GAME ON: The Rest of My 'Adopted' List Makers

It’s my pleasure to introduce the other three all-stars who have agreed to help me with my “Live the List” project.

Reminder: I recently decided to give back in a unique way by “adopting” six people and helping them mark something off their life lists.

Before I introduce the final three people, who have graciously embraced this crazy endeavor, I wanted to reiterate my goals for this project:

• Help pull people out of their ruts (before they end up in a ditch);

• Inspire others to live boldly;

• Reinforce the importance of taking the emphasis off yourself and helping others,

• And motivate people to pay it forward.

Actually, the first bullet point is not applicable to the group of individuals that I’m about to introduce. They are nowhere near a rut and/or ditch – all three of these “adoptees” are at exciting places in their lives.

I guess you could say that I want to help them build on the momentum in their lives. (I may need to tweak my goals from my original post.)

Without further ado....

Courtney Foster
Courtney and I met when we worked together at J.O. Design. She’s unaware of it, but I have appointed myself president of her Fan Club. I think she’s an over-the-top talented designer who has a huge heart and a caring soul. (The fact she’s a new runner is wonderfully great, too.)

Confession: I feel a little guilty about Courtney’s involvement in this project. I practically dared her to make a list, and then I double-dog dared her to let me help her mark something off.

She’s on board, though, and understands the potential magnitude of this project.

“I want to take notice of how important the list is, no matter how small the task I want to accomplish,” Courtney said. “It's about creating happiness, not pursuing it.”

Her momentum: Courtney recently got married, started a new job at a fantastic architecture firm in Fort Worth AND she is in the process of buying her first house.

“I’m in the midst of chaos,” she explained with a wink. “There is a lot going on — definitely a growing period.”

But no ruts.

I’m helping Courtney mark something off her simple pleasures list: Go on vacation with her friends. (NOTE: I’m looking for a little creative license on “vacation.”)

I’ve enlisted one of Courtney’s friends to help set-up a girl’s weekend at my mom’s Retreat Center outside Glen Rose. It’s not Cancun or Jackson Hole, but they’ll be able to get away for a couple days and “clear the mechanism” in the country.

“It's so wonderful to actually have a game plan for accomplishing something on the list,” Courtney said.

GAME ON!

Arlene Cloud
Arlene is my next door neighbor and a friend. Along with her husband Kenny, they make everyone else’s neighbors look ridiculously silly and inept.

Nothing against your neighbors, BUT they’ve done a lot of remarkable things for us, like:

• Kenny climbed in our attic once to fetch a nesting varmint, while I sat on top of my car in the driveway squealing like a little girl;

• Arlene and Kenny cleaned our house while Crash was in NICU for a couple days after his birth;

• We have a standing invitation to invade their beer refrigerator in their back yard.

What do YOUR neighbors do for you? Pick up your newspapers when you’re on vacation?

Needless to say, I was THRILLED when Arlene shared her Bucket List with me and agreed to be part of this project.

Her momentum: “There is a fork coming up in my road and when I take the path that I've never taken before, I want there to be a plan. I tend to over embrace life, and I think I've finally accepted that about myself. Instead of apologizing for jumping into everything with both feet, I want to use it to my advantage.”

I’ve agreed to help Arlene cross No. 17 off her Bucket List: “Volunteer; different things, different times, but try to always be giving back.”

Reminder about the “Live the List” project: I want use my skill sets and/or “expertise” to help accomplish these tasks.

No. 17 on Arlene’s list is definitely in my wheelhouse.

I’m going to work with Arlene to set up a volunteer schedule – however much time and energy she wants to dedicate. More importantly, I want to help her find just the right organization and/or cause that tugs at her heart strings.

“My kids say I can't have volunteer on a Bucket List because I already do it,” Arlene said, “but I say it's ok if I'm choosing to make exploring different avenues of volunteering the key.”

GAME ON!

Michael Bloomberg
I met Mike while serving on a volunteer board for Big Brothers Big Sisters. We became fast friends – mainly because we share an entrepreneurial spirit and we love helping others.

Mike is the celebrity of my “adoptees” – positioning himself as the “world's premier Marriage Proposal Consultant.” This distinction has landed him on TV and in some of the most prestigious publications in the World, like the New York Times.

He explained his unique profession: “I help clients create and implement their one-of-a-kind marriage proposals. What I actually am doing is helping them create a memory. A memory the couple will share for the rest of their lives.”

That’s exactly what I want to help Mike do with this project – create a memory that will last forever. I’ve agreed to help him with a business-related task on his Bucket List: Plan an actor or professional athlete’s marriage proposal.

How cool is that task?

I told Mike that I’m going to use my contacts and resources to make this happen. It might take a little longer than the five other “Live the List” tasks that I’m embracing, but it’s going to be a game-changing story when it’s all said and done with.

“My goal when starting this company was to plan these proposals all over the globe with clients all over the world. I have been fortunate to do so,” Mike said. “However, the one thing that has not happened yet is working with a professional athlete or an actor. This would not necessarily make me better at my job, but, it would help me complete a goal I've had for myself and for my business since its inception.”

The momentum in Mike’s life is impressive: His business is flourishing and he's still making time to get his master’s degree in counseling.

“At this point in my life, I am exactly where I am supposed to be,” he said. “But I am also excited about the future and my ability to make a difference in this world.”

Mike said discovering his purpose has become an “exciting part of the journey” – but he also said he needs a little help working through “project paralysis.”

“I tend to come up with great ideas, but, sometimes get stuck in the over-analysis," Mike said. “I've chosen to let Drew help me because he will be the impetus to making a dream come true.”

GAME ON!

Follow the Leader? Only If They're Qualified

When you write a book entitled “How Do You Kill 11 Million People?” people are going to take notice.

I sure as hell did.

I was out on a run earlier this week, listening to the Dave Ramsey radio broadcast (great way to kill two birds with one stone – staying in shape physically AND financially.) Author Andy Andrews was a guest on the show, pimping his new book, “How Do You Kill 11 Million People?”

The book’s title obviously got my attention, but it’s something Andrews said during the interview that made me tuck my lips, nod my head and say: “Wow...he nailed it!”

To understand the context of Andrews’ statement,
you have to know the basic premise of his
New York Times Bestseller:

• The book puts an emphasis on World War II and the holocaust;

• Andrews firmly believes "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it;"

• He expresses concern about where United States is headed – without calling out a specific leader and/or particular political party;

• He doesn’t say that the U.S. WILL be the site of the next holocaust, BUT he said that it COULD be;

• He attacks the integrity of leadership in this country;

• He points to the apathy of the American people;

• He challenges Americans to get educated, engaged AND vote;

So how DO you kill 11 million people?

Andrews: “You lie to them.”

It’s an interesting book, a 20-minute read – short, sweet and to the point. (It’s such a quick read, I wouldn’t recommend buying it. Just check it out from your local library.)

Back to Andrews’ comment on The Dave Ramsey Show...he said:

“The question is not ‘who is going to lead us.’ The question is ‘what are our standards for being led.’ "

Tuck lips.

Nod.

“Nailed. It.”

Andrews was specifically talking about government and elected officials, but I quickly applied his rhetorical question to ANY leadership position – a boss, a coach, a teacher, a preacher, etc.

It didn’t take me long to realize that’s what I’ve been missing recently in my professional life – solid leadership.

Have I worked for good leaders? Absolutely. I’ve actually worked for GREAT leaders.

But I’ve also worked for some poor leaders. (They were simply “managers” with a fancy title.)

I wanted to share a letter I wrote to one of my former employers before I left and moved on to another opportunity (reminder 11 jobs in 11 years). I’ve removed all the names from the letter, and it was important to me that I didn’t identify the company/organization. (He or she knows if they're my muse for this blog post, because they received a copy of this letter on my last day.)

The only reason I want to share this letter is because Andrews’ question is powerful:

What are our standards for being led?

Mine are high and will always be high. That's why I refuse to stay in a bad situation. I guess I’m hoping this letter inspires you to take action:

• If you’re in a position to lead...THEN DO IT!

• If you’re in a position to follow...make sure you’re being led by the right people and hold those leaders to the highest standards.

Dear (name removed),

I just want to thank you for this tremendous opportunity – to briefly be a part of your incredible vision.

Even though this business relationship did not work out, I hope you know how much I believe in what you are trying to do. I’ve said this to MANY people (family, friends, random people in the community): I definitely drank the “Kool-aid” and was ready and willing to help take you where you wanted to go.

What happened?

I simply wanted to be a legitimate part of the team. I thought my experience and skill sets could truly help you accomplish your goals. After several conversations over the last two months, I realized that you were unable to facilitate that need/desire.

You asked me on several occasions to be a “team player” – pick up the slack where necessary. And even though I was hired to tell your story in the role of marketing and communications, I was willing to adjust on the move since I believed in what you were doing.

The most recent request – splitting my time and energy in other departments – definitely caught me off guard. However, my decision to be proactive with an “exit strategy” had nothing to do with the request and everything to do with how it was handled.

From my initial meeting, to my earnest request to be a more integral part of the team, I was disappointed. But my biggest frustration came when we were discussing the details of my new role within the company. The fact that my meeting was scheduled at the exact same time as a singing birthday telegram was unprofessional and disrespectful.

It was a complete and utter joke.

I tried to push it aside. I tried to let it go. I couldn’t.

BUT with all that in the rearview mirror, my sit-down meeting with you this morning was going to be the determining factor. You only gave me 10 minutes and that was enough time to make me realize that this wasn’t going to work out.

I wish you the best of luck. You ARE going to do wonderfully great things. I encourage you to be flexible with the “structure” of your company and focus on the strategy and the people. Those two things will take you where you want to go.

Please don’t ever forget where you came from and who you are – never, never try to be someone or something you’re not.

Thanks again,

Drew

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