Writing – Walk Into the Future

Melbourne beach weekend

Melbourne Beach

“To escape and sit quietly on the beach—that’s my idea of paradise”.

(Emily Wiskstead)

My Walk into the Future continues to provide unlimited adventures for me daily.

The beach is a major adventure for me, and some would say my happy place. Love to sit on the beach to relax, read and just enjoy the sound of the waves. My move to Fort Pierce puts me closer to beaches and I try to take advantage of this proximity as much as possible.

One of my favorite places to sit on the beach happens to be Melbourne, Florida. There are multiple beach towns in this area but the one I prefer is Indialantic Beach. Small area but it provides the best beach experience for me.

Made the 55-minute trek north on I-95 last weekend for a day at the beach. Did not realize it has been 3 years since I have been in the Melbourne area. A lot of my beach travel while in Tallahassee was a drive over to Jacksonville or Neptune beaches. Love that area too and it was a shorter drive than venturing all the way down to Melbourne. Decided to take a day trip and get back to an area I love to visit and hangout.

Outlet mall

COVID-19 has caused a lot of life disruptions. One of these for me was not being able to get to outlet malls. I know my outlet mall shopping is not a huge deal considering the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I had to drive by the Vero Beach outlet mall on my way to Melbourne. Many of the stores were still closed when I visited but was able to get some nice deals at the Van Heusen store. Yes, I wore a mask while shopping.

The Van Heusen outlet store had some great mark downs and I may have purchased more than I need. The in-store prices are a lot less than what they were selling for on-line. I have never been a fan of buying clothes on-line since different brands have their own unique cuts. My normal size in one store does not translate all the time to another. Buying pants online is a major headache for me since I need clothes for an athletic body. Also, needed to restock my work wardrobe since I have a day job again. 😊

Patrick AFB

Always make a point to visit Patrick Air Force Base when I am in Melbourne. Did not need anything but it always feels like going home when I am on the base. Spent 20 years in the Air Force and love being back on the base. Ended up just rambling around the Base Exchange and Commissary looking around and enjoying being back around the Air Force family. Got a few things but nothing major at either stop.

Crowne Plaza

The major attraction for me to visit the Indialantic beach is the Crowne Plaza hotel. Yes, I went up for a day trip, but the Crowne Plaza has a huge beach deck with a Tiki vibe and outside bar.

They allow beachgoers to utilize the deck, bar, and restrooms without being a hotel guest. Always thought that was a great feature and it keeps people coming back. I bring my own water and beer but routinely get a cold tropical drink (or two) at the bar. They have a great food menu so really do not need to go anywhere else once you get there.

There is live music most Saturdays and Sundays and that draws a decent crowd too. I normally walk further down the beach to get away from crowds but the music travels well. My day on the beach was spent reading, listening to music, and taking a bunch a naps. Nothing strenuous but wanted to visit the beach and relax—mission accomplished.

https://www.google.com/search?q=crowne+plaza+melbourne+fl+pictures&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS857US857&sxsrf=ALeKk00P5m-KQpG-NeMjKPXrrjOmlJlDWg:1590778740929&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=YVZCzuNcCXbIsM%253A%252C28LbZ-YA3Bc7sM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kSIiMzmjPA7dY62D4InWst3DNgkgg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiMiJPO4NnpAhUJT98KHSVwAMgQ9QEwAnoECAoQDg#imgrc=YVZCzuNcCXbIsM:

Took the scenic route back to Fort Pierce on A1A. Normally go I-95 but did not have to rush back so took in the sights and enjoyed the views. Will try to get to Melbourne monthly for a beach getaway—may stay overnight next time since there are a lot of new shopping options in the area. Always looking for a good deal! 😊

What is your favorite beach or place? When will you visit again?

“The waves on the sea help me get back to me”.

(Jill Davis)

Poetic Fridays

(Image by Christine Sponchia from Pixabay)

Motivated?

What motivates you?

I would guess things quite different from what motivates me

The drive I seek comes from things I have seen

Some good, some bad

Some fair, some foul

The secret here is to use them all

Never let the opinion of others sway your desire

To reach the pinnacle you aspire

Continue to work to meet and exceed your goals

Remind the doubters that you are in control

Dreams will become reality soon enough

Got to keep working because life can be rough

Find your motivation, live your dreams

A motivated life is a wonderful sight to be seen

Knowledge

The series of daily challenges presented

Provides a template to view

How to conquer the challenges?

It is all up to you

Life provides many opportunities to grow

The direction you chose, only you will know

Continue to strive through the growing process

Knowing that you hold the key to it all

The knowledge you gain

Helps to move your journey forward

And makes the challenges easier to maintain

Note: All original verses by the author.

Transition towards the future!

(Image by Volker Sachse from Pixabay)

“Light precedes every transition. Whether at the end of a tunnel, through a crack in the door or the flash of an idea, it is always there, heralding a new beginning”.

(Teresa Tsalaky)

I spend a large amount of time generating lists in my daily Walk into the Future. This is not a new phenomenon because I find my lists help keep me focused and moving forward in multiple areas. I track everything: daily activities, weekly to-do lists, yearly goals, every gym workout, every mile I run and how fast I ran them. Small correction, I do not track what I eat—may need to add this process since I have decided to eat better in 2020—we will see! Guess a grocery list would help with this, huh? 😊

Decided to discuss my list making process because a tree branch wanted me to write an article about what the transition from my previous work life to my current Walk into the Future journey looks like. His interest was more in understanding the transition because a lot of people talk about making a change but never really discuss what happens during the transition.

Of course, my transition started with a list. I sat on a beach on 4/14/18 and created a PRO/CON list to give me a visual of why/if I wanted to Walk into the Future. Did a complete assessment and put items under the PRO (stay) or CON (walk) column to give me something measurable. The list was heavily populated on the CON side so my decision to Walk into the Future was easy to make and backed by data. I will not dive into what was on the list but wanted to share there was a process involved to help with this decision.

“Transitions in life can offer opportunities for discovery”.

(Robbie Shell)

Throwback article on moving forward:

https://walkintothefuture.blog/2019/10/17/dont-fear-the-unknown-life-moves-forward

I am sure there are books and additional articles written by others who have transitioned from one work environment to another. This process is unique to everyone who decides to Walk into the Future—I will share things unique to me and my current Walk into the Future.

Humility

Being humble signals a willingness to learn and continue to grow. I have never professed I know everything, so I continue to be a lifelong learner. I read, network and ask questions when I do not understand something. Humility can speed up the transition process by seeking others to help along the way. Therefore, I never turn down meetings, speaking engagements or random conversations—I am learning as I go, and everyone can be a good source of information for me. I have maintained relationships with mentors and expanded my mentor pool to ensure I’m continuing to learn and grow.

Patience

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! This is an old leadership axiom to get people to focus on the process and not get overwhelmed with the perceived end results. Most things in life are a process and can be overcome with a patient approach. I have had to display a high level of patience during my Walk into the Future because not everyone I encounter is trying to get to the exact place I am. They may not even know how to help me get where I am headed and may need to refer me to someone else. I have learned the art of the follow-up call/email very well during this period! 😊 Remember, one bite at a time.

Sense of Humor

Laughter is a great way to release endorphins and makes you feel good. Laughter is also needed in this process because I do not take everything so seriously. Life is stressful enough without us adding more to it. I make a point to laugh, tell jokes and enjoy life to the max. I smile when I pitch a proposal to organizations for speaking engagements and I smile when organizations so no thank you. I generate a big old grin when I book a gig—it feels good! The key I believe is not to get too high or low during this process—laughing daily helps with this. I make a point to smile, laugh and enjoy myself when presenting to others—believe people relate to others who smile.

Confidence

Spend any amount of time with me and you will understand I do not lack confidence. This really helped when making the decision to Walk into the Future. It also leads to the ability to keep moving forward even when things do not go my way. I have heard the word NO more times than YES during this process but cannot let that distract me from my mission to make a difference daily. My lists mentioned earlier help as well because they allow me to check things off—never discount the importance of checking things off a list—it shows progress! I view life as a journey and confidence helps every step of the way. Positive self-talk is an outstanding way to get and maintain your confidence levels.

Mental and Physical outlets

My blog articles cover a lot of topics as I continue my Walk into the Future. I purposely seek out activities to enhance my mental and physical well being daily. My daily workouts, running program and yoga practice are designed to boost my physical fitness and allow me to generate endorphins. Never discount the impact physical activity provides to daily life.

I am an avid reader, so bookstore and library visits are a regular part of my program. I gravitate to blogs, online articles and LinkedIn to ensure I continue to learn new things. My book topics range from self-help, psychology, poetry and autobiographies. I do not venture into fiction much—John Sanford is the only fiction author I read on a regular basis. Discovered him by accident over 20 years ago while stationed on Okinawa, Japan. Been reading his work ever since.

I maintain a journal which helps me process my thoughts and aspirations. This is a weekly process for me or anytime I am at the beach. Lastly, the Walk into the Future blog provides an outstanding mental outlet vehicle for me. Get to write and test out ideas here right in front of YOU! 😊

So, there you have it. This is still an active transition for me as I explore new ideas, topics, interests and partnerships. This journey will continue, and I am sure there will be pivots needed but the smile on my face will not go away.

Enjoy your transition as you walk with me!

How can you make the transitions needed for your journey? Who can you partner with to enhance the transition period? Thanks!

“Life is a transition”.

(Lailah Gifty Akita)

Walk into the Future deep dive

blog icon information internet — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“I blog because I’m not a good rapper”.

(Anonymous)

Why I blog

Being a lifelong learner is a badge of honor I wear proudly!

I’m always looking for ways to improve myself (mentally and physically) and have a passion for reading. I realize podcasts present a popular medium for people to receive information and learn. I listen to a few, mostly sports related but still gravitate to blogs to expand my world view and learn from others.

I started the Walk into the Future blog on May 21, 2018 as a creative outlet for myself and to share my views, adventures and expertise with anyone willing to read my words.

The Walk into the Future title is my way to embrace the future and showcase the courage to move forward in life. Didn’t know who or how many people would be interested in me chronicling my adventures or sharing my views but I’m pleasantly surprised to keep growing a small following via the Word Press platform. I smile every time I receive a comment or like on my posts—lets me know people are reading my work and I’m connecting with them.

I focus blog posts on things I see, do, have interest/knowledge and topics from tree branches.

Started requesting input from tree branches because I’m walking with them daily and want to capture topics of interests to help them as well. This process keeps me energized as I research topics and learn in order to write a blog article. Please keep sending me ideas and I will work to incorporate your inputs into the blog rotation—thanks!

Note: if you haven’t seen your topic published it’s because I’m still working/researching for content—it’s coming!

Throwback article: https://walkintothefuture.blog/2019/05/02/walk-into-the-future-what-it-means-to-me

When I blog

My research on blogs identified the most successful bloggers maintain a consistent posting schedule. Some bloggers post multiple times a day, once a day, once or twice a week, monthly, etc. Everyone agrees the key is consistency so readers know when articles will be posted. Adjustments can be made (holidays, vacation, etc.) but it helps to set a schedule and stick to it.

I decided to post once per week on Thursdays. Believe I’ve only missed two Thursdays since I started—was having fun in Jamaica and Christmas week 2019! 😊 Thursdays give me additional editing time during the week so I can fine tune articles prior to publishing. I’ve contemplated posting multiple times per week but decided against it—hope my followers look forward to a weekly article without bombarding their inbox multiple times each week. Also, this gives me more time to research and write content without feeling pressure from a self-imposed deadline.

Throwback article: https://walkintothefuture.blog/2019/09/05/committed-to-the-blog-blogging-about-blogging/

“Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back”.

(Babe Ruth)

How I blog

My goal is to always have two months’ worth of articles in my Walk into the Future vault. Most of these articles are not fully developed but provide a shell I can go back to and edit over time.

I normally post the articles in the order of creation but allow myself flexibility to move things around especially after I travel—I don’t like posting about an actual event (vacation, half marathon, etc.) months later so I move those articles up in the rotation. Soapbox moments or topics can get moved up in the rotation depending on how hot it is to me.

I write about things that pique my interest, travel locations, leadership topics and ask tree branches for things they would like to read about. I maintain a growing list of potential topics alongside the two months’ worth of written articles in my vault. I currently have 37 potential topics I still must research, vet and then develop into a published Walk into the Future article.

Thanks to everyone that provided me with topics you’re interested in.

Blog articles start with a potential topic. I then look for quotes and images to help generate inspiration for what I want to write about. The next step is to research the topic to make sure I can bring a personal approach to the article. The last step is for me to sit down and write the article. When inspired I normally write an article (draft) in one sitting and then go back to check content and edit. (FYI, this article was started on 11/5/19.) I adjust the title and make final edits the week the article gets published. Don’t know how others produce and publish content but this process works for me. 😊

Updated blog stats:

Here’s a snapshot of what has been happening behind the scene for the Walk into the Future blog:

Walk into the future blog stats

Excited to enter my second full year as a blogger! Look forward to continuing to develop content others want to read and engage with me. This platform helps me on my journey to Walk into the Future.

Thanks for walking with me!

What is your favorite Walk into the Future blog topic so far? How has the Walk into the Future blog impacted your daily interactions? Curious!

Looking to incorporate guest bloggers in 2020! More information to follow—thinking about Guest Blogger Fridays.

“The currency of blogging is authenticity and trust”.

(Jason Calacanis)

happy-new-year-2020

Walking and exploring the Great Smoky Mountains (Gatlinburg, Tennessee)

My adventure in the Smoky Mountains!

Smokey Mountains hue

“Live a life of quiet inspiration.”

(William Britten)

Why Gatlinburg?

There’s an old saying “The mountains are calling, and I must go” attributed to John Muir who spent his life advocating for wilderness preservation. I would like to think John Muir’s words were instrumental to my trek back up to the Smoky mountains and Gatlinburg in particular.

My true inspiration to get back in the mountains came from an August 2019 NBC Nightly News special on a new Gatlinburg attraction, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/take-a-trip-to-the-longest-pedestrian-suspension-bridge-in-north-america-67497029583

Requested my 2019 Gatlinburg Vacation Guide when the news went off

I’ve been in the Smokey mountains and Gatlinburg years ago but seeing the suspension bridge on TV got me excited to go back to the mountains and explore. Finally, just decided to head up in mid-November before the weather got too cold and snow covered the mountain roads. I’m good driving in the mountains but didn’t want to fight ice and snow as I made my way through the winding roads. Got lucky with sunny weather and high temps in the low 50s. Turned out to be ideal hiking weather and didn’t have to wear too many layers of clothes to stay warm. Started peeling off layers about an hour into my first hike.

Hiking the Smokey Mountains

So, this is where I apologize to all my friends who have been avid hikers over the years. I didn’t fully get the concept of hiking because I’m always looking for my next training run. Texted a few of them to admit my error while I was out on my first hike of the day. I fully get hiking now—it was an amazing experience and can’t wait to do it again!

Started the hiking adventure on the Trails in the Sugarland Area which is the first Smokey mountain hiking area leaving Gatlinburg. Decided this would be a nice warm up trail to get me out and exploring. Got a map and quick briefing at the Welcome Center and then I was off on the trails. Didn’t know what I would see on this trail but was excited to begin the adventure.

Well, to my surprise almost got run over by a deer and while trying to take a picture of the buck, saw a flock of turkeys coming up behind me—this was the first 5 minutes of my hike! LOL. Believe this episode is where I decided hiking is the greatest thing ever—this flurry of wildlife activity got me ready to see more. Didn’t get a picture of the deer since I was trying to keep the turkeys in range to take a picture of them.

Continued the trails to see what else was ahead and came to the John Ownby cabin. The structure was in decent shape and highlights how early mountain folks lived. This was also a good place to take a break and take in everything I had experienced in a short period of time. This is also the spot I texted my friends to say I get hiking now! 😊 Left the cabin and got on the next trail head and made it over to Cataract Falls. Thought this was going to be a larger area but was happy with the scenic beauty I saw hiking over to the falls. Only saw a few hikers out but everyone was friendly. Got a chance to take pictures at the falls and sit awhile to admire the surroundings. Very peaceful, quiet and refreshing time sitting at the falls. Covered about 3 miles on this hiking segment. Wanted to explore a bit more in this area but decided to move on after the tour buses started dropping groups off—the trail heads got crowded quickly!

Moved further into the Smokey mountains and made my way to the Sugarland Parks Trail. Similar name as the first adventure but this was a .5-mile paved trail. Not much wildlife to see on this trail but had great water views and river scenery. Didn’t spend a lot of time here because it was a short, one loop trail.

Decided to venture further up the mountain to see what other adventures were waiting. Saw several stop points on the way and pulled over at the Carlos C. Campbell Overlook. No trails here but the view of the mountains was tremendous! Had this area to myself so took advantage of the photo opportunity while it lasted.

Campbell Overlook

Next stop was the Gatlinburg trail which had a little bit of everything. Trails, rivers, bridges, climbs, drops and wildlife. Spent quite a bit of time exploring on this trail just enjoying the experience and nature. Covered 10 miles total hiking on the different trails during my Smoky mountain adventures.

Skybridge

Got a quick lunch after my hiking adventures and headed to the main reason for my visit, the Gatlinburg Skybridge. Gatlinburg has always had a Sky Lift Park to haul people up the mountain to get a higher view of the area.

The Skybridge is a new addition to Sky Lift Park and has become the main attraction for most people to see when visiting Gatlinburg. It did not disappoint! It’s a suspension bridge so it moves while walking on it—it really moves with a lot of people walking on it! There were several folks on the bridge who didn’t look so happy with their decision to make the walk across. The Skybridge is an excellent way to view Gatlinburg, see the surrounding mountains tops and people watch. The pass for Sky Lift Park is good for the entire day so I was able to come back once it got dark to experience the ride up and the bridge at night. Didn’t stay as long the second time up because it started getting cold when the sun went down.

https://www.gatlinburgskylift.com/skybridge

Moonshine tasting

The Gatlinburg Vacation guide was an excellent resource to help plan out my activities. Discovered Gatlinburg has several distilleries and wineries right downtown. I’ve toured rum and whiskey distilleries in the past but never a moonshine tour. Researched the moonshine distilleries and decided to visit multiple since they were so close to each other and walkable. My first stop was the Ole Smokey Moonshine Distillery because of the variety of flavors they make. $5 gets you a taste of every moonshine flavor/proof in the store.

These range from 128 proof down to 40 proof with different flavors: https://olesmoky.com/collections/moonshine.

Made sure I ate before touring the moonshine distilleries—good thing because moonshine has a kick to it. 😊

Next, made my way down the street to visit Sugarlands Distilling Company to see what they had: https://www.sugarlands.com/moonshine/.

They had some unique moonshine flavors and names but gave several of them a try during my tasting tour. FYI, moonshine really warms you up, didn’t feel the cold after my sipping tour of moonshine distilleries.

Decided to head back to Ole Smokey Moonshine Distillery and went right to the top of the moonshine proof levels—got the Blue Flame (128 proof). Will probably be sipping on this jar of moonshine for months—not for heavy consumption.

Freedom to travel

2019 has been an adventurous year for me to explore. I’ve been blessed to have the ability to pick places to visit and then make my way there. I’ve explored places I’ve always wanted to visit and some of my favorite places again. Looking forward to seeing where 2020 takes me! I plan to keep Walking into the Future with no return date! 😊

Lessons learned

Never drive in the Smoky mountains at night— (1) it’s scary and (2) you miss the scenic beauty of the mountains
North Carolina / East Tennessee BBQ sauce is vinegar based; I don’t like vinegar in my BBQ sauce
Hiking is a fantastic pastime! Will find other areas to explore this new hobby! 😊
I like moonshine! It mixes great with fruit punch
Gatlinburg has a walkable downtown area—find a place to park and walk around to enjoy the attractions

Thanks for walking with me!

Where have you always wanted to visit? How much hiking do you plan to do in 2020?

Strong tree branches keep me moving forward

two brown trees — Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.

(African Proverb)

My collective tree branches continue to amaze me daily!

I enjoy watching the great things they are doing in their respective areas of higher education, mentoring, volunteering, speaking, podcasting, recruiting, leadership development and fitness to name a ‘few’ areas these outstanding folks are making a difference.

The one area that stands out to me today as I write this is the teamwork they constantly display. My Walk into the Future has led me away from a physical office space—as noted, I primarily work out of coffee shops with Lucky Goat being first choice. My previous work life allowed me to be surrounded by direct reports and colleagues every day. There was always someone available to me whenever I had a question, concern or marketing idea I needed to hash out.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself”.

(Henry Ford)

My current walk provides me unlimited freedoms to decide what I work on and when. The one limiting factor is I don’t have ‘my’ team right down the hallway to bounce things off.

A great aspect of having so many tree branches is they are only a text message, email or phone call away when I need help. Today was a perfect example of how great my tree branches are. Needed some help generating a Presentation Value Proposition for a conference proposal I was working on.

I had no trouble describing my proposed presentation, highlighting learning outcomes and generating an overall summary. Couldn’t generate the Value Proposition for the presentation for some odd reason—just couldn’t make it pop or even sound interesting.

Reached out to two of my most creative tree branches and described my dilemma. Provided them with what I needed to do and my attempt to generate the Value Proposition. They both jumped into teammate mode and sent me back appealing options for the Value Proposition that made the presentation sound exciting. The point being is even without us being in the same cities, my team still has my back and we make each other better daily.

The ability to stress the importance of teamwork is something I’m proud to bring to every organization I’ve worked with. It’s great to see my tree branches continue to embrace team concepts and help others grow. Well done tree branches—keep up the great things you do daily! Very proud of your efforts!

Thanks to my tree branches who return my texts, emails, phone calls and LinkedIn shout outs! You’re fueling this journey one step at a time—Irie!

What are the most important team concepts you display daily? How can you enhance the team experience in your work environment? Thanks!

Respect Melissa and V’Rhaniku!

ER 2016

(2016 team bowling outing)

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else”.

(Booker T. Washington)

Running, rocking out, and enjoying Philadelphia

Philly LOVE sign

“To travel is to live”.

(Hans Christian Andersen)

My Walk into the Future continues to expand my running tourist experiences. Made a trek to the 2019 Philadelphia Rock N Roll Half Marathon in September. This was race #5 for my 2019 running goals.

The training and additional miles logged over the summer were evident during my race. I was able to post another personal record (PR) time of 2:07:55 (official time) but was happier with how I felt mentally and physically during the race. Past races my legs started to hurt at the 8-mile marker and really screamed at me miles 10 through 13. Fighting the pain and the urge to stop running was always there in previous races but my new training program allowed me to enjoy every mile of the race. Helped the Philly course was mostly flat until the end. I never frown at a PR but will evaluate my training process to see where I can find additional speed to get me closer to my goal time of under 2 hours.

Note: The 2-hour goal does not stop me from enjoying these races. It’s my way to push myself to improve daily.

“The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday”.

(Haruki Murakami)

(After race and Rocky statue)

Philadelphia

Selected this race because I’ve never been to Philadelphia. Also, I have a tree branch (Lauren Apgar) in Philly, and it gave us a chance to catch up. Again, I take the concept of running tourist seriously so let me know if I should visit your city for a run. 😊

We left the airport and headed straight to the Philadelphia Convention Center for the Rock N Roll EXPO. Seeing the thousands of running tourists who trek to a Rock N Roll destination to run the city and enjoy the culture is always a highlight of race weekend.

The positive energy in the EXPO hall always provides extra inspiration to run my best race. People from all over the world converging on a location with the same goal in mind to run their best race ever.

The Philly EXPO was smaller than previous EXPOs (New Orleans and Nashville) because there was not a full marathon scheduled. The Philly races were the half marathon, a 7.6k and a 5k.

This was Lauren’s first Rock N Roll EXPO, so it was great introducing her to the process (check-in, bib pickup, bag pickup, etc.) and attending the EXPO with vendors and products. We got as many freebies as we could and tested out products on display. This is a great way to get a free massage before the race since vendors want to test their products on runners. I’m always down for the free massage! Got a lot of cool photo ops while at the EXPO:

Food, food and more food

We left the convention center and made our way to Iron Hill Brewery (Center City) for lunch to help with my carb loading process. Great location with a huge menu and beer options. I don’t experiment with food prior to a race so ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, fries and the Iron Hill Light Lager. Lots of great food on the menu if you get a chance to dine at one of their locations:

https://www.ironhillbrewery.com/center-city-pa.

What’s a trip to Philly without visiting the Reading Terminal Market? It’s labeled as “one of America’s largest and oldest public markets” and lived up to the reputation. Row after row of unique foods, fare and products. Several vendors had wrap around lines waiting to explore new tastes. We didn’t eat at Reading Terminal Market, but it will be a regular stop when I’m back in Philly:

https://readingterminalmarket.org/.

Dinner carb loading was done at Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizzeria. Stuck with the tried and true chicken parmesan because it came with a huge plate of spaghetti and sauce. Portions were so large at Pietro’s I almost couldn’t finish it all but since I had 13.1 miles to run the next morning, I powered through.

Pietros Pizza

We ventured further out after the race to get cheese steaks. Lauren introduced me to the Philly subway system and the proper way to get around the city. We got an impromptu dance show from a family entertaining everyone on the subway. Great seeing people smile and enjoy themselves as they traveled to their respective destinations. Full disclosure, I assumed Philly was going to be all hustle and bustle like New York. Pleasantly surprised how slow the pace was in Philly and how people interacted with each other.

Cheese steaks on every corner

We decided to take part in the great Philly cheese steak debate: Geno’s or Pat’s. Agreed we would do a taste test to decide which cheese steak was better.

Started at Geno’s and dived right into a large cheese steak. Very good flavor, texture and presentation. Made our way across the street to try Pat’s cheese steak next. Again, very good flavor, texture and presentation. The onions on the Pat’s cheese steak were sautéed more and the steak had more moisture than Geno’s. We agreed both were worth a visit if you’re in Philly—can’t go wrong with either selection.

Seating is limited at Geno’s and Pat’s, so we grabbed seats at Garage Philly and enjoyed the cheese steaks, beer and people watching. They have a DJ playing on the sidewalk, so it was a block party and a great place to relax with good food:

History

Made our way over to Independence Hall to experience some American history. Got a chance to explore multiple buildings on the property to include Congress Hall and Senate Chambers. The Liberty Bell was another historical site we were able to experience. Great being in a place with this much historical contexts—recommend visiting if you’re in the Philadelphia area.

Trekked over to Penn’s Landing to see the waterway and the Ben Franklin Bridge. Great place to people watch and get photos of New Jersey across the river. Lots of boats in the water and people enjoying the great September weather.

https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/penns-landing/

Philadelphia is a great place—recommend you get there for a visit if you haven’t been. Also, recommend experiencing the great food, history and culture available.

FYI—enjoyed it so much I’ve already signed up for the 2020 Philadelphia Rock N Roll Half Marathon! Will get a chance to test out the Pat’s and Geno’s cheese steak debate again. Can’t wait!

What city have you always wanted to visit? When are you going?

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”.

(Helen Keller)

Thanks Lauren for being a great host and tour guide—well done! 😊

Committed to the blog – Blogging about blogging

Blog notepad

“You are not obligated to win. You are obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day”.

(Marian Wright Edelman)

My laptop has been the tool I’ve used over the past year to research, write, edit and publish articles for the Walk into the Future blog. It’s a rare day to find me anywhere without my laptop close by to record a new idea or thought to turn into an article for the blog.

Well, I experienced a slight glitch to my productivity in late June when my laptop decided not to boot up. Tried multiple diagnostic programs to see if I could fix the issue on my own but finally had to give in and put my laptop in the shop. Figured I would lose a couple days of writing production so focused more time in the gym and on my Philly Rock n Roll half marathon training program while the laptop was out for service.

Quickly discovered the time dedicated to creating content for the blog was an actual part of my lifestyle and I felt weird not working on the next article. The commitment to write and produce weekly content for myself, followers and other readers was still present even without my laptop. Felt like I was cheating myself by taking days off from research and writing—this fact makes me laugh considering I normally have 8 weeks of articles already written prior to publishing on the blog. This gives me time to go back and edit/add content as needed before you read it.

I was talking with a friend about my laptop dilemma and my inability to record my thoughts as usual. My friend offered I could always write my ideas by hand if needed after laughing at me and my made-up problem! I’ve documented how bad my handwriting is, so it never crossed my mind I could still be a productive writer by simply writing down my thoughts/ideas and then transcribe them later—what a concept, huh? LOL. We joked I should call the article ‘Blogging about blogging’ since I had to be convinced blogging doesn’t stop because I’m not on a laptop. Sounds almost like an old Seinfeld episode—blogging about blogging.

The image above is my notepad while sitting at Lucky Goat generating content for future blog articles. Generated two ideas with my handwritten content and later transferred into Microsoft Word once I got my laptop back. This process was not as difficult as I made it out to be—I’m still learning, adjusting and growing with the blog.

My commitment to this blog is real and hopefully the articles you read here provide a place to laugh, learn and enjoy the process of my journey!

What are you committed to daily? How do you ensure it has priority on your schedule?

“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Accordingly, a genius is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework”.

(Thomas Edison)

The Voice of a Leader

orange and and brown chess pieces

Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com on Pexels.com

“True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed—Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection”.

(Sheryl Sandberg)

Had a great lunch meeting and chat with one of my Orlando tree branches at the end of May. We were able to catch up before my scheduled guest speaking role on the Intern Pursuit podcast. Always love catching up with my tree branches in-person and jumped at the chance to hear the great things she was doing in Orlando with her small business marketing firm.

We were able to share professional and life updates during this visit and got into the concept of leadership in the workplace. Just general stuff but I’m a big believer in leadership development and the impact ‘good’ leadership can have on the work environment.

Most people have heard numerous leadership styles mentioned: transactional, transformational, authoritative, authentic, etc. I recommend new leaders have a good understanding of multiple leadership styles and then work to find their inner voice within the work environment.

What’s your inner voice? This concept can be used to determine your true leadership style and then put things into place to ensure your work environment and people can grow. I tell anyone who listens I’m a huge believer in the authentic leadership style. Guess what, authentic leadership takes some of the best aspects of other leadership styles and packages them into a concise, four variable approach to leadership. The variables of self-awareness, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective and balanced processing are used by authentic leaders to develop their inner leadership voice. An authentic leader needs to ensure these variables are on display and utilized daily to truly be an authentic leader.

Please note, all leadership styles have variables of some level. Transformational leaders are called ‘quiet leaders’ because they are described as leading by example. Transactional leaders can be viewed as reactive and ‘may’ be more beneficial within large corporation settings.

So, as you can see, there are a lot of leadership styles available to new and experienced leaders.

“It can be done. Leaders make things happen. If one approach doesn’t work, find another”.

(Colin Powell)

The key to finding your leadership inner voice is assessment of your work environment and flexibility. I can say I practice authentic leadership, but this style may not be practical for every direct report. A direct report who is not performing to standards may need daily transactional interactions whereas the rest of the staff thrive with the authentic leadership environment created. Knowing the needs of your staff is something that comes with experience, lots of reading and training. The ability to adapt to changing work situations and needs of direct reports allows a leader to impact the work environment in a positive manner.

It’s okay to take a personal interest in direct reports and things they are interested in. You may be able to adjust work assignments to keep them engaged based on strengths and interests. It’s also okay if you can’t accommodate everything your staff would like to do in the work environment. Example: staff may want to work from home but if that model does not fit the mission then it’s up to the leader to say so. Saying no in this situation is not a personal attack, it’s just the way the organization must operate.

A lot goes into being a leader. Understanding leadership styles, your strengths and weaknesses as well as continual learning will help as you develop your inner leadership voice.

“Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their staff. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish”.

(Sam Walton)

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