Kenney Myers

5 Business Lessons We Can All Learn from Ronda Rousey

November 17, 2015 by Kenney Myers

It’s never easy being the champion or leader in your industry. You constantly are looking over your shoulder as challengers pop up trying to take what you worked so hard to build and attain. They may be leaner than you and they may be hungrier than you which can be a very dangerous combination. They may also have training, skills, and experience that you don’t have. Recently, UFC champion Ronda Rousey was believed to be unbeatable. However, last Saturday night she wasn’t just beaten she was destroyed by challenger Holly Holm getting knocked out in the second round of their fight. I believe that we can all learn some lessons from Ronda Rousey to apply to our businesses and professional lives.

Don’t believe all of the hype. Your business may be all the rage with you getting amazing press coverage, large blogs, or even major National news on a regular basis. That’s all great, but the danger is in once you start believing all of that hype and start thinking that you are actually unbeatable (I think this was a major contributor to Ronda Rousey’s loss). There is an obvious advantage to being the incumbent but that hardly means you can’t be challenged. One thing is for sure, everyone and every business can be beaten.
Stay sharp and constantly challenge yourself to learn more and get better. Ronda Rousey put together a good team of coaches but she didn’t get world class striking/kickboxing training (if she did she ignored it completely). Holly Holm is a heavily decorated boxer/kickboxer and knowing this Ronda really needed to spend time focused on her opponent’s strengths.
Don’t run around chasing your opponent allowing them to control or manipulate your time. In the fight, Ronda was chasing after Holly Holm and completely allowing Holly to control the pace and style of the fight. If you allow your competition to dictate the pace plus how you fight your chances of beating them are not good. Try to focus on your strengths and get them to fight you on your terms.
Don’t block punches with your face. As Ronda found out she actually was not indestructible. She repeatedly got punched/kicked in the face and eventually that led to her getting knocked out. If you allow your competitor to keep hitting you and knocking off your clients one at a time or beating you in one market at a time, eventually they will take you out. You need a proper defense to block their attacks as often as you possibly can.
Talk is cheap and isn’t going to be enough. You can talk like the champ but that is simply not going to help you when you are in the heat of battle. You have to be able to back up the strong words and banter. Better yet, just let your actions do the talking for you. If you are the leader in your industry act like it but also stay as hungry as possible. You have to work hard to stay on top because you can be sure your competition is busting their butts.

There are a lot of other lessons that we can learn but in the end Ronda Rousey is fortunate because she will absolutely get a shot to get her title back. In business, rarely are we that lucky. If your competitor knocks you out you could be permanently down for the count. What are you doing today to make sure that doesn’t happen to you or your business?

7 Lessons Every Nanny Can Borrow From Mary Poppins

November 17, 2015 by Kenney Myers

First things first: Mary Poppins sets a pretty high bar. Whether you’re talking about the Disney musical from 1964 or the series of books that ran from the 1930s to the 1980s, she’s pretty much the gold standard for a magical childcare character. The movie alone has helped raise several generations; is there anybody who doesn’t know the tune to “A Spoonful of Sugar”?

Beyond all the magic, though, there are some important lessons that non-magical nannies can take away from the story. (For the purposes of the list, we’ll be relying on the Julie Andrews version.) Take a look:

Set clear boundaries.

Mary Poppins was a friend to the children in her care when they didn’t have any, but she was also very clearly in charge. She directed their days and nights, taught them to clean their room and made sure they understood that she had a job to do. When you’re dealing with your own charges, it’s important to make sure they know that, while you can be very friendly, you’re still in a position of authority. You’re there to care for them, and that doesn’t just mean giving comfort and support. It often means looking like the bad guy when it’s time to get work done.

Work with the parents.

On a related note: you’re there to help the family, and that means working with the parents. Mary Poppins provided a bit of a disruption in the Banks household, but her goal wasn’t to undermine their authority; it was to help them grow closer to their children. To that end, it’s important to remember to work with the parents and regularly talk about your goals for discipline, health, education and so on. If you wind up contradicting parental directives — say, if the parents ask you to limit the kids’ TV viewing but you leave the set on all day — you could cause a rift in the family’s relationship and make the children feel confused about whose rules they need to follow.

Stress the importance of education.

Mary Poppins taught her charges how to keep a clean house, cope with life lessons and spell what’s got to be the longest word ever used in a musical. You should do the same (except for the cartoon derby). Talk with the parents about their children’s education and any goals the parents have, and incorporate things like reading and healthy play into your schedule. Take trips to local museums, art fairs and historical sites.

Remember that health is vital.

Treats are well and good — and you should always communicate with the parents about what you are and aren’t allowed to let the kids eat — but, like Mary Poppins, you should remember that an important part of childcare is instilling healthy habits in the children. Healthy snacks, regular exercise, plenty of good playtime, proper amounts of TV, etc.: it all helps underscore how children can learn to take care of themselves. If you’re looking for recipe advice, this gallery from Parenting.com is a great place to start.

Encourage imagination.

This one’s obvious, right? Mary Poppins took her children to magical places, and she encouraged them to get out of the glum day-to-day routines they’d created and see the fun in life. She even had a song about turning chores into games. As you work with children, no matter their age, you should do all you can to encourage them to use their imagination as they work and play. Playing make-believe isn’t just for fun, either. Imagination has been shown to boost social skills, enhance language skills and even help children work through their fears.

Know your role.

At the end of Mary Poppins, Mary leaves. Her time with the family has drawn to a close, and the job she was hired to do has ended. Your job likely won’t be quite like that, but this lesson is really about knowing your role within the household. You’re a professional caregiver, but you’re also there to support the family; you’re devoted to your charges, but you should also be aware enough of your goals and their development to realize when it’s time to move on. Work with the parents to make sure everyone’s needs are being met — yours and theirs — and know that, sooner or later, you’ll be moving on.

Have fun.

As often as possible. Mary’s biggest lesson to her household was about the importance of fun, from energetic and healthy play to building lasting relationships. She was about joy, more than anything else, and that’s a role you’re uniquely qualified to play as a childcare provider. Being a nanny is hard; harder than most people know or could ever guess. But the key to succeeding at it is to have fun doing it, and to take pleasure in the job itself. It’ll rub off on the kids.

How Big Was That Deal? Embellish Much? How Do You Reel it In?

November 16, 2015 by Kenney Myers

We all know that whether it’s a great fishing story, hunting story, or business deal the details are often a bit fuzzy and seem to only get fuzzier over time. It’s usually not that big of a deal and just like with fishing stories some exaggeration is expected even in business (plus or minus 10%). However, if you stretch the truth too much or too often it’s very likely to result in a loss of credibility that may be impossible to recover from. So what do you do if you find yourself in the position of getting caught adding some size to that deal you landed in order to impress a new client or to get a new job?

Immediately come clean – whatever you do, it’s important to never dig the hole you are in any deeper. It’s way easier to recover if you just come clean and explain your spin as best you can (saying you were wrong indicates that your integrity matters to you). Whoever you are talking to will respect that a lot more than you might imagine.
Accept that deals come in all sizes – focus on the deals you did get because even if they aren’t gigantic that really shouldn’t be the point. If you landed the deal and delivered on it well then that small deal could easily turn into something bigger down the road. This isn’t one of those trite “size doesn’t matter” points, of course it does when it comes to business deals. However, what matters more to new clients and employers is regardless of the size you made the most of every deal.
Come clean even if it isn’t you that exaggerated. I find quite often that it’s the people I am with that tend to stretch the size of a deal or accomplishment (even if it is about something I have done or we have done together). What is intended as flattery actually just brings you into something that you need to clear up. It’s better to politely correct them while still supporting the point they were trying to make. Don’t be guilty by association.

Nobody is perfect and there will be times when you honestly don’t remember the details as well as you may like. If the details are fuzzy then wait and get back to anyone that is asking questions until you have the facts or clearly tell them “don’t quote me on this” because then you have at least set their expectations properly.

In the end having the integrity to come clean and reel in any exaggerations will pay off in catching way bigger fish/deals down the road. If somehow telling the truth is a problem then frankly that’s probably telling you a lot more about the person listening than it is about you. Guard your integrity as you would your life because otherwise people are just not going to want to have you in there boats.

12 Famous Reality TV Stars Named Ken

November 16, 2015 by Kenney Myers

There are hundreds of reality television series on the air, both in syndication and currently in production. Some might even argue that game shows are reality TV since there are no actors, but instead real people doing real-life activities, which bumps the number of reality programs up even higher. These 12 reality show participants have all starred in very different shows, but they do have one thing in common: the name “Ken.”

Kenny Wormald – A famous dancer, Kenny Wormald also appeared on MTV’s Jennifer Lopez-helmed reality showDancelife. Though the show itself was short-lived, Wormald was a highlight.
Ken Todd – He and his wife, Lisa Vanderpump, starred in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but his claim to fame is not just that he appeared on television. Instead, he is known for being a restaurateur. Todd and his wife own a total of 26 restaurants in London and Los Angeles.
Kenneth Barrington – Barrington participated in Love in the Wild, a reality dating show with an adventurous twist and one couple left standing in the end. Ken won along with Yanina Beccaria. They found each other through the show and are still together.
Ken Coleman – Contestant on The Biggest Loser during its third season, Coleman now owns a fitness center he named after himself. Since being on the show, he admitted that he gained about 10 pounds or so back, but he continues to count his calories. He is also a motivational speaker and travels with a message promoting healthy habits.
Kenny Mayne – A Dancing with the Stars contestant, Mayne participated in 2006. He was the first contestant to be eliminated because of his cha-cha dance. Before and after this show, he has been known for his work with ESPN as a sports anchor.
Ken Jennings – Jennings is probably the best known Jeopardy contestant in the history of the game show. He won a total of 74 games over a six-month period, earning more than $2 million in the process. Since that stint, he has also appeared on other game shows such as Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? and 1 vs. 100.
Ken Duphiney – Duphiney participated in The Amazing Race reality show, in which 12 teams, each made up of two people, race around the world while performing tasks they are given. Duphiney was on the show with his brother Gerard for its third season.
Kenny Santucci –Santucci has been on a total of seven Real World, Road Rules: Challenge episodes. A spin-off amalgamation of two top MTV reality shows, Real World, Road Rules: Challenge has aired for 23 seasons.
Kendall Beard – While Kendall is a woman, she is still a “Ken” in her own right. This American Idol contestant released an album in 2007, though she did not make it to semifinals of season eight as one of the final 12 contestants.
Ken Hoang – Hoang is a professional gamer who participated in Survivor. Because he was not overly muscular and did not seem like a threat, the other contestants were shocked to learn that he had climbed Mt. Fuji at the young age of 20. He made it into the final days of the competition, but did not go home victorious.
Kenley Collins – Another female Ken for the list, Collins was on the designer reality show Project Runway. She was part of the fifth season and has her own clothing line. After appearing on the show, she was invited back for the Project Runway: All Stars edition. She came back to the show claiming she had changed as a person and as a designer since her first appearance.
Kenny Florian – The Ultimate Fighter is a cut-throat challenge for a spot with the mixed martial arts collective UFC, with the winner landing a valuable contract with the world-famous fighting organization. Florian participated in the lightweight class, lost to fellow competitor Jose Aldo in 2011 and has not fought since.

Whether it’s game shows, competitive sports, dancing or singing competitions, reality television shows in some form or another have been around since the dawn of the TV itself. As long as people are tuning in, reality television will continue to make major programming waves and, chances are, go on to feature more “Kens” in some role or another.

5 Preventable Life-Threatening Injuries and How You Can Stop Them

November 15, 2015 by Kenney Myers

Life-threatening injuries are tragic when they strike families with young children, but the tragedy feels magnified when the accidents and injuries could have been prevented with a few simple precautions. As a parent, one of the smartest things you can do is take the necessary steps to make sure accidents like these don’t come into your life. You can’t control everything, but you can do a lot to stay safe. Think about these tips as you plan your home and care for your child:

Falling From a Window

A screen isn’t enough to keep a child from pushing through an open window and falling, even if it’s securely attached. They’re ultimately too flimsy, and they aren’t designed to do anything but loosely sit in a window frame and let air pass through. Even on the ground floor of a home, falling out of a window can be a life-threatening injury for a child. To avoid this situation, you’ll need to install high-quality window guards and locks designed to keep children from tampering with window openings. Window locks usually attach to the edge of the window frame and keep the window from being opened past the lock point, so you can keep the window from opening more than, say, three or four inches if you want to. This lets you open the window to let in air without having to worry about leaving a gap wide enough for a child to pass through. A window guard looks like a lot like a pet door guard, and it has bars that extend across a window opening that prevent a child from exiting through an open window. They’re childproof, but are still removable by adults in emergency situations.

Heat Stroke

It’s estimated that several dozen children die heat-related deaths every year after being left in hot cars. It’s never OK to leave a child in a car, even for a few minutes. The lack of air and the oppressive heat — in any weather — can overpower even an adult, leaving kids totally defenseless. Being absent-minded isn’t OK, either. To make sure you never leave a child in the car, always open your rear door and check the back seat when you arrive at your destination. This might sound goofy — how could you forget if your child was with you? — but it’s a worthwhile habit. Similarly, do mirror checks of the back and give everything a once-over every time you arrive at a destination to make sure you’ve got everybody.

While you’re at home, your kids might want to play in your car, not knowing how dangerous it can be. Always, always lock your doors and make sure your kids can’t get to the keys when you’re home. Your kids should never be able to access your car without your presence and permission.

Drowning

Pool and swimming safety is another area that requires solid supervision. Almost 10 people per day die from unintentional drowning, two of those 10 are kids under 15, and children between one and four years old have the highest drowning rate. It’s a major cause for concern, especially since so many life-threatening situations could be prevented. Be smart when it comes to how you and your kids interact with the water. Swimming lessons are wise, and you should always supervise all swimming activities, even if it’s a tiny inflatable pool in your backyard. Floating accessories (foam noodles, water wings, etc.) can help kids stay afloat, but these are not safety devices, and it’s not OK to think that the presence of these toys can mitigate disaster. Always, always watch your kids when they’re in or near the water.

Bumper Pad Suffocation

Crib bumpers were intended to protect against injury while sleeping, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says that bumpers don’t do anything to prevent injury and in fact pose a major risk for suffocation and entrapment. Infants don’t have the motor skills necessary to turn their heads or untangle themselves if they become stuck in the bumper pad. Other types of bedding, and even some mesh bumpers (which are more breathable), are much better alternatives and will keep your baby safer.

Seat Belt Accidents

Car accidents are, unfortunately, impossible to predict. You can do everything in the world to be a better driver, but you can’t control other people or tell when one of them might cause a wreck. To that end, it’s vital that you properly secure your child in your car when you’re driving so that, should an accident occur, they’ll be safely belted in and not at risk for serious injury or death. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a great resource for parents that goes over car seat basics, proper fit, seat evaluations and more. There’s also The Car Seat Lady, which has a wealth of tips, tricks, slideshows and other breakdowns of the latest in child safety protocols. For example, many parents make the mistake of fitting a lap belt across a child’s belly, when it should go snugly across the lap. It holds the body down, not back, putting strain on strong leg muscles and not weak stomach areas and internal organs.

The real lesson here: Plan smart, do your homework and keep a close eye on your kids. The saddest injuries are the ones you could have prevented.

10 Famous Dancers Named Ken

November 14, 2015 by Kenney Myers

Dancers don’t typically court fame in the same way as other celebrities. However, without dancers, you wouldn’t have musicals, street dance or choreographed extravaganzas like Michael Jackson’s landmark masterpiece Thriller. Through interpretive movements that take a huge amount of coordination, balance and control, dancers are able to express what actors can’t. These are 10 of the most famous dancers named Ken.

Ken Ard – After working with greats like Nina Simone as a child, Ken Ard eventually went on to perform choreography for some of the most prominent jazz artists of the 21^st century. Predominantly a ballet dancer, Ken drifted towards jazz during the 90s, which culminated in the release of his first jazz album, “Ballads, Blues & Cocktails.”
Ken Berry – He is better known as a sitcom actor, most notably for his roles in F Troop and The Andy Griffith Show. However, Ken Berry was also an accomplished dancer and singer. On Broadway, he made appearances in The Billy Barnes Revue and in George M!. Berry was also a frequent guest on Abbott and Costello, as both a singer and dancer.
Ken Cosgrove – Played by Aaron Staton in the popular series Mad Men, character Ken Cosgrove tried his hand at tap dancing in one episode – replete with tweed suit and cane. Nobody quite knows what the impromptu dance added to the scene, but it went viral on the Internet, as these things often do. There were a number of parodies created of the scene, including one that uses Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” as the musical backdrop. The Internet is often a cruel puppet-master, but in this case the uncalled for publicity only served to push the show to even greater heights.
Kenneth Walker – This former dancer with the Ballet Pacifica launched the Kenneth Walker Dance Project in 2004. The non-profit project aims to bring dance to communities that never get to experience any form of the expressive arts. To date, the project has successfully introduced shows to a number of festivals across the country, and it grows in strength with each passing year. It is Kenneth Walker’s hope that the project will introduce dance to a generation who would have otherwise never have had the chance.
Ken Fury – B-Boy Kenny – as he’s known on the streets of Pueblo, Colorado – taught himself to break dance at the age of 11. He later pursued his dream with Full Circle Productions in New York, before landing dancing roles in commercials for Toshiba and Starburst. Fury remains a big name on the street dance scene, hugely famous in this relatively small circle of performers.
Kenny Everett – This madcap British comedian had a penchant for dance that was just as crazy as the rest of his routine. Everett’s dance style was, for lack of a better term, unconventional for the time. However, by today’s standards his moves would be hailed as the latest craze. Unfortunately, Kenny lost his battle with AIDS in 1995, a terrible loss to both his family and the British public.
Kenneth MacMillan – From 1970 to 1977, MacMillan served as the artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London. His work in choreography is where his true talents were, although he was an accomplished dancer in his own right, too. Some of his notable works included Valses nobles et sentimentales in 1966, and Anastasia in 1967 and again in 1971. MacMillan sadly passed away from a heart attack in 1992, at the age of 62.
Kenneth Branagh – Although he is commonly known for his Shakespearean roles, Kenneth Branagh has danced in West End musicals, on screen during the British Television series “Thompsons,” and in many other productions. It is no surprise, then, that Branagh has been tipped to take over the job as head of the National Theatre.
Kenny Ortega – Another great choreographer, Kenny Ortega worked with Madonna on “Material Girl” and in Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” live performances, winning awards for both. However, his greatest work was on the choreography for the iconic dance movie Dirty Dancing, which starred the late Patrick Swayze. Dirty Dancing is still heralded as being one of the best dance-centric movies to this day.
Kenny Loggins – Better known as the voice behind “Footloose,” Kenny Loggins inspired a generation to dance. The movie, starring Kevin Bacon, was one of many pivotal movies focused on the medium of dance in the 80s. Bacon’s seminal performance made Footloose an iconic movie, however, it was Loggins’ voice and catchy guitar riff that sold the title song.