What are your Defining Moments?

If you’ve read my blog, you know that several years ago I started to write a book called ‘Defining Moments’. It was going to be about those moments in the lives of very successful people when they reached a crossroads, or made a decision that affected the rest of their lives. I never completed the book, and sadly, the subject of the first chapter of Defining Moments, Mr. Marvin Traub, passed away in July 2012.

I hadn’t really thought much about my book project in quite a while until I heard about Mr. Traub’s passing. Lately, I’ve been thinking more about it, but I’d like to change the focus somewhat. What about the defining moments of ordinary people, who are successful in their own way, but aren’t famous or have the notoriety of a prestigious job.

I’d like to know, dear blog readers, what are your defining moments?

On the path to personal growth – My experience with the Tony Robbins approach

I have been a Tony Robbins fan for quite some time. I bought his classic Unlimited Power book back in the early 90s. I thought it was a great book, but a really heavy read. So, to be honest, I didn’t finish it, but I did start to use some of the techniques Tony described. 

By the way, getting off the subject a bit, I’m referring  to Tony by his first name in this article. I’ve never met the man but judging by his presentation style in his audio programs, I think he’d be comfortable with that. Besides, through the years, I feel like the guy has affected my life, so he feels familiar to me and it would sound strange to refer to him as ‘Robbins’ throughout this article. Now, back to the subject… 

As I mentioned, I found reading Unlimited Power a little heavy, so I figured my best bet would be to listen to one of Tony’s audio programs. We’ve all seen his infomercials on TV. I remember the one back in the early 90s hosted by Fran Tarkenton. I had just been laid off from my job and things weren’t looking so good for me. I wanted to order the program, but my problem was I didn’t have any money. What I did have was a little bit of luck. My local library had a copy of Tony’s audio book – Unlimited Power. So, I borrowed that, and I was hooked by Tony’s raw enthusiasm. 

My life improved in many areas, particularly on the career side, as I applied many of Tony’s techniques. I found a new job, moved back to Montreal, and started training at the gym. I progressed for a while… then I got comfortable and stopped growing as an individual. It took some time, but I realized that I wasn’t who I wanted to be and I wasn’t working toward becoming that person. So, I renewed my journey… I borrowed Tony’s Personal Power 2 audio tapes from the library… and it helped. 

I began to come out of the shell I had built around myself. Friends noticed the change, especially one friend in particular… the woman who would later become my wife! Partly because of the transformation I had made after following some of Tony’s advice, Lori Anne started to fall in love with me… which was good, because I was already in love with her! 🙂 

Moving forward several years, I was happily married; had one child and another on the way. Things were good on the personal side of life, but I was at a crossroads in my career. I was unhappy working where I was, so once again I turned to Tony’s programs to get me going. I took a decision that would change my life; I quit my job and started my own business! You might even say it was a Defining Moment… which is where I got the title to my book project. 

Fast forward to today. My business is going strong, but I find myself at another crossroads. I’m not the person I know I can be. Anyone who has met me knows that I tend to be a quiet guy, a bit shy, and not the type of person that shows a lot of emotion. I’ve been that way a long time… it’s that shell that I’ve built up around myself. Now, I want that to change… no… I will make it change. 

So, last week I ordered Tony’s Ultimate Edge CD and DVD program. I began the program a couple of days ago and I decided it would be interesting to write my thoughts as I go through the sessions. Why? Two reasons, really. First, I thought it would be interesting for anyone else who might be interested in Ultimate Edge. Second, and more importantly, it will put a little bit of pressure on me to follow through with the whole program, including completing all of the exercises. 

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting my review of Ultimate Edge. I don’t intend on revealing details of my personal growth journey, it’ll be more about the program itself and what parts of my life it has encouraged me to examine and improve. 

I can’t tell you if I’ll be posting daily as I complete each session; that will depend on the free time I have. What I can tell you is the result. Tony always says that in order to get somewhere, we need to know our outcome. Here’s what mine will be… 

I will be a better colleague… a better friend… a better son and brother… a better Dad… a better husband… a better man.

Hope you come back to read my review…

Defining Moments: Marvin Traub—The Man Who Made Bloomingdale’s Bloom

A few years ago, in 2005, I decided to write a book about the moments in successful people’s lives that really defined their destinies; what I called ‘defining moments’. Through a work colleague, I was introduced to Marvin Traub, the former CEO of Bloomingdales. I flew to New York, interviewed Mr. Traub, and wrote the first chapter of the book.

While I have not published the book yet, I’m posting Mr. Traub’s chapter because I think his story should be told. I hope you enjoy it!

Part 1 – Building the Foundation

Part 2 – Growing Up

Part 3 – A legendary retail career begins

Part 4 – Being Different—Bloomingdale’s Transformation

Part 5 – Retailing is Entertainment

Part 6 – A New Beginning

Part 7 – Defining Success

Many thanks to Peter Hart of Rideau Recognition Solutions and Ralph Destino, former Chairman of Cartier Inc. for introducing me to Mr. Traub.

Welcome!

Welcome to the MCG Media blog – the personal blog of MCG Media owner and founder Mike McGrath. What will you find here? My intention is to post some thoughts and articles on things that are of interest to me.

Posts in the Communications category will cover various topics related to business communications over the Web, including traditional websites as well as social media. Sports category posts will feature some content on my favourite competitive sports, hockey and motor racing. I will also post in the Health category, touching on things I think lead to better health and well-being. In particular, I intend to post about my family’s experience with changing our diet. I’ll also post a few thoughts on what it’s like to raise a child with autism and will be writing about my experience with Tony Robbins’ Ultimate Edge personal improvement program.

Finally, I’m posting a page called Defining Moments. A few years ago, it was my intention to write a book called Defining Moments. That hasn’t happened yet, but I thought I’d post what I’ve written so far to get some feedback.

I hope you enjoy your visit!