Tag Archives: education

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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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Conversations and a Gathering of Great Minds

Bag and hands by Alejandro Escamilla

Image by Alejandro Escamilla

I recently had breakfast with an old friend at a restaurant. He told me he meets there with a group of men regularly, and they talk about education, kids, curriculum, and the world. They even had a little brass plaque on wall with their initials engraved on it.  It was early, but the conversation put my mind in the right mode of thinking for the entire day. New perspectives were shared. I saw topics in a new light, and, well, I shared some of my ideas too.

Today, I was listening to a few minutes of a show titled GPS on CNN. I caught it just by chance. Just one of those moments where I was getting a snack when I shouldn’t have, and the TV was on in the kitchen.  What a great show! I’m not sure I am intelligent enough to grasp everything it covered, but I enjoyed the variety and richness of discussion. The show focused on solutions and big ideas.

I was inspired by the host’s guest too, “Homeless Billionaire” Nicolas Berggruen, who has recently  started a ‘think tank” where the top minds of the world will gather and well… think. He is building an institute that focuses on free speech, curiosity, and diversity. Nicholas calls this institute a “secular monestary” where scholars will live, work, host meetings, and talk about a range of topics from technology, philosophy to government, and more! He says he wants to give the world a place where people can have conversations.

These two events, my friend’s gathering at breakfast and the CNN story, are the same concept at different levels. Both groups, one big and one small, are focused on getting great minds together and having a conversation.

Are we doing this? Are we having discussions? This is more than liking pictures and status updates. These are face-to-face conversations in real time. This is setting aside a time to meet in person, spend time together, talk and then collaborate on solutions.

I was fortunate to have been invited to Berlin, Germany this summer to do just that with amazing educators from all around the world at the Apple Distinguished Educator Global Institute 2016. It was amazing and beneficial. This was thinking big on a big scale. This should happen often and so should smaller discussions too, at smaller levels.

How can we do more of this?  How can you or I get a group of thinkers together to talk and collaborate?

I challenge you this week to do just that. Start something. Join something. If you accomplish it online, well, I guess that is okay,  but if you can find a way to meet in person I think you will see many added benefits.

As an English teacher I am reminded of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and G. K. Chester meeting at a pub regularly for a talk. They called themselves The Inlkings. What came from these “talks” is some of my favorite literature and essays.

On my podcast I recently interviewed two authors about a trip they took home after a conference. They rode together in a car and talked. From this conversation sprang forth the idea for a book which was recently published on a very important topic.

These ‘think tanks’ or conversations are important. While they of course can “just happen” from time to time, imagine the results if we actually planned a few.

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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Book Launch! You’re Invited!

ACAL invitation

Thank you to my talented friend Sean Junkins for creating this awesome invite!You are invited to celebrate with me this Thursday, July 30th from 5 PM to 8PM as I launch my very first book, Along Came a Leader. There are several ways you can join in on the book launch.  First, you can attend the book launch party at the Rocky Point Winery in Marblehead, Ohio.  You can order a softcover or a digital copy from Amazon.com, or you can order a personalized signed copy from www.AlongCameaLeader.com and have it shipped to your house. I will also be sharing some of the book launch event on the Periscope App, using my @WiredEducator user name.

I am really pleased with how well the book turned out and I believe it has the potential to impact organizations both big and small. Leadership is very important and something we teach and nurture.

Hope you join me in celebrating the launch of Along Came a Leader.

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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The Secret to a Successful Resolution: Fail Again and Again!

Kelly croy artist speaker educator

The starting point of anything can be a little intimidating, especially if it’s your first time.

If it’s a race, you might compare yourself to other runners, question the course, or start predicting what could go wrong. If it’s a financial goal, your initial deposit may look so minuscule in comparison to the total amount needed that you begin to second guess even starting.

Goals, resolutions, and habits are what transform us and bring out the best in us, but they really don’t need to be complex and stressful. They need to be fun and engaging.

Run your race, not the guy’s next to you. Plan your financial portfolio, not your coworkers’. Create your plan and personalize your goals with your life.

A new year, a birthday, the start of the month, even the first day of the week can provide us with an opportunity to begin something new, begin something needed, and chart a new course. It’s nice to have those clean-slate moments on the calendar.  Embrace them. Use them to your advantage!  It’s also important to remember, any time is a good time to start something worthwhile.

Most people abandon a resolution because they mess up and ruin a ‘perfect run’ of the habit they wanted to create. Well, don’t worry. You’re going to mess up, miss a day, and make a mistake.  That’s part of the success formula.

The secret to successful resolutions is what you do after you had a setback. You just start again. It really is that simple, but so many fail because they refuse to begin again.

Fail, fail, fail, your way to success. Edison’s 10,000 lightbulb filament failures, and Disney’s 300 failed attempts to find a financial backer, combined with every person who’s ever lost weight, quit an addiction, destroyed debt, or ran a race will remind of us that setbacks will occur and we must persist. Failure is a key ingredient.

When you fail give yourself a opportunity to adjust, make corrections, and set a new course. Perhaps you need to consult someone who has had some success in this area, but don’t wait. Keep failing. Keep collecting data. Keep trying. Never wait until you have the equipment, money or time, because you never will. Just start.

Start!

Many people, myself included, find great value in writing goals and resolutions down and keeping a journal of the progress. Maybe you will too. Try it.  There is no wrong way to begin anything.

I am firmly convinced that if you make 364 attempts at anything, by the 365th you’re going to be pretty darn good at it and see some major accomplishments.

Good luck.

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and 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

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Before Booking Your Next Speaker…

So you want to be a professional speaker

I share my art and words with dozens of organizations each year as a professional speaker.  I help meeting planners make their events, one everyone will remember. I have had the honor of working alongside some of the top event planners in the nation, as well as some big names in the speaking and entertainment industry. I know first hand how important it is to make a good decision when booking a speaker.

I believe there are some key areas to focus on, and important questions to ask when booking a speaker:

Presentation

  • Will the speaker customize the presentation? If so, to what degree, and how?
  • Is the speaker entertaining as well as informative?
  • How will the speaker’s presentation be unique from those we have had in the past?
  • Is the speaker appropriate for our audience?
  • Where in our program will the speaker be most effective? At the beginning? Before a meal?

Lasting Impact

  • Will the speaker’s words and presentation be remembered?
  • What will our audience take away after the presentation?
  • Does the speaker leave anything behind, or when he walks out the door, is that it?
  • Will the speaker be accessible before or after the presentation to the audience, and if so, to what degree?

Business Matters

  • Does the speaker or his office respond quickly to emails and calls?
  • Does the speaker’s fee fit within our organization’s budget?
  • Will the speaker offer any products to our audience?
  • Does the speaker have a press kit, contract, and other materials to help us in the decision making process?
  • What travel fees and other expenses will we need to cover?
  • What will our responsibility be after booking the speaker?
  • Can the speaker provide samples and testimonials?

These are questions to discuss with your speaker before booking him or her for your event. The process should be a discussion.  If the speaker or his staff is difficult to work with during this preliminary stage, then it is a good bet he isn’t right for your event.

I am proud of the presentations I have created and shared over the years, and my clients are happy to share their praise.

If you are considering me for your event, rest assured that:

  • my words, artwork, and computer animation will be customized for you!
  • my presentations are fun and inspiring for everyone in the room.
  • I will work with you to make your event one everyone will be talking about years later.
  • my assistant and I will respond to your inquires quickly and thoroughly.
  • I will leave behind a HUGE six foot by eight foot signed original piece of art, and customized art print for everyone!
  • you will enjoy working with me, and you will be provided with the materials needed to make an informed decision.

Here are just a few of the ways my presentations are used:

  • conference keynote presentations.
  • corporate leadership meetings.
  • award and recognition dinners.
  • annual meetings and banquets.
  • leadership events.
  • anywhere inspiration and entertainment are needed.

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and 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

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Escaping the Gravitational Pull of Stress

Shuttle 752344

Escape velocity is described as the speed an object needs to be traveling in order break free of a planet’s gravitational force. On Earth, escape velocity is seven miles a second, or 25,000 miles an hour.  That’s fast. The good news is, that once an object reaches escape velocity it no longer requires further propulsion. If the object fails to reach this speed, consequently, it is pulled back.

For a long time the science community believed escape velocity was unobtainable. That nothing would ever leave Earth’s atmosphere. Now, you and I benefit from the thousands of man-made satellites orbiting our earth. They allow us to communicate, prepare for weather, direct our course and more.  Escape velocity achieved. Benefits obtained.

Right now you are sitting with a cold-blooded killer with a similar hold on you. Stress.

It’s real. It’s dangerous. It’s been identified as the number one killer of all Americans. At times, stress has a gravitational pull on our lives that is seemingly unescapable. Flares of panic. Pangs of anxiety. Stress drives some to madness, addiction, and others, sadly, even worse.

If you are having difficulty escaping your stress you are damaging both mind and body, your relationship, and your employment, but fortunately there is much we can do to obtain the ever-so-needed escape velocity over our stress and move forward with our lives.

The key to our overcoming the consequences of stress, however, is the identical solution of a rocket seeking to escape the planet’s strong gravitational pull.  Both require an incredible amount of explosive commitment to achieving the result. We are talking sheer brute force and power.  We can’t try; we must commit. We can dabble at it. We must go all in. Buckle-up buttercup, it’s time for liftoff.

Here are 12 stress-busting tips to help you achieve escape velocity:

1) Know in your heart and mind that “this too shall pass.” Faith and affirmation are your bodyguards.

2) Commit to some intense aerobic physical activity. Workout kids! Get the body moving.

3) Confide in a close friend or journal. Get it out of your system. Don’t bottle it up.

4) Prayer. Best anti-anxiety drug ever made. Find a private place to quiet yourself. Tell the Big Guy what’s on your mind. Then listen.

5) Laugh. It’s time for some ‘Three Stooges’ or some great comedy. Laughter is awesome medicine.

6) Face your fear. Go ahead and describe the worse-case scenario. Look your enemy in the eye. It will instantly shrink before your eyes.

7) To the War Room! Start developing a plan of attack if your worse fears were to come true. You will find comfort.  You’ll also find that there is always a solution. When one door closes, another opens.

8) Fellowship. Surround yourself with family, activities, and others. You need your tribe. Your tribe needs you.

9) Get away! Ever notice your problems shrink as you drive out of town? Put some miles between you and the location of your worry. (You will have to come back. Hawaii is not an option.)

10) Music. I have my stress-busting playlist ready.  How about you?

11) Comparison. You have stress. So does everyone.  Pick up a newspaper or go to CNN. Seeing the problems of the world tends to shrink our own. Can’t find anyone with a bigger problem? Turn to the obituaries. Oh, and count your blessings.

12) The Size of the Hero Depends on The Size of the Problem. Wanna be a hero? Conquer BIG problems. No one ever got a medal for tying their shoe.

In order to reach escape velocity you’ll need to apply all of these with passion and intensity. Doing one of them won’t work.

Hoping to see you in a stress free orbit soon.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and keynote speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,

and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825

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What Makes a Good Journal? My thoughts.

I was recently asked about what makes a good journal entry.

Here are my thoughts:

  1. Always include the date.
  2. Journal entries should be short.
  3. You should write frequently, routinely, and almost daily.
  4. Do NOT focus on spelling, grammar, or what others might think.
  5. Share your successes, failures, concerns, celebrations, defeats, dreams, goals, wishes, accomplishments, plans for world domination, and whatever else may be on your mind.
  6. If it is important enough to be written on any scrap of paper it is good enough for your journal
  7. Go ahead and tape concert tickets in there or newspaper clippings, or whatever you feel is appropriate.
  8. Your journal is where you keep your dreams.
  9. Offer a reward in the front of your journal if found; mine is dinner at your favorite restaurant.
  10. Keep your journal private.

I started writing in a spiral notebook like students used and have now graduated to a leather Moleskine.

(If this post interested you, please look for my upcoming mini-posts of journal activities scattered throughout the  year. I have created a ‘journal’ category for easy spotting.)

A good journal is simply, what works for you!

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation including corporations, schools, churches, conferences, and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825