She made it look so easy

Wow so many people tell me how do you do it? You make it look so easy? How do you get in front of all those people and just start speaking? It comes easy to you... You're so lucky!

Nothing could be further from the truth. You know it's taken a lifetime of practice and focus and concentration to make it look so easy. Even when things come to you easily at an early age you're still focusing on it to make sure that you perfect it. Whether you know it or not.  It can be deliberate or it can be instinctive.

I was just at an outing getting off of a boat - which to me is treacherous. The only other woman on the boat jumped on to the side and slipped off to the dock. I jumped up to the side of the boat and proceeded to slide down the back of the boat nearly dumping myself into the water. I said "she made it look so easy!" 

Why in the world would I think that I could match this woman who was a skier and a scuba diver by jumping onto the side of the boat and springboarding myself to dock as if I was Olga Korbut or something?

Know your limitations and work to surpass them. I don't believe in fake it till you make it. I think that's stupid. You're only cheating yourself. Your own Integrity. Oh goodness have we forgotten about integrity? My father always said "the only person you ever have to answer to in the morning is the person looking at you in the mirror." When you set the bar High you set the bar High for yourself.

You want to make a change. Maybe you want to be more conscious maybe you want to be more conscientious maybe you want to focus on your physical health, your mental health, your spiritual health, your financial Health. Maybe you want to be a better person  better boss, better partner. Start a new business. Give yourself a personal goal.

Put the work into it and you will achieve success.

Do good, and do good work. Follow me @cecionthebeach

What makes you so forgettable??

I go to networkers... Some people will say I do that for a living... it's true but as a former COO of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and the chairman of Tourism and Hospitality I certainly go to a lot of networkers. And I'm a former BNI chapter founder so there are doctrines to follow... Givers gain, right?

I went to a lovely intimate dinner tonight and sat with some people I knew, and some people I didn't know, and just had the fortune to meet apparently someone that I've met many times before. So the sweet sweet guy who I said "oh and let me introduce myself to you" said to me... "You always do this to me we have met many times before. You never remember my name". So he told me he had switched companies, but we had met many times. (Unverified) I believe that this was meant to make me feel like I'm dismissive, or to point that out.  It doesn't matter and I could be reading into it.  And if you know me I'm really not, in that sense, because it's my business to meet people and know people and connect people. I'm a connector that's what I do. So I stopped for a minute and I thought 'oh I feel badly?'

It's that moment you think something in your head and you either swallow it down or you have the guts to actually say what's on your mind in the most empathetic, kind, and compassionate way that you can.  It happened to be one of those days and I dove in.

"So, you're going to meet people, I don't want you to take this the wrong way and I want you to take this with all of the good intention with which it is meant. Please go home and ask yourself what makes me so ..... forgettable?" 

Yup, I said it.

I know you're thinking oh my God what a horrible thing to say. Horrible woman. How could have you put him on the spot this way? Well I'm going to say that this was very helpful because he, or his company,  paid money to be part of an organization.  He's supposed to be bringing in business. You want to do business with people you know and like. I liked him, obviously I never got to know him. He only got it half right.  And Incredibly his business is completely relevant to mine.

Every single one of my business cards that I've ever had has listed my cellphone.

I asked, "Did you ever text me after? Why didn't you take a selfie with me? Why did you not try to friend me on social media? There are all these things all these tools available to ensure that you are not ... Forgettable.

All I'm saying is you're putting time and effort, you're doing all the right, things make sure that you are ... Unforgettable!

Do good, and do good business. Follow me @cecionthebeach

Where for Art Thou Wynwood?

It was another inspiring experience to be able to absorb artwork in a group of showcase galleries.  With a VIP ticket in my hand I went over to Midtown to visit Art Wynwood - ironically.  I have a bad habit of not absorbing the names of the artists that I like - I think the RAM in my brain is full.  Even so, I know what I like and am grateful for the folks giving me tons of exposure to the greats as a child.  Of all the wonderful new art, confusing art, as well as classics like Dali, Miro and Picasso, this letter is what stuck with me.  This letter to art . . . I just think this sums up the thoughts of a lot of people.   THIS IS ART?  (staring at a one color canvas or something that looks like bad kid art).  It is art, art is in the eye of the beholder, and its not always aesthetic. 

I love the orchid, a very sensual representation of a woman, and then looking closer it is made up of painted toy solders.  There is a story here - solders protecting the essence of woman - really of the birth of humanity.  It spoke to me.

Ironically, it was a Warhol that made me laugh - just a blatant commercialization of an autograph.  What set me off was that the gallery agent came to tell me the story - they were in a warehouse with confiscated bills from a drug bust - something like that - then an artist there saw that a one dollar bill had the corners changed to $5 with tape = the comment was, what an curious way to make $4 . . . then Warhol signed it, a photographer blew up the picture and now it is for sale for $35,000 . . . I couldn't stop thinking, what a curious way to make $35,000.

I am spoiled by Art Basel, Untitled, Scope, Art Miami et al, but this was really a great addition to our Miami cultural outlets.  Glad I went - it got my creative juices going.

                                                                                                                            

What do I do? I fix things....

So,  I have done so many different things, it's almost a joke with staff.  Started working in my dad's tennis shop at 6, singer, advocate, bartender, public speaker, retail manager, state employee, city employee,  non profit founder ... it keeps going.   Guess I get bored .... guess I like a challenge.

So, in reality, I'm a fixer.  It's broken, give it to me,  I will fix it.  I got the most messed up organizations.   Had to clean up the process to keep people from going to jail.   Got the almost bankrupt org and made it flush.

How did I get from a huge real estate portfolio and vendor contracts at the City of Miami Beach to the Miami Beach Chamber?   It was a great opportunity to apply past life experience to a historic organization.  Then why go to Mango's?  Its iconic, it appeals to my love of art and music.   I can apply all I know about permiting, organizations and stop to hear the show on the way out. 

But never letting the grass grow under my feet,  there's the South Beach Jazz Festival, founding member,  hispanic affairs, chamber board and mentoring women .... and fighting for Tourism ..... it's an advocacy ..

I'm not happy unless I get to fix it.  Next!!