Lessons From "Uncle Joey"

I had the opportunity to meet comedian Dave Coulier ("Uncle Joey" from the legendary television show "Full House") when I was the Master of Ceremonies for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the AOPA Foundation Dinner.  Dave is an enthusiastic pilot, and is on a mission to help promote general aviation to the next generation of pilots.  He was attending the AOPA event to present awards at the Foundation Dinner, and also gave a talk on his experiences as a pilot for over 35 years.

I was excited to meet Dave.  We have a mutual friend who told me that he is a great guy, and the description was right on target.  We had some fun at the event, and he made me laugh a lot. It was especially fun to watch him take time with fans of all ages who approached him for an autograph or photo.  He never tired of giving his time to those at the event who wanted to speak with him and share their love of this time on Full House.  

I imagine celebrities get stopped all the time by people wanting to speak with them, but even 25 years after his show became an international sensation, he was enthusiastic to talk with people.  It is a great reminder to the rest of us who go through our busy-busy work days in the business world and DO NOT make time for others.  It takes very little effort to be generous with time.  If the guy whose show continues to air in over 100 countries can be approachable (and nice)... why can't business professionals be more gracious to those around them?

If you are not open to engaging with those around you.... "CUT IT OUT".  (Who gets the reference?)

My kids are big fans of the show "Full House".  They have seen every episode on Nick at Nite over the years.  I asked Dave if he would call my house and speak to my daughters.  He did not hesitate.  The kids got on the phone and he chatted with them for several minutes.  It is not everyday that "Uncle Joey" just calls to say hello.  It was a special moment for the girls.

Thanks to Dave, and his delightful girlfriend Melissa, for a fun time at AOPA.  

Have A Great Day.

thom singer

Cool Things My Friends Do - Jerry Shea: Palm Springs Realtor

Each Friday on this blog I enjoy highlighting some of the cool things my friends do in their work and personal lives. 

My cousin, Jerry Shea, is a successful Real Estate Agent in Palm Springs, California.  This week I had the chance to catch up with him while I was in PS to be the Master of Ceremonies and "Conference Catalyst" for the 2012 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Aviation Summit.  One of the cool parts of my career as a professional speaker is that I get to visit a lot of great cities and see friends and family who live in these places.

Jerry is a busy man, but he made time in his schedule to come and meet me for a beer while I was in his neighborhood. We come from a big family (He and I are two of 26 grand-children on my mom's side... and most of my cousins are well over a decade older than I am). Growing up I was very close to Jerry's family.  His sister is my godmother and my youngest daughter is named after his mom (my aunt).  And most importantly, when I was in first grade it was Jerry who gave me my dog.  I desperately wanted a white female coc-a-poo (which was the type of dog that Jerry had).  He secretly worked with my parents to find me the right pet, and I will never forget him coming to our house and sending me out to his car to get a present.   There was the cutest puppy, which I named Margo.  For that alone he holds a high place of esteem in my world!!!

Jerry works hard to serve the Palm Springs community with their real estate needs.  It is a competitive marketplace, but he faithfully represents those who live locally and those from all over the world who have second homes in the booming desert community.

His website, JerryShea.com, is full of information about real estate, his business, and Palm Springs (and the surrounding communities).

Have A Great Day.

thom

In Defense of the Infield Fly Rule

My two posts on the controversial Infield Fly Rule call in last week's National League Wild Card game generated a number of comments and emails, several suggesting that, not only was the call wrong, but that the rule itself is a bad idea and should be scrapped. This motivated me to write a defense of the Infield Fly Rule, which now has been published on The Atlantic.

By the way, media opinion on last week's call seems to be changing. Two of the stronger defenses are from Rob Neyer and Harold Reynolds (with video breakdown, including highlights of IFR calls happening in similar spots on the field).

Say It Ain’t So, Lance

The latest news about American Hero Lance Armstrong is not good. Anyone who has had a look at the report of the United States Anti-Doping Agency has to be left with some serious questions.

The first one for me is what kind of an agency is this? It is an ominous and official sounding title but it turns out this group is not a governmental body or agency. It is a private, non profit organization which serves as the police, prosecutor, judge, jury, and appellate court to root out the use of performance enhancing drugs by athletes competing in the Olympics, Pan-American Games, Para-Olympics and, apparently, the Tour de France. On their website, the USADA says their vision is to be “The guardian of the values and life lessons learned through true sport.”  Wow, that’s some vision.  And I guess that’s why they have gone after Lance Armstrong with such zeal.

The report includes a number of sworn statements by Lance’s teammates, his competitors really, who freely admit they used banned substances when they lost to the seven time champion, but they say Lance did, too. The Report cites as evidence that there were “some tell tale signs” Armstrong was using EPO, “such as Lance carrying around a thermos.” Not that anyone saw or knew what was in thermos, mind you, but he did carry one around.

Of course, there are far more convincing statements from a host of his former teammates and others purporting to be eye witnesses to Armstrong’s use and distribution of banned substances and of his withdrawing and then transfusing his own blood in an effort to increase its oxygen content. These are difficult to explain away and probably are the reason Armstrong refused to defend himself against these new charges.

Most damning is the suggestion that the USADA has retest results of some blood samples that had previously been found to be clean and that now show evidence of doping. There is little explanation, however, as to why the first tests done within a short time after the blood was drawn were negative.

I admit the Report with all its flaws is fairly convincing. But it does not diminish my view that Armstrong is one of the great athletes of our time, not to mention all the good work he has done as a cancer survivor. His feats were superhuman as he prevailed time and again over other cyclists who apparently now admit using the same banned substances he is accused of using. And no self-appointed guardian of “true” sport’s values and lessons, whatever they may be, can take that away.

The political is the personal

One of the venerable "predictors" of a presidential election is the World Series winner--American League team means Republican president, National League team means Democratic president. It has held 16 out of 26 times (when I first learned about it in a freshman poli sci class in 1986, it had held 13 out of 20 times).

Now, I'm a Cubs fan, so my rooting and political interests generally align (not that anyone is worrying about the Cubs playing in the World Series). My wife, however, is an Orioles fan and I have been watching and rooting for them (and wearing a '70s-era bird hat) as a show of spousal support. But with the election fast-approaching, Obama's polls tanking, and Andrew Sullivan losing his mind, I am beginning to wonder if I should continue rooting for an AL team right now. What should I do?

By the way, if you are looking for other sports-related predictors, try this: If the Redskins win their final home game before the election, the incumbent party retains the White House. This has held in 18 of the last 19 elections. The 'Skins play the Carolina Panthers on November 4.

7 Questions in Aftermath of Jerry Sandusky Sentencing

I have a new column for SI.com on the sentencing of Jerry Sandusky and what it means for Penn State.

The Engaging Brand Podcast - Thom Singer Interview

I was interviewed for The Engaging Brand Podcast by the delightful Anna Farmery.  We talked about the theme of connecting with people in a social media crazy world.  

• How people are going social media crazy - yet forgetting how to be social!
• How people are forgetting about networking at conferences
• Is it a problem that social media is replacing face to face connection?
• The removal of the word know...inbusiness relationships
• How do we harness strength of social media(quantity) with the strength of really knowing someone (quality)
• The coffee, meal or beer rule!
• How to network for business after a conference - what is networking in the real world?
• Is there a difference between social networking at the office and outside of the business?
• What is presentation? Learn how to wow with presentations - and it is not about the content!
• Presentations should be centered on a story 

She has over 20,000 subscribers... if you do not already listen to Anna's great interviews... you should start today!

Here is the link:  http://www.theengagingbrand.com/2012/10/podcast-thom-singer-social-media.html

Have A Great Day.

Thom Singer