip was tender and so were my Achilles tendon in my left leg. I’ve gained a few pounds, been walking, lifting, and doing my key exercises regularly.

But today it was time: I decided to warm up walking 3 minutes, then alternated between walking and jogging 8-9 minute mile pace for 2 minutes. It felt great that I was able to do this. Made me smile to be back at it. As I head to Naples, FL soon for the winter season, I look forward to get back at it there and do it outside. I’m also going to weave in more rowing and swimming to give my hips and Achilles some relief. But, back at it!

November 11th Coaching Tip: Get It In Writing.

As we age, wisdom kicks in. For example, if you “loan” money to a friend or family, life teaches us to ask the question: is this a loan or truly a gift? A “loan” is expected to be paid back; a gift is a present, not to be returned.

I have loaned money to very few people; one is a non-family member, and he and I always get an agreement in writing. We discuss it, then discuss it again, clarify it in handwriting, I take a photo of our handwritten notes, and then I email it to him. There is no misunderstanding. We have discussed it and agreed to it in writing. And he honors his commitment. IF you don’t know what to do: ask yourself an intentional and purposeful question that will reduce stress, increase wellness for both parties, “Is this a loan or is this a gift?” If it is a loan, get it in writing.

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365 Coaching Tips: 310th, 311th & 312th

November 6th Coaching Tip: Loyalty Matters.

When I started living in Naples, I had a great Uber driver who took me from the airport to my home. Ben was a nice, not nosey, had a calm demeanor; he was pleasant and mentioned that he’s from the Midwest (Rockford, IL). Then we got to talking about my many years in Central IL, and the bond began. Fast forward a few years later, I don’t even use Uber when I’m in Naples. I leverage Ben; he’s been loyal and available to me, and I’m loyal to him. It matters; loyalty brings a comfort factor that is hard to describe, but you know it and feel it. Ben’s parents are similar to mine; his dad recently passed, and his mother is still very much alive. Similar story for me, too. Loyalty matters; keep those close that are helpful and always show up.

Another loyal person in my life is my painter, Carlos. He has traveled two hours north to paint a lake home for me eight years ago and recently traveled an hour south to paint a property there. He doesn’t complain; he always says “yes” when I ask him to complete some painting for me personally in my summer home or for my real estate business. I don’t even get other quotes; Carlos is fair, and we both are loyal to one another. Loyalty matters.

November 7th Coaching Tip: Invites Work.

Since we have the remodeled farm house now all completed and almost fully decorated, I’ve been inviting friends and family to come visit. Tonight, one of my IU women’s basketball teammates came to visit. It was so fun to see her reactions, as she was one of my friends who saw it late in 2024 when I had just started this huge remodel project. As they say, “she got it.” Then we loaded up in the car, went out for dinner, and headed to an IU women’s basketball game. The gals won, and we snuck out of the game in the fourth quarter. My friend was home just an hour later; she’s now sharing with my teammates that we all need to get together there for a game and full weekend together. We are now inviting them for a weekend in January 2026.

We still have work to do on the landscape around the home and one of the barns still needs attention, but we are getting there. And inviting people to come visit is already creating memories…and it keeps me focused on getting more work done.

November 8th Coaching Tip: Play Til The End.

Today, the undefeated IU football team plan on the road at Penn State University; PSU has fired their coach a few weeks ago, and this was their first home game since that firing. My gut had me a bit nervous about this IU vs. PSU game. IU was up 17-7 at halftime, so I decided to drive somewhere for about an hour. Sure enough, it quickly turned into a tight game. PSU closed the gap in the third quarter to 20-10, and then in the fourth quarter, took the lead 20-24. IU got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining in the game, and they marched down the field with a number of outstanding passes, thrown accurately by our quarterback. With 36 seconds remaining, IU scores on an amazing catch that the receiver was able to catch way up high, control high body, and tap his toe to score the TD. He played to end, because he did miss a catch with 1:51 remaining. He stepped up, controlled his emotions and his physical abilities, and made the catch of the year in college football. He played to the end.

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365 Coaching Tips: 307th, 308th & 309th

November 3rd Coaching Tip: Be Advanced.

When you quit learning, you’re dying. The coaching tip for today and these next three days all weave together: are you advanced and want to stay advanced in a skill that you have? Do you want to attain mastery and become elite? How are you continuing to learn?

This week I was able to be around the best talent in our financial industry, learn from them as well as share tips that we felt were relevant for their teams and the practices. The talent was advanced; they showed up at 630am in the morning, and were learning/sharing over dinners that went to 9pm. Choosing to be advanced is an intentional decision to be better than average. That takes dedication and discipline. Be advanced!

November 4th Coaching Tip: Be Elite.

Alot of people want to be elite, yet don’t take the time to be elite. Say what? Yes that’s right. To be elite, it takes time to be elite. I worked with two leaders today who are taking time on Fridays to focus on what they want to become as leaders, and how they want to lead their high-functioning teams. It will take time for both of them to think, then write down their thoughts on what they want to become elite at and why is it so important, then clarify it more by sharing it with trusted colleagues, which typically results in further improving it. Most importantly, role modeling what you want to be elite is crucial. Actions speak much louder than words. It will take work, commitment, habits that are stacked for your benefit to become elite, etc. To be elite, be ready to spend time on what it will take to be elite. And then do it…daily.

November 5th Coaching Tip: Want To Learn.

My mother continues to learn, nearly every day. She’s pushing 85 years old, and watching PBS about the Revolutionary War, Finding Your Roots, and Rick Steves travel documentaries on places that she’s never visited. She has the desire to learn; this keeps her relevant and her mind engaged. When someone in our family or her friends group mentions something about going to Scotland or Italy, although my mom has never been to either country, she can be a part of the discussion because she probably just watched a show or educational series on it.

I am wanting to learn more and more about AI; there is so much money and focus on AI right now, and I want to be on the leading edge of learning how to use it and understand the benefits that it can provide. Want to learn, whether it is a new technology, about a new person, or a new location on our beautiful planet.

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365 Coaching Tips: 304th, 305th and 306th

October 31st Coaching Tip: Treats for Kids & Adults.

Halloween is now turning into a fun evening and treat for all ages. As a kid, I remember it being all about the kids, making outfits, having outfit contests, counting all the good candy, weighing how much candy we got, etc. Now it’s a full-on family affair; the parents are trick or treating WITH the kids, walking behind them or pulling them in wagons or pushing them in strollers. The parents are festive, happy, and in outfits as well. So step up your treats: adult size candy bars for the adults? or free beverages? And for the kids, the same good ole treats always work. Give ’em treats, no matter if it’s just kids or kids with their parents.

November 1st Coaching Tip: A World Series for The Ages!

Game 7 of the 2025 World Series had the Los Angeles Dodgers playing the Toronto Blue Jays, in Toronto. The Dodgers were trailing most of the game, got it tied in the 9th inning with a couple unlikely plays. On to the 11th inning the game went, and the relief pitcher (Yamamoto) was actually a starting pitcher ALL year for the Dodgers. Yamamoto somehow had pitched the evening prior, and then three full innings (9th, 10th, 11th) in this 7th game of the World Series. He was able to easily get the Blue Jays out in the bottom of the 10th (three up, three down). In the 11th inning, with a couple runners on base, the Blue Jays hit into a double play. Dodgers WON, 5-4.

Players stepped up and made highly stressful plays. Viewers all over the world were watching, some 25million viewers, late into the evening; Nov. 1st coincided with the time change, too. The stressful plays came from unlikely players; the Dodger’s 2nd baseman (Rojas) homered in the 9th to tie the game, 4-4; then in the bottom of the 10th, he threw home on a fielder’s choice and got the runner out at homeplate. In the bottom of the 9th, two Dodgers’ outfielders ran into one another, but the taller outfielder who had just been subbed in for defense indeed made the play. Then in the 11th inning, Dodger’s catcher Smith homered, to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. It was a world series for the ages; unlikely people stepped up. And the Dodgers’ manager made some critical decisions that worked to perfection. He believed in his players and trusted in his key decisions.

November 2nd Coaching Tip: Check Your Tire Pressure.

We have a couple cars that we keep in our garages in our north and south homes. Therefore, a couple of the cars may go a couple months without being driving. Today, I took one of the two cars for a drive to charge up the battery really good, fill up the gas tank, and ensure that the air pressure in all four tires was 42 psi. Of course, all four tires were NOT at 42 psi, so I spent two dollars after filling up the gas tank and aired up all four tires. “Safety first” was on my mind, before I head out to drive across the state tomorrow morning for three days of business meetings. Don’t wait; check your tire pressure. (Note: if you don’t know what tire pressure is correct for your car or truck, there is a sticker on the driver’s side door to indicate the preferred psi.)

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365 Coaching Tips: 301st, 302nd, and 303rd

October 28th Coaching Tip: Take Care Of Your Toes.

It was time; go get a pedicure. I try to do it every three weeks. It’s an hour of time that I can completely relax and also care for my body. My feet are a priority to my overall wellness, since my favorite things to do are to walk and be outside, going to sporting events and working out. Taking care of my feet is and will continue to be a discretionary expense that I will keep in my budget. I’ve noticed that people who don’t take care of their feet tend to have ingrown toenails, nail disease, unattractive callouses, etc. Another thing that I have noticed is that as people age or get pre-diabetic or diabetic, some people have a hard time reaching their toes. Then, those toes are not cared for. This can create long tern issues. Take care of your toes.

October 29th Coaching Tip: An Evening With The Gals.

We love Italian dinners. We love our friends. And, we love celebrating birthdays. So we blended the three loves together, and five of us met, had wine and appetizers, opened some gifts, had dinner and yes, dessert. We arrived at 5:30pm, and rolled out of the restaurant around 7:50pm. We enjoyed the dining, our server was super, and he just let us talk and spend quality time together. Not once did we feel rushed, not once. We all got caught up, planned our next gathering for mid-November, and something for the summer of 2026 in Michigan. Get your time with your pals; it’s a huge indicator for long term wellness, your ability to keep strong social connections with some key people in your life. It doesn’t have to be family; it’s great if it is family, but friends who have deep, shared connections can be very healthy. Plan an evening with your people, the gals, the guys, the family.

October 30th Coaching Tip: Get Some Sunshine.

It’s fall, leaves are gorgeous, and it’s the day before Halloween. I purposefully went outside today to walk and soak up this fall weather, before it turns to winter. My walks included spitting rain in the morning, breezy winds in the afternoon, and cooler temperatures in the early evening. However, it was worth it. Being outside walking is my favorite thing to do; it’s free and full of freedom. And yes, there were a few moments of the sun shining thru the golden leaves; I stopped to take some photos and soak up some sunshine.