1000 Cranes Blog

My Meeting with Mayor Karl Dean

I'm here in Nashville attending two conferences and had an opportunity to meet with Mayor Karl Dean at a mixer event at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, TN. 

I must say, my Toastmasters Table Topics training really paid off here.  I introduced Mayor Dean to several members and gave him some history about the NAAAP organization which stands for either the National Association of Asian American Professionals (US) or the North American Association of Asian Professionals (Canada).  I told him when he speaks to refer to the organization as "nap" not N-triple A-P. 

During our short conversation before his welcome message to the greater group, I also mentioned how we are having our convention in Denver in August and that we go to cities around the country to hold our convention.

Needless to say, I was very excited when I heard him refer to NAAAP with the correct pronunciation and mention the convention and other aspects of NAAAP that we had just discussed.  My friend said I should have been a "chief of staff" as I prepped the Mayor for some key talking points. 

You just never know when you're going to be an influence!

Can you recall a time when a conversation you had influenced another person?

What was the outcome and how did you feel knowing you made a difference? 

Two Speeches, Two Outcomes

No doubt, Obama has honed his craft as a speaker.  In his first State of the Nation address to a joint session of Congress, Obama was at the top of his game.  He is the master of the teleprompter, and he excels in using personal stories to tug on the heart-strings of his audience. 

Bobby Jindal on the other hand seemed awkward at best in front of the teleprompter for his Republican response to Obama's speech, and he had few personal stories to share regarding how the Republican agenda is different.

Obama had the benefit of the audience feedback and applause.  When he hit the high notes such as "we will rebuild, we will recover, and  the United States of America will emerge stronger than before," the audience erupted with thunderous praise.    It was the stuff of greatness that will be repeated as soundbites for many years to come. 

Bobby Jindal had no audience feedback, no applause just a "public service announcement" feel to his speech.   He had very few moments of inspiration or soundbites that will resonate with the public. 

As with most speeches, you must know your audience.   You must know the venue.  You must know the best use of the technology, and you must have excellent content to persuade your audience.  Two speakers couldn't be more diametrically opposed, and it was interesting to see the stark contrast.  

What kind of speaker are you?

How do you ensure that you are memorable no matter what venue or technology is used? 

Home Fitness Products Sales Rise

With the economic downturn, people are looking for ways to save money and more people are forgoing gym memberships for home alternatives.  In this recent Reuters video, several home fitness options are increasing as people opt for ways to stay fit on a budget.

I must admit, at the first of the year, I also started using the Wii Fit as a way to stay in shape.  I don't have a gym membership, and instead preferred walking or playing tennis.  However, with temperatures in the low 30s lately, I haven't been that thrilled about going outside for a quick walk.  I have also found the Wii to be a lot of fun!  I've been burning calories while entertaining myself as well. 

Everyone is looking at ways to live within their means with the economy the way it is.  In addition to using the Wii Fit, here are three other things I've done as well to save on expenses:

1) Cooking more home meals.  I've forgotten how much I love to cook and now consider it an adventure to come up with meals I haven't tried in the past.  It saves quite a bit of money, too!
2) Cleaning my own home.  Although maid service twice a month was nice, I often found it was more of a hassle to prepare the home before they arrived.  (I think I do a better job cleaning, too!)
3) Borrowing books from the library rather than buying.  I have found that books were somewhat of an addiction.  I would purchase a book with every intention of reading it but found that it would often sit on the shelf.  Now, I check out library books and either renew them if I really need to finish one or return it right away if it doesn't interest me.  For those few books that are keepers, I then go to the store to purchase it. 

What things have you been doing to reduce your expenses during these economic times? 

Counting My Blessings

Today there was a lot of hoopla about the Oscars, those golden statuettes that are a symbol of entertainment's highest honor in film.   In our ordinary lives, film gives us an opportunity to look outside of ourselves and to inspire us, to question our lives and to reach for greater things. 

Today, however, I also got the news of a friend who I had worked with several years ago who had a stroke today.  Thankfully, he is recovering, and it appears that he is likely to have a full recovery.  It was a wake up call for me as it just goes to show you that your life can change at any moment.  He was fortunate to have been at home rather than traveling for work when this happened.  I know that in the past, he had put a lot of stress on his body with the amount of International travel he was doing.  I'm thankful he's still with us, and it also made me realize that inspite of the economic hard times that are hitting us, when it comes right down to it, family and friends are the most important things to consider.

On this day when golden statuettes make us think that these entertainers are important, we must remember that wealth and fame can always be rebuilt, but time can't be recaptured.  It's those precious moments of time we need to treasure and the people around us.  We need to always remember how blessed we are to have the people in our lives who support us. 

I'm thankful to have lived a rich and full life, and I intend to keep remembering and treasuring the days I have with my friends, my family and my dear pet.  You never know how quickly things can change.

Have you ever had a "wake-up" call with a life-changing event and what did you do in response to that? 

One of my favorite frozen food lines is Amy's Kitchen which provides organic, healthful, vegetarian cuisine.  CNN recently posted an article about how the company started, and as most entrepreneurs find, they discover a need in the market that hasn't been met.  In this case, Rachel and Andy Berliner, were busy vegetarians that didn't see many options available in the frozen food market. 

In 1987, when their daughter Amy was born, their first product was a vegetable and tofu pot pie which was created by Rachel's mother.   As she says in her own words: 

"My mom, who's an amazing cook, came up with a vegetable and tofu potpie recipe. We spent hours in the kitchen, testing the recipe and then making about 100 pies by hand so we could debut them at a San Francisco health-food show in March 1988. The first day of the show, a handful of natural-food stores signed up for orders. But then we had to figure out how to fill them!"

It all comes back to filling a need in the market, hard work, dedication and faith.  All hallmark traits of entrepreneurs.  

Today, Amy's Kitchen expects to become a billion dollar company in five years.  And the Berliner's daughter, Amy, is expected to become more actively involved in the business once she graduates from Stanford University.  Starting the business to pay for Amy's education seems to have paid off!  

Have you seen a need in the market and have you considered creating a company to solve that need? 

What would you be willing to do to follow your dream? 

Historic Stimulus Package is Signed Today

President Obama signed the $787 billion stimulus package today in Denver and is heading to Arizona to speak to homeowners about his homeowner recovery plan of $50 billion. 

According to this CNN commentary, there may be some hope for homeowners, especially those who are still working and can still pay their mortgages, but for those who have lost their jobs and are facing foreclosure currently, they may still be facing some grim times. 

I spoke with a customer today regarding this, and she brought up a good point.  What should happen to the US if these stimulus packages don't work.  Who are we beholden to and why isn't anyone talking about it? 

How will the economic stimulus package help you? 

What to Crush Madoff? Buy a doll!

It's surprising what people will do to make a buck.  Considering what Bernie Madoff did to swindle so many people in a Ponzi scheme, it's not surprising that toymaker, ModelWorks, has come up with a Bernie Madoff doll dressed in a red outfit with a pitchfork.    The doll comes with a hammer for you to smash it with all your might! 

It's crossed my mind on occasion to have a similar doll made into the likeness of people who have swindled me in the past.  It seems that ModelWorks has tapped into the consciousness of people wanting to have some sort of justice.  

Is there a person with a similar likeness you would want to smash and why?  

Happy Valentine's Day and Carry it Throughout the Year!

I recently came across a CNN Commentary by Roland Martin called "Don't Be My Valentine," which I found to be accurately funny and true. 

The essence of his essay is that the thoughts that surround Valentine's Day of truly caring for your partner should continue throughout the year and that we shouldn't have a feeding/shopping frenzy surround this one day in February.  

I feel very blessed to be in a relationship with so much trust and respect.  We also spend the time to help each other when needed, and I feel loved all year round, not just on holidays. 

So my wish to you is to carry the spirit of Valentine's Day throughout the year!  

Why do we go through so much effort to buy flowers, send chocolate and eat at a fancy restaurant on this day? 

Shouldn't we consider treating our loved ones well everyday and send flowers just out of the blue? 

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of President Lincoln, one of our most revered Presidents in US history.  He led the country during one of the most difficult times with the heat of the civil war dividing the country, and his Emancipation Proclamation became a cornerstone of his presidency.

We are truly blessed to have had strong leaders to reflect upon in this way. Albeit we've had some very bad presidents as well, but to have a man who clearly stands above the rest, both figuratively and literally, provides us with hope. In this day and age with the country facing some tough times, Lincoln's Legacy also shows us that even in the midst of strife and sorrow, we can emerge a greater nation.

What aspects of Lincoln's life inspires you?

What are other examples of leaders who give you hope of a brighter future?

Koalas and other animals survive Australian wildfires

In the aftermath of the Australia wildfires, several animals have survived and have provided hope in light of the devastation.  One celebrity is "Sam", the koala bear who was discovered by a firefighter and made her YouTube debut while she drank from his water bottle.  She literally reached up her paw to take a helping hand from the firefighter, Dave Tree. 

It's refreshing to see these signs of hope after hearing of all of the devastation taking place in Southwest Australia. Wildfires have claimed nearly 200 lives and it appears more will likely be found.

What hopeful things have you seen in the light of tragedy that makes you appreciate what you have?