As the largest single site employer in the world with 59,000 employees, 25,000 acres of land, 32 hotels with 31,000 rooms, and a 167 miles of roadway, Disney World Orlando VP of Operations, Lee Cockerell, understands leadership at its highest level. He shares his vast insight and know-how in “Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney.” (more…)

Influence by Robert Cialdini

Having read many outstanding sales books during my 10-year corporate sales career, I never read one as interesting as “Influence,” by Robert Cialdini. A psychologist by trade, Cialdini brings to light the many ways in which we may be “influenced” by anyone looking to take advantage of our own “fixed-action” patterns of survival. Compliance techniques such as reciprocity, commitment, consistency, social proof, authority, partiality, and scarcity are all ones that have played a major role in human survival, and have practically been ingrained in our psyche since the beginning of time. All of these compliance techniques can be used by salesmen, marketing companies, or anyone looking to exploit our inability to turn off our psyche and think constructively. (more…)

Best suited for elite performers who want to take their athleticism to the highest level, “Every Day Is Game Day,” is the philosophy of world-class strength and conditioning coach, Mark Verstegen. Best known for his work with hundreds of National Football League players, he was also behind the scenes improving the skills of the German Men’s Soccer team, who won the World Cup in 2014. The U.S. Department of Defense also trusts him to shape-up their most highly touted strongmen, Special Operations. The philosophy deals with the daily requirements, some might say sacrifices, that must be met in order to be the best version of yourself. My list included afternoon naps, breathing practices, drinking less, strengthening my core more, and creating an “IT” statement. I had a weakness in all four “pillars” that must be mastered to be elite: Recovery, Mindset, Movement, and Nutrition. (more…)

212: The Extra Degree by Sam Parker

I must admit that I was a little disappointed when 212, by Sam Parker, arrived at my home and I learned that it was nothing more than a very short story in a very small book. Three-by-three to be exact. I had heard such great things about it and I was hungry to sink my teeth into it, but I learned that this book didn’t offer much meat. Less than 100 pages in length, with quotes and statistics that take up an entire page or two, this motivational book is centered around one key phrase, “at 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train.” As powerful as this message is, I use it often with body composition/weight loss clients, I had heard it before. Since I had already spent my money on the book and it was a short read, I decided to continue reading to see what else I could learn. (more…)