The Sykes Group's OnPoint

Jump Start Your Progressive Thinking with TEDxNASA!

Watch the following video to jump start your progressive thinking for a more successful live:

Enjoy!

Are You Singing Your Song of Success? Five Secrets to Following Your Dreams and Achieving More Success in Your Life!

Recently, Susan Boyle, an unemployed forty-seven year old single woman from the small village of Blackburn, Scotland decided to compete in the television program, "Britain's Got Talent." She did not look like the typical "star quality" contestant. So, when she first walked out on the stage, the audience and judges started laughing and giving her cynical looks. Then she sang. The audience and judges were instantly won over and she continued to the next round of competition. Because the program was on television and the video of her program appeared on YouTube, she won over millions of additional fans with her unique talent. Whether she wins the competition or not, she already won by living her dream. By taking the bold step of competing, Susan won over millions while creating unlimited opportunities to sing her song of success.

So I ask you the following:

Are You Singing Your Song of Success?

Are you letting your song of success go silent? The following are five secrets that will guarantee that your song of success is heard and you can also live your dreams:

1. Create Powerful Goals to Be Successful
   Take the time to set clear, concise life and success goals that you can be excited about on a daily basis. Refer to your goals every day so that you can stay on course to achieve your dreams. Make your goals S-M-A-R-T-E-R: specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, time-based, encouraging, and rewarded.

To read the rest of the article and see Susan Boyle in action, go to Success

Ed Sykes Featured in New Technology Series on National Public Radio

Get motivated to learn how to use social networking tools Facebook and Twitter to maximize your career, your business, and your life opportunities Listen as I discuss on National Public Radio's program HearSay With Cathy Lewis on how to use Twitter and Facebook to create more success in life.

For additional resources, go to Twitter Success.

National+Public+Radio Facebook Twitter Twitter+Videos Ed+Sykes Cathy+Lewis HearSay+With+Cathy+Lewis

Leadership Starts With Giving!

What a beautiful day! I just finished speaking and Joy finished volunteering at the American Cancer Society's (ACS) Making Strides Against Beast Cancer Event in Norfolk, VA. With over six thousand participants (including cancer survivors), the American Cancer Society was able to raise $350,000 to fight beast cancer and provide services to those in need.

The participants were excited and my job was to keep them excited and motivate them to get involved in other events throughout the year. You see, cancer won't wait to our next event! As I spoke to a sea of faces, I could feel the positive energy in the crowd knowing that they had made a difference. And you can too!

Please take the time to go to http://www.cancer.org and read about the wonderful work ACS is doing everyday to help your families (possible your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, etc), your friends, and your community members beat this terrible disease. I challenge each person reading this post to give your time and/or money so that possibly someone you know and love can beat this disease.

Go to http://www.cancer.org today and make a difference!

Leadership Cancer American+Cancer+Society Making+Strides+Against+Breast+Cancer Volunteer Norfolk

Randy Pausch of The Last Lecture Passes Away

Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation (see previous post) and a best-selling book, died on July 25. He was 47.

What a great gift of hope and inspiration he left with us before and after his passing.

motivational+speech inspirational+speech Randy +Pausch the+last+lecture

Customer Service Expert Ed Sykes Shares How You Can Give Great Customer Service on National Public Radio Program

I recently had the pleasure of being on the popular National Public Radio program, HearSay with host Cathy Lewis. The theme of the program was customer service.

Customer service expert Bob Livingston and I discussed how to provide great customer service so that the customer experience brings the customer back again and again.

To listen to the customer service tips we shared on the program, please click on the following link:

Customer Service Tips

Customer+Service Customer+Care Customer+Satisfaction Customer+Experience National+Public+Radio Customer+Service+Tips

NFL Legend Bruce Smith Talks About Health

We are honored to be involved of the third annual American Cancer Society's African American Men's Health Forum at the Marriott Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, VA on April 19th. As a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, I implore everyone to be proactive in taking care of their health. As Co-Chairman of this important event, I am especially happy that NFL Legend Bruce Smith has become a spokesperson for this event. See the following commercial with Bruce:

For additional information, go to www.cancerhealthforums.org. Get the information to make a difference for your love ones and for yourself.

American+Cancer+Society Bruce+Smith African+American+Men's+Health+Forum Norfolk+VA

Happy Holidays and Have a Good Laugh!

We wish all of our readers and your families a safe, great, and Happy Holiday season and an even more successful 2008! In case you are wondering what we are doing over the holidays, please watch the following video:

Technorati Tags: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season Greetings, Happy New Year

It's My Birthday and Thanksgiving All in One!

I hope all is well and we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving today.

Even if it's not a holiday in your part of the world... it's always nice to be thankful for the people, opportunities, and things we have in our lives. Take a moment today to call, e-mail, or text message the special people in your life and let them know how you appreciate them.

Thank you for your continued interest and support in The Sykes Group. We hope our postings have made a difference in your lives and will continue to make a difference in the future.

Also it is my birthday today. It's a big one (I'll let you guess which one). As a friend wrote in her card, "Nice that the entire nation has declared it a holiday."

Have a Great and safe Happy Thanksgiving today!

Giving+Thanks Happy+Thanksgiving Thanksgiving+Day Happy+Birthday

We are Hokies, We Are Virginia Tech!

Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia has declared that we observe a moment of silent and a statewide day of mourning for the fallen students of Virginia Tech University. As I understand it, many other states are joining Virginia in the moment of silent. Even though I am a Blackbird (Long Island University), since this tragic happened, I am a Hokie.

We went to the gym early this morning and many people were wearing the Hokie colors. Afterward, we went to the supermarket and the grocery bagger was wearing a Hokie t-shirt that read "Hokie Hope."

Hope is the common theme of today and every day going forward. We hope and pray that the families, friends, and community will find the strength to overcome the tragic loss of loved ones. We hope that our freedom to live life will not be eliminated the act of one troubled soul. We hope the heroic stories are not forgotten. We hope that we will learn from this tragic situation so that we become a better, stronger society by taking the time to help all those who are weak and in need of help.

The following was written and read by Poet Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of English Nikki Giovanni at the convocation held the day following the tragedy at Virginia Tech:

We Are Virginia Tech

We are Virginia Tech
We are sad today
And we will be sad for quite a while
We are not moving on
We are embracing our mourning
We are Virginia Tech
We are strong enough to stand tall fearlessly
We are brave enough to bend to cry ...
And sad enough to know we must laugh again
We are Virginia Tech
We do not understand this tragedy
We know we did nothing to deserve it
But neither does a child in Africa dying of aids
Neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by a rogue army
Neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory
Neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water
Neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of night in his crib in the home its father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destablized
No one deserves a tragedy
We are Virginia Tech
The Hokie nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds
We are strong and brave and innocent and unafraid
We are better than we think
and not quite what we want to be
We are alive to the imagination and the possibility
We will continue to invent the future
Through our blood and tears
Through all this sadness
We are the Hokies
We will prevail
We will prevail
We will prevail
We are Virginia Tech

We are Hokies, We are Virginia Tech!

Virginia+Tech+Day+of+Mourning Governor+Tim+Kaine Virginia+Tech Nikki+Giovanni overcoming+adversity

Keynotes and Sessions in Los Angeles, Oh My!

We just returned from Los Angeles after doing a motivational keynote titled "Moments, Miracles, and Masterpieces: Seven Secrets of Motivation" and a breakout session on change management for the California Association for Education of Young Children. They are a great group of people making a difference with our children everyday. They are inspired, motivated, and ready for any changes in the future. As always, it was just another beautiful day(s) in LA.

One of the many highlights of the trip was getting together with Jim, my old high school friend, and enjoying the old and new times with him. It made me realize how we need to step back, "smell the roses," and always take time to cherish the important people in our life.

Create a Great Day!

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes Receive Award from School for Youth Leadership and Mentoring Program

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes, Co-founders of The Sykes Group, received an award from Seatack Elementary School in Virginia Beach, VA, for volunteering and leading the Toastmasters International Youth Leadership and Mentoring Program. They led a group of third through fifth graders on an eight-week program to improve their leadership, presentation, and motivation skills.

At the Seatack graduation ceremony, Ed and Joy were presented with an award from Principal Katherine Everett for outstanding contributions to the enhancement of public education. Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes, in the Toastmasters International Youth Leadership Program, coached and mentored the participants in officer elections, Robert's Rules of Order, how to run a meeting, presentation skills, thinking on your feet skills, and how to give positive evaluations. By the second session, the participants are running the sessions with coaching from Ed and Joy.

"We find that our participants will always raise to the high bar we set for them in leadership, presentation skills, and evaluation skills so that they are more confident as students and leaders, and are ready to become global citizens," says Ed Sykes. "They are like little sponges and they instantly absorb new skills, many times much better than many adults." Joy Fisher-Sykes says, "We know our efforts are worth it when we see immediate results or when the participants ask us to come back next year. One young program participant said that it was difficult growing up as a child. Our program allowed her to voice her concerns about growing up as a kid and feel comfortable doing it."

Happy 4th of July!

Take time to remember family, friends, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy of independence.

Have a wonderful 4th of July for everyone!

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes are Keynote Speakers at Big Brothers Big Sisters Appreciation Banquet

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes were the keynote speakers during the Big Brothers Big Sisters Appreciation Banquet on February 3rd at the Little Creek Naval Base Chief Petty Officer Club in Norfolk, VA. The banquet was to acknowledge the Big Brothers and Big Sisters for their efforts in making a difference with their "little brothers" and "little sisters."

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Hampton Roads is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a positive future for at-risk children. They match children, the little brothers or sisters known as "littles," with a mentor or Big Brother or Sister known as the "bigs," to invest time and provide guidance to their mentees to create a positive future for the "littles."

The banquet was attended by Rep. Thelma Drake (R-VA) and Portsmouth Mayor Bill Holley among others. Ed and Joy gave the speech, "Make a Difference," highlighting the positive experiences they had mentoring children. Ed let the volunteers know that they were heroes because they invest their time and effort to make a difference in the lives of the children, their little brothers and sisters. Ed also said, "We make a difference by setting positive expectations for children who have negative influences in their lives." Joy spoke about the need for the children to be comfortable with themselves. "We must teach our children that they don't need to have the most expensive clothes, cars, and jewelry to be great and be successful. They must be 'comfortable in their own skin' so that they make the right decisions because it's the right thing to do, not based on what other people want them to do." Joy also mentioned that the volunteers benefit from their experiences because they develop a new perspective on life and enhance their listening skills. This leads to improved personal and business relationships.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampton Roads is located in Chesapeake, VA. They can be reached at telephone number 757-549-7437 or at their website, www.bbbsofshr.org.

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes Featured on NBC News as Mentors of Young Leaders

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes were featured on the WAVY-TV 10 (NBC affiliate) program, Wednesday's Child, for their volunteer work mentoring the community's young to become leaders. The program, hosted by WAVY-TV 10 news personality, Don Roberts, ran a series called "Where in the World is Wednesday's Child" seeking to find out what happened to children in challenging situations mentored by Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes during 1996. Don Roberts featured Ciara the young child mentored by Joy. Ciara now nineteen years old, is an art teacher in a local school and is preparing to go to college for law.

It has been very rewarding receiving telephone calls from indivduals wanting to know how they can volunteer or start their own programs. Even with our busy travel schedule, we continue to volunteer our time to teach children leadership, team building, and communication skills through the Toastmasters Young Leadership program.

It's International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction (Mother Nature Can You Give Us a Break?)

Oct 12th is International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction. I think Mother Nature misunderstood what this day was all about. She is suppose to reduce or stop these natural disasters. After Katrina, Rita, recent floods, California fires, and the earthquake in Pakistan and India, all I ask is, "Mother Nature, can you give us a little break?" Just for a few days, weeks, or months while we catch our breath.