Making Time Count, LLC

Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, Have you ever received a card, note, or postcard that left a lasting impact on you? I recently experienced just that, thanks to Kristen Christy, a truly remarkable individual. During her work travels in Greenland, Kristen surprised me with a thoughtful postcard. Such unexpected gestures are etched in our memories, creating enduring positive experiences that we cherish for years to come. Kristen's impressive credentials speak volumes about her character. As the co-founder of the National Veterans Vocational Village Foundation and an advisor for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, her dedication to serving others is truly inspiring. Beyond her professional achievements, Kristen's roles as a devoted mother and wife define her. Renowned as an international speaker, Master Resilience Trainer, and the visionary behind National Resilience Day, Kristen's impact is far-reaching and profound. I encourage you to take a moment to discover Kristen's story and introduce her to your network. Her commitment to building resilience and supporting mental health is a testament to the power of compassion and empathy. https://lnkd.in/eqXCurdc If you share a passion for humanity, follow Kristen's lead – send a note to someone special in your life. Let's cultivate meaningful connections and continue to Make TIME Count! #findawaytosaythankyou #specialsurprises #nevertoobusy #makingtimecount www.makingtimecount.com

“There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching out and helping to lift someone up.” — Bernard Meltzer Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, When facing unhappiness or despair, advice often centers around the need for change or trying something new. However, the power of giving presents a unique path to navigate uncertainty and uplift ourselves. Giving back to the community goes beyond aiding individuals or groups; it enhances our mood and perspectives with a sense of humanity. Donating to charity serves as a significant mental boost, empowering us with the knowledge that we are making a positive impact, leading to increased happiness and fulfillment. Remember, giving doesn't always require material items; the most impactful contribution can be your TIME. Every form of donation matters, highlighting the opportunity to build connections and, most importantly, to continue Making TIME Count! #givesomethingaway #timeisyours #boostyourlife #makingtimecount www.makingtimecount.com

Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, Bees are truly champion pollinators with over 4,000 species in the United States alone, and a whopping 25,000 species globally. These tiny creatures have high-energy needs crucial for their survival, just like effective leaders. Drawing parallels between bees and leaders, the queen bee and a leader share charisma that inspires and motivates their followers, fostering commitment until challenges arise. Similarly, both bees and leaders face the reality that underperformance opens the door for others to step up, highlighting the importance of recognizing and nurturing potential within the hive. Despite the hierarchical structure in bee colonies, the truth remains that worker bees are the ones getting things done. Unlike the fixed roles in a beehive, leaders have the opportunity to lead in diverse, creative, and innovative ways, shaping a culture that values communication, cooperation, and collaboration above all. Reflecting on the achievements of bees, it's crucial to acknowledge that true leaders continuously work on developing and growing their team. There is much to learn from bees in terms of teamwork, persistence, devotion, and more so, emphasizing the importance of empowering and valuing every individual's contribution to the collective success. Just like bees, leaders must prioritize meeting the high-energy of their people, and continue to grow their successors. I’ll close with a line from the Bee Movie, “According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyways. Because bees don’t care what humans think is impossible.” Leaders believe that anything is possible! Remember, we need pollination to occur, and we rely on our pollinators to make it happen. Leaders influence Leaders! Don’t step on any bees and keep Making TIME Count! #Leadership #Teamwork #Innovation #makingtimecount www.makingtimecount.com

Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, EXCITING NEWS!!! Please join me on this journey for HUMANITY. My great friend and Brother David Fischette has invited me to partner with him and the True West Foundation, which includes some amazing individuals and organizations that are passionate about GIVING BACK to their communities. As such, WE all echo the True West Foundation’s beliefs that there are opportunities, big and small, that are presented to us everyday to see people that are hurting and not just stand on the side lines, but actually do something about it, if we are willing to open our eyes and see them. Join us on the 60 for 60 campaign! We will partner with 60 organizations to do 60 projects (TIME, talent, or treasure), over the next 6 months (1 July - 31 December 2024). This is where you come in - Tell us who to help. What organizations in your cities are making positive impacts on others? Whether you volunteer your TIME, donate funds, or spread awareness about a cause, know that every little bit helps. This is and will always be about HUMANITY. Together, we could Make TIME Count! #humanityfirst #timetomakeadifferance #60for60 #makingtimecount

Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, As WE take TIME to celebrate America’s independence, let’s also remind ourselves why freedom is important. Freedom allows people to build lives of meaning and purpose. It is an essential component of human flourishing, which in turn, explores the freedom to create, innovate, and belong. In my personal opinion, I believe there are two (2) aspects of our freedoms. The first being how I choose to live my life. The choice of changing my mind on any subject, and not worrying about the opinions of others. The second part to our freedom is to be able to celebrate our families and friends. Realizing that we’re able to make a decision on how we want to spend our TIME and who we want to share it with. In the end, freedom plays a valuable role in the progression of HUMANITY. Prioritize what’s important, and if you believe in FREEDOM, then decide how you want to spend each hour of your day. Keep finding ways to thrive in all aspects of life, and more importantly, keep Making TIME Count. Happy Fourth of July to you and your families! #homeofthefree #freedomisntfree #timefreedom #makingtimecount www.makingtimecount.com

Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, I’ve been watching the Olympic trials, particularly the gymnastics men and women’s teams. While watching, the athletes shared home videos of themselves as children practicing. It actually inspired me to reflect on this question - When was the last TIME you praised yourself? You may not be dreaming of Olympic Gold, but if you want to truly reward your accomplishments, consider how you see yourself. Complimenting yourself, also known as self-praise isn’t a bad thing. Positive self-affirmation can help build self-esteem and confidence, especially when we’re not comfortable in our natural settings. As a consultant and coach, many of my clients face personal challenges within their personal and professional lives. It’s easy to extend compliments to people that you don’t know, but when it comes to ourselves, it’s not that simple. Compliments help form the foundation of our relationships because they allow us to express our appreciation for others. If you haven’t indulged in self-praise, start TODAY. Saying good things to yourself helps put positive thoughts in your mind, and pushes out the bad ones. Give yourself a genuine compliment for what you’ve been able to accomplish so far in life, and use it to promote a positive attitude towards your future self. Remember - There’s always TIME for self-love! I’ll share my personal commitment / compliment to myself: I'm so grateful for this opportunity. I’d like to know what your personal commitment / compliment to yourself is, if you’re willing to share it. Keep embracing who you are in order to be your best self, and keep finding ways to Make TIME Count! #complimentyourself #selfcarestartswithyou #positivemindset #makingtimecount www.makingtimecount.com

Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, If you say that something has seen better days, you mean that it is old and in poor condition. “Better days ahead” is an expression of optimism. It is spoken almost exclusively in the face of adversity. As I’m not privileged to know anyone’s political affiliation, I am very hopeful that most of you on this professional platform are likely to have watched the presidential debate. To quote NPR, “Elections aren’t won in transcripts. The reality is, fairly or not, debates are often about optics - how the candidates present themselves, defend their records, and parry attacks.” It is important, not only as a historical document, but also a glimpse into the future of our democracy. Regardless of your political views, we ALL witnessed a sad day in our modern TIMEs. I’ve felt political apathy, as the noise gets louder and louder. I woke up to the distress that our nation is open to disgrace, but as history has shown, we only control what WE have control over. Control is a very powerful word, as it involves the act of making decisions, setting boundaries, and exerting influence. When I felt like giving up, I remembered that there were better days ahead, and that I have full control of my own destiny. Stay focused on what’s important in your life, as this too will pass. Don’t allow the distractions around you to shape who you are and what life has to offer. It’s in these TIMEs where your true identity and authenticity will be challenged. Remain committed to your values, and remember, there are and will always be “Better Days Ahead.” Keep Making TIME Count! #betterdaysahead #remainpositive #beintentionalwithlife #makingtimecount www.makingtimecount.com

Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, Is there something going on with the economy that you’re still trying to figure out? I keep hearing that we’re in the middle of the worst inflation in history. For those in panic mode, it’s not true. Although, today’s dollar buys a whole lot less than it did 50, or even 25 years ago, the highest inflation in U.S. history was in 1917, when it reached 17.84%. If this is the case, what’s the obsession with shopping at Thrift Stores. I recently visited one, and could not believe the amount of people shopping. There’s definitely some truth that someone’s garbage is another’s treasure. Many of us shop because we love a bargain. But, thrifting seems to be a very popular place to seek out vintage items within a budget. Thrifting is unique because it allows the outside world to unveil a small bit of someone’s past. As I walked slowly through the aisles, I had an epiphany. I realized that one day, my stuff may be in a store just like this one. I’m certain that I’m not alone as we have ALL contemplated, why do we have so many things? It begs another question; are material or worldly things really as valuable as we think? As a result, we spend the best years of our lives working long hours to make good money, so that we can go buy nice stuff: houses, cars, fashion, and the most updated technology. It’s TIME to begin to focus on the things that truly matter - the people in our lives, the moments that are shared with them, and how much TIME we actually have left. Start focusing on experiences and create memories that will be engrained in our hearts, minds, and souls. Start seeking the joy, happiness, and fulfillment that are found in the simple things that life has to offer; HOPE, PEACE, and RELATIONSHIPS. We’ve ALL heard that you can’t take it with you when it’s your TIME to depart this life. It starts TODAY - Life is too short. Stop wasting TIME and start looking for those things that are not on sale at your local thrift store. Secure your personal journey NOW. STOP being thriftless with your TIME, and more importantly, keep Making TIME Count! #timeisnow #timeisnonrefundable #thisisallyouhave #makingtimecount www.makingtimecount.com

Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, Have you ever considered the power of a celebration? When we celebrate, we are reinforcing something important to us. Most of us are familiar with celebrating someone’s birthday, the birth of a new baby, or a wedding. Today, I want to focus on our personal celebration of TIME, but more importantly, how we spend it. There’s something deep inside humanity that loves to celebrate the best things in life, but as a society, I believe that we don’t celebrate the TIME that life allows us to enjoy and appreciate. As I head out to my next corporate engagement, I want to take a moment to celebrate my recent #MTC experience. I’m reflecting on the 4-hour workshop shared with Nineteeth Air Force (19th AF), and I want to celebrate our TIME together. Nineteenth Air Force is responsible for the training of more than 30,000 U.S. and allied students, ranging from aircrews, remote piloted aircraft crews, air battle managers, and weapons directors. They are also heavily invested in the United States Air Force Academy Airmanship programs, survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE) training, encompassing 19 Training locations and 16 Total Force Wings. I was invited to share some space with senior leaders who were open and vulnerable about how they lead others, but on many occasions, aren’t leading themselves. There’s a few moments in life when we have to let all of the distractions fade away, and concentrate on growth and development. This corporate connection was one of those moments. No barriers, no societal pressures; just an opportunity to allow clear perspectives of the importance of TIME, and its relevance to the power of influence, authenticity, and most importantly, self care. Needless to say, it was an emotional roller coaster that exposed basic truths about being intentional about what’s truly important in our lives. It is crucial to celebrate our shared humanity and the values that bring us together. I’m celebrating 19th Air Force for choosing to be better than the day before, and for Making TIME Count! #humanityfirst #powerfulconversations #lifechangingmoments #makingtimecount www.makingtimecount.com

“I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm’s way.” — Captain John Paul Jones Teammates / LinkedIn Leaders, The US Navy is an important part of our Armed Forces, and as such, they have many reasons why they are the nation’s sea power. Let me introduce you to MC3 Daniel Perez. He is originally from California, and serves as a Mass Communication Specialist. This is a new career path in the Navy’s arsenal. Their overall objective is to tell the Navy’s story. When I asked him why he was waiting by himself at the pier of the Intrepid Museum, he answered me with the most sincere answer I’d heard in quite some TIME. He said, “I’m waiting for my shipmates to arrive. They’ve been gone for a while and I want to just make sure they’re good.” Come on, was someone video taping me? It was a personal reminder that the most important asset throughout our Armed Forces are our people. Our young service members who volunteer to SERVE are revered because regardless of their “why,” they choose to possibly sacrifice their lives and limbs to protect our country. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to MC3 Perez’s parents who migrated to the U.S. from the Philippines for allowing us to have him on our team. I also want to thank MC3 Perez’s leadership team for continuing his parent’s values, by instilling the Navy Ethos and the Sailor’s Creed. BRAVO ZULU and thank you for Making TIME Count! #usnavy #navystrong #teamnavy #makingtimecount www.makingtimecount.com