Self Improvement

You’re invited this Tuesday!

Thank you for bearing with me. This past month I’ve been tying in my Wisdoms to the new About Me Card system we’ve invented. Well, the world premiere is this Tuesday, April 27th, at 3:00 p.m. at the Meyer Theater. It’s free and I hope you can make it. I received a real compliment from my wife today and I need to tell you about it! My parents just arrived home from Florida. When they left, we had just purchased a building to house About Me International and Prophit Marketing. They were anxious to see the remodeling and everything that went on while they were gone.

The old Joe would have met them at the building and showed off all the hard work. However, I remembered Danica’s About Me Card. On it she states, “Let’s enjoy this together.” I told my folks it would need to wait a day so Danica could join us. They called her to set the time, and when I got home from work she thanked me for that! Hey, I don’t know about you guys but these “points” are what I live for with my wife. Her About Me Card taught me how to respect her the way she wants to be respected. I love these little cards.

Please join us this Tuesday to witness the world premiere of this beautiful program.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN:  Join us!  Learn more at www.aboutmecard.com

We are all fundamentally the same!

Across this great country and around the world, human beings are fundamentally the same. Obviously our physical make-up is the same but our mental wiring is similar as well. Mother Theresa has said, “Human beings crave appreciation more than food.” Appreciation is a major driver for satisfaction. Show me you appreciate me. I want to feel respected and I want to be a contributor. I just received an e-mail today from China. Below is a first response to the About Me Card Program with a group of Chinese students written to Chris Elliott, Managing Director:

Chris,
We used the About Me Card Program with two teams today.  It was awesome and received great reviews!  We should be able to get a video clip of Bonita talking, as we have some quotes from some students.  I will use the program with two more teams on Thursday.

More to come soon!
Angela Owen | President
TBL Leadership Partners

I want to personally thank Angela and Bonita who are advancing our About Me movement around the world! Would you like to be able to show your spouse, adult child or co-worker that you appreciate and understand them? The About Me Card Program World Première (www.aboutmecard.com) is only two weeks away! Meet Angela from TBL Leadership, Dan Swift of Dahl Automotive, Tom Thibodeau from Viterbo University, Mark Skogen of Festival Foods, and others who have experienced this program and its success.

The World Premiere is April 27th at 3:00 p.m. at the Meyer Theater in Green Bay. It’s FREE so bring anyone you know who would like to connect with someone in 60 seconds. RSVP is appreciated. Help us change the way people communicate!

Joe

ACTION PLAN: Mark your calendar and join us! More information at www.aboutmecard.com

How I Offended My Wife!

It’s been a year of adventure and excitement at Prophit Marketing and About Me International. One reason for the excitement is the new building that Danica and I purchased to create a new home for all of our Prophiteers! We stripped out the old space and rebuilt it from scratch. Very exciting times indeed. One day I came home excited because of what happened at work. I explained to Danica that I brought one of our graphic artists, Sue, over to see the new space and to ask her opinion on space layout. Sue felt special that I took the time to give her a private showing.

Danica became upset as I told the story. I thought she would be excited at how inspiring my story was. For several hours she gave me the cold shoulder. I could not figure out why she was responding this way. Once the kids went to bed we talked about it. It turned out that I violated one of her driving forces on her About Me Card. One of her key motivations for happiness is “enjoying things together.” Sue was not the first Prophiteer I had a special one-on-one showing with and Danica was feeling disappointed that she wasn’t there to share it with me. She loves enjoying things together so I should have waited until she could join us. That way, Sue feels special and important, Danica’s motivations are met and my need to inspire would also be satisfied.

I love these little cards. My relationship with my wife has grown so much stronger. I still make mistakes and so does she, but now we have a way of communicating disappointments that happen from time to time by using our cards. I hope you can join us April 27th at the Meyer Theater in Green Bay at 3:00 p.m. for the World Premiere of this amazing new communication tool! Click here (WWW.ABOUTMECARD.COM) to learn more. When someone becomes short with you, it’s not because of what you did—it’s because of how you did it and how you made them feel. As we go through life, we all have certain expectations that we would like people to respect. This tool connects you to another person in 60 seconds!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: R.S.V.P. For the World Premiere at INFO@ABOUTMECARD.COM! You’ll be entertained and you’ll learn a few things, too!

I feel SPRING in the air!

It’s always an exciting feeling when that early warm weather first arrives. We all know that feeling… people seem happier to be alive, the business outlook gets better and everyone displays a positive outlook on the world. Isn’t it amazing how our emotions dictate how successful we feel on any given day. If a nice spring day can evoke a positive outlook in a person, can a leader do the same?

Absolutely! But first the leader must decide on his or her outlook. You can control the way you feel. You do not need a sleepless night or a disagreement with your spouse to dictate how you “feel” about it. Managing one’s own feelings is the key to happiness. I was shown this secret over a year ago. I was taught how to change my negative feelings in 60 seconds. I can tell you my life has changed for the better. Oh, I’m not perfect, but I’m better than I was a year ago.

If you know me, you would know that I was already a very positive guy; however, I admit I would sometimes become impatient and frustrated. These emotions would affect how I treated others. I learned, though, that events have no meaning. People give meanings to events. A rainy day doesn’t have the same effect on me as it once had. Mondays, once my least favorite day, are now my favorite—the start of another week to positively impact people’s lives. Happiness is a choice and I choose happy. How about you?

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Choose happy! Please join me April 27th at 3 p.m. for the About Me Card World Premiere at the Meyer Theater in Green Bay. I guarantee you will leave this event feeling great! Reserve your space… bring friends!

My Oscar Moment

What do Coca Cola, SuperValu and Prophit Marketing have in common? They have all been selected at some point to receive the prestigious honor of being named Festival Foods Business Partner of the Year! On Monday night while attending Festival’s annual three-day Festival College, I watched Mark Skogen, President and CEO, walk to the podium to announce the award, just as he does every year. Only this year, for the first time ever, he announced our name. Wow, it was like winning an Oscar. For the first time in my life, I was struggling for what to say. My body was trembling as I approached the stage to accept this wonderful acknowledgement.
I did feel awkward accepting the award because every Prophiteer contributed in bringing me up on stage that night. It was the wonderful and talented group I am privileged to work with who serve the Festival organization with pride and excellence every day. I was on cloud nine Monday night and it reminded me how wonderful it feels to be recognized. We get so busy day to day that we sometimes don’t see the individual efforts by so many that lead to an excellent product or service. I like to think I properly recognize people but I know I too get “caught up” and have work to do in this area.
I’ve heard it said that your paycheck is your right but praise is a gift. For those of you who have been reading Wisdom On Wednesday for the past year, you know that I’ve committed the last three years of my life to research the root of a person’s happiness. I’m proud to say that on April 27th at 3 p.m. at the Meyer Theater in downtown Green Bay will be the About Me Card World Premiere (info@aboutmecard.com). Will you come and join us for this major event?  Let us save a spot for you! Imagine knowing how to communicate effectively with someone with a click of the mouse! It’s here and we’re going to show you how it works.
Mother Theresa said, “People crave appreciation (and respect) more than food.” A pretty good authority wouldn’t you say? Make it your personal journey to enrich another person’s life by appreciating and respecting them. The journey will be your reward.
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Sign up for our free event as we introduce to you the most powerful respect tool every created… The About Me Card!

Words empower great leaders!

I think we would all agree that what you do is your character. You can tell your kids not to smoke, but if they see you smoking everyday guess what they may be doing later in life? What you do is your character; however, how you say things is key to becoming a great leader. What starts wars … words! Are you in the race to become a great leader? Great leaders have the ability to communicate uniquely to each unique individual in their care. We are all wired differently and like to be communicated to differently. Some folks are detailed-oriented while others only want the big picture. Some folks may want you to lighten up while others may prefer you to be more serious. What kind of leader are you?

I’m not suggesting you change who you are. That would not be authentic. However, when communicating one-on-one with an associate it’s important that you respect the way this individual would like to be approached. Don’t you wish there was a magic wand that you could wave over a person and have their rules for engagement suddenly appear! Well, there is! OK, it’s not a wand. It’s an automated web-based software I invented called the About Me Card program. The World Premiere will be held April 27th right here in Green Bay. The event will be like an Apple IPad introduction. There will be a live band, performers, and most importantly the people who are using the program and seeing great results.

You will witness how with the touch of a button you will get the words a person needs to hear to connect with you. You will learn how to connect with someone in 60 seconds, resolve conflict and reduce tension in the workplace. You will also see the future of the About Me Card with About Me TEEN and About Me Kids. Imagine knowing the motivations of your seven-year-old—knowing how they like to be treated and how you can support these motivations. Even more amazing … connecting with a teenager! I just had a “WOW” moment with my 14-year-old son this weekend based on his About Me Card.

You don’t want to miss the introduction of this groundbreaking technology that has taken three years to develop and automate!

Joe Kiedinger

Are you a Bucker?

The term “bucker” typically brings to mind someone who is not paying his or her taxes or who goes against the status quo in general. Bucking something, though, is different from being a bucker. The bucker I’m talking about is someone who can be defined as a true bucker. Let me explain.
 
True buckers are people who defy the programming given to them by their fathers while growing up. For example, a child had a father who was constantly belittling and negative in his behavior toward others in the family.  This bad dad disrespected his wife on a regular basis and always put his needs above his family’s needs.
 
At some point, usually around 13-15 years of age, this child identifies this poor disrespect program and says to him or herself, “I will never be like him!” These children say this silently to themselves or directly to the parent. Buckers are some of the most successful people in the world.
 
They are successful because at a young age they had to identify poor programming and rewrite the rules for themselves, usually by simply doing the opposite of what the bad dad would do. Dad disrespects mom, so “bucker son,” as an example, marries and respects and cherishes his wife.
 
Are you a bucker? Did you receive poor programming growing up, identify it and then rewrite the book of your life? Can you share with me your “bucker moment”—the time when you realized you would not accept the current information you were receiving about life? I’d like to hear from you. You’re rare and oh so cool! I have the upmost respect for you.
 
Joe Kiedinger
 
ACTION PLAN: If you wish to learn more about the importance of good parenting and the role a mom and dad play in a child’s life, read Emotional Intelligence.

The Most Powerful Leadership Tool

I am ready to tell you more about my nearly three-year journey of creating a tool to help people lead. Let’s be clear on something first, though: Being a manager is not the same as being a leader. You can manage yourself, you can manage things and you can manage processes, but you can’t manage another person. All you can do is lead other people. This is the biggest misunderstanding in corporate management today. Too many managers are exactly that—managers. They are not leaders.

 I have seen and coached managers to become great leaders, and I can tell you the people in their care were ready for their leadership, starving for it actually. Everyone who reports to you is ready right now for you to become the leader you were designed to be. I say designed because most of you already know the tenants of leadership.

 Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, reminded me that being a good leader is no different than being a good parent. We raise our children to think for themselves. We praise them when we catch them doing things right. It doesn’t change in the workplace. In the same way we want the best for our kids, shouldn’t we want the best for our associates too? Of course we do. We just don’t know how to talk to our associates like we do our own kids.

 That’s where my new invention comes into play. People will allow you to lead them if—  and only if—their base motivations are respected and supported. Furthermore, we all have rules that govern our acceptance of any interaction with another person. The problem is there is no tool in America today (or for any other country for that matter) that gives you a peek into another person’s core motivations and rules of engagement. Until now! Please welcome the About Me Card presented by a new company, About Me International.

 We have been experimenting with a process of creating a corporate culture based on acceptance and support. Our early adopters are praising the program. You can download a white paper at aboutmecard.com to learn more. How does it work? Imagine being able to understand a person’s motivations in 15 minutes, along with the individual’s rules of engagement. How would that change how you currently interact and motivate each of your associates? Instead of spending months or years trying to figure each one out, you could understand each individual in 15 minutes.

 We are about to enter our beta testing of the new software and will be holding a major event introducing it to the world in the spring. If you would like to be invited to this World Premiere being held in Green Bay, please contact us and we’ll send you an invitation. It’s been an exciting journey. Are you ready to step up and become the leader you were designed to become? Join me.

How you feel is your reality!

The marketing world tends to overly focus on this notion of perception. You may have heard, “What you perceive is what is real.” I say it’s not perception but feeling that shapes our world. Your best friend makes you feel great. Your favorite perfume makes you feel sexy. That BMW you finally bought makes you feel accomplished. That Rolex you rewarded yourself with makes you feel successful.

So if you agree with the above, then you agree that how you feel is the truth and therefore is your reality. Let’s think about this notion then. If you were to go to work fully understanding that how you make others feel directly effects your quality of life… would you do things differently?

I give you a 100% guarantee that when you go to work and support all those around you: clients, co-workers, support staff… your life will be transformed. The problem today is people don’t know how to lead and serve others. We are so absorbed with our needs, our wants and our inner child—enough already!

I’m keeping this Wisdom really short because the key to happiness is meeting the needs of others: at home, at work and in the community.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Get out of you for awhile.

How many Susan Boyles do you have?

Last week I spoke to a local health care organization. The topic was on leadership. In traditional Road Show style, the audience laughed its way to learning. We had a lot of fun that day and I did something I’ve never tried before: I accessed the Internet to make a point.

I began the session by challenging the group to be leaders and not managers. There are far too few leaders in America today. The top four attributes of a great leader as stated by employees are: Credibility, Trustworthiness, Vision and Inspiration.

Inspirational leadership should be the goal of every leader. Inspiration has little to do with style. There are quiet and charismatic leaders who inspire in their own way. The rule of inspiration comes from getting to know the strengths of the people you lead. Take an active interest in them and inspire them to greatness every day.

During the Road Show, I shared a real life example of greatness unleashed by Googling “Susan Boyle.” If you haven’t already, please try this. Susan Boyle is a plain Jane who showed up on the TV show “Britain’s Got Talent.” Everyone judged her by her appearance, but when she opened her mouth to sing everyone stopped judging and was blown away.

I shared this with my audience and then asked the question, “How many Susan Boyles are there in your departments?” Talented, wonderful individuals who just need to be understood and supported. How many do you have? Do you judge them from the cover or do you take the time to understand them?

Stop managing and start inspiring. There is no greater feeling than when employees tell you their life is better because you are in it!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Google Susan Boyle!