Being Genuine: What’s Really on Your Mind?
Zak: “I can’t be a hero because I am a — Down’s Syndrome.” Tyler: “What’s that got to do with your heart?” Excerpt From The Movie, The Peanut Butter Falcon …
Are You Being Authentic or Are You…?
“You have to be authentic with yourself before you can be authentic with others.” ~Joe Contrera * Years ago when I was married, my wife and I were going through a rough patch, and so we separated for a while. After a short time, we reconciled, and in celebration of our decision, we threw…
Leadership Faux Pas #6 – Being Disingenuous
A few years ago, a friend of mine was telling me about her experience visiting a series of TV talk shows. I was curious about her experience, so I asked her a series of questions regarding the various hosts. What was most astonishing to me was the various hosts’ use of the audience. And while…
Leadership Faux Pas #2 – Being Faux Real
“Being fake is so common now that being real is seen as offensive.” ~ Chris Ruden Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last decade, you are increasingly being bombarded by faux people, making faux claims, in an attempt to come across as faux real! Whether it is a politician in Washington flat…
Integrity, Authenticity & Finding Your Authentic Self
“Be yourself – not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.” – Henry David Thoreau Integrity, Authenticity & Finding Your Authentic Self For years we have talked ad nauseum about integrity. It seems to be a non-negotiable or a must have in any situation, corporate vision statement, or personal mission…
2020: Dragging You Down or Challenging You To Leap?
2020: Dragging You Down or Challenging You To Leap? “Then as it was, then again it will be, And though the course may change sometimes, Rivers always reach the sea..”. Led Zeppelin – Ten Years Gone Recently, I took a leap and followed a dream I had for more than ten years. I sold…
The Art of Leading, Coaching, & Influencing Others™: Integrity & Authenticity
The Art of Leading, Coaching, & Influencing Others™: Integrity & Authenticity A section from Joe’s new book, The Art of Leading, Coaching, & Influencing Others™ coming out later this year. Integrity & Authenticity Years ago when I was married, my wife and I were going through a rough patch and so we separated for a while.…
Putting Yourself Out There: When Authenticity and Risk Collide!
This is a story about a book, a book about what happens when authenticity and risk collide. I started writing my soon to be released book, I Could Love No One Until I Loved Me in early 2009. At the time, I was going through a pretty traumatic time in my life. It was the onset of what some called the ‘second depression’ and my business had been significantly impacted. In what felt like a matter of days, we went from having our best year ever to having one of our worst … overnight.
Empower Yourself: Count It All …
Do you make the choice to empower yourself? There is a saying, count it all joy, which is an interesting thought, especially if you feel like your sitting in a situation that feels like anything BUT joy. Most of us have been trained to look at what is wrong as opposed to what is right about a given situation. And a lot of this what’s wrong thinking comes from the way we were programmed along with our life experiences. Here’s what I know …
ALL IN – Change Your Commitments, Change Your Life!
Whether it is a decision to exercise or a decision to spend the rest of your life with someone you love … no commitment can be complete unless you are ALL IN! So how do you define ALL IN? Sometimes it’s easier to help you get a clearer picture of what something is by identifying what it isn’t! That said, here is a list to help you define – ALL IN.