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Doesn’t it feel good when your boss or your colleagues recognize your efforts at work? It does something to your self-esteem. It makes you feel more confident.

Well, we learn all about this from a young age. Just recently, my almost 8-year-old son was “Star of the Week” for his second-grade class. This was a huge boost in his confidence. He was able to tell his class about himself and share what things are important to him. He produced a video on his artwork and showed kids his creative side. I was able to assist in class one morning and together we taught his classmates a craft. And finally, on Friday the entire class wrote positive notes and endorsements for John Robert.

This whole experience was brilliant. If companies took this kind of approach with their employees then employees would not only be more engaged, but they also would feel more appreciated. Everyone deserves to be recognized. Recognition works. Why not give it a try?

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

What were you watching on February 1, 2015? The 49th Super Bowl would be my answer.

What a game! It was close, it was exciting, and it was downright unpredictable. Although if you are a true Patriots fan; one never loses hope. So with less than 30 seconds left in the final quarter, it looked like the outcome was not going to be good; that’s when it happened. When I watched Malcolm Butler’s interception at the 1-yard line it proved to me that anything was possible. What an incredible game! What an incredible memory! The Patriots won their fourth Super Bowl and were once again on top of the world. Bostonians are proud. We persevered through three tough quarters, but we never gave up hope.

February 2015 is going down in history as the highest snowfall month in Boston of all time (85 inches). For the season, we’ve received slightly over 100 inches in Boston proper (#2 all time, and the potential to be #1 is only 7 inches away). The difference between this and other seasons is that the snow all fell within a four-week period of time. We had four storms in 3 1/2 weeks. And kids were out of school every Monday and Tuesday in the beginning of February and some snowbanks are still over 6 feet high. Massachusetts parents and kids persevered.

If you need some help in perseverance, don’t delay, call Lisa today. Everyone gets into difficult situations in their lives, whether it be at work, school, home or otherwise. Part of persevering requires that you have a plan, know where you are heading, and staying on course. An executive coach is just the right partner to help you with all of those activities.

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

I hope that everyone is enjoying the New Year. Here in the Boston area, we were hit with over 2 feet of snow (some places received over 3 feet) and more is on the way. This photo is of my son John Robert and his little cousin Mia after sledding through 2+ feet of snow.

This is the time of year that people seem to want to stay inside and curl up with a nice book by the fire. But it is also a great time to be preparing for the rest of your year. By now I hope you have set your goals, and if one of them involves improving your professional life, then let me share something new that I know will help, a Career Strategy Session (CSS). For those that attended my Goal Setting Webinars in January, you know that your goals help to set your direction for the year, but it is only a first step. You need to then flush out the detailed plans to achieve those goals. An important first step in any plan is defining the all-important strategies that you will use. The strategies lead to tactics, tactics to explicit actions.

Having worked with a number of clients in transition and those just wanting to improve their professional standing, I have used this approach successfully and now want to extend this as an individualized service to all of you. So what is a CSS?   It is a 3 step process consisting of some up front assessment work, an analytical review and then formulation of specific strategies aimed at your goals. The strategies will then lead you to your plan for the year. It may sound overused, but “failing to plan is planning to fail” (Ben Franklin), it is as true today as it ever was. If you are serious about your career then you owe it to yourself to spend the time and effort since the only person responsible for your career success (or failure) is you. Past clients have found these exercises to be very effective and as an added benefit when you work in this manner it helps you to build confidence and give you a positive attitude.

If you are concerned about the cost, don’t be. I am offering the CSS for $99 , but for the month of February, anyone who signs up will receive a 20% discount making the CSS only $79 .

Everybody needs a buddy or an accountability partner. Who is yours? My son John Robert has his little cousin Mia on board helping him make good choices as he steers the sled. So come sit down on my sled and enjoy the ride.

If this is something that you could use click here and request your CSS? Feel free to pass this along to your colleagues and friends and if they are interested I will honor the discount for them as well as long as they mention your name.

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

GOALS ARE GOOD!

Happy New Year! The New Year offers you the opportunity to not only look back but also (and perhaps more importantly) look forward. Let’s start by answering the following questions:

1. Will 2015 be your year?
2. What are you going to do to make this year different from others?
3. What actions are you going to take to ensure that you are happier, healthier and more satisfied with your job and your life?
4. Are you ready to make transformational changes in your personal and professional life?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you owe it to yourself to take a step back and really spend a few moments thinking about what you really want in your life. Many people think about resolutions for the new year, but few ever follow-through. Studies show that you can be much more effective if you set goals for yourself. It also helps if they are SMART goals and I like to tell people about the double meaning for SMART Goals.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Actionable
• Reasonable
• Time-bound

From my coach training days I also learned about the additional ART in SMART meanings:
A= Articulate, R=Resonate, T=Thrilling

If you want to change in your life you need to take action. You need to be willing to address and create change. The first step in that process is to set Goals and start your year off with a plan. For the last several years, I have given seminars and led workshops on Goal Setting and Execution. This year I am again offering a complimentary webinar to my list subscribers. The webinar is scheduled for Friday, January 9th from 12:00-1:00 pm EST. To reserve your spot please send me an email and I will provide you with the webinar access information.

This is an interactive webinar; not a lecture format. If you have already started to work on your goals great. Feel free to bring what you have done to the webinar and there will be an opportunity for you to share examples. Then you can make the rest of 2015 the most productive year of your life.

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

It was 4 years ago in November when John Robert had his Open Heart Surgery. We were back in Children’s Hospital last month, but it was a false alarm. His monitor was showing artifacts. He is fine and doing great.
Every November I can attest to how grateful we are as a couple and as a family. I like to take the time to recognize the importance of good health. It should not be taken for granted since it makes all the difference in the world.

This fall we were also Thankful that Mom and Dad Sasso celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. We greatly appreciated all the friends and relatives that could gather with us to celebrate this special occasion. Fifty years of marriage is something to marvel at.

I thank God every day for my second set of parents. I have known them for the last 30 years (1984) when I started dating their son. They have been there for all of us in good times and the bad. They are great people and they do so much for so many that it was nice that we could all do something for them.

Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving. May your holiday be extra special!

Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach

Tonight is the infamous day that we set our clocks back and get an extra hour in our day.
What will you do with your extra hour? Make it count. Whether it be having a conversation with a significant other or reading a book to a youngster make it count.

Yesterday was Halloween and we enjoyed all the little treaters. My little guy was Super Sasso or Superman. 

After a Halloween party and trick or treating around the neighborhood, we finally made it home. When we got home, my son sorted out all of his candy and then he wrote out his treats on a piece of paper. We quickly graphed out the 73 pieces on the computer. The sorting and the writing took time but then we were able to make school cool with the computer; it was fun.

I hope that you are enjoying this fall season. Enjoy your extra hour!

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

What is your true calling?

What do you actually do or want to do? What are you put on this earth to do or achieve?

Below is a creative job interview for a Director of Operations Position. It is like no other that you have ever seen. Please watch this 4-minute video to the end and you will be able to relate to this job if you see it to completion. Over 18 million people have already viewed this video. It contains a very meaningful message. Enjoy!

There is one thing that we all have in common, we all have or have had a Mom in our lives. Many of us have taken on the additional role of being a Mother as well as our own occupation. Being a Mom is truly a labor of love. It is a job that takes a lot of sacrifices.

Moms always put their “associates” first. Being a Mom is the most wonderful job in the world and it is truly the title that I am most proud to hold. 

The birth of my miracle son seven years ago completely changed my life and let me fully realize what was most important in life, family (a lesson many never learn). I feel blessed to have both my beautiful Mother and my lovely Mother-n-law in my daily life. They have been my teachers, my mentors and my coaches in Motherhood and I am forever grateful for their sage advice. (Even the advice that I didn’t ask for!)

Happy Mother’s Day to all of your Moms. Also, Happy Mother’s Day to all of my friends and colleagues that are Moms.

Thank you for your dedication to making the world a better place as you care for, give to and develop our next generation. Our Children are the future and motherhood is a tough but important job.

Lisa Sasso
Executive Coach/Motivational Speaker

Vacations are Vital!

Yes, taking two vacations in one month is possible. We just did it!

We started 2014 off in Orlando, Florida. On New Year’s we walked around Sea World as a family. Then we met up with my college friend and sorority sister Roxanne and her family. We had a blast together. We actually stayed in Florida until Jan 6th and we conveniently managed to miss the first big snowstorm of the year. Perfect timing. Also, while on vacation, 2 Medical Device Professionals contacted me directly ready to move forward with coaching. They have become clients. What a great way to start the new year!

My husband and I were back to work the following week and our son was back to school. It was a busy week and the next weekend we left for a 4 day get-away to Las Vegas. By leaving over the weekend we only missed 2 days of work. The main objective for our trip was to celebrate my mother-n-law’s upcoming 80th birthday. She didn’t want a big party. Instead, she was clear that she wanted to go to Las Vegas in the winter, see shows, and gamble. Well, we satisfied all her requests and she was quite lucky as well.

It is now February! If you haven’t started to think about your 2014 vacations you really need to do that right away. This is important since this is time for you. Vacations help revive us and give us energy. Most importantly vacations clear and refresh our bodies as well as our minds.

How did we do it? We planned ahead for flights and we stayed at our timeshare in Florida and transferred our timeshare points for Vegas. We had specific vacation goals that we wanted to achieve with fun and relaxation topping the chart.

• My vacation goal was to avoid cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. This was accomplished on both vacations and my basic vacation goals were achieved.
• Our son wanted to swim in a pool every day; he was able to do this during our Florida vacation and he was thrilled.
• My husband was able to sleep late, relax and read non-fiction books so he was also satisfied.
• As a couple, neither of us gambled, however, we enjoyed our hot stone massages and shows. We came back to Boston well rested and ready for work and the next snowstorm.

I always book our next vacation as soon as I return from vacation. I would recommend this strategy since it will always give you something to look forward to and to plan on. Realize that anything is possible if you want it bad enough? Isn’t your vacation worth scheduling? You put all of your meetings and engagements on your calendar, right? Isn’t your time off a necessary step to bring you back to producing your best work and really feeling your best?

Vacations are Vital!

If you need more balance in your life and you are not good at scheduling downtime or planning your vacations you should reach out to me. I can help.

Lisa Sasso
Executive Coach/Motivational Speaker
www.MedDevCoach.com
781-872-1045