Yesterday I was in a huge hurry to get my Shot of Energy out, and I hit the send button before I proofed my copy.  Yes, I used Spell Check but Ms. Spell Check missed some words.

Here is the sad truth:  the send key is a killer.

Once you hit that send key, what you have written is out there F.O.R.E.V.E.R! People will pass around your stupidness. They will Tweet about it, email it to their friends, and they can always Google it.

You can never take it back!

So, dear readers, this is an apology to all of you who were offended by my typos! You know who you are! I am sorry and equally embarrassed. Actually, I received more responses to my typos than to any of my blog posts.  You were all very polite, and I appreciate your tactfulness.

After beating myself up, I learned that I am not the only one with this disability. By doing just a little research, I discovered the Top 10 Most Common Typos in America:
10. Subject-verb disagreement:  Lemons sure is tasty.
9. That place where you go to eat:  Restaraunt, restauraunt
8. The double-letter fumble:  They’re shiping dinning room furniture.
7. The A-for-E sabotage:  America loves its independance.
6. The confusion of tasty treats and arid sands: Try our homemade deserts.
5. The misplaced apostrophe:  womens’ secret society.
4. The wrong “your” or “you’re”:  Your the best at you’re job.
3. The wrong “its” or “it’s”:  Its in a class of it’s own.
2. The missing apostrophe: mens fashions
1. The unnecessary apostrophe: We sell hundreds of car’s!

My parting thought is that many people with dyslexia are very smart.

Did you know that “Google” was a typo?

One of the biggest mistakes that can hurt a business, a career, and a relationship is the act of making assumptions.   Stupid assumptions will send you down the wrong road and keep you from the unexplored resources.

Don’t make assumptions about a person’s gender, race, nationality or age.

Ask questions and then listen!

Don’t teat everyone the same.

The possibilities are endless.

With summer ending and the kids going back to school, I know you are so happy to finally have some time for yourself again! I encourage you to stop, listen, learn and have a great time with friends at the first ever Chic Sheet Speaker Series, featuring nationally acclaimed speaker, Karen McCullough.

It’s coming up fast, the first date is September 1st!

This special series is exclusive to Tony’s Restaurant, where the food is guaranteed to be scrumptious and the conversation lively! Reservations are coming in daily and we’re expecting the event to sell-out.

You don’t want to miss it, so take a moment and sign up now, it’s so easy! The event costs $85 and includes lunch.

Looking forward to seeing you and your friends at this first ever exclusive Chic Sheet Happening!

Register Now and feel free to forward the email to your friends so that they don’t miss it!You also don’t want to miss our other speaker series events:

Attract, Engage and Profit
From the Next Generation

(Registration fee is $85 and includes lunch)
Today, for the first time in history, 4 generations are trying to interact, work and do business together, yet some of us are challenged! Houston’s own National Keynote Speaker, Karen McCullough, an expert on the generations, thought she had the generations under control. It wasn’t until she wrote and published a book with her Gen X daughter Meredith, The Seven Women Project, that the real-life challenges began. Come join us for lunch where Karen will be sharing her hands-on secrets of working and collaborating across ALL age groups!

Houston-based, Karen McCullough is a business keynote speaker and consultant focusing on change and generational challenges. An active member of the National Speakers Association, she served as president of the Houston chapter in 2006. She has also worked with Dress for Success and created programs for                                        The Woman’s Home.

Future Events Include

Sept. 29: Social Media, Not Just For Kids; learn what all the hype is about and how you can benefit from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. (Price: $95 for wine and yummy lite bites).

Nov. 30: Karen talks about her fascinating new book, The Seven Women Project with a fashion accessorizing presentation by YOURS TRULY including accessories from
a bientot. You can see the latest accessories trends and how they can help change your basic look 7 different ways……just in time for Holiday Shopping! (Price: $95, including wine, lite bites and a shopping experience benefiting a fave cause!) Registration will be available soon.

I was having lunch with a good friend Jennifer Bouble the other day, and she shared with me one of her recent conversations with the world renowned John Maxwell.  Jennifer personally knows John through her church and professionally through her leadership training work that she does for Continental Airlines. As the story goes, they were at a conference, sitting at the same table at lunch and John shared that if you want to be really great at something -you work on  it every day. If you want to be a great golfer, and you practice your swing EVERY DAY eventually your game will improve.  If you want to be a writer and you write EVERY DAY your writing will improve and the words will flow!

As I started thinking about the one thing I was going to day everyday,  Jennifer added that John also believes in “The Rule of 5″…  so his ONE THING  is actually 5 things.

John Maxwell wanted to become an in-demand writer and motivational keynote speaker, Like so many people I know. In order to accomplish this John  created a daily plan that always includes these 5 things:
1. He reads, every day.

2.  He writes, every day.

3. He thinks, every day.

4. He files, every day.

5. He asks questions, every day.

He does these 5 things EVERY DAY with no exceptions.

Someone at the table asked if he did them on Christmas day. And he answered that, he reads, every day, he writes, every day, he thinks every day, he files, every day and that he asks questions, every day.

EVERY DAY! No excuses.

Someone then asked, “How about on your birthday? “  And he answered that, he reads every day, he writes every day, he thinks every day, he files every day, and that he asks questions, every day.

“On vacation?” some fool asked… And he answered that he reads every day, he writes every day, he thinks every day, he files every day and that he asks questions every day.

What is your daily agenda?

Adding just one thing could change your life and help you achieve your dream.

As of today, Dr. John Maxwell has written over 50 books and sold over 13 million copies,  several of which have been on the New York Times Best seller list! He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and committed!

A few years ago I made a shift in my thinking. Instead of focusing on what I didn’t have I started loving what I did have.  It’s truly amazing how one simple action has made such a huge difference in my life. I started adding moments of gratitude, simply giving thanks, into my daily routine while walking my dog Wally.

Each day I start off my Wally-walks thinking of the people in my life, those who bring my joy, and I thank them. Talk about a shot of positive energy.

It may seem really simple, but saying a little “thank you” can go a long way. If you are not into seeing the glass half full here’s another exercise that may be able to help you.  Try writing a couple of thank you notes each evening before you go to sleep. It is a sure way to get you ready for a soothing and peaceful night’s sleep.

Dr Roizen, one of the Doc-Stars of Oprah and director the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Program, revealed that he writes two thank you notes each evening before going to bed.  It is a ritual that he has integrated into his life that helps him end his day in gratitude. He says that the simple act of writing a gratitude note may help you feel more enthusiastic and positive – or at least less anxious.

And…thanks for being such loyal fans.

When I was a kid we called the term of handing your outgrown clothes and toys to a younger member of the family “The Hand-Me-Downs.” Since I was the baby of the family I got a whole lot of Hand-Me-Downs. Well there’s a new trend brewing. Handing-Ups! It seems that Gen X and Gen Y are Handing-up to their parents, older siblings, and aunties their old cell phones, digital cameras, computers, and any other electronic gadgets they no longer want. The term hand me up, came about by Wired Magazines’ Bruce Sterling first described the trend of younger generations handing off their slightly outdated, recently replaced tech products to parents or other older family members. Sounds like a great plan. Sounds like something Apple already knew. (How do you think I got my first Macbook Pro?  Waiting patiently for my iPad)

Photo Generations by Lyzadanger Flickr

For the past five years I have been presenting keynotes and workshops around Generational Issues.  Studying and presenting on the generations was one of the smartest things I ever did in my career. Understanding each of the generations, grasping what motivates them, and being open to knowing that we all will be doing things differently in the future has inspired me to keep learning.  Today I want to share my recent discoveries.  But first let me introduce to you the Generations.

The Greatest Generation: (My mom and dad) Born before 1928. Know to have “saved the world” according to Ronald Regan as they fought and won WWII

Rose and Mike 2008  (ages 97, 100)

The Traditionalists: 1928-1945. These are the children of the Great Depression and the children of WWII. They are conformists, civic minded, driven by sacrifice and what’s best for the greater good

The Baby Boomer: 1946-1964 lots of them-competitive, hardworking, driven by sacrifice for the greater self

Generation X: 1965-1979 -Cynical, cautions, independent, savvy, entrepreneurial, creative, loners, introduced us to “work-life balance”

Gen Y: 1980-1995- Diverse, confident, high technology, connected, open to change, mobile- mindset

This past week, I have been busy reading 150 page Pew Research report on the generations. The Pew Research that came out January of 2010 explores the Millennials (AKA Gen Y) as they are coming of age and entering into their 30’s.

The focus of this research compares the values attitudes and the behaviors of American Gen Y with today’s older adults. One of the things that impressed me reading this report is that as teens, our ides and behaviors very different even radical compared to the thinking we have moving into adulthood. As the life cycles enter into our lives many of our behaviors and ideas shift, we mellow out and we merge with older generations.

So of you can remember back 40 years ago when -baby boomers in their late teens and early 20’s were labeled “Anti-establishment” counter-cultural hippies who wanted to end the war and change the world? Then, on their 27^th birthday they began reading the Wall Street Journal, they cut off their pony tail(except for your Uncle Jimmy), shaved off their beards, bought a pin-stripe suit and became republicans!

Well, Gen Y is growing up- maybe a little slower than the Boomers but they are coming-of-age. This report shines a light on what American Gen Y will look like in the next few years. If you have a business that will be selling to this generation, the research is invaluable.

Here are some of the findings on American Gen Y’s taken from the Pew Research with my additional comments in (  ).

1. They are more ethnically and racially diverse than older adults. (The demographics in the US are changing take a look at Houston.)

2. Their entry into careers and first jobs has been set back by the 2008 Recession but they are more upbeat than their elders about their own economic future as well as the overall state of the nation. (Lots of parental help and constant motivation.)

3.  They are history’s first “always connected” online generation.

4.  They are experts at multi-tasking their hand-helds. (Oprah says to make texting and driving illegal.)

5. Over 80% interviewed said they sleep with their phones. (Hey, what’s wrong with that?)

6.  They use their smart phones for texting, emails, phone calls, songs, news , video, games, and as their alarm clock.

7.  Over 75% have a profile on social media sites.

8. Over 20% have posted videos of themselves on line.

9. 40% have tattoos and  18% have 6 or more and 70% say they are hidden.

10. 25%have piercings in places other than their earlobe. (Ouch!!!)

11. Most Gen Y have placed privacy boundaries on their social media profiles.

12. Despite the recession, 90% say that they have enough money or that they will eventually meet their long-term goals. But at the moment, 37% of the 18 – 29 year olds are out of work! And many of them have moved back into their parents homes. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/nyregion/22singles.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

13. They are the most educated generation with many returning to school, getting advanced degrees, and technical training- mainly due to the unemployment.

14. 66% are cautious when dealing with people yet less skeptical about government than Gen X.

15. 60% were raised by both parents.

16.  This generation places parenthood and marriage far above career and financial success. (Ron Howard new this when he created the new TV series Parenthood – but the advertisers didn’t know that Gen Y watches it online via Hulu.)

17. They are not rushing to the alter to get married.  Just  21% are married and only a third of those married are parents. (Gen Y could very well be called the Postponers.)

18.  The Pew Research estimated that in 2006 more that 33% of Gen Y women who gave birth were unmarried.

19.  (Here’s something the aging generations will like.)  They respect their elders (OK they aren’t sending you thank-you notes, but listen to this…) The agree that the older generation is superior to the younger generation when it comes to moral values and work ethic. Also more than 60% say that families have a responsibility to have an elderly parent come and live with them if that parent wants to. By contrast, the Pew report says that fewer than 40% of adults over the age of 60 would agree.

-20. 2% of males are military veterans 06% Gen X, 13 % Boomers, and 24% Traditionalist men were veterans.

WOW! I thought Gen Y had more tattoos!

Hope this information is helpful.

Because I speak on the generations, my friends consider  me the local Gen Y expert!  This summer several of them called  me  sharing the challenges they are having with their Gen Y summer hires and interns.  Besides the usual irritant of arriving late, a reoccurring issue is the perception of work and how to “fill” the day.  

Situation #1

On Friday you give the intern a project with a completion date of Wednesday.  On Monday the intern is at work IM-ing friends, flipping through magazines or reading The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.   So, you ask the intern if the project is completed and she tells you that it isn’t due until Wednesday and she is going to work on it tomorrow.  Right, wrong or just different?

Situation #2

A student gets a summer job working the grounds crew at a local college where he is hired to mow and edge the grounds. Grounds workers get to work at 8 and leave at 4:30. Each morning when he arrives at work he is given a map outlining the areas that needed mowing that day.  As the summer progresses, he gets pretty efficient at mowing and edging. One particular day he finished the work assigned at 3:30. Since he completed the task he goes home.  Right, wrong or just different?

 How do you look at these situations?

If you are the manager or the boss, the need to communicate expectations has never been more important than today in our diverse workplace. Having the “conversation” about what is expected is critical. Don’t assume that your younger employees get your vision. The more you spell out clear ground rules up front, the better things will go. Write them down -ok Gen Y can’t read cursive so type them out and use the “ground rules” often as your point of reference.

Gen Y gets bored quickly. Recognize that Gen Y is use to lots of stimulation and moving fast.  Think about what needs to get done, then channel Gen Y energy into projects that are meaningful to them as well as important to you. You can learn a lot from your Gen Y.

If you are the intern or new employee how do you see yourself in this job?                    Are you there just to pick up a pay-check or get a passing grade? Or are you there to gain experience and learn as much as you can? You have to ask yourself why you were hired, and look for ways to add value.   

No matter what your generation - It all starts by taking pride and ownership in your work.

“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” - Arnold Toynbee

I am been speaking professionally for almost eleven  years and I’ve  been coaching professional speakers and those who just want to be better speakers for the past 3 years.  The #1 question that I am asked over and over again is, “What’s the single most important thing I can do to improve my speaking and be better on the platform?”

My answer  is the same every time and it goes like this…You’ve got to be real and  being “real” in a speaker’s world  means that you have to be genuine, approachable, open, engaging, conversational, honest, humble and passionate!

Yes, I said PASSIONATE

You have to be excited about your topic and share not only your content but your energy and your enthusiasm.  If you aren’t excited about what you have to say how can your audience get excited? Think back to some of the speakers you have listened to in the past.  I bet that the ones that you remember created a lasting impression and may have even been responsible for moving you into action.  What was it that you remember? Was it a particular story that puts a smile on your face just thinking about it?  Was it the feeling that they evoked in you?  Was it an excitement to go out and start doing something? Great speakers spark a curiosity in us that makes us want to learn more, do more or be more!

A really great speaker has the ability to not only share their information and knowledge but they also share their passion.  Sharing your passion takes courage.  It takes getting out of you comfort zone and letting your excitement about a topic out.  Just start practicing letting your passion out when you are in a conversation with your friends or your family.

Oh, and if you are not sure about your passion two great Houston women Ruth McCurdy and Brenda Harris are putting on a workshop where you will take the Passion Test and  The Passion, Possibilities and Purpose Workshop. Check it out!

1.  The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond is the Pioneer Woman. Her twitter bio says , “I’m The Pioneer Woman. Desperate Ranchwife. Mother of Four. Lover of Butter. Amen.” I first discovered Ree on my second favorite blog-site, Penelope Trunk’s The Brazen Careerist.   Penelope often refers to The Pioneer Woman and her life on a ranch somewhere in Oklahoma with her Marlborough Man, and I was curious so I clicked on the blog and I was totally hooked.  I visit this sight often, getting the recipes (my absolute favorite is the pulled pork) looking at Ree’s beautiful photos and just plain getting inspired. I read that they are making a movie staring Reese W. as the Pioneer Woman!

2. The Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk was one of the first books I read that focused on career strategies for Gen Y. I appreciated  the book and started following her blog. Penelope writes that she  is the founder of 3 start-ups — most recently, Brazen Careerist, a social network to help young people manage their careers. Her career advice appears in more than 200 newspapers. In a review of this blog, Business Week called Penelope’s writing “poetic.”  I call her writing real , very direct and at time shocking. That’s why I read her.  Here’s an example of her style and point of view as she give her advice on: My financial history and stop whining about your job.

3. Who here doesn’t just love Seth?  I love – love – love him and so do most business owners, marketing experts, and anyone who like to think their remarkable! I admit I read him almost every day and if I miss one post, my friend Beverly Denver always asks, “Did you read Seth today?” Seth has  written over a dozen books, and I have read most of them. My favorites are The Dip, The Purple Cow, Permission Marketing, The Big Moo, and Tribes.  If you want to sample of one  Seth’s hard hitting blog posts read this.

4.  I discovered Gary Vaynerchuk and The Wine  Library  through program I attended by fellow National Speaker, Mattison Grey several years back. She was talking about video blogging and I started watching the wine library and learning the power of blogs.  Gary’s  story is fascinating. But the thing that really turned me onto Gary was listening to his 2008 web 2.0 speech (sorry for some of the language). He talked about the power of blogging and how with patience, persistence, and passion you can grow your business. Gary says, “The day of the gatekeeper is over.”  Gary V is one of my mentors and he continues to push me to blog and Crush It!

5.  If you live in Houston you might want to  follow our own  Saint John’s graduate, author and blogger  Katherine Center. My friend and executive coach and author Susan Leiberman had this to say about Katherine. ““It is so much fun to hear Katherine speak. Her great warmth, keen humor and carefully plotted story-telling abilities just pull her audience right in. You feel like she is speaking directly to you…and are delighted to be spending time with her.” — Susan A. Lieberman, Ph.D., Houston, TX.  Katherine  writes about her books, her kids, her life, and what inspires her while  sharing her secrets to writing.

Hope you like these 5… tell us your favorite blogs