Whether an individual, team, or organization,
increase your value by developing the voice of a leader.

Liz Trocchio Smith

Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor

Monday Morning Coffee

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Monday Morning Coffee

Using Strength and Confidence in Your Words

As an executive coach, I always tell my clients to take the negative and “soft” words out of their verbal and written vocabulary and replace it with positive and strong words.   It makes an amazing difference in how you come across in your delivery, and how people see you as positive and composed. Here are 10 common words that you could drop from your everyday conversations, both written and…

Are You Mentally Strong?

Author Amy Morin’s  book “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do” is a great book to check-in and see where you stand.  Here is the quick down and dirty. Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself – Everyday has its ups and downs  If you dwell on the downs, you develop a glass half empty mentality. Don’t give away your power – Every day comes with new choices.  These include how…

February is Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around…

Manage Your Stress by Identifying What Triggers It

Do you every feel like you are always under stress?  It seems to be everywhere! Be mindful of what causes you stress. We all have things that set us off — particular triggers that cause a less-than-helpful knee-jerk reaction. Understanding what stresses you out can help you improve your emotional intelligence and resilience. One way to identify your triggers is by completing statements like, “I become overwhelmed when…,” or “At…

Stress – Men vs. Women

I recently read a New York Times article that spoke of how men and women made decisions under stress. Picture a scene from “The Big Bang Theory” where the scientists are testing men and women under normal circumstances, when everything is low-key and manageable, men and women make decisions about risk in similar ways. We gather the best information we can, we weigh potential costs against potential gains, and then…

Being The Best

My husband officiates college football for The Big XII. The officials from several of the conferences came together last year in Dallas for a clinic.  I joined them for a dinner event that included a speaker on Saturday night of the clinic.  The speaker was a past college and NFL football official by the name of Red Cashian.  Now, most of the officials I have met over the years are…

Can You Beat The Odds?

January is everyone’s fresh start. We resolve to exercise more, eat healthier, pursue career aspirations, spend less time online, or work on our relationships. The truth is one in three people abandon their resolutions by the end of January — citing a lack of time or commitment to the goals to begin with. If you are serious about sticking to your resolutions, there are some solid methods that may increase…

Say Thank You Today — and Every Day

Even though many of us have numerous occasions to feel grateful in both our personal and professional lives, we often miss out on opportunities to say thank you — especially at work. Failing to express gratitude is a missed opportunity. Research finds that it allows you to savor positive experiences, cope with stressful circumstances, and strengthen your relationships with colleagues. And sending a message of gratitude can also have powerful…

Habits

The habits of highly successful people allow them to consistently perform behaviors that breed success. Everything from eating well to responsible spending to task completion and beyond requires habits that make such behaviors part of our daily life.  Michael Jordan spent his off seasons taking hundreds of jump shots a day. Cy Young award-winning Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay routinely does a 90-minute workout before practices. The young Venus and Serena Williams would wake up at 6:00…

Give Back This Holiday Season

Here we are, once again, and suddenly the holidays are here! This holiday season, let’s do something for others who are less fortunate than us. I promise, you will gain much more than you give. Helping others reach for a new day rejuvenates us in ways that another margarita-soaked vacation, more stuff, a fatter resume, or a supersized house can’t begin to. We want to feel useful. We want to…

Warren Buffett’s Ten Rules

My husband was recently traveling and saw this on the wall of a restaurant.  It spoke “Monday Morning Coffee” to me! As we start to think about goals for 2023, think about these! No. 1:  Reinvest Your Profits When you first make money, you may be tempted to spend it.  Don’t.  Instead, reinvest the profits. No. 2:  Be Willing To Be Different Don’t base your decision upon what everyone is…