Life Lessons Learned from a Job at Ralphs

Life Lessons Learned from a Job at Ralphs

It’s 3:50 AM, and I’m standing outside the Ralphs grocery store on 17th Street in Santa Ana, CA. My first day on the job. A month or so ago, my mom came home from grocery shopping at that same Ralphs and discovered she had been undercharged a few dollars. She...
Why We Need an INNER CIRCLE

Why We Need an INNER CIRCLE

It’s 9:00 AM and I’m at the bottom of the steps to the second floor in my mom’s apartment complex in Clarksville, TN.  It’s a Friday, any Friday, since I’ve had Lisa block the calendar to keep this day open so I can check in on my mom. Mom lives by herself as she has...
Don’t Trip Over Your Ego

Don’t Trip Over Your Ego

It’s 9:50 AM and I’m getting a little nervous. I’m wrapping up my one-hour breakout session on How to Fix a Poor Performer and Turn Them into a Superstar at the 2016 HR Florida conference in Orlando. This session is based on my most recent book and as soon as my...
A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way

A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way

It’s December 5, 1983, at 5:30 in the evening and I’m on a bus traveling from Los Angeles down to San Diego. The day started early.  I woke up at 3:00 AM and quietly left the house I grew up in for the last time. As a boy anyway.  I’m on my way to Navy boot camp.  I...

It Wasn’t Because of Football

Two hours before kickoff, I’m getting amped up for the game.  Back in Black by AC/DC is playing, and I can feel the rush of adrenaline and a little rage. This is the first game of the season.  But it’s not my season.  It’s my son’s.  He’s sleeping soundly in the back...