| April 1, 2005 In this issue... A BE NICE Story Monthly Audio Message People Profile Corporate Corner Do Something! Quote of the Month And on BeNiceOrElse.com: Featured Article Cultivate a Colorful, Eclectic Circle of Friends Past Newsletters March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 Send this newsletter to everyone you know or mean people will track you down! Listen to Finalist — "A famous swami once told me years ago that someone who’s nice always gains... Winn Claybaugh is a remarkable guy and one of the best motivational speakers in the country. In this terrific work, he brings you easy-to-use concepts that could bring interesting rewards." |
CREATE A DIVERSE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Hi Everyone,Here’s a simple question: Is a MEAN person happy or unhappy? Most would respond, “Unhappy!” We’re all looking for a bit more happiness, aren’t we? It’s not like we wake up one day and say, “I have plenty of happiness. No more, thank you very much!” My book, Be Nice, could easily have been called How to Be Happy, because being nice is the best way I know for increasing our happiness. By the way, this happiness thing is our responsibility—no one else’s—but many of us think that the process is a mystery. For example, I know many people who say they’re happier and their day goes much better when they drive a clean car, yet they’ll drive a dirty car for weeks! Where’s the mystery? Just as a shot of penicillin can quickly make a sick person feel better, a shot of anything that makes us feel happy can place us on the path to becoming nice. One great way to increase our happiness and our niceness is to expand our hearts and minds by creating a diverse circle of friends—the subject of this month’s newsletter. When we open ourselves to people who are different from us, we expose ourselves to fascinating cultures, new ideas, and a wealth of opportunity to explore. Thanks for helping me live my fantasy of spreading this BE NICE message and giving nice people a voice! XOXO, Winn A BE NICE Story This poignant letter from Sara DeValle offers an inside look at how it feels to be left out. Her inspiring message reminds me that we all experience the same thoughts, feelings, and desire to be loved, no matter what our external appearance may be.  Dear Winn,I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you so much for the wonderful gift you have given me. Not long ago you gave a seminar on how to be nice. At that time, I could not afford your book Be Nice (Or Else!) and you so graciously gave me a copy. I have read that book and can honestly say that it really meant a lot to me. I felt as though, finally, someone understood how I felt. I have always been the type to see the glass as half full, always eager to meet new people to see what I can learn from them. I love being around people who are motivated, passionate, and live their lives to the fullest. I was born with a birth defect and most of my life have had to deal with people's perception of me and their unwelcome remarks, but I never let it stop me from pursuing my goals in life. I have reached many things that I thought were unattainable, because of my firm belief that everyone deserves the best they can get. With that in mind, I have made it possible to get a much needed operation I have long waited to have. It took a lot of effort on my part but I fought hard to get the help I needed and I have accomplished that. Soon I will be all done with my dental work and it will be a memory but I learned one thing: I can make anything happen if I want it badly enough. In a way, your book helped heal my soul. Best wishes to you, Winn, and thank you again for being yourself. You have made a lasting impression on me. Sincerely, Sara DeValle Monthly Audio Message  Carlos Valenzuela has been a school owner, stylist, salon owner, cosmetology instructor, and all-around industry trainer. As a Hispanic marketing consultant, he assists many companies with their market research, goal and strategy development, translations, and sales training. A compelling speaker, Carlos has brought his message about tapping into the Latin market to numerous groups across the country. He is the co-founder and Latino editor of Vibra Salon magazine, the first industry professional bilingual publication, as well as the producer and co-host of Sally al Aire, the first interactive radio Spanish beauty talk show.Listen to Carlos' inspiring message about how any business can attract and serve a diverse circle of clients. If you enjoyed this month’s audio message, you’ll love our MASTERS Audio Club. Follow this link for more information. People Profile  As you can tell from her big, beautiful smile, my good friend Sheila Gomez is like a ray of human sunshine. Her infectious warmth and friendliness attract friends of all races, colors, and creeds.A party at Sheila’s house is like a trip to the United Nations. With a business based in Mexico and a home in southern California, Sheila has family and friends on both sides of the border. Combine that with her long career as International Master Educator for John Paul Mitchell Systems, and you have the perfect recipe for creating a worldwide circle of friends. Corporate Corner My book and this newsletter are not legal counsel on why your company, store, or business should create a diverse mix of employees. However, my message is about creating loyalty and profitability—and I speak from 22 years of experience as an award-winning, successful business owner with over 6,000 people in my organization. I truly believe that a successful company or business is made up of successful relationships between a diverse group of people who work there. You could walk into a store that has marble floors, amazing displays, award-winning imagery, and a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, but if there are not successful relationships between the staff members who work there, will the customer notice? You bet. Do customers want to spend money in that type of store? Probably not. I’d like to share with you the written-down and repeated culture—the “Golden Rules” belief system—that we have created for my company. This code of conduct is who we are together as a team. It’s what we all believe in, what we strive for. We truly believe that our Golden Rules not only help us to become a more interconnected team, they also allow us to duplicate our culture and community over and over again, in business locations with individuals whom we may never meet. Those individuals can adopt the same BE NICE philosophies and practices, and thereby duplicate the same culture and community, that we live in and enjoy. Let me also add here that no rules for success will work if you don’t. Follow this link to read Winn’s article about the Golden Rules. Do Something! CULTIVATE A COLORFUL, ECLECTIC CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Look at your circle of friends. Do they represent a healthy cross section of people or are they all exactly alike, with the same interests, beliefs, lifestyles, and closed minds? Life is meant to be colorful, diverse, and dramatic. A sunset is filled with drama. A rainbow boasts a wide variety of colors. Leaves on a tree are as different as anything could be. Then why should your circle of friends be so drama-less and color-less? Seek out friends or at least acquaintances who bring variety, perspective, and insight to your world. Open yourself up to friends of every gender, color, religion, heritage, sexual orientation, interest, belief system, and lifestyle. Not only will you expose yourself to fascinating cultures, you’ll also liberate yourself from some of the negative beliefs that can accompany stereotypes. CLICK HERE to download a printable “Expand Your Circle of Nice” worksheet. Quote of the Month “How do we create a harmonious society out of so many kinds of people? The key is tolerance—the one value that is indispensable in creating community.” —Barbara Jordan
Winn Claybaugh’s Be Nice (Or Else!) The Newsletter! |
