Wow, what a year 2009 has been! New career, new teams, new degrees, new budgets, and overall a new way of living life. The Qualls family learned quite a bit this year...it was rarely easy or fun but we are blessed so much because of it. We are learning to appreciate the little things...a nice dinner out, time spent together, a new piece of clothing, signing a new business deal, going to a movie or visiting with out of town friends. We have been made very aware of how quickly life changes as we celebrated milestones, were told of job changes and said goodbye to loved ones. We were reminded time and time again...life is about the journey and not the destination. Our purpose? To appreciate each moment, appreciate each other and appreciate the hope for a new day.
As we leave 2009 & for many of us a year of hardship, heartache, & significant challenges, I ask you to consider the following: You have made it to 2010...you are surviving. Do you have someone to hug in your life? You are loved. Do you have somewhere to sleep? You have money. Do you think about tomorrow? You have hope. Find your blessings and embrace them as they will lead you on the path to more blessings tomorrow.
Love those around you, give of yourself, and DO, don't just try, but DO your BEST every day, change from within and watch the world change around you. Learn to love what you have, what you can make happen today and how you can help others. When you find yourself down, dust yourself off and stand up...tall and proud. You may have lost the battle but you are winning the war by living to fight another day.
Before you ask, "why me?" Ask yourself, "what can I do to make it better?" What are you learning, giving, and making happen? You find what you seek so seek with purpose and intention. Be the best possibility not just for others but most importantly for yourself. Find a way to win, even it means fighting like hell before you do.
I wish you the best of New Year's as I know we all need 2010 to have a bit more sunshine than 2009. I wish you and yours health, happiness and mucho love!
Be who you are and learn to be better,
- Lisa
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Leaving a Legacy
We buried my Uncle Don today. Quite a surprise, his death. He was hunting in Nebraska and on his break for lunch took a few gasps of air and boom..was gone. Heart attack. A pretty amazing man he was. He was a fairly quiet guy..you couldn't really tell what he was thinking most of the time. He was extremely smart...probably one of the smartest people I knew. He made a difference..to his family, his friends, and his community. And today, I realized that his greatest gift in his life is the legacy he created that will live on even now that he is gone.
The preacher who spoke about him today had never met him. But you wouldn't have known that had you heard him speak about the legacy my Uncle created in his lifetime. He shared with us the importance of respecting creation and how my Uncle lived his life dedicated to doing so. Uncle Don was a huge conservationist, volunteering his time to teaching hunter safety and the Discovery Center in downtown KC. He was an active community volunteer and fundraiser acknowledged by the key to the city he received from Pleasant Hill. He was a world traveler, sharing time and romance with his lovely wife, my Aunt Marsha. He was a family man, doting on his grandchildren introducing them to the world of gardening, fishing and tractor rides. He respected himself, achieving a highly respected 40 year financial career and taking care of his health as best he could given the illnesses/injuries that was bestowed on him from time to time.
Before today, I'm not sure I truly appreciated the life he led, the legacy he was creating before my very eyes. He wasn't always warm and fuzzy and you couldn't always figure out if he was mad, irritated or simply pondering a thought. But what I learned today, a very important lesson I am grateful to receive, is we need to look past the surface and instead focus on the actions a person takes in their life. We need to open our eyes and look at the results that are produced from what a person does with their time. These results are what creates a legacy..your legacy and mine.
My Uncle Don produced a great many results in his life including some we may not realize for years to come. Think about the hunter who prevents an accident from what he learned in one of his safety courses, to a child who sees the outdoors in the Discovery Center for the first and possibly only time in their life, to a couple who got their start in life from a loan he provided, to a citizen whose life is saved by the defibrillator or heat imagery device he raised funds to purchase, or to his family, his children, his grandchildren that create a legacy of their own based on the amazing time they spent with him. He was a man's man..a giving man..a man who taught me it is the acts in our life, throughout our life, the small ones just as important as the big ones that create a legacy and for this I will be forever grateful and will always miss him.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
The preacher who spoke about him today had never met him. But you wouldn't have known that had you heard him speak about the legacy my Uncle created in his lifetime. He shared with us the importance of respecting creation and how my Uncle lived his life dedicated to doing so. Uncle Don was a huge conservationist, volunteering his time to teaching hunter safety and the Discovery Center in downtown KC. He was an active community volunteer and fundraiser acknowledged by the key to the city he received from Pleasant Hill. He was a world traveler, sharing time and romance with his lovely wife, my Aunt Marsha. He was a family man, doting on his grandchildren introducing them to the world of gardening, fishing and tractor rides. He respected himself, achieving a highly respected 40 year financial career and taking care of his health as best he could given the illnesses/injuries that was bestowed on him from time to time.
Before today, I'm not sure I truly appreciated the life he led, the legacy he was creating before my very eyes. He wasn't always warm and fuzzy and you couldn't always figure out if he was mad, irritated or simply pondering a thought. But what I learned today, a very important lesson I am grateful to receive, is we need to look past the surface and instead focus on the actions a person takes in their life. We need to open our eyes and look at the results that are produced from what a person does with their time. These results are what creates a legacy..your legacy and mine.
My Uncle Don produced a great many results in his life including some we may not realize for years to come. Think about the hunter who prevents an accident from what he learned in one of his safety courses, to a child who sees the outdoors in the Discovery Center for the first and possibly only time in their life, to a couple who got their start in life from a loan he provided, to a citizen whose life is saved by the defibrillator or heat imagery device he raised funds to purchase, or to his family, his children, his grandchildren that create a legacy of their own based on the amazing time they spent with him. He was a man's man..a giving man..a man who taught me it is the acts in our life, throughout our life, the small ones just as important as the big ones that create a legacy and for this I will be forever grateful and will always miss him.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A Day in the Life of an Entrepreneur
As I sat down to eat a quick bite of dinner tonight, I started to think about my day and if I accomplished much. As I ran through the events of the day I thought this might make a good blog post to share with you what a "typical" day is like for a business owner who happens to also be a mom, wife, and a daughter amongst a few other descriptions others may give me. I was told in a leadership, entrepreneurial, and innovation program once that to be a business owner requires a certain type of psychology...it isn't for everybody. Boy howdy is that the truth! (yes, I just used the term, "boy howdy" which should be a good indication of the brain function I have left after a "typical day." lol)
I started the day interviewing a University of Missouri "J school" Journalism graduate for a potential position at LightThread. While conducting the interview I received a phone call from my mom letting me know her biopsy results for breast cancer came back negative and all was good...thank you God!
Once I made it in to the office I checked email, picked up the office, started to do dishes (yes kitchen duty is part of my responsibilities and as a side note the dishes never did get finished today and it was only 5 mugs), and read some more email.
I skyped my designer to check in on a website project schedule and a missing email. While talking to the designer our social media specialist arrived at the office who helped track down the missing email and got us back on track.
I work with my business partner on business card design since we both have speaking engagements coming up and it would be good to let people to know how to contact us. I become high maintenance when I ask him to redesign the card not once, twice, three but four times. Ultimately, I love the how the card looks and we end up printing two different cards to appease us both.
Sign some new contracts for a photography project and our new copywriter contractor that will start work in a few weeks.
I check in our checking account to see how our balance is doing and try to gauge a good time when I might get paid next. Good news is balance is positive and we have enough to cover all outgoing bills plus a few months rent...bad news not sure when I'll get paid next. Take a few minutes to strategize on how to get money in the door sooner than later, I then remember we have a blog project that should be done this week that will bring in some moolah. Yay!
I decide to check on the blog project and skype my developer. Seems like we are done with the project but having some wierd technical issues that only one person seems to experience. After checking a multitude of browsers and computers we think the one person's computer may be possessed but can't tell the client we are done until we fix the problem. Needless to say this is an issue that won't be resolved until tomorrow. Keep in mind, we can't replicate the problem so not sure how to fix it and of course we don't get paid until the client signs off so this one has us scratching our head a bit.
I start getting emails from my project team about a meeting scheduled for the afternoon. I screwed up yesterday and was supposed to schedule the meeting for yesterday afternoon but ended up scheduling for today. Too many conflicts for today so I end up cancelling for this week since we don't have many updates or actions to dole out..no need to have a meeting just to have a meeting. Developer is irritated with the late cancellation, I tell him I screwed up, my fault, sorry. I have learned falling on the sword is a much faster route to go and people actually appreciate you more when you acknowledge you made a mistake allowing everyone to move on quicker.
I get notified that a local group I am a member of may be experiencing issues with an election that is underway. I care because I helped instigate said election and happen to be nominated for President. So, after a few emails and forum comments we believe the issue is well in hand and taken care of.
Friend stops by to see if I want to go to lunch. Too busy and too broke I tell him...my social media specialist takes him up on the offer and I have the office to myself. Check some more email while eating a lean cuisine frozen lunch....yummmy.
I check-in on my professional study group that has a meeting scheduled this Friday. I missed our last meeting due to a freaky cornea issue (too much computer and allergies) so wanted to make sure I was prepared for our next get together. We always have prep work to do and this week's topic is our finanical ambition. Found out I need to review 8 research items and update a financial model...hmmm..that one is on tomorrow's to-do list.
The goal for the day is to begin writing copy for a new website that is instrumental in our launch of a new brand. Yes, I realize I am starting the day's goal after lunch, however for me getting started on a daily goal before 5:00 is actually a good day. I realize that to write the copy I need to learn HTML..which is a website code. I ask my social medial specialist to give me a quick tutorial which takes a bit longer than I expected because I learn I need to download a ftp server application, get back-end log-in information and print an HTML cheat sheet to help me remember all the code information. The good news is I was able to accomplish one whole page of copy....bad news I was able to accomplish one whole page of copy when I was hoping to get 4 pages of copy done.
While working on the copy I get an email reminding me that I was going to call someone after two...I get the email at 3:00. Damn. I send an email to the contact letting them know I got caught up with some issues and will call them at 4:00. I finish up the one page of copy and then check on a tradeshow project that started this week.
Good news! We received the tradeshow copy as promised. Bad news. The client's go-to-person notifies us she is going on a week long cruise starting Friday and we were hoping to make this a quick two week project...we get paid the remaining 50% of the project fees upon completion. I put in a request to my designer to see if we can acclerate concept design by 3 days to get the go-to-person's blessing so we can still finish next week. I'm still waiting on designer to say yes..keep your fingers crossed.
Husband emails wanting to know if I have time to run down some softball team issues for him. I say sure no problem. Send some emails and let him know all is good.
I make my 4:00 call that is supposed to last 30 minutes but ends up taking an hour.
When I finish the call I remember I was going to submit our new press release to four online press release sites this morning...and it is now 5:00. Well, better late than never. I start the simple but tedious process of uploading the press release to the different sites. Each site takes about 20-30 minutes to fill-out all the information, configure the text to their specifications and step through their publication process. Of course, the second site does something funky to my title heading and I can't change it. It really isn't that big of a deal but my OCD kicks in and I spend an extra 20 minutes trying to edit so a space can be added between a comma and the word 'to'... let me show you... the site published, Lisa Qualls, LightThread's Chief Development Officer,to present at KC Professional Development Days and I was trying to get it to look like, Lisa Qualls LightThread's Chief Development Officer, to present at KC Professional Development Days. So do you see the problem? I mean it's HUGE right??? Yeah I know...20 minutes of wasted time on something that really has no meaning in the world but was making me CRAZY. I finally gave up hoping that the other three sites will get the visibility.
I do some quick checking on google, yahoo and bing to make sure the press release is making the rounds. Also do some quick posting of the release on my social networks. Of course when you open up Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter you also get caught up on friends, news and check to see how many times your profile has been looked at. Needless to say it's 8:00 before I know it and I find myself starving...the lean cuisine although good doesn't really have a lot of staying power. I also then begin the guilt that comes with being a working mom...no home cooked meal for my kids and I missed my daughter's softball parent practice that I was hoping to participate in. I tell myself it will be ok when I watch every game at her tournament this weekend.
It is now almost 10:00 p.m. I finally did get to eat a quick ham and turkey sandwich with a hand full of potato chips and a beer. Kids and hubby got home from work and practice at about the same time around 9;30. I told them only 10 more minutes on the computer and yet again I guessed wrong and took longer than I hoped. They are now yelling at me to come join them for a quick t.v. show so they can go to bed. I love my life, my family, AND my business and can't wait to get started all over again tomorrow.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
I started the day interviewing a University of Missouri "J school" Journalism graduate for a potential position at LightThread. While conducting the interview I received a phone call from my mom letting me know her biopsy results for breast cancer came back negative and all was good...thank you God!
Once I made it in to the office I checked email, picked up the office, started to do dishes (yes kitchen duty is part of my responsibilities and as a side note the dishes never did get finished today and it was only 5 mugs), and read some more email.
I skyped my designer to check in on a website project schedule and a missing email. While talking to the designer our social media specialist arrived at the office who helped track down the missing email and got us back on track.
I work with my business partner on business card design since we both have speaking engagements coming up and it would be good to let people to know how to contact us. I become high maintenance when I ask him to redesign the card not once, twice, three but four times. Ultimately, I love the how the card looks and we end up printing two different cards to appease us both.
Sign some new contracts for a photography project and our new copywriter contractor that will start work in a few weeks.
I check in our checking account to see how our balance is doing and try to gauge a good time when I might get paid next. Good news is balance is positive and we have enough to cover all outgoing bills plus a few months rent...bad news not sure when I'll get paid next. Take a few minutes to strategize on how to get money in the door sooner than later, I then remember we have a blog project that should be done this week that will bring in some moolah. Yay!
I decide to check on the blog project and skype my developer. Seems like we are done with the project but having some wierd technical issues that only one person seems to experience. After checking a multitude of browsers and computers we think the one person's computer may be possessed but can't tell the client we are done until we fix the problem. Needless to say this is an issue that won't be resolved until tomorrow. Keep in mind, we can't replicate the problem so not sure how to fix it and of course we don't get paid until the client signs off so this one has us scratching our head a bit.
I start getting emails from my project team about a meeting scheduled for the afternoon. I screwed up yesterday and was supposed to schedule the meeting for yesterday afternoon but ended up scheduling for today. Too many conflicts for today so I end up cancelling for this week since we don't have many updates or actions to dole out..no need to have a meeting just to have a meeting. Developer is irritated with the late cancellation, I tell him I screwed up, my fault, sorry. I have learned falling on the sword is a much faster route to go and people actually appreciate you more when you acknowledge you made a mistake allowing everyone to move on quicker.
I get notified that a local group I am a member of may be experiencing issues with an election that is underway. I care because I helped instigate said election and happen to be nominated for President. So, after a few emails and forum comments we believe the issue is well in hand and taken care of.
Friend stops by to see if I want to go to lunch. Too busy and too broke I tell him...my social media specialist takes him up on the offer and I have the office to myself. Check some more email while eating a lean cuisine frozen lunch....yummmy.
I check-in on my professional study group that has a meeting scheduled this Friday. I missed our last meeting due to a freaky cornea issue (too much computer and allergies) so wanted to make sure I was prepared for our next get together. We always have prep work to do and this week's topic is our finanical ambition. Found out I need to review 8 research items and update a financial model...hmmm..that one is on tomorrow's to-do list.
The goal for the day is to begin writing copy for a new website that is instrumental in our launch of a new brand. Yes, I realize I am starting the day's goal after lunch, however for me getting started on a daily goal before 5:00 is actually a good day. I realize that to write the copy I need to learn HTML..which is a website code. I ask my social medial specialist to give me a quick tutorial which takes a bit longer than I expected because I learn I need to download a ftp server application, get back-end log-in information and print an HTML cheat sheet to help me remember all the code information. The good news is I was able to accomplish one whole page of copy....bad news I was able to accomplish one whole page of copy when I was hoping to get 4 pages of copy done.
While working on the copy I get an email reminding me that I was going to call someone after two...I get the email at 3:00. Damn. I send an email to the contact letting them know I got caught up with some issues and will call them at 4:00. I finish up the one page of copy and then check on a tradeshow project that started this week.
Good news! We received the tradeshow copy as promised. Bad news. The client's go-to-person notifies us she is going on a week long cruise starting Friday and we were hoping to make this a quick two week project...we get paid the remaining 50% of the project fees upon completion. I put in a request to my designer to see if we can acclerate concept design by 3 days to get the go-to-person's blessing so we can still finish next week. I'm still waiting on designer to say yes..keep your fingers crossed.
Husband emails wanting to know if I have time to run down some softball team issues for him. I say sure no problem. Send some emails and let him know all is good.
I make my 4:00 call that is supposed to last 30 minutes but ends up taking an hour.
When I finish the call I remember I was going to submit our new press release to four online press release sites this morning...and it is now 5:00. Well, better late than never. I start the simple but tedious process of uploading the press release to the different sites. Each site takes about 20-30 minutes to fill-out all the information, configure the text to their specifications and step through their publication process. Of course, the second site does something funky to my title heading and I can't change it. It really isn't that big of a deal but my OCD kicks in and I spend an extra 20 minutes trying to edit so a space can be added between a comma and the word 'to'... let me show you... the site published, Lisa Qualls, LightThread's Chief Development Officer,to present at KC Professional Development Days and I was trying to get it to look like, Lisa Qualls LightThread's Chief Development Officer, to present at KC Professional Development Days. So do you see the problem? I mean it's HUGE right??? Yeah I know...20 minutes of wasted time on something that really has no meaning in the world but was making me CRAZY. I finally gave up hoping that the other three sites will get the visibility.
I do some quick checking on google, yahoo and bing to make sure the press release is making the rounds. Also do some quick posting of the release on my social networks. Of course when you open up Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter you also get caught up on friends, news and check to see how many times your profile has been looked at. Needless to say it's 8:00 before I know it and I find myself starving...the lean cuisine although good doesn't really have a lot of staying power. I also then begin the guilt that comes with being a working mom...no home cooked meal for my kids and I missed my daughter's softball parent practice that I was hoping to participate in. I tell myself it will be ok when I watch every game at her tournament this weekend.
It is now almost 10:00 p.m. I finally did get to eat a quick ham and turkey sandwich with a hand full of potato chips and a beer. Kids and hubby got home from work and practice at about the same time around 9;30. I told them only 10 more minutes on the computer and yet again I guessed wrong and took longer than I hoped. They are now yelling at me to come join them for a quick t.v. show so they can go to bed. I love my life, my family, AND my business and can't wait to get started all over again tomorrow.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I Miss You!
Summer is in full swing and with it so is my calendar. We are a big softball and baseball family so ball games, practices and umpiring keeps us on the go. I have a rare evening at home so thought I would write a quick post and share some of the fun stuff going on in life.
Family
This is our first year experiencing competitive softball and boy does it keep a family busy. Samantha is enjoying the experience and has really turned in to a heck of a ballplayer. Zachary is playing baseball and working his bootie off at McDonalds. He finds plenty of time to hang with "his boys" and is a reminder of how summer is a time for fun. Jackie is teaching summer school, helping mow yards for the parents, and being the great husband he always is. I am so blessed to have such a fun and engaged family!
Being an Entrepreneur
I don't remember a time in my professional career where I have been so excited, scared, crazed and inspired all at the same time. Owning and managing a company is as hard as everyone says it is but it also so rewarding, challenging (in a good way) and educational. LightThread has been through some twists and turns as most start-up companies experience but our team is strong and focused. We have started to build momentum and buzz the last few months which has been very motivating. In fact, our CEO Simon Kuo was interviewed on KCTV5 which you can see here:
Our office is located in the Screenland Theater down in the Crossroads district. The building is a renovated fish house with a mini museum dedicated to the early life of Walt Disney. To say it is super cool would be an understatement and is home to many special events including the monthly Legends Luncheon supporting the Negro League Museum. We love to have friends stop by and always have cold brewsky's in the fridge. Work is the priority but if we're not having fun then whats the point? In fact, some of our best ideas are inspired when we are playing around, sharing thought-provoking conversation and laughing. First Friday's are an especially good time in the LightThread office so if you are ever in the area please stop by!
I am obviously focused on family and work this summer so it may be a while before I post again. I miss writing so will definitely pick up the pace come September. In the meantime, you can catch me writing on the LightThread blog, speaking at the KC Professional Development Days or attending SMCKC events around town.
Be who you are and learn to be better!
Lisa
Family
This is our first year experiencing competitive softball and boy does it keep a family busy. Samantha is enjoying the experience and has really turned in to a heck of a ballplayer. Zachary is playing baseball and working his bootie off at McDonalds. He finds plenty of time to hang with "his boys" and is a reminder of how summer is a time for fun. Jackie is teaching summer school, helping mow yards for the parents, and being the great husband he always is. I am so blessed to have such a fun and engaged family!
Being an Entrepreneur
I don't remember a time in my professional career where I have been so excited, scared, crazed and inspired all at the same time. Owning and managing a company is as hard as everyone says it is but it also so rewarding, challenging (in a good way) and educational. LightThread has been through some twists and turns as most start-up companies experience but our team is strong and focused. We have started to build momentum and buzz the last few months which has been very motivating. In fact, our CEO Simon Kuo was interviewed on KCTV5 which you can see here:
Our office is located in the Screenland Theater down in the Crossroads district. The building is a renovated fish house with a mini museum dedicated to the early life of Walt Disney. To say it is super cool would be an understatement and is home to many special events including the monthly Legends Luncheon supporting the Negro League Museum. We love to have friends stop by and always have cold brewsky's in the fridge. Work is the priority but if we're not having fun then whats the point? In fact, some of our best ideas are inspired when we are playing around, sharing thought-provoking conversation and laughing. First Friday's are an especially good time in the LightThread office so if you are ever in the area please stop by!
I am obviously focused on family and work this summer so it may be a while before I post again. I miss writing so will definitely pick up the pace come September. In the meantime, you can catch me writing on the LightThread blog, speaking at the KC Professional Development Days or attending SMCKC events around town.
Be who you are and learn to be better!
Lisa
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Online Transparency vs. Privacy
Looking for something fun to do on Saturday while getting educated on the latest and greatest in social media? Check out Chicks Who Click, a one-day Social Media Conference for Women incorporating networking, education and empowerment with like-minded women, achieving great heights in the area of Social Media. I will be serving on the transparency vs. privacy panel that will discuss the challenges to personal security, privacy and reputation that are unique to the online world.
I found a great post highlighting the benefits of the panel discussion that you can read here. How Come Men Don’t Have to Worry About This S**t?
Posted using ShareThis
I hope to see you at the Chicks Who Click event! If you can't make Saturday you may want to sign-up for the networking event Friday night at the GranFalloon.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
I found a great post highlighting the benefits of the panel discussion that you can read here. How Come Men Don’t Have to Worry About This S**t?
Posted using ShareThis
I hope to see you at the Chicks Who Click event! If you can't make Saturday you may want to sign-up for the networking event Friday night at the GranFalloon.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Spring Time is Here!
If you grew up in the midwest, there is a good chance you are a weather junkie like me, especially during this time of year. Tonight was our first significant weather event here in KC and for me it was the first time ever I integrated online viewing with my TV viewing. It was like a 360 degree theater of weather watching and it was awesome! Or like Jim Flink said on Twitter..it's like surround sound stereo! If you happen to be online while watching storm coverage on TV I thought you may find these sites interesting.
First is www.kcweather.org. This site was mentioned multiple times during channel 9 coverage and happens to be ran by a friend of mine. They host a live chat during severe weather situations when Ed Roberts (Ed runs the site) is available, which is most of the time. Ed also posts daily podcasts that you may find helpful. Not only do you get some meteorology education, you also meet some pretty cool people in the room. I had a great discussion with the Yahoo sports writer from Rivals.com and ended up getting into a side discussion about the NFL draft, high school recruiting and appreciation for online communities. Fun stuff!
For those of you on twitter you can follow @kcweather to get live updates. For those of you not on twitter, you can simply go to search.twitter.com and search on #kcstorms and you will see all live tweets that often have weather spotters providing live updates from around the metro area.
I know, I’m a super geek to be doing this kind of stuff on a Saturday night but my daughter had a softball tourney this weekend so was hanging at home. One more thing..in case you didn’t see the live tornado video on KMBC channel 9 it is a must see…a photojournalist and reporter got caught in the I-70 turnpike tornado and had to escape to a ditch…they got it all on video.
Spring is here in KC and I’m soooo happy!
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
First is www.kcweather.org. This site was mentioned multiple times during channel 9 coverage and happens to be ran by a friend of mine. They host a live chat during severe weather situations when Ed Roberts (Ed runs the site) is available, which is most of the time. Ed also posts daily podcasts that you may find helpful. Not only do you get some meteorology education, you also meet some pretty cool people in the room. I had a great discussion with the Yahoo sports writer from Rivals.com and ended up getting into a side discussion about the NFL draft, high school recruiting and appreciation for online communities. Fun stuff!
For those of you on twitter you can follow @kcweather to get live updates. For those of you not on twitter, you can simply go to search.twitter.com and search on #kcstorms and you will see all live tweets that often have weather spotters providing live updates from around the metro area.
I know, I’m a super geek to be doing this kind of stuff on a Saturday night but my daughter had a softball tourney this weekend so was hanging at home. One more thing..in case you didn’t see the live tornado video on KMBC channel 9 it is a must see…a photojournalist and reporter got caught in the I-70 turnpike tornado and had to escape to a ditch…they got it all on video.
Spring is here in KC and I’m soooo happy!
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Monday, April 20, 2009
40-Day Series Wrap-Up
WOW! Those 40 days went by fast.....super fast. I had a great time sharing with you just some of the fantastic people I have had the pleasure and honor of working with the last 20 years. I hope you learned something along the way as I know I learned a ton! I need to thank three more people as I wrap-up the series...my parents Tom and Rita Nicholson and my husband Jackie Qualls. My parents instilled in me a serious work ethic to keep going, do what it takes to get the job done and don't quit. They have provided an endless amount of support throughout my career. My ever patient husband taught me how to let go of the tough days and to celebrate the good ones. He also taught me the power of loving the difficult as there have been many days I have been difficult at best and he loved me anyway. I am truly grateful for having their love that inspires me each and every day.
Many people have asked me if I planned out who I was going to write about. I did write a list of about 40 people when I got the idea for the series but I didn't plan on when I would write about them or what I would write about. I also had names and memories that came to me while writing the series. Before I would write a post I would ask God for guidance and it never failed the name would come through loud and clear. Many times I would hear from the person that they had no idea they made such an impact and that I couldn't have had better timing...God works in mysterious ways. Once I figured out who I would write about the story would flow pretty easily. I found it interesting that every post would take a life of its own. What I thought I had learned from the person often times would be something different by the time I got to writing the golden nugget. Ultimately, the experience left me feeling blessed, thankful and in awe of the amazing people who have touched my life.
40-Day Series Review:
Annette Loos Golden Nugget: Don't assume people know when they do good work or are making a difference because more than likely they don't. Taking a few minutes to share a note of your observations can inspire a lifetime of confidence.
Linda Chappell Golden Nugget: Don't be afraid to give the rookie a chance to make a difference. Simply believe in them, encourage them, help them find their way from time to time and then watch them grow as they take your company to new heights.
Tony Painton Golden Nugget: 1) Take care of your team, even if it means breaking the rules from time to time. 2) Laugh the tension away
Victor Alba Golden Nugget: Share your passion and hobbies with your co-workers, you may find a connection that transcends business and leads you to new possibilities in life.
Shushan Aleaqui Golden Nugget: Take the time, show the patience and have the courage to be authentic when coaching others.
Kathy Walker Golden Nugget: Don't forget where you came from and be willing to lead as your authentic self
Claudio Lima Golden Nugget: Don't be afraid to ask the smart guys for help and if you are the smart guy help the student feel smart too. Be kind to those who are on assignment and/or new to the group.
Sharon Williams Golden Nugget: Be a listening ear and know when to tell a joke
Steve Coker Golden Nugget: Find someone who you trust enough to call you a chicken and appreciate it when they do
Linda Sherlock Golden Nugget: If it isn't good do what you have to do to fix it and make it great.
Tim Lunsford Golden Nugget: Foster an environment of debate, challenge the status quo and be wary of the Yes man
Jean Matkovich Golden Nugget: Embrace learning and share what you know with others.
Simon Kuo Golden Nugget: Stay in touch with old colleagues and be open to new opportunities they offer
Craig Cowden Golden Nugget: Ask the tough questions and have your voice be heard
Rebecca Caldwell Golden Nugget: Embrace community service and let others help you to achieve the "impossible"
Tricia Howe Golden Nugget: Energy creates energy..giving 100% is infectious!
George Porta Golden Nugget: Appreciate people for who they are and focus on their strengths
Glen Boney Golden Nugget: Give unconditional help and support
Laurie Halfert Golden Nugget: Listen without judgment
Fong Johnson Golden Nugget: Being a mentor is more about learning than teaching
Francine Ray Golden Nugget: Keep the small stuff small by taking care of the details.
Tony Krueck Golden Nugget: Create a culture of quality and trust by encouraging and accepting candid discussion
Clay Holyfield Golden Nugget: Know what your customer wants and give it to them
Jay Bluhm Golden Nugget: Appreciate the time spent with your siblings
Amy Mahalovich Golden Nugget: Be compassionate with others
Jo Blagovich Golden Nugget: Give people second chances
Fred Harris Golden Nugget: Think twice about how you treat your co-workers
Susan Morgan Golden Nugget: Learn, stand-up, reach-out and lead
Tom Hoskins Golden Nugget: Family First
Jerry Leeper Golden Nugget: Being the best you can be requires practice, discipline & dedication
Lori Ames Golden Nugget: Trust someone to catch you when you fall, they'll push you back up.
Sally Harding Funk Golden Nugget: Provide meaningful training to employees
Tom and Rita Nicholson Golden Nugget: Keep going, do what it takes to get the job done and don't quit
Jackie Qualls Golden Nugget: Let go of the tough days, celebrate the good ones and love the difficult people as they need it the most
If this series taught you something please leave a comment as it may teach us all a golden nugget. Thank you for stopping by and check back again soon.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
Many people have asked me if I planned out who I was going to write about. I did write a list of about 40 people when I got the idea for the series but I didn't plan on when I would write about them or what I would write about. I also had names and memories that came to me while writing the series. Before I would write a post I would ask God for guidance and it never failed the name would come through loud and clear. Many times I would hear from the person that they had no idea they made such an impact and that I couldn't have had better timing...God works in mysterious ways. Once I figured out who I would write about the story would flow pretty easily. I found it interesting that every post would take a life of its own. What I thought I had learned from the person often times would be something different by the time I got to writing the golden nugget. Ultimately, the experience left me feeling blessed, thankful and in awe of the amazing people who have touched my life.
40-Day Series Review:
Annette Loos Golden Nugget: Don't assume people know when they do good work or are making a difference because more than likely they don't. Taking a few minutes to share a note of your observations can inspire a lifetime of confidence.
Linda Chappell Golden Nugget: Don't be afraid to give the rookie a chance to make a difference. Simply believe in them, encourage them, help them find their way from time to time and then watch them grow as they take your company to new heights.
Tony Painton Golden Nugget: 1) Take care of your team, even if it means breaking the rules from time to time. 2) Laugh the tension away
Victor Alba Golden Nugget: Share your passion and hobbies with your co-workers, you may find a connection that transcends business and leads you to new possibilities in life.
Shushan Aleaqui Golden Nugget: Take the time, show the patience and have the courage to be authentic when coaching others.
Kathy Walker Golden Nugget: Don't forget where you came from and be willing to lead as your authentic self
Claudio Lima Golden Nugget: Don't be afraid to ask the smart guys for help and if you are the smart guy help the student feel smart too. Be kind to those who are on assignment and/or new to the group.
Sharon Williams Golden Nugget: Be a listening ear and know when to tell a joke
Steve Coker Golden Nugget: Find someone who you trust enough to call you a chicken and appreciate it when they do
Linda Sherlock Golden Nugget: If it isn't good do what you have to do to fix it and make it great.
Tim Lunsford Golden Nugget: Foster an environment of debate, challenge the status quo and be wary of the Yes man
Jean Matkovich Golden Nugget: Embrace learning and share what you know with others.
Simon Kuo Golden Nugget: Stay in touch with old colleagues and be open to new opportunities they offer
Craig Cowden Golden Nugget: Ask the tough questions and have your voice be heard
Rebecca Caldwell Golden Nugget: Embrace community service and let others help you to achieve the "impossible"
Tricia Howe Golden Nugget: Energy creates energy..giving 100% is infectious!
George Porta Golden Nugget: Appreciate people for who they are and focus on their strengths
Glen Boney Golden Nugget: Give unconditional help and support
Laurie Halfert Golden Nugget: Listen without judgment
Fong Johnson Golden Nugget: Being a mentor is more about learning than teaching
Francine Ray Golden Nugget: Keep the small stuff small by taking care of the details.
Tony Krueck Golden Nugget: Create a culture of quality and trust by encouraging and accepting candid discussion
Clay Holyfield Golden Nugget: Know what your customer wants and give it to them
Jay Bluhm Golden Nugget: Appreciate the time spent with your siblings
Amy Mahalovich Golden Nugget: Be compassionate with others
Jo Blagovich Golden Nugget: Give people second chances
Fred Harris Golden Nugget: Think twice about how you treat your co-workers
Susan Morgan Golden Nugget: Learn, stand-up, reach-out and lead
Tom Hoskins Golden Nugget: Family First
Jerry Leeper Golden Nugget: Being the best you can be requires practice, discipline & dedication
Lori Ames Golden Nugget: Trust someone to catch you when you fall, they'll push you back up.
Sally Harding Funk Golden Nugget: Provide meaningful training to employees
Tom and Rita Nicholson Golden Nugget: Keep going, do what it takes to get the job done and don't quit
Jackie Qualls Golden Nugget: Let go of the tough days, celebrate the good ones and love the difficult people as they need it the most
If this series taught you something please leave a comment as it may teach us all a golden nugget. Thank you for stopping by and check back again soon.
Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa
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