I just returned from 10 days in Italy and I’m here to tell you, we can learn a lot from the Italians on how to live a life full of rich connections. There are so many things I love about Italy, but one of my favorites is the way they approach an evening meal; dinner!

Did you know that membership in a professional association is a huge opportunity to expand your connections and grow your resources? With more than 5,000 professional associations nationwide (many with local chapters in your city), there is really no excuse for not joining an association that represents the voice of your profession.

Her reputation long preceded our introduction. Back in 1993, I was living in San Antonio, Texas, and working in human resources for the largest medical center in the city. That’s when I first heard about Barbara Greene, affectionately known as the “networker from heaven.”

I love summer. The sound of singing birds, the early morning sun, and soft, gentle breezes fill me with energy and happiness. As a child I always welcomed summer as that wonderful transition time between graduating from one grade and entering the next; aa time to refuel, re-energize, and try new things like camp, a new hobby, a new job, or even enrolling in a class to learn a new skill.

I recently had the opportunity to hear author Meg Wheatley speak about her book, Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future (Berrett-Koehler, 2002). She reminded me of a very important lesson about the power of community.
Senegal, Africa, with a population of 8.5 million, ranks as one of the worst countries [...]

If you haven’t noticed, I have a thing for dominos. And it makes perfect sense when you look at my passion. You see, when it comes to perfecting your connecting, it’s all about the domino effect.
The domino effect refers to a small change that will cause a similar change nearby, which then will cause another [...]

Welcome to 2007! I know… you don’t want to read another “Set your goals for the New Year” column. Good, because I don’t want to write about that either. However, I do feel compelled to write about the importance of communicating your value to others to improve your net worth.
I’m not talking about financial net [...]

Let’s be honest…this time of the year can be very stressful. Shopping, decorating, addressing greeting cards, hosting and attending parties, mailing gifts, studying for school finals, housing out of town family members and winding down your business for 2006 are all stressful activities. The fact that we’re expected to do them all simultaneously puts me [...]

The other day my 14-year-old daughter had an extra-credit history assignment where she had to interview a veteran. She picked up the phone and called my 83-year-old father who lives in Michigan. He served in the Navy during World War II. My father, who can’t even remember what he had for lunch 10 minutes ago, [...]

Halloween is a big deal in our house. My youngest daughter’s birthday is October 29, which is always extended for several days. In fact, the celebration – honestly – doesn’t end until the last doorbell has been rung on October 31! She lives for Halloween and starts planning her costume months ahead.
Once she picks this [...]