Thanks to my Internet PR team!

Marcia, Lekeshia, Emily... you guys did such a great job on our presentation for Port City Cafe! It was a long, rough ride, but the bumps and bruises were completely worth it in the end. Everything you guys did was fantastic! From making your points, to projecting your voice at a clear and enthusiastic level, and especially not even stand behind the podium made you guys rock! 

I can tell we really made a positive impression on Ernest and Angela, and I really got excited when he said he wants our logo put on t-shirts for his staff!

Thanks for the support we gave each other, and congratulations on a job well done!!

The unusual can make us happy.

Yesterday at work, everyone was really excited because the new forecasted snow for the coast. Since it snows here only about once every four or five YEARS, seeing snow is a stimulating experience.

Since I had the convenient pleasure of walking and not sitting for my shift today, I ran to the window looking over the pool about twenty times to catch sight of my first snow flake in four years. The guests were even anxious to see some white, and because snow is so rare here, everyone was in a good mood to see something they don't see everyday.

Here's a video of how it snowed in New Orleans! Yikes!

A crucial communication skill: EYE CONTACT

"The eyes are the mirror of the soul." This couldn't be more true. The practice of eye contact captivates your listener and instills emotions that words cannot. 

Looking into the eyes of those you speak to projects that you are sincere about what you are talking about and that you are confident about what you're talking about. When you avoid eye to eye contact, you might not be taken seriously and your listener might tend to ignore what you're trying to tell them. Eye contact makes your interaction a much more personal experience, truly shows a great depth of sincerity, and establishes an emotional connection and rapport. Before you even try to persuade your listener of anything from how tasty you think a meal is, to presenting a bold idea to a brand new client, you must spark a connection with them and the best way to start is keeping your eyes on theirs'.

For a great video on the importance of maintaining eye contact, visit this link.

Book Review: The Intellectual Devotional

The subtitle of this bestseller says it all: "Revive your mind, complete your education, and roam confidently with the cultured class." Each page is a different bit size chunk of knowledge about a particular subject. Spend two minutes reading each day and you'll amass a wealth of information on a wide variety of subjects.

One day, the topic is stem cells. The next, Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 Choral. Armed with such diverse knowledge, you don't need to worry about being unable to contribute to any conversation.

The book is full of great bits of trivia. Did you know that legislators in the early 1900's tried to outlaw X-ray machines because they feared the technology would show nude bodies under clothes? Crazy. Or that the Joseph Heller novel that gave us the term "catch-22" was originally supposed to be called Catch-18, but Heller changed at the last minute to avoid confusion with a Leon Uris book?

Here's a link to the book on Amazon. 

The Intellectual Devotional

Secret Santa

So we at work decided to have a little Secret Santa gig where we pull names to give a gift to. When opportunities like this arise, I always jump on the bandwagon to participate. 

I'm the clown at work, always acting up and getting into trouble, but I only do it to boost morale, because it's sort of in the negatives right now due to slow business. Anyway, what makes this so fun is that I work with 90% women and I'm the only guy who signed up for this, so for my gift, instead of giving some everyday cliche like a gift card, make-up, or CD, I'm giving them a.... whoopie cushion!

I got a dirty face from my mother when I told her this, because she says that's not very nice and immature, but I think it's a brilliant idea. Why? Because it's a prime example of laughter and fun. It's impossible to not have fun with a whoopie cushion because it's a favorite childhood past time. Anyone who's had fun with something when they were a kid are more than likely to enjoy it as an adult. Plus, the girls at work will find it very typical of me to buy something like a whoopie cushion. :)

I'm addicted to my iPod

I love it. I can't go a day without listening to it. I drive to it. I do homework to it. Hell, I even sleep to it. The love of music and the desire to create it are the passions that coincide with the history of humanity itself. At a primal nexus some type of music turns all of us on. It sets the mood for the conversations we have and it can certainly bring the atmosphere of romance to your date no matter if it is in the park or in your car. Music is universal, it's a window in peoples' personalities and tastes, a powerful expression of emotion that unites and defines us. If you have the means, I highly suggest picking up a digital music player to take with you wherever you go, and an iPod is best one to buy.