Blog

Planting season is finally here.  My garden is my Zen space, the place I go to remember how physical work and being close to the earth replenish me.  It’s a refuge, a retreat, and reminds me how to be in each moment.  After all, the earth doesn’t complain because it’s...

Last week we received a touching story from one of our clients, Jason Fabio, owner of Ispiri, a design-build firm in Minneapolis.  Long story short, a young boy, named Drew, 14 years old, having had over 60 medical procedures and surgeries in his young life, was given...

In this shortened video of an interview with Simon Sinek, author of Leaders Eat Last, Sinek talks about "messy" conversations.  Listen in....  ...

“When we really, deeply understand each other, we open the door to creative solutions and third alternatives.  Our differences are no longer stumbling blocks to communication and progress. Instead, they become the stepping stones to synergy.” Stephen Covey Living 20...

What do followers expect of a leader? This poem, written by William Ayot, gives us a clue. The Contract A word from the led And in the end we follow them- not because we are paid, not because we might see some advantage, not because of the things they have...

In a recent training, I divided the 20 employees into groups and asked them to come up with 3-5 things that support and hinder the Company’s success.  Without fail, employees “get it.” They are able to articulate what makes the Company successful and what needs to be...

This young lad is not only funny but very inspirational.  Enjoy your Monday Morning Pep Talk!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWmxgYwcrLE

If you are a sales professional, this Monday Morning Tip is for you! Wondering what you should be asking yourself on a weekly and monthly basis?   Below is a list of questions that Mary Anne has developed to help you stay focused on your road to personal success. On a...

"What fascinates me is that people interrupted themselves almost as much as they were interrupted by external sources. They interrupted themselves about 44% of the time. The rest of the interruptions were from external sources." (Dr. Gloria Mark) Dr. Mark, Associate...

A recent global study conducted by SuccessFactors and Oxford Economics on what Millennials want from their managers revealed some interesting results. "Millennials want feedback at least monthly, whereas non-Millennials are comfortable with feedback less often....

“Connect to” vs. “Connect”  Seth Godin offers some thoughts on the difference between connecting to your customers and connecting with them. An organization might seek to 'connect to' its customers or constituents. Connection is a form of permission, the ability to...

On Saturday, I carefully watched the weather report and planned to leave Pennsylvania where I was visiting my parents.  Snow was in the forecast and I wanted to get home before the "big event." The weather forecasters said snow would start in Maryland around 1pm and...

Transform, Inc. has the best clients in the world.  Seriously, we say that all the time. So, with Valentine’s Day just a few days behind us, we thought it clever (if we do say so ourselves) to say out loud to the whole world (or at least our contact list) what we love...

"Don't buy this!" "You can't do this!"   "That won't work!" Has anyone ever said any of these things to you? What type of reactions do these statements create in you? If you are like me, I bristle when I hear these.  I typically say, "Oh yeah, just watch me!" My...

"What's your purpose?" "Are you happy?" "What's most important to you?" If you are like me, you have been asked these three questions or have asked them of yourself at some point in your life. While these are questions that lead you to do some self-reflection, I...

"You're right, we were wrong"  Seth Godin shares some words to consider about owning up to mistakes with clients. "This is the most difficult sentence for companies that stumble in doing effective customer service. By effective, I mean customer service that pays for...

Imagine what it would be like if you and every employee in your workplace had this little boy's level of enthusiasm about their work? I, Theresa, remember reading about Florence Nightengale, a nurse in the Crimean War in the 1850's and saying  "that's what I want to...

This short, yet grainy, video may serve as inspiration for you this Monday morning as you watch what Heather Dorniden does as she competes in the Big 10 Indoor Track Championship Women's 600 meter race.   What would you have done?  Would you have just given up or...

Last week we talked about Mary Anne’s questions that help individuals “dig deeper” this year when setting goals.  This week we want to share with you Theresa’s work with leadership teams as they go about setting goals for the Company in 2015.  You may be inspired to...

Productivity results from focus. To be focused you need to be clear about what is important. To know what is important, you need to check in with yourself daily to ensure you are working on the things that are the highest priority and get you the greatest return on...

If you work with me (Mary Anne) I’m sure you can hear me asking.... “What’s the vision?" “Where are you really trying to go with this?”  "How is what you are doing or about to do going to get you there?” “What is the road map?” "What impact will you have on others if...

In the film, The Pursuit of Happyness, the character, Chris, played by Will Smith who lives in a homeless shelter with his son, gets an opportunity to be one of hundreds of interns for a Wall Street brokerage firm with the promise of “only a few will make it past the...