The 2 Secrets for Building Strong and Lasting Teams

married couple

My wife and I celebrate 25 years of marriage this year. We’re taking time this year to reflect on that quarter of a century. While we’ve definitely had a few bumps along the way, they’ve been the happiest years of my life. It’s caused me to pause and consider what makes a relationship work? Not […]

Do you have what it takes to be a coach?

5 Characteristics of the Best Coaches

Brock and Coach Taylor

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the difference between a coach and a critic. A question came up about “What are the traits of a great coach?” I spent a few weeks pondering this question and reflecting on my own career over the past 25 years. I’ve found there are 5 key characteristics that […]

5 Steps to Make Risky Decisions Less Risky

How to overcome fear when faced with a tough decision

Cliff Jump

I was about to jump… but the 50-foot drop to the rocks below caused me to pause. “Just step out to the edge and jump away from the edge.” My zip-line guide made it sound so simple. I’d just seen 6 others do it and walk away without a scratch, but now it was my […]

Dear Younger Me, …

5 Things I wish I knew as a young Sales Professional

Dear Younger Me - Mercy Me

I was driving and listening to the radio (KLOVE) when a song by Mercy Me started. It gripped me from the opening line. “Dear younger me, where do I start?…” The song itself is powerful and it made a lasting impression on me because it made me think. I’m 30 years out of high school […]

Want to Know How the Best Communicators Connect with Any Audience?

Leadership messaging is much more than just setting your goal

Grand Canyon Leader Message

I was asked to coach the CFO for a company in downtown Houston. I asked her more about why we were meeting. She said, “I told them (her audience) they complain too much and they should like this new HR plan. Later my boss (CEO) said I came across harsh and abrasive.” Wow… you think so? As […]

One Question That Can Change Your Life

Do you really want to improve? Try this...

Catalyst 2018 Groeschel Lysa Hodges

My wife and I were both excited to attend the leadership conference! The lineup of speakers included one of my favorites and one of my wife’s favorites.  I was amped to hear from Craig Groeschel on topics like leading change and building systems. My wife was most excited about Lysa Terkeurst and her talk on […]

Failure doesn’t teach a lesson without this…

The Best Way to Turn Failure Into Learning

Midway game gorilla

My son had his eyes set on the biggest stuffed animal, but throwing the balls into the basket was not going to be as easy as it appeared. After three failed attempts at tossing the balls he looked up at me and said, “I want to try again.” I could see where this was going. […]

How to Have the Best Conversations in 2018

and build stronger relationships with family and friends

Slattery Peterson Dinner Dublin Ireland

It was a conversation for the ages! My family and our dear friends from Dublin were all seated around their dining table in Ireland. The conversation was full of laughter, questions, tears, intrigue, and dreams. We were swimming in deep waters and we loved it. But what was it exactly that made this 3-hour conversation […]

5 Ways Your Wrecking Your First Impression

and 5 easy fixes to better connect with your audience

monopoly board

I asked my class, “What are the two most valuable pieces of property on the Monopoly board?” Someone usually responds with “Park Place and Boardwalk!” If you own those two pieces of property, what would you put on them? I’m guessing hotels! When you have prime property, you always think carefully about what you want […]