Your APATHY Is Killing Your Future!

Warning! This post is not politically correct!

Hey, you! Yes, you! Listen up! I’m talking to you! Pay attention!

Your future depends on it! Don’t make me take you by the shoulders and shake you to get you to listen to me! READ THIS and act upon it!

If you don’t, you are part of the problem I am talking about in this post. So goodbye. Don’t complain to me or to anyone else about your lot in life if you are too apathetic to read this post and act upon it. You deserve what you get. What other people deign to give you.

Are you happy with the way things are going in your life, your job, your city, county, state and country? If you can answer “yes” to that question I would really like to meet you and find out how you have achieved such peace, success, happiness, prosperity and nirvana.

If not, what are you doing about it?

I think that many of the so-called “leaders” in this country have gone nuts. They send people to foreign countries to die. Then they refuse to take care of them when they come home wounded and damaged. What are you — yes you, personally — doing about it? My guess is nothing. Because you are apathetic.

Our “leaders” have this country spending huge amounts of money on weapons — many of them unnecessary and unwanted. Half of those amounts could wipe out hunger and poverty in this country in a day! What are you — yes you, personally — doing to make that happen? My guess is nothing. Because you are more interested in how you might get some of that money than in the larger picture. You’re not apathetic when it comes to getting some for yourself, are you? But your apathy sure comes into play when someone you don’t know is affected.

We send money to our “enemies” so that they can buy weapons from us to start wars with our “friends” who also buy weapons from us. Then we lament such terrible losses of life. Bullshit, I say! Stop the hypocrisy! Stand up and say “enough!”

But are you doing that? You don’t know these people tens of thousands of miles away who’ve been killing each other for thousands of years and are, frankly, never going to stop. They breed, preach and practice hate, for heaven sake. They always have and they always will!

Why are we sending them money for weapons without building a wall around them? Then they can kill each others to their heart’s content. And, hopefully, there won’t be enough of them left to hurt the rest of us. When was the last time you stood up and loudly told our “leaders” that enough is enough? My guess is that most of you answer that question with “never.” You’re just plain too apathetic.

Maybe you’re just too enthralled and engaged with the latest high-tech gadgets, or the fanciest cars, or the newest fads to worry about tomorrow. Or your fellow human beings. If that’s you, enjoy it while you can. Because your apathy is eventually going to kill that lifestyle. And your future.

Or maybe, like many of us, you’re just very busy urgently trying to scratch out a living in this crazy world to make time to do the important things that will benefit us all in the long term. I can empathize with that, even while I’m ranting about all this other stuff. But it doesn’t mean you get to be apathetic when it comes to the political, economic and environmental issues that are going to affect your children and their children. We need to pay attention to both the urgent and the important, no matter how difficult that is!

We have people in positions of power in the federal and state governments who are just plain nutso (a non-politically correct term for out of their “f-ing” minds)! They are convinced that making sure that we are all armed with automatic weapons will lower the rate of deaths by bullets. In Colorado, for crying out loud, you can be made to pay for damages to the gun and ammunition sellers if you sue them because one of their customer’s guns or bullets killed your kids!

The governor of Texas thinks that the federal government is getting ready to invade the state and then sell it to Mexico — or China? What kind of people elected this kind of idiot? Crazy people. What kind of people can get rid of this kind of idiot? Sane people. But the sane people are totally apathetic! So they don’t vote these kinds of fools out of office. They simply suffer and complain. And a lot of good that does. And this kook wants to run for the office of the President of the United States! Maybe we should send them overland in big boats to China as the former Governor or Alaska once suggested.

Don’t even get me started on women’s rights! Some of “our” people in the US Congress and the Senate don’t believe that women should have the right to methods to prevent pregnancy. Nor to abort unwanted pregnancies — even those caused by rape. Some of these people actually think that there is such a thing as “legitimate” rape! Where do these people come from and why are they still in positions of power? Because we — and I include myself — have been too apathetic to throw the bastards out!

They pay for Viagra so that men can screw women for hours on end, whether the women want it or not. But they don’t want to pay for birth control. And they don’t want to pay for care for the illegitimate children that result from these kinds of activities. They don’t have a clue that their own votes as supposed representatives of “the people” are so screwed up as to classify them as psychopaths! But have we gotten rid of them? Nope.

APATHY IS KILLING OUR FUTURE!

We have got to put a stop to the craziness! We have got to begin to speak the truth again — political correctness be damned! We have got to reject bullshit in the media when it is clearly biased bullshit! We have got to reject religious zealots who pervert the preachings of their “Gods” to justify hate and genocide! We have got to stop letting people who wish to live in America continue to bad-mouth it and try to destroy it. We have got to get our leaders to stop giving money to these fanatics.

Standing up, saying “enough is enough,” voting out the crazies and the greedy and the pocket liners — and their corporate backers — may mean some short-term pain. But it will certainly lead to some long-term gain! If WE — YOU and ME — stand up and force the needed changes to happen. If we can find a way to overcome our apathy.

We have got to stop people in Congress from betraying the Social Security contract with the American people. This contract IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT! We who have worked all our lives, and who continue to work — voluntarily or out of necessity — have paid, and continue to pay, billions of payroll dollars into this fund so that we will have something to support us when we are forced to retire. SOCIAL SECURITY IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT and the irresponsible misogynists current in power need to be made to understand that or they need to be removed from their offices.

THERE ARE SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS! This country was built on creating and implementing solutions that increased productivity and prosperity. We’ve done it before and we can do it again. If we can get rid of the impediments — many of our current “leaders.” But voter turnout is at all time lows. Why? Because we are simply apathetic! Or too burdened but what these “leaders” have done to us to have the time, energy and money to stand up to them and say “NO MORE!”

The 1% have the money and the power to keep these people in power. They own our elected representatives. They own our economy. They own us! If you’ve never listened to George Carlin, may he rest in peace, you should do so now. Unless you don’t care. Unless you think someone else should or will solve these problems. But if you don’t do it, who will? Nobody.

AND YOUR APATHY WILL KILL YOUR FUTURE!

On a personal level, are you saving enough money to support yourself when you are too old to work? Or when you are forced out? Or when you are replaced? The time to start taking care of that issue is now! Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month and not next year. NOW! Because I don’t think that we’re going to find a cure for apathy anytime soon. And that means that we had all better start looking out for ourselves. No one else will, especially those who run our country and our economy. The vast majority of these people are only out for themselves.

Do you have enough life insurance to support your loved ones if you get hit by a bus — or a beer truck — tomorrow? If not, you should probably rectify that situation. And not tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. NOW! Because safety nets from our government are going to continue to disappear.

Do you have disability insurance to replace your income if you are injured or become seriously ill for a long time? I don’t mean group disability from your company, which may pay for injury but not for sickness and will maybe pay for 60% that will be taxed so that you are forced to live on 40% of your normal take-home pay. I mean disability insurance coverage to fill that 60% gap that YOU OWN!

Have I got your attention yet? I really don’t mean to be a “the sky is falling” kind of guy. But at my age — 68, by the way — I’ve seen way too much and, according to my spouse, spent way too much time yelling at the television when I hear about what is going on. I don’t consider myself a conspiracy nut, but I sure do wonder what is happening behind the scenes when our attention is directed to the trumped-up crisis or disaster of the day.

I know, there are many who will say that we can’t do anything about that. Why should we try? As individuals, is it true that we don’t have the resources or the power to fix things? Is the system too big and destined grind us down? Does that mean that we just shouldn’t try? I don’t think that it has to be this way! I believe we can make things better. It will take work but it can be done. To believe otherwise is to surrender. To become totally apathetic.

So I say it this one last time in conclusion: YOUR APATHY WILL KILL YOUR FUTURE! Please don’t let that happen. I have decided to fight in every way that I can and I hope I can inspire you to do the same. Let’s not let the bastards grind us down. Let’s register to vote. Let’s vote! Let’s expose the crazies for who they are and get rid of them. Let’s insist that our leaders work for us and not just for themselves. Let’s insist that they honor the commitments this country has made to us — and especially to the members of our armed services who defend us.

Let us seize each day by doing at least one small thing to make the world a better place. Because if I don’t do it nobody else will. And that goes for you, too.

May 17, 2015May 17, 2015

What’s In It For You?

What Is In It For You?

I had an interesting set of short conversations a couple of weeks ago at a mentoring event that it turns out was for women only. I was the only male, besides the host of the event, in a field of 250+ very intelligent women and the 35 female “mentors” they were there to meet. Needless to say I got a considerable amount of attention and even a fair amount of praise for participating at the event.

I guess I knew that it was a women-only event, but I didn’t really think about it that way until I arrived at the venue. The young lady who greeted me asked me, very nicely, why I was there. So I told her I wanted to ask some questions of the mentors, several if not all of whom seemed like very bright people. She thanked me for being there and for appreciating the people I was going to meet and talk with — female though they may be!

I wasn’t at the event to network or to try to sell something to the people participating in the event. I did strike up conversations with several of the women while standing in line to speak with my chosen mentors, and we had good giggles about my presence as the only male participating in the event. I had a ball! And I got to talk to the three women mentors that I wanted to speak to.

My question to the women I spoke to was pretty simple and pretty specific: How do I attract more readers for my new (2015) book Inspiration Now!? Two said they had no idea. Book promotions weren’t their thing. Fair enough. Number three, however, had a good question: “Why your Inspiration Now! instead of anybody else’s?” I think that was a pretty good question. But I didn’t like her suggestion for personalizing it, even though people have made money — and maybe a lot of money — “repurposing” the same material over and over.

Her thought was that I create a whole series of ersatz titles: Inspiration for Dummies, Inspiration for Accountants, Inspiration for Smart People and Inspiration for yadda, yadda, yadda specific audiences. Same basic book, a few tweaks and wow — an instant empire of books.

What do you think? The book is designed to inspire people regardless of their profession. I give even “dummies” the benefit of the doubt. If they think they might get a good idea from reading it, and they turn out to be right, are they dummies? I don’t think so! Is an accountant or a “smart person” too obtuse to figure out that even one inspiration from the book might double or triple his or her practice unless I “package” it specifically for them? I don’t think so.

But OK, let’s play devil’s advocate. I’m supposedly a marketing guy after all. I know the book could — should? — be repackaged into a big series. But I just don’t like the ethics of it. And I’d like some additional opinions. Yours, if you please.

The book is at Amazon — http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RQT1BLK — and it’s a whopping $2.99 in the electronic version for Kindle — and other — eBook reading smartphones and tablets if you want to read it before rendering your opinion. You don’t have to do that, of course. I’ll respect your opinion either way. But please do let me know via a comment to this post about the strategy you think I should use.

If you don’t, I may have to replicate it as “What’s In It For You?” for Dummies. And I really don’t think my readers are dummies. Please don’t prove me wrong! As an incentive — What Is In It For You? — I’ll send you a free copy of the new “Presentations That Persuade!” ebook — a $4.95 value — in return for your comment.

Come to think of it, you might want to read Inspiration Now! at $2.99, make a comment on this post, and get the $4.95 Presentations That Persuade! book in return. Make sense?

I look forward to hearing from you either way. Thanks!

April 1, 2015April 1, 2015

What Price Wisdom?

I am, at age 68, by many standards, old. I am, in many companies, unemployable. Because I am old. Because I am overqualified. Because I am worth more in compensation than young, inexperienced new people entering the job market will accept — although I’ll actually accept less than most companies think for the privilege of sharing my experience and earning a living wage.

That’s not to say that I am destitute. I have a satisfying career helping people — young, middle-aged and yes, even old, make the best choices in terms of their risk management and wealth accumulation strategies. For those who will listen. And there are not nearly enough of those. Far too many spend more time planning vacations instead of their financial futures.

Many young people today have never seen a telephone that required a wired connection. Many have never seen computer applications that used word commands instead of pointing devices. Virtually none remember the BETA vs. VHS video recording wars. They can’t even fathom that content wasn’t always streamed over their smartphones and tablets and once upon a time required physical media and equipment for playing it. And many who can text at multiple thumbstrokes per second can’t carry on an actual conversation with another person.

In “the olden days,” where multiple generations interacted in family and business situations, the wisdom of the “elders” was passed on to the younger generations so that mistakes could be avoided and so that past experience could be applied to new situations. But today’s “elders,” at least for the most part in the business world, are discarded and ignored. And thus their wisdom and experience is lost so that new generations are given the opportunity to make the same mistakes again and again.

Imagine, if you will, a situation where a finance VP decides that the sales people are making too much money and decides to cut their commission rates. If you look at the spreadsheet you’ll see that the savings in commission will make a big improvement to the bottom line. What you won’t see is how the top line will drop dramatically to offset any calculated gains and begin a downward spiral of the business. FYI, I lived this experience!

Who could predict that? The technology supported the decision. But experience tells us that this is faulty thinking. Uh Oh… What experience? There isn’t any. We got rid of that to “save” costs and “improve” productivity. We did that at the same time we eliminated human contact with clients and customers with new phone tree answering systems. Press 1 to…Press 2 to… Want a human? Sorry, that’s not an option.

Then there’s stuff the other way around. Us old folks, while having a lot of experience in a lot of things, don’t necessarily know that we need WiFi to use our tablet devices or to make sure that we’re not overcharged for smartphone data usage because we don’t know that we need to connect to it. We have the Internet, don’t we? What is this Wifi and why is my 4gLTE bill so high?

I heard a great suggestion at a networking meeting a couple of months ago. How about we put retirement homes next door to pre-schools and elementary schools? Imagine what the oldsters could teach the youngsters and vice versa! I’m computer literate for the most part, but I still have to call my sons for help with operating systems and website development tools. In the “old days” when we needed help with some newfangled electronic device, we called a teenager!

I guess the point of this diatribe is that I think it’s a shame, and a tremendous waste of talent, experience, and wisdom, to dump the old folks and bring in the (cheaper?) new folks. We need both! Too many CEOs listen to too many CFOs who put spreadsheets together based on inaccurate assumptions and build presentations to show how smart they are. And too many CEOs fall into the trap.

But they don’t care. They slash and burn the business and move on to the next one before anyone realizes what they’ve really done. With multi-million dollar bonuses — for being fired! — while thousands of workers lose their jobs, their pensions, and their dignity. What a travesty.

It doesn’t have to be this way, people. We can fix it. But it will take work, inspiration, and education. Will it happen quickly? Not in my experience. It took me 20 years to make Design for Test happen in the electronics industry. But I did it. The device you are using to read this is easier to test than it would have been had I not written a 77-page book in 1979 and “preached and teached” its tenets all over the world for two decades.

I changed the world and I think you can too. At the risk of seeming self-serving, I suggest you start by reading my new book Inspiration Now! It may give you some insight into why I think the way I do and to why you might want to ask yourself why you think the way you do. And whether or not you want to do anything about it..

Because you have that power, no matter what your age, profession, employment status or position in an organization. You have the power to change a great many things, not the least of which is your own set of visions, feelings and actions. No one can stop you from changing yourself. You don’t need anyone’s permission. You don’t need to do anything but decide that you will use your personal power to accomplish your personal dreams and goals. Because you can. You have that power.

Comments, compliments, brickbats and lambasts are all, of course, welcome as always. Thanks for reading.

Go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RQT1BLK to order your copy of Inspiration Now!

February 15, 2015February 15, 2015

Presenting Yourself Properly

Networking is Business!

At recent networking events, I’ve been seeing men standing up to introduce themselves and I’ve actually felt embarrassed for them. Dressed in dirty jeans. Wearing ratty t-shirts. Belt tails hanging down. Shirt tails hanging out. Day old beard growths.

Not standing up straight. Looking almost apologetic for being in the event. Mumbling when introducing themselves. Being inarticulate when trying to say who they are, what they do and who they might be able to help. If someone would want help from someone like them.

OK, I get it. This IS Portland, and lots of people want to keep Portland weird. But, c’mon, guys — get it together! And yes, I’m picking on guys in this post because the women, although some of them can be inarticulate, apologetic or painfully shy, are usually at least dressed properly for a business event. Usually, but not always. So just because you are female doesn’t mean you can ignore the advice that follows.

I’m not going to pull punches here. If you want to be presenting yourself properly at a networking event, or any other business function for that matter, you must follow some basic rules, even if you think they violate your personal freedom to look like a street person or a wanna be actor in LaLaLand.

Bathe! Yes, I mean wash! Comb your hair! Shave! Show some respect for the people who have made that effort.

Wear clean clothes! They don’t have to be fancy. But they ought to be clean. I certainly don’t want to even shake hands with people who looks like they’ve slept in a dumpster. Do you want to repel potential clients during your first impression? It couldn’t hurt to pass an iron over something that’s extremely wrinkled, either.

Wear appropriate clothes. It doesn’t have to be a suit or even slacks, a nice shirt, a nice tie and a sport jacket. Although that would be nice. It could be just nice slacks and a nice shirt. Not a t-shirt. Not a muscle shirt. Not something with inappropriate sayings or images on it. You might be able to get away with a “brand” look like Steve Jobs’ trademark turtlenecks or Jim Teasley’s trademark Hawaiian shirts that his wife makes for him. Depending on the way you carry yourself. Some people can pull if off; others can’t. Know yourself!

Speaking of which: Stand up straight! Put your shoulders back. Try to look like you are awake, alert and ready to interact with people instead of slouching over with your shoulders hunched as if you aren’t worth being paid attention to. Move with at least the appearance of purpose. Posture counts.

Speaking of speaking: Speak up! Let people hear you. Speak clearly. Practice what you are going to say at each event so that it is relevant and will attract potential partners to you. If you stand up straight you will find it easier to speak up. If you are wearing something nice you’ll find it easier to stand up straight because you’ll feel more like you are worth something when you are wearing something that says you have some self-esteem. And some respect for others.

Respect event formats and time limits. If the moderator or meeting leader says 30 seconds, do 30 seconds — or less, not more! You should have “canned” 30, 60 and 120 second self-introductions if you are serious about business. You should know your “elevator speech” by heart. You should articulate why someone would want to meet with you after your self-introduction. Trying to cram your complete life, company or product story into a self-introduction is counter-productive. That means that it won’t work, so don’t try to do it!

Don’t apologize! As it says in my book Inspiration Now!, never think that what you have to offer is insignificant. There will always be someone out there who needs what you have to give. Make yourself attractive to those people at every opportunity.

Follow the advice I’ve given here and I’ll look forward to meeting you. Ignore it at your own peril. There are others out there who feel as I do! :-)

For more on networking, please see Networking Necessities, Niceties and No-No’s on LinkedIn. And if you haven’t read the book yet, what are you waiting for?

February 9, 2015

Make A Difference

Do you know of a non-profit organization that could use some monetary help?

Would you like to find ways to achieve things that you never thought possible?

You can do both of these things right now and throughout 2015.

Each week this year I will be donating 33% of all royalties I receive from sales of my new book Inspiration Now! to charities suggested by people just like you. One charity per week. For the entire year.

All you need do is buy a copy of Inspiration Now!, something you’ll thank yourself for doing as soon as you’ve read it and begun to apply your new learnings to your personal and professional aspirations.

I was inspired to embark on this donation campaign by a combination of people and events that really got me thinking about “giving back” and “paying forward.” Great buzz phrases, of course, for things we should all already be doing to help our less-fortunate brethren and to encourage others to do likewise.

You can make a difference in the lives of a great many people and organizations by simply buying Inspiration Now! for yourself. And maybe for your friends and colleagues since the book makes a wonderful gift. Amazon will keep track of the dollars and I’ll do the rest. For the rest of this year.

Will you make a difference? You may never know who you will help, or whose lives may be changed for the better thanks to your generosity, but chances are you will be helping someone local since those are the groups I’m looking for. Qualified 501(c)3 groups that provide services to our neighbors, our friends, and our loved ones.

I hope that Inspiration Now! makes a difference in the lives of all who read it. I wrote it to encourage people to strive to achieve their most desired dreams and goals and to help others do the same. For we each have the power to make a difference — to make things better in this world. To stop the violence, hurt, deprivation, mediocrity, and many, many other ills that negatively impact each and every one of us. If we become inspired to do so. If we act upon that inspiration. If we use the power that we have for good and to help each other.

Will you make a difference?

Thank you.

January 2, 2015

My New Book for You – Inspiration Now!

I spent the month of December, 2014, working on a labor of love in the form of my newest book, Inspiration Now!

Inspiration Now! helps its readers define and implement their dreams and desires for personal and professional happiness and success. It explains the process of visualizing and planning to achieve results no matter what the goal. It talks about time and life management issues and explains how to develop practical, workable goals, strategies and tactics for achieving these objectives.

Filled with engaging stories from the author’s own personal experiences, the book illustrates the importance of practicing to gain the skills a person needs to succeed, provides hints for maximizing personal performance and talks about the importance of celebrating successes. Central to the book’s theme is the description of how to use visual image formation to make the reality you’d like to live actually happen.

It is in itself an inspiring book that will help the reader realize the “magic” provided by the advice and empower him or her to achieve whatever it is that they desire.

Here’s what some of the early reviewers had to say about Inspiration Now!

“LOVED the book!! “Inspiration Now!” is a must read for all who are interested in success, happiness, and making a difference in the world. This book has become my newest addition of books to read over and over again, along with other greats like “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Very inspirational and thoughtful, the book is easy to read; Jon’s use of stories based on his own experiences make’s it quite entertaining.” — Becky Tengwall, Co-Founder, I Take The Lead

“I have always been honored to call Jon Turino a friend and mentor. His book should inspire all of us to follow our ‘Why.’ Thank you, Jon for the ‘kick in the rear.’” – JimTeasley, SendOutCards

“This book has helped me surge forward with my goals and my dreams. Thank you, Jon, for putting your words of wisdom and encouragement in this powerhouse of a book. This will be a ‘go to’ book when we stumble across our doubts, fears and uncertainties.” – Judith Lind, Portland, OR

“Whether you are building your own future or helping others with theirs, this book is a valuable tool for creating a vision that is authentic, powerful and meaningful.” –Stephanie Austin, CircleUpNetworking.com

“Does the world really need another motivational guide? Absolutely! Because for those of us who seek personal and professional growth, the simple daily habit of reading books just like this can be tremendously powerful. Jon Turino skillfully picks up the torch carried by the likes of Bob Proctor and Earl Nightingale before him, sharing lessons from his own achievements and providing tools and structure for his readers to discover and act on their own inspirations.” – David Baer, BaerOnMarketing.com

Inspiration Now! is available from Amazon.com athttps://www.createspace.com/5124589

You’ll find more inspiration per page in this book than anything you’ve read before. You’ll love the little, boxed bits of advice that appear throughout and you’ll experience a lifetime of wisdom condensed into a wonderfully easy-to-read book! This is an absolute gem of a book. A must read for sure! Click Here to order your copy now!

P.S.: Please SHARE this with those you know who could use a little Inspiration Now!

January 2, 2015March 11, 2016

Conquering Your Fears – Excerpt from Inspiration Now!

We need to work on conquering our fears. Dale Carnegie once said, “If you want to conquer your fears, don’t sit at home and think about them. Go out and get busy!” We’re talking again here about that bias for action I mentioned previously. It’s never too late to begin the process of becoming what you might become, or might have been if you had taken a different path, or might still become if you start on that path anew.

Let’s look at fears for a moment. Here’s a list of the most prevalent ones:

Fear of flying
Fear of public speaking
Fear of heights
Fear of the dark
Fear of intimacy
Fear of death
Fear of failure
Fear of rejection
Fear of spiders
Fear of commitment

My guess is that your list, if you are honest with yourself, will pretty well match, or at least include, most of the items on this list. I know mine does. Look where death comes in on the list – at number six! After five other fears that are completely non-lethal!

In my younger days, I loved flying. Never had an issue with it. Loved it. It was a great way to get to see new places and interact with new cultures. Plus in my younger days they had such things as non-stop flights, upgrade seats that actually existed. Plus food and drink during flights, free baggage handling (which was important to me when I had to carry three cartons full of seminar binders with me) and – critically important – a seat big enough so that your butt didn’t get numb in the first thirty minutes.

Fear of public speaking, on the other hand, was my number one. One of my mentors recognized that fear in me and was determined to eliminate it on the belief – correctly, it turns out – that if I was going to reach my full potential I had to become an accomplished professional public speaker. So he found a Call for Papers for a large upcoming trade conference called NEPCON – the National Electronic Packaging Convention – and helped me submit a proposal for a paper.

I did this only to make him happy, secure in the knowledge that my meager topic would never have a chance of garnering a spot in a very prestigious technical program. Ha! A month later I received an Authors Kit and a schedule for when the paper had to be print-ready and the slides had to be on hand for the presentation. Talk about panic!

I had help, though. There were writers at Xerox Data Systems where I worked and that department’s job was to help engineers like me put our ideas into words that others could understand. And there were some great graphics folks to make the slides I would use for the actual presentation (as this was pre-PowerPoint since the PC had yet to be invented.) My paper was entitled “Computer-Aided Troubleshooting on Automatic Module Testers.”

So I had slides and thought I was ready to go. Until my mentor told me that it was time to practice the presentation. All of a sudden this once purely technical project was taking on a very real life of its own. And in two weeks I was going to stand up in front of 300+ people to give my 20-minute talk.

We did the first run-throughs with small groups of people I knew. Then we did them with larger groups, including the design engineers who looked down on us manufacturing test engineers with disdain. But they weren’t the real public and I didn’t really put my heart and soul into the practice sessions. I was nervous. I stumbled. But I really didn’t think that it mattered much.

Presentation day duly arrived and I drove from Manhattan Beach (CA), where I lived, to the Anaheim Convention Center. After losing my breakfast between the house and the car, I finally got to my destination, grabbed my slides and headed for the rooms where the presentations were to be given. After throwing up again between the car and the building, I arrived to find that the conference program had an error in it. People were coming to hear me give a 20-minute talk entitled “Computer-Aided Troubleshooting on Atomic Module Testers.” Then they videotaped me and made me watch it and I almost died. There was no way I was going to look that bad in front of 300+ strangers. I’d rather die first. So I started to practice in earnest. And after several sessions with dozens of people I had stopped stumbling and was a far less nervous presenter. I was determined to do myself and my company proud.

So here I am on my maiden public speaking voyage with a whole lot of people waiting breathlessly for me, a 20-something in a short sleeved shirt and a narrow tie, to expound something atomic, not something automatic.

I learned then the value of humor in opening a presentation and in asking for audience participation in the form of answering a question right at the beginning of a talk. And I somehow got through my twenty minutes and even fielded a couple of questions before gratefully making my escape.

It turns out that there were several people from Corporate in the audience that day and the feedback they provided to my boss (mentor) was extraordinarily positive. They said that I had diffused the error in the program effectively and with humor, that I clearly know my material and that I had indeed been a credit to the organization.

But I don’t throw up anymore in parking lots on my way to giving them. What changed?I still get nervous before a talk. But not so as to be paralyzed by it. And I hope I never lose that little bit of nervousness that sets me up to do my best – every time.

This post is taken from Chapter 5 of my new book “Inspiration Now!” It is available athttps://www.createspace.com/5124589. Order your copy now.

January 2, 2015March 11, 2016

A Story About A Book circa 1978 – From Inspiration Now!

A Story About A Book circa 1978

I wrote a 77-page book over a single weekend in 1978. I decided to self-publish it. This was long before print-on-demand and e-books for those of you who may not be old enough to remember when you took a typed – not word processed – manuscript to your local printer and had him make your first print run. And you went to VeloBind to get covers and binding strips and even punching and binding machines.

I had the book printed on very nice paper and the hard cover was a walnut veneer with gold printing. Very good looking and conveying very high quality. The book was titled “Design for Testability” and I priced it at $95. That’s $95 in 1978 dollars, which today would be roughly $347. For a 77-page book in 8-1/2” x 11” format.

Everyone said that I was crazy to ever expect to sell any of these books. But I was convinced based on experience that there was a knowledge vacuum on this topic that I could fill. So I bought a full-page ad in Electronics Test magazine for $1,800 (which today would cost $6,500).

And I sold a few books. About half as many as needed to pay for the ad. But I ran the ad again the following month and sold 3 times as many books as I needed to pay for the ad. I was now on the way to profitability, even with a $10 ($36.50) cost of goods sold. And sales kept increasing.

God, it was fun to get the mail every day. Orders with checks attached. Names of book buyers who obviously had a significant problem to get their companies to spend that amount of money for a book. Going to the garage to punch, bind and put the covers on those books was a labor of love.

Not six months after that first book was sold I was in the seminar business teaching design for testability to all of the major electronics manufacturers in the United States. My little book had become “The Bible” of design for testability. And it remained that way for over ten years.

Why do I tell you this story? Only to point out that what I’m about to say to you in this book is not fiction. Nor is it wishful thinking. It is a compendium of thoughts, beliefs, and processes that are proven to work. Because they have worked for me and, properly applied, they will work for you.

This story comes from Chapter 1 of “Inspiration Now!” It is available at https://www.createspace.com/5124589. Order your copy now.