Life Lessons Learned from a Job at Ralphs

Life Lessons Learned from a Job at Ralphs

by | | Growth, Story

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

by | Nov 11, 2024 | Story

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

by | | Growth, Story

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

by | | Growth, Story

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

by | | Uncategorized

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...
Just a Little Encouragement

Just a Little Encouragement

by | | Growth, Story

I’m sorting through a plastic bag filled with old papers, booklets, brochures, newspaper clippings, and photos.  My eyes are watering, not because anything is sentimental, but because it’s so dusty. This is a bag of Malcolm’s Greatest Hits according to my mom.  She...
I Can Do This

I Can Do This

by | | Growth

It’s 4:00 in the afternoon and I’m standing in a long line of people waiting for a ride.  It’s noisy and chaotic.  I’m just excited to be heading home. My driver’s name is Shirley and she’s picking me up in a green Ford truck. Everyone around me is finding their ride...
My Own Kind of Hat

My Own Kind of Hat

by | | Growth

I’m writing this on an early Sunday morning on a plane heading over to Albuquerque, NM.   I’ll be speaking at the state HR conference there this week. This was the other drawing I did while waiting out the storm in Houston on Sunday.   You might be familiar with...
There’s More Than Enough for All of Us

There’s More Than Enough for All of Us

by | | Growth

For some reason, this year I’ve rediscovered a passion for Jujyfruit.  Maybe it’s those fond memories of sneaking a box into movie theaters as a kid.  Maybe it’s how they make you drool like a dog when you get a mouthful in.  It’s my new guilty pleasure. Except that...
The Live Experience

The Live Experience

by | | Blog, Growth

Don’t you hate it when one of your favorite songs on your Spotify playlist is magically replaced by a live version of it? I like live albums.  There also some songs that only work in their live version.  Think Peter Frampton’s Do You Feel Like We Do. What doesn’t work...