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May 2004
In This Issue:
Success Starts with a Vision
When choreographers create a new dance, they start with a vision that captures the soul of the work. That vision is comprised of many steps that, when combined, produce a masterpiece of movement. Similarly, our vision is the choreographer that helps us dance our dreams into reality. While our mission guides us through our day-to-day life with a greater purpose, our vision is the means of achieving our curtain call, our big hurrah. Artist Jody Bergsma knows the power of vision. When she was fifteen years old, she sold her first set of original paintings for $1 each. In the years that followed, Jody pursued painting more as a hobby than a vocation—even though it was her first love. "My family had convinced me that art was not the path to take if I wanted to be financially secure," she confides. So she went to college to study engineering. During her senior year, a friend convinced Jody to make prints of her children’s paintings. She sold the originals for $35 and the prints for $5. She made $11,000 in just one month. That was incentive enough to drop engineering and pursue art full-time. "We often exist in a world where we’re inhibited by our own glass ceiling," Jody explains. "It was impossible for me to see because I was raised to believe that art equaled poverty." After her initial success, she created a one-woman show of abstract human and scenic figures at a local art museum in Washington state. Her paintings did not sell very well—but people loved a particular painting that portrayed the image of a bird. That focused Jody in the direction of wildlife painting—the work for which she now is renowned. She began by studying Native American tradition, then meditating to create deep, visual imagery. Now, much of her work captures the beauty and power of animals on her canvas. Once she had planted this vision firmly in her mind, her career naturally took off. "I look at my painting career as building a brick wall," Jody explains. "If you just lay down one brick at a time, it might not look like much at first. But if you keep overlaying your life with consistent activity toward your vision, you’ll eventually build a marvelous structure. I never look into the future and say someday I will reach the top of my field. That’s not my goal. My goal is to do the one thing I do best, and it makes its own course. If you dedicate yourself to one activity—your personal vision—and keep going, you will eventually be one of the best." Now, more than 30 years after her teenage debut, Jody’s work commands $2,000 to $4,000 per original. Author Louisa May Alcott said, "Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." Close your eyes and picture the vision you’d like to create for yourself. What would you contribute? What skills would help you shine? Who would surround and support you? After you’ve developed a clear picture, write down notes in your journal. Do this exercise once a month to stay in touch with your dreams. Your may find that your vision, like a dance, changes from time to time. That’s okay. Just keep on visioning, and watch your dance take shape. To view art from Jody’s latest collection, click here.
If You Can’t Stand the Heat . . .
Get into the KitchenMark your calendars for an event that really cooks! A Recipe for Results
Thursday, July 29
The Fretz Corporation
9204 Berger Road, Suite H
Columbia, MD
5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Join me and chef Catherine Bereson as we offer our popular culinary program, A Recipe for Results, to benefit Suited to Succeed, a non-profit organization that provides business clothing and career development services for women in transition. The evening begins with a wine and cheese reception as you network with other professionals and take time to browse through the Fretz showroom, which displays exceptional kitchen products in a variety of beautifully designed settings. Then it’s into the kitchen, where you will learn how expertly blend the skills of cooking, leadership, teamwork and communication to create, serve—and enjoy—a delicious, 10-dish tapas meal. Space is limited. Tickets are $50 per person and available by advance reservation only. The event is already at half-capacity, so reserve your spot soon! You can also support this great cause by: - underwriting a portion of the event as a sponsor
- donating or soliciting items for door prizes
To purchase tickets or provide support, please call me at 410-840-2808 or e-mail kim@preparedtoperform.com.
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Women Weigh In on the Art of Negotiation
At a recent women’s conference I attended, a concurrent session on negotiation skills was standing-room-only. I know that my negotiation skills can certainly use a tune-up—and apparently, I’m not alone. A recent article in NAFE Magazine (the publication of the National Association of Female Executives) sheds more light on why the topic is so vital for women and explains some of the ways we fall short in the negotiation game. Click here to read all about it.
SightingsCelebrate Health / June 9
Keynote Presenter: "Finding Magic in Every Moment"
Community Hospital of Ottawa
Ottawa, IL PAMIC/VAMIC Annual Convention / June 21
Keynote Presenter: "Peak Performance Under Pressure"
Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, MD A Recipe for Results / July 29
Culinary Fundraiser for Suited to Succeed
The Fretz Corporation, Columbia, MD
For details, e-mail kim@preparedtoperform.com.
WritingsOn Purpose Woman / June-July 2004
Cooking in the Kitchen of Life
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Monthly Momentum
I am not afraid . . . I was born to do this.
-Joan of Arc Don’t be afraid to be too wild because the world will always pin you in.
-Andy Warhol Every spirit builds itself a house, and beyond its house a world, and beyond its world a heaven. Know then that world exists for you.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
-Judy Garland If you know what you want, you will recognize it when you see it.
-Bill Cosby
About the publisher: Kim Goad is a performance improvement consultant who offers keynotes, seminars and coaching to help companies train and retain their female talent. She works with women leaders and professionals—as well as their teams and departments—to help them:
- Thrive in a diverse workplace,
- Achieve greater work/life balance.
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