President's Messages

February, 2012

So, what is the best advice you ever got? Did you ask for it or was it given without your solicitation? Did you follow that advice and if so, what were your results?

I just read an article (in one of those plane magazines if you can believe it) about giving and getting advice. It triggered some thoughts for me and made me think about all the advice I have gotten over the years and how much I needed that advice. I am not sure that I always believed it at the time but in retrospect, I can see much more clearly about those choices I made.

Have you heard the best advice ever from Yogi Berra? “When you get to a fork in the road, take it”.  It is funny and so him. But the real message is that you need to make decisions for your life that make sense to you…and you take the fork that calls to you!

There are so many “self help” books on the shelves these days. It seems that there are many experts on all topics. The beauty of such a book is that it pushes us to think processes and problems through. We always have to make our own decisions and we have to own the decisions we make. But advice and self help often supports us in our thought process as we work through challenges and issues.

Some of the best advice I ever got was when I was working on the first spa, Wild Clover. It was decision time: go or no go. Some friends happened to be visiting and I can remember so clearly when Mark said. “Mary, too many people get to this place in their dreams and stop because they get too fearful. Keep going.”  I kept going and have not looked back. It has not always been easy but I have no regrets!!!

PWI offers an opportunity to seek advice from many wise women. There is so much wisdom in this group and so much willingness to share. I propose that we take one of our meetings to share the best advice we have ever gotten. Think what that might do for the rest of the group. So many times we feel foolish asking advice because” we should know what to do and how to do it”.  But keeping ourselves open to the wisdom and experience of others can be priceless.

Our February Power lunch with Kathy and Tom Rivera is just that: good advice from two wise people. We are all marketing, whether it is our business or our beliefs or ourselves and we can learn from these two experienced and successful marketing gurus. Mark it on your calendar now: February 15th at the DeSoto House. See you then; my advice is that you will be happy you came!!! J

Mary Rooney Sheahen
Executive Leadership Development and Coaching
Partner, A Clover on Main Spa
Galena, Illinois