Toastmaters prepared me to caucus

In this season of politics, primaries and choosing a president, I had my first opportunity to participate in my states caucus. It was an interesting process to be a part of. Most of the people in my precinct had never participated in a caucus and because of this it was new and exciting. There was a constant flow of folks registering to participate. The turn out was far greater than expected. Was this because the slate of candidates this time around? Was it the opportunity to have a greater say in the election process? Was it all of the above and more?

My reason for attending was to cast my vote and to speak on behalf of a friend of mine who is running for one of our states house-district seats. He had asked if I would introduce him in my precinct since I am active in our town’s civic and service groups. I was honored to be asked to do this and looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm for my friend and his candidacy.

The caucus chairperson asked if anyone would like to speak on behalf of any of the candidates running for our parties ticket. My friend was going to start the evening at his precinct and he would be over at our caucus as soon as he could make it. All the speakers for the national candidates had their say. My friend was no where in sight. My nerves were on edge since I had only prepared an introduction, not a speech.

My cell phone buzzed just then and I answered. My friend apologized for not being at my caucus yet and said his precinct had so many people showing up that they were still registering folks and they were running way behind. My friend asked if I won’t mind just presenting for him with some kind words. “Sure, not a problem,” I said and hung up.

The Caucus Chairperson asked if anyone else would like to speak on behalf of a candidate? I took a deep breath, smiled at my wife and jumped up from where I was seated. The Chairperson stated I had two to three minutes. The light bulb went on and I thought, Table Topics. Cool. I can handle this. Even though I had only prepared an introduction, my Toastmaster skills kicked in. I opened my remarks with what I had planned as the introduction and then I enhanced my speech with a personal story about my friend and an experience he had while campaigning.

I looked into the eyes of the audience members. I felt my message about my friend was connecting. The audience seemed engaged and several people smiled back as I spoke. I had no notes and spoke from the heart. It was about “yellow card” time so I wrapped up my thoughts and said, thank you. I was given a round of applause. Wow! I had done it. Because of my Table Topics skills, I was confident and concise in my presentation. Toastmasters had saved the day for me and I hope garnered some votes for my friend.

After the caucus several people came up to me and asked about the Toastmaster’s club my friend and I attend since I had said, we both enjoyed practicing our speaking skills. This experience actually turned out to be an opportunity to invite several people to join our clubs meeting that week. Who knows, perhaps we’ll gain a new member or two.

For more information on the Chamber Ad-Liborators Club #770817 Broomfield, Colorado http://chamberadlib.freetoasthost.info/

Giving is better than receiving.

March 17th - St. Patrick’s Day is the date of my coming into this world. It’s a fun day to celebrate. I can walk into any pub and announce, “It’s my Birthday” and the out come the cheers and the complimentary adult beverages. What a great day to be born. Several years ago I wanted to do something memorable on my Birthday. I was listening to a local radio personality in Denver by the name of Pete Boyles. He was talking about an event to be held at a Fado’s Irish Pub called St. Baldrick’s Day.

The name was so intriguing that I went on line and looked up St. Baldrick’s. I learned that the idea for the name came about when three reinsurance executives turned their industry's St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer. In 1999, Tim Kenny challenged friends, John Bender and Enda McDonnell to find a way to give back to society. John suggested shaving Enda's head since kids typically lose their hair during cancer treatment. "People will gladly pay to see you bald, Enda!" Never one to miss an opportunity, Enda replied, "I will if you will," and St. Baldrick's was born.

I thought, if these guys could raise money for finding a cure to eradicate childhood cancer so could I. It was just the event I was looking for to make my Birthday memorable. Besides, hair grows back. I signed up for the event and started asking for donations for this wonderful cause. That first year I did not know what to expect. I arrived first thing in the morning at 6:00am. The volunteers were setting up and Pete Boyles was doing a live broadcast from the pub. There was a lot of excitement in the air. I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through with it. I figured if I went first and got it over with it would be OK. They asked for the first volunteer and up I jumped.

The volunteer barber gave me a smile, covered me with an apron and started to buzz off all my hair. As the small crowd hollered with approval I had started laughing like crazy. It was all over in a few minutes. I now knew how a sheep felt when it got sheared and boy was my head cold. The applause was great. Several other Shavees gave me high fives as I walked past them. I had raised my first $500.00 for St. Baldrick’s. I was hooked. The most marvelous part of the event was when I meet several kid’s who had joined the festivities that had their cancer in remission. They came to thank everyone for being at the event. I felt rewarded for having done something I knew could make a difference.

That first year I did the event for fun. The following year I shaved my head in honor of the daughter of a friend of mine who was diagnosed with leukemia. St. Baldrick’s became more personal now. That year I shaved my head with a buddy and again it was a rewarding experience. I shared my experience with another friend in New Jersey and he was so intrigued he has started an event in his home town. It’s amazing how a small dare has grown into a major fundraising event to help a disease that should never have been.

Since the first event in 2000, St. Baldrick's volunteers have raised over $34 million for life-saving research and 2008 promises even more exciting progress. Every child, teen, and family deserves our very best effort to cure childhood cancer, and that's just what they'll get from the St. Baldrick's community!

I look forward to doing my part this year. Raising money and awareness to find a cure, help a kid and ease a families burden. So as your raising a toast to the honorable St. Patrick this year, why not make a donation to St. Baldrick’s Foundation. For the price of a six pack you can make a contribution.
Here is the website to donate. http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/shavee_info.html?ParticipantKey=200821087
Thank you.

Service in America

Recently I went to purchase a new audio receiver. My old unit had quit working after 15 years. Having the need for good music in my house I set off on a quest to find the perfect audio receiver which would accommodate my needs. My first stop was a national chain. There was the brand I wanted. There were several models to choose from. I wanted one that would hook up to all my components including a turntable. Yes, a turntable. I have the MP3 player, but my records still sound warmer to me. I read the information on the signs posted on the shelf, yet nothing stated that a turntable could be hooked up. I looked around for a sales person and they were all busy with other customers. I waited and waited. After about 30 minutes I was at my threshold and I left. I never was approached by any salesperson at all. In fact no employee ever acknowledged my presence.

I went next door to a regional chain that I had purchased from before. I found the audio area yet not the brand I was looking for. A young man came up and asked if he could be of any assistance. I told him what I was looking for. He did something not too many salespeople know to do. He asked me questions. What a breath of fresh air. How will you use your system? Will you need to hook it up as a home theater unit? What components do you have? All probing questions that allowed me to tell the salesperson what I wanted to buy, not what he might have wanted to sell.

The salesman then suggested a receiver based on my needs and price range. After about 20 minutes of discussion I was ready to buy. He convinced me that this was the one receiver that would fit my needs. It would fit in the furniture I have. It would fit in my budget. It would accommodate my turntable. The salesman had me wanting the receiver so bad I could taste it. Give it to me now, so I can go and listen to it, I thought. The salesman checked… and checked and told me, “I sorry sir we are out of stock on that Model. I can have it for you in a day or two from one of our other stores.” I was deflated like the kid who just received an ice cream cone and licked off the scoop. “No, I want it now. Why should I wait”?, I thought. "There are other stores. I can’t wait I’m an American consumer." So I took the poor salesman’s business card and said I would be back if I could not find the model he had convinced me I needed to have. I felt bad for the poor fellow, yet I thought, why didn’t he check his stock before we had the discussion and I was so fully engaged?

Finally, I went to the specialist in the area. Usually the specialist is perceived as the most expensive. The guy you go to if you have more money than time and the guy who knows it all. I walked in expecting to pay more and get less because of the high end repetition of this specialist. I knew I would get quality but at a price. I was promptly greeted by a salesperson who again asked questions. Before we got too involved I asked, “Do you have in stock everything you may show me?” Curious he said, “Why yes we do, why else would I sell you something I don’t have”. Right answer, at least for me this time. I said to proceed and he sold me the same model the previous fellow sold me. Five minutes later I was out the door and shortly after that I was enjoying clear, crisp sound from my new receiver.

Moral of the story:
Not even acknowledging me in your store, I am not coming back.
Selling me something you don’t have in stock is wasting both of our time.
Asking questions and being able to back them up, will make the prospect a happy camper and a customer for life. The American consumer, of which I am one is inpatient, demanding and has little time to waste. Those that can play the instant gratification game will come out the winner.

"That's not bad"

On a recent visit to Kentucky my three and a half year old granddaughter Maggie came up to up to me and said, “That’s not bad”. I said, “What’s not bad honey.” She brought over a page from one of her Mother’s catalogs with Halloween costumes on it. Maggie showed me the page and said it again, “That’s not bad”, shaking her head. I said to my wife Kathy what is she talking about. My wife figured out that Maggie was “parroting” her Mother who must have looked at the catalog when Maggie was around, read the price of the costumes and said, “That’s not a bad price.” Maggie heard, “That’s not bad”.

Maggie’s phrase got me thinking. What we hear and how we perceive it is often our belief. When I view the news of the day and see and hear only it’s troubles then that’s how I may “parrot” back these events to others. If I seek the good and actively listen for it, that’s what I will hear and “parrot” back. I realize all is not rosy in the world and bad things do occur. I am however suggesting if we hear or see that something is negative, we examine it with, how can we make it better. Or, can I help turn the situation around?

As I reflect on my own life, my family is healthy and happy and, “That’s not bad”. My work and career are going well, and “That’s not bad”. I volunteer in many organizations and clubs and, “That’s not bad”. With all the division in the world and this country, we can stew in the negative and listen to the naysayers or we can look around for the good and for opportunities to be the best. In my mind I rather “parrot,” “That’s not bad” all day long. A positive person attracts other positive people and vise versa. It’s a choice. Maggie may have latched onto something that I hope she never loses and “That’s not bad”.

Learning - A Lifelong Passion

“Bradley, I am sending you to the WF&FSA Management Institute” were the words my father said to me, twenty four years ago. I had just started working for our family business, the Larry Beck Company, as a field rep on the west coast selling Floral Supplies. Fresh out of college and a baby on the way, I resisted having to spend another few days on the road away from my family. I made every excuse why I didn’t need to go. In the end, my father prevailed and I attended my first Management Institute at Indiana University. I am glad my father insisted that I go. The Management Institute and their sub-goup Young Executives (now Emerging Leaders) are two of the best reasons why I become involved in Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association, a floral industry trade association . Management Institute is one of the best experiences I have ever had while learning and networking with my peers. Attending that first Management Institute gave me a unique perspective to better understanding my customers’ business and problems. I gained new insights, new friends and a few golden nuggets that helped me to become better at my job. A few years ago, I received the opportunity to join Design Master, an international color marketing company with a focus on aerosol sprays, as an in-house manager. I jumped at the challenge. One of the nicest advantages of being associated with Young Executives was I already knew who the customers were and the people who ran those companies. I knew the owners and the managers, as well as the fresh and supply people in the leading wholesale houses around the country. I had the honor of serving as a Young Executives Council Member, Vice President and President of the Young Executives. From this experiance I got to know who the players were and, more importantly, I became known to the customers who helped me in my new position. I recently attended my twentieth Management Institute. It is amazing to witness how this event and the Emerging Leaders have evolved into a dynamic component of the WF&FSA organization. The new name applied to the group, Emerging Leaders is a“re-branding” that adds sizzle and buzz to attract some people to join the group. Personally, the group can be called whatever the association would like. At 48 years old I still am a member of the organization and will continue as long as they will have me. Why? I like being a part of something that makes me feel and think young. I like to associate with people who have new ways of thinking and new ideas that help me see opportunities with fresh eyes. I like the friendship and camaraderie I have built with people in the fresh, supply and transportation segments of our industry. Continuing education is not just for those in college or a professional trade. Lifelong learning, networking and looking for new ways to think and act are all a part of continuing education. I hope I am fortunate enough to attend 20 more years of Management Institutes and hopefully the Emerging Leaders will let me keep my membership active until I decide to retire.

"I'm going to the World Series...almost"

I logged on to the Colorado Rockies web site on Tuesday, October 23, hoping I would get another chance at vying for tickets online. Yesterday’s attack of major league baseball’s web site provider gave me hope, along with 8.5 million other Rocky fans that I might have a second chance to purchase World Series tickets.
This time I logged on early, 11:45am. Nothing there yet. I check back at 12:00pm on the nose. The web site clicks over and wa’ la…movement. A screen opens up with the following; “Please wait for the server to become available. The site is experiencing heavy loads at this time.” I’m thinking the only load, is the one I’m being handed. The countdown proceeds starting at 120 seconds, 119, 118. I wait. My heart racing with excitement. 3, 2, 1…reset. 120, 119, 118.
This goes on for twenty minutes. Finally, at 12:20pm the countdown gets to the number one and... it sticks. Oh my gosh, I’m in. I receive one bar, then two, then three, then four, then five and then…nothing…The screen is in a holding pattern for five minutes. The Microsoft circle spins, so I know the machine is working. The suspense is like the song, “bases are loaded and Casey’s at-bat.” …and then the site kicks me out and restarts. 12:25pm. 3,2,1 I’m in again. One bar, two bars, three bars, four bars, five bars… nothing. 12:29. I strike out of the site again and the process starts anew. I know the first page states, "Do not refresh this page or you will be dropped to the end of the line. Thank you for your patience." Patience!!! I have been waiting for twelve years to attend a local World Series game and you want me to have patience.!!!
120, 119, 118…3,2,1 at 12:41, I’m in again for the third time. Please, baseball gods, let me get a World Series ticket. A minute goes by. The Microsoft circle spins. My heart still races. I have now invested more than forty-five minutes of my time trying to get a World Series ticket. I don’t care. I want to get a ticket to see my Rockies play in the World Series. Now, I am sounding a little weird even to myself. Please, oh please let me connect. Let me at least hit a bunt. I rub my computer screen for good luck. Hey, my Mom used to rub the slot machines in Las Vegas and she used to win so why not try. Anything for a chance at good luck. I have a friend who believes that if you say it, it will happen. I even try this. Think good thoughts. Still nothing.
Dam, the site kicks me off. 120, 119, 118…
Now it’s starting to feel like a first date, all you want is to go to first base and you can’t even hit the ball. Oh my, I’m even writing this in purple ink. It’s a sign. Rocky’s purple. It’s meant to be. 3, 2, 1…on hold… nothing. The site kicks me out once again. 120, 119, 118 the countdown proceeds. I’m no quitter. I keep going. Maybe I shouldn’t have shaved today. You know ballplayers are so superstitious. Darn, I shouldn’t have shaved. Where is that rabbit’s foot I used to have in my desk? 3,2,1…one bar, two bars, three bars, four bars, five bars…hold again. Now I feel like the Phillies and D-Backs. So close and yet so far away. 12:59pm. I’ll give it one minute more and then forget it. 3,2,1…nothing. I log off. Dejected, I feel lousy. Oh well. Like thousands of loyal fans, I guess I can pay a scalper an unreasonable amount of money for a ticket. No, I think not. I’ll just go to the Chophouse right next to Coors Field to feel some of the excitement, order a steak and a beer and watch the game on TV. So close and yet so far away. GO ROCKIES!!!

The Optimist Way - Part 6

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

Having a smile on your face says volumes about yourself. A Chinese saying, states, “A man that does not smile should not open a shop”. When I wake up in the morning I open my eyes and smile. One, I am thankful for being alive and second, what a way to start my day. A smile reflects back the world. It affirms my place in it. When I see someone and smile they are likely to smile back. What a gift.


To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

I am constantly trying to improve my education and understanding of the world. I listen to books on tape when I drive. I download pod cast to listen to when I workout. I attend business seminars and management institutes. I read constantly. I love reading books, and sharing ideas and concepts. This takes a great amount of time and leaves little room for negative sparring. I also volunteer in many worthwhile causes. The Optimist Club, The Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program (HOBY), C.A.P.P.-Community and Police Partnership, Neighborhood Watch,and my Home Owners Association. I try to be so busy with positive events that I stay away from the trap of pointing my finger. I like the saying, “When you point your finger you have three coming back”.


To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

This is perhaps the hardest challenge of all. These emotions are all part of the human psyche. I fight these emotions all the time. Yet, by reciting this phase and for that matter the Optimist Creed daily I remind myself that life is not about what happens to us, rather how we react to what happens. Worry, Anger, Fear and Trouble can not control you if you do not allow them to inch their way into your mind. The process for me is top seek the positive on a daily basis. I look at the glass “half full.” I see the clouds as making the sky “partly sunny”. You have to put you mind and your efforts in accord to the positive then words and emotions above have less of a chance of gaining ground.

The Optimist Club has been a passion of mine since 2000. I hope you find your
passion by either joining this wonderful organization or one that “Brings Out The Best In You” www.optimistinternational.org