I wanted to drop you a note to give you a follow-up on an email that I sent you last September.  As a quick refresher, I was hired as the Vice President of Professional and Business Development at a medium sized credit union in central Illinois.  My main focus since August has been to try to have our employees actually want to come to work because of an AWESOME environment not just for the paycheck.  I started with “dead people working” and I thought that I would NEVER be able to breathe life back into this place.  They have been used to the same old routine; no one cares and what good does it do to be happy.

Well, after a couple of bouts of telling my wife “why am I bothering?” I am finally seeing life at work.  Maybe it’s just me, but the lights seem to be brighter, the dull old walls seem to be more vibrant, and even the old carpet seems to have found a second life.  We are celebrating successes, “blowing the doors off of business as usual”, and seeing a change in the overall attitude of the staff and in turn, that has an overall effect on our members (customers).

We have QI (quality improvement) teams working together to make changes in the way we do business, and we have each and every employee (including our Board of Directors) asking themselves, “How can I make difference in changing what we do?”

I owe a lot of this success to you and the philosophies/principles of NUTS and GUTS.  I still proudly display my “Hire People Who Don’t Suck” t-shirt in it’s original packaging on my desk and we are incorporating your hiring questions into our interview procedures.

Thanks to you, we are no longer “dead people working”!  Don’t get me wrong, we still have a ways to go, but I really believe that people are starting to enjoy coming to work.  I hear it from the staff EVERYDAY!!!  They tell me that they can’t quite figure out what is different, but they enjoy coming to work!

I guess the Board of Directors are noticing as well because, in November, I was promoted to Executive Vice President.  Thank you for being that voice above all voices in the mostly repetitive motivational speaker world.  Your books, philosophies, and attention to what is important to getting the most out of your life has truly made a difference in mine!

In deepest gratitude...

ISU Credit Union.
Paul Gaumer
Executive Vice President

Thank you for a "WOW" two days. I learned a great deal, was motivated to re-think and execute how I “Can Make a Difference.”

Your professionalism and commitment to what you believe was just incredible.

Federated Department Stores, Inc.
Tom Jones
Senior Vice President

...we are deeply grateful and appreciative for your interests in Choice Hotels International, and your wisdom and insight has provided a guiding light to the successful beginning of what I know will continue to be an exciting, rewarding, and challenging journey for all of us.

People throughout Choice continue to refer to both of you with—remember what Jackie said about so and so; or I remember Kevin bringing home this idea etc., etc.

Your guidance in the design and delivery of our President’s Forum meeting, to Jackie’s recent involvement in our all associates meeting has been nothing less than awesome.

We wouldn’t be where we are today in our own journey to Create A Culture Of Our Own Choice without you.

Choice Hotels International
Tom Mirgon
SVP, Human Resources & Partner Services

We’ve had an overwhelming number of very positive comments about your keynote address on Wednesday and the ‘tone’ that you set for our entire convention. The message that seemed to ‘sink in’ the most with our group is that we can really ‘let our hair down,’ have some fun, and still provide excellent customer service.

During your presentation it was apparent that you understood the group to whom you were speaking as you used several examples of specific Holiday retirement experiences (that we had previously shared with you) to get your point across. This made our people feel that you really did understand our business and what makes us tick.

You inspired our Managers and staff and allowed us to send them back to the “real world” energized and motivated to do an even better job serving our nation’s seniors (and have fun while they’re doing it!)

Holiday Retirement Corporation
Sheryl A. Bauer
Director of Operations

...What’s really exciting is that our attorneys and staff are even thinking of the “concepts” and how they really can relate to our firm. We are hoping to continue the “high feelings” you engendered and keep the spirit going.

Higgs, Fletcher, & Mack LLP
Mary T. Wright
Executive Director

Thank you so much for the wonderful keynote. I heard rave reviews from industry veterans to first time attendees.

It is not uncommon for speakers to encourage companies to create a people-centered culture. However, your presentation offers a clear road map to follow. The central components of the Southwest culture are clearly presented. Our group was fully engaged in your fascinating presentation.

International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association
Ben Emdin
President

As we all face the new millennium, your message has certainly inspired many of our members to lighten up, take ownership in all they do, and to “think, act, and serve like leaders.” I know they certainly enjoyed your presentation as much as I did. You both were terrific!

International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association
Janice M. DeGroot
Education Manager

Many thanks for your excellent presentation to our V.P. group last week. Many of the attendees expressed to me how pleased they were with your presentation. You left our organization with so many useful tools to accomplish our goals. We appreciate your time and energy to give us a memorable evening.

The Principal Financial Group
Deb Curtis
Corporate Speaker Coordinator

Being reminded that the company exists to serve the field...not the other way around was just what we all needed to hear...Jackie and Kevin gave our leaders great examples...

Emmis Broadcasting
Rick Cummings
Executive Vice President

Your [message]...has applicability to the health and vitality of all sizes of businesses...

San Diego Business Journal
Gary Plantz
Managing Director

We commend you for requesting our completion of your Pre-Presentation Questionnaire prior to your talk. This was a brilliant way to customize your presentation to our company’s needs and also learn the culture and meeting focus. The personal addresses to our company during your talk created an instant connection between our associates and the wonderful information and stories you shared with us.

Fredric’s Corporation
Fredric Holzberger
President and CEO