Tony Robbins * Simon & Schuster * February 28, 2017 * 256 Pages I wasn’t very familiar with Tony Robbins until I watched a documentary about him on Netflix called I Am Not Your Guru. Yowza, that thing is crazy! I went from seeing Robbins as slightly weird and cheesy to […]
In Washington, D.C. a city where relationships drive world affairs, Jan DuPlain is not just another networker. She is an international connector.
Jan in Jerusalem
When the Gallup Leadership Institute, presented DuPlain with its Excellence Award in 1998, the organization commended her for her “ability to connect just the right person with just the right talent to make just the right contribution.” They extolled the impact of her work, noting, “With her help, alliances are forged and progress is made.”
Indeed her recent appointment as Embassy Liaison for the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center is a testament to that statement. DuPlain’s extensive international experience has included working with the Cultural Tourism DC, where she launched “Passport DC,” a month long, city-wide cultural celebration of Washington’s international and diplomatic community with 70 embassies hosting open houses.
With Tim Cox(l) and Craig Cobine(r).
Cox is the Chair of Cultural Tourism DC, sponsor of PASSPORT DC.
As president of DuPlain Enterprises, a top local marketing and public relations firm she founded more than 18 years ago, she has also had numerous international clients.
DuPlain describes herself as a late bloomer who keeps blooming “Life is a series of changes,–so get ready, replace fear with faith-look at each beginning as an adventure”, she advises,
I started over many, many times. My confidence comes from knowing that “the challenge before you, is never as great as the power behind you!”
Born and raised in Southern California, she first came to Washington, D.C. to attend American University. After graduation in the 1960s she returned to California to sell ads for her father’s newspaper and later moved to New York City for a brief stint at CBS Cinema Center Films, working with celebrity columnists Leonard Lyons, Earl Wilson and television host Ed Sullivan.
Her passion for the arts caused her to move back to Washington D.C. in the early 1970s to do marketing work for the newly renovated Ford’s Theatre. “1971 was a pivotal year for the culture of Washington,” she said “the Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center opened up that year.. Nothing has ever been the same since—DC flourished and we are now rated as the 2nd highest ticket sales in theatre in the USA (after NYC).—we are truly a “world class cultural city!”
As a marketing rep for the Ford Theatre Society she worked closely with Frankie Hewitt, wife of legendary CBS “60 Minutes” Founder/Executive Producer Don Hewitt, who she described as her ultimate mentor and friend.
Loyalty has continued to define DuPlain, who has served as a mentor to numerous successful Washington business women. There is truth to the saying “make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold,” she said.
During the 1970s, she also got her consciousness raising from feminist Gloria Steinem (whose 80th birthday party she will attend this November in Philadelphia). DuPlain eventually took a job with General Electric where she managed a clearinghouse on alcohol information. While at GE she was especially concerned about the lack pf support for women and alcoholism. “there was no research on women, minimal treatment programs and prevention programs for women. She launched the first Women’s addiction group for the National Organization of Women (NOW) in DC and became the first Director on Women for the National Council on Alcoholism- she set up Task Forces around the USA to support women with alcohol and mental health issued.
She always had a air for acting so when she moved back to California she joined a repertory company that allowed her to star in many productions including a production of “Same Time Next Year.”
She returned to the east coast in 1983. DuPlain said “felt like starting over again” She took a job at Washington-area PBS station WETA-TV. From 1983-1995 she led its public relations department, raising the station’s visibility locally and nationally. The job included doing public relations for such legendary personalities as news host Bill Moyers, newsman Charlie Rose and actress Helen Mirren. She also spearheaded publicity efforts for the D.C. world premiere of documentary filmmaker Ken Burns’ multiple award-winning TV series, “The Civil War.”
After leaving WETA-TV in 1996 she founded DuPlain Enterprises (www.duplain.com). The company’s title was homage to her late father, who first used it for his newspaper business. Over the years her company has managed major celebrities and clients including at the National Women’s History Museum where DuPlain worked with museum spokeswoman, actress Meryl Streep.
While she has been a frequent guest at the city’s top social gatherings and won numerous awards, DuPlain starts her and ends her day in a conventional way – for what she considers her most important connection. “The confidence I have didn’t come easy. This town keeps you humble.”
“Every day I get down on my knees,” she said.
With the Dalai Lama
Recently I attended a conference where I met two young women who had just attended a workshop for millennials. One was a millennial and the other a Gen-Xer . Both expressed concern about the lack of clarity and focus of the panel. The workshop, they said, simply did not speak to them. I asked them about their concerns and found they had some great ideas to what could have been done differently. We then discussed their workplace situation. It seems both faced barriers and constant challenges from baby boomers who were still stuck on how things were done 20 years ago. The boomers, they said, would not even try to . listen to their ideas.
No doubt about it we baby boomers are amazing. I do know and greatly appreciate “AARP” – the American Association for Retired Persons which advocates for us boomers and those older. We have amazing role models that remain relevant across generations . Witness Aretha Franklin, “The Queen of Soul,” with a new comeback album that will “cover” the latest hits. The late Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Brendan Eich (the guy that invented JavaScript) remain tech industry and social icons. Heck we even can claim a U.S. President (Barack Obama). We are leaders of social change, news anchors, business owners, heads of state, corporate giants, authors and we are eternally young to boot. Yet for far too many it has been hard for us to make room for the generations that have come after us. While we have much wisdom and knowledge to pass on, we have become rather stingy and egotistical about it. We jealously guard our turf, not wanting to share. Worst we don’t want to hear fresh ideas from those younger than us. Yes, we will hire “young” presuming that younger means cheaper just so long as our ideals, our wisdom, our knowledge will still dominate. That need, by the way, includes the workplace as well as the simple community event. So where can we start to bridge the information/wisdom/knowledge gap? Let’s just start by listening. Young people have a lot to offer not just in terms of social media or new tech know-how. Many are also quite wise. Frankly, if we #boomers are to really to remain “forever young,” we have to start listening and respecting what we hear from members of generations that follow us. So next time a seemingly overconfident millennial or gen-Xer offers you advice, just listen. It may be the first step in helping you change the world or at least change your life.
Motivational speaker Willie Jolley says there’s a reason the windshield of a car is so big and the rearview mirror is so small. Looking forward one can see the possibilities.
Recently I had the opportunity to be around a group of the “unfortunately successful.” You know them, people who have acquired some level of success by society’s standards but who now, struggling to remain relevant possess an almost stifling air of self-importance. After about a half-hour with this crowd I left the event. Perhaps in the past I would have stayed but it didn’t seem like a good use of my time.
Time, I have learned, is valuable.
One of my favorite columnists, James Altucher author of the recent ” The Choose Yourself: Stories” recently published a column about regrets. In his column he says “Money you can get back, but even five minutes of time lost is gone forever.”
So true.
Time is the most cherished thing you will possess. It is yours as long as you are on this earth. Don’t waste it in pettiness, regrets or trying to figure out how to please people who can’t even please themselves. We are all here for a finite period. Spend time counting your blessings. Feel blessed.
Mercer teammates do “victory” dance after defeating Duke in the NCAA season opener
As we enter the final days of March Madness 2014 , not much is mentioned in the news media now of Warren Buffett’s billion-dollar offer to the person who created the perfect bracket for the NCAA tournament. In fact within days of the start of the college basketball series, the number of qualified entrants for the billion-dollar contest dwindled from 15 million persons to 15. With upsets that threw out Duke, Oklahoma New Mexico , statisticians and expert sports analysts were left to wonder why so soon? Sports pundits took to their blogs and the airwaves to discuss the situation pronouncing it a fixed proposition. Perhaps , but it was in good fun, provided some with an additional challenge and added to the always exciting basketball tournament. Besides, there is another way to look at the contest.
Warren Buffett is seen by most of us as a genius investor. Biographers, columnists, self-help gurus tried to decipher how the “Oracle of Omaha” does it. Bridge player, father (who gave his children money to start foundations to serve the greater good) and supporter of ObamaCare, he is in fact of this earth. Yes, he gets the market, but he gets us too. Buffett is not only a shrewd investor, he is a man who though an agnostic, understands the human condition. We are after all creatures of emotion. We have good days and bad days. While it easy to look at stats, to analyze , to judge the appearance of things, people and information ultimately we are all products of God. We cannot predict and ultimately can’t control outcomes. In today’s data driven society sometimes we forget that – but Buffett who is credited as an investor for all times always remembers.
Dwain Schneck, author of “Reset: How to Beat the Job-Loss Blues and Get Ready for Your Next Act”
When Dwain Schenck lost his job in 2012 he was in denial for six months. He had never been out of work and had a long, successful public relations career. He in fact was in many ways a pioneer in the public relations field. Now he is a leader in another arena – personal reinvention – as the author of a new book, “Reset: How to Beat the Job-Loss Blues and Get Ready for Your Next Act”
Dwain’s career path included being director of public relations for AmeriCares and director of communications for Quantel. He also had his own public relations consulting business for many years before taking a job as Vice President of Communications for a Fortune 500 corporation. It was that job that would lead Dwain to his latest path of reinvention when he was let go. “I have found there are two kinds of ways people deal with losing a job in this economy: there are those who look at it as a market reality and are practical about the situation and say to themselves ‘it’s just a bad economy, it’s not my fault’ and they move on and usually find a new job or a source of income and satisfaction, ” Dwain said. ” Then there are those on the other side of the ledger: those who are emotionally devastated from their job loss and feel like they’ll never work again. I definitely fell into that category,” he said.
In his book Dwain describes his own journey after his firing which included a furtive and depressing job search. Throughout that time period he confided in friends including MSNBC”Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski who herself had gone through a devastating and public job loss at CBS. Dwain remained depressed and it was Mika who pointed out to him his unique communications style and candor and suggested writing the book—for no other reason than to help others learn how to keep their sanity through their job search. After some rumination he began to rebuild his life and now, in addition to writing the new book and making speaking engagements and media appearances he has formed Schenck Strategies LLC (www.schenckstrategies.com), a boutique corporate communications agency.
Still, his greatest passion is helping other people who have suffered the pain of job loss. Indeed, “Reset” is a road map for those who need to quell the initial shock of being fired , forgive themselves before moving on and to take that next steps in their careers and lives. Dwain and his business associates have created a web site that serves as a resource and offers an open discussion platform for the suddenly unemployed to get moral support on an ongoing basis (www.resetyourfuture.com).
“If you live long enough and have the ability to step outside yourself once in a while, you realize your problems are not unique – say from your neighbor’s problems,” Dwain said.
Self-forgiveness is probably one of the most underrated traits necessary for successful business ventures. We make a mistake or we blow a pitch or we hurt a business colleague, friend or family members’ feelings (unintentionally of course). Hope is the anecdote to mistakes. It’s about you can and will be given another opportunity to right the wrong, strut your stuff and make a difference . We all have the ability to keep moving forward.
Looking to the Past and Moving Forward – Part I
It has been an interesting year. I’ve had a lot of personal and professional growth. There are a lot of sites that suggest some of us are more akin to look backward than forward. Here’s some thoughts from the writers of the Harvard Business Review.
In his recent article for the Harvard Business Review blog, Jeffrey Gedmin shares his observations on how some people are more keen to be foresighted than others. Though born from experiences in the corporate world and not directly related to the field of higher education, his advice on how to improve your ability to think about the future and make informed descisions can apply to anyone. The exerpts below are the four things you should do to become more prescient.
For starters, be empirical and always be sure you’re working with the fullest data set possible when making judgments and discerning trends. Careful listening, a lost art in today’s culture of certitude and compulsive pontificating, can help us distinguish the signal from the noise.
“Thinking outside the box,” is one of the most well-worn clichés in…
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In this Information Age, there is well a lot of information. It can be tough just trying to keep up. The phrase never stop learning has never been more true. If one is to reinvent one’s self. One must participate in a lot of learning, reading , growing, social media maintenance. television watching – not to mention keeping up with the regular demands of one’s own life. It can be exhausting. That’s why meditation have to be a part of one’s routine. Breathing is the key to life.
Small Biz Boomer 