According to Benjamin Franklin, there are very few absolutes in this world except for death and taxes. We can rarely use words like “always” and “never” because those statements often come with asterisks, caveats, and options. But, with all due respect to Mr. Franklin, I believe I have found seven absolutes of success. The Seven Absolutes of Success Failure is never fatal. As the Dalai Lama said, “When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.” Learn from how you’ve failed to build your business and charge ahead. Success is never final. Earl Nightingale said, “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.” There is more to achieve, enjoy, pursue, grow into, and give away. Success…

Tom Peters once said, ”If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.” But if we don’t prepare, if we aren’t ready to climb through that window, the opportunity will be lost. And it is a choice whether we will anticipate and prepare for that opportunity. If we want to succeed in any personal or professional arena, we need to know what we want and what it will take to get us there, and then take the steps necessary. If we want to be able to purchase a home when it comes on the market, we need to line up the financing and get our current house ready…

Everyone has diamonds buried inside of them: big ones, little ones, ones that might brighten the world if they are allowed to get out. The trick is finding a way to dig them out, polish them up, and bring them forward so they—meaning you—can sparkle and shine. And when is the best time to do this digging and release your untapped potential, all your possibilities? Now. Here are the top six ways that will help you turn your possibilities into positive realities: Discover who you are: Thoroughly inventory your strengths and weaknesses. Make a list of what you believe are your core values: what you will do and what you…

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During our 18 months of Covid lockdown, the girls and I fostered eight dogs—each with its own personality and quirks.  Sirius would hump us. Sampson would inhale his food in 1.3 seconds. Mishka attacked our cat (ending in a trip to the ER). Tiny would dig an escape hole under our fence. Yoshi was too scared to walk through any new door. Mattie needed constant attention (and surveillance!). Hugh was a loveable couch potato. And Reid would turn psycho when he didn’t get his way. My girls are no different—they have their own quirks too (though thankfully we’re past the stage where they turn psycho when they don’t get their…

When it’s time for your next vacation, you may be thinking about switching things up and renting an RV. Wondering how you can rent an RV? https://www.amfam.com/resources/articles/hobby-and-recreational-vehicles/top-tips-for-renting-an-rv   About Daniel Piazza – American Family Insurance We are a locally owned, full-service insurance agency.  We provide a relationship based, consultative approach to working with our clients. We listen and educate them on their needs/coverages.  Our team then backs this up with top notch customer service. Our goal is to be their trusted advisor. DANIEL PIAZZA AGENCYDAN PIAZZA, AGENT  | AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE2601 Crossroads Dr Ste 100 | Madison, WI 53718Office: 608.241.9000  | Fax: 855.247.1476dpiazza@amfam.com

Our ability to take a genuine interest in other people can be critical to our career.  It can be the difference between being an effective manager or a truly engaging leader.  Taking genuine interest can power a sales professional from meeting goals to busting through quotas.  In the end, no matter who you are it will mean that you will have stronger more fulfilling relationships at work, at home, and anywhere you go! Smile More – The simplest piece of advice that you’ll ever get.  It’s also costs, nothing and quite possibly will yield you the greatest results.  By making a concerted effort to smile more, you will have more conversations,…

Are you where you want to be, where you thought you would be? Most of us — including me — would respond with a quick and an emphatic ‘no.’ There is more I want to do and more I know I can do. There are still mountains to climb, oceans to swim, and for me, songs to write. So, when should I start making that change? How about now!  I have found that the best time to face my challenges is now. So here are three insights I have to offer: the three C’s that I frequently fight with. Lack of CONVICTION: There are several reasons why this continually hinders…

Dealing with objections is more than just giving them flowers. “My wife is mad at me. Again.”   My coaching client, Mark, was complaining to me about an incident with his wife that happened after he got back from work the previous evening.   “She was talking about a problem with one of her co-workers. Oh Darcy, it was so obvious what she needed to do! So I told her. And instead of being grateful, she stormed out of the kitchen. And she gave me the silent treatment all night. This seems to be happening a lot lately. What should I do?” Mark and I had built a good relationship,…

Have you ever had several days in a row where you’re just not feeling all that great mentally? (What a silly question…of course you have – you’re a human!).  Maybe you notice a tightness in your chest, shoulders, neck. Or maybe you feel all around heavy energy and lots of negative emotions. Perhaps you even notice this thought cross your mind: “My. Life. Sucks.”  I’ve noticed that when we don’t feel good physically, we have our go-to – maybe we take some ibuprofen, drink some water, lay down to rest. When we don’t feel good mentally, however, what do we tend to do to help ourselves? One thing I’ve learned that helps…