30th August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
August 30, 2010
Just came back from the Veteran Speakers Retreat in Boiling Springs,
PA. Yes, there is such a place! This is where I was honored as a
Legend in the Speaking Profession in 2007 and I had the privilege
of introducing another Legend posthumously. It was a wonderful
event and many of the well known speakers of the industry were
there. Very remote however, and internet and cell phone were
on and off, but relaxation was the key of the day.
Attended a wonderful women’s networking dinner in San Diego when
I was there and I must say there were some dynamic yet soulful
women at the meeting. I think it is wonderful that we can be
strong and smart and still be compassionate and kind. I say if
women were running the world, there would be less war, better
harmony and more satisfied employees.
Went to a mastermind group as well, and the brilliance there was
amazing. Word to the wise–listen to everyone, but make up your
own mind. You can’t follow everyone at once, but you can weigh
their words and see…
28th August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
It has been a whirlwind month. It started with a trip to NYC where we did a book launch for my new book “Big Ideas for Your Business” which reached #7 on Amazon’s best seller list. It was something amazing and we had a press party at the Grand Hyatt and the actual launch at the Hard Rock. We capped it off with a boat tour around Manhattan and stopped at the Statue of Liberty so we could all remember where we came from and why we’re so lucky to live in this country.
From there I went to an amazing vacation with my sister and brother-in-law to Chatauqua. It actually is the original spot where orators began to preach their message. Now it encompasses politics, religion, dance, drama, dance, music etc. We went during “film week” and met some amazing stars, directors, writers and true legends while also hearing great symphonies, seeing enchanting ballet, and hearing from high level people in politics and religion. Very enlightening and educating. It was a scenic setting, away from the pressures of the world, no 24 hour internet connection, and no cars. I walked every where and it was great exercise. I started each morning…
23rd August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
August 23, 2010
Just completing a week in San Diego and it has been the most beautiful week I have ever had here. The weather has been ideal and I have enjoyed each and every day. Went to a networking event which was amazing. Lots of young talent and excitement. Then spent a day with the TV producer who did my first demo video and showed her around. She loved San Diego and is a ball of fire. Had a long board meeting via phone the next day and out to dinner with a friend who is having hip surgery so won’t get to see her the next trip. Spent the next day reading an entire book and out to dinner with another friend and had lunch the following with still another friend. Finished off the evening at the Starlite theatre in Balboa Park which is outside and saw “Hello Dolly.“ The actors actually freeze when a plane flied overhead and I counted 45. Finishing up today with another lunch and a networking event this evening. With all these lunches, you can bet I’ve been at the gym every day. I didn’t miss a day! Tomorrow back to Miami Beach…
23rd August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
We were quite fortunate last week on getting a mention in The Orlando Sentinel. They were doing a piece on unusual "holidays" and came across "Spunky Old Broad Day" in Chase’s Calendar of Events. They thought it quite unusual, so called me and asked for a quote. Nice publicity and a rewarding feeling for me who thinks all women over 50 should be recognized.
My radio show for Entrepreneur Magazine "Women in Business" continues to be received quite well, and the women I am interviewing are exceptional. If there is any commonality at all, it’s the fact that they have all made it through unbelievable odds. None of them made excuses, if they hit a barrier, they either went through it or around it, and just kept persisting until they got where they wanted to go. And when they were there, they continued to morph and progressl
I am looking forward to this Labor Day weekend when I can catch up on long lost chores, see a movie and get ready for a heavy fall season. My gym is closed over the weekend for renovations, so I’m working out at home. Although I do it very well, I miss the…
16th August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
August 16, 2010
Saw “Eat, Love and Pray” last night and enjoyed it but it was long.
This is my synopsis of what I got out of it. We create our own
balance and our own environment. We can look for answers everywhere
and there certainly are “wise men/women” out there, but ultimately
it is up to us (you and I) and we can find it anywhere. I haven’t
read the book however, so that might be totally different.
Also went up to Palm Beach and saw a blues type play set in a
nightclub. There was no acting, just blues music. Different and
interesting and the music was wonderful.
This was a week of catchup getting the carpets cleaned, the car
getting its checkup and two coaching sessions just for me. I also
went back to the plastic surgeon and we decided on getting my
skin to a more manageable state before we even think about
reconstruction. This should take 2 sessions and relieve my
tightness, pull and tension.
When I was at the Art Fair in Grand Haven,…
12th August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
I prefer to call all of us “Champions” even though more people seem to recognize the term survivors. I believe we are all champions because we had a battle and met it with success. In my case, it was three times. It was interesting to me that many people totally changed how they lived their lives after their diagnosis. I kept on doing what I had been because it was what I loved to do. Why anybody would choose to do something they disliked or work for a company that didn’t respect them, was always beyond my imagination. Now, I don’t live in a dream world or feel if you are a single parent surviving on your own that you can always make the perfect choice, but in the majority of cases, people seem to have totally changed their lifestyle.
I want to encourage all of you to look at your life and re-evaluate who your friends are, where you spend your time, if there’s a new skill you want to learn, a new country you’d like to visit, or if you are working at something that really has meaning for you. It is never too early or late to…
10th August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
August 10, 2010
I’m a day late this week because I just came back from Grand
Haven, Michigan, my husband’s home town. And today is his
birthday, so it’s a double event. His best friend called
today and said he would never forget his birthday and said
he’ll continue to call even though he’s gone. It’s nice to
have those kinds of friends.
We had a fantabulous time, and by we, I mean my son, daughter,
granddaughter, and great-grandson. We arrived Thursday night
and had pizza at Fricano’s which was my husband’s favorite.
There were 23 people and it was frantic. On Friday, we went
to the waterfront and walked and walked and I must have seen
50 varieties of dogs which thrilled me no end. In the morning
we had brunch at DeeLite (another of my husbands favorites) and
had 11 people there and then went to the Art and Craft fair
where I bought some wonderful jewelry and a granite affair with
candles for meditation.
On Saturday there was a parade that took two and a half hours,
then we had dinner at…
7th August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
Many of you know I go to San Diego every month because I love it so. Well this time while I was there, I had the opportunity of judging the Senora Mundo pageant in Tijuana and also had an appearance on TV Azteca. It was quite an event and I must say that all the women were decked out in their finest. It was a long evening, but a grand time was had by all.
You probably aren’t aware that in my past life, I not only trained beauty contestants but I also developed my own pageants, chaperoned many, judged many more and ran the Miss Florida World pageant for 11 years. For seven of those, Larry King was my M.C. It was an exciting time and I loved every minute of it. One of my participants was even a Miss U.S.A. So for me, that evening last week was like deja vu.
Now of course, I’m back to reality and getting the Spunky Old Broad a brand new look. We have a lot of new things happening and many new resources as well. Stay tuned!
4th August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
Went to a party yesterday where everyone who attended was a baby boomer or beyond. And yet, a very diverse group. Singles, gays, long time married, widows, divorcees–and all got along great. Why? Because everyone is now beyond worrying about long held "traditions" and "beliefs." All were intelligent, hard working (or had been), enthusiastic, interested and interesting people. It is so nice when people can get together, have a good time, make new friends, and learn a lot about new interests that other people have.
Also attended a networking group I belong to where the Executive Director passed away, and the comraderie and enthusiasm of the now member led group, was outstanding. There are still people in the world who do business ethically, honestly and with integrity. While everyone struggles with the economy, service, ethics and caring cannot slide or you won't bounce back later.
1st August, 2010 - Posted by gaylecarson - No Comments
August 1, 2010
Here it is the first of August and summer is almost over. I’ve
had such a busy travel schedule , that I’ve blinkedand missed
most of it. I must admit that some of the placesI’ve been and
things I’ve done have been fantastic so I’m notcomplaining, but
still—-I was just waiting for the summer so I could relax and
not be on a constant treadmill. Well, so much for that.
I head up to Grand Haven, Michigan this week with the whole gang
in tow, to see my husband’s side of the family. We go to fireworks,
a parade and have a family picnic. It’s hard to believe that a
little town of 10,000 swells to more than 50,000 during this time.
It’s all for the Coast Guard Festival which is the biggest of its
kind. I’ll tell you more about it next week.
Saw the movie “Cats and Dogs” last night, and even though it is
definitely geared to kids and part of it is animated, I loved it
because of the real animals that were in it. Then I came…