Monthly Archives: June 2009
Change is good
| June 29, 2009 | Posted by Angela under Random, Words of Inspiration & Motivation |
For those of you that know my history, I started my career off at Rackspace back in 2003. I left Rackspace to work for PEER 1 in 2005 and spent the last 4 years at PEER 1. I have had the opportunity to work with some outstanding individuals (clients and employees) and have been a part of some great things. But business changes and sometimes you have to make change for yourself. Your gut will tell you when that time is.
I’d like to share a story that serves somewhat as analogy to my situation today.
If you look back on your childhood, I am sure you can name persons that had an impact on your life (positive or negative) that have helped you develop into what you are today. Persons that brought out the best or worst in you, helping you find the path you are suppose to be on. You didn’t know it then but you know it more than ever when you are out there in the real world trying to make some tough decisions. You have to sit down and take a look back on your life. Who are you? What makes you happy? What drives you?
How volleyball fits in
I grew up playing volleyball, playing since I was in 2nd grade. I am very passionate about the sport. From 5th to 8th grade, my school team didn’t lose one game in all 4 seasons. Her name was “Coach Debbie” and man, we thought she was so mean! She made girls cry all the time.
I also played club volleyball and my team made the Junior Olympics twice – once in San Jose, California and once in Orlando, Florida. I wasn’t the star player but I was always the dependable player. Volleyball taught me about discipline, gave me that competitive spirit and showed me what being a team player meant.
As a freshman in high school, I made the varsity volleyball team. I was excited and proud to have made the varsity volleyball team. Granted, I went to a private school but still, I was the only freshman on the varsity team. As the season progressed, I noticed that we weren’t very good and I hardly received any playing time. My coach would put me in 2 points away from the other team winning game. I didn’t have the chance to make a huge difference on the team.
The confrontation
I decided to approach my coach about it. I was nervous of course, I was just a freshman. She taught a geography class so I went to her classroom one day after her class let out. I asked for a few minutes of her time. I let her know my concerns about not receiving playing time and asked her what I could do to improve so I can play more often. All I wanted to do was help our team get some wins. She said this “Well, we have a lot of seniors on the team and it’s their last year to play.” I was so turned off by this and actually replied right back with “ Well, I didn’t realize the varsity team was built based on tenure, I thought it was built based on attitude and skill. If that is the case, then I want to be put on the Junior Varsity team where I know I will get some playing time so I can improve for the years ahead.” She was really caught off guard with my comment (and so was I) but she respected my comment and said that she wanted to keep me on the team.
She did end up playing me a tad bit more and I was able to get some solid playing time in. But it wasn’t enough. I didn’t feel that the team shared the same passion I did for the sport. Nothing against the team but my heart wasn’t it and it wasn’t a good feeling. I spent the next year there and decided that I wanted to leave the high school for a better opportunity.
The transfer
My parents accepted my decision and I transferred to another school my Junior year. I made the varsity volleyball team there. This was a solid group of girls that were passionate about volleyball, about their teammates and about having a good attitude. I will never forget our coach, “Coach Joyce.” She was tough. We practiced everyday except Sundays. We did pool workouts, weight work outs and speed workouts. She had us on a diet and that’s when I learned about protein shakes. I remember being in so much pain. But at the end of the day, we all wanted to feel that pain because we knew it would bring us to that win. We went on to win the state championship. It was the best decision I ever made.
The purpose of me telling this story is that first, I remembered it so I had to write it down so I never forget it. But when I think about it, I realized that my volleyball journey gave me the opportunity to know what it felt like to be passionate about something. When that passion was gone, I felt it and was more inclined to do something about it. Today, I am passionate about many other things and it all revolves around helping others and improving my well being. I want be part of a team that shares that same passion.
Rackspace had a great opportunity that I was fortunate enough to have offered to me. Sometimes change is good and I don’t see this transition being any different.
I hope I can inspire others see the opportunity for a change and embrace it.
Qualities of a Great Leader
| June 24, 2009 | Posted by Angela under Random, Words of Inspiration & Motivation |
When I read Nan Palmero’s MySA blog posting on his thoughts what makes a great leader, I was inspired to write my own thoughts on leadership. Many of us have different views on what we believe to be necessary qualities of true leaders (although attitude will almost always be one of them). I think every leader should have the following 5 qualities :
Willing to engage
I believe that leaders have to be willing to go out and meet people, get to know them on a personal level and be able to find a unique quality in that person that can be used to have a positive impact on others. I think often times, persons in high level positions don’t see the importance in engaging with others at various levels. You cannot be a leader without followers. You create followers by listening, understanding and helping.
Doesn’t get hooked on titles
One of my favorite books is “You don’t need a title to be a leader” by Mark Sanborn. When someone asks you where you want to be in 10 years, your answer shouldn’t be “I want to be a CEO of a company” or “I want my company to be #1 in the industry.” What matters most is how you get there. If you do all the right things, you will be put into a position to lead. One of my favorite quotes from a leader was from Lanham Napier, CEO of Rackspace. When Rackspace went public, they hosted a large employee event to announce the news. I joined my husband for the event. When Lanham went up to speak, one of his comments really stuck with me. He said something along the lines of “Rackers, I do not want to walk through the office and see the stock ticker on your desktops. If we continue to provide Fanatical Support to our customers, the numbers will speak for themselves.” Focusing on the fundamentals and doing what is right for the customer is what will drive them to be a leader.
Attitude
Regardless of your skill level, experience, the number of people you know, you can never be a good leader without having an optimistic outlook on life. You may end up in unfortunate situations, someone may have burned you, you may not like everyone you meet but if you cannot find an optimistic outlet, it is almost impossible for you to succeed. You may be able to get by in the short run but you will never be able to endure leadership in the long run.
Brings others with you
Being a leader is not about you, it’s about everyone around you. It’s finding ways to bring out the best in others so that they too can lead. One of my favorite quotes was from Obama when P. Diddy interviewed him 4 years ago before he was president. Obama was talking about celebrities and other high profile individuals like P. Diddy and said this: “There are a lot of brothers and sisters out there that are doing well but aren’t thinking about the folks being left behind. And if you can’t reach back and pull some folks up with you, then you shouldn’t be in the position you are in right now.”
Always willing to learn
Leaders should always be accepting that they don’t know everything and should look forward to learning from others. One of the most inspiring stories for me was that of Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s. He was a high school drop out and although extremely successful, he started “realizing that his success as a high school dropout might convince other teenagers to quit school (something he later admitted was a mistake).” So he became a student at Coconut Creek High School and earned a GED in 1993, at the age of 60 yrs!
We are never too old to learn.
Local Stylist wins 2009 Texas Stylist Cover Contest
| June 2, 2009 | Posted by Angela under The Arts, Film, Music, Fashion, Why I like San Antonio |
Sonia Rodriguez from Got Hair? salon in San Antonio, Texas entered the cover contest for the 2009 Texas Stylist and Salon Newspaper. She submitted 3 different looks from 3 different models and one of her looks won! She did an edgy cut with a hot shade of red.
Sonia is married to a co-worker of mine at PEER 1, Joe Rodriguez, and together they own and operate their new hair salon, Got Hair? Sonia has been doing hair for 11 years. She is very passionate about what she does and definitely has an eye for style. I recommend her to anyone in the local San Antonio area. She has also been featured in the NSIDE San Antonio November 2008 issue.
Sonia is young, smart and beautiful and a great role model for our San Antonio community. Great job Sonia!
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