“What are you going to do to live your BEST life?”

Yesterday my family went on a sunset hike to a lake overlook that was simply breathtaking. The purple mountains, the age-old cactus in the desert hills, and the shimmering colors of the descending sun filled me with awe. Even more so, as I followed my boys who ran ahead up the trail, my heart burst with love and thankfulness for them and the opportunity to just be together. Gratitude. It is probably no surprise that my blog is on  Read more »

The world needs strong and effective leadership - in government, at work, and in our homes. No doubt you have seen, and may be frustrated by, the leadership void that seems to be growing. People are abdicating their power for various reasons. Now, more than ever, leaders need to be operating at their best. When the time came for me to hire a President for my services company a few years ago, I knew I had a leadership challenge  Read more »

Whether the day is a good day, the month a good month, or the year a good year, is all a matter of choosing the right perspective. The sun hovers over the ocean in front of me, casting beams of light down through the clouds as it makes its ascent and a brand new day begins. The view is mesmerizing, the breeze warm and soft on my face, and the only sound is the waves lapping gently against the  Read more »

Sitting in the doctor's office waiting for the results of a test, I checked the time again - the third time in about 10 minutes. As an executive with a heavy schedule I thought to myself, I don't have time for this. Some changes on my skin and the concern of a friend had brought me in. When I think back, this was a very difficult time in my life. My business was growing rapidly - a good thing,  Read more »

It is a beautiful summer in the Pacific Northwest, and my family and I have had the opportunity to spend some glorious days boating in the San Juan Islands. With the Labor Day holiday and end of summer quickly approaching, we escaped with my parents to Orcas Island to catch the last hurrah. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and there was just enough of a breeze to make everyone happy. Hikes around Mountain Lake, fresh salmon  Read more »

When I was a young girl we used to sing a song called "Count Your Blessings." It is a simple song with a simple but profound idea: name the great things and people in your life one by one. That song was probably my first brush with the idea of living a gratitude-filled life. I have many blessings - more than I am able to count. But every morning, I take time to remember all the good in my  Read more »

When I was a little girl, my Grandpa built a playhouse for my sister and me in our backyard. It was a miniature of the farmhouse where we lived, painted white with green trim, and even had a small loft. We loved to play in our "very own" house, and spent hours of make believe there. Our kittens became our babies and would allow us (most of the time) to dress them up in doll clothes and push them  Read more »

In order to become a better and happier version of yourself, you first have to identify the areas of your life that you are not satisfied with - where you have succumbed to "living on automatic." Let me illustrate with a story. My husband and I enjoy kayaking together on the ocean near our home in the Pacific Northwest. There is nothing more beautiful than being out on the water on a warm summer evening as the sunlight shimmers  Read more »

As a child I had boundless energy and a big imagination. Dreaming came easy. Growing up on a dairy farm out in the country, my sister and I spent a lot of time playing outdoors. She and I spent hours playing in the tree-house my Dad built us in our front yard. We pretended we lived there, that is, until Mom called us in for dinner. Rainy days did't get us down as we would hide out in the  Read more »

I am sorry for what I said in quarantine. Over something ridiculously small I had snapped at my husband and needed to apologize. Can you relate? My day had started out just fine. Despite the extra efforts needed to rise above the latest negative news, I was ready to tackle the workday. Armed with my morning latte and my list of priorities I got to work. However, it quickly became one of those days where my best laid plans  Read more »

It's a beautiful summer morning in the Northwest and I am about to embark on one of my favorite weekly activities - tending to my flower garden and picking a colorful, fragrant bouquet for my dining table. A couple of years ago, my Mother's Day gift was the flowers to plant my own garden, and now I am harvesting the fruits of those labors with stunning roses and other delightful perennials to enjoy. I look forward to this time  Read more »

Imagine creating your BEST DAY. One where you have a lot of energy, you are focused, you are productive, you are getting the right things done in record time. And, you feel great about your accomplishments. The problem is many of us aren't feeling this way right now. All of us have been affected in some way by COVID-19 and the resulting shutdown we are now living in. In varying ways, our lives and daily rhythms have been disrupted. One of  Read more »

Mind over Matter. Apparently, I said this to my kids a lot when they were growing up. We were having a conversation the other day where I asked my daughters what words or phrases they remembered hearing over and over. “Mind over matter” was at the top of their list along with a few others. Do your best. You can do it. Be nice. When they would get in an attitude funk, complain about being picked on at school,  Read more »

For years I have made my Sunday trip to the grocery store to stock up for the week. These days in the midst of a global pandemic, it is very different. Last week the atmosphere was heavy. I could feel the fear and apprehension of the customers. People self-distanced. No smiles. No eye contact. Some people were in masks, gloves, and even goggles. Everywhere, complete silence. Some people walked into corners to wait out a busy aisle. Others lunged  Read more »

We are in unprecedented times as the global pandemic continues to expand. Businesses are implementing contingency plans to protect their team members and clients, and still do their best to keep their organizations running. Leaders are working hard to continue to do business as usual when business is “not” usual. As a leader you may still be working with your people in person because you are in a critical industry or you may, like many, be working remotely from  Read more »

As we watch the evolving and escalating nature of the COVID-19, it seems every day we are told something else we can’t do. Out of necessity we have left the top levels of the needs pyramid of self-actualization, to pure survival mode with concern for the basics of having enough food and toiletries. If you have braved the grocery story in the last few days, they have gone from bustling to silent, with hardly anyone in the stores. The  Read more »

Do you have a hard time being present? When my children were small, I was a single mother working hard to be everything my kids needed me to be, while putting in a lot of hours running my growing company. Looking back I found it very difficult to be present. When I wasn’t working I was taking my kids from one activity to another. I didn’t realize then how “on overload” I really was. Wherever I was, my mind  Read more »

When I was in the second grade my mother signed me up for piano lessons. I was excited as it was something fun and new to learn. Admittedly though, I am easily distracted and if it wasn’t for a disciplined mother, I would have quit in the first year. After all – on a sunny day the last thing I wanted to do was practice piano after school when I could bike over to a friend’s house to play  Read more »

Yesterday we had one of those surprise, bright blue-sky winter days. The forecast was calling for a week of rain, so when we woke up to sunshine my husband and I decided to take a mid-day break from work and bundled up for some exercise in the fresh air. On our walk we talked about our December activities; how quickly the last few weeks of the year always go; and how we are looking forward to our plans for  Read more »

“Peace can be yours this season if you decide to make room for it.” Janelle Bruland The Holiday season is in full swing. Wherever you look there are signs of the season – twinkling lights on the houses, freshly cut trees atop cars, Christmas music playing. It seems everywhere you go in December; people are rushing around in a frenzy. People ask, “Are you ready for Christmas?” I don’t think they are asking about the real meaning of Christmas,  Read more »

Sometimes life throws us a curveball and it is difficult to maintain an attitude of optimism. The good news is that even though we can’t always control the circumstances we find ourselves in, we can choose our mindset. My daughter Paige spent time a few years ago serving in a local orphanage in Guatemala. Areas of this country are so poor and disadvantaged that many families and children work as scavengers in city dumps in order to simply survive.  Read more »

The days are getting crisp in the Northwest as we anticipate the holidays just a few short weeks away. Though admittedly I mourn the warmer days of summer, I enjoy the cool, blue sky days of winter and always look forward to the holiday season and spending special time connecting with my family. One of our favorite places to go during the holidays is the beautiful resort town of Whistler. Located in the spectacular Coast Mountains of British Columbia,  Read more »

Does music move you like it does me? When that familiar song starts playing that is one of your favorites do you start humming the lyrics, or singing, or do you even get the urge to start moving around to the beat? You’ve likely seen the flash mobs where one person in a crowd starts out by spontaneously bursting into a song and dance number and people are moved to join in. The movement can grow into hundreds within  Read more »

Fall is here in the Northwest and with it crisp temperatures with a bit of morning mist giving way to warm sunny days. Though I love the change of seasons I must admit I am mourning the end of summer just a bit. Out on the golf course yesterday the deep green of the fir trees against the bright changing colors of red and gold on the stately maples created a stunning display. As we walked the course we  Read more »

Sometimes the answers we need are simple and uncomplicated. So much so, in fact, that we miss them or we don’t give them the attention they deserve. I created a system for myself that I call “intentional calendaring” which has increased my productivity and maximized my performance. I am here to tell you that the growth and profitability of my business have been positively impacted by this one idea. In fact, it is the one idea that can  Read more »

I travel frequently and the Bellingham airport has become a regular stop for me en route to various business meetings. Last week, I took an early morning flight to Portland. Admittedly, I was hardly awake at 5 a.m. and really needed some coffee as I waited my turn at the security line. There was someone new standing at the conveyor belt as the passengers put their items through for screening. At my turn, I placed my bag, coat, and clear plastic  Read more »

When I was a young girl we used to sing a song called “Count Your Blessings.” It is a simple song with a simple but profound idea: name the great things and people in your life one by one. That song was probably my first brush with the idea of living a gratitude-filled life. I have many blessings—more than I am able to count. But every morning, I take time to remember all the good in my life. I  Read more »

February. The month where we celebrate love and Presidents. But what do they have in common, and why on earth would you talk about politics and love in the same blog?! (the boss asked me this ;-)) It’s easy. Love and Presidents all start with Eros: The Greek, mischievous, young adult. No matter who you voted for, they all act like Eros. Maybe not Greek, but likely mischievous and childlike. But in all Presidents, there are 3 traits that  Read more »

I have always liked the start of something new - a new project, a new book, and yes, a new year. A New Year is a new beginning, and an opportunity for all of us to make a fresh start. At the beginning of each year, we have a tradition in my family of taking time to pause and reflect on what we accomplished the year before, and to set goals for the year ahead. This time we asked  Read more »

Gross. Don’t put your hand in the couch cushion. Here’s 5 better ideas to find cash. 2019. Wow. I finally just started using the right date when writing a check and now it’s off to learn another. In the past it was February when the year became second nature, and now it's November. It must be because we write so few checks. My kids don’t even have a checkbook. Venmo and Apple Pay rule their lives. That got me  Read more »

Don’t try this at home   Bellingham Bay Half marathon was September 30, 2018 and I survived without injury. The day started off chilly and wet so the toughest part was picking out what to wear. Decided on shorts and t-shirt with ball cap. Simple and if I am cold I will run faster. No injuries. Lots of fun. And great people. The lady flashing us was a bonus to get up the last hill. I don’t think she  Read more »

What was your first waking thought today?  Some days we wake up ready to take charge of the day, but we have all been there on days where we would love to simply pull the covers back over our heads when we hear the morning alarm. What were your main thoughts over the last 24 hours?  Were they thoughts of hope, love, thankfulness, or worry, fear, and escape?  Our thoughts can become our reality so it is important we  Read more »

    I travel frequently and the Bellingham airport has become a regular stop for me in route to various business meetings.  Last week, I took an early morning flight to Portland. Admittedly I was hardly awake at 5 a.m. and really needing some coffee as I waited my turn at the security line.   There was someone new standing at the conveyor belt as the passengers put their items through for screening.  At my turn I placed my  Read more »

Do you remember your grandpa’s toolbox? My grandfather had his trusty toolbox always at the ready. It was filled with various tools that were well loved, and he always knew which to use and for what. There are many tools in a good leader’s arsenal. Countless executives have done interviews giving away tips and lessons they wish they had learned earlier in their careers. I like to keep up with what is going on in the world of business  Read more »

Winter is coming. Summer seemed to end like a light switch going off, and the crisp Fall days are getting shorter and shorter. In the Northwest we got a glimpse of the coming season with the earliest snowfall since 1973. After a busy work week television is a great way to give my mind a break. I know I am not the only one who’s gotten caught up in the series Game of Thrones. I have a love hate  Read more »

It’s a beautiful summer morning in the Northwest and I am about to embark on one of my favorite weekly activities—tending to my flower garden and picking a colorful, fragrant bouquet for my dining table. Last Spring my Mother’s Day gift was the flowers to plant my own garden, and now I am harvesting the fruits of those labors with stunning roses and other delightful perennials to enjoy. I look forward to this time each week where I stop  Read more »

The end of the school year brings excitement for many—a time of graduation. This year we celebrated two graduates in our home with one daughter completing High School and another completing University. I had the privilege of being the Commencement Speaker at my daughter Paige’s High School graduation. I asked the students, “What are you going to do after High School?” This is one of the most asked questions of High School graduates. Over and over people will ask  Read more »