Women of CoreNet Keynote & Fireside

I had a fantastic afternoon yesterday with the Women of CoreNet at the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco!

I gave a keynote presentation followed by a fun fireside chat with Northern California CoreNet President, Sandy Heistand.

What an amazing group of successful women!

We discussed challenges in team building, recruiting, leadership and building and running successful organizations.

I was able to talk with many of the women following the talk and hear about their journeys in the business world. What a great event!

Speaking About the Value of Proper Nutrition

I was a keynote speaker at The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAPHERD) conference in Indianapolis. I worked with both the Got Milk? Campaign and Ruth Carey, the Portland Trail Blazers Nutritionist. She is one of the few RD’s I have met that has become so well integrated into the fabric of the team organization.

Ruth Carey

It’s obvious, that what we eat is just as important as how we train, but so many sports organizations leave that part out! I was thrilled that she is able to truly educate the athletes about the value of proper nutrition and sports.

We share the same philosophy that by keeping yourself healthy you can perform to the best of your ability, whether a professional athlete, or an everyday person looking to “seize the day!” And yes ... I spoke to her about USANA so I hope to get her into the family!

Help Out Others by Volunteering

I spoke to the Marin National Charity League at their annual Philanthropy Faire. There were 200 mothers and daughters at the event.

The Faire raises money and awareness for local charities. The mother/daughter teams also volunteer to help numerous organizations, ranging from local youth programs to planting trees in the GGNRA (Golden Gate National Recreation Area).

It was a pleasure to speak to the group! Volunteering is one of the most noble things we can do to improve life in our communities. I also believe “to whom much is given, much is expected.” I speak at charity events and give back because I have been blessed with success and I feel it is my duty to help. There is nothing better in life than using your success to lift others up.

We all have talents to make the world a better place! And we can ALL volunteer our time. I left the Faire motivated and inspired by all of the work the NCL is doing in our community!

Speaking at the Olympic Training Center

I was the keynote speaker at the International Association of High Performance Training Centers in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center.

The participants at the IAHPTC convention were either directors or owners of High Performance Training Centers. Their mission is to provide Olympic-level athletes state of the art training facilities. My topic was “Leadership in Sports.”

It was great to be back in Colorado Springs at the USOTC. I spent a good bit of my career with USA Basketball training there. Prior to the Olympics in 1996, we used the facilities as our home base for 18 months (when we were not traveling all over the planet!).

When I arrived at the auditorium to speak, the 200 or so participants were in the middle of a session. I took a deep breath as I looked across the room. One word can sum it up — somber. I had to give myself a pep talk — “just have energy!” I love Paula Abdul’s advice to performers: "have passion and energy, that matters more than what you are doing.”

Passion and energy are the keys to a successful talk for me, too. As soon as I got the group interacting, they were fantastic! We had a great time especially when we shared ideas on “life after sports.” I got to meet some incredible people, namely Marcus Vinicius Freire, CEO of The Brazilian Olympic Committee, and others from Thailand, Uganda, and South Africa. It was a wonderful event!

With the Ugandan Directors

With the Thailand Directors

IAHPTC Owners and Directors

Teaching Kids That Good Health's No. 1

I had an opportunity to visit Encinal High in Alameda, California, on Friday. John Murray, the Warriors strength and conditioning coach, and I were speaking to the kids about their health and how important it is that you take care of your body by eating right and exercising.

Here's a brief video of my talk as well as a couple of photos (got to love the USANA sweatshirt! This may become my trademark!)

A Great Day

I spoke yesterday at Mill Valley Middle School. I spoke to the kids about working hard and following their dreams and goals.

The biggest message I hope they remember is to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and move on when they fall or fail. We all make mistakes and get “cut” or make a bad grade. The point of life is to simply be your best and to always give your best effort.

I also spoke to them about being healthy and active. I was a role model myself, wearing my USANA sweatshirt. Education at this age about supplements is vital, especially for young potential athletes who are so easily influenced by the “wrong” stuff.

It was a great day!

Education Without Borders

These are videos from my trip to Dubai as a speaker at Education Without Borders. What impressed me was the commitment to education of both boys and girls in the UAE. I had so many stereotypes of life there. After my visit, those were shattered. I was worried about safety and wondered if I would have to wear a burka or cover my head in public, but I found the UAE very open to "foreigners" and other cultures, so I felt very comfortable and safe.

I highly recommend a visit to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. They have done in 40 years what has taken centuries in other countries. They rely on foreign labor and skill to help them develop and put their money into a strong infrastructure. I found people to be extremely open and welcoming. It is hard to imagine just 45 years ago, the Emirati were wandering the desert! Now they have a world class society!



If the video won't play, please click here)