I recently had the privilege of speaking to RISE, a real estate company that provides housing for college and university students. They are a company of strong values, and their byline is LOVE, CARE, SERVE.

One of the things that I most admire is that they truly do LIVE their company motto. For example, they put a Bible on the bed of every student’s room because their company is built on a foundation of faith.

The CEO attended and actively participated in the entire meeting which sent a strong message of equality and teamwork. Employees are active in their community and give back in many ways. The time I spent with them involved a half day of putting bicycles together for underprivileged children.

I LOVED my time with them! The meeting theme was IMPACT, so everything was about how each person could impact others in both their lives and their work.

I began the day by giving the opening keynote on “Spreading Contagious Enthusiasm™’ – Creating Workplaces of Passion, Purpose and Productivity.” This presentation uses the acronym CARE as the elements of a spirited, engaged workplace:

C = Creative Communication

A = Atmosphere and Appreciation for All

R = Respect and Reason for Being

E = Empathy and Enthusiasm

Following that, they had a fun video, and everyone got a bright green stretch band to join in the exercise.

Later they had me do a workshop on “The Simple Truths of Service Inspired by Johnny the Bagger®,” I began with a teambuilding exercise called “Commonalities and Uniquenesses” which caused wonderful sharing and lots of laughs. Everyone learned new things about their co-workers.

That afternoon they had a scavenger hunt to learn about the history and culture of the city of Savannah, so the meeting was filled with both the Human and the Business levels.

Not only did they give every attendee a copy of my book, “180 Ways to Spread Contagious Enthusiasm™” which contains many more ideas they can use in their workplaces. but they exemplified their values and commitment to each human being by asking every employee before the meeting to share a word they chose as their personal focus for the following year – such things as ”Giving,” “Commitment,” “Peace,” “Renewal,” “Gratitude” and “Kindness,” Then a customized bracelet was presented to each person at the end of the meeting, an extremely personal and encouraging gift.

What impressed me deeply were all the appreciative and affirming comments and hugs I got from nearly every attendee – they immediately modeled what I had shared with them about appreciation and connecting on a Human level. Their spirit of caring, community, and serving was a JOY to see. How I wish more organizations could find that wonderful passion for their work. Helping them do that is truly my mission in life!

To learn more about how Barbara loves to help organizations create workplaces and lives of purpose, joy, and caring, go to www.barbaraglanz.com.

I was blessed that, for the first time in several years, my daughter, son-in-love, and two grandsons, Owen and Simon, from Portland, Oregon, were able to be with me for Easter week.  On the Monday after Easter we decided to have an adventure and go to Busch Gardens, an African-inspired theme park in Tampa, Florida.

Although the boys had a good day, we were appalled with the lack of efficiency and the lackluster attitude of almost all the employees.  The park has all the right attributes – amazing rides, beautiful animals, wonderful grounds and restaurant facilities.  But what they don’t have is the magic that makes an experience truly memorable.

It started the minute we arrived at the park at 10:45 am.  Even though we had pre-purchased our tickets, it took almost an hour in line to even get into the park.  At least two of the security checks were not open, so four lines had to funnel into two, leaving people jostling one another and frustrated and upset.  That day the park was running a wine and food special called “All Day Dine,” so I had also purchased tickets for that.

When we finally did get into the park, we found we had to wait in another line for almost 30 minutes to get our dining bracelets for the day.  This concession was staffed by one VERY slow person (reminded me of the sloths at the Drivers License Bureau in the Disney movie, “Zootopia!”)  who had to check each ticket individually, enter information into the computer for each one, put the bracelets on individually for each person, and at the same time serve and sell drinks to other customers – AND he was grumpy to everyone.  It was 12:30 before we even had a chance to begin exploring the park!

When we later stopped for lunch in another area of the park, we found out that the employee who had given us the bracelets had given the boys children’s bracelets rather than the adult ones I had paid for, so they were only able to have the very limited kid’s meals which did not make them happy.  Even though we had all the receipts, no one could (or was willing) to help us.  They told us our only option was to go all the way back and wait in the line again for our sloth friend to give us new bracelets.  Since we found out that the park closed that night at 7:00, it was not worth wasting more time to go back, so the boys were disappointed at every meal.  If the employees had been empowered or had cared enough to take a risk to make a customer happy (since we had proof that we had paid the full amount), it would have greatly changed our experience.

We had expected the ride lines to be long and they were,  However, even when we finally got up to get on the rides, the employees seemed bored and almost victimized instead of excited and welcoming to all the people who had spent a lot of time and money to be there.  To most of them, it was simply a routine, boring job instead of fun, important work that made people happy.  We even found that many of the long lines were unnecessary.  On the log ride, for example, each car held four people, but at least half the cars were allowed to go with only two people in each, resulting in wait times of 45 – 50 minutes.

At 6:00pm all the customers with the All Day Dine bracelets were trying to find food to eat before they left the park.  What we discovered was that the park had decided to close different restaurants at different times in the late afternoon, leaving only two or three places open at the end of the day for hundreds of people to eat.  Sadly, this policy was never posted anywhere, so no one knew this would happen.  We were lucky to have been close to one of the few open restaurants, so we only had to wait 30 minutes for some food, but there were many, many upset and hungry people leaving that evening.

We could not help but contrast this experience with ones that we have had at Disney where the procedures are of the utmost efficiency, all employees  are committed to the mission of making it “the happiest place on earth,” and everyone goes out of their way to make it a mountaintop experience for the guests.  Disney, Southwest Airlines, and Nordstrom are all clients of mine.  How I would love to help Busch Gardens create a little bit of that magic!

To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com.

CHRISTMAS LETTER 2017

What a whirlwind this year has been! I have flown nearly 120,000 miles, explored 6 countries, visited 3 national parks, had the privilege of speaking to many amazing organizations all over the country, and was blessed to share lots of fun experiences with friends and family. How could life be better than this?

We all spent Christmas with Garrett and family in Seattle. January was the quietest month of the year – the most exciting events were the release of a new business edition of “The Simple Truths of Service” and taking a fun painting class (especially thought of my mother who was an artist and art teacher!)

In February Frank took me on a cruise from Port Canaveral to Nassau to celebrate our 4 year “anniversary.” Later that month I was delighted to be asked to serve on the Board of Designing Women, a group that gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the Arts in Sarasota.

March was a highlight with a long-desired trip to the Holy Land, visiting both Jordan and Israel. It was led by our pastor who is also an archeologist and does a dig every summer in Israel, so we not only had the historical and political perspectives from our guides, but also the spiritual and archeological focus from Pastor Bill. Highlights were sailing on the Sea of Galilee, getting baptized in the Jordan River, walking through the Valley of the Doves in the exact footsteps of Jesus, floating in the Dead Sea, exploring Petra and Masada, and putting prayers for friends and family in the Wailing Wall. Reading my Bible will never be the same again!

April brought a visit from my brother, Brian, from Thailand whom I had not seen in four years, a fun week here with Gretchen, Randy, Owen and Simon from Portland, a trip to Chicago, and in May to Nashville for Frank’s grand daughter’s graduation. My friend, Nancy, and I had a delightful visit in Ashville, NC, to celebrate the anniversary of dear friends. We did a food tour, a scavenger hunt, and lots of partying – LOVE that part of the country!

In May I was asked to speak for the third time to the city of Durango, CO. MY brother, Bruce, who has been a professor at Mesa State University for 30 years, drove over to meet me. We spent the next day at Mesa Verde where we took a tour to Balcony House, one of the famous cliff dwellings. As a part of the tour, you had to climb a 30 foot wooden ladder on the edge of a cliff to get up to the ruins (one of the scariest things I have ever done!) and then to get out, you had to crawl through a 12 foot tunnel that was only big enough to do on your hands and knees. After we got back to the top, one of the couples on the tour told me that at first they thought Bruce and I were married…….UNTIL when I started to crawl through the tunnel, he took a picture of my rear end! Then they knew that we could not possibly be married – only a little brother would do that…… 😉

Afterwards I went back to Grand Junction with him to share in the installation of a huge sculpture of a preying mantis he had commissioned and donated to the university as his retirement gift (see picture). He named it “Lucille” after our mother. 😉 How she would have loved that! Later that month Frank took me for a fun few days to Amelia Island to celebrate my birthday.

In June I spoke for the national SHRM convention in New Orleans for my twentieth year. I adore that audience! In July Erin came for a week, and I took the whole family to Long Beach, WA, for a long weekend. A special highlight was introducing my dear friend, Jolene Brown, at the National Speakers Association Convention in Orlando as she was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame.

August was another blessed month with a cruise with Frank to Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar. Unfortunately, Delta lost our luggage for three days after we arrived in Bilbao, but they kindly reimbursed us for all the clothes we had to purchase in the meantime. We stopped at various ports along the coast and ended in Barcelona the day after the massacre. We were deeply touched by all the memorials, yet life already seemed back to normal there. We toured Sagrada Familia, Guell Park, and one of Gaudi’s amazing homes as well as attending a tango show. Barcelona continues to be one of my favorite cities in the world! The month ended with a trip to DC for the Veteran Speaker’s Retreat.

We were evacuated in September due to Hurricane Irma, but luckily, we had no damage. Both September and October were busy speaking months with very special clients as well as a week’s trip to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park with Frank. The other highlight was being a part of “Team Kinsey” for the Leukemia Walk in Portland. She was thrilled that 50+ people donated $5000+ for research in her name. She has bravely fought this disease the past 18 months but still has two more years of chemo once a month. Thankfully, she has been able to go back to school this fall. We all continue to pray for healing.

In November Frank and I are taking the Queen Mary II to London and in December I am meeting three girlfriends for shows in NYC. Then Erin and I will spend Christmas in Colorado with my sister and brother.

Garrett has a new job with Amazon in Seattle focusing on “Alexa.” Ashley and Kinsey are enjoying their horse, Rally, while Gavin is working two jobs to save for a new car. Owen 12 and Simon 10 are busy with soccer, school, video games, and building robots. Gretchen continues as Ops manager for three boutiques in Portland while Randy is doing freelance website work. Erin enjoys her work in fashion, her new house, the Timbers soccer team, and her kitty, Cricket.

I feel so very blessed to have good health and such wonderful family, friends, and clients. May 2018 overflow with faith, peace, love and joy in all your lives.

Blessings,

To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com.

I was recently asked to share some stories of my younger brother who will be 70 in February.  We grew up in a small town in Iowa where our Dad was the postmaster and my mother was an art teacher.  There were four of us – I was the oldest, then Bruce 16 months younger, Brian 5 years younger and Beth 10 years younger.  We did not have a lot of money, but we never wanted for anything, so it was a pretty idyllic life – EXCEPT for Brian!

Though I love him dearly today, NO ONE made my life more miserable growing up than Brian! Being five years younger gave him the advantage of being “just a little kid” to my parents, and with his charm and mischievous giggle, he got by with murder (or so I thought at the time) in our house.

When he was about seven, my grandfather brought him a pet alligator from Florida. He kept it in his room in a tub, and as it grew, it could get out. Every single time, it would come to my bedroom because it was the southern most point in our house. I would yell and scream (which just absolutely delighted him!) and then make him wash the floor with Babo……YUK!!!! He held onto that thing until it got to be about two feet long, I think just to torment me.

After dinner we all had jobs – either carry out the dishes, wash the dishes, or dry the dishes. Conveniently, that was ALWAYS the time that Brian just HAD to go to the bathroom. He would stay in there grunting and singing until almost all the work was done and then suddenly graciously appear to do his part. My other brother, Bruce, and I would complain every night, but my Dad always said “Nature came first” – Ha!

When we were young, we only had a sedan car with a front seat and a back seat. There were six of us, so there were three in each seat. The rule was that Brian and I always had to be in the OPPOSITE seats, so if I was in the front with Mother and Dad, he had to be in the back. Almost every summer we would drive 8 hours to Colorado to see relatives. Of course we had no AC in those days, either, so it was uncomfortable to say the least. On those boring long drives Brian would do his best to drive me crazy! He made up the dumbest possible song about “Happy Anniversary, Farmer Alf, to Thee”” and would sing it over and over and over at the top of his lungs. When I would have hysterics and my Dad would finally tell him to “BE QUIET”, he would wait a little bit, and then he would start HUMMING the tune. Of course that started the whole scene over again! This would go on for the whole eight hours – it is amazing that my folks did not put him out of the car and drive on! 😉

When I was in Junior High, probably the worst time of a young girl’s life in terms of self-esteem. one day Brian and his friend, Larry. got up at 5:30 am, took chalk and wrote “ANNE IS FAT” (they called me Anne growing up since I had an Aunt Barbara) on EVERY SQUARE OF THE SIDEWALK FOR EIGHT BLOCKS to the school, I am sure giggling every moment of the way anticipating my reaction! Of course I was humiliated and they were delighted. That night my Dad made them go back and wash it all off, which caused even more attention. When it was time for his “punishment” amidst my wailing and tears, instead of staying mad, my folks got tickled with his giggles and ended up letting him off with a light sentence. I was FURIOUS! Can you imagine what they might have done with all that energy that could have been positive????

The year he was nine when Polaroid cameras were brand new, he got one for Christmas. The next week he proceeded to take pictures of me just getting up in the morning, in the bathroom, and even putting on my girdle (which girls wore when they dressed up in those days – a wicked version of “Spanks!”). Then the next week he took them to the high school where I was a Freshman and sold them to the highest bidder. Of course all the guys got to see them, so again he made me want to strangle him! I can just see him giggling today……..and all he got was a lecture and the camera taken away for a week.

One of my very first dates was with a guy in my sophomore class to a school dance. Brian knew how important it was to me, so of course he thought up a “plan.” The closet of his room had a window that opened onto our front porch, so when the young man came to pick me up, all dressed in his best suit, Brian dumped a bucket of water out the window on his head. Again, my parents tried to be mad but had to stifle their grins in light of Brian’s absolute delight. I still think of that poor date today.

The end result of all this (he thought good-natured) heckling was that when I was a senior in high school, I wrote a Humorous Declamation about Brian titled, “A Fly in my Ointment”……and I WON the entire State Conference! I so love the person he has become today, but it is a wonder that I did not KILL him growing up!

Now Brian has a gorgeous Executive Retreat Center in Chaing Mia, Thailand, where he coaches high level executives from all over the world.  I wonder what they will think when they read about this mischievous younger brother! 😉

Here is a picture of the two of us on his visit to Florida last year.

To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com

Last week I was scheduled to fly Delta from Sarasota through Atlanta to Las Vegas to speak there the next day. Two weeks before the flight was to leave Delta suddenly changed the schedule, and as a result, even though I had purchased the ticket two months before, I lost my priority seating. By the time I called them the next day, all the seats in Delta Comfort were gone.

Since I am a Million Miler on Delta and also Diamond, the highest status, I am spoiled and was not happy about sitting in the very last row of seats in the plane, especially when I had paid $1400 for the ticket!

After I was seated, a lovely New York based flight attendant named Marianne Micheletto was talking with me while everyone boarded, and I told her my sad story. Later as she came around with the food cart, she said to me, “What would you like? It is on me.” So I had a nice cheese and fruit tray. Then, when she came again with the drink cart, she treated me to a white wine.

Now when you are in the back of the plane, you get nothing except pretzels and a soft drink, so she truly went above and beyond to make up for my displeasure with Delta. I was delighted!

A little while later I had gone back to the lavatory when I spied a package of my favorite potato chips on the counter (which you always get in First Class and Delta Comfort), so I asked another flight attendant if I could have a bag. She said, “Oh, no, these are just for the people in the front.” What a CONTRAST to Marianne! Later Marianne sneaked back with the chips for me with a huge grin – even she could not believe the other attendant.

It turned out that across the aisle from me were some young guys going to Las Vegas for a bachelor weekend before one of them got married, so they were having a gay time, and Marianne and I had such fun talking with them. Funny – because of Marianne and the guys, I actually had a better time in the back of the plane than if I had sat up front!

Finally, as I was getting ready to leave the plane, Marianne came over and gave me a hug and told me she was putting 5000 airline miles into my account to make me even a happier Delta customer. I was blown away by her caring and her attention to me, and I will certainly remain a loyal Delta customer, all because of Marianne!

For more interesting stories and articles, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/articles

Frank, Michael and I celebrating our arrival in Atlanta after a 9 hour drive Saturday night – feeling SAFE at last!

As I write this, I am sitting in Atlanta at the lovely home of my friend Frank’s daughter and son-in-law watching the storm as it approaches our area. Thank God, Hurricane Irma is now only a tropical storm, yet the wind and rain are still fierce.

Since I live on the beach on Siesta Key, a barrier island in Sarasota, Florida, we had a mandatory evacuation on Saturday. After about four different plans during the previous days, Frank and I finally decided to leave that morning to drive north to Atlanta rather than staying where what seemed was going to be the eye of the storm.

In all this preparation, anxiety, and decision making, here are some of the things I learned:

1. PREPARE FOR THE WORST AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. Like everyone else in the area, I began on Tuesday to pack precious things away, get water, canned food, candles and gas, fill water containers, clean out the refrigerator, go through important papers, get all my work clothes and materials ready, and generally plan for the possibility of being off the island and without power for several days or more.

2. BE FLEXIBLE. My first plan was to go to a girlfriend’s condo downtown while Frank was determined to stay on Longboat Key, the island where he lives. Then as the news looked worse, I convinced him to join me at a friend’s home inland. Finally, at the last minute we decided to leave – which seemed like the wisest decision at the time. Fortunately, we had a safe trip and found one gas station open on the way to ensure we could make it to Atlanta. From Tuesday on, however, I have had an upset stomach trying to determine the best course of action. Thanks goodness we kept all options open.

3. DETERMINE WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU. As I was struggling with what to pack away, which rooms would likely survive windows blowing out, and which things to take with me, I really began to think about what I would miss if I lost everything. Of course, the first thing I did was to pack all my pictures in a plastic tub, cover the étagère with my doll collection and my grand piano, and move my desktop computer to the only room without windows. I packed my insurance policies, my checkbooks, my daytimer, my iphone, laptop and ipad as well as an overnight bag with toiletries and fresh clothes and underwear. Then came the decisions about what else to save. What really amazed me was how little I realized I would truly miss. After all, they are all just “things” that can probably be replaced, but lives cannot. (I even almost secretly hoped that all the piles of papers and books that I need to sort might just “happen” to get wet and I could simply dump them without any guilt! 😉

4. BE BLESSSED WITH HOW MANY PEOPLE CARE ABOUT YOU. I have been overwhelmed with all the calls, emails, and texts from friends and family all over the world who have shared their concern for our safety and the precious gift of their prayers. We have been deeply touched by the generosity of so many who offered us places to stay, their help in any way we might need, and even financial help if needed. The National Speakers Association has been calling every member in the affected area and offering help. One of my dear speaker friends knew I had a speaking event in Texas this Thursday and offered to be my standby if I could not fly out on Wednesday. Even when we stopped at the only station open for gas on our drive to Atlanta, the staff could not have been nicer. We are MOST grateful, however,l to Frank’s daughter and her husband and son who welcomed us so graciously at the last moment!

5. PRAY UNCEASINGLY FOR OTHERS. Even though Frank and I have been spared, how we all must keep praying for others who have been greatly impacted by this storm. Prayers DO count!   I may still have water (won’t know for sure until I return on Friday night); however, that is a small inconvenience compared to so many, many others.

I will always remember these lessons and the GOODNESS of people and the way we can come together during a crisis. Our world desperately needs this hope right now. I am feeling so very BLESSED!

For more information on Barbara and her work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com.

Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier. ~ Mother Teresa

As we become more technologically advanced, busier. and more stressed than ever before, we often don’t even see the opportunities around us every day to be kind. Our workplaces, our cities, and our homes are in desperate need of more simple kindness and caring.

Can you imagine a world in which everyone is kind to everyone else? Think about the last kind thing someone did for you and then think about the last kind thing you did for someone else. What difference did that act make in each of your lives?

Ten easy creative ways to show kindness to others:

1. Make a short visit or take a small plant to an elderly neighbor, retired employee, widow, or person in your church or community who is alone.
2. Watch for your mailman, custodian or garbage collector and offer them a cold (or hot) drink.
3. Ask to speak to the manager of a store about an employee who has done a good job.
4. See if you can make eye contact and smile at everyone as you go down the hall or the street.
5. Graciously thank people who are cleaning the streets, the restrooms, and the offices in your community.
6. Buy a co-worker or any person in uniform a cup of coffee as a “thank you.”
7. Offer to help young mothers with children by holding doors, carrying packages or groceries, or entertaining the children for a moment.
8. Quietly slip some money into the pocket of a friend or co-worker who needs it.
9. Ask to take a picture of the couple or the whole group when you see someone taking a photo of others.
10. Call a fellow employee or person whom you know has been sick just to see how they are.

For more information on Barbara’s presentations on KINDNESS and to watch an 18 minute live presentation, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/programs/kindness

KINDNESS IS CONTAGIOUS! 

Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier. ~ Mother Teresa 

This thought from Mother Teresa has long been a philosophy of life for me. My desire is that no one ever leave my presence or my presentations without feeling a little better about themselves. That is a CHOICE each of us can make in every interaction we have, simply by being kind!

Let me share a simple story with you about how I apply kindness in my life:

“One snowy February day I walked into the Ladies washroom at O’Hare Airport. There was a woman there who was cleaning. She was all hunched over, glum-looking, and listlessly going through the motions of her job. I walked over, gently touched her on the arm, looked her directly in the eyes, and said, ‘Thank you so much for keeping this washroom clean. You’re really making a difference for all of us who travel.’

She stopped what she was doing, looked at me with wonder in her eyes, immediately straightened up, and began cleaning with a passion, a huge smile spreading across her face. By the time I left, she was passing out towels to all the women who were washing their hands!

I left that washroom with tears in my eyes because that interaction had cost me nothing. However, it changed her life, at least for a few moments. My appreciation of her and the value of her very important work gave her a purpose and a reason for being. SHE WAS MAKING A DIFFERENCE!”

(Reprinted with permission from “The Simple Truths of Appreciation”)

That kind act is one which any of us could repeat, and think what would happen in your home, your workplace, and your community if everyone chose to be kinder. Kindness raises morale. Wouldn’t you like to live and work in an environment where everyone was kind? It is simple!

I have been blessed to speak all over the world on Customer Service, Employee Engagement, Appreciation and Recognition, and Creating Workplaces of Joy. My focus is always on how one person can make a difference no matter what his or her station in life or job may be, and kindness is an integral part of that message.

In my presentations, I always use a model I created many years ago to help me understand the choices I have to be kind and make a difference every day. In every interaction we have, we have a CHOICE to create a minus, a zero or a plus for that other person. Each time we are kind and recognize them as a human being with value, we leave that person with a plus. Think about how I created a plus for the person in the restroom.

Your Choice in any Interaction

Can you imagine a world in which everyone is kind to everyone else? Think about the last kind thing someone did for you and then think about the last kind thing you did for someone else. What difference did that act make in each of your lives?

Let’s look at an acronym to help you remember how to be kind:

K = Kinesthetic 

Touch enhances a sense of well-being. Just a simple handshake or touch of fingertips creates a connection between you and another person. So many people in our world today are desperate for the kindness of a gentle touch. In fact, research has shown that to be your healthiest, you need five hugs a day!

A friend’s husband tells about a manager he had who shook hands with each employee as they came in the door every morning. That simple act of kindness built trust, broke down barriers, and even the union members began to respect him as a kind man. After several years of working for him, when this manager thanked him for his good work, her husband came home and cried because it meant so much to him

Become aware, too, of your tone of voice, body language and facial expressions. Do you LOOK like a kind person? Remember that your words can make a huge difference. Mother Teresa says, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

I = Imaginative

 Use your creativity to come up with ideas to be kinder to people. They will be surprised and you will have fun. Natalie Peace of Booster Juice Company started a “22 Days of Kiindness” program at three of the businesses she owned. She paid all 50 staff members to do shifts where their only duty was to perform creative acts of kindness : giving flowers to strangers, washing windows for neighboring businesses, and generally going out of their way to brighten someone’s day. She also ran a radio campaign to challenge others in the community. They even asked their customers to take a pledge to commit an act of kindness for the next 22 days.

She says, “There were so many wins from this creative initiative : free advertising for my businesses, more customers, increased loyalty among existing customers, and my staff became even more engaged and motivated. Did this make my businesses more profitable? You bet! But the truth is, I measure success on multiple bottom lines, including impact on my team and my community.”

N = Neighborly

Do you remember “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood”? He was one of the kindest men ever, and also think of State Farm Insurance’s motto: “Like a good neighbor, Sate Farm is there.” Even the Bible says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you think about someone who was a good neighbor, it was probably because they were kind and you could count on them. Look around your home, your workplace, and your community to find ways to be a better neighbor to those with whom you live and work.

D = Deliberate

 Be purposeful and deliberate in planning ways to be kind. You need to have a strategy. One of the ways I encourage my audience members to be kinder is the following: In the morning put five pennies in your right hand pocket, and every time you do something kind for someone, move one penny to the other pocket, Don’t go home that night until all five pennies are in the other pocket. This is also a great strategy to use with your team or your family. At dinner or some chosen time during the day, each person share what they did to show kindness to others.

Finally, kindness IS contagious. By becoming aware of how you use your body, getting your creative juices going, thinking like a good neighbor, and planning a strategy to be kinder, you will spread that spirit throughout your workplace and your community, leading to business success and a far more caring world.

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”

 BARBARA GLANZ BIOGRAPHY

A member of the prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame and one of fewer than 700 Certified Speaking Professionals worldwide, Barbara Glanz, CSP, CPAE, works with organizations to improve morale, retention and service and with people who want to rediscover the joy in their work and in their lives.  She is the first speaker on record to have spoken on all 7 continents and in all 50 states.  Known as “the business speaker who speaks to your heart as well as to your head,” Barbara is the author of twelve books including The Simple Truths of Service Inspired by Johnny the Bagger®, CARE Packages for the Workplace, and 180 Ways to Spread Contagious Enthusiasm™. Voted “best keynote presenter you have heard or used” by Meetings & Conventions Magazine, Barbara uses her Master’s degree in Adult Learning to design programs that cause behavior change.  She lives and breathes her personal motto:  “Spreading Contagious Enthusiasm™” and can be reached at bglanz@barbaraglanz.com and www.barbaraglanz.com.

TRIP TO AUSTRALIA – September 28 – October 18

September 28 – I had the most difficult time ever packing for this trip – anyone who knows me well knows I NEVER travel light! 😉 We had five internal flights through the country where I could only have ONE BAG of 50 pounds. With such different weather conditions (cool in Sydney, cold in Melbourne and Adelaide, and VERY hot in Queensland), I really struggled with what to take and how to get it all in for 50 pounds. Thank goodness patient Frank had some extra room!;-)

Our flight to Atlanta left Sarasota late morning. Unfortunately, we had a 3 hour layover in Atlanta before the 5 hour flight to LA; however, thankfully Frank and I are both members of the wonderful Delta Sky Club, so we always have a nice place to wait. The long 16 hour flight to Sydney began about 11:00 pm from LA, so after dinner and a couple of movies, both Frank and I got a few hours’ sleep. Although we were in coach, we each had neck pillows and I took an ambien, so it wasn’t quite as bad as 16 hours on an airplane sounds! (The trip home, however, was another story……..)

September 29 – When we arrived in Sydney at 6:30 am after travelling through 15 time zones, we were met by a driver and taken immediately to our hotel, the Radisson Blu, which was just a few blocks from the Circular Harbor where all the action is. Sydney is the largest and the oldest city in Australia with 4 million people and is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is a very young country with the average age being 37. We were also intrigued that we were advised not to tip since the minimum wage is $17.40!

The children have school all year (40 weeks), there is a national curriculum, and they all wear uniforms for equality. Hats are compulsory any time they are out in the sun because they have the highest incidence of skin cancer. Residents are taxed only on the land value of their homes, not the building itself – and there is no capital gains tax. Good reasons to move there! 😉

It was raining and cool when we arrived (our only day of rain), but we decided to walk the few blocks to the Harbor and the Opera House. Right outside the Opera House was a huge celebration from Fox News for the Sydney Cup (the super bowl of rugby which they call “football”) with all the media, players, and lots of crowds, so that was a fun orientation to the culture. One of my dreams has always been to see something (anything!) at the Sydney Opera House. While there, we found that there was a Beethoven performance on our last night in Sydney, so I was thrilled when we purchased tickets!

Outside the Sydney Opera House

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