Tag Archives: talent

Aiming High versus Aiming Low

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.”  –Michelangelo Talk about a man who didn’t aim low in his life! Michelangelo was only 25 years old when he finished carving the statue known as […]

Remember what it feels like to just breathe

The last several weeks have been such a whirlwind for me. I was running around like crazy trying to prepare everything for my daughter to get home, and then there was all the emotion that surrounded her actually getting home, followed by hosting a huge open house event for everyone to welcome her back. I […]

You’re Better Than You Think You Are (Forbes Article)

We’ve all experienced times where we’ve had a false sense of security, but we’ve also experienced times were we’ve had a false sense of insecurity…in ourselves. Too often we are our own worst critics. When circumstances of life don’t go the way we hoped for, we often allow them to make us think less of […]

May the Fourth Be With You!

My son told me today that if my blog wasn’t titled “May the Fourth Be With You!” tonight that he would be straight up offended! Now let me be honest with you…I had NO idea what he was talking about until my husband explained that May 4th is Star Wars Day.  Who knew that Star […]

Don’t think of it as a Sacrifice, think of it as an Investment

Sacrifice – the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. Sacrificing isn’t easy and it sure as heck isn’t always a whole lot of fun. But we make sacrifices because deep down in our hearts we recognize that there is a greater cause at […]

Take the time to admire their uniqueness

“Once a wise old botany teacher was speaking to a group of young and eager students. He gave them an assignment to go out by the side of some lonely road and find a small, unnoticed flower. He asked them to study the flower for a long time. “Get a magnifying glass and study the […]

Focus on the unique contribution you can offer the world

“The only unique contribution you can offer the world is to be who you actually are and no one else.” – Ashly Lorenzana Every person is born with individual strengths and talents. Every person brings something unique into this world and each person is able to add something different to this world. And it is […]

Sing Choirs of Angels

One of the reasons I love this time of year most is all the amazing carols and music for the holiday season. I LOVE great music and amazing singers and I love it when they share their talent of singing for the world. I have nothing but respect for people who have a talent that […]

If you can make a situation better, DO IT!

In life we gain contacts, and connections, and wisdom that comes as we gain more and more life experience. As this happens we will inevitably start to find ourselves in situations where we might have either the talent, or the experience, or the resources to make a contribution to a situation that might really be […]

You Set The Tone

I was talking with someone the other day who was sharing how much fun they had at a Halloween party our family threw in our driveway. I was thanking them for coming to the party and I agreed with them that it was a really fun time. They then made a comment that really stuck with me […]

A Child Who Treats Their Parents With Respect Is An Employee Any Boss Would Be Thrilled To Hire (Forbes Article)

As a child I was taught the importance of respect – we were taught showing respect for other people, showing respect for other’s cultures, showing respect for people’s position of authority, showing respect for a venue, showing respect for an event, etc. This principle was emphasized greatly in my home and it is something I […]

I was really here and I really lived

“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there […]

As Communication Improves, Culture Improves, As Does The Bottom Line. 4 Tools That Make A Difference (Forbes Article)

In order to be a successful company you must create an environment that encourages the contribution and open sharing of information. As the CEO of a high growth company I found it necessary to implement very simple, but incredibly powerful software tools to help us create that environment. Each tool served the purpose of facilitating […]

There is Something Inside You that is Greater than Any Obstacle

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”  – Christian Larson I cannot tell you how much I love that quote. It is especially helpful at times when you are facing a current obstacle in your life because those are the times […]

The Four C’s:  Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy

“Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C s. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you […]

The Ultimate Goal Is To Be Better Today Than Yesterday With A Plan To Become Even Better Tomorrow (Forbes Article)

How do we stack up? It’s a question we seem to constantly ask ourselves. Our brains want to know how we are measuring up compared to everyone else. Do we matter more than other people matter? Is our position more valuable than another person’s position? People can spend their entire lives trying to determine where […]

Our Own Worst Critic

Most all of us are our own worst critic. We pick ourselves apart, we put ourselves down, we stress over every flaw and imperfection. And heaven knows we women are far worse than the men when it comes to vocally putting ourselves down, although I happen to believe that men are just as hard on […]

“Sometimes it’s the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.”

In the movie The Imitation Game there is a line that really stood out to me, “Sometimes it’s the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.” I loved that quote and I loved what the meaning of the quote conveys. To me it stands as a reminder of two things: […]

Discovering All That is Inside of You

Deep within each of us lies talents, abilities, and powers that go so far beyond anything we could begin to imagine. Too often in life we sell ourselves short thinking “I can’t” or “I am not capable of…” or “I am afraid to try in case I fail”.  We hide our true potential behind a […]

Warning – This Might Make You Cry!

No doubt that the contents of this post may in fact lead you to cry.  It certainly made me cry!  I was watching the news a few days ago when I heard them announce that Garth Brooks was going to be performing on the show that morning. I was so excited when I heard that […]

Be thankful for the bad things in life

“Be thankful for the bad things in life.  They open your eyes to see the good things you weren’t paying attention to before.” A story about something that happened this weekend will help explain why I started today with that quote. Friday night my husband and I were invited to watch the BYU Football game […]

DFTBA – Don’t Forget To Be Awesome!

DFTBA- Don’t Forget To Be Awesome.  Best reminder EVER!    How great would it be if every morning we woke up and had a big sign on our bathroom mirror that said “DFTBA” to remind us to go out and be awesome every day.  After all, every one of us is totally capable of being awesome […]

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence…

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always […]

The Greatest Thing About Becoming Successful (Forbes Article)

One of the greatest things about becoming successful in business is the ability to take time to mentor young people who are just starting out. This week has been filled with one entrepreneurship extravaganza after another. It began with the IPOP Foundation (www.ipop.org) event at Alta High School with high school students pitching their entrepreneurial […]

Making Money While Making The World A Better Place (Forbes Article)

Making money while making the world a better place – what could possibly be better than that? That is exactly the goal of impact investors. James Lee Sorenson, successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, calls it the “double bottom line,” and achieving that double bottom line is something he is incredibly passionate about. Impact investing is “doing […]

Striving to follow the examples of great people

Tonight I attended a dinner following my board meeting for the University of Utah National Advisory Board.  A man I know and respect greatly, Mike Murray, gave the keynote address during our dinner.  Mike Murray has had an amazing career. He went to school at Stanford, then went to work directly reporting to Steve Jobs […]

“Education is not the filling of a pail. It is the lighting of a fire.”

Today I met with Lisa Altman.  Lisa and her husband are new to Utah and we were introduced by a mutual friend.  Lisa and her husband are both former Opera singers who have spent their lives supporting and promoting the arts.  They came to Utah for her husband to take a position as the Executive […]

Families are Like Fudge…

“Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with lots of nuts!” As we head into the home stretch before Christmas Eve’s traditional gathering together of families everywhere, we ought to pause a moment to prepare ourselves to deal with the chaos ahead. I come from a very large family of ten children. My husband comes from […]

“Doubt Kills Dreams More Than Failure Ever Will”

Today I was humbled and honored to receive the UVEF Entrepreneur of the Year Award.  At the awards lunch they asked me to share a few words about the things that I would like to pass on to other Entrepreneurs from the lessons I have learned from my own journey.  I struggled deciding what lessons […]

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Victoria Quintanilla is an angel, serving other angels.  Let me explain why. Tonight we took a group of our youth to volunteer at the Road Home.  The Road Home is a non-profit organization that operates the largest homeless shelter in the state of Utah, providing beds and warmth to men, women, and children.  They never […]