Aloha, so happy to be back on my blog after some time away. Joel and I cruised to Hawaii from Vancouver, BC. We had five days at sea each way with NO cell phone signal. That means, no Internet, emails, Netflix, texts, news updates, or Facebook. It was a cleansing time for us, frightening, but...
I have always looked for heroes, and I have had many in my life. My father, Troy D. Woodbury, Sr. was a major hero and mentor in my life. Being born in 1909, daddy had a unique outlook on life. He was smart, hard-working, frugal, faithful and a great man of service and faith. Jim...
“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent” ― Madeleine K. Albright “When we share those stories we’ve been scared to share, voicelessness loses its wicked grasp.” ― Jo Ann Fore “I’ll never forget. I’ll never give up. I’ll...
As a dream maker, I have lived through many trials that have almost taken my dreams away. I have been challenged by non-dreamers, or those with a different vision, or they may be just as passionate about their own dreams and we’re on different life paths. For those who make my dreams come true, I...
One of my favorites parts of being an Arthur Murray man is planning my dancing future. Here, in September 2019, I am finishing our Dream Sheet for 2020! Our branding for next year is “See Clearly in 2020! Make all your Dancing Dreams Come True!” I love having things to look forward to. I love...
October 15, 2019 is my 43rd anniversary with Arthur Murray Dance Centers. I have worn many hats: student, instructor, Guest Director, Counselor, Supervisor, Manager, Franchise, National Guest Director, organizer, producer, speaker, Chamber of Commerce Board member, and I have loved my whole journey. Some of my friends have been franchisees longer, some have more money,...
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.” – Thomas Edward Lawrence (1888 –...
“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle (384 BC – 324 BC) Greek philosopher and scientist...
“Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress.” – Nicholas Murray Butler (1862 – 1947) American philosopher What does it mean to be optimistic? What is that life like as an optimistic person? The answers may vary. Ask a family with five children, a single working mom, an...
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) Italian polymath of the Renaissance Rachael Ray has been my cooking hero for many years. Truly, I started cooking with her. Many are shocked at how plebeian I am when I confess she is my mentor. She is not a gourmet, she is...
