❓ Did you notice that I’ve been offline for two weeks?❓ – Yes? Wow. Thanks for noticing.  – No? No problem. Maybe you were unplugging, too. One of the challenges I faced when Gregg and I planned a last-minute cruise to Alaska was FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). I feared I would

❓How do you feel when you speak at an important event? ❓What do you do to negotiate with your nerves and still get the important words said? ❓How do you perform if people with impressive titles or roles are in the room? Most people tell me they get nervous when

Are you one of the five percent of people who say nothing keeps you from asking for what you really want? Terrific! Or Are you in the 20 percent who feel confident asking and negotiating? Great! Or Are so you find yourself in the other 80 percent who don’t feel

Do you like Whataburger? If you have a restaurant near you, you know the good food and friendly atmosphere. It’s one of our family favorites. Whether we are home, celebrating special occasions like a high school win, or on the road, we can depend on Whataburger. My order is a #1,

What have you run over with a vehicle?How did you cope? Our daughter Taylor and I had an unfortunate encounter with a large coyote on a recent road trip in West Texas. On our two hour trip from Odessa to Lubbock, the animal ran in front of our car. While

How do you read people in negotiations or conversations?Have you ever wondered whether someone is really connecting with you?What shows you someone is ready to leave a negotiation? I interviewed David M. Schneer, Ph.D., the founder and CEO of The Merrill Institute for Nonverbal Intelligence—a body language certification and training organization founded

The icy storm we are having in Dallas, a.k.a. “Dallaska”, has made me appreciate those who live and work in this weather all the time. It also makes me thankful for those who deal with thankless tasks every day. Like the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray, we have people

Originally posted in August 2022 on LinkedIn You can #negotiate nearly everything in life, including how you want others to treat you.   You may be great at creating rules of engagement around deals or contracts. However, how well do you clearly communicate what you want at work or home?

What would you tell a new college student to help negotiate a great college career? This is the season when students are headed to college the first time. For some, they are the first of their family to attend a university. In my work as president of the Texas Tech

Originally posted on LinkedIn in August 2022. How can you turn uncertainty into a competitive advantage?  Great question asked by future National Speakers Association’s association Chair of the Board, Meridith Elliott Powell, CSP, CPAE.  In the interview we did for her Podcast, we discussed how change and uncertainty can be

Originally posted on LinkedIn in July 2022 Who took a chance on you as you negotiated your career?  Yesterday, I presented to a meeting professional who was the first to hire me to speak for his credit union association.  Actually, I presented to a PICTURE of Tom McWilliams at a

Originally posted on LinkedIn in August 2022. Where do you donate your time?  How do you give back?  What are the reasons you share you time and talents?  Guess what?! The “to whom much is given, much is expected” belief has some surprisingly strong benefits for the giver.  According to