July 2021
ELECTRIC IMPULSE COMMUNICATIONS
NEWSLETTER
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HERBIE'S HINTS (named after my dad!)
My legacybox.com arrived. You might remember that I selected 12 from the hundreds of videos my dad took of my horse show classes. Legacy converted them to one flash drive. In case you are wondering they sent me back the video cassettes. I was so excited when the postman hand delivered my box of memories.
My dad’s early embrace of technology made the flash drive possible. These early video cassettes became the content for the flash drive. Herbie was the first father to video classes. Later there was a video service that you could hire, but my dad stood alone with that camera on his shoulder and horse hair brush in his pocket.
At the time saw I saw the videos only as a teaching tool. I watched them at the horse show and when we were back home: they were my teacher, coach, cheerleader and very honest mirror. I did not have the vision to see how these videos would keep memories so alive.
Because he was cameraman, father and fan I can hear him clearly as I watch each class. My mom was always positioned on the other side of the arena so she can’t be seen or heard in the videos. My dad had this distinctive cheer that I thought I would never hear again, as I no longer have the ability to play these old tapes.
When I selected the 12 I sent to Legacy I had to guess. They were labeled in his writing as to which show and which horse, but not the outcome of the class. As I watched I didn’t know, was this a class I won or “got the gate?’
I learned it didn’t matter. Having these tapes was the winner.
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ASK LESLIE
Stay on Your Cutting Edge
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Many readers know the back story of LeBron James. If you know the back story then you know one of his teammates at St. V was Dru Joyce III. You probably also know the role of his second St. V coach, Coach Dru Joyce II. Coach Joyce recently coached his beloved St. V team to their 6th state Championship.
What makes the story even more current is that Coach Joyce has two sons who are now coaching in NE Ohio. It appears the Joyce family is now a coaching dynasty. All three came to Forum 360, Coach Dru Joyce III, Coach Dru Joyce II, and Cameron Joyce to talk about their journey, the role of Akron and basketball in their lives.
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Lessons Learned from my legacybox.com Experience |
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1. Winning Really is a Whim
In a Constitutional Law class that I took, I remember learning the phrase, “law is what the judge ate for breakfast.” That saying stayed with me. In watching these classes decades later I could see that when you get to a certain level, a handful were all worthy of the blue ribbon. It then became a matter of what the judge or judges ate for breakfast that morning.
Lesson Learned: I don’t know if it would have been helpful to realize that when I was competing. I was laser focused on being the best and sure that there was only one best. An actor I interviewed in my “famous people” series told his virtual audience that when an actor auditioned, the directors had a specific look in mind, what they ate for breakfast. Do you know what your audience ate for breakfast?
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2. Being Competitive is Key
In watching my two horses compete in different shows and in different years, I was struck by one consistent thought. Regardless of whether I won or came in 4th, I was competitive. I didn’t get that at the time. I thought it was a zero sum game. You either won or were zero. As I watch decades later, I am struck by the fact that good ride or bad ride, I looked like I belonged.
Lesson Learned: Whether it is a job interview, a prospect presentation or a keynote – do you look like you belong? I coached a CEO a few years back who was going to speak to an audience of 4,000. We crafted our own teleprompter with the goal that he would look like he had done this before. During a dry run, an AV person said to him, “I can tell you have done this before”. Your verbal vocal or visual can give you away. Do you look like you belong?
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3. The Things that Stay with You
I still have boxes and boxes of ribbons and trophies. If you have been to my office you will see a small smattering. At the time I thought I was competing for that ribbon and the victory ride. With just a few exceptions, the wins are not what I remember. I remember my mom fussing with more safety pins than imaginable. I remember my dad’s cheer that sounded like an injured dog barking. I remember waiting for the gates to open so I could enter the ring first.
Lesson Learned: As some of you have heard me say, there is no such thing as a little thing and a big thing: everything has the potential to be big. Know in your heart and in your mind that you want to experience everything because you just don’t know where and what the lasting lessons will be for you. I have seen coaching clients who were open and those who were closed. Are you open to everything that can teach you something?
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Leslie Live
HorseTalk - September 10 9am - 4pm
WORD: Women of Rubber Division, co presenting with Tamsin Astor - October 4, Pittsburgh PA
WIN Cleveland October 7 (Virtual) How To Tell Your Story
Media Boot Camp & Video - October 28 1-5:30pm
Upcoming Forum 360 Shows (w/Leslie as Moderator)
Coming Out of Covid19
Guest: Tamsin Astor, Ph.D.
Hollywood Comes to Forum 360
Guest: Daniel M. Cohen, author, film writer, director
Watch/ Listen to Forum 360:
Western Reserve Public Media, PBS-TV, PBS Fusion Channels 45 & 49 (Time Warner channel 993) - Mondays at 8 pm and Saturdays at 5:00 pm. After the show airs, you can download it here.
WONE FM 97.5 Sunday 6 am
WAKR AM 1590 Sunday, 5:00 pm, Monday 12:30 am For online streaming go to http://akronnewsnow.com/ and click Listen Live.
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This month's Benji lesson is a little bit of a stretch. The connection between Benji and this lesson is that the store Kilgore Trout does allow dogs in the store, a doodle was there on my most recent visit.
July always features Kilgore’s semi-annual sale. By the time I got to the sale it was 80% off and largely picked over. I found a few work-out items and was ready to pay and leave. The saleswoman asked if I had looked at the jeans. Always in search of the perfect pair of black jeans, I stopped the purchase, found a pair and was even willing to strip once again and try them on. The jeans came in numbers rather than sizes so I guessed.
The pair was too big and the next two sizes down were already sold. I put on my clothes and was ready to check out once again.
The sales woman found a pair 4 sizes smaller than my first guess and recommended I try them. Back to the dressing room I went.
To my surprise they fit. I said to this fairly godmother, “I would never have tried on this size.” She said, “I know.”
My point is that this is the value of a coach, a mentor an outside perspective. When it really is an expert one, it pushes you do things you are capable of that you just don't see, whether you are a shopper or a dog!
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TODAY - register now before 12:30!
Camp Next: Next Gen Leadership
Sunday, August 15 from 12:30pm to 4pm
HorseTalk: Lessons in Leadership
September 10 Friday 9am – 4pm
Come join us for our FINAL signature event of the season.
Prior experience with horses not necessary or even helpful!
A horse does not care what degrees you have, your title, or the bonus you receive at the end of the year. A horse is not impressed with your position or the alphabet soup of letters after your name. A horse will follow you because the horse identifies you as a leader.
Boot Camp: Media Boot Camp includes Video & You
October 28th from 1pm – 5:30pm
It’s a BOOT CAMP because it is intensive, interactive, and there may be some walking although NO push – ups will be required. It also a VIDEO & YOU event because in the last hour each participant will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned with a professional videographer!
Email us at [email protected] for further information or to RSVP to one of our events.
Ask me about my 10 in 10!
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