Katadhin - My Life With Two Marys

Hunting for Seaglass

2011-09-06T11:58:00.000-05:00

Since starting Collective Bias over two years ago, I’ve been trying to maintain our annual summer family vacation, not easy at a start-up. I’m a firm believer that family and balance foster higher levels of productivity across our team and encourage all of our employees to do the same. I've learned that more hours do not increase results, focus and prioritization do.

Mary Catherine running on Jaquish Island trails

This vacation was something more however. It made me think about building traditions and also about how simple things like hunting for Seaglass with Mary Catherine, are really what I’m working for anyway. I flew with Mary Catherine to my parents house in Atlanta and then returned to Arkansas to join Shannon to travel to Boston. We spent a great week in Boston (she’d never been) with no particular agenda (our favorite way to travel). We toured Boston by city hikes, a great way to get exercise and see things from a street level view. Each evening, we peppered the concierge at our hotel for restaurant recos. We stayed at the Hilton Boston Financial District thanks to many FF miles earned during my Collective Bias travel. I prefer staying at business hotels during my leisure travels due to the service level which was as usual, perfection!

That week-end, we met my Parents and Daughter in Portland, ME. and headed up for a week at Jaquish Island. I lived in Maine for 5 years and it’s still one of my favorite places on earth. Being able to share this with the Mary’s was great especially with no schedules, agendas or must-dos. I was really looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.

Bailey Island dock

On Jaquish, 6 rocky beaches offered virtually unspoiled seaglass hunting grounds. We have a good friend in Arkansas that really loves seaglass and offered to find her some pieces (I was really uninformed about the Seaglass world but I got a quick education). Mary Catherine and I became great island explorers and hunters of Seaglass. I relished seeing my daughter’s fearlessness in climbing rocks and discovering the “real” ocean. Maine is not the beach we mostly think of. The rocky beaches on Jaquish are not only full of life and adventure, they can also be quite dangerous with extreme changes in tide. Respect is the order of the day and Mary Catherine was full of questions and wonder about this world that is quite different from our home in the Ozarks.

Each morning, Mary Catherine and I took the skiff over to the shore for a New York Times and various supplies. The first day, she just wanted to go slow, the waves of Mackerel Cove imposing on her, mid-week, she wanted to plane the boat and bounce of the waves to “go fast”. As I watched her laugh and the stunning Maine sunsets with her, I realized these moments are fleeting. I now carry a piece of seaglass we found in my pocket to remind me what is really important and to remember the priceless family traditions we are creating.

Hunting for Seaglass on Jaquish

Controlled Drowning - aka Learning to Swim

2011-07-17T19:21:00.005-05:00

It's a key rite of passage for parents and children, on par with learning to speak, the alphabet, riding a bike or starting kindergarten. It's learning to swim and it's go time for Mary Catherine. Last year she was swimmies only, the frog belt actually. While she wasn't afraid of the water, she wasn't wild about it either.

This year is a different story, she is all over it, spurred on by her friends Cole and Hayden, who both swim pretty well. It's amazing what affect wanting to play with those boys has on her motivation. Heaven please help us when she's a teenager. She finished her first round of summer swimming lessons a couple weeks ago and she is now irrepressible.

Her first nanny, Ms. Anne was a swim instructor and worked with her often when she was 3-4. Last week, Ms. Anne came back to stay with us and get some Mary Catherine time (that warms my heart that all her nanny's do that). She spent and afternoon working with her and Voila, she's swimming. Or kinda drowning but moving through the water. It will scare the heck out of you when you watch it but she's determined like I've never seen her (gets that from her mother). I try to help her and she says "I can do it by myself daddy!"

I was traveling the week that this happens so she swore everyone to secrecy so she could surprise me that she could swim the entire length of the pool. Part of my parent guilt of my heavy travel schedule (88 flights this year so far - thanks American Airlines) is missing moments like this. I try as best I can to make up for this through complete immersion when I'm home.

Either way, find a way to experience these moments. Shannon is great about forwarding videos and pictures captured via her iPhone and we chat on skype, still not the same, but better than nothing. These moments pass like a warm summer breeze. Take a moment to breathe them in.

2010-05-07T03:48:00.002-05:00

13 February

One of three sixty five. An especially remarkable day in the Andrews’ household as it’s the birth date of Mary Catherine, our angel daughter. Irony, being what it is, it’s also the birthday of Duke Coach Mike Kryzewski, a sign I took as divine provenance but hey, not trying to over think things (if you know me for over an hour or so, you understand I have a small Duke obsession). But, then it happened, after a long and productive travel week, I purchased a Sports Illustrated featuring Duke 2010 National Championship team’s John Scheyer on the cover while changing planes somewhere (proudly wearing a well worn Duke hat to remind the Kentucky faithful of the dominance of ACC hoops). It happened. Seas parted, paradigms shifted and old beliefs fell away as I read the parables inside. 7’ 1” Sr. center Brian Zoubek returned to the starting line up on, yes, you guessed it, February 13^th. The rest is history. The team gelled and began to play a very unselfish game that relied on no one player but the consistent ability of different people to step up and play a role when needed.

Now, I’m not a superstitious guy, ok, I won’t pick up a penny on tails, but damn, it’s a full on, Mayan calendar sign of things to come. I’ve taken it as a positive. As Duke is breaking out measuring tapes to place their 4^th national championship banner in Cameron (or having engineering students spot it with a triangle and some duct tape), Collective Bias has been experiencing critical mass in community aggregation and play a small role in defining the future of marketing. It’s our first year of business and it’s been quite a learning experience and the gelling of a highly passionate, innovative and dedicated team. Are these things related?

Doubtful. But I’ll take it!

Whrrl-wind

2010-01-30T06:21:00.003-06:00

This is the stuff road warriors are made of. I spoke on a panel at the Social Fresh conference in Nashville, took an evening flight to Columbus for a client meeting and then on to Scottsdale for some collaboration discussions with MARS sister company eMarketing CEO Tim Welch.

I was able to spend a great Saturday with the Marys and our close friends the Palfreemans and Brawners sprinkled with some great sports watching (damn no-shooting Duke) and a BBQ that went late into the evening. On Sunday we home-churched as Shannon and I both had presentations to complete and I left for XNA late that afternoon.

Living up to our community first mantra at Collective Bias, we asked members of our community to join us at Social Fresh, so I was able to meet Buck Rogers, Debba Haupert and Jerri Ann Reason for dinner at the Maxwell House Millennium. Jason Keath did a wonderful job of making Social Fresh, well, fresh and not a repeat of the same social media conference I feel like I’ve been to during the past year (social media is important and you better not ignore it yadda, yadda)

Finally, I ended up in Scottsdale for meetings with eMarketing. The company is a fabulous digital development house and is doing some amazing things in the promotion and game space.

The big realization for me this week is that too much travel can leave you woefully out of touch with your family, friends and business. Balance is key and so hard to achieve. Mostly, I feel very bad for Shannon. She has a big job and balance in her life is extra hard because of my travel. Thank-you for all you do, I owe you!

Global Warming? Trip 1

2010-01-12T20:40:00.002-06:00

I’m not naive enough to believe that a record setting cold winter disproves global warming (not to start a political row, but I don’t believe in the 4+ billion year of global history that anyone could actually know what is really happening with the environment one way or another). I do know that when I got to Cincinnati on Thursday it was in full scale get your Winter on. That’s part of the travel deal, if you don’t like it, just stay home (oh wait, it’s 9 degrees in Arkansas).

This is my first trip of the 2010 season and I’m in town for a day to visit a couple of our clients and to catch up with Debba Haupert of Girlfriendology, one of Collective Bias Social Media Influencer consultants. Pre-warned by Debba of the impending snow storm, I switched to an all wheel drive rental which turned out to be a very capable Hyundai. I drove the 25 miles from CVG to my hotel at Courtyard by Marriott in West Chester. I had a quick 5k run (my running shoes are well traveled but *ahem* sometimes don’t make it out of the suitcase) and met MARS partner Bill Haveron for some dinner and strategy planning.

We chose to walk across the street in the 6 inches of snow to Jag’s Restaurant and settled in for the BCS national championship game. Pretty slick planning if I do say so. This was my second time meeting Bill and it was good to break some bread. We had a great dinner accompanied by a piano player. It’s amazing how some face time can totally build a relationship, Bill and I have now spoken daily about various projects.

Moral of this trip, drop the email (and all the other hyper-ingrained technology) and go see people. It matters, even if you need a coat.

Up In The Air?

2010-01-07T23:27:00.005-06:00

I haven’t seen Up In The Air yet but I’m really looking forward to it. In a weird way though, I may have unconsciously been avoiding it as I’m sure it will cause me to be somewhat introspective. As many of you know, I helped to start a new company last year called Collective Bias. Not really a planned event, just the right opportunity at the right time and paraphrasing words of Whrrl CEO Jeff Holden, “I am downsiding future regret risks associated with never taking a shot at my own gig.”

I knew there would be some additional travel associated with a startup; however, becoming intimate with the configuration and layout of every type of aircraft in American’s fleet was something I hadn’t counted on (the exit row on an Embraer 145 is 13). I am also living location based marketing as a walking test lab. As the year progressed and we signed our first partnership deal with Whrrl to build shopper functionality, I became a dedicated Whrrl user and pretty much broadcast my whereabouts at all times (to which an informal “Where’s John” game has been created by Jerri Anne Reason).

My original thought was 2010 would chill out a bit as our little company has now grown to 10 people (so some other folks can do the XNA shuffle). Ha! What I thought would start out as a travel free week is going to end with a quick trip to CVG (Cincinnati if you don’t always refer to airports to their code). No worries, I’m learning to consolidate travel and schedule to make the most out of every trip. I’m meeting two clients, spending some valuable time with Collective Bias member and consultant Debba Haupert from Girlfriendology.com and also breaking some bread with one of my MARS counterparts.

So for 2010, I’ve decided to transform my lifestream blog into a composite of personal and business experiences as that’s probably how we really live our lives. I’m going to cover the interaction of my trips and family time in an effort to find that true balance that many might be seeking.

Your input and criticism would be invaluable. Thanks for reading.

I’m pretty much the worst Dad ever!

2009-10-25T20:45:00.003-05:00

Blog World Expo (BWE09) was last week and if you happen to be working at a start-up in the social space, it could be a good idea to participate! Problem is, with just under 50K miles logged in the past three months, one more social media “whatever” (no offense Rick, BlogWorld was great) is not really solidifying my prioritization schedule of Family First.

But participate we did! As the sponsor of Brand/Blogger speed dating, Collective Bias worked to foster the conversation between brands and social communicators of all types. The CB team also built direct relationships with the BWE closing party and through the sponsorship of over 20 Bloggers to the event. Word.

My week began pretty much as usual; I boarded a plane late Sunday for a client pitch, flew back to Arkansas to kiss the Marys Monday night and then turned to go to a Shopper Marketing conference in Ft. Myers Tuesday and then on to Vegas Thursday.

Here’s the deal, by poor scheduling (definitely my fault) I managed to not make it back for my daughter’s school’s track and field day on Sunday afternoon. I could have easily booked a red-eye on my original itinerary, but missed the timing. When I called to switch, as anyone knows that has missed a flight in Vegas recently, there were no seats (nice capacity management airline industry). Undeterred, I headed to the airport at 4 AM seeking to go standby for the earliest flight I could get. I did get on a flight to Dallas at 6 AM, but on Sunday, connections to XNA are few and far between until the evening.

I missed the event.

I am still devastated. I really want to be an entrepreneur and run my own company but I refuse to do so at the expense of missing moments in my daughter’s life. She fully recognized that I was not there to see her win a trophy in her race and she was crushed. I can assure you this will NEVER happen again. So, if I am late calling you back, miss a meeting or don’t attend an event, it doesn’t mean it’s not important to me, it just means I have a higher priority. I hope you understand.

"bye, mommy..."

2009-08-23T22:07:00.006-05:00

Mary Shannon left for NYC today to shoot a commercial and take in various meetings. Mary Catherine and I took her to the airport and then went to watch planes take off until we saw Mommy's plane (Sunday morning is not the busiest time at XNA). MCA is obsessed by the idea of New York and can't wait to go. I brought her a children's book "A Walk in New York", by Salvatore Rubbino (great book, I highly recommend) when I was in the city a couple weeks ago and she has a remarkable comprehension of the things she'd like to see. She asked her mom if she was at the Statue of Liberty today when she called to tell us she arrived.

I've traveled non-stop this year logging over 50K miles to date, Shannon has done a masterful job of being here for both of us. We both knew and agreed to the travel commitment Collective Bias would require before I took the plunge. So now, I'm making the most of my time with my daughter, we left straight from the airport and went to the Tulsa Zoo http://whrrl.com/experience/story/18356123, it was a perfect day. My daughter has gained my love of car travel (not shared by her mother) so I look forward to many road adventures to come. Whatever the opportunity, I cherish these moments. I realize with each day, the moments pass, never to return. I watched with some future angst this week as parents moved their Mary Catherine's into the University of Arkansas dorms. As we drove Mary Catherine to her first day of classes on Tuesday in her new teacher Ms. Jodi's class, I watched Shannon stare wistfully at the move in scene undoubtedly thinking the same thing.

None of us can slow the clock, but we can all take part in those insta-moments. I finished the evening fishing for magnetic fish, sharing a meal and 3 1/2 year old philosophy on optimal fruit, milk and dessert ratios (guess how that one goes).

I'm determined not to look back and regret missing one of these moments to make a presentation a little better.

This is the coolest thing I've ever done!

2009-08-16T14:33:00.009-05:00

I recently took Mary Catherine to the 111th Tontitown Grape Festival fair. Her mother was having a girls night out with a friend of ours so it was just the two of us. Mary Catherine's excitement begin to build a couple days before the event as I told her we'd be going and she pretty much asked questions about it 24/7 (as 3 year olds do about pretty much everything). She had never been to a fair before but was enthralled with the concept of rides, food and especially that they would have ice cream there.

Needless to say, when we finally arrived, she was thrilled! It was a hot day so we waited until late in the afternoon (we got a quick lesson in demand based pricing when the rides all went from 1 ticket a piece to 4-6) so we could not only ride the rides but have dinner at the fair as well (next to a nice four course meal with a wine paring, fair food is high on my list of eating experiences). What really started me thinking though, was just how completely amazed my daughter was at this new experience. She approached each ride with gusto and even rode some things that I thought would frighten her but the scarier the better in her eyes. The entire experience started me thinking how we maintain that sense of wonder not only in our children but also in ourselves.

As many of you know, I have recently started a new media company called Collective Bias. The company has just completed its first 90 days and landed it's first huge client opportunity. It has dawned on me that my excitement and immersion in this venture are similar to my daughter's wonderment of her first fair. I have always been a brand marketer at heart, way back to my first job with Dominos Pizza and a simple brand promise of a hot pizza that shows up at your door in 30 minutes. After marketing roles with consumer brands such as L'eggs, Goody and Kodak and finally at retailer Walmart, I've gained a respectable grounding in the interaction between consumers, brands and retailers. Add to that the experience of building the Walmart Elevenmoms platform picking up an education in social media along the way and this is well, the coolest thing I've ever done! (also the hardest).

The thing is, I'm here, at the most amazing fair I've ever been to. I often relate that this is the 1950's and TV has just been invented. The most intriguing part is that the fair attendees are building and running the rides (and in many cases collecting the tickets). The list of fresh new ways to build real relationships between consumers and brands is longer than the line for funnel cake.

Collective Bias and partners One2One Network and Mom It Forward recently hosted an event called BowlHer during BlogHer's Chicago conference. Over 700 highly influential new media attendees bowled, played pool, networked and enjoyed the live music from Brooke White, Suai and Anya Marina. Many people asked me, what the heck does bowling have to do with social media? My response was simple, absolutely nothing. I find that the social part often gets omitted in the process and the media approach becomes strangely similar to traditional media. I firmly believe to be successful in this space, you have to attend the fair, in other words, participation is the key.

Our clients that sponsored the event all attended BowlHer personally and well, they bowled. In the process built great relationships with people like Beth Davis, Kim Janocko, and Debba Haupert (and inspired them to create loads of content about their BowlHer experience) New media company CEO's with broad networks of influence (they are the fair owners now). Did they convince them to buy their products or services? Probably not, but they do now know them personally now and can begin to build a real relationship with them and their networks.

Ferris Wheel anyone?

Forget the technology, it's about relationships

2009-06-08T22:27:00.001-05:00

The Wilkins are some of our best friends. Ceri and Rolf are a wonderful couple with a beautiful family of 2 boys and a daughter who is roughly Mary Catherine's age. We attend church together, have dinners, go to events. We have a shared passion for good food and wine. What's more interesting is that we've only known the Wilkins for two years, (we met them when we moved to Arkansas) but we might as well have known each other much longer.

Rolf is a life-long entrepreneur who owns a pizza chain called Eureka Pizza (@eurekapizza on twitter). I've always admired his business ability and he doesn't know it, but he helped inspire me to take the biggest chance of my life and leave the corporate world where I've spent my entire career to begin a new chapter in the agency world.

The reason I'm sharing all this is I believe that life presents opportunities and often provides some help along the way. I didn't realize this myself until we attended the Art of Wine event last Saturday and Rolf started asking me about my new job. His questions were very directed and made me think about the process I'm going through building this new company. We also discussed his use of social media to build his business and various tactics both he and his competitors are employing. What was ironic is that our entire discussion didn't involve any technology and was more real and authentic and meaningful than many of the electronic exchanges that seem so important. I think in many of the communication plans I've seen lately, the human element is lost in the rush to influence social platforms.

Shannon and I appreciate the Wilkins friendship and are thankful that they are in our life during this transition. Look for those guides in your life, they may already be there and you don't even know. Sure I'll keep up with Rolf using social tools, but the personal influence will always be more important.

Welcome to Spring

2009-03-22T19:47:00.000-05:00

Renewal is Good

The past few months have been a bit trying. First we were hit with the most powerful storm I've ever experienced. A massive ice storm that wrought an amazing amount of destruction. It completely paralyzed the Northwest Arkansas area for almost a week and created a rain of tree limbs that still litter the ground 2 months later. Our family lost power for 6 days but managed to keep our fireplace going so we did not have pipe and water damage. We were fortunate actually as many trees fell on our property yet none hit our house. We've spent many week-ends since cutting through downed limbs and burning the refuse and still have much work to do.

A couple weeks later, a storm hit our workplace as many of our co-workers lost their jobs as have many in this trying economy. Once again, we were blessed as we kept our positions yet there is a sense of shared loss for our friends that were displaced. Our hearts and prayers go out to all that are suffering during this time. The combination of these events has definitely given me pause to reflect on what is important not only to me and my family but also the greater national and world community as well. The parallel of the physical storm and the economic storm ravaging our global economy is not lost on me. Both have left me in a melancholy funk and somewhat dampened spirits (a feeling I realize is shared by many I speak to daily).

With this perspective I welcome the arrival of spring. Redbuds, pears and crabapples are blooming in our yard (including a broken limb that is in full bloom). I spent the week-end again cutting damaged branches but the beauty of the greening landscape made the view much more pleasant. My parents are visiting from Atlanta as well and helped us work through some of the damage as well. This has been a great proxy for the teamwork needed to get back on course to the prosperity we all wish for our families. Pulling together we can help others to find new jobs, rethink our well worn patterns and build a new future.

Today we all shared a day in the mountain hamlet of Eureka Springs and the drive and day were inspiring. Watching my lovely daughter reveling in flowers, sunshine and fresh air brought me hope and inspiration. I hope that you too will take a look around and soak in the Springtime energy and renew the growth of yourself, your family and your community. Quite possibly, you will inspire someone else as well.

2009 - The Year of Opportunity

2009-01-18T17:27:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 2009. Every year a prepare a list of written resolutions and for the past 7 years, I've shared those only with my wife Mary Shannon. This year I thought I would publish my list and use the extra motivation of that public revelation to help motivate me. Also, I'm going to publish a quarterly update to track my progress. I try to keep a balance of family, physical, professional and spiritual goals. (editors note: I published these Jan 18 after working this list several times. I will update in late March on my progress)

1. Run 1000 miles
This works out to about 3 miles a day. It's a big commitment but I think I'm up for it. I have several training opportunities that will help. I'm going to complete a 5K in under 21 minutes, win a medal in my age group in a 10K and run two 1/2 marathons.

2. Eliminate discretionary spending
Like many people, I spend money on many things just don't need. I'm going to challenge myself to go an entire year without buying any new clothes, which tend to be my biggest weakness. This includes gadgets, accessories, pens, sunglasses etc.

3. Maintain a professional marketing blog
I've cut my teeth with this personal blog and now I would like to try my hand at a professional blog. My goal will be to write about a relevant industry topic once a week.

4. Complete 12 acts of random kindness
I have no idea what these will be but I know the opportunities will present themselves.

5. Actively Conserve
Eliminate unnecessary paper/plastic usage, no newspapers/periodicals, water bottles, shopping bags when not absolutely necessary.

6. Participate actively in my Daughter's education
I'd like to teach her to read by age 4. She is doing well with the alphabet, numbers and counting and even some complex problem solving. I want to make sure I'm augmenting what she's getting at school.

7. Give Mary Shannon a couple weeks of days off
Spend a day a month with Mary Catherine doing something out of the house all day.

8. Continually Learn
Expand my knowledge of my profession, interact with industry experts and learn something new in the marketing field.

9. Take a couple Ferris Bueller days
Occasionally, we all need a complete day off. No responsibilities (work, family, civic etc.) I call these Ferris Bueller days becuase I want to enjoy them to the fullest. Here's an example, in February, I'm going to go to the Chicago with my good car enthisiast friend Alex to attend the Chicago auto show. He and I will spend the entire day at the show looking at every single car. Then we'll have a fabulous dinner and go to hear some live Blues. The next morning, I'll fly home.

2009-01-03T08:55:00.000-06:00

#resolve - Day 0 - Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2009! 2008 was certainly a challenging year on many fronts and I'm motivated and excited by all the possibility this new year holds. Approximately 40 days ago, I started preparing for 2009 by starting two of my perennial New Year's resolutions early, those being get in shape by running and to lose weight. My goal was to run 100 miles by today and lose ten pounds. I am happy to announce that I fell short on both accounts. I completed 77 miles and lost 5.5 total pounds.

So, as a very goal oriented individual, you'd think I'd be disappointed and I am. However, now beginning the first day of 2009, I'm way ahead of where I normally sit. I've gone through the reconditioning process to put a running base on and I am 6 pounds away from my permanent goal weight. As part of this process, I've learned another great skill thought completing my first blogging experience and I've spent a bit over a month thinking about what really important self-improvement goals I want to focus on this year. I'll post my entire list this week-end.

Thanks for all the supportive comments and emails!

Merry Christmas! #resolve Day 6

2008-12-25T11:32:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas all!

I'm fully in relaxation mode now and enjoying time with my family in Atlanta. My sister and brother are both here which has been unusual the past few years as my brother is a pilot for American Airlines and has just gotten enough seniority to not have to fly today. As with most families, food is a central part of our celebrations. My sister-in-law made some of the most amazing chocolate bourbon and oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies and my sister helped my daughter make gingerbread men. Along with the constant barrage of cheese, snacks, wine and outsize meals, the temptation can be overwhelming (driving the need for New Year's resolutions). So what to do? Run first of course!

As soon as presents were complete this morning, I laced up my Brooks Burns and headed out into some of the beautiful 60 degree Georgia weather. Aided by my best friend Pandora on my iPhone, a great mix of ACDC and Akon propelled my 6 miles around Dunwoody at a pretty decent pace. Imagining the amazing taste of the turkey my brother has been painstakingly smoking since late last night, I cranked out a great run and pre-burned what is sure to be a calorie rich Christmas dinner. With 6 days to go, I'm still holding at half my goal loss but I will enter the new year with a strong start on my physical fitness goals.

My biggest learning is that for me, commitment is more of a time management issue. I've also used the few minutes of personal time my runs afford me to listen to a few tunes and as some completative space to think about work/life/Duke basketball...whatever. Mindset becomes an amazing ally and I find myself looking forward to this time. I'm now going to spend the next 6 days working as hard as I can toward my goal and developing the remainder of my resolutions.

Have a great holiday and spend some time imagining yourself achieving your goals in 2009. The reward will be amazing.

Progress Update

Total Miles - 57

Caolries Burned - 8,550

Weight Lost - 5 lbs.

Stuck - #resolve Day 11

2008-12-20T17:49:00.001-06:00

I know you can related with this, my weight-loss progress is stuck. I've lost 5 lbs total but the 1-2 punch of holiday food and multiple business dinners have halted my progression. Fortunately, I have been able to maintain a decent workout regimen and keep some portion control in mind so I haven't lost ground but with only 11 days left and Christmas and New Years dining on the imminent horizon, I'm getting worried about achieving my goal of 10 lbs total loss prior to the new year.

This is the point where many self-improvements derail. What happens? Life happens! Our office has become a veritable smorgasbord of eating temptations: cookes, fudge, candy canes, chocolate. I was doing great at avoidance until I ran headlong into the PR departments' baklava tray. Now I don't know about you, but I will not leave a piece of spare baklava just hanging out by it's lonesome. Anyway, I had just come from the gym that morning and a hard 4.25 mile run so that was my breakfast (feeling a tad guilty about the narrow definition of breakfast I enforce with my daughter). The real damage came yesterday when I was setting up a conference room for a meeting and someone had left 3 half-full boxes of Krispy Kreme's. There was no-one but me and the three green boxes calling my name. That I was able to only eat two was a minor miracle.

There are positives though. At most of my dinners I ordered fish and a green vegetable (the product of 7 years of good marital guidance), and beer does not exist in my household at the moment. I have been very good about keeping first things first and scheduling my running prior to any other daily activities (the financial equivalent of paying yourself first). This morning, Mary Catherine and I ran about 3 miles to the playground on the trail using the jogger stroller. It was great to spend some time with just the two of us after a long week and get a nice run in too. Afterward we split wood (she was at a safe distance mom). Her's where you have to power through, don't give up and use your support network. My wife is bugging me (as asked) and I'm finding the blog is helping by just allowing me to focus on the barriers a bit more closely than I would otherwise.

I still think I can make my goal. We leave for Atlanta to visit my parents on Tuesday AM. Now, on to a great dinner tonight, hold the carbs please...

Progress Update
Total miles - 42
Calories Burned - 6600
Weight Loss to date - 5 lbs

The Tyranny of Business Trips and Meetings

2008-12-12T08:26:00.000-06:00

#resolve - Day#18

In the past week, I've been on the road for 3 days and had 3 nights of business dinners back in Bentonville. My Michigan and Indiana trip became very challenging due to the snow and by the end of each day (lot's of driving) I was done (my very impressive Ford Edge rental from Hertz kept me safe). Net result, the outgo side of my weight loss challenge is non-existent and the input side is highly leveraged. Not that I don't mean well, my running shoes are well traveled, I think they've earned platinum status on American this year. Unfortunately, they sometime do make it our of my suitcase (they keep my other clothes company though). That said, I have been able to eek out small progress by portion controlling my meals and limiting alcohol. I now have a collective loss of 4.5 lbs on my goal of 10.

Travel and other interruptions frequently derail self-improvement projects. I find I'm most successful when once again, I schedule my workout activities into my trips. my favorite method is to schedule a run in between the last meeting of the day and Dinner. That way, if I'm out late I don't have to worry about getting up terribly early and I find that it limits my appetite as well. It's tough, I like to pack as many meetings and events into a trip as possible so I can take less trips but it can be done. Thankfully, no more business trips this year and the only personal trip is to my parents house in Atlanta for Christmas. My Mom is a mean walker so I'll get plenty of miles in.

#resolve - Day 29 Rest

2008-12-02T23:32:00.000-06:00

It's taken me several years to realize this but quality rest is critical to most of life's endeavors. People have different needs but the simple fact is most need between 7-9 hours. Many people believe (as did I) that you can get by on 4 or 5 hours but your body has a nasty little trick for that, it simply adds weight (via stress reaction) to compensate for unrealistic energy needs. Additionally, you become less and less efficient so your productivity ceases to overcompensate the hours invested. Again, I'm not a doctor or a medical professional all of my advice is simply observational.

Part of my #resolve plan is to get plenty of rest. As with my workout plan, I find success when I plan. The other insight is to be consistent with sleep and wake schedules. When I'm on a regular work schedule this is no problem. I wake up around 4:30 and either go to the gym or work from home for a couple hours prior to going to the office. the challenge becomes on week-ends and holidays, it's so tempting to sleep in. For all of my Thanksgiving vacation I maintained the schedule. It programs my body for routines and helps me maintain a consistent rhythm. By 9:30p, I'm fading but it's very effective and I have much more energy throughout the day. I'm up late this evening watching Duke-Purdue on DVR due to a dinner I attended after my class (flexibility is also important) but at least I'm multitasking.

Results to date - 184 lbs (3 lbs lost). Thanks to a great 4 miler at the gym yesterday and a 2 miler with Mary Shannon on Sunday, I've completed 26 miles on my 100 mile goal. Lot's of work still to do but solid progress thus far. Let me know how you're doing!

#resolve - Day 35 - Stretch goals

2008-11-28T08:16:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone successfully negotiated Thanksgiving. Yesterday, I had two opportunities for my weight loss resolution stretch goals. The first was when Mary Shannon offered me a very tempting homemade cinnamon roll (passed but didn't want to). The second was when I had set out for a 6 mile run and when I reached my usual turn-off for home, I chose a longer route ending in a 7 mile total run. These may seem trivial but become a core part of accomplishing small increments to achieve a much greater goal. As predicted, I did enjoy a great Thanksgiving meal. In fact, I gained a full pound reversing part of my 2.5 lb loss to date. However, this is a 40 day journey and part of the pre-New Year's resolution goal was to also enjoy the holiday. By investing in the longer run and eschewing extra eating indulgences, it will be easier to complete the entire goal.

In completing my goals I think it's often helpful to have some basic tactics for attacking the incremental steps along the way. Here is a list of six things I use to help me stay committed to my physical fitness activities.

1. Visualize your workout - I had been thinking of a longer run by adding the Fayetteville Square ever since I attended the Lights of the Ozarks holiday lighting last week-end. I pictured myself running the hills that lead to the square and making the loop back to the UofA.

2. Schedule time - I have two gym morning planned for next week on my calendar and another for when I have to travel at the end of the week.

3. Tell others - Mary Shannon and I share responsibility for taking Mary Catherine to school so it's important that she know my schedule for gym mornings so we can coordinate.

4. Challenge yourself - I challenge myself with imaginary rewards like if I complete the 7 mile run, Duke will be Carolina in basketball on Feb 11th (not looking good for the Heels).

5. Do something you enjoy - No physical fitness plan will work if you hate it. I use my running time to enjoy some great music.

6. Rest and recover - getting enough sleep and recovery time is great. I'll walk today but won't run again for 48 hrs after a long run.

Whatever works to keep you motivated, leverage it for success.

Progress update:
Total miles - 20
Total calories burned - 3000
Weight loss to date 1.5 lbs

#resolve Day 36 - Food Temptations Abound

2008-11-27T06:12:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is one of the big reasons that #resolve is so important. If you're like me, the holiday season started with Halloween and all of the social events that start filling calendars. Food, especially calorie rich baked items and sweets begin to pop up around every corner. Some of the New Years resolution cycle is driven by these events. So what to do? Don't know about you but I'm not particularly fond of depriving myself of some of the great food and drink the holiday's bring (I'm marinating a leg of lamb as I write this - yum).

This brings me back to my core premise, the simple equation is calories in have to be less than calories out. So what's my plan? This is going to be a bit aggressive, but I think I can do it. My parents are visiting from Atlanta and Mary Shannon's mom is here from Winter Park and both our moms love to walk so I plan to go on a 3-4 mile walk with them later this afternoon (calories burned 450). Again, integrating social activity along with goal attainment is a great way to stay on track. My compensation for the extra 1000 calories I will most likely consume today is to go for a 6 mile run this morning (calories burned 950). This won't allow me to go crazy, but I can definitely eat a great Thanksgiving dinner, limiting heavy carbs like stuffing and coconut cake but hopefully I can end the day net even (note i said limit, not avoid - no gravy with my turkey? not a chance)

My plan is going well, my weight this morning was 184.5 so I've lost 2.5 pounds thus far. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and good luck with your challenge!

#resolve - Day 37 - Mix it up

2008-11-25T09:28:00.000-06:00

So my buddy was unable to go on my walk/run yesterday but no worries, I simply substituted a different physical activity. We have a ton of wood that needs to be split (and Mrs. A has been bugging me about getting it done now that we're using the fireplace at night) so I decided to split wood instead. Not sure how may calories I burnt but I was at it for a solid hour (let's call it 400). It was a benefit from another angle in that I've got some lactic acid build-up from the past two days runs and probably needed a break anyway. What's great about this is that it helps prevent fatigue (or boredom) with workout routines and uses different muscles. It also attacks the time management issues (combining a workout with a project)

I find that stretching after a workout is more beneficial than before for me (I try to do both). Additionally, I'm not paying enough attention to rule #1 and hydrating enough. I try to always have a full glass of water in the am prior to my coffee, which I drink the entire day. Coffee is a diuretic but many elite runners use it speed the cleansing process and ultimately absorb more water. At the start of the New York Marathon I saw a ton of people in the elite start times drinking a cuppa joe. It doesn't require you to drink even more water and monitor for dehydration especially in racing.

That's it for today. My weight this morning was 185 even, so I've lost 2 lbs. Today I'm planning a 6.2 mile total run walk with Mary Catherine in the jogger stroller. 900 calories buys a larger lunch!

#Resolve - Day #38 Staying Motivated

2008-11-24T04:54:00.000-06:00

Good morning, today's weight is 185.5, I've lost 1.5 lbs. I've had a nice balance of physical activity for two days - 7 miles running and walking total = 1050 calories and smart eating with less than 50 total carbs and a high protein diet. It's very important to consider nutrition and vitamins now. I take a combination of 3000mg of fish oil daily, a Bayer 31mg aspirin regimen and a multi-vitamin (mega man sport from GNC).

Today I'm working from home and have enlisted my friend Jon Palfreeman to go for a long walk with me on the Fayetteville trail system. His son is in my daughter's class so we both are Daddy day care today and this will be a great activity for us and our children. It's just another way to involve others in achieving your goal and spend some quality social time too.

Measurement and tracking are important as well. I've got 93 miles to go on my goal of 100 miles before new years and 8.5 lbs. I try to always weigh myself at the same time each day and for me that's first thing in the am.

Thanks to everyone who is helping me achieve my objective, what's your #resolve challenge?

Day 39 # Resolve - Getting down to business - 16000 calories need to be cut

2008-11-23T13:57:00.000-06:00

Ok, here's the dealio. Weight loss is basic, calories in need to be less than calories out. So I know it's a bit more complicated than that but basically that's the magic formula. I will be the first to admit, I'm not a health expert or a fitness expert, I just know what works for me. To lose 10 pounds, I essentially need to burn or not consume 16,000 calories above and beyond the 2000 or so a day my body needs for fuel. Here's my top 7 list for getting started, please feel free to add your tips as well. Again, this has what has worked for me in the past (I'm not a MD)

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - preferably with water. It fills you up, has no calories and helps to flush your system. Especially helpful with the physical fitness side of your routine to remove toxins from your system.

2. Share your goal with others - I like to enlist my Wife's help. It creates a system of true ownership and she helps me work on diet at mealtime etc. I'm now trying this with an even larger audience so the effect should be amplified.

3. Cut the carbs - Don't eliminate them, just cut back. I set a goal of 50 carbs a day (not a lot). It pretty much means goodbye to bread, beer, chips, fries and pizza but hello to cheese, meat, eggs, wine (in moderation), high protein cereal, veggies and fruits etc. If you make this a drudgery it will be, have fun with it, go eat fajitas and just don't have the wraps, have wine and cheese as a meal. Eat a great omelet for breakfast. remember, this challenge is about breaking worn pathways, try something new.

4. Get a motivator talisman - Grab a new pair of running shoes, or some new workout gear. I bought a Livestrong hoodie and it hangs in my mudroom so I have to look at it each time I go to the Garage. I love the Livestrong brand as a great nexus of cause marketing and brand promise (more on that later) and the commitment that Lance made to himself and his sport is inspiring to me.

5. Schedule your success - I have about 26 hours of stuff to do in a 24 hour day. The only way I will be successful is to schedule my physical fitness into my day. I don't want to reduce the time I spend with my family so my choices are a. get up early, b. work out with them or c. eliminate some other activity in my life. In any case, I put it on my calendar like any other appointment when I plan my week.

6. Add a soundtrack - I double my workout time as a chance to also relax and listen to some music. Create a new mix in anticipation of your activity and let it help you to stay motivated. A great time to discover some new music as well. iTunes has a whole workout genre. Thanks L'il Jon!

7. Keep track - I create a mileage chart like the United Way thermometer. My goal for #resolve is 100 miles in 40 days, at roughly 150 calories a mile, that's 15000 total burned.

2008-11-23T13:04:00.000-06:00

As we move into the Thanksgiving week I began thinking about the regular routines I follow, one of which is the annual New Years Resolution cycle. Self improvement is a continual process and breaking well worn habits that don't result in long term success warrants some introspection. My experience goes something like this, I spend the week after Christmas giving some serious thoughts to what I'd like to improve about myself. Typical categories include family and social interaction, financial management, physical fitness, career and spirituality. I write and revise my goals and then on New Years Eve, I share them with my wife. Then I carry them with me all year.

On most accounts, I do pretty well at achieving my stated goals, over the past 7 years I've eliminated my consumer and installment debt, have built a great relationship with my family, my career is moving along well and I have a good grounding in my spiritual life. Physical fitness remains a continual challenge. Not that I don't try, I have been a runner since high school and running is a good outlet for my attempts to control my weight and health and even my stress level. It's fairly effective, my weight varies from 180-184 and has for the past decade. Each year I set a goal of 175 lbs as my optimal weight and begin to pursue a running plan to attain that goal. Usually, I'll pick a race to train for to keep me focused, I've run the New York Marathon, Georgia Marathon and the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon (Pictured here with my friend Cecily). I'll typically pull a training plan from Runners World and track my progress. my weight will drop as my overall metabolism increases and I can eat much more than usual without effect. The problem is that by the end of the year, schedules get hectic, food gets enticing and so by the time Christmas arrives, I've typically erased my gains from earlier in the year.

So this year, I'm going to try something new. I'm going to start my New Year's weight loss/physical fitness resolution a week before Thanksgiving. Hopefully, if I'm successful, I'll enter 2009 at my goal weight of 177 lbs and can focus on maintaining my weight and other resolutions. Additionally, by enlisting a support network community and perhaps inspiring others, I can be even more motivated to stay on goal. Finally, I can practice my Blogging skills with my first ever continual blog. While my challenge is to focus on weight loss, you could choose a part of your life you'd like to focus upon and enter 2009 with a full head of steam. The ultimate goal is to break the cycle of set it and forget it resolution making and create continual improvement leveraging a like minded network of supporters. Thanks for taking the time to read my posts, I hope that I can inspire a few folks to join me.

jfla