Lessons From My Father

When I was a little girl we ate dinner as a family most every night. One night my dad came home with a memorable story to share at the dinner table. My dad was so pleased with himself as he regaled us with his antics. He was trying to talk with a person that was not taking his call. So this particular day when he made the call, he told the assistant he reached that he was calling from the mayor’s office. And the call went through.

I think of that some days when I would like to reach someone that may not take my call. My dad’s story was way before caller ID and other technological advancements. Years ago when I wanted to meet Riley Lochridge, then Chairman & CEO COMDOC, I waited outside of the men’s bathroom at the Hilton after I saw him walk in. It worked. I not only met him, over time I wrote speeches for him including wedding toasts and the eulogy for his beloved father-in-law.

My dad told a white lie that he was calling from the mayor’s office, and I was a stalker. What can you do to meet “your person?”

One of my favorite urban legends is the one about the tall Chicago building with the “slow elevator.” Tenants and guests complained to the building super, “speed up the elevator.” The super solved the problem in a different way: he hung a mirror on every floor by the elevator buttons and the complaints ceased.

Tevi gets enough physical exercise. Apparently he requires more “brain” games, things to make him think and use mental energy. So this is what feeding time looks like for Tevi. He has to “mentally work” to eat his meals.

Learn From Fun Photos at The Akron Zoo

1. Porcupine Diplomacy

Forest is the adorable porcupine who paints “for a living”. Although we think of those needles as less than pleasant his personality seemed docile and endearing. A few days after “meeting” Forest I heard a diplomat actually talk about “porcupine diplomacy”.

Lesson Learned:  Admiral James Stavrides used the porcupine analogy to talk about U.S. – China relations. This is what I understood: give China one porcupine needle at a time to swallow rather than WW3 or WMD. Can you move forward one needle at a time?

2. My New BFF

The alpacas seemed to be calling to me as I walked through the Summer Safari. I stopped to talk to them when beautiful, black Noel came close to where I was standing. I talked to him to the point where a perfect stranger asked if I wanted a photo with my new BFF.

Lesson Learned: Some members of your team want to bond more than others. Some are interested in what you are doing and others not so much. Some you know all about their life outside of the office and others not so much. Can you identify your Noels?

3. Mugging For the Camera

Some people like attention better than others. Some animals like attention better than others. This is Jackson. It was as if he knew that people were watching. He got as close as he could to the glass divider and stayed and stayed making prime photos and videos for his delighted guests. He is a great ambassador for the zoo.

Lesson Learned: One of the challenges of leadership is to fit personnel in roles that leverage their best and highest use. It’s the same for animal team members. Matching an animal to its best and highest use is continual as challenges and skills evolve. Do you leverage your team member’s best and highest use?

Spending so much time training the puppy, I decided to take Benji to a class of his own. I wanted time that was just for Benji and me. So I found a “par cours” class. Easier than agility and less regimented than obedience. And no dock diving involved.

He has loved it. It’s fun and easy enough to have success quickly. We can practice on just about anything, kid’s playgrounds are especially adaptable.

The other dogs in class are big dogs in comparison. Everyone thinks he can’t do what the big dogs can do. He proves them wrong.



When I showed horses practicing and training was something I did with a horse, not “to” a horse. I like doing this class together. How do you use your team members: doing something with them or to them?

Video and Vino

September 13

5pm - 7pm

Bring a friend with you! It's fun to "experience" this session together!

We call it Video & Vino because we video each participant and then each leaves with a bottle of vino - wine!

Each of you will be taped for 2 -3 minutes. We play it back, make suggestions, and then we will tape you again. You will see immediate improvement!

You learn by doing and by observing. And guess what? You have fun in the process!!

Each person may choose what they do while being videotaped:

1. I have found it is most beneficial for you to use your own material, from a presentation or anything that is about 300 words.

2. We have transcripts from famous speeches/famous people who gave a speech if you want to present a couple of paragraphs from one of these.

3. We can do an interview where I will be the host and you will be the guest.

You will learn by doing and by observing others and take home a gift bag!

This event takes place at our Electric Impulse office in Fairlawn.

Final HorseTalk of the Year:

September 29, 2023  9:00 – 4:00

Why Participate in this HorseTalk?

"And God took a handful of southerly wind, blew his breath upon it, and created the horse." Bedouin legend

HorseTalk: Lessons in Leadership 2023

This day requires us to be fully aware and present in the moment.

The day requires of us to not over-think and to think like our audience, which on this day is a horse. 

The third benefit is that horses bring us back to our authentic nature: a leader, a follower, or both.

When your horse follows you without being asked, when he rubs his head on yours, feel a tingle down your spine . . . you know you are loved. John Lyons

Our first HorseTalk is September 29 – 9:00am - 4:00pm. 

Ask me about my 10 in 10!