Arlington National Cemetery

How to Talk with Veterans on Memorial Day

A few years ago, I was a chaperone for my son’s Washington D.C. class trip. Fortunately for the students and me, Arlington Cemetery was on our itinerary. If you’ve never visited, know that it’s a powerful experience that reminds you of the truest sacrifices men and women have made for this great nation of ours. In other words, … Learn More

Woman standing facing the open water while standing on a beach at sunset

An Open Mind Opens Doors

Don’t let fight, flight, or freeze get the better of you. I’m a flighter. When I sense a conflict situation, I want to run away and hide. What’s your move? When you sense an uncomfortable moment, what do you want to do – fight, flight, or freeze? This explains why, when I saw my Congressman at … Learn More

Woman doing workout ropes in a gym

Self-Candor, Discipline, and Discomfort

I’ve learned in life there are Three Levels of Commitment: I’ve found that in life, depending upon the initiative or goal, I’m bouncing around all three levels…but when it matters, I’m Level Three.  If I were baking a Level Three Commitment cake, first off, it’d be chocolate. The additional ingredients would be:  Self-candor is our ability … Learn More

Woman jumping with her hands in the air at the top of a mountain

What Are You Rallying Towards?

What are we rallying towards? My friend asked me this recently when I shared with her my blog title, “Rally Cry.” I gave her an answer. But had she asked me this week, she would’ve gotten a better answer.   You see, I just read this poem, which raised a very powerful question that made me … Learn More

Man standing on top of mountain with his hands in the air

Three Secrets to Peak Performance

I once heard Malcolm Gladwell express that if you’re an expert on 98% of the topic, that remaining 2% should make you insanely curious about what you don’t know. In that spirit, I attended a HEROIC training course a few weeks ago.   Now, I’ve been a keynote speaker for decades. I’m blessed to have a manager … Learn More

Silhouette action sport outdoors of a group of kids having fun playing soccer football on green grass field

Use Your Voice

I embarrassed my youngest son recently by being “that mom.”  Let me set the stage: My son’s coaches called a parent meeting to introduce themselves, talk about their coaching style, and the tournament season ahead. While they were talking, all the athletes were on the field. One of the more senior athletes, leading stretching, kept calling the … Learn More

Angie leaning against a wall in her military uniform

Leadership Lessons from the Marine Corps

“We’re going to break it down, Barney Style.”  This was what our Marine Corps instructors would say when the School of Hard Knox was in session. And, like the adorable purple dinosaur teaching toddlers step-by-step lessons, our instructors would painstakingly review easy-to-implement guidance on a range of skills, like: Yes, that last one!! Leadership can seem … Learn More

Woman holding a book and sitting on her couch

10 Morning Habits I Live By

I get asked a lot: how do you do it?? Keep a rigorous schedule, train for athletic competitions, travel the globe, and appear so energized. I thought I’d share my secrets.   A great morning begins after a great night’s sleep. So, technically, my morning habits begin at 7:00 pm the night prior. I’ve typically eaten by then, I don’t … Learn More

Woman with her eyes closed and looking upward outside with gratitude

What’s Getting Your Attention?

When I was young, I’d leap, jump, and cartwheel on my school’s playground balance beams. Well…not all of them. Just the ones that were laying on the ground. As for the others? I didn’t dare. I once tried the one that was 6” off the ground. I was too wobbly on it and hopped off quickly before I embarrassed myself. … Learn More

Woman hugging herself and smiling up at thee sky

Discovering Your Self-Worth

Say this with me: “I’m a good person who deserves to be treated with respect.” This is a solid statement of self-worth. If your self-worth is strong, then you never: As you reflect against these expectations, how’d you do? If you saw room for improvement, no worries. That’s why I’m writing this. Self-worth is one of the most … Learn More

Women linking their arms together

When Important People Don’t Support You.

I Googled “Show me your network…” and here’s what popped up to complete the sentence: …I’ll show you your potential …I’ll show you your future …I’ll show you your net worth Clearly, the internet knows a lot about something we’ve always intuited: the people we surround ourselves with impact our ambitions, aspirations, and confidence.   What … Learn More

People running in a race

Motivate Yourself to Success

I started training for the Chattanooga Ironman this month. It’s energizing to sign up for the race, buy new gear, and get all your training devices sync’d up. It’s also cool to say “I’m training for an Ironman.” What’s not energizing? The work. Like this morning. I woke up at 5:00, hit the pool, and then followed that up with a run…and … Learn More