Your Success. Your Terms.

Not Quite Bear Grylls or Steve Irwin...More Like Kevin Costner...sort of.

2009-08-27T20:08:00.005-05:00

Today I:
(a) Woke up in a hotel room and realized I'd forgotten dress shoes and belt
(b) Went to WalMart before 7AM in slacks and running shoes while holding up my dress pants
(c) Spoke to students from 4 different High Schools (they all came over to Frederick High School to hear me)
(d) Hiked within 100 yards of an American Bison...in the same field....with NO FENCE between us
(e) Stood atop a dam built in 1933
(f) All of the above.

For those of us who stay on the go (like Peter Shankman), you have to take your recreation time when you can (Shankman skydives, I hike and run). Today, I had a few extra hours to burn in the afternoon, so I went exploring at the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.

This place is REALLY COOL! There's a few nights sleeping in my tent to happen here real soon.

Enjoy the footage!

The next time you hit the road for work....steal some time and visit a museum, take a hike, or...reinact the "tatonka" scene from Dances with Wolves!

Man + Twitter Profile Pic + Peer Pressure = Social Media Success

2009-08-25T13:27:00.002-05:00

Earlier today, I ran into a friend of mine (we'll call him JB..no, not that one...the other one) who works in corporate communication for a large regional bank. He's a terrific fellow whom I have known for several years. Everyone I know who knows him has nothing to say but how great a person he is, how professional he is, and how passionate he is.....about his bicycle.

His bicycle?

You see, JB is a Twitter user. He doesn't go overboard with it, but he regularly posts tweets for his friends and followers (currently about 300). Often times, he tweets about his bike. I mean, he is a Dad and all, but he LOVES his bike. I'm just jealous because I am ready to trade in my running shoes (at least a couple days a week) for the adventures that await me in the saddle....but we digress.

SO, realizing that JB's followers were beginning to mention his place of employment and ask him information about the Bank itself, he started thinking about his "online image". Careful not to post anything inflamatory (EVER) and always helpful, JB decided to change his profile pic to something more....professional.

Well, within MINUTES of his next tweet, his followers let him know what they thought about the new picture...THEY HATED IT! What's wrong with a corporate, black and white head shot for someone who holds a professional position at a respected company as the profile pic on Twitter....well, apparently EVERYTHING!

JB's picture (which was QUICKLY restored) is one from a function he attended several years ago. It features his trademark smile along with the corniest, Woody-from-Toy-Story-look-alike, cowboy hat perched atop his noggin.

The Redux:

If you want to connect with your followers on Twitter (After all, what is SOCIAL Media without the Social?) do the following:

Be relevant and timely
Be yourself
Keep your profile pic a little corny
Drop @jboudiette a tweet to let him know you love the hat!

Credit Where It's Due:

The role of JB was played by @jboudiette.
The role of peer pressure was played by @NatLoveBug, @jroby, @Nnascenczi, @beckyendicott, and @mattgalloway.

The obnoxious blogger who took this story to the web? @CookseyConnects

How to Get The Most of Any Networking Opportunity

2009-08-21T13:49:00.003-05:00

You've heard me say time and again how much "success" is such a subjective term. Perception is a powerful aspect of how we as people and professionals (as if those are two different things) are viewed, it is amazing to me how many of us still miss the point from time to time.

Just this week, I was invited to visit a networking event with one of my clients, whom I have networked with for years. My travel schedule makes it tough for me to be a regular member of a group that meets weekly, but I figured it could be a fun way to meet some new people. When it came time for my 60-second commercial (as a guest I was granted 120-seconds), I glanced down at a few notes I'd scribbled on an index card and just started talking. They laughed. They smiled. We connected. Isn't that the goal? At the end of the meeting, several people in the group requested the opportunity to meet one-on-one over coffee to learn more, and one fellow even handed me a referral AT THE MEETING!

Here are a few tips to get the most out of any networking opportunity. Try these the next time you walk into a room full of strangers. You never know where your next opportunity or client will come from:

BE CONFIDENT - You are who you say you are, if your actions are confident. You are a subject matter expert for what you do...ACT LIKE ONE! [Need help in this department? Visit a local Toastmasters club!]
TELL A QUICK STORY - Which do you think is more memorable: a) "Hello, my name is ______ and I work for _________." or b) "**insert a quick 30-45 second story about how you solved someone else's problem**:..
LET THEM KNOW HOW TO GET MORE INFO ABOUT YOU - Two great ways to do this are: a) direct them to YOUR website (ask them to connect with you on a professional, social networking site like "LinkedIn" or if your organization has a "Fan Page" on Facebook, direct them there or b) Tell the audience to ask the person who invited you to the meeting to tell them how you successfully worked with them! What's better than a live, word-of-mouth success story from a CLIENT!?

Above all...If you don't have any business cards (hey, sometimes we forget them or run out)...make sure to get one from everyone in the room and make it a point to follow up with each one directly! Anyone remember the hand-written note? It works! Now...get out there a find some business!

Why I Don't Like Suze Orman's Advice (Or, Why Variable Annuities CAN Work)

2009-07-22T15:33:00.003-05:00

My speaker's intro includes something about my self-description of being a "recovering financial advisor". It's true. I was in the business of giving financial advice for over 8 years, during which I saw some amazingly interesting market events - good and bad.

One of the most consistent things I saw, though, was a number of media-described "experts" on financial matters, who often gave blanket, broad-brushed advice that didn't always tell the entire story. While I can't say that everything she has ever said is bad, generally speaking, I don't care too much for the scrubbed-for-the-lowest-common-denominator-sound-bite-media advice dished out by people like Suze Orman.

First here's a clip of her somewhat infamous bad call from a show on CNBC from a few years ago. Before the days of YouTube, it circulated among emails of many financial pros as a laughable example of her being called out by a viewer....just note how angry her face gets when she realizes what the screener didn't screen out....

Then, today, I received an email from an industry trade group with further proof that NO SINGLE INVESTMENT is ALWAYS BAD (or good) - see this article. As the old saying goes, I guess "Every Dog (truly) Has His Day". Go figure - then, get with a true financial pro to find a plan that works for YOU.

Hey, OKC! Are you "Motivated"?

2009-06-30T12:26:00.003-05:00

I had a chance to see the "Get Motivated" tour in Tulsa, last year, at the BOk Center. I've seen a lot of tweets today from you about the "GM" stop in Oklahoma City.

Please leave your thoughts and comments below. I'm planning to follow up, myself, but want to hear your comments first!

Bueller.....Bueller...... Ben Stein Got THIS One Right!

2009-06-18T23:19:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I'm of the age that first remembers Ben Stein as the teacher who droned over and over while calling roll in Ferris Bueller's Day Off - one of my favorite teen movies of all times.

Well, here's a recent clip he delivered for CBS on what President Obama REALLY meant about meetings...something I REALLY care about, since I'm a corporate trainer and speaking professional.

What do you think? Watch the video and reply with your thoughts. I'd like to hear your opinions. Go ahead!

Watch CBS Videos Online

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur... Learn how Cooksey CONNECTED!

2009-06-12T16:03:00.002-05:00

Friend and fans-

Just a quick note to let you know I was quoted this week on the Blog of "The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur". What is THAT all about, you ask? Well, check it out HERE! (Be sure to scroll down to #30 on the list!) - Scott

Can General Motors Pull This Off?

2009-06-02T10:23:00.004-05:00

If you think I'm bit nuts today, blame Larry Winget! This guy has the intestinal fortitude of a giant, and I have to say I agree with more of his recent blog post than I don't. (CAUTION: It contains some stronger language than is comfortable for some, so if you're squeamish, skip it...If you can handle it, HERE IT IS). [For the record, I still like LeBron James, but I get Larry's point.]

On to MY post:

As you may know, I spent the 10 years or so of my professional life working with investments. First as a bank trust officer who helped install new 401k and other employee benefit plans into companies of all sizes, then later as a personal financial adviser. Over the years, I have found that most people in the general public simply don't take time to stop and truly think about their investments. Instead, they simply rely on what other people tell them to be the truth. Therein lies the issue.

Financial advisers are the people who are left to help when a widow has earned their title. For the "traditionalist generations" (those born ahead of the Baby Boomers), too often these "blue haired ladies" would be handling their financial affairs the way their deceased spouse had told them to. Though they never told me, their actions said their spouses had said to them:

You can always put money into a Certificate of Deposit (CD) at the bank, because it's FDIC insured if something should happen to the bank
Cash is king
The "Blue Chip" stocks in our investment account will always be there.

If I may, I'd like to respond to these facts.

On CDs: Yes, you can always put money into a CD, but sometimes there are other VERY SAFE INVESTMENT OPTIONS that can offer you a better return without much more risk. Sure, you may not have FDIC coverage (something instituted by the federal government during the Great Depression), but that's not always a bad thing.

For example: If your only criteria is "FDIC Coverage", you are limited to bank deposits as an investment. The banks know this, and often offer very low rates of return in exchange for using your money to make more for themselves. I'm not against banks making money, but know that your ENTIRE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO might serve you better if some of that money is invested in something else like a FIXED Annuity. When used correctly, these can prove to be a nice CD complement or alternative.
On Cash: If you plan on living off of your investments for some time, you need one of two things: a large account full of money or a diversified portfolio. I can't tell you how many times I'd see someone come up to me in a 401k enrollment meeting or into my financial adviser office saying "I'm going to retire next year, what do you think?" Then they'd show me an account with a balance of about $30,000. When I asked, "How much money do you think you'll need to get through a year?", the reality would set in and these folks would look at me as if they'd never considered that question. In short, to get where you want to be LONG TERM, investments in something other than cash are going to prove VERY important...unless you happen to start with or fall into a very large bucket of money.
On Blue Chip Stocks: "Blue Chip" stocks are those that are typically thought of as the larger, more established companies that "should always be around". Often times, these are exemplified by the stocks of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), an index used to represent the "overall market". Here's a fact too many people don't know: the components (or stocks) used to calculate the DJIA CHANGE! Sure, some companies like General Electric have been a DJIA component since 1907...But, two of the component stocks (General Motors, since 1925 & Citigroup, since 1997) are being replaced on June 8, 2009. Earlier this year, other victims of the financial and economic meltdown were also replaced in the DJIA.

This morning, I ran across a website dedicated to the "re-invention of General Motors". While I know there is a tremendous amount of pride in this, one of the "big three US automakers", there is much to be done to pull this one off.

Somewhere along the way, I say a LONG LONG time ago, General Motors ceased operating as an automobile manufacturing company, and became "a large pension plan that happened to also make cars". I'll save my complete diatribe for another posting, but the point is this. General Motors (along with other over-sized companies) fell victim to its own success. Somewhere along the way, decisions were made likely based more on emotion than facts, pressure from unions vs. other labor options, and arrogance over intelligence. For those investors who didn't take time to keep up with the health of the companies in which they were invested, GM's recent bankruptcy filing was a rude awakening, as all of that former "blue chip stock" almost immediately dropped to a value of pennies on the dollar.

Can GM pull off this "re-invention" and save itself as it claims in this video? I don't know. But to the millions of people who have learned that "doing what you've always done won't always get you what you've always gotten" the hard way...let's hope so!

Cooksey Connects with SkillPath Seminars

2009-05-15T08:58:00.003-05:00

Tulsa, OK- D. Scott Cooksey, Senior Consultant and Trainer at Cooksey Connects, has recently been certified as a Faculty Trainer with SkillPath Seminars, based in Mission, KS.

"Delivering services around the world, SkillPath Seminars is truly a global leader among corporate training firms. To be able to work with the people of SkillPath and work as a member of such a great team of professionals is truly an honor!", said Cooksey. "The proven quality of exclusive resources, topics and track record of success is a perfect match for the level of quality training for which Cooksey Connects is known. I'm very excited to be part of this team, and look forward to working with their clients for a long time to come."

Learn more about D. Scott Cooksey and Cooksey Connects at www.CookseyConnects.com.

Learn more about SkillPath Seminars at www.SkillPath.com.

Help Us Man Rest Stops for Tulsa Tough!

2009-05-13T12:13:00.001-05:00

Please contact me ASAP (scott@cookseyconnects.com or 918-633-4490) if you can help us. We have a volunteer meeting coming up Thursday, May 21 at 6pm, and would like at least all of the REST STOP CAPTAINS to attend..

Tulsa Tough can use your help, and THIS ASSIGNMENT is a FUN ONE! Learn more about this AWESOME event at www.TulsaTough.com

Many of you know I have been volunteering for Tulsa Tough, since its inception. This year (it’s 4^th), I am serving as the Rest Stop Coordinator for the touring rides on May 30^th& 31^st.

We have a couple of rest stops still in need of a crew. Basically I am asking for someone to step up as a REST STOP CAPTAIN and for that person to grab about 4-5 friends to man a stop for us!

Here’s the best part- WE HAVE ALL THE SUPPLIES YOU NEED ALL LOADED IN A VAN AND READY TO GO!

Generally we need one person to be the rest stop captain and 4-5 others to join them for the duration of the times listed.

The captain picks up a van pre-loaded with supplies, tents, tables, chairs, etc. drives it to the stop, sets up and is ready for service at the designated time. They'll shut down when we sweep the route and advise them, open/closing times vary by stop (COUNT ON GIVING US A FEW HOURS DURING THE DAY). They pack it all up and bring the van back to the Warehouse. Van pickup and return must be coordinated with Marvin Lee. (I’ll get you the correct contact info if you step up as a captain.)

As a group, if you want, you are WELCOME TO CREATE A THEME, but it is not mandatory. HAVE FUN WITH IT!

Great groups to utilize are: your rowdy friends (hey, this is a FUN assignment—DB…you know who you are!); church groups (cough, cough…Men of St Pat’s); groups from your company; those of you who have done rest stops for OTHER cycling events; clubs; etc…

Flea Markets vs. Smart People

2009-04-20T16:22:00.001-05:00

There really aren't words....

see more pwn and owned pictures

Remember the Ten!

2009-04-19T19:52:00.005-05:00

It's been a short hiatus since my last post, but I assure you a LOT is happening these days!

Earlier this year, I challenged myself to run a 10k Race before the summer. Yesterday, I made good on that personal goal. In 1 hour 3 minutes and 43 seconds, I finished! My personal goal had been 1 hour 10 min-and I beat it by 6 minutes!

The Remember the Ten 10k event was started three years ago in honor of a group of 10 amazing men affiliated with the Oklahoma State University basketball program who perished in a plane crash on January 21, 2001. As a graduate of OSU, this event held a particular place in my heart.

During college, I was president of a group of basketball "superfans" known as the "Young Guns". After each game, we always picked our VIP of the game award, and announced it at center court in front of the radio broadcast crew. On that fateful night in 2001, we lost Bill Teegins, the "Voice of the Cowboys".

A good friend of mine in school lost his brother, Jarred Weiberg. And my current workout partner lost a friend he used to play basketball against in high school, Pat Noyes. Each of the others each hold a special place in the hearts of the Cowboy Faithful as well, and for all ten of of you... I ran this year. Thanks to each of you for the continued inspiration you give to me and all 1200 of this year's registered runners in the 10k, 5k, and 1 mile fun run!

This year, as each of you think about how to make every day count, and define your own success, you are encouraged to pick out a tough challenge for yourself and DO IT!

Think Like A Firefighter

2009-03-20T18:56:00.006-05:00

If you know very many people at all, you probably know a firefighter (or someone who knows one). These people provide an extremely important job to the communities they serve, often putting themselves in considerable danger to do so. Despite the facts and danger required by the job, firefighters really don't earn that much money (on average), according to Salary.com.

Firefighters, however, are often very entrepreneurial people. That really isn't much of surprise. Entrepreneurs are risk takers, creative problem solvers, and people who react well to rapidly changing environments. Where do you think the work-phrase "I've been putting out fires all day" comes from?

The next time you have occasion to visit with a firefighter, ask them, "So, what's your OTHER job?" I'm willing to bet 90+% of the time, they will have one.

The firefighters I have known over the years don't sit still very well. Their work schedule typically consists of a multiple, full (read: 24 hour) days in a row of being "on" followed by several days of being "off". With three or four days at a time available to commit to another project, job, or task, why not take advantage of it?

One of my good friends was recently laid off from a six-figure job, and he's been having a tough time finding a satisfying job to occupy his time and help take care of his family. Despite his many years of experience and impressive network of colleagues and friends, many of the people he knows "can't really afford to pay him what he's worth".

I reminded him, "Yes. That's true. IF they are hiring you for a 40+ hour per week spot."

My friend paused, then said, "What do you mean?"

I suggested that he "think like a firefighter", telling him, "If you're worth $70,000 a year, but the employer can only pay you $30,000 per year, ask them if you can work for them on the three busiest days of the week and look for something else to do the other 4 days."

Certainly, we all can't work 7 days a week, every week, but the idea is the same. Today's economy is challenging, but also loaded with opportunity in three easy steps:

Embrace the idea of being a "Free Agent",
Open your eyes to the opportunities all around you, and
THINK LIKE A FIREFIGHTER!

Are YOU an EMPLOYEEPRENEUR?

2009-03-19T17:51:00.001-05:00

In my presentation "Embracing the Employeepreneur", the message is about allowing your employees the opportunity to take some ownership. I'm a HUGE fan of Southwest Airlines, and this video is a great example of why. How do YOUR employees let your customers know how much they enjoy their jobs?

Thanks for the Shout Out, Jerry Gitchel!

2009-03-09T21:42:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite professional groups is the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Speakers Association. Over the past few years, I've had the occasion to meet and learn from some of the most talented speaking professionals from all over the country.

I just wanted to take a minute to say, "Thanks for the shout out, Jerry Gitchel!". Hey, I made his website and his blog. He even posted the pic, included complete with my noggin!

Be sure to check out Jerry's Blog post (featuring a photo with my mug in it) here!

Get High With Me!

2009-03-02T19:56:00.003-06:00

Fitness continues to be a major part of my life. Over the past (nearly) year and a half, commitment to a regular exercise plan and paying more attention to what and how I eat has helped me shed 40 pounds (net -meaning I've put on lean muscle and dropped even more bulk fat) (Special thanks to the training staff at Fitness Together-Kingspoint Village). When you combine that with a renewed sense of center in my spiritual life (read: I found an amazing church home that really suits me), and (since we made it "official" by posting it to Facebook today) a new girlfriend.

It is no wonder I started out 2009 with two of the most financially successful months I've had in over a year and continue to ride the wave of good fortune and success as new opportunities are presented to me each day. Maybe there is something to this Power of Attraction stuff after all!

I'm on a bit of a "runners high" as I write this blog tonight. By settling in at a comfortable (read: slow) pace, I found a rhythm tonight that probably would have let me run twice as far as my typical run. Using the tools at logyourrun.com, I mapped out the route I ran tonight and thought I'd share the route here on the blog.

It's not that I expect you'll want to come on over and run the route with me sometime, rather, it serves as yet another subtle way to share the tools we use to find success each day with others around us on in this increasingly negatively influenced world.

SO, here are your three steps for fitness success today:

1) Turn off the television. You will be AMAZED at just how much the negative sensationalism is fed into your brain every day by the mainstream media. Television is powered by one thing: ratings. Fact: Info-tainment scores higher ratings than pure news. It's just a fact.
2) Feed your head with positive energy: Seek out books, people, time for quiet reflection and open your mind to a spiritual way of thinking. I'm not saying you have to become a monk or a "bible-thumper" or anything any more extreme than just stepping outside yourself to view your life from about 40,000 feet and understand how significant a positive spiritual influence can be for you.
3) Get off your butt. Continuing to talk about what you "should be doing" about your lack of fitness isn't going to fix the problem. I don't care if you hire a trainer, go for a walk, participate in a cycling event (Registration opened today for the Tulsa Tough 2009 rides, including the spandex-free Townie Ride- borrow a helmet, dust off that bike and join us!) , or email me at scott@cookseyconnects.com and tell me what day you want to come over and run the route below with me. Need to walk it? Okay! If that's the push you need, I'm going to help you get that ball rolling. Come on over, and we'll get a success "high", together!

How to Fix Your Credit

2009-03-01T21:09:00.003-06:00

In a timeless skit from NBC's Saturday Night Live, here's an infomercial regarding a new book for those who seem to be struggling with debt:

I'm thinking about creating a similarly titled e-book. What do you think?

Quiet Confidence and the USMC

2009-02-24T14:36:00.008-06:00

Of all of the urban myths that float about on the Internet, this one seemed worthy of re-posting. There's no way to verify it's authenticity.

In addition to communicating with the local Air Traffic Control facility, all aircraft in the Persian Gulf AOR are required to give the Iranian Air Defense Radar (military) a ten minute 'heads up' if they will be transiting Iranian airspace.

This is a common procedure for commercial aircraft and involves giving them your call sign, transponder code, type of aircraft, and points of origin and destination.

I just flew with a guy who overheard this conversation on the VHF Guard (emergency) frequency 121.5 MHz while flying from Europe to Dubai.
The conversation went like this...

Iranian Air Defense Radar: 'Unknown aircraft you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself.'

Aircraft: 'This is a United States aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace.'
Air Defense Radar: 'You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!'

Aircraft: 'This is a United States Marine Corps FA-18 fighter. Send 'em up, I'll wait!'

Air Defense Radar: (no response ... total silence)

Making assumptions about who is really calling the shots, even in the midst of a highly regulated environment, can be dangerous. The real lesson, though, is the confident response of the USMC pilot. He was compliant of the rules. He was respectful. He only told the truth. In the end, it was the confidence of his own abilities and strengths which were left to speak for themselves.

Even when you know you are right, sometimes the best response is one of quiet confidence.

Be confident. Be bold. Define YOUR success!

Popular Music and Senior Citizens...Yep, They ROCK!

2009-02-24T01:16:00.003-06:00

This blog features a number of outstanding individuals who have dared to defined their own success. As I've been saying a lot lately, these are people who have chosen to "Own it!" in their own lives.

My brother found an amazing bit of footage from a group suspiciously like the one featured in the 2007 documentary Young at Heart. I hope you'll enjoy. OH, the last song they cover is worth the watch. Old people rock!

Stimulus Shim-ulous...It's the System, Stupid!

2009-02-17T14:39:00.007-06:00

Today's Wall Street Journal article Credit-Score Pitfalls of the Wealthy , in my opinion, seems to shed some light on the problem of our current state of the economy, though it likely wasn't the intention of the author. In short, wealthy people who believe that "cash is king" and don't regularly use credit don't get the best deals...and therein lies the problem. To that I ask, "What?"

My Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration centered my studies around Finance and Commercial Bank Management. I did pretty well in my "money classes" and worked in the financial industry first as a banker & trust officer, then as a licensed financial adviser for over 12 years. For those who don't know anything about finance, you at least know that "with risk, comes reward"-at least, academically.

That's what puzzles me. According to this report, college students, on average, may receive up to 4-6 unsolicited offers for credit cards...EACH WEEK. Students who don't have any money (for the most part). In the presentations I deliver to high school students, we've been telling students that the most valuable asset you have your first five years out of high school is TIME. Reflecting on my own college experience, I'd say that is a true statement. It certainly wasn't money! From the start, we're programming the public that you MUST have and use credit.

Which leads me to the absurdness of the reality that moneyed people don't always have good credit scores not because they don't have cash, but because they don't typically borrow anything. Stick with me here for a minute...You see, when a business applies for a loan, the inquiry is routed through a credit analysis process during which the company's cash flow is scrutinized against it's own past performance, industry peers, and overall risk on a case-by-case basis. A business with the luxury of being cash rich will have a high coverage ratio - the number of times "free" or available cash could cover the debt payments. If there's a high coverage ratio, presuming that multiple is not a function of some one-time windfall of good fortune, there's no reason to deny the loan or ask for overly aggressive terms. When a person applies for one, we look at an overall profile of what people have typically done overall...not so much that individual person, regardless of their means to repay the borrowed money based on some kind of "profile"... Um, the last time we separated common sense from the loan underwriting process we wound up with a country full of bad mortgages...Gasp! Is THAT what we're trying to "fix" with this band-aid of a Stimulus Package?

According to the WSJ article cited above, however, and the information I've gleaned from some of the sources mentioned in that article - the same does not appear to be true for individuals. For that, we've dumbed it down into a "credit score" that is some seemingly arbitrary, digestible number that "allows" for consumer loan underwriters to count on a third-party calculation of the likelihood that a person should be able to repay any debts they may take on (cars, boats, mortgages, etc.). [By arbitrary, I mean: Does anyone REALLY know what that "equation" looks like?]

As President Obama often begins an explanation, "Look..." If people WITH money suddenly decide to access credit (for whatever - likely economic- reason), they SHOULD get the best rates. Instead, we're busy shucking out credit cards, 72 and 86 month car loans (seriously?), and arbitrarily cutting available credit via credit card limits to small business owners for unexplained reasons because we've become a nation of debt-hungry consumers.

And now, we're injecting ANOTHER $700+ Billion into "the system" to avoid catastrophic failure...um, respectfully, the system has already failed us in the name of progress.

For those who find themselves seeking a return to personal financial success in these challenging times, I suggest the following:

Put yourselves on a CASH BUDGET. If you don't have it, don't spend it. Sure, it may cramp your style a bit.
When money comes in, STICK SOME IN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT. Yes, I know that the rates aren't great, but wait until you start bouncing checks and receiving those aggregious fees on even the smallest of overdrafts.
BE HONEST WITH YOUR LENDERS. If you are in a pinch and can't make the payments, give them a call before they call you and let them know what's going on. Often times, if you will simply schedule payments to automatically come out of your account (at a level YOU are comfortable with, NOT one set by the creditors), you can often cut down or even eliminate those calls that do nothing but remind you of the financial pickle you're in.
FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND. Sure, they will talk about how you're going to "hurt your credit score" by closing this account or that one, or making less than the minimum payment....However, when you ask them if they'd like SOME payment or NO payment from you, it's funny how their tone changes.
RE-EVALUATE your needs vs. wants. Yes, television is an inexpensive entertainment option, but did you know you can actually get channels over-the-air FOR FREE? Hey, with the switch to digital television broadcasts, those new shows and channels will look EVEN BETTER than via cable or satellite when you watch them on the HD-TV you financed at 27% on your credit card. Turn off the cable....

Take this opportunity to re-value what's important to you and your family's financial future. Take charge of it. Pick up some books from Dave Ramsey! It's going to be alright.

I'm No 'Sully' Sullenberger - but Tomorrow We'll Have Something In Common

2009-02-09T20:12:00.003-06:00

Okay, NO. I'm not going to land a plane in the Hudson River on Tuesday, but I will grace the halls of now world-famous US Airways Pilot 'Sully' Sullenberger's high school.

This just goes to show that great people CAN and DO come from anywhere!

I grew up and went to high school not too far from Denison, TX, just across the Red River in southern Oklahoma. We shared a television station (actually, two) in this area often referred to as "Texomaland". Though, all those years ago, I never knew that much about Denison, TX.

According to the Dallas Morning News:

"It's the birthplace of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. And Thomas Vulney Munson, a horticulturalist credited with helping save the European wine industry, spent part of his life here. "

Tomorrow, I have the opportunity to speak to the Junior and Senior classes of Denison High School. As my readers will already know, I'm a speaker with Monster.com's Making It Count Programs, and travel the country delivering messages of success to students who will be the leaders of tomorrow....some of them have already done some pretty good work today!

Hmmm. I wonder if these students know the potential they possess....This one should be special.

Ice Storms and Windshields - True Story!

2009-01-29T22:43:00.011-06:00

Over the years, I've shared a few of my travel stories...this one is, perhaps, the scariest to date. In short, here's a copy of the post I made to Twitter shortly after it happened: 70 mph + falling ice = shattered windshield. That was scary!

On my way back to Tulsa following a speech this morning in Van Buren, Arkansas, I was chatting with a friend (on my bluetooth headset) about a current project, when I heard a sudden POP and looked over to see the first image. After a startled shout, somehow I managed to maintain enough composure to end the call, pull over to the side of the road and figure out what had just happened.

As I looked back down the road toward where this had occurred, I noticed there was a huge power line stretched over the turnpike. The line, like the trees all around, were covered in a tremendous amount of ice left from the storm system that's been working it's way east over the past few days. Ice that was beginning to fall from a height of about 100' to the ground. I never saw it coming.

When you look at the second picture, you can see the tremendous dent left in the support post on the passenger side of my SUV from the impact of the falling ice that actually hit the vehicle...Did I mention I was truly traveling at 70 mph when this occurred?

Fortunately, the impact was on the passenger side of the windshield and only blew glass into the seat NEXT to me, rather than in my face. And, despite not being able to use the wipers for fear of knocking an open hole in the glass that might rapidly cause the window to completely disintegrate, I made it back to Tulsa in about an hour.

Some things I learned today:

Yes. Freak things CAN happen to ANYONE when driving. Stay alert, and be calm if disaster strikes.
It is CRITICALLY important to keep your mechanic's phone number in your cell phone. I called mine right after my insurance agent (who couldn't help) and he referred me to a glass local, family-owned auto glass shop. I scheduled an appointment within 15 minutes after impact and about 3 hours after arriving back in town, the windshield had been replaced...at a VERY reasonable rate!
Wiper fluid that includes Rain-X creates a helpful water shedding effect when driving on a wet highway if you are unable to use your wipers.
Windshields are surprisingly cheap.
Act quick when you need to get something done. By the time I arrived at the shop (about an hour after the incident) they were already pushing off work until next Monday (4 calendar days later). If I hadn't called, I wouldn't already have the glass replaced. [Hmmm. Anyone know a good body shop?]

God has a plan for me, and I must still have something important to do here on this great earth, so I'm going to continue making every day count! I'd encourage you to do the same.

Learning Modality, Social Media, & Your Online Brand

2009-01-26T22:07:00.010-06:00

While some people learn by watching, others learn by reading. Still, others prefer a demonstrative approach referred to as "kinesthetic". Put another way, it means that the person learns by DOING. When it comes to Social Media, I'm the latter.

Several months ago, I set up my first account at Twitter.com. Immediately following, I found myself trying to sum up thoughts and ideas into often cryptic phrases comprised of 140 characters or less. Soon after, I began to "tweet", converse with "tweeps", and actually learned it was okay admit that sometimes I "twittered" in public.

With it, though, came a lesson. You see, I make a rookie mistake. (Part of the effectiveness of kinesthetic learning.) While one of the coolest aspects of Social Media communication is to syndicate and push out (through various "feeds") information you post across multiple distribution channels, it's something I've learned can confuse your followers. Even worse, I posted so much, people were starting to tune out my posts and tweets. Something you do NOT want to happen when building a brand!

For example:

Someone who follows you on Facebook likes to see Status Updates, but doesn't necessarily want or need to know EVERY LITTLE THING you're doing...all the time! (Many of your "tweeps" however, don't seem to mind.)
People who are familiar with Twitter understand that @cookseyconnects or @dscooksey are fellow "Tweeps" (Friends who also use Twitter); #usair was a group code used by multiple people to follow what was unfolding in the Hudson River as Capt. Sully completed the first successful "water landing" of a commercial jetliner; "RT" ahead of something I "tweet" means "I plagerized/am forwarding someone else's post" by "re-tweeting" it; and URLs like http://bit.ly/b9mR aren't necessarily sending me to some nefarious corner of the internet.

And finally, I just uncovered a little piece of brilliance that allows me to more consistently brand ALL of my online profiles using my OWN DOMAIN NAME...it's called a "sub-domain". I've known about them for YEARS, but didn't realize how easily I could set them up for my followers. Many of the current social media sites have long, un-intuitive URLs to "share your public profile" or otherwise make it tough for people to find your site (a la "Fan Pages" on Facebook). The most popular "subdomain" is actually "www." It stands for "World Wide Web" which, believe it or not, is merely a PART of the Internet. For most people, it's where your website lives...but, I digress.

Why simply build someone ELSE's brand, when you can make it easy for others to find either you, your business, or various web tools you often access, all the while reinforcing YOUR domain as the connecting brand. Check us out online at the following URLs:

linkedin.cookseyconnects.com - For professional, online networking
facebook.cookseyconnects.com - Link to our business' Fan Page
delicious.cookseyconnects.com - To find sites Bookmarked by Cooksey Connects
blog.cookseyconnects.com - the NEW location of the blog you're currently reading, "Your Success. Your Terms"

So this post was a little geeky, but hey...it's what we do. Contact us today and learn how we can put these, and other great tools, to work for YOUR company. Cooksey Connects!

Cooksey To Emcee Tulsa Stars Event for Palmer Fundraiser

2009-01-24T12:02:00.003-06:00

From TulsaWorld.com (<--click for original article)
Published: 1/24/2009 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 1/24/2009 2:38 AM

If a private dinner with a well-known personality sounds interesting, fun and exciting, this one is for you.

Stars with Tulsa connections such as actress Mary Kay Place and "The Ultimate Gift" author Jim Stovall will be part of the auction action at the Dining with Tulsa Stars benefit, 6 p.m. Thursday at the Jazz Hall of Fame.

Proceeds will benefit Palmer Continuum of Care.

Other stars to be auctioned include Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor; Burns Hargis, Oklahoma State University president; Kristin Glover, the "Dad'll do it" girl from the television ads; Wayman Tisdale, jazz musician and former NBA player; John Starks, former New York Knicks player and now author and sports commentator; Jimbo Elrod, OU All-American and former player for Kansas City Chiefs; and Stacy Prammanasudh, LPGA golfer and TU All-American.

Although some of the stars will not be able to attend Dining with Tulsa Stars, they will be sending a message.

For the auction, each celebrity will be coupled with a restaurant, including Bodean Seafood, Michael Fusco's, Los Cabos, Local Table, KEO, Bone Fish, Sonoma, Brasserie, Lava, Mahogany's and Palace Café.

Jay Litchfield also will auction off an exclusive one- week, all-inclusive vacation for two at the Sandals Resort in Montego Bay donated by Magoon & Associates.

Entertainment will be provided by John Hamill and his jazz trio including Max Surry and Leon Rollerson with vocalist Rebecca Marks-Jimmerson performing Bessie Smith specials and other well-known blues vocals.

Chris Heroux is 2009 chairman of the Palmer Board of Directors.

Committee members include Kelly Sudduth, Carrie Classen, Scott Cooksey, Kara E. Jones, Jeff Harjo and Elisa Heroux.

Sponsors include Cyclonic Valve, Bette and Michael L. Graves, and George Kaiser Family Foundation as gold sponsors; Ruth K. Nelson, Magoon & Associates and Heroux & Pollard, PLLC as silver sponsors; and an anonymous major sponsor made in memory of Harold Katz, former executive director of Palmer.

At least 90 percent of the funds raised through ticket sales and 100 percent of the auction bids will help those who need substance-abuse treatment but cannot afford it. Palmer, a Tulsa nonprofit organization for 25 years, treats more than 1,000 people each year through substance-abuse programs dedicated to helping adolescents and women with their children.

Tickets are $45 per person. Tables of eight are available for $350.

For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/palmer or call Paula Hall-Collins at 230-7669. By DANNA SUE WALKER World Staff Writer

Emoticons Tell A Story...What's Yours?

2009-01-22T22:59:00.002-06:00

Here's a little something from one of my favorite websites featuring speeches from the TED Talks series. I hope you enjoy it. Define your own success.