by LT | Jun 8, 2020 | Leadership, Podcast, Self Development, Uncategorized
Great Leaders Connect Their Teams
This week I was reminded that great leaders connect their teams. The company I worked for hit Chapter 7. It will be on the list if you Google COVID Chapter 7 casualties. Really, it was a private equity casualty exacerbated by COVID 19. I always knew that it wouldn’t last forever, but I never thought in my wildest dreams that PE could take out a $1.3B company in such short order.
A realtor needed access to our downtown Chicago location this week and I must tell you it was apocalyptic. As I approached the store, I would normally see the hustle and bustle of commuters walking and riding bikes. This trip all I saw was plywood protecting the local businesses. The Target here was still closed. Already in a funk having to visit this once great store; a two-story beauty with a spectacular view of the skyline, my mood sank even further.
Human Connection The Prescription for Happiness, Well Being and Successful Teams
Always early for meetings I was surprised to see an entourage waiting outside the store when I arrived. (more…)
by LT | May 18, 2020 | Uncategorized
Leaders are Humble and Kind
I just began training for a half marathon that was rescheduled to July. Check out Martian races. This is my favorite event because it’s my chance to give back to the running community as a pacer. Also, I love to wear fun martian costumes so that the runners can see where the pacer is. Who knows if the event will go on or not, but I choose optimism. Besides, being locked in my house with all of the food requires a great deal of exercise. I’m not going to lie, getting back on a schedule has not been easy, but even yesterday with a 100% chance of rain all day I got my butt out there and did it.
I also spent a little time watching TV. I adore The Masked Singer. Everyone is so positive and supportive. It takes me to a happy place. The judges support the singers and they support each other – even when sometimes they make such a ridiculous remark – that would be mostly Judge Ken Jeong – they support each other. No spoilers if you aren’t caught up, but this week Rhino sang the most beautiful Tim McGraw song, Humble and Kind. Here are a few of the lyrics (more…)
by LT | May 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
Make every Monday a Mindful Monday.
To all the mom’s out there I hope that you had a wonderful Mother’s Day
“Behind all of your stories is your mother’s story because hers is where yours began”. Mitch Albom
My family spoiled me with a few of our family traditions. Decadent homemade pecan rolls and bacon, onion, and cheese quiche.
This is why I run marathons
Not running 30-50 miles per week would have me weighing in at 300 pounds. Berta is the 300 pound Italian girl inside me who is dying to come out. That is why in addition to this podcast I also host a Facebook page called Thompson Challenge. It is all about being 1% better than you were yesterday. It mostly focuses on being better in a physical way, but we include all types of self-improvement. So check it out @ThompsonChallenge and there is also a Facebook page for this podcast @TheEverydayLeaderPodcast.
Both are intertwined. Why? Because you cannot get better in one area of your life without it trickling into other areas. It’s just impossible. Here’s an example say my goal is to lose weight by cutting out dining out. My intent is to improve myself by getting my weight under control, but I’m also improving my finances with all of the money I am not spending eating out. See how that works. So, by getting 1% better every day doing Thompson Challenge there is no way that somehow it doesn’t make me a better leader. I speak of compound interest in the intro to this podcast. Thompson Challenge adds residual income. You continue to get paid in your leadership improvement after the work is done in the self-improvement department.
May Challenge
This month is fun on the Thompson Challenge. It’s 7 days of awesomeness. (more…)
by LT | Apr 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
The 10 Minute Challenge: Make Perfect Use of Your Time.
Reflecting back on the past couple of weeks we talked about the mindset of a leader. Your mindset is your attitudes, beliefs and expectations and these are what drive your behaviors and your behaviors are what get you your results. Simply put – if you want better results adopt a better mindset.
And we discussed that changing beliefs is hard because years and years of programming went into your current beliefs then we got to work on our habits – or the actions that fuel our results.
What actions?
Back to compounded interest theory. Sure massive action may get us massive results, but is it sustainable? Or is it even repeatable? Small actions over time will build into massive results in a more sustainable way. There are two buckets of habits you really need to look at
Bucket 1) You can reach your goals by establishing new good habit or by building on the good habits you already have
Bucket 2) And you can reach your goals by eliminating your bad habits.
So it’s not necessarily what are you going to start doing. It may be what am I already doing that if I do more of I will attract more success or what am I doing now that if I stop doing will get me more in line with my goals and aspirations.
Today I’m going to share with you the most powerful habit to stop doing. If you stop doing this right now. Today! You will dramatically start to get different results in your life. I love this one because it’s totally doable for everyone, you can start it immediately, and it requires no money just effort. I also love it because it is a two-fer. We are going to stop doing something today and replace it with something else so we will get two habits of the most successful leaders at once
Are you ready
This habit if you stop doing now – and I know that you are doing it. I see it on your social media posts and its become worse since the current pandemic that we are experiencing. Listen here and take the 10 minute challenge
Do the 10 minute challenge for 30 days and watch how much more productive your month has become. You’ll have 300 minutes invested in your success. An investment you are well worth!
by LT | Feb 22, 2019 | 1/2 marathon, Marathon Training, Running, Uncategorized
Baby it’s cold outside and you are training for a 1/2 marathon in this cold weather. Brrr! For me, the worse the weather the more I feel like a badass. In fact, this winter is no exception. It’s been frigid! Stay indoors and get those miles in on a treadmill, but if you prefer the outdoors here are some tips to make your outdoor training miles more bearable.
Cold Weather Running Tips
Protect your skin
Not just your exposed skin, all of your skin. My first layer is always moisturizer. Lubriderm all over, heavy lotion on my face, and Burt’s Bees on my lips. It’s very windy where I train and I find that this first layer keeps the wind from cutting through to my bones. (more…)
by LT | Feb 13, 2019 | 1/2 marathon, Running, Uncategorized
Currently, my training is focused on my next event; Martian Invasion of Races 1/2 Marathon. The big day is April 13th in Dearborn, Michigan. The most thrilling part is that for the 5th time I will be running a 1/2 marathon with a pace group. Why this event? For me, I do well with big goals to keep me on track with my training. This one sits perfectly on the calendar to force winter runs. Other reasons to run this race: the course is stellar, the earthlings are fun to run with, and the costumes are out of this world.
Why You Should Run Your Next 1/2 Marathon With a Pace Group
Run even splits
A huge benefit of running with a pace group is that pacers will run even splits. This will optimize performance for distance runs and help you run a better race overall. To make this work for you it is crucial that you select wisely. For instance, if you choose a pace group that is too fast, you may burn out too soon in the race and risk not finishing. (more…)
