Tag Archives: book

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Introducing The Future Focused Podcast

I've Started a New Podcast Focused on Leadership, Productivity, & Designing a Dynamic Life

I am excited to announce a new project that I have been working on for quite awhile. I have started a podcast titled The Future Focused Podcast. 

(I have been podcasting for three years now as the host of The Wired Educator Podcast. It has been a joy to interview amazing educators around the world and share their stories and successes with other educational leaders.  It has been featured on iTune’s “What’s Hot!” list of podcasts and has received numerous recognition from educational institutions and leaders as one of the top influential educational podcasts, including a rave review and recommendation from ISTE. What I am most proud of though is that The Wired Educator Podcast has really made an impact in education. That was my goal. So, I fully plan to continue hosting the podcast and interviewing amazing educators. It is also a lot of fun to host the show.)

The Future Focused Podcast is brand new and officially starts this January, however, you can sneak an early listen here. The Future Focused Podcast is aimed at people who want to level-up their leadership both professionally and personally. The podcast will be under 20 minutes and focus on an actionable message that inspires, challenges, and provides valuable content to help you make the most of your life.

Since publishing my book, Along Came a Leader: A Guide to Personal & Professional Leadership, I have recognized an even greater need to help people become a stronger leaders in new forms of media. Many people who need this message do not read books or simply would benefit from micro-doses of audio inspiration and tools. So, the idea for the Future Focused podcast was formed.

I kicked around a lot of ideas for the title of the podcast, but finally settled on Future Focused because that is what leaders are about; they want to become their best-self and help others along this same path.

The Future Focused Podcast will help you: level-up your leadership, design a dynamic life, become your best-self, secure a set of unshakeable skills, inspire you to become a life-long-learner, and make incremental, but consistent growth each and every day.

I hope you will: take a listen to the podcast, subscribe, leave a review and share it with others. 

I don’t just want to wish you a happy new year, I want to help you make it happen.

~Kelly

 

 

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6 Things Olympic Athletes Do That We Should Implement

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Image by David Schap

The Olympics are amazing, but while I am utterly amazed I think most of us still really have no clue to how incredible these athletes truly are.  I really like comedian Bill Murray’s recent tweet, “Every Olympic event should include one average person competing for reference.”

What makes these athletes so incredible? Well, I won’t argue that genetically they have a lot going for them, but you would be a fool to underestimate how much they do mentally and physically to help themselves stand out and excel.

Olympic athletes have amazing focus and discipline. What can we learn from these incredible athletes to help us live better lives?

Olympic athletes: 

1) Visualize Success: Olympic athletes don’t just think positively, the speak positively using affirmations and verbal mantras and goals. They try to involve all five senses in this visulaization. They do this regularly. They literally see and practice success. I write about this in my book.

2) Have great coaches: Maybe you can’t afford a coach, but you can afford a book, a CD, or conference attendance. What resource can you obtain now to help you advance?

3) Don’t Believe in Life Balance: Olympic athletes are ‘all in.’  They realize sacrifices must be made. This may not work for you and me on a regular basis, but from time to time we need to ‘fully commit’ to realize and accomplish a life goal. I’m sure you can recall a time you did this and it made the difference. What needs more attention in your life?

4) Invest the time needed. Olympic athletes do not “find time” to work out and they certainly don’t “try.” These athletes train and schedule the time they need to practice. During that time they are distraction-free and focused. When they succeed, it is not a surprise; they were expecting success because they have been training for it. They leave the floor sopping wet with the sweat of their labor. Where do you need to invest time, and how & when you plan to schedule it?

5) Surround themselves with people who make them better. Olympic athletes are successful because they surround themselves with helpful people. When they put themselves out there, the people around them ‘get it’ and support them. The people in their lives are encouragers. They want their friend to be successful. Who in your life is making you feel like your dreams are silly, holding you back, is unsupportive? Spend less time with them, and more time with people supporting your dream.

6) Eat like ‘what they put in their body’ really matters. Most of us can do better with what we are eating. I know I can. Some people think that this doesn’t impact their work, creativity, parenting, energy, sleep, etc., but they’re wrong. How can we be just a tad more intentional about what we are putting into our bodies to advance our output?

There are many more ways that Olympians live differently than the average person, but by applying any of these six I know we will live life just a little bit better.  Join me.

I also hope you will consider adding my book, Along Came a Leader, to your list too. Maybe you can add it to your “cart” the next time you are shopping on Amazon.

Kelly Croy 

Inspirational Speaker & Performance Artist

www.KellyCroy.com 

info@kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825 

Interested in having Kelly speak at your event?

Please send me information on:

 

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One Simple Change for a Lifetime of Results: The Kaizen Way

Kelly Croy Productivity Speaker Writer Artist kaizen

The Kaizen Way is a concept that I believe can dramatically impact your personal and professional life without stress, guilt, and anxiety. It’s simple and effective. It leap frogs fear and procrastination and gets results. 

I recently asked a friend if he had any resolutions for the new year and he replied, “Yes, I plan to do one push-up a day.”

I smiled, knowing there had to be more to the story, and I asked, “One? That’s a bit small isn’t it?”

My friend then introduced me to the concept of the Kaizen Way. He explained to me that when he gets down on the floor to complete his one push-up for the day that he always does a few more than just the one.  He doesn’t overthink what he has to do. He doesn’t worry about how he is going to fit three sets of forty pushups into his schedule, or anything like that.  He just gets down on the floor and does his one push up aiming for improvement.  It’s simple. It’s neat. It works.

This is a new area of focus for him. He doesn’t already have a massive amount of upper body strength, so doing some pushups every day of the year will be a big boost. The word “kaizen” is the Japanese word for improvement. It was once poorly applied in the workplace as forcibly making employees discover and apply constant improvement, all the way from the head of the company down to the newly hired, to a point of creating a work environment of stress and undue pressure. Kaizen, or constant improvement is a great concept, but I like my friend’s version better because it eliminates the stress and allows the participant to self-assess and reflect on how deeply to apply the improvement. This contemporary version of The Kaizen Way is personal and enchanting. In essence, the Kaizen Way asks you to take one small step each day to make an improvement in your life. 

I decided to try this concept of the Kaizen Way in my own life. You see I own a guitar, but I do not know how to play it. I have always wanted to learn. I have thought about lessons, and books, and YouTube videos, and other educational tools, but success always eluded me. 

Why haven’t I been able to learn anything on the guitar? Easy.  I haven’t really tried. The process itself stops me cold: get the guitar out of the closet, take it out of the case, use the tuning app on my iPhone to tune it, start the lesson, practice, put it all away, etc. No wonder I have never learned even a little bit of how to play the guitar. The key of course has been to simplify the process and redefine what I need to do.  Yes, this is a mind trick. 

This year I applied the Kaizen Way to my desire of learning to play the guitar. I decided I would learn to play just one chord a day. Just one chord. That’s it.  Guess what happened?  In a matter of a few weeks I have learned a couple of chords! They aren’t the greatest sounding chords in the world, but it is more than I have learned in my entire life of owning that guitar due entirely to my friend’s simple explanation of this Kaizen concept. 

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I took the guitar out of the case and keep it in plain sight. I have to walk by it now. I see it, I grab it, and I play a chord. I have actually never played just one chord; I always play a few. It’s working. I don’t set a timer or anything like that. It’s a carefree exercise that is building a habit of improvement and it’s enjoyable and relaxing. That’s really the secret; the Kaizen Way builds habits. It simplifies the process, leapfrogs the fear, and builds positive habits without guilt. 

Setting goals and making plans is great. There are many places in our life for rigor. Sometimes, however, we need to relax and apply small bits of improvement without the anxiety of multi-step procedures, timed intervals, and measured improvement. 

Imagine if we all took one very small action each day to be a better neighbor, a little more productive at work, or to read just a page of a book. Well, don’t just imagine it, apply the Kaizen Way to your life and see how it works for you.  

If you would like to learn more about how to apply this concept to your personal and professional life, grab a copy of the book, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer.

(Note: A thank you to Michael Matera for introducing me to The Kaizen Way.)



Kelly Croy 

Speaker, Artist and Educator

Invite Kelly to speak at your event!

www.KellyCroy.com 

info@kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825 


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Christmas Presentation for Your Organization: All Dates for 2015 Will Book Fast!

Kelly Croy Christmas Presentation Speed Art brought to life with computer animation best funny inspirational

Is your organization looking for a dynamic Christmas presentation?

My name is Kelly Croy and I am a speaker and speed artist. I would like to share a wonderful Christmas Chalk Art Presentation with you.

My presentation is powerful and fun. It combines the raw energy of a live performance, the astonishment of speed art, the beauty of an artistic masterpiece, a powerful musical score, the inspiration of a masterful storyteller and the magic of literally bringing the art to life with computer animation. Yes, the art will come to life right in front of your eyes. 

Chances are you have never seen a performance quite like mine. I encourage you to visit my website www.kellycroy.com and watch one of the demo videos available and read some of my posts. Every member in the audience will leave inspired, motivated, renewed, challenged, and with a smile on their face. This is one of my absolute favorite presentations and I cannot wait to share it with you. There is a surprise every other minute during the presentation. You will hear audible “ooohs and ahhhs” during the performance. You will laugh, cry, feel loved, challenged, motivated, and forever changed. I am the speaker you are looking for. 

I am extremely proud of this presentation that I have created to help celebrate the true meaning of Christmas in a unique, fun, and memorable way. My Christmas presentation includes a large six foot by eight foot chalk drawing choreographed to some amazing Christmas themed music. The art is then brought to life with the use of computer animation. It will surprise and delight everyone. Each member of the audience can even go home with a small signed print of the artwork I created on stage at your event, complete with your organizationʼs logo and message. Experience the Nativity scene and the Christmas story like never before. It fun for the entire family.

My only concern is that there is a very limited number of dates possible to book between now and Christmas. I anticipate every performance night available being booked by Thanksgiving. so contact me at your earliest convenience to reserve the date. I look forward to working with you to plan an amazing evening for your group. 

This presentation has been customized and shared with every organization imaginable including: civic organizations, schools, churches, business Christmas dinners, youth programs, community leaders, and more. Contact me and reserve your evening before it’s booked. 

This year I have a special package available that allows the organization to keep the original eight foot by six foot art and every participant to go home with a signed art print, and a signed copy of my book, Along Came a Leader.

Organize a night to remember. 

Kelly Croy

Inspirational Speaker & Performance Artist

www.KellyCroy.com

info@kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825 

 

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October is Bully Prevention Month: Here’s a Tool to Help

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October is bullying prevention month. In truth, as a educator, I know every month is, but this is the month that we try to bring national and global attention to solutions that help those impacted by bullying.

I am proud that schools invite me each year to speak and share my art to help students, educators, and families take action to reduce bullying.  I wish I could share my message to every school; I believe it makes a difference. I recently shared my art and words with 1400 students and staff at Perrysburg Middle School in Perrysburg, Ohio. It is always a joy talking with teachers and students about the importance of leadership.  In this particular presentation I was asked to kickoff the schools Owelus Bullying Program to help build leadership within the classes. It was a great day. 

I wrote the following article to help students, families, and schools take action against bullying.  Please download it for free here and share with everyone you know. What Everyone Needs to Know About Bullying by Kelly Croy.pdf

The opposite of bullying is leadership.  We’re all in this together.  Let’s build leaders.

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and speed artist. 

He entertains and amazes audiences across the nation

with his art and words. The art is brought to life with computer animation.

 Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.KellyCroy.com

1-800-831-4825

 
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How to Get My Book

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I just released my new book, Along Came a Leader, last week. We had a fun book launch with friends, family, community leaders, and others who were just excited to be part of the event. The launch was held at the beautiful Rocky Point Winery in Marblehead, Ohio.  I gave a brief talk and signed copies of my book.  I also mentioned two upcoming projects, but more on that later.

I am very pleased with the success of Along Came a Leader.  I believe a large part of the success is due to the coverage in the local papers, especially the article in the Toledo Blade. Still, I have received a few emails asking where to purchase a copy of Along Came a Leader and I realized I need to make that much easier on my website. 

I will be adding a link today so you can order the book directly from my website.  (I really should have taken care of that earlier.  My apologies,)

You can order softcover and digital copies from Amazon.

If you would like to order a signed copy of my book, you will need to order it from the book’s website: www.AlongCameaLeader.com or attend one of my speaking events.

If you are interested in ordering multiple copies for your organization, I offer a discount on any order over ten copies. Just send me an email.

I hope this is helpful and I want to thank everyone that has ordered, read, and left a review of Along Came a Leader.

I will also be giving away one FREE copy of Along Came a Leader each month to thank those that leave comments on the blog, send in questions, or interact with me via social media.

Thank you all for your encouragement and support.

Kelly

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and speed artist. 

He entertains and amazes audiences across the nation

with his art and words. The art is brought to life with computer animation.

 Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.KellyCroy.com

1-800-831-4825

info@kellycroy.com

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The Importance of Celebrating Others

Nobody wants to be around people who just tolerate them.

Everbody loves to be around people who celebrate them.

Leadership is a skill which can be learned and taught, and one of the most important lessons is celebrating the success of others.

It’s a refreshing change in a “Me First” world: First and foremost, celebrating others is not only the right thing to do, it places those who practice this unique and powerful craft at the top 1% of people others want to be around. It’s easy to celebrate others and it doesn’t have to cost anything. In an age where “selfies” are the mainstream of social media, celebrating others is a refreshing change of pace. People are enchanted by those who place others above themselves. The greats practice celebrating others. Oprah, Ellen, Jimmy Fallon are all quick to congratulate and share the success of those they are around. We love it! We love seeing others genuinely happy about the success of others.Click to Read More

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How to Stay Focused on Your Goals and a Special Offer

Focus

Setting goals has always been a part of my life.  It is something my parents taught me, scouting taught me, school taught me, and sports taught me, and— it works! I have been setting goals my entire life and I finally developed a system that serves me well.  

In this post I will share the method I have developed that keeps me on-track with my goals. It’s easy and it really works. I know it well help you as your prepare to set goals for the upcoming New Year, but first I want to tell you about a special opportunity that someone I really admiring is offering: It is a program called: Five Days to Your Best Year Ever! The creator of this powerful tool is Michael Hyatt, a man I have been gleaning advice from for several years. I highly recommend you check out his video listen to Michael share with you how you can create the most successful year of your life, regardless of your age or current situation.  It is really worth the investment of your time: 

Here’s the link to Michael Hyatt’s video for: Five Days to Your Best Year Ever!

Now, here’s how I stay focused on my goals: 

My recent natural gas bill arrived. While bills are my least favorite piece of correspondence each month, I have to admit the helpfulness of the statement. It included a nice graph of my usage over the last year.  It let me know how much I have paid and what I owe. Interestingly enough, it even predicted my usage for the following month. Each statement serves as a reminder and holds us to a certain level of accountability of what we owe. It lets us know where we are.

Wouldn’t it be great if we received a similar billing statement each month for our goals?

Seriously! Most people never know where they are with the goals they wish to accomplish. It would be awesome to receive a statement each month telling us how much time we’ve put into our dream, what we owe, where we are at, and what we need to finally finish it.

Well, we can. My billing statement each month is in my journal. I choose the 28th of each month as the due date for my dream statements because I was born on the 28th of July and that’s easiest day for me to remember.  It’s like a private monthly celebration of my life and what I plan to do with it.

You can do the same.

You see, if we don’t review our life goals regularly we get behind, just like we would with a real bill. Unlike the natural gas company, we won’t receive any late notices, but what we owe starts piling up. (Most of the time to a level that makes it appear impossible to accomplish. That’s why people quit.)  Can you imagine how hard it would be if you tried to pay two months at a time, or your entire bill all at once? Ouch! The same is true of our goals and dreams.

Just like our billing statements from our utilities we need to make monthly contributions and track our progress.

So, bust out that journal daily or weekly if you can, but especially on the date of your birth each month. Create a reminder or alert on your phone or calendar if needed.

Write down the big three questions that will drive you toward success:

  1. What do I need to continue doing?
  2. What do I need to start doing?
  3. What do I need to stop doing?

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and speed artist. 

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

with his art and words.  

 Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.KellyCroy.com

1-800-831-4825