A very happy holiday season to you!

This has been an amazing growth year for my business. And I thank readers of this newsletter for being a part of that success. As I look forward to 2014 I wanted to share with you an exciting event I will be participating in this January. My friend, colleague, and client Julie Jakopic of iLead Strategies is hosting Don't Await It, Create It LIVE January 17- 19 in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. Julie calls this an "experiential event for Big Thinkers & Game Changers." The goal of the weekend is simple. Julie and her team (including me!) will lead you in a paradigm-shifting experience. You will leave with strategies to help you transform your personal and professional life. Don't Await It, Create It LIVE gives you space to discover--or reconnect with--your own creative energy, so you can always BE your best self. You can see how my work of helping you embrace your own authentic leadership presence fits right in!

My gift to you

I am sure Don't Await It, Create It LIVE will appeal to many of my clients, as well as other readers of this newsletter. I'd love to see you there! So I am offering you a special bonus for signing up to attend. The first five of my readers to register will get a free 40-minute consulting session with me. We can meet by video chat or phone call to work on an upcoming presentation, discuss your speaking style or other leadership communications issues. Simply register at this site, and e-mail or call me at 703.244.7546 to let me know you're attending. Then we can book your session. Have a presentation before Don't Await It, Create it LIVE? I can help with that, too!

Enjoy the holidays. I hope to see you early and often in 2014!

Tips you can use!

Be the toastmaster!

If you think there is a chance you will be called upon to speak at a holiday gathering, give it some thought. Less is more this time of year, so prepare a good (short) story to reinforce one key point, and your success will be assured.

Flash, not flesh

Ladies: a holiday party thrown by business colleagues is not the venue to "bare it all." No matter what you see on TV and the movies, this can only result in sabotaging your professional credibility. Please pass the word on to your interns.

Relax!

It's easy to get stressed this time of year, but you can sail through if you remember to breathe--deeply and often. Fortunately, delicious aromas and scents abound during the holidays. So take a deep breath of that wonderful pine tree or cookies-in-the-oven smell and feel your self unwind, unbend, and start smiling again.