“Sunday Seven”

In late July, I was featured in the Dave Burgess Consulting (DBC) Sunday Seven, a weekly series highlighting seven interesting facts about authors who publish with DBC, Inc or IMPress Books. Following are the Seven Sunday facts I shared on that website:

The Bowtie
The bowtie has become a signature look for me. It started when my wife asked me to wear a bowtie for my daughter’s first birthday party nine years ago. It took me about three weeks of practicing after watching a YouTube tutorial by Charles French. Hours before the party started, I still didn’t know how to do it. Panicking, with 30 minutes to spare, I gave it one more try and the rest, as they say, is history! I liked the look and joined in the #BowTieTuesday movement. Now I wear a bowtie every day to work. It’s a symbolic gesture of my love for my family!

Favorite GIFs
It brings me joy to celebrate others, so when someone tweets about something they’ve accomplished, I reply with one of my two favorite GIFs!

Noice GIFfrom Nice GIFs

Hat Tip Hats Off GIFfrom Hat Tip GIFs

Life Changing Life-Hack
I was a two-sport collegiate athlete. After graduating, I thought I’d continue working out, but life seemed to get in the way. As I’ve gotten older, I want to improve my fitness to be active with my daughter. Nearly three years ago, I committed to working out every day after watching a TEDx Talk by Dr. Ogie Shaw called Winning the Mental Battle of Physical Fitness and Obesity.

Dr. Shaw makes these key points:
-“Eat for nutrition, never eat for weight loss.”
-“It’s easier to work out seven days a week than three days a week. Three days a week gives too many decisions.”

The day after I listened to Dr. Shaw, I worked out first thing in the morning and have done so every day since. If I can do it, you can do it. Get started today!

Favorite Podcasts
I listen to a podcast when I work out and drive to work. I love listening to others’ stories. I listen to their cadence and what they want the listener to gain from their story. Many podcasts are not related to education because it’s essential to gain perspectives from various professions to look for ways to innovate our work. I have about fifteen different podcasts in my library, but my favorites are:
The Moth
Hidden Brain
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-american-life/id201671138
Snap Judgement

Character Strengths
Several years ago, I met a college professor and leadership coach named Jack Slavinski. I hired him to work with my leadership team, and he introduced us to the VIA Character Strength Assessment. This free assessment provides valuable information about our strengths and how we interact with others. I highly recommend you take the assessment to learn more about your signature strengths and how knowing them can impact how you interact and work with others.

Most Impactful Life Lesson
I wish I had learned this sooner, but I’m thankful the lesson came when it did. It’s pretty simple:

My Favorite Education Conference
It’s the Jostens Renaissance Global Conference! The #JRGC is the premier conference about school climate and culture for educators and students! It’s the one conference I MUST attend yearly because I return rejuvenated, energized, and equipped to start a new school year. I’ve met some of the most amazing educators through being a part of the Jostens Renaissance community, and I’m a much better educator because of Jostens Renaissance.