A lifetime experience - The Boston Marathon

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." - Steve Prefontaine

I can still not believe that I was fortunate enough to reach my goal and run the most prestigious race in the world - the Boston Marathon. The training for this race took 16 weeks and this requires discipline, patience and certainly a lot of miles under your soles.

Unlike other marathons, Boston is not an open race. You have to qualify to be allowed to run it. Although it is not as difficult as qualifying for the Olympics, this process can be quite challenging for the average runner. It is certainly what makes running the Boston Marathon special and attracts runners from all over the world. Some even call the race the "holy grail" of marathon runners and now I know why.... 

This race was the experience of a lifetime but nobody can truly understand the level of difficulty of this race before running it..... It is the most difficult course I have ever run.... There is soooo much downhill and at 26 k my legs (thighs) were already killing me.... I had no idea how I could even finish 42 k but somehow I got a second wind but I could not maintain my goal time (3:50).... My hamstring really acted up during the last 5 miles....

However, I am very proud of my accomplishment and at least this is one more thing to cross off my bucket list!

Time: 3:54:53

There were 26,776 entrants, 23,071 starters and 22,588 finishers in the 114th race. The Boston crowd was amazing.... There was no mile without people cheering us on. The Americans are really into sports and such patriots. They really made us feel like we are a professional athletes. It's the people cheering that carry you to the finish line at the end!!!

The most important thing - I finished strong, healthy and with a smile on my face!

What did I learn from this whole experience for business and for life?

• If you learn to enjoy the whole journey, it makes it so much easier to face any challenge.
• Set goals, know what you want and discover your inner drive. 
• Have a plan and have the self-discipline to stick to it.
• Show integrity in whatever you do!
• Have the courage to go for what you want despite all the nay-sayers.
• If you do something like running a marathon without getting paid, you must love it, otherwise you won't succeed. Look for the same feeling in your career.....
• Be friendly and show respect even if you don't feel like it!
• You can enjoy life and eat whatever you want if you show some discipline in other areas of your life. "How you do anything is how you do everything!"
• Open your eyes for the beauty around you and take it in - mile by mile, day by day, moment by moment. That's the key to happiness.
• Roadblocks are like hills - if you learn how to conquer them, there will always be a nice and easy downhill for cruising along. It is all about the perspective on how you look at things.
• If you make perseverance your friend, any challenge will turn into an opportunity. 
• Look for people around you who are an inspiration to you - people in their 70ies who run marathons, people in wheelchairs who are faster than you can even imagine, people who have more challenges than you do..... What can you learn from them on your journey to your personal success?
• Expand your network and never forget to make friends along the way - it is fun and this makes life so much more enjoyable. 
• A smile on your face goes a long way and there is no language barrier - once you smile the pain goes away.....and you approach things in a different way.
• It is important to take control over the "little voice in your head".... The average person has 60,000 thoughts a day and 80 % of these thoughts are negative. If you know that, it becomes easier to take control and shift your thoughts from negative to positive.
• Good energy is important in whatever you do - make exercise, good eating habits and enough sleep a part of your lifestyle.
• Have a winning attitude but not at the expense of other people...
• Help other people on their journey and make it your mission to help them succeed. 
• Sometimes you won't reach your goal but that's o.k. because at the end of day it is not about the goal, it is about the person you become in the process. 
• Never, never, ever give up - that's the difference between success and failure.
• Be an inspiration to other people and you can change one life at a time. This is the most effective way to lead people and to help them to make behavioural changes.
• If something works, keep doing it. If it doesn't work, change your approach. Otherwise, how can you expect a different result?
• Lead by example and lead the way! Others will want to follow.....
• Attitude is EVERYTHING - nothing will stop you if you have the will to succeed, the will to conquer challenges and the will to be the best you can be.
• If you don't appreciate yourself, you will have a difficult time acknowledging your successes!
• Learn the lesson behind it when you are faced with a challenge!
• Strive for excellence in your life. Who wants to be average?
• If you live your life with SPICE - self discipline, persistence, integrity, courage and energy - you can accomplish anything you want and the sky is the limit. 
• Whatever you do - don't forget to have FUN along the way!

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with EMPATHY!

"I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
- Maya Angelou


What a great quote and so true!


I'd like to share an experience that I will never forget. Three and a half years ago at my last job I was asked to talk about the retirement savings plan at one of our employee meetings. I was a little bit nervous and this nervousness slightly increased when I saw that our American President and most of the Executive team decided to attend this meeting.
What I did not know at the time was that in the very same meeting, 20 minutes after my presentation, we were told that most of us would lose our jobs as a decision was made to move our group office from Canada to the States. Wow! 
Everyone on the Executive team knew the agenda but not one single person took me aside to say "Karin, today is not the day to talk about the retirement savings plan." They remained quiet and were all sitting in the first row observing my little speech.


I can say one thing, I will never forget how this made me feel but it was a great learning experience about how I never want to treat other people. In leadership like anywhere else, we have "do's and don'ts" and this was certainly a "don't".


What does this little experience teach us about showing empathy to other people?
What does this show us about leadership?
What can we learn here about emotional intelligence?
Could it be that not one single person on the Executive team sincerely cared how people felt about the prospect of losing their jobs or did they simply feel too uncomfortable with the whole situation? 
Maybe a few of them did care but the point is, NOBODY had the courage to step up and do the right thing.


Leading with empathy is crucial during good times and even more so during bad times.


Dale Carnegie, an outstanding historical authority on Leadership, spoke about the importance of showing a genuine interest in other people, showing a sincere interest in other people's feelings. 
I realize that this "touchy-feely" stuff may make some of you feel uncomfortable and you would much rather prefer not deal with it. However, if you want to be seen as a leader, if you want to help people succeed at all levels, if you are interested in having your people perform at their best, and if you want to set your legacy as a leader, you have to lead with empathy.


There is no doubt in my mind, if you care about your people, they will care about you and your company and this will result in boosting your bottom line. 

Our Next FREE Workshop is at the Richmond Hill Central Library on April 6, 2010

We have scheduled our next workshop "Layoff During Difficult Times - The End or a New Beginning?"

Did you lose your job?
Are you fearful and stuck, looking for guidance?
Are you ready to be pro-active and make a plan for your life?
Do you need help identifying and setting your goals?
Do you want a confidence boost and create more self-awareness?
Do you know someone who lost their job recently?
Do you want to move forward and find the right job for YOU?
Are you thinking about self-employment?

We can help! We provide a supportive and positive learning environment and empower people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. It is all about taking action and taking 100 % responsibility for your life and for your results!

Sometimes it's tough to stay positive considering all the fears and insecurities we have to deal with. However, we have learned from own experience that attitude is everything and it is our goal to communicate to YOU how you can turn a positive outlook in your job search into action.

Come and join us! It's time to sign up.....

Our commitment to you is to give you positive energy, a lot of new ideas and a fantastic workshop without any investment for you, except your time. If you give us your commitment to participate, please do not let anything prevent you from attending. It will be well worth your time and effort.

This attitude alone will separate you from others who are looking a job. I firmly believe, how you do anything is how you do everything!

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible."
- Rich Devos

When? April 6, 2010 from 6 pm - 8.30 pm
Where? Central Library, 1 Atkinson Street, Richmond Hill L4C 0H5 (west/south corner of Major Mackenzie and Yonge)