It amazes me how quickly life changes. Since I spoke with you last, some significant events took place that will have a permanent impact on the lives of my family and friends. Without getting in to the details, an accident occurred that brought pause and reflection on the realities of life. I continue to digest what happened, the what if, the what now, and how to move forward. A split second is all it takes to make your world a very different place. This situation is a stark reminder that life doesn't stop to let you plan and figure it out, life is happening each and every moment you breathe. How are you making the most of every moment?
LightThread
I took a break from the smart grid/energy world this week and focused on LightThread and the social media space. I attended Highlight Midwest (www.highlightmidwest.org) and met some amazing social media entreprenuers from Omaha, Des Moines and KC. I had never attended an event quite like this one as it was very different from the big corporate conferences from my past. You had the experts, break-out presentations and main stage speakers but it was all in a bar...in Westport! When I first walked in I was asking myself, "how is this going to work?" But let me tell you, it not only worked but was FANTASTIC! The space allowed you to easily move from presentation to presentation while stopping to network or talk business opportunity at the same time. We then moved to the Kauffman Foundation (www.kauffman.org) for the evening event and had the honor of listening to Carl Schramm (Kauffman President & CEO) share his powerful insights. We also enjoyed a great introduction video from some of the true social media leaders in the country and then listened to a panel facilitated by Bo Fishback, also from the Kauffman Foundation. There are some great companies based right here in the midwest, check out the highlight midwest website to learn more!
At LightThread we are finalizing our business model and targeting to get the website up and running in the next few weeks. We are thinking of pitching ourselves initially as an Intellectual Venture Capital company....we provide you the expertise, practices and tools to take your business to the next level. We also have a product arm with applications that are under development and will tie these applications in to our mission of helping businesses connect their ideas and make opportunities happen. We assert that if a company can focus solely on their niche and not have to get bogged down in being all things to all people they can then truly prosper, grow and be successful. LightThread....Connecting Ideas to Light the World. Ok, tagline may be a bit hokey and needs more work but hopefully you understand the goal.
Family
Watch out KC drivers...you have a new 16 year old out on the road. That's right, Zach passed the driver's license test and is enjoying his new found freedom. Now, if he can just find a job.... :) Jackie wrapped up his freshman football season and ended with a 6-2 record. He loves the football season and is still helping with varsity but I have to say I enjoy having him home a bit more now that his head coaching responsibilities are completed. Samantha also wrapped up her softball season last weekend and was able to pitch in her first competitive game ever. Considering they had the pitching rubber 3 feet back too far, she did a commendable job and I was so proud of her as she kept the nerves in check. Hopefully we can start to have homemade dinners now that we aren't at a sporting event/practice every day of the week.
Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to leave a comment or send me at an email (lqualls4444@yahoo.com).
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Reunited, And It Feels So Good
I finally caught up with society and joined Facebook earlier this month. I have enjoyed reuniting with so many friends from back in the day and have been surprised by the flood of memories buried deep that haven't been reflected on for quite some time. These memories are a reminder of the joys, laughter and even some sorrows that molded my inner voice of today. I am humbled as I remember the girl of my yesterday and smile as I remember her fears, her confidence, her defeats and her accomplishments. I am proud of how the girl has become a woman and appreciate that even through the stumbles we call growth, she still holds the confidence and yet also the fears as she did so long ago. The reflection of how the past defined the path to today opens up the possibilities for tomorrow. Take a moment to remember, reunite with others and reflect on your inner voice and see what new possibilities exist for you.
Energy - Missouri Clean Energy Initiative
For you Missourians out there, you have the opportunity to shape the future of energy growth on November 4th. The Clean Energy Initiative requires Missouri investor-owned electric utilities (Ameren, Empire, Aquila, and KCP&L) to get 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2021. The Clean Energy Initiative defines renewables as clean sources of energy like wind, solar, landfill gas, biomass, and small hydroelectric projects. Often this policy is called a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) and it has been passed in 26 other states (sorry Kansas you have some catching up to do). If you are fed up with negative politics and trying to find a reason to show up and vote on November 4th, please consider this initiative as your motivation. It is supported by over 100 Missouri current and former elected officials and community leaders and I have yet to find any negative press or concerns associated to the effort. Please support this initiaitve by providing your YES vote on November 4th. You can read more details at http://www.missouricleanenergy.org/about.asp
As a follow-up to my entry last week, I had the honor of judging a high school debate at Blue Springs South High School this past weekend. I was assigned to the public forum debates and listened to our leaders of tomorrow argue pro's and con's of growing nuclear energy effort in the US. The public forum venue is different than policy cross-ex debate as it flows more like a Sunday morning roundtable t.v. show with two teams (two members each) making their points, questioning those points and ending with a grand cross-fire where all four members discuss/argue at the same time. It was a blast to watch but I'm not going to lie, it was very hard to keep up from a judging perspective. At the end of the day, I was blown away by the intelligence, research skills, communication abilities and out right passion that these students exemplified during the debate. We hear so much negative of our youth but let me tell you, I was more impressed with these leaders of tomorrow than I am with many of our so called leaders of today. If you have some extra weekend time, check out when a high school debate is scheduled in your area and volunteer to serve as a judge. Judges are always needed, the schools give detailed instructions and you might be surprised how much fun you have while you learn something new.
Career Front
Ahhhh....how I love negotiations, let me count thy ways. I continued discussions this past week with the Ireland company and experienced the highs and lows of negotiation. They are evaluating a permanent offer situation for me but at the moment it looks like the consultation opportunity has come to a dead end as we couldn't come to an agreement on a competitive rate. They are fabulous people with tremendous potential and I wish them all the best. I received a permanent offer from a local engineering firm and am patiently waiting as they work with HR to deliver a compensation package. I continue to evaluate consulting opportunities as they arise, in fact I spoke with a New York business owner late last week who presented a unique possibility where I might be able to help him create a new media/entertainment powerhouse. I am meeting with one of my LightThread partners today to review his business plan and design an offer to become involved. Excitement in the air!
Family
Another busy week in the Qualls household with a big addition in the driveway...we purchased a 97 Eclipse for Zach who should have his official driver's license within days. He is very excited and proud of his "new" car and we are excited to have one more taxi driver in the family. This is another moment that makes you pause and reflect...remember being 16, getting your first car and taking that first drive without mom and dad? The feeling of empowerment and independence, it was as if nothing could stop you. We want Zach to embrace this new step in life and encourage him to be responsibile by reminding him, it only takes one mistake to change your life FOREVER so think before you act and PAY ATTENTION!! He probably doesn't know it, but I am reminding myself of this life lesson just as much as I am reminding him.
Thanks again for stopping by and checking in on what's new with LJ Landing. As always, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at lqualls4444@yahoo.com if you want to further discuss any of the items mentioned above. Have a great week!
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Energy - Missouri Clean Energy Initiative
For you Missourians out there, you have the opportunity to shape the future of energy growth on November 4th. The Clean Energy Initiative requires Missouri investor-owned electric utilities (Ameren, Empire, Aquila, and KCP&L) to get 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2021. The Clean Energy Initiative defines renewables as clean sources of energy like wind, solar, landfill gas, biomass, and small hydroelectric projects. Often this policy is called a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) and it has been passed in 26 other states (sorry Kansas you have some catching up to do). If you are fed up with negative politics and trying to find a reason to show up and vote on November 4th, please consider this initiative as your motivation. It is supported by over 100 Missouri current and former elected officials and community leaders and I have yet to find any negative press or concerns associated to the effort. Please support this initiaitve by providing your YES vote on November 4th. You can read more details at http://www.missouricleanenergy.org/about.asp
As a follow-up to my entry last week, I had the honor of judging a high school debate at Blue Springs South High School this past weekend. I was assigned to the public forum debates and listened to our leaders of tomorrow argue pro's and con's of growing nuclear energy effort in the US. The public forum venue is different than policy cross-ex debate as it flows more like a Sunday morning roundtable t.v. show with two teams (two members each) making their points, questioning those points and ending with a grand cross-fire where all four members discuss/argue at the same time. It was a blast to watch but I'm not going to lie, it was very hard to keep up from a judging perspective. At the end of the day, I was blown away by the intelligence, research skills, communication abilities and out right passion that these students exemplified during the debate. We hear so much negative of our youth but let me tell you, I was more impressed with these leaders of tomorrow than I am with many of our so called leaders of today. If you have some extra weekend time, check out when a high school debate is scheduled in your area and volunteer to serve as a judge. Judges are always needed, the schools give detailed instructions and you might be surprised how much fun you have while you learn something new.
Career Front
Ahhhh....how I love negotiations, let me count thy ways. I continued discussions this past week with the Ireland company and experienced the highs and lows of negotiation. They are evaluating a permanent offer situation for me but at the moment it looks like the consultation opportunity has come to a dead end as we couldn't come to an agreement on a competitive rate. They are fabulous people with tremendous potential and I wish them all the best. I received a permanent offer from a local engineering firm and am patiently waiting as they work with HR to deliver a compensation package. I continue to evaluate consulting opportunities as they arise, in fact I spoke with a New York business owner late last week who presented a unique possibility where I might be able to help him create a new media/entertainment powerhouse. I am meeting with one of my LightThread partners today to review his business plan and design an offer to become involved. Excitement in the air!
Family
Another busy week in the Qualls household with a big addition in the driveway...we purchased a 97 Eclipse for Zach who should have his official driver's license within days. He is very excited and proud of his "new" car and we are excited to have one more taxi driver in the family. This is another moment that makes you pause and reflect...remember being 16, getting your first car and taking that first drive without mom and dad? The feeling of empowerment and independence, it was as if nothing could stop you. We want Zach to embrace this new step in life and encourage him to be responsibile by reminding him, it only takes one mistake to change your life FOREVER so think before you act and PAY ATTENTION!! He probably doesn't know it, but I am reminding myself of this life lesson just as much as I am reminding him.
Thanks again for stopping by and checking in on what's new with LJ Landing. As always, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at lqualls4444@yahoo.com if you want to further discuss any of the items mentioned above. Have a great week!
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
And the wheels on the bus....
I understand last week's financial wackiness caused many to start worrying about what's next, what does this mean to me, my family, and will I ever be able to retire??? I encourage you to take a deep breath, be mindful of your mood, and think, learn, & be educated prior to taking actions. There are numerous opportunities to be had when many can only see darkness...so ask yourself, what spark can you ignite to help yourself and others find the light?
Energy Developments
You may be surprised but in the midst of congress getting involved to "save us from financial ruin" (scary thought eh?), they added an energy related amendent to bill H.R. 1424, Emergency Economic Stabilization Act 2008 (aka $700B bailout). The amendment calls for Energy Production Incentives which includes renewable energy incentives, carbon mitigation and coal provisions, transportation and domestic fuel security provisions, energy conservation and effeciency provisions (giving credit {$$$$} to early energy efficient adopters), and revenue provisions. In total, bill H.R. 1424 is a whopping 451 pages with the Energy portion noted on pages 113-261. Upon initial review the majority of actions include timeline extensions that were initially defined in various other Energy bills. You can obtain the full text of H.R. 1424 at this link, http://banking.senate.gov/public/_files/latestversionAYO08C32_xml.pdf. I speculate you may be surprised by how much of the 451 pages are dedicated to items NOT related to the $700B. If you are interested in the bills being proposed by your house of representatives and senators please check out this website, http://www.opencongress.org/bill/all.
I'm excited to learn what our youth of today have to say about energy so I volunteered to judge at the Blue Springs South debate competition next weekend. The 2008-09 National High School policy debate topic is timely to say the least, "The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States." Students must be prepared to argue both sides of the resolution so I am eager to hear the research they reference to support their arguments. Check back next week to see how our teenagers of today may save the world tomorrow. :)
Career Path
Tremendous movement on the career front last week. I continue to engage in discussions with top notch executives and look to finalize negotiations as early as this week. I am learning a great deal through this process and have been most surprised that what I thought I wanted in my next job might actually be very different. I am enjoying talking with different companies and discussing the valuable ways I can help them and have come to realize that consulting might be a meaningful path for me. Anyone who knows me understands I have a broad background in various business disciplines from sales to business transition management to operational leadership. Initially, I thought security and fulfillment would come in the form of a permanent position, however I am challenging myself to think beyond my comfort zone. My desire first and foremost is to achieve my ambition (my family and I living a good life without compromise) and I now realize my old ways of thinking may be getting in my way of doing just that. Lots to think about this week.
Family
Not only was last week a bummer on the financial end but also on the sports end in the Qualls household. After 2.5 years of not losing one freshman A football game, the Wildcats succumbed to defeat. Coach Qualls took it like the man he is and displayed great character telling his team the heart of a team is how they come back and play the next week. What made the game difficult to watch for me was the Wildcats were playing their rival the Jaguars which happens to be the same high school my kids attend. Soooo mixed emotions as the kids were happy but dad was not. I was proud of my son who didn't rub it in....too much. Sports are big in this household and we encourage the life lessons that come from playing. Being a good sport win or lose is value number 1 in our family.
Thank you for checking in. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have more to add to any of the conversations noted or have any questions. I am always eager to receive feedback and welcome additional information you may have to continue the discussion.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Energy Developments
You may be surprised but in the midst of congress getting involved to "save us from financial ruin" (scary thought eh?), they added an energy related amendent to bill H.R. 1424, Emergency Economic Stabilization Act 2008 (aka $700B bailout). The amendment calls for Energy Production Incentives which includes renewable energy incentives, carbon mitigation and coal provisions, transportation and domestic fuel security provisions, energy conservation and effeciency provisions (giving credit {$$$$} to early energy efficient adopters), and revenue provisions. In total, bill H.R. 1424 is a whopping 451 pages with the Energy portion noted on pages 113-261. Upon initial review the majority of actions include timeline extensions that were initially defined in various other Energy bills. You can obtain the full text of H.R. 1424 at this link, http://banking.senate.gov/public/_files/latestversionAYO08C32_xml.pdf. I speculate you may be surprised by how much of the 451 pages are dedicated to items NOT related to the $700B. If you are interested in the bills being proposed by your house of representatives and senators please check out this website, http://www.opencongress.org/bill/all.
I'm excited to learn what our youth of today have to say about energy so I volunteered to judge at the Blue Springs South debate competition next weekend. The 2008-09 National High School policy debate topic is timely to say the least, "The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States." Students must be prepared to argue both sides of the resolution so I am eager to hear the research they reference to support their arguments. Check back next week to see how our teenagers of today may save the world tomorrow. :)
Career Path
Tremendous movement on the career front last week. I continue to engage in discussions with top notch executives and look to finalize negotiations as early as this week. I am learning a great deal through this process and have been most surprised that what I thought I wanted in my next job might actually be very different. I am enjoying talking with different companies and discussing the valuable ways I can help them and have come to realize that consulting might be a meaningful path for me. Anyone who knows me understands I have a broad background in various business disciplines from sales to business transition management to operational leadership. Initially, I thought security and fulfillment would come in the form of a permanent position, however I am challenging myself to think beyond my comfort zone. My desire first and foremost is to achieve my ambition (my family and I living a good life without compromise) and I now realize my old ways of thinking may be getting in my way of doing just that. Lots to think about this week.
Family
Not only was last week a bummer on the financial end but also on the sports end in the Qualls household. After 2.5 years of not losing one freshman A football game, the Wildcats succumbed to defeat. Coach Qualls took it like the man he is and displayed great character telling his team the heart of a team is how they come back and play the next week. What made the game difficult to watch for me was the Wildcats were playing their rival the Jaguars which happens to be the same high school my kids attend. Soooo mixed emotions as the kids were happy but dad was not. I was proud of my son who didn't rub it in....too much. Sports are big in this household and we encourage the life lessons that come from playing. Being a good sport win or lose is value number 1 in our family.
Thank you for checking in. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have more to add to any of the conversations noted or have any questions. I am always eager to receive feedback and welcome additional information you may have to continue the discussion.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
What a Week
Last week was quite the week on all fronts of life.
Gaining Knowledge
I returned back from San Francisco having attended my third conference out of four as part of my 2 year business professional program. I am in the Business Professional's Course offered by the Aji Network (http://www.theajinetwork.com/) and to say it has changed my life would be an understatement. The course offers uncommon knowledge that helps one observe, learn, coordinate action, build networks and make offers that are much more powerful in the marketplace. As I speculated would occur, the third conference offered many "aha" moments as it highlighted how our biology is the driving force behind everything we do so taking time to learn how biology works is worth the effort. Check out the book, Tree of Knowledge by Humberto R. Maturana and Francisco J. Varela to learn more.
Energy/SmartGrid News
I spent the early part of the week reading blogs from the GridWeek conference that was held in Washington DC, Sept 22-24. I found Erich Gunther's daily blogs at http://www.smartgridnews.com/ entertaining as he gave his personal insights on both the convention speakers and outside the convention wall activities (a guy who likes a good cocktail, my kind of guy). Check out the GridWeek website for presentations, quite a bit of valuable information made available for free! http://gridweek.com/2008/default.asp#home
Career Update
Diligence and follow-up is beginning to pay-off. I continue discussions with various companies and last week met with a CEO from Ireland. Even though there is a great amount of fear in the marketplace, that very fear creates opportunities for companies and professionals who read the world and are prepared. I enjoy listening to executives discuss how their company is riding the roller coaster and what strategies they are considering to address the marketplace drift of today and tomorrow. I continue to refine my offers and narratives based on these conversations and excited about the opportunity I have to help drive profitability, support growth, and make a positive impact in the marketplace.
Business Development
The LightThread crew met last week and we are getting closer to finalizing our strategy. The possibilites that exist are exciting to say the least, we are already having clients engage us and we haven't even launched our website yet! We are taking our time with the strategy and testing ourselves time and time again to make sure we have a clear differentiator that will not only give us a strong launching point but will sustain us over the long term.
Family Front
Another incredibly busy week of fall sports....Zachary won his first high school soccer team (Go Jags!) and Samantha played in her first 12U comp fastpitch tourney this weekend and won third place (Go Elite!). Jackie continues his undefeated season as the head coach of the freshman team (Go Wildcats!). As excited as I am about my professional opportunities, the family is the reason I am on this journey in the first place. My ambition first and foremost is to provide a good life for my family. Our life may be a chaotic one but it is full of love, passion and energy and I wouldn't trade my family for anything in the world.
Whew! I guess my blog title hit it on the head...what a week it was. Until next time....enjoy the fall weather, root for your favorite football team (Go MU Tigers), watch the presidential debate, and pick a world series team to cheer on through the playoffs (Go Cubs...Oh wait, they tanked...i guess I'll pick the RedSox for my friends Victor and the Wise's).
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Gaining Knowledge
I returned back from San Francisco having attended my third conference out of four as part of my 2 year business professional program. I am in the Business Professional's Course offered by the Aji Network (http://www.theajinetwork.com/) and to say it has changed my life would be an understatement. The course offers uncommon knowledge that helps one observe, learn, coordinate action, build networks and make offers that are much more powerful in the marketplace. As I speculated would occur, the third conference offered many "aha" moments as it highlighted how our biology is the driving force behind everything we do so taking time to learn how biology works is worth the effort. Check out the book, Tree of Knowledge by Humberto R. Maturana and Francisco J. Varela to learn more.
Energy/SmartGrid News
I spent the early part of the week reading blogs from the GridWeek conference that was held in Washington DC, Sept 22-24. I found Erich Gunther's daily blogs at http://www.smartgridnews.com/ entertaining as he gave his personal insights on both the convention speakers and outside the convention wall activities (a guy who likes a good cocktail, my kind of guy). Check out the GridWeek website for presentations, quite a bit of valuable information made available for free! http://gridweek.com/2008/default.asp#home
Career Update
Diligence and follow-up is beginning to pay-off. I continue discussions with various companies and last week met with a CEO from Ireland. Even though there is a great amount of fear in the marketplace, that very fear creates opportunities for companies and professionals who read the world and are prepared. I enjoy listening to executives discuss how their company is riding the roller coaster and what strategies they are considering to address the marketplace drift of today and tomorrow. I continue to refine my offers and narratives based on these conversations and excited about the opportunity I have to help drive profitability, support growth, and make a positive impact in the marketplace.
Business Development
The LightThread crew met last week and we are getting closer to finalizing our strategy. The possibilites that exist are exciting to say the least, we are already having clients engage us and we haven't even launched our website yet! We are taking our time with the strategy and testing ourselves time and time again to make sure we have a clear differentiator that will not only give us a strong launching point but will sustain us over the long term.
Family Front
Another incredibly busy week of fall sports....Zachary won his first high school soccer team (Go Jags!) and Samantha played in her first 12U comp fastpitch tourney this weekend and won third place (Go Elite!). Jackie continues his undefeated season as the head coach of the freshman team (Go Wildcats!). As excited as I am about my professional opportunities, the family is the reason I am on this journey in the first place. My ambition first and foremost is to provide a good life for my family. Our life may be a chaotic one but it is full of love, passion and energy and I wouldn't trade my family for anything in the world.
Whew! I guess my blog title hit it on the head...what a week it was. Until next time....enjoy the fall weather, root for your favorite football team (Go MU Tigers), watch the presidential debate, and pick a world series team to cheer on through the playoffs (Go Cubs...Oh wait, they tanked...i guess I'll pick the RedSox for my friends Victor and the Wise's).
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
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