The DREAM Principle Blog

Today's episode of Ground Breakers on HGTV featured my Uncle Danny (George, as he is referred to on the show) and Aunt Ana in 50 Acre Wood and showcased their beautiful new home on 50 acres in Georgia.

I was going to include some photos of the house, but I've got to get the external hard drive hooked up (photos stored externally) so I'll try to post some later. It really is a gorgeous home, and such a peaceful place with all the nature and woods around it.

Update 8/19/08: The episode was so popular HGTV is airing it again Aug. 31 at 7:00 a.m. Wow, a rerun in just five weeks! I wish I hadn't been so vocal over the years about not mixing business and family. I'd love to be my uncle's agent ;)

Our minister is in North Carolina this weekend attending his 50th class reunion, so Dr. Don DeBevoise was our guest preacher today.

I don't usually blog about religious topics, even though my faith is an integral part of my daily life and core being; however, today's sermon On Being Tired, was one with which many of us can relate, regardless of religious background or beliefs, so I thought it worth sharing a few key points.

Dr. DeBevoise noted that much of our seeming tiredness today comes not from physical exhaustion but the demands placed on us [and that we place on ourselves}. It's the difference in being physically tired versus something that makes us feel tired. Things that make us feel tire include discouragement, frustration, failure, tension, worry and disappointment.

So how do you overcome being tired all the time?

"Energy comes from commitment and we get tired when we feel like what we are doing does't matter" he told us. I know that's often true for me. I seem to get tired much quicker sitting at my desk cleaning out emails than rushing around handling last minute details before a big event or promotion. The former takes no physical energy or strength yet it's the latter that gets me energized.

Dr. DeBevoisie suggests handling tiredness by telling the truth to God about what is making you tired: that big deal that fell through, or the friend that let you down. He reminded us that prayers [about] exhaustion and defeat are also prayers or renewal and strength. My interpretation is that you acknowledge the things that are bothering you, ask God for help is getting through challenging times, and then move on (personally I like to acknowledge the blessings as well as the challenges).

I guess I won't be taking a nap this afternoon after all :)

My passion for text messaging garnered some nice publicity in a front page article by Etan Horowitz in The Orlando Sentinel this morning.

I use text messaging on a regular basis, for both business and personal communication, and have found it to be invaluable.

The article is well written and Etan really did a great job capturing the parts of my response that were (in my mind) a bit disjointed. It's nice to be quoted accurately but then, he's a pretty sharp journalist so I'm not surprised.

This morning I had the pleasure of being the featured speaker at the Central Florida Economic Cooperative's Executive Seminar Series, with my new presentation Becoming a Recognized Leader in Your Industry.

The audience was fantastic! They were very engaged and asked a lot of great questions.

The books I mentioned when asked what I am reading now:

Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish by Mark Levin - read that this past weekend. It's an incredible read for anyone who has ever lost a beloved dog (or any pet for that matter). Grab a box of Kleenex before you open the cover. Trust me.

Life's Golden Ticket: An Inspirational Novel by Brendon Burchard - I actually read this earlier this Spring (thanks BB for the autographed copy). It will make you think, and I love those type books (there may even still be time to get in on the gifts if you use this link to purchase the book). Brendon is hosting The Life's Golden Ticket Seminar Sept. 26-28 in LongBeach Shoreline (CA). If I wasn't co-hosting the Small Business Summit in Orlando Sept. 26, I would be there. I'm a huge Brendon fan, which is why I readily agreed to provide a giveaway for his recent sweepstakes promotion.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About Itby Michael Gerber, one of our featured speakers at the Small Business Summit on Sept. 26.

The Appeal by John Grisham (I was on vacation; besides, he's one of my fav fiction authors). Thinly veiled as fiction, The Appeal is a scary depiction of politics when you consider how close to reality it actually is.

I didn't mention it this morning, but I also read Honor Thyself by Danielle Steel while I was laying on the beach a few weeks ago. Her writing style has always fascinated me.)

Special note for those who attended this morning: the presentation has been uploaded to my website. If you gave me your card, I'll be emailing you shortly with the specific URL; if you didn't have a card with you, leave a comment (or email me directly) with your email address and I'll get the link to you.

OK, OK, I know, it's pathetic how bad I've been about updating my blog, especially when I stay on my clients to keep theirs current. I encourage my clients to stay on top of the news and whenever there is something that falls under their category of expertise, contact the media outlet immediately and offer their insight and commentary. I forward relevant news items to my clients on a regular basis, usually with a suggested angle or points to make within a blog post or newsletter article. Now, if only I could find the time to do the same for me!

Between client projects, lots of exciting new work, and travel, my own (Elizabeth Charles & Associates) work always gets back burnered. I fully understand the old saying "the cobbler's children have no shoes."

Twitter has become my new favorite app and it's so much quicker and easier than blogging. I can make a quick comment or two and voila! It's uploaded. It's easy to use and since the capacity is a whopping 160 characters max per post, no one expects a long drawn out commentary. You get straight to the point. And it's a great way to expand your current network and grow your business.

Follow me on twitter: wkurtz.

This afternoon I received an advance copy (also known as a galley copy) of Patricia Cornwell's new book The Front. I can't wait to read it.

It goes on sale next week (May 20). I've got an intense couple of weeks with client work but am going to make a concerted effort to get it read and post a review on Amazon.com within the next few weeks.

Publishers Weekly is reporting that Thomas Nelson has pulled out of the 2008 BEA (Book Expo America).

Could this be the start of a trend for publishers as they seek to maximize the efficiency of their marketing dollars?

I had the pleasure of working with the team at Thomas Nelson while producing the book launch for Mark Victor Hansen and Art Linkletter's How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life. They are a top-notch group of professionals.

Preliminary photos from Mega Book Marketing in the flickr badge below. 'll be updating the photo set throughout the weekend.

www.flickr.com Wendy Kurtz's Mega Book Marketing 2008 photoset

Mark Victor Hansen's 2008 Mega Book Marketing is off and running. With a powerful opening keynote by Mark himself, the conference is already in high gear.

Initial photos are up. I need to play with the settings on my camera to adjust for the lighting in the room.

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We've gotten some great mentions in the media this week as we continue to solicit stories for Chicken Soup for the UCF Knight's Soul, the latest in the series co-created by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.

St. Petersburg Times

Orlando Sentinel

UCF News & Information

Submit your story!

If you or someone you know is affiliated with UCF (parent, student, faculty, staff, donor, etc.), submit a story and you (or they) too might become a published author. The list of contributing authors already includes some of UCF's most prominent alumni. You don't even have to be a writer. We have editors lined up that can help you.

For submission guidelines, visit the UCF alumni site.

Last week, Patricia Cornwell donated $1M to establish a new academy to teach CSI techniques.

What an amazing woman.

I've shadowed homicide detectives and CSIs, going to crime scenes, the morgue, even a victim's home to interview his family. Fortunately, the ones I've spent so much time with are truly top-notch professionals. Sadly, as in any profession, there are those that strive for excellence and those that just want to get by. I've seen firsthand the frustration when someone does something that screws up a case. Unfortunately, it happens more often than gets reported. Sometimes it happens because someone is careless or just plain lazy, but other times it really is just a matter of inadequate training.

It's refreshing to see someone of Ms. Cornwell's experience and success step up to help improve a situation instead of just sitting back complaining. So why is she getting grief for it?!?

In her open letter in today's USA Today (page E3), she says "My grant is meant as a gift to help those who devote their lives to safeguarding ours, and who do so in a world that poses difficulties, the likes of which none of us has ever seen." She's right. These dedicated people (homicide detectives, CSIs, etc.) must deal with things on a daily basis that the rest of us cannot begin to imagine, nor would we want to.

People seem to forget that shows like CSI (which I admit I do enjoy watching) are written purely for entertainment. Our world is changing at a faster pace than ever before. As crime continues to escalate and criminals become "smarter," training must keep pace. Patricia Cornwell is doing something to make sure it does. Her donation will help start the Crime Scene Academy at New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice, set to open this fall.

Kudos to Patricia Cornwell. And, from someone who recognizes and appreciates the sacrifice and selflessness of law enforcement for our safety and survival, THANK YOU!

I love Valentine's Day. Not just the flowers and romance part (OK, they ARE nice parts), but because Valentine's Day is a day designed to celebrate love. Even when I was single, I enjoyed the day. I sent flowers to my parents, cookies to my brother. I sent Valentine's day cards to my friends. I bought co-workers boxes of candy. I wore red, even though it's not one of my "better colors" according to some book written back in the '80s.

My client Casey Wohl, author of Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home, has the same mindset. In fact, she's posted a great list of tips for having a fabulous Valentine's day, even if you're single.

Today, I'm no longer single. I'm happily married. In fact, 10 years ago today, Valentine's day took on an extra special meaning for me. That's the day my husband and I got married. We didn't intentionally plan to get married on Valentine's day, our church was booked on the date we first considered. So we bumped it up a week; still booked; OK, try the week before that...voila'; it was available. Valentine's day just happened to land on a Saturday. Caught up in the excitement of getting married, it slipped by both of us until meeting with the florist who said "your roses are going to be much more expensive that day."

As my husband joked when we realized the magnitude of the situation (the church coordinator actually had couples ask her to see if we'd switch dates with them), at least he'll never forget our anniversary! So, here we are at the Ritz-Carlton celebrating with a few days of R&R (ok, and just a few emails) and looking forward to what life has in store for us over the next ten years and beyond. Whatever it is, it will continue to be a wonderful journey.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Casey Wohl, the Getaway Girl, is counting down the days 'til Christmas. We launched the 12 Days 'til Christmas online promotion this morning to help girls beat the holiday madness.

Today through Dec. 21, Casey will be randomly selecting a daily winner to receive one of several wonderful gifts provided by businesses featured in her book, Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home. Gifts include gift certificates to local boutiques, hotel resort packages, spa treatments and more.

Sign up for Casey's monthly newsletter, which features a variety of tips, resources, events and more, and you'll automatically be entered into the daily drawing. You can also stay up-to-date on Casey's activities by visiting her blog.

Happy Holidays!

Orlando Sentinel business reporter Sara Clarke featured the Getaway Girl, Casey Wohl, on her blog Friday. Check out the great tips for relieving stress during the holiday season.