I recently had the opportunity to speak at The Asia Professional Speakers Organization in Singapore!
In attendance was this remarkable gentleman, Tim Hamons, whose talent is both brilliant and most unusual. His title is “Graphic Recorder.” However, this description, (while accurate,) does no justice whatsoever to his skill, nor to his mind’s capacity to completely capture and then visually translate and “retell” the story of my experience with his hands and some markers. His thorough representation so colorfully brought to life the very essence of the positive change I strive to convey in all my work, without missing any models, examples, or details, that I felt, in turn, inspired by him!
I am thrilled to share his creation with you! Please have a look for yourself and SEE my message in a whole new way! I know you will feel more buoyant and glean both the content and context of my message after admiring his stunning visual illustration!
Below is what he shared on his Facebook Timeline. So, please take a moment. Have a good look for yourself and then get back to me! What stood out to YOU?
From Tim Hamons’ Facebook Timeline:
How many ways can you say and demonstrate “I care” to your audience? The amazing Barbara Glanz modeled and showed us many ways.
Key takeaways:
1. Create a positive human level connection with every transaction,
2. Design creative “care packages” for your customer,
3. Focus on creative communications and action ideas to surprise and get your message across.
— with Barbara Glanz
And Tim couldn’t have been more kind and complimentary about how my presentation reached him, giving him actionable ideas and inspiration, which is always my promise and my goal.
Tim Hamons wrote: 10:32pm Aug 14
“Thank you Barbara, for your generosity, abundant soaring spirit, and inspiring models. You are such an inspiration and model of selfless giving, joy, trust. It was such a blessing to meet you and hear your stories and models for creating positive change. I hope to get the chance to work with you and to share our visual work with some of your inspiring learning events. “
I do hope that his graphic recording, as well as my words and ideas will truly inspire you to make positive changes today and every day in your work and in your life!
Christmas Letter 2013
CHRISTMAS 2013
Dear Friends,
Oh, my, time seems to go faster and faster these days, yet how grateful I am that the foundations of my life remain constant – faith, family, and friends. Although my business has been slower than ever before, this has been a precious year of sorting, finishing projects, celebrating, and making new friends. I finally feel as if I have developed “roots” here in Sarasota. I have been blessed with many caring and delightful relationships –and isn’t that what life is really all about?
The biggest event of the year was the celebration of my 70th birthday in May
(I STILL have a hard time saying those numbers since I truly feel about 35! 😉 Two precious new friends held a beautiful and FUN birthday luncheon for 24 girlfriends at the Bird Key Yacht Club. It was a Disney theme, complete with Cinderella’s castle, a visit from Alice in Wonderland, a life size cutout of Grumpy (my favorite Disney character), cakes with butterflies on top, and I even got to be a Princess for the day with a diamond tiara and wand! Each guest got darling flower (crowns) to wear, and one of my clients even sent small bottles of wine for everyone to take home. It was the nicest party I have ever had in my life, and it made me feel so very loved. Thank you, B.J. and Carol, for making my birthday the very best ever!
The weekend after my birthday I flew to Portland and took Gretchen and Erin to the gorgeous Alison Resort and Spa for two days of pampering. (I highly recommend it – rated one of the best in the Pacific NW.) It was one of the few times that I have been away alone with my beautiful girls. I am so proud of them both and honored to be their mother. Special lunches and dinners with friends highlighted the rest of the month. One day, as I was “whining” about not wanting to share age “70” with people, this stunning thought occurred to me: I have been blessed to live longer than either my father, my mother-in-law, or my husband. THAT brought home the reality of how fortunate I truly am! AND in the last three years I have ridden an elephant, a camel, and a Harley, I have climbed a mud volcano and ziplined across the mountains of Hawaii, so it is NEVER too late! 😉
Although I had no international travel this year, I am leaving January 2 for two weeks in Fiji on three different islands for my niece’s wedding, and then in April I am going to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Oman. This year all my travel was within the US and many trips just “for fun.” The whole family spent last Christmas in Seattle at Garrett and Ashley’s beautiful new home, the first time we had all been together for ten years. It was a delightful time of laughter and sharing (except when 14 year old Gavin would not get out of bed for the family picture, so he is missing from the one on the collage ;-).
After Christmas I had a lovely visit with Shannon (who has been a friend for 45 years) and Ken Johnston in Oceanside, CA, and then on to see my Aunt Joan and family in San Diego. (I will be attending her 90th birthday party December 28!) Gretchen’s family came for a week in March; in early April I met my sister, Beth, and two of her friends for a fun week at Disney in Orlando; and later that month, I met several of my SHRM friends for a long weekend of touring (and especially eating!) in Charleston, SC. I had three trips to Chicago this year to speak at SHRM, attend a friend’s birthday party at the “W”, and to speak to NSA-IL, so it was a wonderful chance to see many dear friends from the past. I attended the NSA convention in Philadelphia in July and the Veteran Speakers Retreat in PA in August, the Guideposts Board meetings in Dana Point, CA, in September, and the Lead Like Jesus Board meetings in Dallas in October. I was also privileged to speak to many wonderful clients during the year.
Some exciting professional highlights for 2013 were being chosen as an “ABC Amazing Woman” with a TV interview which ran on the morning and evening news for two days. I was also taped for a special series connected with GoGo Travel as their customer service expert. My 1996 book, “CARE Packages for the Workplace—Dozens of Little Things You Can Do to Regenerate Spirit at Work,” was just designated a classic by McGraw-Hill as it is STILL selling thousands of copies a year! Finally, I just published “Priceless Gifts – Using What God’s Given You to Bless Others” as a legacy to Charlie as this book was his idea. It is filled with ideas of all kinds of things you can give to others. You will love it, I think!
Garrett, Ashley, Gavin (15) and Kinsey (12) Glanz–Garrett is doing extremely well with Microsoft. He had a month sabbatical this year which they spent on the beach in Hawaii. His new toy is a Porsche! Ashley and Kinsey love to ride, so they are getting a horse, and Gavin can’t wait to get his driver’s license.
Gretchen, Randy, Owen (8) and Simon (6) Gawlik – Randy is still working as a webmaster and in graphic arts, Gretchen works part time at a lovely little boutique, and Owen and Simon love music, soccer, and Legos. Owen just had his adenoids out this week, so he has not been a happy camper! I will be with them for Christmas, and they are coming for Spring Break in March.
Erin Glanz –She is enjoying her new home, and she just got a new “roomie,” a darling kitten named “Cricket”. She loves her job with True Collaborative Fashion and travels to the shows in New York, LA, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. I was thrilled that she could come for Thanksgiving.
Although I have not met anyone special in my life, I have become content with many wonderful friends and a life filled with love, adventure, learning, and the chance to make a difference in people’s lives. I am so grateful for each one of you and wish you the most blessed holiday season and a year overflowing with peace, love, and joy.
MEMORIES OF MOTHER
Lucille Anderson Bauerle
May 21, 1918 – May 17, 2011
Mother’s college graduation picture — the one that made my Dad fall in love with her!
She was CREATIVE.
• We always had the best costumes on Halloween and in the Kids Day Parade. One year Bruce was “Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater,” and she created a huge orange pumpkin around our wagon. Then she made me a princess costume to be his wife. They put a ladder in the wagon, and poor Bruce had to pull me all around the town square. I loved it!
• She was constantly doing art projects with us. I guess it took more on my sister, though, than it did on me!
She was GENEROUS.
• I remember so many times going with her to deliver food or flowers to people, and often she would do it anonymously. We would leave a plant on the front porch with a note that said someone was thinking about them, and then we would drive away. (Today it would probably get stolen!)
• About once a month, she would pack us all into the car (usually complaining all the way), and we would go to the Baptist Memorial Home. We would always take a treat to pass out to all the residents – homemade cookies or cupcakes, little cups of Dairy Queen (they were 5 cents in those days), or fresh fruit. All of us kids would be the deliverers and then I would have to play the piano, and sometimes the other kids sang. Today I know what a wonderful gift that was to them, but at the time all I wanted was to be with my friends.
Today, May 10, is the anniversary of Charlie’s birthday in Heaven. I still miss him every day! Each of us in the family knew that he would give his life for us without question, and that is the most precious gift one could ever have from a husband or father. This is a tribute I wrote about him in his memorial booklet:
Charles William Glanz
My husband often surprised me. He was not what I would consider a true romantic, but as the years went by, I realized that he was romantic in simple, homey ways. He loved to hold hands and touch. I must admit that sometimes I was annoyed by this, especially in the middle of the night when he couldn’t sleep or in the middle of a movie or sermon to which I was intently listening. However, more and more, I have realized what a comfort and an anchor his touch was for me. I knew, without a doubt, that I was loved, and I so miss that touch today!
This has been a year of great adventures and joys but also one of heartache and loss. Someone recently shared: “You cannot start a new chapter in your life until you stop re-reading the last one.” That was good advice for me this year with the abrupt and painful ending of an 8 year relationship. However, even in the midst of pain, we can find blessings if we keep focused on the GIFT of every day and the precious people like all of you who share this life journey with us.
I have been blessed with many exciting and stimulating trips this year, beginning with a lovely week in the Cayman Islands with my friend, Jane Meyer. She has a beautiful condo right on the beach in Grand Cayman. One of the special highlights for me was getting to swim with the dolphins. I was extremely lucky to have two dolphins, a trainer, and a photographer all to myself for 45 minutes. I was even able to stand on their backs as they swam across the lagoon!
All the kids were able to come for a visit during the year, and in May, my Irish friend, Annie Gourley, and I took a fun trip to the Grand Canyon. We spent a night in Phoenix and then two nights at the Canyon, relishing in the magnificence of God’s spectacular creation.
In June I was delighted to speak at the Society for Human Resource Management international convention for the 11th time since 1997. I love these folks who champion the human level in organizations, and a great deal of my business comes from these conferences. On arriving in the Miami airport on my way to speak in So. America, someone in a large crowd called out, “Aren’t you Barbara?” When I answered, “Yes,” he said, “I heard you speak at a SHRM conference several years ago and loved your message.” It is a small world!
For the first time, I was able to take Gavin, 14, and Kinsey, 11, to the National Speakers Association convention in Indianapolis to attend the Youth Conference. They had a wonderful time, made some new friends, and hope to be able to go again next year. I love reconnecting with speaker friends from all over the world.
August brought an around –the –world trip beginning in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where I was speaking for the TMI / TACK international Conference. There were 200 attendees from 40 different countries. My friend from Illinois, Nancy Cobb, joined me there after a 36 hour trip—Tampa to Detroit to Seoul, Korea, to KL. On the flight from Seoul, I met a lovely gentleman who was a professor at Nottignham University in KL. He invited us on the following Sunday to go to the Batu Caves, and then treated us to a typical Indian lunch and a visit to his family home. We explored KL, including the Twin Towers, and discovered their two passions are food and shopping – much to our delight! 😉 The conference was delightful, and they included us in all the festivities, so it was a wonderful visit.
From KL, we flew to Budapest to join our other friends, Jane Meyer and Phyllis Hendry, for a “Romantic Danube River Cruise.” We were on AMA Waterways, a family owned company which I would HIGHLY recommend, The food, the ship and the service were the best I have every experienced! We visited five countries – Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, and the Czech Republic. We especially loved Prague, an amazing walking city, the little town of Durnstein, Austria, with its tiny shops and lovely cottages bordered by flowers, and the Mozart concert we heard in Vienna. One of the most poignant memories for me was visiting Terezin, a concentration camp in the Czech Republic.
September included a trip to NYC to emcee the Guideposts national meetings, and In October I had a fun long weekend with my SHRM buddies in Louisville, KY, where we attended the St. James Art Fair for 2 days, played Scrabble and drank lots of wine! I flew from there to Phoenix where I spoke for the Maricopa Health System at the delightful Desert Botanical Gardens. The next day a new friend and I did a tour of Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s interesting complex.
In late October I was asked to speak in Cartagena, Colombia, for FENALCO, the largest retail association in So. America. There were 1200 people, most of whom spoke no English so there was an interpreter which is always an interesting experience. My friend, Barbara Sadek, came with me and we so enjoyed the Old Walled City, the shopping, the fresh fish (especially the ceviche), and even one night at a nightclub dancing the Merengue! We also had a great adventure at one of only 3 mud volcanos in the world about an hour outside of Cartagena. You can read more about this on my blog, www.barbaraglanz.com/blog.
Although in the last 3 months, I have been on 4 continents and in 8 different countries, my heart is still in the Pacific NW where all my children live. I’ll be in Portland for Thanksgiving and in Seattle for Christmas. Garret still has a wonderful job with Microsoft, Ashley is very involved with the kid’s school, Gavin, 14, is deeply into video games, and Kinsey, 11, loves horses and the theatre. Gretchen and Randy are in Portland, OR, with Owen, 7, and Simon, 5. Randy is head of IT at a local company, and Gretchen teaches electives in photography and arts as a volunteer at the boys’ school. The highlight of the year for the boys was coming to visit me in Florida in March and going for the first time to Legoland. Erin, who just bought her first home in Portland, is a national agent for a company called True Collaborative Fashion which represents 5 socially responsible designers. My favorite, “Prairie Underground,” is available in many specialty contemporary boutiques. Erin does shows in SF, LA, NYC, and LV.
In this new chapter, I have started taking ballroom dancing lessons, I just won a golf lesson, and I am thinking about many options in my life – perhaps even purchasing a second home in Chicago, Portland or San Diego. I feel so very blessed to have my work and family and friends all over the world. Thank you for your love and support. May your holiday season and New Year overflow with joy.
Blessings,
“The Butterfly and the Gazelle”
My friend, Mike Hall, sent me this poem he wrote recently. It touched my heart as I think we all need to slow down and find more JOY in our lives.
A lovely butterfly at the Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam
“The Butterfly and the Gazelle”
The days of our lives pass so quickly
like the snowmelt that cascades
down a mountainside en route to
the Colorado River
Our days can become a blur at times
We’re caught up rushing
here and there
and hardly noticing
the smile of a stranger
or the need in the eyes of a friend
Busy as a bee….we collapse at the
end of the day and wonder
if it was really worth all the fuss….
This crazy world that tugs at us
as we strive to find our way
Don’t we admire those who go
from day to day
with the ease of a butterfly….
or the grace of a gazelle
Perhaps they found the puzzle piece
that we’re still searching for….
Content with life’s abundance
while we still ache for more
What if doing less could make the
days of our lives move slower
Like a ship at rest in a quiet harbor
maybe then we’d realize it’s all a game
to see who can tune into their soul
as the world tries to spin
us out of control.
To help discover more joy in your work and in your life, go to www.barbaraglanz.com.
Owen, Simon and Granna BB on Siesta Key
This is one of my very favorite pictures of me and my little grandbabies, Owen 6 and Simon 4. They visited me on the beach in March over their spring vacation. Our beach was just voted “the most beautiful beach in America” by the famous Dr. Beach, and they enjoyed every minute of being out in the sun and water. How very blessed I feel to be a Grandma!
Owen, Simon, and Granna BB on Siesta Key, March 2012
Do you have a “Bucket LIst?”
Many of us remember the heartwarming movie, “The Bucket List” with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman about two extremely different older men, one of whom was dying of cancer, and how they decided in the last days of their lives to do all the things they had always wanted to do. As a result, I think many of us were encouraged to create our own “bucket list” of the things we want to do before we leave this earth.
Lou Holtz also talks about writing down the 100 things he wanted to do before he died. I asked our children to do this as a family many years ago, and recently I found my youngest daughter’s list. Although it was written as a junior high student, she was surprised that as of today, she has done almost all the things on her list. Now it is time for her to make another list!
One of the things that has been on my bucket list for a long time is to be able to swim with the dolphins. I have always been a swimmer and in fact, earned my way through college by teaching swimming. Even now I swim a mile several times a week.
In early February, I was invited by a dear friend to visit her in her lovely 7000 square foot condo right on Seven Mile Beach (although they tell me it is not really 7 miles) in the Cayman Islands. I had a wonderful, restful time with her, and toward the end of my stay, I discovered that they had a special lagoon where you could swim with the dolphins.
Jane drove me over, and I signed up for the middle group. There were three choices — the first group got to touch and play with the dolphins and there were about 6 people in that group. The “high end” group got to do many more adventuresome things, and there were 6 people in that group. I, however, was the ONLY person in my group (a HUGE stroke of luck), so I was blessed to have TWO dolphins, a trainer, and a photographer all to myself for 45 minutes.
Because I was alone, I got to do many more things than even the high end group, including swimming belly to belly with both “Darwin” and “Copernica,” being pushed by them on a boogie board, riding holding onto one fin on either side of me, and the very best was being able to stand up with my arms in the air and one foot on the back of each one as they speedily swam across the lagoon.
What an awesome experience it was — to touch them, kiss them, play ball with them, have a water fight, feed them, and even touch their tongue and teeth. I must admit that it was bit “scary” when you were waiting in the water for them to “pick you up” since they came from behind you, so you never knew for sure when they would arrive. Then it was amazing how FAST they went!
The trainer asked if I wanted to do something they were just beginning to train them to do that no one else had yet done. Of course, I said “YES!” It was swimming belly to belly (Darwin on his back) in a huge circle. All the while my personal paparazzi was taking over 300 pictures! (I will post some of them on my blog).
How I treasure that experience, and it made me go back to my bucket list and think about the other things I would like to do before my time is up. Do you have a bucket list? If not, I encourage you to make one in the next few months. I think it is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy — when we put things in writing, it somehow seems to open up the opportunities to actually do them. I will be eager to hear about YOUR bucket lists.
LONDON Trip
August 9 – 16, 2011
I met Leila Witkin from London when I spoke at the Global Speakers Forum in Amsterdam in March. During one of our conversations, I mentioned that I had not been to London for years except to fly through the airport. Leila responded immediately, “I have two very precious tickets to the ballet of ‘Anna Karenina’ on August 10. If you can come, you will be my guest.” What a generous invitation!
As I thought about it, I realized I would be returning from California August 6 and the National Speakers Association convention where I would be (to be kept secret until then) inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame on August 2 and I was not booked to speak for the next week, so it would be possible for me to go to London. The more I considered it, the more I convinced myself that it was one of those serendipitous experiences that might never come along again, so several weeks later, I emailed Leila and told her I WAS going to come.
In late June our Mastermind group met at the farm home of Jolene and Keith Brown in West Branch, Iowa. Even though I had grown up in a small town in Iowa and had many friends who lived on farms, I had never spent several days actually living on a farm. The experience was an eye-opener for each of us “city folks” and taught us some important lessons about hard work, community, and values.
“You can’t get any better than Barbara! Having seen her at a national conference many years ago, I never forgot how positive, encouraging, and enthusiastic she was about recognition. Her numerous and varied ideas to show appreciation to others are invaluable –especially when many of them are FREE!
Barbara touches every soul she comes into contact with. She leaves you with a sense of joy and motivation to implement one or many of her simple, quick, and FREE ideas on showing appreciation for others. Our leaders knew they could immediately return to their work environment and raise the bar on recognition and appreciation of their staff. Thank you, Barbara, for spreading your contagious enthusiasm!”
Jed Liuzza, SVP/Chief Human Resources Officer
Oklahoma University Medical System
Grief is the price we pay for love. When we dare to love, we risk the pain of loss. - Andrea Gambill -
