Profiles On-Purpose®

Who Will Awaken Your Worth? Janet Cronstedt Will!

May 20, 2010 By kwmccarthy

Janet Cronstedt: An On-Purpose Person Profile

Janet Cronstedt is a dear friend and business associate. When she turned 50 she came to an On-Purpose Person workshop and wrote her purpose statement of “To the Glory of God, I exist to serve by Awakening Worth.” (Read her story here.) Since then, Janet has made more and better choices in her missions to be aligned with her purpose, moving toward her vision, and living true to her values. She’s the first to tell you it was a breakthrough moment in her life and being on-purpose is a high standard.

Thanks to Janet, I was booked as the keynote speaker for Take Shape Life Convention in July of 2008. I had the breakthrough of becoming a client and losing 50 pounds and having kept most of it off since. As a result of attending the convention with me, my wife, Judith, became a health coach with Take Shape For Life and is now helping many others get to a healthy weight and create the healthy habits to keep the weight off, often get off obesity medications, and be rewarded psychologically and financially. Janet provided our family with a breakthrough.

Janet is an amazing speaker from the platform because she leads with her heart. Invest 19 minutes and watch this two-part video from Janet’s speech at the TSFL Convention from 2009. You’ll find it inspiring, hard-hitting, and, most of all, one that awakens worth. Thanks Janet for being you!

Be On-Purpose!

Kevin

Part 2

Thomas Alva Edison by Frank Attwood

April 28, 2010 By kwmccarthy

Thomas Alva Edison was my boyhood inspiration. Sure, I admired professional athletes, but it was Edison who captured my fascination. In elementary and middle school, I read every book about him I could find.

Six years ago, when my friend Frank Attwood, called to say he was thinking of doing a one man show portraying Edison, my ears perked up. Turns out that Edison was a hero in Frank's childhood as well. Since, I've had to the pleasure to see Frank portray Edison on several occasions. It is really a joy.

Periodically, Frank and I connect by phone and talk Edison insights on life and business. Frank's keen mind and love of research has uncovered Edison's remarkable wisdom, perspectives, and character quirks – and he was quirky by average standards. Edison was known for his inventions, but his gift for business building is largely overlooked today. Companies like General Electric, AB Dick, RCA, and scores of others were build on inventions from Edison's labs. Frank bring Edison to life fully and smartly in relevant terms to my life and work. Imagine tapping into his brilliance today to better inform your tomorrow.

Image via Wikipedia

Are you looking for a speaker for your next business conference? Are you struggling with tapping into innovation and inventiveness? Does your association need an entertaining, yet educational performance to inspire your members and help them see the world in a more positive light? Please get in touch with Frank. He's a businessman turned actor turned portrayal actor… and a fine man to boot! Book Frank from his web site: www.attwoodasedison.com.

Last evening I stumbled upon Frank as I was walking out a building and he was coming in to set up for a performance. Quickly, I altered my plans and 40 minutes later I sat captivated by his Attwood as Edison performance. Frank shared how Edison boldly stated that he would "Light Manhattan" and he did thanks to the vision and financial backing of J.P. Morgan.

Frank and I had this photo (below) made just in front the most modest of his sets. I just had to share it with you. You can see that Frank has a fair likeness to Mr. Edison (right).

Kurt Vonnegut and Drama in Stories and Life

April 11, 2010 By kwmccarthy

Image via Wikipedia

I stumbled on this blog post about real life and drama by Derek Sivers about Kurt Vonnegut – an unknown person to me but an iconoclast of some note. For that alone, I respect him for being more on-purpose than most people.

Vonnegut's chart was enlightening because of its simplicity. Drama accentuates the ups and downs. Real life tends to be more moderated (unless you are a 15 year old teenage girl).

Folks who self-impose healthy drama with exploration in their lives I find to be engaging and interesting. People who impose unhealthy drama I prefer to avoid.

Hmmm – just how bold am I living?

Meet Contagious Leader Monica Wofford

March 6, 2010 By kwmccarthy

One of the great joys of my long time membership in the National Speakers Association are my peers. Monica Wofford and I had the opportunity to reconnect at the recent Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce. Currently she is the president of the Central Florida Chapter of NSA.

Visit Monica's web site and learn about this great lady, her programs, and keynote addresses. She has pioneered the concept of Contagious Leadership.

Be On-Purpose!

Kevin

What does it take to be a success?

February 6, 2010 By kwmccarthy

I found this presentation on TED that breaks down some of the key qualities of being on-purpose. RIchard St. John was asked a simple question by a teenager. His pursuit of the answer lead to 500 interviews over 7 years with successful people. In 3 minutes Richard provides great insight in an entertaining manner. Enjoy!

Kevin O. McCarthy Meets Kevin W. McCarthy

February 5, 2010 By kwmccarthy

Lunch today was fun! Thanks to a mutual friend, Kevin McCarthy met Kevin McCarthy. For the first time in my life, I signed a book to another Kevin McCarthy.

Kevin O. McCarthy (on the left) gets my vote for being one smart, straight talking, principled, entrepreneurial, and strategic thinker. Wow!

Kevin is a second term US Congressman from Bakersfield, CA, an agricultural and oil area. His roots run deep in terms of integrity and leadership. I was profoundly encouraged to see a man of high character and practical business experience serving our nation.

We need more business persons being about the people's business. Government is big business but it is overrun with lawyers. No lawyer jokes here. I have tremendous respect for their training, profession, and role; but legal minds are contentious minds. Business minds are trained to manage and lead with an eye toward creating value.

One day I hope to have the opportunity to vote for Kevin McCarthy for President or Vice President of the United States. Kevin McCarthy is a winner… and not just in name only!

On-Purpose Profile: Shakira Sings For Education

January 6, 2010 By kwmccarthy

Shakira via last.fm

One's education and life trajectory are highly correlated. For some reason, however, many segments of our US population (children and parents) view schooling as a prison sentence instead of an opportunity of a lifetime.

Let me assume you don't know of Shakira, a international pop sensation from Colombia, South America, not South Carolina. This young woman's remarkable voice, talent, and moves (She Wolf song video) have catapulted her to the top of the song charts.

Shakira, gets it, however, when it comes to education – she is pouring much of her earnings into education by founding a school in her hometown of Barranquilla. The multiple Grammy winner has gifted $6 million through her foundation, Pies Descalzos, which means "barefoot" in
Spanish, to create a school to help 150 kids get ahead in life.

And if you're tempted to think Shakira is simply an empty-headed, manufactured public relations image, let me encourage you to watch the short video (below) of a speech she gave in the United Kingdom at Oxford Union about the importance of education.

Shakira, you are an on-purpose person! Thank you for converting your pop
culture fortunes into dollars dedicated to improving the culture of your country. Your legacy will live in the lives of those children and the
generations to follow.

How Would You React?

December 22, 2009 By kwmccarthy

My daughter, Anne, is a 16-year-old competitive soccer player. She serves as a junior captain of her Trinity Prep high school soccer team as well as a player on the Football Club of America (Kumba Soccer) located here in Orlando. Her Kumba team was having a car wash fund raiser in late September. An accident occurred where one teammate's foot slipped off the brakes and the car pinned another teammate against a wall. Bree McMahon's legs were crushed. Anne was one of many who sprang into action. She called 911 and provided a towel for Bree's head as she lay on the ground awaiting the arrival of paramedics.

Initially, we anticipated broken legs and damage to Bree's knees. The severity of the accident came to light a few hours later when Anne's text from the hospital said, "Bree's legs might have to be amputated because the blood vessels were crushed." Judith and I immediately headed to the hospital to be and pray with the girls.

Jenna Bush Hager (George and Laura Bush's daughter) of The Today Show did a feature on Bree. The clip below tells the story. You'll also get to see and hear a brief comment from Anne from behind Bree's hospital bed.

Bree and Chelsea (the driver involved in the freak accident) are young Christian girls whose faith is serving them both well in terms of forgiveness given and received. The character of both young ladies is remarkable.

If it were your legs crushed that day, how would you respond? My hope would be that I would have grace and understanding like Bree.

Profiles On-Purpose®

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