That Extra Special Day

Happy February 29th!

It's what you might call 'a rare day', since it comes just once every 4 years. Do you remember what you did last February 29? Or the one before that?

I've enjoyed 13 of these rare days, and I don't remember a thing about the first twelve. But I'll remember today ...

lovin' the stinky

I've run a few races in my day. Not fast, mind you. But I've run them and each time I've grasped or grabbed little cups of Gatorade from the nicest, friendliest volunteers.

Today I ran the LIVESTRONG Austin Half Marathon with a girlfriend. We looked pretty last night, and we smelled pretty, too. Not so today. Or at least, not in those last 12.1 miles.

Yet there they were, the friendliest folks holding cups of Gatorade. Can you imagine standing alongside a race, handing sloshing cups of Gatorade to 500 or 5,000 or 35,000 stinky, smelly people?

I can't!

Here's to race volunteers. I don't know where you get your enthusiasm or your energy and endurance. Thank you for serving with a smile. Thank you!

Great Beginnings

"Too much fun!"

That's the way I would describe our weekly BNI business meetings. Each Wednesday at precisely 7:30, a crowd of approximately 30 business partners (and in our case, friends), gather at The Perfect Landing restaurant to share cameraderie, coffee and qualified referrals.

Any given Wednesday morning, you can find us laughing while helping each other build more successful businesses.

This week, we drew names from a hat as we arrived at the meeting. Then, during the meeting, we stood and gave a 60-second commercial as though we were that person. Some of my partners did an exceptional job of imitating the one they drew. And others, like Jonathan, spoke in his own voice, giving a warm and sincere testimonial of his high regard for the one he drew.

I'm so glad I'm there.