Linda’s Featured Programs

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If you could have a high-energy, motivating, educational and entertaining program which delivered practical suggestions on life balance, stress management, leadership, dealing with change, team building, strengthening relationships and taking your organization from good to great….what would that program be worth to you?

For the good times programs

Laughter is a FUNdamental part of every organization’s plan for success.

“For the Good Times” programs will ENERGIZE, EMPOWER and ENTERTAIN while teaching you how to utilize humor and attitude adjustment to:

  • Manage Stress
  • Improve Morale
  • Motivate Self and Others
  • Build Self Esteem
  • Diffuse Negativity
  • Strengthen Teamwork
  • Improve Communication
  • Increase Productivity

Although Linda offers on-site programs, trainings, and coaching, we have all had to adapt during the pandemic. So all programs and coaching are available in a virtual format. Whether live or virtual, each of the programs can be tailored to address the issues of each particular organization. Participants are given the opportunity to step away from their everyday routines and take an interactive and fun look at very specific issues. They will leave these programs with more insight into how to make their personal and professional lives more effective and balanced. And they’ll have a good time doing it! The sessions will be designed to meet your group size and time allowances. Keynotes and breakout sessions are also available for conventions and conferences as well as on-going consulting programs to supplement and reinforce what was learned in the sessions. Each of these programs can be tailored as an in-house workshop which will address the issues of your particular company. Participants are given the opportunity to step away from their everyday routines and take an interactive and fun look at very specific issues. They will leave these programs with more insight into how to make their personal and professional lives more effective. And…they’ll have a good time doing it! The sessions will be designed to meet your group size and time allowances…you can have a two hour seminar or a half or whole day action packed event. Keynotes and breakout sessions are also available for conventions and conferences, as well as on-going consulting programs to supplement and reinforce what was learned in the sessions.

Adjust your attitude and laugh til' the cows come home

WHY YOU NEED THIS PROGRAM: Now, more than ever, in this ever-changing, sometimes intimidating world, we need to reconnect with our sense of humor! We all practice juggling, in that we have to balance all the parts of our personal and professional lives. Sometimes the pieces come tumbling down on our heads. That’s when we need to take a vacation to the State of Well-Being. This session offers practical hints on how to lighten up and thrive lest we tighten up and dive. You will learn how to put things into proper perspective, practice the fine art of creative silliness, connect with the “elf” in yoursELF, maintain an attitude of altitude and utilize the Five Points of Enlightenment. You will also learn how to give yourself permission to hang up that super hero costume and put yourself at the top of your “To Do” list. We know that total health is more than the absence of illness. Laughter is the medicine with no negative side effects. This program explores the mind/body/spirit connection. You will learn about the physiological effects of attitude and how our health is impacted by our moods. You will be given insights in how to live your life in the key of laughter, how to use humor in situations of illness and grief and therapeutic humor. You will learn about the successes of a model Comedy Clinic set up in nursing homes and hospitals and you will be reminded that laughter is a FUNdamental part of survival! Topics covered will include:

    • Why humor is serious business!
    • The importance of laughter in physical, emotional and mental health
    • The healing power of humor
    • How to turn a negative situation into a positive one
    • How to dig up an atrophied funny bone!
    • Exercises and affirmations in laughter (laughter yoga)
    • How to find something funny in a seemingly unfunny world
    • Using appropriate humor
    • Getting your “pants out of a bunch!”
    • Undergoing a total makeover of the spirit
    • Adding more days to your life by adding more life to your days
    • Choosing battles
    • Laughter as a stress buster
    • Humor as a motivator
    • Humor as a communicator
    • Humor as a team builder
    • Embracing laughter and joy as a suitable option in life!
    • The importance of laughter in physical, emotional and mental health
    • Humor in the grieving process
    • Adding some creative silliness to your life

I am super human! I am strong! I am invincible! I am pooped!

WHY YOU NEED THIS PROGRAM:

This session has become a favorite for women’s conferences. We live in hectic times and it seems as if a woman’s work is never done! There are so many stresses that plague our gender and we all seem to feel that we have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. It is mentally healthy for us to realize that we can’t always do it all! We need to take time to play and indulge ourselves every once in a while. The fact is, there is a time to eat tofu and a time to go for the chocolate! This session addresses how to deal with stress and put things into proper perspective.

Topics covered include:

  • “NO” is NOT a four-letter word!
  • Juggling your life without dropping all of the balls on your head!
  • Breaking the super woman syndrome…learning to hang up your super hero cape.
  • Finding new elastic for your stretched out life.
  • Learning how to embrace yourself and love what you are (even if you are beginning to really look like that scary picture on your driver’s license!)
  • Beauty comes in all sizes, shapes and ages
  • Caring for yourself as the caregiver
  • Getting rid of clutter (in your life and in your mind)
  • Appreciating life as a journey… not a destination. Sometimes we need to make pit stops!
  • Putting things into perspective… “When all else fails, buy new shoes!”
  • Motherhood: How to give your children roots and wings
  • Improve your attitude or “how to stop looking as if you were wearing sandpaper underwear”
  • Leaving a legacy of laughter
  • Surviving Aging: “I’m still a hot number… it’s just that now it comes in flashes.”
  • Recognizing and cherishing each moment as a thread in the quilt of your life.

Laughter: The ultimate team sport

WHY YOU NEED THIS WORKSHOP:

There is a reason that creativity and teambuilding are paired in this session. Sometimes, we have to be creative, look at things in a new and different way and tweak our attitudes a bit in order to build and strengthen a successful team. Teams are complex machines and sometimes they need a bit of realignment! A tailor-made team building event allow you to take some time away from the workplace and play…which is an incredible way to pique creativity, resourcefulness and free thought. Sometimes, it’s as simple as learning more about the people you work with and sometimes it’s about putting forward new ideas, looking at the team’s vision and mission, and working through communication difficulties or changing work environments. Creative teambuilding has a positive effect on the morale, motivation and effectiveness of the team, as individuals and as a unit. This positive and fun session will build confidence, give participants a fresh perspective and it promises to pump up any organization’s funny bone and generate a lot of laughter…which is, of course, the ultimate team sport!

Your staff will learn to work together, be supportive of one another and grow closer as they laugh and learn about:

  • Moving from capable to brilliant
  • Sharpening creative capability
  • Becoming more resourceful and stretching your imagination
  • Exercising both sides of the brain
  • Turning mental blocks into building blocks
  • Learning to play in order to be more creative
  • Appreciating the value of brainstorming
  • Getting “unstuck”
  • Getting out of the box and then stomping on the box
  • Thriving in an ever-changing world
  • Stepping away from fear and trying new things
  • Looking at a situation in a different way
  • Understanding and accepting different personalities and styles

Living a but-kickin' life

WHY YOU NEED THIS PROGRAM:

You want your staff to be the best they can be for their sakes and for the good of the organization. So many people get stuck and never reach their full potential, due to lack of confidence, fear, low motivation…there are many excuses. I call them big “buts”. You know the pattern: “I would do this BUT…(fill in the blank)! A healthy person is one who learns to kick him or herself in the “but” and break through to the next level of personal development and success.

This is a valuable workshop for anyone who wants to learn about:

  • Getting rid of excuses (the buts) and taking the necessary steps toward getting what you want
  • Utilizing personal but-kickin’ affirmations
  • Discovering how others see you and how you see yourself
  • Finding your passion
  • Getting your “pants out of a bunch” and learning to embrace joy
  • Setting boundaries
  • Ceasing the whining, quitting the blame game and moving your “but”
  • Taking back control of your choices and your life
  • Getting over being a victim and becoming a victor
  • Taking the Five Steps toward getting where you want to go and accomplishing great things
  • Becoming aware of opportunities
  • Developing your sense of humor in order to better relate to people and deal with challenges
  • Embracing the Concepts of EnLIGHTenment
  • Taking responsibility for your own successes and failures
  • Using humor to deal with the trolls in your life Moving away from negativity and the habits that drain your energy

Managing to manage

WHY YOU NEED THIS PROGRAM:

Managing seems complicated, but it really revolves around some basic concepts: respect, communication, listening, steering (not pushing) and understanding that people are a company’s most important resource. An effective manager leads and allows others to grow and excel in their jobs. A successful manager encourages others to be the best they can be…personally and professionally.

Participants will learn about:

  • Me? A manager? Surely you jest! (and don’t call me Shirley)
  • Defining the position
  • Dealing with challenging situations and negative people
  • Focusing and building on an individual’s strengths
  • Leadership: If no one is following you, you’re really not leading
  • Raising awareness of the whole picture
  • Understanding your role as a manager
  • Communication: Say what you mean and mean what you say
  • Clarifying responsibilities
  • Helping people to deal with change
  • Maintaining an attitude of altitude
  • Offering appropriate praises and reprimands…effective feedback
  • Dealing with issues as they arise
  • Keeping tabs on goals and behavior
  • Conflict resolution
  • Establishing and agreeing on goals
  • Teamwork
  • Keeping a sense of humor and learning to play
  • Choosing your battles
  • Leading without being a dictator
  • Motivating people (even the zombies!)
  • Understanding that leadership is a verb
  • Dealing in human capital

Serving customers: A recipe book

WHY YOU NEED THIS PROGRAM:

No matter what business you’re in, you serve people and anyone who is served is a client of sorts. Face it, there are no many options these days that if you’re not serving your customers, someone else will! Not only do you want to have satisfied clients, you want loyal clients. This session will help your staff to look at your company the way your customers see you.

Areas addressed include:

  • Remembering that it’s not only about policy and procedure…it’s about people
  • Dealing with cranky customers
  • The importance of listening and hearing
  • Setting effective boundaries
  • Keeping your cool
  • Acknowledging internal and external clients (your staff counts, too!)
  • Empowering your staff to make decisions
  • Thinking out of the box
  • Elevating the customer experience
  • Communication tips
  • Expressing appreciation to clients
  • Establishing customer loyalty
  • Winning phone techniques

All you ever wanted to know about stress but were to tense to ask!

WHY YOU NEED THIS SEMINAR:

Say the word “stress.” Now say it with a whispery voice and really hiss out the ssssss on the end. It sounds kind of villainous, doesn’t it? Stress can really make you sick and mess up a work environment, as well. The term “stress” was initially coined to denote how much pressure could be borne by beams in a structure before they snapped! Stress can damage our bodies and our workplaces, as well; resulting in high absenteeism, cranky staff and an unpleasant environment. A stressed worker won’t give the customer or coworkers the attention and courtesy they deserve, and besides, no one wants to work with a troll! It is said that everyone brings joy into the workplace…some when they enter and some when they leave!

This seminar will address such issues as:

  • Identifying stressors and stress busters
  • Common causes of stress
  • Signs and symptoms of excess stress
  • Drawing boundaries
  • Learning to say “NO”
  • De-stressing your day
  • The incredible healing power of humor
  • Using stress as a motivator
  • The importance of using laughter as a stress management tool
  • Embracing change rather than fearing it
  • Avoiding trying to change others…only yourself (besides, you can’t change anyone else anyway….unless they are in diapers!)
  • The link between effective communication and decreased stress
  • How to keep work from becoming a four letter word!
  • Taking your work seriously and yourself lightly
  • Dealing with negative people and challenging situations

Emotional Intelligence: Are You Smarter Than a Sock Puppet?

WHY YOU NEED THIS SEMINAR:

We live in a fast paced world with hundreds of decisions to be made every day. Stress is rampant and sometimes it feels as if we are living in a pressure cooker. Because we’re caught in the daily rush that seems to carry us along, often we get exhausted, lose our voice when it comes to saying “no” and get swept up in things we don’t really want to do. We begin to feel like we’re losing our sense of self and becoming someone else’s sock puppet. It takes more than knowledge and intelligence to be a success; it also takes emotional intelligence…the ability to recognize the importance of and utilize our emotions in dealing with life’s challenges.

This program will encourage you to:

  • Refuse to be a “sheep”
  • Embrace your uniqueness
  • Find and use your voice
  • Step away from self-defeating behavior
  • Define and map out your personal and professional goals
  • Have confidence in your own decisions
  • Celebrate your small victories
  • Step out of the shadow of your fear
  • Have faith in your own strength
  • Live the life you love
  • Find your passion
  • Identify your patterns

Change is Inevitable but Panic is Optional

Change can be scary and intimidating because it involves replacing something in our current reality. We become comfortable with our patterns; whether healthy or not, and we suddenly are faced with having to replace the familiar with the unfamiliar. To survive and thrive, we can’t fall victim to panic; we must develop resiliency.

  • Learning to view change as an opportunity rather than a problem
  • Letting go and moving on
  • Taking responsibility for your decisions
  • Breaking the chains that bind us
  • Developing inner equilibrium and balance
  • Confidence: full esteem ahead!
  • Maintaining long term vision
  • Mastering our emotions
  • Understanding the constancy of change
  • Adapting and growing through change
  • Recognizing the 5 kinds of change
  • The phases of change

Never Try To Put Pants on a Snake (Training your brain to turn Negatives into Positives

Here is a worthy tip: Never try to put pants on a snake; it will only make the snake cranky and frustrate you. Sometimes we waste a lot of time trying to do things that just aren’t working or moving us ahead to where we want to be. We need to train our brains to work FOR us rather than against us. This fun session will offer practical suggestions on how to build habits of the mind which will allow you to be more flexible in your thinking, utilize your emotional intelligence (become more aware of your thoughts and feelings), recapture a child’s sense of wonderment and imagination, use your past to propel you into the future and most of all, add more days to your life by adding more life to your days…in other words laugh more! Topics covered include:

  • Knowing where you want to go & taking steps to get there
  • Using your intelligence and your emotional quotients together
  • Improving our cognitive function by repetitive practice
  • Looking at things in a different way
  • Refusing to put an age limit on your dreams
  • Taming the snakes of stress
  • Communicating more clearly
  • Seeking to understand others
  • Learning to improvise and imagine
  • Monitoring self-talk
  • Opening your mind
  • Embracing continuous learning
  • Understanding and appreciating the benefits of humor and laughter

Dude, What is Woodstock? Managing the Generational Mix

WHY YOU NEED THIS PROGRAM:

For the first time, there are four generations out there in the workforce. Some talk about their experiences at Woodstock and others call everybody “Dude.” Some are social media experts and others still think that twitter is something that birds do. OMG! It can be confusing and sometimes frustrating if they don’t understand and respect each other. Each generation has their own attitudes, styles, motivational incentives and methods of communication. In this fun and interactive session, we take a look at how we can successfully address and take advantage of the strengths of each generation; because successful business is all about understanding and complementing each other’s opinions, needs and styles. Of course, there will be lots of laughter in this program because humor is the universal language that spans every generation! Topics covered include:

  • Defining the generations
  • Understanding the top complaints of each group
  • Managing stress
  • Avoiding conflict
  • Honoring life experiences
  • Appreciating everyone’s contributions
  • Recognizing sign posts of the generations
  • Differences in work styles
  • Differences in communication styles
  • How to Bridge the Gap
  • Managing the possible generational conflicts
  • Sharing knowledge as peers
  • Building a strong team
  • Using humor as a motivator and a connector
  • The importance of mentoring
  • Avoiding stereotypes
  • Younger workers managing their elders
  • Disempowering situations which may be seen as threatening

Switching Your Mental Channel to an Attitude of Altitude

WHY YOU NEED THIS PROGRAM:

Most of us have established thinking patterns and habits based on information we gathered through childhood upbringing, life experiences, what we have been taught by others, what we have seen on TV and in movies, etc. Many of us are becoming less satisfied and more agitated by life’s challenges and we aren’t aware that we can train our brains to make better choices and see things differently. Topics covered include:

  • Teaching an old brain new tricks
  • Learning to be a “Troll Whisperer”
  • Understanding your habits
  • Knowing where you want to go and how to get there
  • Embracing your core values
  • The First Five Steps toward a balanced life
  • Determining who you really are
  • Getting past your past
  • Making new and positive thought patterns
  • Seeing the world with a sense of wonder
  • Appreciating the value of continuous learning
  • Tearing down pre-conceived notions
  • Thinking out of the box
  • Practicing persistence
  • Thinking about communication in a different way
  • Learning to listen
  • Using all your senses
  • Returning to being childlike

The Cracked Pot

WHY YOU NEED THIS WORKSHOP:

Most of us are cracked pots. We’ve had experiences that have left us broken and we might even have considered ourselves as failures or useless. What we need to understand is that no matter what has happened to us; physically or emotionally, we can always find restoration, and often we will be stronger and more beautiful than before! Kintsugi is a Japanese word meaning “golden joinery.” It refers to the art of fixing broken ceramics with a lacquer resin made to look like solid gold. A vessel repaired by kintsugi will be stronger and more precious than before it was fractured. If our destiny is altered and we take a different path…it can be more rewarding than the one we originally thought we should walk. This session incorporates some of the elements presented in the workshop on change, as well. Recovery is possible!

Topics covered include:

  • The Japanese art of Kintsugi as applied to our lives
  • Reassembling the broken pieces
  • Dealing with betrayal and loss
  • Accepting the process of healing
  • The steps of dealing with grief
  • Accepting that change is inevitable but panic is optional
  • Moving from fearful paralysis into energetic hopefulness
  • Reclaiming your personal power
  • Retraining your brain
  • Redefining your reality
  • Learning to trust again
  • The importance of forgiving (yourself & others)
  • Understanding that forgiveness is a choice, not an emotion
  • Finding balance and establishing boundaries
  • Choosing what you want to hold onto and moving away from what no longer serves you
  • Transforming hurt into inner strength
  • Moving out of the shadows and into the light
  • Breaking the chains of negativity
  • Beginning where you are right now
  • Rebuilding self-esteem and confidence
  • Dropping out of the “blame game”
  • Getting past your past