Women CEOs; Secret to Fun; Play Their Way; 5 Resorts; Super Bowl Party

"…insights for agile scaleups"

HEADLINES:

Women CEOs Interested in Scaling Up? — the Committee of 200 (C200) Foundation is launching their next program for women, more info, but first…

Super Bowl Weekend Party? — more info below, but second…

Be Spontaneous — this might be the best recent advice I've seen about making an activity more fun – or at least keep it from being less fun. The title of this Fast Company article gives us a hint – "Scheduling Pleasurable Activities Sucks All the Fun Out of Them." Loose plans are fine i.e. "let's do something after work Thursday." Then trading a few WhatsApp messages last minute to nail down the specifics is ironically much more fun than pre-planning a precise time and location. I'm part of a few WhatsApp groups that spontaneously organize activities in Barcelona and I agree it's more fun this way vs. a fixed schedule that feels like "I have another thing to do." Take one minute to scan for more details – then be more spontaneous over the holidays and in 2017!

Play the Way They Want to Play — this is one of the best parenting ideas I've received. What do each of your children/spouse love to do – then go do it with them! Last week our children had a few holiday days off (there seems to be an extra day off every week in Spain!). Burnt out myself from a busy 2016 I spent an inordinate number of hours playing Pokemon Go with my 9-year-old son Quinn (and exploring Barcelona in detail – this game gets children off the couch and walking/running around) – setting a goal to achieve 15 levels in a week (and we did it!). Anyway, I have similar activities with family members over the holidays including "secret" table tennis lessons with my daughter Jade (spontaneously, I hope!).

Five Extraordinary Hotels Around the World — looking for a short bucket list of places to vacation? This list of five extraordinary hotels will get you around the globe. For me, seeing the Northern Lights is still something I want to do – and the featured resort in Finland seems like the right way to do this (in style!).

Women CEO's Interested in Scaling Up…the C200 Foundation (top women entrepreneurs) will launch their next Protégé Program this February and there are still a few spots left for women who are highly motivated to scale their business. The two-year program combines mentoring, coaching and the best in professional education (curriculum is based on the Rockefeller Habits Four Decisions™ and is led by Gazelles Certified coach Lisa Ridley). As a peer group, the protégés support one another, hold each other accountable and invest in the success of one another and the group. FYI, current protégés just finished up their 2-year program: average revenue growth was 37%, average increase in profit was 240%! If you're interested or know of a woman entrepreneur who would qualify, check out the requirements and contact info here.

Super Bowl Weekend in the Keys — combine fun with executive education at The Retreat in Marathon Key, Florida. A perennial favorite, John Ratliff is hosting his annual Super Bowl Weekend gathering of CEOs/leaders of growth firms Feb 2 – 6, 2017. A serial entrepreneur who wears many hats – including that of a Managing Director with investment bank STS Capital partners, and as co-founder of align5, a strategic coaching firm based outside of Philadelphia — John and his team are hosting a unique opportunity to combine business learning and relationship building with other entrepreneurs in luxurious setting, you should consider attending this event. The cost for the event is $5,000 per person. This will be an intimate gathering, and there are only 4 spots available. Rooms will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please contact Denise Richmond at (610) 299-6466 or email at [email protected].

COACHING:

Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? Click here to watch Gazelles International President Keith Cupp describes the four most important attributes of successful clients. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.

And if you're interested in becoming a world-class certified Gazelles International coach, please go to gicoaches.com/becomeacoach for more information. If you determine that we're a fit and wish to join our premier organization, we invite you to contact our Dir. of Coach Engagement at [email protected] or 877.217.2253 ext.700.

TECHNOLOGY:

Align Software puts everyone on the Same Page – Literally! See, in real time every person in your organization and how they are progressing on their priorities – alongside how they Align to the Company Priorities! Scale Up your Rockefeller Habits implementation with www.aligntoday.com – on your computer and on your phone.

Better Book Club — What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.