StayHealthyStayStrong – Everyday is an Interview

The Edge of the Successful

There are mornings when I don’t want to work out. It’s cold, I’m tired, or life just feels inconvenient. But in those exact moments, I remind myself:

“What I do when it’s uncomfortable is what sets me apart.”

Success isn’t about showing up when it’s easy. It’s about showing up especially when it’s not. Don’t chase comfort to prove you’ve made it. Instead, embrace discomfort to prove you’re becoming who you were meant to be.

True growth happens in the grind—when you push through the fatigue, the cold, and the chaos. That’s the edge of success. And the edge is where transformation lives.

#WWKDD

#Just Be Better

#I Own The Morning

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

#Everyday is an Interview

Are You Ready for the Call?

What if your dream opportunity came calling today—would you be ready?

Not just ready to interview… but ready to win the job?
Ready to step into your goals, your potential, your next level?

If your answer is anything but an instant “yes,” then it’s time to ask:
Why not?

We often hear about being in the right place at the right time. But the truth is, if you’re not prepared, the opportunity might come—and pass—without ever becoming yours.

Josh Bryant and Adam benShea use the term Gas Station Ready—the idea that you should be ready for anything at a moment’s notice, especially when it comes to protecting yourself or your loved ones.

The same mindset applies to your goals and aspirations.

Are you prepared to be great right now?
Are you prepared to achieve your goals right now?
Are you prepared to be who you say you want to be—right now?

Opportunities don’t wait until you feel ready. They come when they come. So get ready now.

Sharpen your resume. Practice your pitch. Train your mind and body.
Live like every day is an interview—because one day soon, the call will come.

Will you be ready to answer?

#EverydayIsAnInterview
#IOwnTheMorning
#StayHealthyStayStrong
#WWKDD
#JustBeBetter

Roll With It

I love playing music with my friends. I have been playing music with the same drummer for over 35 years. We no longer play many shows, but I always look forward to the next one.

This weekend, we had the opportunity to perform two songs with a friend who has sung with us for the last two years. Our friend hosted an open mic at an outdoor fair and wanted us to perform two songs to encourage others to get up and sing. I was happy to do this little gig, but as always, there were challenges.

I found out about the show the night before. Roll With It! I always like to prepare and practice, so the songs are second nature before we play them live. I needed extra practice time since we had not played a live show in about ten months, and I have been focusing on other musical goals. We could not work out a practice session on short notice. We all suggested songs. None of my suggestions were picked (not an issue). I practiced the two chosen songs. Instead of complaining about the short time to practice, I focused on the task. In the end, I was pleased with my preparation of the songs, but I had many questions about the technical setup for the show.
The drummer and the singer planned to sing while I accompanied them on the guitar. This lineup is not a problem, as it is a more straightforward setup. However, it relies on using other people’s equipment. In this case, we would use someone else’s PA system. With very little information, I had to figure out the PA system and decide which gear to bring (Read the previous blog “Balance” about only bringing what I needed). Roll With It! Since we had to “hike” in our gear, I took a guitar, two cables, a DI box to hook my guitar to the PA, and two cables.
When I got to the gig, I discovered the PA system was not good. Roll With It! There were no monitors to hear me or the singers. Five minutes before we were supposed to go on, the singer asked if I would accompany a young singer on a song I knew and had performed in the past. No practice time. Roll With It! Halfway through the song, the cable PA conks out. Roll With It! It was a bad cable that I replaced with one of mine. The young singer was good but needed to know when to enter each verse of the song. I altered the song’s structure to help and support her. Roll with It! She was so pleased that she sang a second song later in the day.
My bandmates are awesome people, but they are constantly changing their minds. We were first supposed to open the show to encourage others to come up and sing. Since more people than expected signed up for slots, we played towards the end. Roll With It! Giving those two time to “think” about our songs is always a bad idea. Remember, they picked the songs we would perform, and we chose their picks. As we were getting ready to go on stage, the two of them changed the first song we would play. Roll with it. I had no time to practice or get our stage confidence by starting with a well-practiced song. The only thing to rely on was hoping I have a good memory and can remember the song structure, chords, and changes. Roll with It!

Despite all of this, it was a good show. We played well. We will continue to do a few of these as I write the next album.

What did I learn? Roll With It! The only way to do this is to keep a good attitude so that others remember the joy we feel playing music as a group (and hopefully, someone in the audience plays bass and wants to join the band).

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

#iownthemorning

Effective Team Meetings: Keeping Discussions On Point

At the end of every work cycle, we have too many meetings. Some are important, but most are not. I hate meetings that have no point. Too many people feel they are powerful when holding a meeting. It is true that when someone calls a meeting that I am compelled to attend, the person has power over my time. However, I will only give them the power to use my time effectively.

Meetings should be on-point and concise. The leaders should encourage discussion and debate but be focused enough to keep the discussions on point. Some teams I am part of have members who cannot stop talking and going off on a tangent because they feel or believe. These time wasters are an issue. If you “feel” or “believe” something is true, take the time to explore it and bring a concise summation of your research to the meeting. Unless it is a brain-storming session, the ramblings do not belong. This is ineffective, gives the unprepared power over my time, and does not belong in an effective team meeting. I’ve seen too many meetings devolve because the leader is either reluctant to address or fails to recognize this issue. It takes a creative participant to redirect the conversation.

Do not waste other people’s time. Come to a meeting prepared and ready to work. Expect your colleagues to do the same.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.