“Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you’ll be a success.” Al Schweitzer, humanitarian

“I believe that you need to love what you do and have balance in your life and then you too can achieve success.”  L. Sasso

For my friends that appreciate a simple formula, here it is:

Passion + Balance = Success

So what is your passion?  What gives you pleasure?   What type of work excites you and gets you motivated?

• Do you want to work in a job that uses your skills, talents, and experience?
• Do you want to work for a company that appreciates you and rewards you?

Do you spend quality time each day with your family and/or your friends?

• Do you want your days to fly by (both at work & at home)?
• Do you want to look forward to each day with new personal and professional challenges and experiences?

If you have found all that, Congratulations!  You have found Success!

1. True success has nothing to do with how much money you earn.  It is how you feel about what you do in your life both personally and professionally.
2. If you get up every morning and you are ready and excited about the day and what you are doing, then you are truly living your purpose.
3. If you go to bed each night satisfied with your day and sleep soundly, then you are at peace.

If the above reasons resonate with you, then:   Congratulations!  You have achieved success.

On Sept., 30th I had the pleasure of moderating an expert panel of Medical Device Professionals.  Each panel member was passionate about the work that he/she does in the Device Industry.  The panel consisted of four Successful Professionals in the photo above: (Arnie Feinberg, Lisa Sasso, Art Combs, and Terri Marion)

• A Successful Serial Mechanical Engineer
• A Successful Executive turned Executive Coach
• A Successful MD turned Medical Device Executive
• A Successful Mechanical Engineer turned Medical Marketer

This group captured the attention of the audience with their stories, humor and honesty.  The Sept. MDG event, “Transitioning into & within the Medical Device Industry” completely filled the room.  If you were there and you participated in the exercises, the Q & A or the networking then you also contributed to the success of this program.  Thank you!

• I have updated the Transitioning Group Event to include some of the facts and figures that I shared at the Sept 30th event.
• This month’s free skillset class for clients will take place on Thursday, October 29th at 12 noon.

Whether you were there or if you missed this event I would like to know about another event. On Mon, Nov. 23rd at Constant Contact, my husband John (MSEE, BSEE & MBA) and I(BBA Marketing, BA Economics & MBA) will present together at C-NET (IEEE).  The topic will be “Using your skills and talents to successfully work in the Medical Device Industry.”  I will cover the soft skills and John will cover the hard skills.  Good news:  if you are on this email distribution list you can attend this event for free.  Simply mention my name when registering for the event (or at the registration desk).  The program consists of networking, our presentations, Q & A and additional networking.

In closing, if you need my assistance finding and doing work that you really want to do, and living a satisfying and well-balanced life, please contact me today. Then you can follow your passion, enjoy what you do and experience your own success.  You deserve it!

What are you doing for yourself today so that you can experience more success in your life?
 

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

“You can rest assured that if you devote your time and attention to the highest advantage of others, the universe will support you.” R. Buckminster Fuller

I hope this month’s motivational message moves you to take advantage of one of the following.

September 30, 2015, MDG Event — Annual Transitioning into and within the Medical Device Industry!

This will be my 9th year championing and moderating the Annual Transitioning into and within the Medical Device Industry Event on Wed., Sept. 30th at Constant Contact in Waltham, MA. This is my way of devoting my time and attention to the highest advantage of others. Come learn about the Medical Device Industry, develop a personal value statement, network with people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines and listen to a top notch panel of professionals that successfully transferred into the Medical Device Community. This is MDG’s largest Networking event, please share this event with others. For more information and to register please visit www.MDGBoston.org.

NEW ! Top 10 Ways to Achieve Balance Now! I can help you achieve balance personally and professionally and so much more.

This month, I have added a FREE Report/Poster Offering on my website, www.MedDevCoach.com, when you sign up for my monthly Motivational Messages.

Since day one, many individuals have approached me for coaching support during career transitions. In fact, close to 1/3 of all of my clients are Medical Device Professionals in Transition. I offer special rates and tailored coaching packages for individuals in transition to provide them with a little more flexibility and financial relief since transition often means a tight budget. If you know people in transition that desire to work in Medical Devices, please send them my way.

As one more added benefit, I will be offering my clients small transitioning conference calls once a month. These calls will focus on key skills, lessons learned, networking & interviewing skills and setting goals. There will also be sharing of tips and tricks to be more productive and efficient in their job search. This is just one more way I can give back to the industry and those in need. Click here to learn more about Transitioning Groups.

Finally, I hope that you check out my new and improved website. It has an updated look & feel, new content and it is now also “mobile-ready” on all devices. I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions that you would like to share. I am here to help and support you!

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

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” Frederick Keonig

We have a few weeks of beautiful summer weather left. After the winter we had this year in Boston, most people are appreciating this ideal weather with sun, no humidity and gentle breezes. So, what can you do, can you recognize it and capitalize on it? (On all of it) The weather, time of year, peoples’ relaxed attitudes, kids being off of school, BBQ’s and most importantly quality time with family and friends. That is absolutely critical. Appreciate what you have!

Having work/life balance is essential if you want to appreciate what you have in your life. If this was your last day on earth would you be satisfied, not only with what you have but also with how you spent your last day? Think about that.

Enjoy every day!

I am a firm believer in working hard and playing harder. That means giving full effort and energy for work while exerting even more effort and energy during your weekends and time off.

See if you can work a little extra on Monday-Thursday and then try to carve out a 4 day work week and a 3 day weekend for yourself. This is a magical experience and a schedule that one could certainly get accustomed to. Many companies are more flexible during the summertime and they can usually accommodate employees taking some Fridays off. There are only a few opportunities for this before Labor Day. Three day weekends can really give you a good amount of time to decompress and help you to feel more energized, rejuvenated and alive.

Remember, in the summer, the days are longer. Now, is the perfect time to swim in a pool, enjoy a bike ride, take an invigorating run or simply stroll around the block, lake or park. There should be less evening meetings and commitments and more time to spend with your families and friends. The people that really matter in life.

Do you recognize and appreciate your time off? Do you spend your downtime with people you care about and doing things that matter to you?

Take time now to appreciate what and who you have in your life. We only get one opportunity on the carousel of life.

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

“Nobody will ever care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Theodore Roosevelt

Happy Birthday USA & Happy Birthday Aunt Debbie & Happy Birthday Nicolas!

We had a busy July 4th weekend. We celebrated the Birthday of America at my brother Joe’s with family and friends. The next day we celebrated my nephew’s 11th birthday and Aunt Debbie’s 85th birthday (born on July 4th). Did you do something special and create some memories on America’s birthday?

Birthdays, Wedding Anniversaries, Work Anniversaries, Holiday’s and Special Occasions all deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated. Don’t you feel special when someone remembers your birthday? You can do this for your family, friends & customers. Don’t they deserve to feel special too?

Many of my married friends celebrate their Wedding Anniversary and do something special to acknowledge that event. So what about companies? What would you think about a company that acknowledges the employee’s work anniversary and also gives special recognition for various years of service?. Big companies used to do things like this, so why don’t many companies do this anymore? It is part of a company culture issue. However, you can create this for your company.

We all strive to be appreciated. You work hard and recognition and acknowledgments are two things that are easy to do. They make an impact on how someone feels about the work that they do.

From the beginning, as President/CEO of Radi Medical Systems, Inc. I developed a unique culture. Employees were appreciated, and we used other incentives such as our culture, stock options, and new technology (that truly helped improve patient care) to entice the right people to join our team. We also tried to remember the special events that our employees were celebrating with a card and a cake. As we got bigger, we celebrated monthly birthdays or key birthdays at tradeshows. It really is the small stuff that makes the biggest difference and what people remember most.

“Nobody will ever care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It really works.

So remember, whether you’re the head of a household or head of a company, you set the example and you can create a culture of caring.

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

My father was my very first mentor.

He has many traits that I respect and admire and have always tried to emulate. Dad has always been a provider. He is a hard worker, friendly, outgoing, family-focused and goal-oriented. It is pretty obvious now, that as a kid, I was given the right training and skillsets to start my development in becoming a coach.

Dad gave me confidence, support, and constant encouragement. He was (and still is to this day) my biggest cheerleader and I always knew that I could go to him for anything. Growing up he always said, find something that you love to do. He encouraged me to find my passion and go after it.

My Dad had a 42-year career at the Boston Edison Electric Company. He started as a draftsman and he left as an Accountant. Education was important to him, so he went to school several nights a week. My brothers and I were still in elementary school when he earned his Accounting degree from New Hampshire College. We were so proud of him on his graduation day and we aspired to graduate someday, just like dad. Dad taught us that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.

Throughout the years, there were many lessons that Dad taught us about people. His experience with politics taught me a lot about how to network. As a young girl, I learned how to shake someone’s hand, how to maintain good eye contact and to remember people’s names and personal things about them. I learned it by watching him and then imitating him. Dad is a master communicator. He has the ability to meet new people and develop new friendships. He is a very likable guy and he is knowledgeable about many different things.

As an adult, I still learn a lot from my Dad. One of the most important lessons that Dad has taught me is the importance of having a mentor in your corner. Dad was my own personal teacher, counselor and trusted advisor. I know that everyone needs someone. No person is an island and we all need a mentor to bring out the best in us.

Since today is Father’s Day, I would like to recognize all Father’s who not only provide for their families but also spend time with their children. 

I want to say a special Happy Father’s Day to my Dad and thank him for giving me the skills for mentoring and coaching others. Also, thank you to my father-n-law and my husband who are also wonderful Dads. I am grateful to have all these Dads in my daily life.

What mentor in your life has been instrumental to you and your development?

Who are you thankful for today?

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

Today is a special day, this Mother’s Day holiday affects everyone everywhere because everyone has a mom. It is a great day to celebrate our moms and enjoy their day with them. That is what we do each year, and that is what our plans are for the day.

I really consider myself both fortunate and blessed to have not only my birth mom, Camille but also another mom in my mother-n-law, Virginia. These special ladies are two of my very best friends. I love to spend time with both of them and (to this day) I am still learning from each of them. They are so good at telling me what I could do or what they would do given any circumstance. I love listening to their sage advice. I often even follow it. After all, Mothers know best.

I think that motherhood has a special bond associated with it. I was not able to fully appreciate this bond until I was 38 years old, and had our son John Robert. I vividly remember holding my little miracle baby in my arms on my first Mother’s Day. We were still at Children’s Hospital and it was several weeks after having him on machines and watching him lie by himself in a bed on the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. I was just grateful that he was alive and it seemed like nothing else truly mattered. I was focused and my whole mission in life was to raise this child and keep him happy and healthy.

Fast forward eight years later, that little miracle that came too early and who had cardiac defects and complications is now a very active and compassionate kid. I never thought I would see him play basketball which he loves to do. He also enjoys art, drama, dance, and swim. He likes just being busy and is a very involved child. About two weeks ago we celebrated his 8th birthday, and last weekend we celebrated his 1st Holy Communion with family and friends. We were surrounded with love. His Dad and I couldn’t be any more proud of him. He knows all of his prayers, he understands his faith and he is a really good kid that loves to share love and affection with others.

The little man dressed in white is my little angel. He has taught me what is important in life and how to best prioritize my schedule. I put his needs first. I guess that sums up motherhood. It is doing whatever it takes to get the job done. It is about unconditional love, nurturing, support and encouragement all at the same time. It is all the things that my moms have done for me over the years. I want to say thank you to them. Happy Mother’s Day to all Mother’s on this special day and to all of you who have a mom in your life. Everyone has their own challenges, but as a mom, you rise beyond them and put your kids and family first. I have had several job titles, but I am most proud of earning the title of Mom in 2007. It is a job that I will gladly do and cherish and a job that I will have for life.

Motherhood is a blessing.

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

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