Negotiating a Life of Significance

It’s been a roller coaster week. My mom, Pat, and my dad’s cousin, Maxine, celebrated significant birthdays. These firecrackers are now 88 and 90 years young. They are two of the most significant women of my life. They have impacted my education, career choices, religious beliefs, service to community, dedication

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How Have You Negotiated Your Career?

Most people know I went to law school but not everyone knows I first graduated with a Broadcast Journalism degree. During that time, I was a DJ at Texas Tech’s radio station and a news intern at KAMC-TV, the ABC affiliate in Lubbock. If you promise not to laugh at

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Exciting News!

I am beyond thrilled to be named the Hall of Fame Speaker for this year’s HRSouthwest Conference. This honor was a surprise and is a very big deal to receive from a community I value you so much. My friends Julie Burch, President Julie Burch Speaks Randy Anderson, CSP and

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What Hawaii is Missing

We just returned from spending a week with our daughter and her husband in O’ahu. They live next to the Dole Plantation, near North Shore. Hawaii has gorgeous beaches, incredible views, and delicious food including fresh fruit and seafood. We saw breathtaking sunsets, exotic fish, and sea turtles. The weather

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Negotiating Graduations, Certifications, and Continual Learning

This has been a week of graduations and celebrations. Some of my negotiation students Andin Lac, Lotusie Nguyen and Jermmy Wilson competed in The University of Texas at Dallas capstone project competitions. Other UTD students graduated. Posts were filled with graduate school, university, and high school graduation ceremonies. There were

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Questions in Negotiations with Remi Smolinski

This week I was the guest on The Negotiation Center’s podcast hosted by negotiation expert Remi Smolinski, the Founder of The Negotiation Center. People are afraid to ask because it might bug the person they are asking.❓Are you this person?❓Do you know people who stop themselves from asking for what

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Invaluable Experiences

Often we discuss determing the value of an item or a service. In my negotiation and dispute resolution classes at The University of Texas at Dallas, we focus on being of value to others in all our connecting and dealmaking. However, the experience with these students this past semester has

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Friends are a Big Deal

Who are your go-to people? You know, your friends who have your back and are there through the good times and bad? This digital age with several ways to connect can separate us, too. It saddens me to hear someone say they don’t have true friends. Here’s what I know

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Negotiating Your Development Isn’t Selfish – It’s Necessary

Last weekend, the National Speakers Association held its #Thrive Conference in Orlando. Hundreds of professional speakers gathered to learn business practices, stage presence, marketing and sales information and to be inspired from some of the best speakers in the world. This year has been incredibly busy, and I had competing

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