Posts by LisaMarie

For most of my life I’ve been recognized as a challenger and an independent thinker whose views are counter-culture and counter-intuitive. It’s important to have people in your circle who see the world differently – and challenge your thoughts and beliefs. I’ve invited guest writer Suzanne Dudley-Schon to share her brilliance in this week’s Upside Thought as she is someone…

The connection point between the work I do and why I do it is a love of people and what’s possible when they transform.  Listening to challenges they’ve endured and witnessing them turn that hardship with courage into an opportunity has me recognize how much of life’s meaning is created when we do good for others.  On…

For years my brother Ed and I shared an affinity for Disneyland. As adults!  When we were both living in California, we each purchased yearly passes and would meet there at least once a month to spend time on the “happiest place on Earth.”  Every time we went, the goal was to run through the…

It’s been 16 years since I sat at my desk in Riverside, “California dreaming” about Upside Thinking, Inc.   I envisioned it as a global leadership company and brand, that would be different than organizations that focused on technical expertise.  Our focus would be on happiness, success, and meaning – the top of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy…

While it looked different, Design Your Destiny Live event was held in-person twice in Phoenix, AZ and once in Raleigh, NC this year.   Having consistency at all three events allowed me to breathe easier. Marnie Cooley, our AV whiz, Holly Williams body worker extraordinaire, my husband Jim – and success coach and emotional resilience…

Several years ago I read the book, The Noticer by Andy Andrews.  The story is about an old sage who wanders around doling out advice to those who need a little perspective in their life.  What I appreciated most about the book was how it had me increase my own awareness, in particular, when I would see…

Do you have the right to be happy? This question has come up during different seasons of my life and recently over lunchtime conversations with friends. When times are difficult and uncertainty reigns, you may struggle with showing you are happy, and even feel guilty expressing it to others. As the fight for justice for all…

While I’m a leadership coach, I want a client’s entire life to be filled with ease, not just their career or business life.   This means being aware of what is going on in their individual personal life — physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, spiritually, and relationally.   Yesterday was Valentine’s Day which can be a…

The 2008 global financial crisis gripped the world in dire economic struggle the likes of which had not been experienced since the Great Depression of 1929.  The first live event I hosted was in the midst of these time. I wanted to bring my connections together to pool our resources and find ways to navigate…