Reading List: Then, Now, and Later

LinkedIn had a "Reading List" feature that was disabled a few months ago, to my dismay. I had shared several books I've read as well as earmarked several I intend to read in the future.

In this blog post, I'll add those books for my own safekeeping, as well as to share with blog readers who might be interested in sharing their suggests as a "comment" to this blog.

I've decided to make a conscious effort to read more each week. This blog post will help to give that goal focus.

Book suggestions: to help
with contemplation and meditation,
as suggested by The Chronicle of
Higher Education, March 29, 2013

READ
A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
http://www.amazon.com/Whole-New-Mind-Right-Brainers-Future/dp/1594481717/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364824141&sr=1-4&keywords=daniel+pink
I read this book as part of the Inforum Michigan Executive Leadership Program. I found it an easy read, and very inspirational and enlightening. I'd recommend this book. Viktor Frankl's book was suggested.


WANT TO READ
http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/080701429X
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

http://www.amazon.com/Never-Eat-Alone-Secrets-Relationship/dp/0385512058
Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi  (thanks to Dana Cadman)          

My “Not So Secret” Process to Speechwriting

Think back to the reason you joined Toastmasters. Or if you’re visiting a club, what brought you into the room to check out Toastmasters?

For many people, Toastmasters was sought as a place to practice and improve the art of public speaking.

As for me, fear and lack of confidence brought me to Toastmasters over five years ago. During my first speech, my lips and chin trembled, and I spoke way too fast. In my first year of being involved with the club, I won our club’s speech contest, and went on to win the area speech contest. I know you’re thinking “pretty impressive!”

I would agree, except that the only reason I won is that everyone I competed against in that contest run was eliminated because of time limits. Yes, my fellow Toastmasters and future Toastmasters, I won because I stayed just within the time limits. But that’s another speech for another day.

Today I come to you to talk about my secret method for creating speeches. After today, it will be known as my “not so secret” process since I’m also posting a blog on this topic.

A sample speech outline.
~ from Toastmaster Brenda Meller

In Toastmasters just as in our professional careers, there will be many opportunities to sign up weeks in advance for presentations. There will also be those times that you have just the night before to prepare. Or if you’re like me, Toastmasters speechwriting was on your weekend list, below homework for class, spending time with your family, a mom-to-mom sale, and housework.

Yes my fellow Toastmasters, I admit I started writing this speech at 10:15 p.m. last night.

The beauty of Toastmasters is that you’ll learn so many techniques that will help you in the speechwriting process and delivery. Today, I’d like to share with you four techniques.

• My speechwriting process.
• My inspiration.
• My practice method.
• And as a bonus: my delivery method.

So let’s start with my speechwriting process. I always start by identifying the objective of my speech, and tie it to a manual speech so I can get credit toward my Toastmasters program. I’m working on my CL manual right now, and identified I could use this speech for project 4, which deals with time management. How’s that for irony, by the way?

Then, since there are not requirements other than demonstrating my timing skills, I have to think of my topic. I’ll wait to explain my inspiration process in the next step

I then write out an outline, thinking of a clever opening and witty conclusion, with three points to cover in the body. Okay, I added a fourth as a bonus section.

Next, I write out the speech in a narrative format. I’ll practice reading it once or twice after I’ve written it, and that’s it. I’ll use my outline for practice. More on that later.

So how do I come up with these fabulous speech topics? Well that’s easy. I choose something I like to talk about, and make sure it’s relatable to my audience.

For today’s speech, this was a no brainer. Use my process as the topic. Pure genius!

I’ll often use projects at work for my speech topics, since by delivering them here at Toastmasters, I’ll gain real, usable, productive feedback. Not the “great job Brenda’s” that I get at work, which really don’t tell me if the presentation was effective or not. But the descriptive, specific evaluations we can only get here at Toastmasters.

Other times, I draw on my family as stories of inspiration. In fact, if you Google my name, you’ll find a YouTube video of me at Toastmasters describing my son’s Easter Egg hunt a few years ago. I have to confess: that speech was written the night before, too.

Now onto my practice method. As I mentioned, I’ll write out my speech then read it through once or twice. Then, I collapse it into an outline that I use to rehearse my speech. In the car. Yes, that’s how I practice. Back in the beginning, I would actually practice my speech in front of a mirror or in my basement. But unless I give up more sleep – I don’t know where I would find the time to practice. We all have the same number of hours in a day, and we have to find the time for things we really want to do.

I have to share that when I practice speeches while in the car, I’m entirely hands free and I’m keeping an eye on the road. The people next to me probably think I'm singing along to the radio!

As I practice, I’m also envisioning delivering in the room.

Once I arrive at the meeting, I’ll try to get up in front of the room to assess the “feel” for the group before the meeting starts, if I can.

And that’s really it. I know a few of you were probably thinking I planned this speech weeks ago, practiced it a million times, but just like you, I’m pressed for time. I admit that I thought about cancelling my participation in today’s meeting, but then others started cancelling and I didn’t want to get yelled at by Charles, our club’s VP of Education. He scares me sometimes. (I’m kidding, of course)

This reminds me though that my Toastmasters training has prepared me to be unprepared, and how to quickly prepare. In fact, today’s speech is little more than an extended Table Topic for me.

If you attend a Toastmasters meeting, you’ll get the chance to try a table topic – even if you are not yet a member. Do yourself a favor: do one. Your mind will get practice that will pay off huge in the long run.

My last point I’d like to address regarding my now not-secret speech process is in my delivery. I will make an effort to ensure I’m having fun up here. I start my speeches by walking to the front of the room with a swagger and a smile, like I’ve just won an award that I’ve worked really hard to earn.

I’ve noticed that if I have a strong, confident opening, and I’m enjoying my speech, my audience will too. You should try this sometime!

In summary, my fellow and future Toastmasters, I’d like to say that you, too, can be a public speaking all star. With just a little practice – okay a LOT of practice – you will learn that Toastmasters teaches you techniques that will help you think on your feet, find time when you have no time, and make you a stronger, more capable presenter in any situation.

I’ve learned that whether you’re here at Toastmasters in a safe environment, or at work in a professional situation, you should honor your obligations. Oh, and I’ve also learned that the wrath of Charles is something you CAN avoid by not coming to a meeting, but in the long run, he’s doing all of us a favor by holding us accountable to become better speakers.

For that Charles, I say “THANK YOU.” J

Presented by Brenda Meller at

Toastmasters at Walsh College - Troy
October 21, 2012

I Love My Job and You Should, Too

I know there are probably some people who will read this blog and think I'm crazy. I love my job. I'm proud to write that. Yes, I truly love it. And I think you should, too. 

Find a Job You Love.

I remember in college a professor told me that it's typical to have three careers after college. The first job you get is to have a job. The second job is to get out of your first job. And your third job is a job you love. 


Well, for me it took a few more jobs (I'm on job #5 now). Along the way I learned what I like to do, what I'm good at doing, and what others thought I could do. I also started gaining an understanding of the value of what I do, and how important that is in a career. 


I'm the Director of Marketing at Walsh College, where I was recently promoted from Marketing Manager. Now that may not sound like a big deal to you, but if you work in marketing, you probably understand that it IS a big deal! I remember reading a fictional career book many years ago in which the main character became the Director of Marketing for a hotel chain, and thinking at the time how cool it would be to be a Director of Marketing. 


I started as an Assistant Media Planner at an Ad Agency, then was promoted to Media Planner. Left after 2 1/2 years, and became Area Marketing Coordinator. Left at just under 2 years to become Marketing Coordinator. Laid off from there and became Marketing Specialist at another place, and shortly thereafter promoted to Marketing Manager. I then held the title of Marketing Manager for the past 7 years (wow... just realized that). Now I'll admit that when I first was promoted to Marketing Manager, I didn't feel like my job had changed at all, nor that I was really qualified for a "manager" title. But my manager saw a lot of potential in me (thank you, Keith Woodman!) and supported me in my career. 


I digress.


I love my job. I've been at Walsh for the past three years, and remember when I was interviewing how excited I was to finally find a position that gave me the opportunity to blend my expertise in marketing with my love of professional development. It really is a perfect match for me, and I can now see how all my previous experience has been perfect in preparing me for my current role. 


I love my job, and I think you should, too. Life is too short, and it's not going to get any better if you stay in a job you don't love. You should look forward to getting up in the morning and diving into your day. You should leave the office feeling like you've accomplished something, and the stress of your job should leave you feeling invigorated. Mine does that for me.


You should work for a manager who supports your personal and professional goals. You should work at a company that you believe in. Your company's mission should be your mission as well. You will be far more productive and happy in life if you are passionate about your career.


Now I know there are circumstances that are beyond our control, especially in today's economy. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't keep an eye on your goal, and focus on finding work that is in some small way related to that goal. If you want to work in sports marketing, blog about sports. If you want to be on FoodTV someday, find a culinary arts program and enroll. But if you are miserable in your current position and don't like the work that you do, please don't go find the same position with a different company. You'll find the same results.


I love my job. Do you?

The Power of Volunteering

I attended a great networking session at Lighthouse of Oakland County today. They started a new program offering job seekers a free monthly breakfast plus workshops led by individuals in the community.

Beth Grossman, an Executive Search Director from Angott Search Group, spoke about a variety of candidates she has worked with who have use their career transition time to volunteer at a charity or other non-profit organization.

Twelve hours after the presentation, here is what is most memorable for me:

1. Volunteering fills that gap in your resume. It demonstrates your desire to stay active and be productive. Plus it gives you something current to talk about in an interview.

2. Being a volunteer can help to lift your spirits. It's tough being unemployed. It's frustrating. And knowing you're not alone doesn't always help. By volunteering your time to help a cause that you are passionate about, you redirect your energy toward helping others. And that feels good.

3. If you're trying to change industries and don't have work experience in your desired area yet, you may be able to gain some experience in a volunteer capacity. That may be just enough to open doors for your next career.

4. When you volunteer and assist at events such as those put on by Lighthouse, you have the opportunity to mingle and interact with a variety of working professionals. Sometimes these individuals are board members or senior executives. And making a name for yourself in a volunteer capacity will give them a very favorable impression of you.

5. It's nice to get out of the house. Or the library. Or the Michigan Works office. There can be something quite calming about working in an office setting that you can't quite achieve at your home office. If you miss the interaction and hustle of office work, you may be able to find a temporary office space as a volunteer.

6. Volunteering gives you something to talk about to friends and family, instead of rehashing your job search. We know they all mean well, but hearing "you'll find something soon" and the gentle head nodding and acknowledgment of the hours you logged on Monster this week can get old really quick.

7. Volunteering gives you a chance to help give back. Maybe you're a whiz at Excel spreadsheets. Or perhaps you've worked as a marketing director. Or maybe you simply enjoyed supporting a team in an administrative role. We all know every company has had to cut back, and many companies are struggling because they can't afford to build back their teams... yet. Non-profits and charities have their own challenges. Many organizations like Lighthouse are finding themselves in the unique situation of finding that previous donors are now clients needing help. You've got the time and expertise, why not volunteer? You might not have the dollars to donate, but you have intellectual insight which can be equally valuable.

So now I've got you convinced to look for some volunteer work. Where do you start?

Pick a charity. Any charity. Preferably one where you have a personal connection or personal interest. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:

• You could consider the American Cancer Society because you lost a loved one to cancer. My mom lost her battle with cancer when she was 46. One of my personal goals is to someday volunteer for the American Cancer Society, hopefully in a speaking  role.
• If you love kids, you could consider ChildHungerEndsHere.com. The Twitter hashtag is #fightchildhunger. This program serves Forgotten Harvest, Gleaners and Food Gatherers in SE Michigan. Two good friends of mine, Jennifer Marsik Friess and Susan Ferraro of Volare Public Relations have been assisting this program, and they've recruited me to help. 
• Lighthouse of Oakland County has a great volunteer program in place, and many success stories as a result. They mentioned their goal of providing support and inspiration to move people from crisis to self-efficiency. This is in the form of housing, food, counseling, and much more.
• Need something to sweeten the deal? Target is offering a "Scoop it Forward" promotion where you can earn some Ben Jerry's ice cream just for volunteering at a local charity. You just enter your hometown (or metro area) and follow the instructions to find volunteer opps.

Do you work for a charity and need volunteers? Reply to this post.

Are you a job seeker who needs experience to fill a gap on your resume? Reply to this post and tell us what type of volunteer work you are seeking. Or, better yet, contact the PR dept of your desired charity. 

We all can work together to help one another move forward. Don't you agree?

Powerful Women -- quick... who comes to mind?

Without thinking about it too much, who comes to mind when you think of Powerful Women?

I'll give you a minute.

Okay, done?

So, who came to mind for you?

At the top of my list were Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Oprah, Suze Orman, Ellen Degeneres, and maybe a musician or two (Lady Gaga, Madonna, Britney Spears). I'll admit Sarah Palin was an afterthought for me. And she always reminds me of Tina Fey.

Thinking that I might be biased because I'm a woman, I asked my husband the same question. Surprisingly, his answers were similar. He also debated whether the Queen of England was powerful or not, and I prodded him to skip her if he wasn't sure and to name off as many women as he could.

What if I were to ask you to name Powerful Women who were local to your city/state? For me, Jennifer Granholm (Michigan's governor) comes to mind. As does Michelle Hodges (President of Troy Chamber of Commerce), Stephanie Bergeron (president of Walsh College), Terry Barclay (President of Inforum Michigan), Rhonda Walker (WDIV reporter, whom I heard speaking at an event last week), and Beth Chappell (President and CEO of the Detroit Economic Club). I'm sure there are dozens of others but those come to mind for me.

Now what if I were to ask to name Powerful Men? Or, Powerful People? Chances are, your list would be filled with politicians, businessmen, entrepreneurs, etc. etc. You'd probably mention a few CEOs who are men, too. If you had to name any CEOs who are women, you'd probably be hard-pressed to name a few.

Maybe this exercise was really easy for you because you follow Powerful People on a regular basis. And if you're not interested in Powerful People at all, you're not reading this post (yes, I'm talking to you... oh wait, you ARE reading this...).

There's been a shift over the past few years with more women moving into leadership positions. This was definitely highlighted by the last presidential campaign. As women, we know that we're still under-represented in many industries and within leadership positions. I was at an Inforum Michigan event today where one of the speakers was (is) a powerful woman: Charlene Begley (president and CEO of GE Home & Business Solutions and a senior vice president for GE). She mentioned that in her current role, she typically travels Monday through Friday. She further explained that up until a few years ago, her job did not require her to travel this much.

A question was asked during the event about work/life balance, and about women moving into leadership positions. Often women will not ask for promotions or more challenging roles. Some women don't think they are competent enough - nor do they want the added responsibility - that may come with those roles. Still many others who may be the breadwinner for the family are still the primary caregiver. We will make choices about having a successful career, but when it comes to deciding whether to accelerate into senior leadership positions, the family wins out.

I'll admit in some ways, it is our responsibility as women to find a careful balance between career success and personal/family happiness. Too often you see women who have successful careers who end up divorced, or without children by choice because the timing is never right. Having a supportive spouse and an extended network of family members and friends to help with family care-giving helps. And from there, it's up to us to decide how far we want to go in our career.

In other ways, our careers may be limited by the culture of the company. I've seen the good ole boys network alive and well at past employers and know I'm not alone in this observation. Even though we want to move ahead and move into leadership, the opportunities never come to fruition. Certain women acknowledge this and move on to find success elsewhere. Others accept the culture and come to terms with the environment.

Ultimately, it's up to each person to decide for herself -- or himself -- how far they want to go in their career and the choices or changes that will need to be made to achieve those goals.

As for me, I find it inspirational but also necessary to look around and identify Powerful Women. They can share their learnings. They pave the road for so many women behind them. They serve as mentors -- some directly, and others indirectly.

So who else is a Powerful Woman to me? In addition to the above, I think the list should include those who are just starting out in their careers and already demonstrating a quest for knowledge, and pursuit for excellent in any task - large or small. Amber Kaipio @akaipio, is a marketing intern at Walsh College who exemplifies this.

It should also include women in the Detroit Social Media community who are experts at building relationships and networking. Shelli Gutholm @shelligutholm, Carrie Roeder @ideationista, and Jennifer Marsik Friess @JenMarsikFriess to name a few.

Plus it should include those who have great presence in any group - positive energy, and a genuine, likeable woman. The kind of women who immediately bring a smile to your face and make you feel special, whether you're meeting with them one-on-one or see them in passing at a huge networking event. Susan Gibson at Corp! Magazine, Lori Williams @loritwilliams, Patty Buccellato of Refined Images, Tember Shea of Inforum Michigan, are a few that come to mind for me.

What do you think? Who comes to mind for you as a "Powerful Woman"?

My secret: how I learn new marketing techniques

I attended a Toastmasters* Leadership Institute event yesterday in Dearborn, Michigan. The purpose of this event is to bring together all the Toastmaster members in our District (which covers metro Detroit, Windsor, and Toledo) and train the club officers as well as to keep us all updated on upcoming district events. There are also a free breakout session on various leadership and communication topics.

It's a great event for several reasons:
1. It's free and they give you breakfast. Hey - we all gotta be cost-conscious these days!
2. Gives me a chance to chat with other Toastmasters from clubs across the metro area, many of which I keep in touch with through social media (facebook, twitter, linkedin), but only see a few times a year.
3. Even though it requires me to give up half of a Saturday and forgo sleeping in , I look forward to going. I know I'll leave with more information that will help me and my club and I will be inspired. I've found once you start seeking inspiration, you tend to become addicted. :)

I could go on but you get the picture.

So onto the real topic - my secret for learning new marketing techniques: I find the people who are doing things really well, and I learn and then mimic their techniques. I figure out what works for me and what doesn't. Sometimes I ask them to suggest what techniques they would suggest for me. Sometimes I just read about their techniques, or notice what they are doing, or notice what they aren't doing (and see that golden opportunity) and voila I find something. And sometimes through trial and error I find a technique that works even better for me.

What does Toastmasters have to do with any of this, you ask?

Public speaking.

Egad. Even the mention of it is enough to cause a few of you to stop reading this blog right NOW. And a handful of others to recall their high school or college class when you gave a speech and thank god you don't have to do one again anytime soon. There are probably others of you who speak in front of groups regularly as part of your job and it no longer phases you.

Well, not me. I'm an introvert at heart and I'll ALWAYS have to work at my public speaking skills. But by paying close attention to those in my industry who are widely successful, I figured out that I'll need to be a confident, engaging, charismatic speaker in order to be successful in my future. Sure, I could be mediocre. But as my son will tell you, mediocre is "okay" and I want to be better than "okay."

So I joined Toastmasters. I was so nervous going to my first meeting. Would they single me out and ask me to speak? Would the group be so advanced that they would laugh at my speaking ability? And more importantly, would I have enough courage to commit to their program?

Well, nearly 2 1/2 years later I can share that I completed one manual (10 speeches) and earned my "Competent Communicator" award; I completed in an area contest and won best area speaker (funny story actually); I served as club president for a year; and I sponsored a new club and helped that club to charter within a month. But I think the biggest accomplishment for me was that I found my voice. I figured out my speaking style. I worked out many of the insecurities I had about myself speaking in front of groups. I'm proud (and still a bit surprised) to say that even though I still get a bit nervous before I speak in front of a large group - and we're talking groups of 50-100 or more - that I ENJOY speaking.

I also realized that I will always have to continue to practice public speaking and hone my skills. Remember, I'm an introvert at heart. That means that the nervousness I have will never completely go away so I have to chip at it all the time to keep my nerves at bay. That's why you'll always see me raising my hand when there's an opportunity to do so.

Over the past few years, I've had the opportunity to meet many, many, many talented public speakers in Toastmasters. And this brings me back to my secret marketing technique: learning from others. Surround yourself with those who are experts, and you will learn. I look at what they are doing really well - their timing, their gestures, their audience engagement, their jokes even, and I also look for areas where they could do better and think about what I would do differently. I'm continuously soaking up as much as I can from my fellow Toastmasters, and when there's a lull in a presentation, I'm jotting down notes for future speeches, and sometimes for techniques that I can bring back to my club.

Okay, so now you know my secret. Let's just keep this between me and you, okay? Oh, and the world wide web. :)



* If you're not familiar with Toastmasters, a lot of people know it as the "public speaking group." Toastmasters has been around for years and it's an international, professional development group. Its focus is to help people to improve their communication and leadership skills through self-paced programs. Plus, it's pretty inexpensive. I pay $35 twice a year. Read more at www.toastmasters.org.

The Power of Connections

Yesterday, I spoke about using LinkedIn as a job search and networking tool at a workshop at Walsh College.

The auditorium was packed - normally a good thing, right? Except when you consider that everyone in the room is a worker-in-transition.

But, I felt good about the session. And I felt very proud of the people in the room. The attendees were, in fact, taking charge of their futures by getting out of their houses and attending a workshop. There was good energy in the room, and we're hearing a lot of great feedback from attendees.

Just this morning, I was asked to connect on LinkedIn by several attendees, including a woman named Lisa Gilkey, who had this as her status update:

Lisa Gilkey: Fired up after attending a "Taking Charge" workshop at Walsh College. 14 hours ago
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lgilkey

That makes me smile. I am happy that the session was positive for Lisa. I'm happy that she's sharing with her connections the positive comments about the workshop. And hopefully that status update will prompt some of her connections to take notice, and maybe lead Lisa to her next career.

On a related note, I invited a guest speaker to the workshop yesterday, Keith Burke (http://www.linkedin.com/in/keithburke). Keith attended the same workshop back in January (February?) and we connected via LinkedIn afterward. Since then, Keith has asked to be introduced to one of my connections, who in turn informed Keith of a job opportunity. If he hadn't attended the workshop, and connected with me, and if I hadn't connected with this person, Keith would not have heard of the job. I have a strong feeling that he will find something soon.

Keith and Lisa are two perfect examples of great transitional networkers. They are getting out there - meeting new people - taking full advantage of opportunities during their search. They are being assertive and positive in their search.

And they have inspired me. And that is the power of my connections. :)

That's what the boats are for...

There are a LOT of good people out there looking for work in Michigan and I've been blessed to meet many of them. I've seen every level of motivation, from those who are frozen into doing little for their own job search and waiting for an email or a phone call offer, to those who are out there every week - networking, taking advantage of all available opportunities, offering help before asking for help, and being open to other possibilities with their careers.

It reminds me of a story.

There is a flash flood in a town, and a man is sitting on the roof of his house to escape the rising waters. A boat comes by, and they ask the man to come join them and get out of the water. "No thanks," he says, "God will take care of me." Another day goes by and another rescue boat approaches the man. "No thanks," he says, "God will take care of me." The next day the water overtakes the house and the man drowns. The man is up in heaven and meets God, confused. "God," he says, "why didn't you take care of me?"

To which God replies, "how do you think the boats found you?"

Whether you're religious or not, the moral of the story here is that help is available. You just need to be open to accept it. Sometimes, help finds you when you are helping others. Other times, you might need to be more open to other possibilities (such as networking) to find the help you need.

I hope that for all the good people out there doing there best to look for work, people like Marie McCarthy and or Priscilla Mary Owczarksi, that they will be the "boats" for others during their career search, and that these journeys will lead them to a job they love.

Marie impresses me with her dedication and people skills, and will make someone a phenomenal Administrative Assistant (visit her here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mariemccarthy1). Just one week into her "worker in transition" journey, Marie joined me for an Inforum networking breakfast, where she learned about Motor City Connect, which resulted in an on-the-spot job lead and an interview. Sure beats surfing the job boards! Plus, Marie is adding new skills by joining Toastmasters International.

Priscilla Mary Owczarksi has helped others find jobs while she's looking for a job. For example, she will happily lend a helping hand when she is at the Michigan Works office to others that need help on the computer. Yes, she is searching for a job of her own, but during the process she is demonstrating her passion and experience working in HR (visit her here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/priscillamaryowczarski).

Keep your eyes open for those boats, and also consider extending your "boat" to a Michigan worker-in-transition. Especially for amazing people like Marie and Priscilla Mary.

Brenda