… with Companies and Individuals from Brooklyn to Baghdad

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