The Battle We Knew Nothing About

The Battle We Knew Nothing About

It’s Sunday, November 4, 1979, and my parents look horrified as they watch the evening news.  500 Iranian students loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini seized the US Embassy in Tehran, taking 90 hostages.  We had no idea they would be in captivity for 444 days. I am a...

Lessons Learned from an AC/DC Concert

When tornado warnings popped up on the evening of May 20, I knew the bucket I use for my bucket list sprung a leak.  The AC/DC concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville was cancelled.  Something I’d wanted to do for so long and was within reach had been stolen. Until it...
The Business Trip from Hell – Part 2

The Business Trip from Hell – Part 2

My alarm rings at 5:00AM and I jump in the shower and pack.  If I get there early, maybe I can bypass the mob at Customs.  I might have to sit forever at the gate, but at least I’m through.  I get dressed and head down to the lobby.  No free breakfast or coffee here. ...
The Business Trip from Hell – Part 1

The Business Trip from Hell – Part 1

It’s 2:45 on a Thursday afternoon in March 2010 and I’m wrapping up a three-day workshop at the Pratt & Whitney plant in Lonquille, Quebec.  It’s my favorite workshop with one of my favorite audiences. Even though Pratt is my favorite client, the group in Montreal...
Buried Treasure

Buried Treasure

When I tell people I’m originally from California, the usual reaction is “oh that’s nice,” but their body language and facial expression tell another story.  It’s the same look you get when you discover that missing package of hamburger meat a week after you left it...
When I Was Your Age…

When I Was Your Age…

It’s noon on a hot July day in 1990 and I’m standing at the ATM at the Wells Fargo Bank in Cerritos, California getting some cash. As I punch my PIN into the keypad and watch my account pop up, all looks normal.  About $60.00 in checking which is ok since payday is...