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.