Our 2nd Upbeat Dad Community Forum is at Hand

Our 2^nd Upbeat Dad Community Forum is here! And if it’s anything like the last one (in February), it should be a memorable event!  The concept behind the forum is to gather men and women together to speak about issues related to fatherhood. We’re looking at the question: Where Are Our Fathers?

Each night in the United States, 24 million kids go to bed without their biological father in the home. So many statistics prove to us that when fathers are absent, kids are at a disadvantage. They are more likely to drop out of school, develop substance abuse problems, go to prison, become teen parents, and the list goes on. Read Announcing The Upbeat Dad Community Forum for more background on our vision for this event.

We have an exciting line up of panelists. They are:

Sean Collin, Family Attorney

Brentton Jones, Senior Vice President, Miami Dolphins

David Lord, Broward Health and Director of Fathers Matter

Anthea Pennant, Feeding South Florida Director
Percy Ricketts, Family Therapist and Author

Our vision as an organization is to address the deep issues related to fatherhood and become an agent of change. The blog is our first tool in that endeavor. The forum is the second tool – as we meet face to face to address the issues. We’re developing so many other tools to address the problems that persist in our homes and consequently, in society.  There is much more to our vision so do remain engaged with us as we seek to have a lasting impact on our communities and on our world.

Here are the event details:

The Upbeat Dad Community Forum!

Where are our fathers?

And why are there so many deadbeats?

Come let your voice be heard!

You'll enjoy this intriguing discussion on fatherhood!

Where:

Cooper City Church of God Fellowship Hall

9191 Stirling Road

Cooper City, FL 33328

When:

Thursday, May 19, 2011

7 PM - 9 PM

Contact:

Contact: Rodrick Walters

Phone: 954-288-4788

Email: info@theupbeatdad.com

Cost:

Free and open to the public

Among the issues that will be addressed are: 

· Absentee father syndrome: Where are our fathers?

· How fair is the family law system?

· Why parents use children in a game of tug of war?

If you’re in the Miami area, do come out and share in this special evening with us. If you’re not able to make it, it will be taped and we will have video clips to share soon afterward.

Our kids are worth every moment that we invest in their well-being and development. The time we spend at the forum should be an empowering experience for parents and others who desire to see actively involved fathers in the lives of children. So we look forward to a wonderful and exciting evening.

Enjoy your day.

The Upbeat Dad

Coming May 19 - The Next Upbeat Dad Community Forum!

I'm pleased to share that our next Upbeat Dad Community Forum is scheduled for Thursday, May 19, 2011. Not sure what that's about? Read Announcing The Upbeat Dad Community Forum to learn more about the vision behind this event.

I'm quite excited about the forum because we're moving in the direction of addressing issues concerning fatherhood in a public setting. Honest, open dialogue is key as we carry out our mission to create more actively-involved, upbeat dads.

We have assembled an awesome group of panelists coming out the address the question: Where Are Our Fathers? Details of this event are below.

The Upbeat Dad Community Forum!

Where are our fathers?

And why are there so many deadbeats?

Come let your voice be heard!

You'll enjoy this intriguing discussion on fatherhood!

Where: Cooper City Church of God Fellowship Hall 9191 Stirling Road Cooper City, FL 33328

When: Thursday, May 19, 2011 7 PM - 9 PM

Among the issues that will be addressed are:

·         Absentee father syndrome: Where are our fathers?

·         How fair is the family law system?

·         Why parents use children in a game of tug of war?

Contact: Rodrick Walters

Phone: 954-288-4788

Email: info@theupbeatdad.com

Visit Our Blog: http://www.theupbeatdad.com

“We’re excited about fatherhood!”

Open to the public - Men and women are invited!

Free Admission!

Come on out and express yourself on this

thought-provoking subject!

If you're in the Miami area, please do join us that evening. I think you'll leave with information that will empower you and your family.

Have a great day!

The Upbeat Dad

It's Great to Be Back!

Hello, hello, hello!

I hope you're having a great day so far. Well, this post is the first in quite a while - just under 2 weeks. I've recently taken a brief hiatus from writing - it's for a good reason, believe me.

You see, in addition to writing the Upbeat Dad blog, I'm also a Certified Public Accountant. The past several months have been particularly intense as we've been in the middle of tax season here in the US. I've had more 12-14 hour work days than I care to think about just now. The tax deadline was Monday, April 18. So in the days leading up to it - and in the days since then - I've taken a bit of a break to focus my attention on getting as much of that work done as possible.

Although I've been consumed with my other work, I've still managed to do several blog posts over the past weeks. And with the powerful tools of social media, our message has been consistently shared via our Facebook page and our Twitter account.

We've even built our audience during this time. This is evidenced by the fact that even in the midst of the busy tax season, we experienced our most successful month since we started The Upbeat Dad blog last October. In March, we had the most hits in our brief history - over 7,000 in that month alone. I think that's awesome!

I always say that the message is much more important than the messenger. So when our message is shared via social media, whether a post was written today or last week or last month, as long as it has substance, it touches the hearts of people and makes a lasting impact in their lives.

Now then, let me just say thanks for tuning in to "hear" our message. There is so much to share. On a daily basis, I get thoughts and ideas to share with you. I simply jot them down on my "blog post ideas" list. So stay tuned - there's so much more to share!

Believe me when I say that exciting times lie ahead! In the coming days, you'll learn much more about some wonderful initiatives that we're working on - such as:

• the next Upbeat Dad Community Forum (which is set for Thursday, May 19)
• Charitable Organization of the Month

And starting this Friday, we'll resume our Upbeat Dad of the Week feature. The one this week will be quite special - it was featured on the NBC Dateline program.

It's great to be back! I look forward to some wonderful things! Believe me, the best days lie ahead.

Now go out and make it a great day!

The Upbeat Dad

Special Edition: Upbeat Dad Community Forum Recap!

Rodrick Walters welcoming guests to the event

On Fridays we generally do our Upbeat Dad of the Week feature. This week we’re doing a special post on our Inaugural Upbeat Dad Community forum which was held last week Thursday in Cooper City, Florida – just outside of Miami. Our weekly feature to highlight great dads will return next Friday.

I have written a couple of posts about our fourm since it was held – sharing a brief synopsis of the success that it was. Today, I’ll do a much more detailed analysis about it. I’m doing this post later than I would’ve liked because unlike the typical post that I do, this one entails gathering information from different sources – i.e. testimonials, evaluation forms, etc. Plus I wanted to make sure that in my busy 24/7 life, I did a post that did the event justice. For those who have anticipated this analysis, I hope that it was well worth the wait.

In the post, Announcing the Upbeat Dad Community Forum, I shared my vision of taking our vision to the next level. The analogy I used in that post was that the blog is like the air campaign in military combat. We’re currently over 13,000 hits and going strong with the blog. Readers from every continent are reading our messages each day. The forum and such events are more like the ground campaign. In this phase, we meet people face to face and seek to have meaningful, productive dialogue.

Rodrick and 2 of the evening's pannelists

I remember when the blog launched in October of last year, I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as public response. Initially, I had a few hits out of courtesy from people who I know personally. Other hits were out of curiosity. The first day we had a couple dozen hits. But what’s occurred since then has been nothing short of amazing. The blog has had a meteoric rise.

Today, in a typical day, we have over 200 hits. That’s way different from the approximately 20 hits we had at the outset. At this point, I’d say that over 95% of our readers I have never met – and though I’d like to personally meet each person who ever reads our blog, it’s quite likely that most of them I will never meet. Yet, we have the connection through this blog each day.

With our forum, I think that what happened was similar to what occurred with the blog. Many came out of courtesy; others, out of curiosity. But the fact is that they came. We had a very nice turnout – especially considering this was our first event. I was very pleased with the response by the general public.

One of my basic beliefs is that if you have a quality product, sooner or later, it will be noticed. It may be later, rather than sooner, but it will be noticed. With the buzz that’s been created with the forum and feedback I’ve received, I think that we’re going to witness another meteoric rise, as more and more people will come out to our events, as we seek to touch lives in a positive way.


Presentation by Sean Colin

Our MC for the evening was Vanina Arenovich Hochman, a licensed family therapist. She welcomed the attendees and introduced the organization in a formal way. She then introduced me. I, too, welcomed the attendees. I also told our guests about the brief history that got us to the point of having the event. Specifically, I shared my personal story – the one I wrote about in The Story Behind the Upbeat Dad. Then I talked about where we have come from as an organization since October.

Then came the highlight of the evening – the panelists and the forum. We assembled an impressive array of persons to address the question Where Are Our Fathers?  Here are the bios of our panelists:

Rodrick with Elizabeth Daugherty

Sean Collin is a partner in the firm Lyons, Snyder & Collin, P.A.  He has practiced family law since 2004. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and received his Juris Doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Elizabeth G. Daugherty has been a family law litigation attorney in Broward County since 1994. For the past few years, she has worked primarily as a family and circuit civil mediator. She graduated magna cum laude from University of Georgia and received her Juris Doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Brentton Jones is a Senior Manager of the Guest Experience Department of the Miami Dolphins football organization. In that capacity, he is dedicated and committed to growing, enhancing, and consistently building the depth and width of the relationship between the Miami Dolphins, its’ Season Ticket and Club Members.

Anthea Pennant of Feeding South Florida

Anthea Pennant is the Director of Development for Feeding South Florida. She has the task of managing fundraising and community relations for Broward, Miami Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe counties. She holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice (suma cum laude) from Florida International  University. She is a former parole officer.

Each panelist gave an overview of their background and the work that they do presently. The good thing is that each of them has a unique perspective on fatherhood but they all agree on one thing - kids need a present, active father in their lives.

Sean Collin spoke of the journey that led him to become a family attorney. A married father himself, he shared his experience as an attorney about how many fathers become introduced to the family law system in the least favorable circumstances. Some, as a result of relationships gone bad; others, as a result of domestic violence injunctions.  He sees his role as part attorney, part counselor, because both men and women, as they deal with family law issues, are typically in an emotionally fragile state.

 Elizabeth Daughterty shared of the challenges that some men have faced in the legal system – to the extent that they give up and walk away from their kids. She and I have a particularly good relationship. She represented me several years ago as I had some post divorce legal issues that needed to be addressed. It was quite interesting seeing her in this capacity, considering I was a father who reached out to her in a time of need. She shared the fact that the laws in Florida have changed significantly in the past couple years - changes are more favorable for fathers. It was based on her presentation that I wrote Post Divorce Parenting: Visitation vs. Time-Sharing.

Brentton Jones of the Miami Dolphins

Brentton Jones told of the journey that led him to become a Senior Manager with the Miami Dolphins football organization. He gave credit for his success to his parents and the positive, supportive environment that they created in the home. His parents reside in New Jersey but his mother was visiting Florida so she and his sister (who lives in Florida) were also present. He shared how his father instilled in him the mindset that he is always interviewing so he should always be his best in everything that he does. He also shared how, as the head of the Guest Experience department, he gets to see the emotional connection that dads have with their kids when they go to games or other Miami Dolphins activities. Both the young and old speak of the special time that they have with their fathers at those events.

Anthea Pennant spoke of her background in criminal justice. A former parole officer, she shared that in the vast majority of cases that she dealt with, there was a common thread – the absence of a father. A divorced/single mother herself, she spoke of the challenges of having an uninvolved former spouse in the lives of her children. In her present work, as manager of fundraising and community relations for Feeding South Florida, she sees that the individuals that her charity serves are typically single mothers who do not have the support of the father of their children.

Guest expressing his view on the subject at hand

The discussion was quite interactive. Attendees shared their unique perspectives on the subject Where Are Our Fathers. The panelists and attendees were engaged in what I believe was productive dialogue. I think that the most touching moment of the forum was when a gentleman – likely in his late 40s or early 50s – shared how he never heard his father say to him, “I love you.” He went his entire life without hearing those words. When his father was dying, as he went to see him in the hospital, finally, he heard the words that he waited a lifetime to hear, “Son, never forget that I love you.” Then he passed away. That testimony brought tears to a few eyes, including mine.

The event was extraordinary. We will be posting video clips soon so that you can witness for yourself just what a time it was that evening. The only thing that I believe we will do differently for the next event is allot even more time for the interaction between the attendees and panelists because when people’s voices are heard and their issues are addressed, it makes the event more meaningful and personal for each individual.

The Upbeat Dad support crew

We will certainly do it again – and again and again! That was a consistent theme on the evaluation forms – people love the message and the vision of what we’re doing so they want us to have more forums. That’s what I like to hear! We’ve struck a chord and the message is catching on – both online and in person.

I call the Upbeat Dad a revolution – a global movement that seeks to impact families in a positive way as we try to get men and women to recognize the very real need that kids have for actively involved fathers.

Our next event will be in the spring, here in South Florida. Stay tuned for that. Also, I promised that we will take the show on the road – and that we certainly will do. I have been developing contacts around the world – throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South America, Asia and Africa. And the need for what we’re doing is very real. As I said in my interview with BBC radio 2 weeks ago, “I don’t want to keep the message here in the US; it is for the world.”

Thanks for being engaged with us. We’re on a pace to surpass 15,000 hits on the blog and 900 followers on Twitter by the end of February. And as I always say, the numbers are not numbers to me – they represent lives that we can touch in a meaningful and profound way.

Continue to share this positive message with others. I strongly believe that together, we can impact the world for generations to come.

Rodrick Walters with Brentton Jones after the event

Enjoy your day today and every day.

The Upbeat Dad

Reflections on the Upbeat Dad Community Forum

We are now a few days removed from our inaugural Upbeat Dad Community Forum. It was certainly a wonderful event. This is just a brief post to share with you some thoughts and reflections based on the feedback I’ve received from others who were at the event.

I made a few phone calls thanking participants for coming. I also read through the evaluation forms. I’m quite pleased that our mission was accomplished. The feedback we’ve received has been extremely positive. It was our inaugural event – the first of many such events that we will have. I believe it was Rod Stewart who sang the song “The First Cut is the Deepest.” There’s nothing quite like the first time doing something. This one was quite memorable.

Be sure to read the post this coming Friday. I will do a much more detailed post on the event and where we go from here. You'll see pictures and you'll get a detailed analysis of the special time that we had.

For now, I just wanted to chime in to say we had a great time and we look forward to doing many more in the coming months and years. We’re on to something big – it’s a movement that’s way bigger than any person. It’s all about our families – a positive message for all.

Enjoy this coming week. And come back to our blog often. There’s always something new.

The Upbeat Dad

A Successful Launch!

On Fridays we generally do our Upbeat Dad of the Week feature. Since all our energies and focus have been on our inaugural community forum, which we had last night, we will postpone our feature this week. And next Friday, we're doing a special post on the forum. The following week, on Friday, February 25, we will resume our Upbeat Dad of the Week feature.

The forum was a great success as we had a very good turnout and a wonderful program. I will share much more about the event on Sunday. For now we exhale after a great kickoff to the new phase of our organization.

Today’s post will be abbreviated. I’m just reflecting on the fact that we set out last October to do something meaningful for fathers, mothers and children around the world. With the success of the blog, we certainly have made a positive contribution through that medium.

Now that our first public event has come and gone, we’ve entered a new phase – one where we can touch lives in a more direct way. Seeing, meeting and interacting with persons face to face is an awesome experience and I look forward to many more events of this type. The possibilities are endless, believe me!

As I said, today’s post will be abbreviated as we exhale from the successful launch of our community forum. Be sure to read next Friday’s post where you’ll learn much more about the forum. For now, we reflect on all that took place yesterday and all that lies in store for us and for the lives that we have the privilege of touching through our work.

Thanks for tuning in. The best is yet to come!

Enjoy your day.

The Upbeat Dad

Tonight Our Upbeat Dad Community Forum is at Hand!

As we go into our inaugural Upbeat Dad Community Forum this evening, I reflect on the entire purpose behind this event. It’s all about being of service to our fellowmen in a more meaningful way than we have before. As I shared in the post Announcing the Upbeat Dad Community Forum, I liken the live events to the ground campaign in military combat.  The air campaign is good – it subdues the targeted area; but it’s in the ground campaign that the victory is won.

When we look at the crises regarding fatherhood that we highlight on our blog, we clearly see that our families are at stake; the future of our kids is at stake. With the blog, I believe that we have been quite effective in making an impact via the internet. And that will always be a staple of our vision. I love the fact that people can tune in 24/7/365 from anywhere in the world and read our posts. I believe that there is enough information available on the blog to make a lasting impact.

But when we can meet people face to face and hear their thoughts and share with them, that takes it to a whole new level. There’s nothing quite like it. I strongly believe and anticipate that something special will be birthed tonight through this forum. It’s not a one-time hit and then we go back to the norm; We plan to have them periodically. Initially, it will be local but before long, we’re taking the show on the road. And when we do, we hope to impact the lives of men, women and children from every class, color and creed.

I reflect on the risk I took 5 years ago when I left the security of my job in the accounting world to not only start an accounting firm of my own but also to become more involved in the social agenda that I’ve envisioned for years. I love meeting people and touching lives so I figured that operating as an entrepreneur would better allow me to manage my time in a way to meet the different demands of my pursuit.

You’ve probably heard it said that a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. Well, I wrestled with the thought of leaving my “bird in the hand” for the “two in the bush” life. Aiming for the “two in the bush” is a risky proposition no doubt; nothing was guaranteed. But I also knew that if my vision were to come to pass, it’s a risk I would have to take.

I didn’t become an entrepreneur to become rich; I did it only to seek the freedom to fulfill my vision of making a difference in others’ lives. In the process of doing so, I do believe that great wealth will come into my hands but it’s not wealth so I can live the lifestyles of the rich and famous; it’s for the purpose of allowing me to have the resources to impact the world in a meaningful way.

I encourage you to join us as we take steps these next several weeks, months and years. It's our goal to build The Upbeat Dad into the type of organization that will be a beacon of hope for families all over the world.

So as we prepare to take this step, I pause and reflect on why we’re having this forum. I heard someone say, “When the ‘why’ is strong enough, the ‘how’ becomes clear.” My “why” can be best summarized with my poem, No Turning Back. I wrote it just before taking the leap into the entrepreneurial life. I call it Declaration of Independence – my tool of liberation to pursue this dream. Enjoy reading:

No Turning Back

Can’t do it any longer; I keep lying to myself.

The yearning and the hunger won’t go anywhere else.

It’s time to feed my passion; it’s time to take control;

it’s time to take some action before I get too old.

How can I serve humanity by sitting on the fence?

How can I give the best of me, living with this pretense?

I’ve got so much inside of me that I’ve got to let it out.

It’s time to give the rest of me, and that’s without a doubt.

No more procrastination; I won’t die in a cocoon.

And no more contemplation; I’ve got to do it soon.

Can’t live with all the sorrow; can’t see my dreams decay;

the fool lives for tomorrow; the wise man for today.

There’s a fire on the inside— one that I can’t contain—

that’s yearning for the outside, where it can have free reign

to lead me to my destiny; to where I long to be;

to burn for me eternally; to make my life complete.

With one look in the mirror, I know I’m on my way;

with each step I get nearer, so I must start today.

The world out there is waiting; it’s time to get on track—

this time, no hesitating; there is no turning back.

I hope that as you have read these words, you have contemplated your own life and its purpose. We’re only here on earth for a limited time so I believe that with everything within us, we ought to strive to make our lives count. I trust that the words of this poem will give you all the “whys” that you need to take the steps to make a difference.

Tonight is the night that’s been years in the making. Our community forum is at hand. This is what life is all about – making a difference in the lives of others.

Enjoy your day.

The Upbeat Dad

Hope for the Hurting after a Broken Relationship

As we prepare for our Upbeat Dad Community Forum, I have had the privilege of interacting with so many people. Some have heard me on the BBC radio interview I had last week. Some have heard me on the radio here in South Florida. Others I have met at different local events. Just yesterday I was at a political event for a cousin of mine who was recently elected as a City Commissioner in a neighboring city.

It seems that as I talk about the forum and the vision of The Upbeat Dad organization, collectively, the phrase I hear from people is, “This is so needed.” And that’s so gratifying to hear. It has been a passion of mine to share this beautiful message about fatherhood. I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised that it has caught on so quickly. I do not know anyone else who does just what I do so I thought it would take some time for the word to get out. I strongly believed in the message from day one but in my view, I’d have to become established and then get the right contacts in order to get this organization to where I envision it going.

But let me tell you that I’ve been blown away by the response. Online, this blog has gone viral, in a sense. Over 12,000 hits, over 800 Twitter followers, over 300 Facebook fans – all in just 4 months? Wow! And it really has nothing to do with me – it’s all about the message. I’m simply a messenger who’s passionate about sharing these valuable life lessons and recommendations about the institution of fatherhood.

So I thank you for tuning in each day. And I especially thank you for sharing the different posts with those who you believe will benefit. I believe strongly that as we receive, we should also give; that’s what life is all about.

As I’ve spoken with both men and women about our organization, one thing has become so apparent to me – people are hurting. They may smile when you see them; they might look well put together but they’re hurting. Men are hurt and women are also hurt.

This brings to mind something that occurred several years ago just before my divorce in the early 2000s. I was in the US Virgin Islands conducting a seminar. I had just left Puerto Rico and was on a high after full-filling a dream of doing a seminar in a Spanish speaking country. The morning of the Virgin Islands event, I made a phone call home and without disclosing the nature of that discussion, I’ll just say that based on what was said, I knew that the end was near.

At 6 AM in a luxury hotel on a beautiful tropical island with my room overlooking the blue sea, I was crying my eyes out. I cried so much that my stomach hurt and my eyes became red. But guess what? I had to do a seminar that day. I was the only speaker. So despite my hurting heart and all that I was dealing with, the show had to go on. At 8 AM, there I was, in a suit with a smile on my face, registering the participants and smiling.

That was one of the most difficult days of my professional career. Yet, I did my presentation and shared good information. I injected humor and got some good laughs and all went great! When the seminar ended at 4 PM, I was so relieved. When everyone departed I went back to my room and had to deal with the reality of my situation.

In my book Poems of Inspiration: A Daily Dose of Self Motivation, there’s a poem that I consider an autobiographical work; it really summarizes my entire life in a very real way. The opening lines are:

Don’t be fooled by the smile that I wear

For each smile you see has cost me a tear.

I believe the same can be said for so many individuals who you and I meet on a daily basis. Maybe right now these words have struck a nerve inside of you because you’re one of those who masks your tears with a smile. Believe me, these emotions are real and I very much understand them.

Just yesterday I was speaking with a gentleman who will be attending the forum. I never met him before but we made an immediate connection. He shared with me the horrific experience he went through when he divorced 5 years ago. He has since remarried but it’s quite apparent to me that he’s still wounded.

I also spoke with a mom yesterday who says she just wishes her former husband could be dragged kicking and screaming to the event because there’s no way he would attend willingly. He was a good dad when he was married but since he divorced, according to her, he also decided to divorce the kids. And they feel rejected and alone. She wants him to know that despite the ending of the relationship, the kids are innocent so they still need the unconditional love and support of both parents.

I can attest to just how real these emotions are. Have you ever heard the expression, “It cuts like a knife?” Well that, it does, believe me.

In preparation for the forum, I have reached out to other professionals to hear their thoughts on different matters. Yesterday I met with a family therapist. He’s a gifted man and his specialty is divorce. He has authored books on the subject. I will do a separate blog post on him before long so I won’t share all his information just yet.

But as we talked about my journey and why I even got to the point of starting The Upbeat Dad, he told me of some statistics that are downright scary. Over 50% of first marriages fail. The parties from those failed marriages, as they remarry, within 8-10 years, 75% of those 2^nd marriages fail. And the parties of those 2^nd marriages that fail, when they remarry, 90% of them fail within 5 years. In other words, the more you remarry, the less likely your new marriage(s) will survive.

We have many walking wounded among us and many of us have no idea. If you are one of these individuals, fear not – there is hope. You are not alone. Because you’ve been hurt by a former relationship, that’s not a death sentence. Your life goes on and in time, you can find love again. In my posts The Story Behind the Upbeat Dad and The Story of My Blended Family, I share my personal story. Life is a beautiful thing – it really is. But it’s not without its bumps and bruises along the way.

When relationships are broken and kids are involved, it makes it so hard. Sometimes you have such anger and resentment towards your former spouse. Yet that person is the mother or father of your child(ren). It just doesn’t seem right, I know. But that’s reality.

If you’re in the South Florida area, please do come out to our community forum. I think that you’ll find encouragement in a supportive setting. Dads, moms, singles, divorced, everyone’s invited to this event. And that to me is a beautiful thing. People with varying life experiences will be present and it’s all for a good reason – to highlight the importance of fathers in the lives of children.

If you’re present at the event, do take the time to introduce yourself. Over 10 years ago when I just began speaking professionally, one of my mentors told me, “Always be the first to arrive and the last to leave.” I try to live up to that responsibility because people make major decisions based on information that you share with them. I want to be attentive to each individual because, to me, everyone’s thoughts and opinions matter.

I very much look forward to our forum. It’s the kickoff of the new phase of our organization – live public events. To me, that’s when the fun really begins. Stay engaged along the way. And hang on with us for this beautiful ride!

Enjoy your day today and every day.

The Upbeat Dad