22 Days Later....

If you've read Speak & Deliver today, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that the audition I mentioned in the Jan. 4th post led to an interview and immediate hire, putting me on the road for most of the last 2 1/2 weeks, in an intense program of on-the-job training. Both blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, went dark as I immersed myself in my new opportunity.

I'm back, and my online presence is back, as I'm home for a 3 day spell, before heading back out on the road for almost three weeks. I'll have more opportunity to be present

Why this Choice? Why, after nearly two years working from home on my dream of being a speaker, author & coach, have I taken a dreaded J.O.B.?

A. Let me be clear here - it was definitely a choice. I could have turned it down, and continued down the road I'd been on.

B. It combines all my past experience, from speaking to sales to media buying to customer service to parenting all into one package - making it a job I can enjoy while simultaneously being challenged.

C. It pays on a consistent basis, something that I had yet to achieve in the context of chasing my dream. Occasional big paydays do not a family support in the way that I would prefer my family to live.

D. It requires a move to Denver, which is where both Kristi and I wanted to end up. She actually put a house in Aurora (suburb of Denver) on our dream board just a week before this job spontaneously popped up 'out of nowhere'.

E. It puts me in a learning situation - learning how to handle intense travel, multiple speaking engagements in one day, multiple cities in a 24 hour period, meeting set-up, crowd control, AV, leadership over a mostly volunteer staff...just to scratch the surface. I'm going to learn a tremendous amount on this job.

F. I can still do what I do, albeit on a smaller scale. Email coaching, phone coaching, writing...I'll have time, if I efficiently make use of my schedule.

G. It's temporary. Dare I say it, out on the web for all to see? Yeah - it's temporary. in 2 1/2 to 3 years, we'll see where I stand with the job and with my other projects - sooner if something catches fire. Every job is essentially temporary, after all. Rare is the lifetime employee. I was honest in my interview - what I want to do long term is NOT this situation - but success in this situation will put me closer to doing what I want to do long-term. They hired me despite of, or perhaps because of, this candor.

It's the hard choice, but it's the right choice, at the right time, and I'm excited about what is to come.

Now that training is completed, I'll be back to blogging on a more regular basis - and sharing my choices with all of you, as I hope you'll share yours with me!

The First Monday - A Study of Flexibility

The first Monday of the year seemed to start Sunday night for me. I had a video to put together to send in for an audition this morning, so last night I dressed in my nice suit, took the camera, and headed out to the video studio set up in the barn on the SW part of the property we're on. It was pitch black, which should have sent off some alarms for me, and I took a step onto a piece of ice, flipping me backwards, dousing me and my suit in wet, mucky, icy, muck.

After getting myself right side up again, I headed back inside, changed suits, and decided to film in the living room, regardless of how bad I thought the lighting was....

I filmed for an hour between 11 and midnight, then edited and created several files that You Tube wouldn't take. By morning, I was frustrated, but finally switched computers, uploaded without issue, and then thought - I should reshoot this, I can do better. So, after the kids went to school, with my 2 year old still sleeping, I donned the suit, and shot again. Much better this time, edited, posted, and sent the link on to the audition.

Brooklyn woke up, and my day pretty much disappeared from their, as I focused on her, then Riker coming home, then the kids, going to the store, yada yada. BUT - I did get an email back, and will be meeting the Director tomorrow...so stay tuned.

How does choice fit into this? Choosing to focus on this particular opportunity, for one. In past months and years, I might not have put the effort into this that I am now. I'm in with both feet, and if it doesn't work out, I'm not going to sit back and second guess the amount of effort put in.

I'm choosing to focus on my kids with my wife gone for the week. Yes, I'm forced too, but the extent to which I choose to focus is still my choice.

And I'm choosing to put a few plans for the Challenge and Speak & Deliver on the backburner for a few days. I'll have my answers on this situation within the week, most likely, and my choices will change significantly based on what happens.

Oh, and I'm choosing to blog tonight, even though its late, and you might consider it a Tuesday post. I want to post daily as much as possible, so here we go.

In the end, I am choosing to be flexible, based on the potential good that will come of this audition.

How are your new choices changing your old actions so far this year?

Weekend Update #1

The first weekend of the year is packed with activity here at the Hopkins household.

I've been working to memorize a script for an audition tape as part of one of my 'secret choices' for 2010, a tape that must be made today and delivered tomorrow. A lot more effort than I expected - its been awhile since I memorized anything word for word. A lot is potentially at stake by how well I pull this off, and the results of this choice may be known as early as this week.

I'm facing one physical issue today, and that seems to be a twisted ankle, or simply a swelled right foot. I can walk somewhat, but I'm in a lot of pain. I'm concerned about the impact this will have on the video, but I am medicating as much as possible. If push comes to shove, I may head to the ER to see if I can get something magic to allow me to perform for an hour or so standing up.

Kristi, as she's been saying over at her blog "Thriving with Neurofibromatosis", is spending the week out East for surgery at NIH. We braved the 4 am traffic to get her to the airport this morning, leaving me home for 7 days with 6 kids. The week ahead should prove adventurous!

Today is also my oldest daughter's birthday - she's now 14! She's bummed her mom is gone, and her party is delayed a few weeks, but I'm still thinking up ways to make the day special for her.

My choices today revolve around getting the script memorized, the video completed, and keeping my kids alive. Perhaps I can get some football watching in as well, but that will have to take a low priority :)

Make 2010 the Start of a Decade of Directed, Determined Choice

10 years ago today, I woke up to a world that hadn't been destroyed by Y2K, a still-fledgling marriage (less than a month old), 2 young children, and a welcome day off from working as a retail ad salesman for the Salt Lake Tribune/Deseret News. I was in Toastmasters, but didn't have any designs at that point of becoming a speaker or coach - I hadn't even competed in a contest yet.

This morning, I woke up to a world that hasn't been destroyed by terrorism, despite our worst fears, a stronger-than-ever marriage (yes, to the same woman), 6 kids, and no days off from pursuing my passions of being a speaker and coach!

The 2000's
The last 10 years have been dominated by five activities: growing my family, growing myself, physical challenges, searching for focused career goals, and competing for the World Championship of Public Speaking - with mixed results.

My family has certainly grown, in size and maturity. I married not just a wife, but her two kids, and we've added 4 more. Watching them grow and mature, seeing how they take cues from me and Kristi, it's an amazing process to nurture an individual to model behavior and determine their own.

Growing myself had never been that big a priority. I'd been sent to a seminar that featured some professional speakers, including Zig Ziglar, Peter Lowe, Mary Lou Retton, General Schwartzkopf and a couple others in the 90's, and I was vaguely aware that for a few thousand dollars I could buy tapes from a guy with big teeth named Tony that would help me Awaken The Giant Within. But it wasn't until 2001 that I actually listened to Tom Hopkins sales training (loaned to me by someone who asked if I was related to Tom). I started reading Robbins, Tracy, Covey, getting deeper and deeper into discovering the world of self-development, and the role speaking played in it. This part of my life would have a significant aspect on my career choices the rest of the decade.

My physical challenge put me into position to make a choice I never imagined having to make - trading the substandard manufacturer version of my lower left leg in for a Super Deluxe Robot Leg. Waking up in January of 2006 without being able to take a step on my long-deteriorating ankle led to a series of appointments which led to a voluntary amputation. I had other options, they just weren't good ones, in my eyes. Little did I know at the time this was the genesis of what would later become my quest to create the Champions of Choice.

My career goals of being a speaker and coach didn't become clear until 2005, but the vehicle by which I work to reach them would change often, and continues to remain in flux even now. The experiences I've had selling newspaper and magazine ads, working as a media buyer, coaching speakers, speaking to audiences on everything from competition to leadership to goal setting to speaking, and even co-writing three books have given me more experience than many would expect over a ten year period. Working for myself has been my choice the last few years, but there are opportunities for me to take my skills to the workplace, which 2010 may see me do.

I never did win the World Championship of Public Speaking, despite competing 9 out of 10 years, finishing in the Top 100 worldwide 6 out of 8 years, the Top 20 five times, and actually making it to the final competition in both 2006 and 2008, finishing 3rd in '06 (competing even while recovering from the amputation). I learned a tremendous amount from my experiences. I coached my first speaking client in 2004, helping a nervous father give a 15 minute toast at his daughter's wedding, which was taking place in a castle in Austria. I gained skill and confidence as a speaker, and realized how much I enjoyed it, eventually finding my way to paid speaking engagements in 2005, even before I made it to the finals.

The Genesis of the Champions of Choice
It took me another 3 years to realize that everything I wanted to tell people boiled down to their willingness  to choose to do them - and that if I didn't talk to people about reclaiming their power of choice, everything else could easily end up as so much blather. The Champion of Choice was born, and in its first 9 months suffered from all the pangs of babyhood as I realized I was not living up to my own standards. If you've been reading, you've witnessed the unevenness of it all!

It takes more than believing in the Power of Choice. It takes consistent Choices of Action as they relate to your Choice of Desired Results. It takes the Choice of Personal Responsibility combined with the Choice of Personal Forgiveness, followed quickly by the Choice of Persistence.

The Challenge of 2010
This year, I am choosing to take action every day to develop into a stronger Champion. I want to help as many people as possible this year Choose to take the Actions necessary to take their lives to a higher, more successful level than ever before. By the end of this year, I want 2010 success stories from 2010 different Champions of Choice. Even though I've heard from many of you over the last few months who've changed jobs, lost weight, and set new goals, 2010 sets the higher than ever.

No matter where my choices bring me (and I've got some surprise choices in the works this year), I will be leading this charge all year long. I will be blogging every day, even if its just a few lines. I will be adding features, contests, and content on a regular basis. My first choice is to continue to be open and honest about my victories and defeats, and encourage you to do the same. I've battled between the marketing angle of looking perfect vs. being real. I've been told by experts that people only want to follow those that have already reached the promised land, and I've been told by experts that people want to follow those they can identify with. In light of that, I'll simply choose to be the latter as I journey towards the former. And when I reach the promised land, you'll have taken the journey with me.

The last ten years, at least for me, have been a Decade of Education & Discovery - often by accident. The next ten will be the Decade of Directed, Determined Choice. Follow the blog, leave a comment, join the NING site - stake your Choice for all to see!

Three...Two...One...2010!

A bit less than 3 days left in the year, and the decade, for that matter. What choices could you make in the next three days that will change your life? Are you waiting for January 1st to plan? If so, you're cheating yourself out of 48-60 hours of time that could put you that much farther ahead come the New Year. Besides, who's going to sit around making choices when they could be watching Dick Clark for what could be his last year on Earth? (and we've been saying that for how long?)


I'm busy preparing the 2010 launch of Champions of Choice - a new look for the Challenge and all the Champions who've been a part of it to this point. This includes a re-invigorated approach to the NING site, a re-boot of the Newsletter, and a re-boot of the Facebook Fan Page - and that's just the beginning! More details to come.

How has the Champion of Choice Challenge helped you this year? How would you like to see it improve? Leave your comments, or email me at Rich@richhopkins.com - I want to hear from you. The good, the bad the ugly, about you, and about me.

In the meantime - get busy gettin' ready - the time to jump on 2010 is now!

Career Suicide: 5 Steps to Failure

An Article I wrote 4 years ago, that seems as pertinent now as it did then.

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Your career can affect every area of happiness in your life, from your recreational options to your family-life, from your financial stability to your personal fulfillment. Yet so many of us fall into common traps that sabotage our careers and endanger our futures. Don’t let yourself fall prey to any of the self-destructive choices below:

1. Ignoring your talents
2. Living beyond your means
3. Torching the trellises
4. Not planning ahead
5a. Choosing a profession you don't believe in
5b. Choosing a profession you hate

1. Ignoring your talents. So what if everyone told you being an engineer would make you more money than drawing comic books? We get one life – do you want to spend it miserable and wealthy, or fulfilled and, well, maybe still wealthy? Last I checked, Todd McFarlane, the artist who rejuvenated Spider-Man and created Spawn, is worth several million dollars. Your talents exist for a reason – discover where they can take you.

2. Living beyond your means. No matter what you do, if you aren’t making enough money to cover your lifestyle, you will be unhappy, and ultimately unproductive and hazardous to your career. Either find a job that makes more money, or learn to live on what you currently make. When we learn to live a lifestyle that is in line with what we earn, we understand the true value of our efforts.

3. Torching the trellises. More commonly known as burning bridges, leaving a past employer or co-workers with a bad taste in their mouths will haunt you. If your career path doesn’t change, you’ll probably work with or for some of these people again. Even if you make a career shift or move out of state, anyone of them can turn into future clients, members of your church, or even next-door neighbors. Stay professional through every job transition, and you can preserve a wide base of support for the future.

4. Not planning ahead. Technology advancements, market conditions, layoffs – the workplace is more unstable today than at any time in the last 75 years. Stay abreast of changes in your industry. Educate yourself by keeping up with trade magazines, software updates, and company business. Be ready to land on your feet if the firmament under you falls away without warning.

5a. Choosing a cause or employer you don’t believe in. If you do not value the work you do, or the company for which you work, get out! You may be doing what you love, but if you are doing it without a strong belief behind it, it will ultimately undermine any short-term success you experience. Great newspaper salespeople may switch to billboards to make a higher income, but not be able to sell it as well if their belief in the product is too low. Take inventory of your values. Great defense attorneys don’t always make great prosecutors.

5b. Choosing a profession you hate. Sounds rather self-evident, but it happens continually. How many times a day do we deal with someone at a store, over the phone, or in our own offices who clearly hates their job? Don’t let yourself be swayed by prestige, promotion, or money if the job you will take is one you’ve sworn you’d never do, or spent much of your life de-valuing. The day will come when you look in the mirror and wonder who you’ve become.

Career failures lead to financial hardship, family strife, and depression, yet we often make knee-jerk decisions when exiting and entering the workforce. Keep these guidelines in mind next time you shift career paths: Examine your career decisions for at least 24 hours before accepting a position – if it’s the right job, it’ll still be there tomorrow.

Stay true to yourself by finding an accountability partner who can objectively discuss your career path, as opposed to a close friend or family member who may have too large a stake in your affairs. Finally, remember that you are in charge of your career, not the other way around – it exists to enable you to live the rest of your life, not to destroy it.

Who Do You Follow, And Who Follows You?

I've been listening to a lot of speakers talk about leadership lately.

They talk about Vision and Goals, Trust and Authenticity, Experience and Follow-through, and many more wonderful qualities we must cultivate to become leaders, and that we look for in those we follow. Leadership is a buzzworthy topic in any age, and moreso as we seem to see a vacuum in leadership in every sector.

We are so desperate for leadership, we look for it where it doesn't always exist, whether in the promise of a new President, the powerful persuasion of a motivational guru, or the pristine image of a mega-star golfer.

What do YOU look for in a leader? Do you want them to take you somewhere, or show you where you can go? Do you want them to have all the answers, or help you find them for yourself?

Too much faith in anyone is bound to fail us in the end. That's why I'm working to build a world full of Champions of Choice. Champions lead themselves, by both choosing who to follow, and making choices worth following. Who are you going to follow, and who will follow your lead?