September 11, 2001 was a defining moment in history; a date which has forever changed the landscape in which we live, work, travel, and look at our neighbor and wage war and peace. The question, where were you on 9/11, is one that makes us pause, think and feel as we relive that day.

September 11, 2001, led to a declaration of war; the” war on terrorism”, which has led to America’s embrace of an endless war, in which few anywhere are completely safe. War used to be an aberration. Today it is a way of life that has turned the 21^st century into one of persistent conflict. Fueled by radical ideologies, new technologies and homemade weapons, the rules of war have changed.  Our economy has foundered as we put our money into this war, ignoring our infrastructure and social responsibilities.

9/11, led to a personal turning point for me and eventually an odyssey to produce a documentary on the history of terrorism, Al Qaeda and what led to 9/11. Trail by fire, slim budget, my first documentary-   incredible chutzpah- and The Roots of War… the Road to Peace was created- 2006. And protested, days before it was to air on the PBS station our TV program had been on for 16 some- odd years, as unfairly representing Muslims and Islamic ideologies, among other things.

Ultimatums are not palatable, they don’t sit well with me, and my journey to assure it would get aired began. Half a dozen trips to the Middle East and North Africa, hundreds of interviews and conversations, much study, and perhaps a more open and informed mindset, The Roots of War… The Road to Peace finally aired in June of 2009.

Come along for the journey and the stories of the impact 9/11 had on my life.

• Click Here to read the full story & watch both the Aired & Original versions of The Roots of War…the Road to Peace.

And so recently, when I had the opportunity to meet him, at a reception celebrating his new book, Be Great, hosted by good friends, Vince and Michelle Poscente,  I jumped at the chance. Based on his reputation, I expected a giant of a man, and in fact he is, but in demeanor only. He exudes compassion and integrity. When Peter spoke about his new work, Be Great, he did so with a quiet humility that grabbed one. I stayed up later that night, reading his book from cover to cover.

Real estate magnate that he is, he reminds us, “…like (the) skyscraper, before you can reach the sky, you must be prepared to dig deep and make your foundations strong.” He said, “the most important place to start building is on your values… what you value, you become.” He told us of his first Young President’s Organization meeting in Hawaii, where he signed up for a workshop, and was led to the beach with the rest of the participants. The speaker asked the group, ” Are you living lives that honor your values?” The speaker asked each one to write down their values, and then on a separate sheet of paper, all of their daily activities and then check their activities against their values.

Surprise! When he compared them, Peter realized that the activities he spent his time on were not related to any of his values. He shared with us,  “I had an epiphany; it was like being hit over the head with a universal two by four.” He knew major changes were in order.   That epiphany led to his starting Century 21, and changing his life. He reminded us that “when we focus on our values life is easier, we are more focused, you spend less time wondering what you should do, how you should act, what’s right and what’s wrong.” He asked us to consider our happiness or lack of it, “Is there a gap between the way I’m living and what I believe in?” He said, if yes, maybe we need to change, either what we actually value or what we spend our time on. Peter believes, “It’s easier to change what you’re doing than to give away your values.” He reminds us, ” Computers and toasters come with manuals. Human beings don’t… With no operating manual to guide us, it’s not surprising that so many of us wind up feeling off-balance, unfulfilled or just plain lost.”

And so I too ask you- what are your values? Are you living them, day in, day out? Or  are you a tad lost? As Peter points out in his book, “Aristotle said, we are what we repeatedly do.” Thanks Peter. So I took out my sheet of paper that night and started writing- my values and the  time I spend on  daily activities. And while not the epiphany Peter had all those years ago- change is a coming. Thanks Peter for being a two by four.  Be Great is a must read. It builds giants. Humble ones.

Shortly after Jack Canfield’s latest book, The Success Principles, came out, I had the pleasure of interviewing him about the principles he discusses.  Jack, well known for his Chicken Soup for the Soul series, co-authored with Mark Victor Hansen, embodies   and lives the very principles he talks about in his new work. While there are 64 of them and Jack doesn’t hold any one to be more critical, we focused on a few key principles; self esteem, success, joy and living on purpose, and how we can achieve our dreams.

Jack, a success coach, speaker and author, is an expert on self-esteem. He started on this quest when he taught high school, “I realized two things were missing, the students were not motivated, at all, and they had low self esteem. They were afraid to take a risk. So I began building their self esteem and helping them feel better about themselves… I believe we  all born with self-esteem but we’re educated out of it. Buckminster Fuller said, “There’s no such thing as a genius, some people are just damaged less.”  Jack says, “If you don’t have healthy self esteem you withdraw. You are shy; you may not use your gifts. Or you over compensate- you become a braggart. So nothing outside yourself can be fulfilled.”

“Self-esteem means that you feel lovable and capable.  A lot of people don’t feel capable. If I don’t feel capable I can’t make my dreams come true. Self esteem mean  you’re worthy of love and can produce results so you can take care of yourself. It’s about doing whatever you need to do to get what you need. Self -esteem and success, you need the former to be the latter. Imagine you and I go to Las Vegas. We’re playing poker and I have 100 chips, you have 10. Well I can bet more hands, you’re going to play more cautiously. Self esteem; it’s like those  poker chips.  I don’t have enough poker chips so I don’t  take risks. It gets in the way of everything. The more confidence I have the more risks I’m willing to take… If you want to get from where you are to where you want to be, of course you’re going to have to take that risk.”

I asked what success meant to him,” It’s what I want, what drives me. You have to create a plan. As Tony Robbins says, “Success leaves clues.” We need to take action and be willing to go through the awkward stage. Most people are not willing to not do it well. We need to take baby steps and get stronger. Don’t stop yourself, take action. Persevere.  Olympic athlete Rubin Gonzales told me, “I’m not a big shot; I’m just a little shot who kept shooting.” “None of us are really big shots. I’ve been willing to dream big and believe it’s possible. Surround yourself with successful people, ask people who’ve already done it, and never take no for an answer.”

“If you learn the principles, assimilate them, and apply them with discipline every day, they will transform your life beyond your wildest dreams. So decide what you want, believe you deserve it, practice the principles and put them into action.” So, I asked, “What can one do to believe in oneself?” “It’s an act of faith”, he said. “It’s a choice to believe in yourself. Successful people expect to win… If you want to be successful, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything you experience in your life- everything. This is not easy, you give up blaming…  You have to be willing to pay the price- everyday. It takes commitment… If you’re experiencing joy, you’re on purpose. If you’re not joyful, take a look inside and ask yourself what you can do to make yourself joyful.”

“Jack, your book, The Success Principles, is a chart, a way of life, excellent work . If there were just one principle, just one of the 64, more than any other, which would you isolate as the key one?” “Well they’re all important, that’s why there are 64 of them. One thing really helps, one, once you know what you want, you never give up- never. One hundred and forty four publishers rejected Chicken Soup for the Soul!!!! You have a dream, a vision of what’s possible. If you persist, every obstacle is a learning experience.”

Thank you Jack Canfield, a man, a teacher,  with true grit and integrity, inside and out.

Niki with speaker and friend Mark LeBlanc and Dennis McCuistion at recent JP Morgan Chase event

We recently attended a seminar , sponsored by JP Morgan Chase and the Dallas Business Journal, featuring our friend, professional speaker and former President of the National Speakers Association, Mark LeBlanc. Mark is well known for his practical advice on growing a profitable business, and the event was geared toward small business owners.  And I am one- so- we went- to cheer Mark on,  pay our respects to the Journal, which sponsors the McCuistion TV program, and to network. The full breakfast an added treat.

Learning more about  growing small businesses was not on my agenda that day,or so I thought.   Well, surprise! I  was there precisely because I needed to hear what Mark had to share. Sometimes one has so much to do- little gets done. And maybe the business strategies we know and use need a jumpstart for today’s world. The old, tried, true big picture strategy all good- yet in challenging times we may need to make a shift.

Mark’s  inspiring yet very down to earth message started with the pilgrimage retreat he  experienced several years ago, walking  the Camino Santiago Compostela in France and Spain. When he told us of sitting down  on a bench, 2 miles into a 500 mile walk, crying with misery because his feet ached and he had this heavy back pack- I could relate. The Camino is strewn with discarded articles, walkers start out with too much on their backs.  When he talked of Judith, an older , heavy set woman, who was also walking the Camino, and who  shared her wisdom with him,  “No matter how miserable you are, you can always take one more step, ” I could relate this to today, and our business climate and the challenges small business owners have, taking that one more step. By then he had lightened his backpack. And in small businesses ,in challenging times, the bare essentials may be what’s needed. Back to basics is sometimes the best remedy to jumpstart your life and your business.

He reminded us that our successful momentum each day is fueled by how we feel; that todays’ performance equals future results. Today’s performance! Hearing Mark tell us to  focus on 3- isolate and do 3 business development steps, I thought of my heavy backpack, and how sometimes I try to do so much , and results  are minimal. And then the Camino, we’re all on one aren’t we,  got way easier when he asked us to ask ourselves a morning and evening question. I said to myself- or maybe I said it aloud’ cause the folks at the table looked at me, DUH!

His simple and elegant questions:

” What am I going to do today to “book” my optimistic $ # for this month?” Not the year, the month, 30 or so days, one step on the Camino, one can always go one more step! At the end of the day he said, ask yourself, ” What did I do today to “book” my optimistic $ # for this month?”

Thank you Mark  LeBlanc for a practical success strategy. One can handle, I can handle one small step at a time. Eventually the goal is reached, finishing the Camino- reaching  the desired outcome, and feeling good about the results.

This retrospective episode entertains and informs as it gives us a very interesting snapshot of the new world of media and communication, a world that through its ever changing evolution leaves many of us struggling to keep up.

View This Episode: 20 Years of McCuistion: Media and the Internet at McCuistion TV

In recognition of the anniversary, Councilman Rick Stopfer of Irving presented a proclamation on behalf of the City of Irving’s Office of the Mayor, which declared Thursday, September 17 as “Cooksey Communications Day.” To celebrate 15 years in business, Cooksey Communications announced that the firm made a donation of $5,000 to the SPCA of Texas, for which Gail Cooksey serves as a member of the board of directors.

“I am thrilled to have achieved this milestone,” said Gail Cooksey. “None of this would be possible without the support of our wonderful and loyal clients and employees. I am grateful to everyone who has made our first 15 years so successful.” Over the last 15 years, Cooksey Communications has served and strengthened the local, regional and statewide business community as the strategic communications partner for hundreds of prestigious companies and organizations.

Niki McCuistion who attended the festivities said, “We are thrilled to have their assistance. Their client roster reads like Who’s Who. Lucky us for all they do, they are generous to a fault. Congratulations Gail and team. We wish you at least another 15 years plus of success.”

The Global Credit Crisis- credit crunch everywhere. From a New Zealand fund manager that froze $307.500 million of investors’ cash, to the warning that bank’s settling contracts with insurers early on could spark a rush by financial institutions to get as much capital as they can from insurers, (never mind that this could mean less protection for the rest of their stakeholders).

To Citigroup threatened by a lawsuit for alleged fraud in the marketing and sales of auction rate securities.

Not to mention the Big Three auto giants seriously compromised and sales the worst in years, or Nissan’s profits dropping 43%, BMW showing 33% less net profit and British Airways and American Airlines showing severe losses and having to lay off personnel.

And oil- unprecedented oil prices and while prices may come down- never to where they were a year ago. Weaker consumer confidence Las Vegas, Las Vegas! Having a problem and a major resort project postponed!

Never mind sliding housing markets and a weakening job market. One item that really stuck: A Gallup poll shows that since 1998 the number of people who say that the country is divided between halves and halve not’s has increased markedly. The # of respondents describing themselves as halves fell from 59% to 50% and the % of people describing themselves as have not‘s more than doubled from 17% to 35% as more and more people are feeling an economic strain.

The pessimism almost made me reach for my headphones and tune into Kung Fu Panda. Pessimism- some of this was justified and yet- I was reminded of a comment Russ Yaquinto- a Dallas based executive coach had recently made to me, that it’s in tough times that his business has the capacity to flourish, clients need him most to help them with their challenges. And I was reminded of other friend’s comments- that it’s in tough times that a company can most succeed if they rise above the competition, have employees that truly care about the customer, and of course the best products on the market (presuming the company does not have a cash flow problem).

I started thinking about the companies I enjoyed working with, the stores I shopped at, the establishments my friends and I ‘patronized”. Each flourished in “tough times”. Why? Each had developed a consistent strategy for wowing the customer that went well beyond just good customer service. Each had learned how to get a customer’s loyalty. They had built systems or accidently on purpose had loyal customers who were advocates and told everyone about them. They had customers who raved about them and became their best sales force. They strategically managed the customer process so the customer did their marketing for them.

Ken Blanchard, author of Raving fans, stated, “Your customers’ are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing it better. Just having a satisfied customer isn’t good enough anymore. If you want to have a booming business you have to create raving fans.”

Frederick Reich held, author of The Loyalty Effect, tells us, satisfied customer’s who are “just” satisfied alone, tend to make their buying decisions primarily based on price. Since they do not have an emotional tie they can and do go elsewhere if someone else makes it worth their while, by extending new offers, coupon discounts, making business with them more convenient, extra widgets, prize, price breaks or other enticements. Loyal (customers, members, clients), on the other hand, customers who are truly engaged in your product or service buy additional services from you, even if your price is higher than your competitors and , AND they rave about you and refer others to you.

Reichheld doesn’t just look at typical customer satisfaction indexes and surveys. He advocates asking the “Ultimate” question… on a scale of 0-10 with 10 being highest, how likely are you to recommend us to your friends, relatives and colleagues? What do we have to change for you to give us a 10 the next time you take this survey? Reichheld tells us about Promoters, who rate you, a 9 or 10 and are those customers who are most likely to recommend your company, products or services. He mentions Detractors, who rate you a 6 or less, and are unlikely to recommend your company’s products and services. His equation: divide the % of Detractors from the % of Promoters and you know your net promoter score.

So what’s a company to do to increase their promoters and thereby reduce their detractors? This isn’t rocket science. On that flight I was on, a long one, the attendants came by once or twice. They did their duty, and in no way shape or form did they go out of their way to do anything else. Most of that very long flight they stayed chatting with their buddies in the back galley. Service- that’s a thing of the past on most airlines. Oh- but the airline industry is going through tough times and this particular carrier is laying off 13 or so % of their work force. This is the same airline with which I canceled two trips and decided on Southwest instead.

I had called this airline to ask about transporting a package that needed extra care. The agent who first answered said a supervisor would have to answer. On the road, I did not have time to wait- said I’d call back. Several days later I did, asked for a supervisor, and was given a real third degree. Finally got a supervisor, who when I explained my challenge said, “the agent could have handled this.” “Thank you I responded, and sorry what was your name again?” “Omar… I mentioned that at the beginning” “ Gracias, Omar and…” He cut me off with, “English is my language of choice”. Now since I am Hispanic, and his name was, I was not being sarcastic, quite the contrary, just trying to make the best of a lousy interaction in which I was being made the bad customer. Did I mention this was a long flight I was already booked on, and yes, I had a paid ticket? Oh, and his paycheck again… signed by?

Tough times, yes- even more reason to give outstanding service. But they didn’t. And that one phone call and how it was handled cost that airline $845 in business. I went elsewhere for the same service on two upcoming trips. Now we all know word of mouth sells. It’s just common sense – delighted customers talk us up and dissatisfied or marginal customers talk badly about us and we know they tell more people of their dissatisfaction than they do when satisfied.

Building customer, member, client loyalty in challenging economic times is even more important to do than it is in good times. With budget cuts, austerity plans, concern about making decisions so let’s hold off for now and put off making non necessary buying decisions; companies and individuals scrutinize spending decisions more carefully. Strong loyalty is in your favor and weeds your competition out.

That same trip I went out of my way to find a floral garden way out in the country, and way out of my way. Maui Floral in Makawao, Maui, run by Maureen and Carver Wilson, (www.mauifloral.net). Yes they ship. And they know their stuff and the flowers are exquisite. Since I have family in Hawaii I get to the islands from time to time. When I do, I like to treat myself to flowers or fruit to bring back with me for friends and associates. Had learned the hard way that the items need to be agriculturally inspected and certified. Maureen or her team takes the time to go with you and help you pick the best bunch she can find. You’re spending peanuts in the scheme of things but the point is they care, they listen, and they make you feel as if you’ve just spent a small fortune. And since they ship to large distributors, some of their customers do. Regardless you are made to feel important. Not, next…

So how do you develop raving fans? How do you assure your relationships are of high value? Challenging economic times call for the extraordinary care and feeding of customers. If we want them in our court then we have to show commitment and loyalty to them. First you have to show you truly care, about their business, their problems, their questions. It’s not about your mood, your concerns, the downsizing and company problems. How do we accomplish building loyal, not just satisfied customers? Just a couple of thoughts:

Everyone- everyone in the organization needs to absolutely, definitively understand they are there for the customer, member, client. That requires total focus on the customer, not keeping them waiting, not putting them on hold, not having long lines with ropes to herd them in, not having a voice only system that indicates no real people work here, and treating each and every customer as an individual. It’s really listening to them. After all they write our paychecks. Yes, customers write our paychecks and keep us employed, not the company president. Having well trained, informed, knowledgeable people, having a well priced, quality product, on time delivery or better yet faster than expected. Don’t forget accurate- are all critical.

Wowing the customer means everyone in the company lives the company mission, everyday. It’s more than friendly, it’s truly being present. Just a thought, what would happen, if it were possible for it to, if the company president did a walk about and personally asked employees, “what did you do for our customer today”? And I wonder, what would happen if the company president called a few customers everyday and asked,”what did we do today to provide you with the very best service we could? Oh, by the way, what do we need to do to earn a referral from you”? Would you recommend us to your friends is a critical loyalty measurement.

As my friend Russ said, even in tough times- we can make it work. It just takes a little more effort. But- I’d like you to consider, it doesn’t take that much more- most of our competition falls so short. Loyalty- being the customer’s advocate, it well may be the key to satisfied employees, customers, members, clients, and increasing the bottom line. How are you doing?

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “do one thing everyday that scares you,” and so for the last 30 years, as an entrepreneur, salesperson, speaker, writer, consultant and tv- documentary producer- director I have followed her advice successfully and sometimes not so successfully. Whether it is speaking in front of 2000 people, advising a client how to be more effective, productive or profitable or interviewing a political figure in the Middle East who is not thrilled at my questions, everyday is an adventure that challenges.

So how did this challenge start? Over 3 decades ago- Thom Norman, a master trainer in sales and telephone marketing who at the time was Senior V. P. of Training for a major real estate brokerage, asked me to develop a sales training program for their women brokers. The concept was to focus on selling as helping, consultative relationship selling. Of course I said, I can do that (by the way, a life long habit of accepting challenges that I may not know anything about), and I did. And then he said, let’s take it on the road, and I did. And so the Assertive Selling Approach for Women was born and with it a passion and a gift I did not know I had, coaching, consulting and training.

My new calling- helping companies and individuals are as productive, effective, and profitable and fulfilled as possible. Peak performance, stretch, achieve and make a difference in your world. And so that’s what I did and do, help companies be more profitable, individuals more fulfilled and contribute with all of the passion and gusto they are capable of and then some. Talk about challenge. Still a win-win for all concerned.

Yet the more I studied and worked the more I came to realize that something was still missing. Just helping companies be more successful and profitable was not sufficient. I realized early on that if individuals within the company felt and actually were more invested and vested in the company- they would be the ones helping the company be more effective and successful. Vested employees led straight to profit for the bottom line.

My searching for answers eventually led me to Dallas- where I teamed up with McCuistion and Associates- Dennis McCuistion, in business and marriage. As partners, we consulted and spoke, and eventually produced TV programs, and wrote business books for financial service professionals. Again all contributing to the company’s bottom line.

More than the consulting, we co-founded and developed the McCuistion Program, Talking about Things That Matter with People who Care… a format for objective dialogue on business, social, economic-issues of substance. Now in its 19th year the program offers insights into the issues of today. And while I am still Executive- Producer, Producer, the program continues however the McCuistion partnership does not.

Still, I discovered my calling. The TV program illuminates issues that affect our daily lives. In 1993- we had run out of money- the program had no choice but to close. I insisted it not and borrowed family money to keep it afloat. Mom became a funder- and we continued on. Shortly after Mom’s “contribution” the program was picked up for syndication. We plowed on- many major awards, good work, illuminating issues, and ones that make a difference. So here we are and here it is 19 years later. And I found- that it is through focusing on a mission, a purpose, that individuals are most fulfilled.

Eleanor- yes, here she is again, said, “never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world, in fact it is the only thing that ever has.” So true.

Having come full circle, from a focus on the bottom line and performance, having watched and learned from successful leaders all over the world and individuals who truly make a difference, I am ever more convinced that it is through purpose, through having a mission, to knowing what your life’s work and purpose is, that individuals truly can maximize their “productivity.” It was that sense of mission and purpose that had me say yes when Hugh Akin, Executive Director of The Hatton W. Sumners Foundation, the TV programs major funder called and said, Niki would you like to do a documentary on terrorism and 9-11? (ok- you know the drill, I say yes first- then learn what to do, “do one thing everyday that scares you.” thank you Eleanor).

And so here we are, the documentary, The Roots of War, (www.therootsofwar.com), a documentary on terrorism, was finished and aired at the Angelika Theatre in Dallas in 2006. Not bad reviews, except it was protested by a Muslim group, and while it was supposed to air the week following on Channel 13, KERA, public broadcasting Dallas, it did not, and I was asked to go back to the drawing board and edit it from 120 minutes to 90, and re- vet it, getting expert opinions on accuracy and story line. I did and we did and the final- final is now in KERA’s hands for a yea or nay.

Consulting, and business advise and executive coaching continues, all with a let’s discover what your purpose and mission is in life are and then the rest will follow…As Nietzsche said, ‘He who has a why to live can cope with any how.’ True, and so my path has chosen to focus on mission, helping companies, communities, and individuals develop and implement transformational change.

To do so we need to know our purpose. Do you know yours? To fulfill our purpose we have to be willing to know who our essential self is. I still struggle with that one. How about you? To live the lives we want to live we need to care for ourselves and respect others. I don’t see too many people with the self confidence they need to be more fulfilled- and make a true contribution. And that’s essential. So as we chat from time to time- I’ll keep bringing that up.

Companies have learned that it’s finding people who have a mission and purpose in life already, who believe in the mission of the company, who are in the right roles within the company so as to fulfill their own life purpose as it integrates with the companies’ mission, who can take that company to the top.

Stay tuned, there’s more rambling to come. And I hope to hear from you as well

Thanks for joining me, Niki

Niki’s 25 plus years in business and as a media professional, producing award winning business, social, economic, political, issues- oriented television programs, gives her a strong working knowledge of how our world works. This work has brought her up close and personal with industry leaders and policy makers all over the globe, and their business, leadership, economic and success insights are incorporated into the performance strategies she shares with her clients and audiences.

Her website will help you take advantage of her experience. We hope you’ll keep coming back to find out more about understanding our world, understanding your world, with balance, fairness and objectivity.