Tag: Change

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365 Coaching Tips: 361st, 362nd & 363rd

December 27th Coaching Tip: Strive For Normalcy.

There’s alot going on with me and my health; there’s alot going on with the holidays and the upcoming new years; and there’s alot going on with geopolitical happenings across the globe. My goal right now is to strive for some normalcy. What does that look like right now? Resting in the hospital, I decided that I might as well finish a couple things online that I had put off in earlier December. I have finished an AI course thru the University of North Florida and completed my continuing education for my PCC Coaching renewal; those both are now posted to my Linked In profile. Why do it now? I’m striving for normalcy, after this shocking and unexpected last week’s health crisis. This mattered, I’m still relevant.

I was also working diligently to get normalcy with my strength (walking and standing regularly), hydration (moving from chewing ice to now able to drink liquids), and nutrition (starting very slowly to eat again, very small portions). The progress to do these three things gave me hope. It will take time, but striving for normalcy is working. It’s good for the mind, heart, mind and soul.

December 28th Coaching Tip: Go Home.

Yesterday at 2pm, striving for normalcy allowed me to slowly eat a small meal of chicken, mashed taters and gravy, and some pudding. Part of me was scared to eat, as I had only had broth for a couple days. I took it slow, one small bit at a time. Immediately upon finishing this first “normal food” meal of three that I would have to eat before being released, I made myself get up out of bed and walked the fourth floor in the hospital. I walked more than all the patients on the entire floor combined; I was striving for normalcy and wanting to prove that I had the strength to go home. Today, after my third, small meal of normal food was consumed, all three doctors agreed with me: it was time to be released and go home to rest, go very slow, and recover.

My partner and I loaded up a cooler with all the flowers that I received, grabbed my personal items, and we headed home. That transition was exhausting, but I was going home.

December 29th Coaching Tip: Go Slow.

It’s a Monday, and what a better way to start the week than coaching myself to go slow, prioritize rest and recovery. I grabbed a black Sharpie marker and made a couple Post-it notes that I put on my bathroom mirror and on the refrigerator, both of them at eye lever. Because this health episode was so severe and scary, I knew I had to write down my priorities so that I would stay acutely aware and focused on them. I also told key people in my life the following: Go Slow. Eat Slow. Eat Less.

Go slow, Jen, go slow.

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365 Coaching Tips: 343rd, 344th & 345th

December 9th Coaching Tip: Talk It Out, Talk It Out.

As I was in my office today, someone knocked on my door and needed to “talk.” Thank goodness I had a free slot in my calendar for about 45 minutes. Talk she did, and talk, and talk. All I did was listen for the entire time, and then at the end, I asked her: what are your options. She believed that she had two options and then settled on one on the options. Sometimes, people just need someone to talk to; know when you need to just listen. Know when to not even ask questions. Know when not to provide advice. Just let them talk it out.

December 10th Coaching Tip: Don’t Blow It All.

For centuries, people have spent decades building their own personal brand, based upon the daily decisions that they make. It takes discipline to stay on the ‘straight and narrow’. It’s so easy to deviate and slip.

Today, a story was released in Michigan about the head football coach having an extra marital affair; both parties are at fault. Many know that. With the holidays approaching, I can’t imagine on this head coach’s wife and three kids feel about being betrayed.

This lack of discipline causes so much harm; those impacted are too many to mention. With your daily and weekly decisions, take 10-15 seconds and pause, think about your consequences, before you take a significant action. Don’t blow it all.

December 11th Coaching Tip: Empower Someone.

Earlier this week I was asked to travel from FL to TX for a couple days of meetings in mid-January. The leader really wanted me to be there, however I was hesitant to commit, since I’m already traveling in three of the four weeks in January. What do I do here?

I reached out to my colleague in TX, and asked him if he was going to already be in that area during mid-January. Good news, he was. Empowering him, I asked him if he would like to go to the team’s offsite (instead of me). He said yeah, for sure. Then he asked for time to get him up to speed on the work ahead. I will gladly help prep him, and he’ll deliver with excellence. Empower people!

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365 Coaching Tips: 334th, 335th & 336th

November 30th Coaching Tip: Step Up, and Say YES.

The Indiana women’s basketball team was 7-0, and now facing 10th ranked Iowa State today. Bad news hit the IU team, as our 2nd leading scorer and rebounder had a lower leg injury and unable to play in this important game. Another player stepped up (let’s call her #8) and started the game. She was up against one of the top five players in the country, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks. IU’s #8 was asked to step up, and she said YES.

Did IU win? No. Did #8 stop the Crooks? No, in fact Crooks scored 47 points, setting an ISU school record. Did IU compete closely til the last few minutes of the game? Yes. Did #8 make us all proud? Yes. When you are ever asked to step up, have the courage to give one answer: YES!

December 1st Coaching Tip: My 2025 Word is REDUCE.

I’m pleased with my selection of my word of the year: Reduce. Back in late 2024, I wanted to reduce plastic usage, my weight, any work drama, and my times in my training. It worked. My kitchens now have much less plastic in them; I eat on non-plastic plates and bowls, I have zero non-stick pans now, and I have new kitchen cooking utensils. My weight reached my lowest level since 10 years ago (my college playing weight). Although we have had eight work colleagues retire/resign from our team, I keep working away and providing value to my coaching clients. And with my training, I see three personal bests in my 100m, 200m, and 400m runs, but reducing my times in all three events. Reduce worked.

So how do I keep it going for the remainder of 2025? I decided to reduce my social media usage in December. How did I do this? I moved all of my regularly used social media apps (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok) to my last page of all of my apps. I had zero desire today in my first day to look at these apps, which formally consumed way too many minutes per day. The 2nd thing that I did was start listening to an Audible book on AI, plus I put two print books by my evening chair. Third, I put in a reminder in my iPhone calendar at 7am every single morning in December that reminds me: reduce to zero social media app usage.

December 2nd Coaching Tip: Bring In The Experts.

One of the best and fastest growing teams that I coach brought in the expert today. They needed to spend a full day together reviewing processes, which ones need attention, which ones are running smoothly. They also asked the expert to show them all some shortcuts on how to implement all the digital tools already in their hands to gain capacity.

Because the expert was brought in, everyone on the team showed up, paid attention, asked questions, and learned so much about what is now capable for the team to execute. When there is doubt and a team is pushing back on changing, recommend that you bring in the experts to calmly show what is available and can be done, and how others are utilizing it.

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365 Coaching Tips: 331st, 332nd & 333rd

November 27th Coaching Tip: Just 4:48.

Once again, I traveled on Thanksgiving morning. When I used to live in Houston, TX in the late 1990’s, I would fly from Houston to Indianapolis, rent a car, and drive to Mom and Dad’s home in Kentland, IN. I was able to arrive before my own family who lived in Indiana. Fast forward to today, I left at 6am from my door in Indiana. Took an Uber ride to the IND airport. Two-hour flight to RSW in Ft. Myers, FL. Got picked up by my driver, Ben. He dropped me off at 10:48am at my home in Naples, FL. Door to door on Thanksgiving morning took just 4:48. Four hours and 48 minutes on a holiday. Grateful for all the people that chose to work and assist all of us who are traveling. The kindness was everywhere; everyone was saying “happy Thanksgiving” and smiling, helpful, and nice, even though we were all working to get somewhere. Let’s keep that kindness going.

November 28th Coaching Tip: Cook At Home.

It’s Friday night and one of my best friends is coming to hang out for the weekend. We texted quickly and decided to cook at home this evening. With all the hustle and over-eating that surrounds Thanksgiving, it was the right decision.

At 8:30am this day after Thanksgiving, I headed to Aldi’s (only three other people in the store…it was lovely) and bought some groceries for dinner and for the next couple weeks, too. Here’s the menu for our Friday dinner at home: scallops seared in butter and garlic, fettuccini tossed in alfredo sauce, topped with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Fresh salad with spinach, scallions, tomatoes and balsalmic dressing. For dessert, we made a strawberry cherry jello salad with whipped cream. No alcohol, just water. (The Aldi grocery prices allow you to afford an AMAZING dinner that’s healthy, in the comforts of your own home…try ALDI’s if you haven’t already).

Not sure how much this dinner would have cost us had we gone out, but probably $35-$50 per person. Instead, we ate at home, had a great conversation as we both cooked in the kitchen, and took our sweet time eating. We even delayed our dessert for over an hour. It was a yummy evening; cook at home.

November 29th Coaching Tip: Go See The Sunset.

It was a nice, slow, and relaxing Saturday in our south FL home. It was closing in on 3pm and my friend and I both were still un-showered and in our PJ’s. Finally, we looked at one another and said, let’s take a drive to the beach, grab a drink, and see the sunset. We quickly got cleaned up and jumped in the car and headed to the Gulf. We leveraged Ai and it confirmed, sunset was at 5:34pm E. Our goal was to be seated at the Ritz Carlton in Naples and having a drink and appetizer by 4:30pm E…or we wouldn’t have a seat. We made it, perfectly timed, and enjoyed the sunset. I got a few photos of my friend, and he quickly loaded those up as new profile photos. Don’t miss an opportunity to see the sunset. Sunsets have the “IT” factor; hard to explain, but they just have “IT”.

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365 Coaching Tips: 328th, 329th & 330th

November 24th Coaching Tip: Time With The Younger Generation.

These three posts will bounce and weave around each other. Ask yourself the questions: are you spending time with the younger generation(s)? Are you staying in-touch and relevant? Are you listening to their concerns, hopes, and dreams? Are you willing to assist them? Or, are you out of touch and complaining about them and their desires?

Today, my uncle and I spent the entire day together. We left my mother’s home, and decided to drive a couple hours to our newly remodeled home since he wanted to see it. By the way, he absolutely loved it. We ended up staying overnight there, after we drove around the campus at IU, and had some dinner and ice cream. He enjoyed spending time with me and seeing how I did the remodel. I enjoyed hearing more stories about his times at IU and what he’s working on currently.

November 25th Coaching Tip: Time With The Older Generation.

My uncle and I took it easy today, before we headed to the airport for his trip back to Colorado. We drank some coffee, talked, and then walked down to my basketball barn and got some shots up for about half an hour. As we were shooting, he reminded me to make sure that I’m out there shooting at 80+ years old…like he was doing today. It was a good reminder to me, from him, to keep going, keep moving, keep shooting baskets. I learn so much from hanging out with the older generation. Spend time with them.

November 26th Coaching Tip: Mentoring Goes Both Ways.

Kids can teach you alot, if you just ask them questions and remain curious. I got to talk to two of my great nieces and nephews over the weekend. I can tell that my great niece is a leader of others, and her style and way with communication helps her be effective. I can tell that my great nephew loves being competitive and around top talent in sports. He loves sports, his PE class, and his buddies.

Mentoring can and should go both ways; older generations have alot to learn from the younger generations (from technology to style to new trends) and the younger generations have alot of wisdom that they can gain from the older generations. Both generations have to be willing to care, listen, ask questions, and be grateful for the insights that are being shared. Mentoring should go both ways, not just one way, from older to younger.

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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: 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: 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.)