Alphabetical Listing of all Programs

Advising for Success: Strategies for Empowerment
Tired of hitting your head on the desk? Gotten a bit too much "feedback" lately or feel like your efforts really don't matter? Learn how to be a more effective supervisor, advisor or mentor by empowering students to own their success, failure and future. Using concepts from First Break All The Rules, the presenter (a former student affairs practioner turned professional educator) offers various strategies for working with today's student leaders and professional staffs through an exploration of what truly motivates and encourages productivity, customer satisfaction, profitability and retention.

Being an OL for the Fun of it!
1 up to 8 hours
The OL makes a Difference! Numerous exercises and opportunities for interaction provide participants with the skills needed to be more effective orientation leaders with a better understanding of the issues facing new students and parents. Depending upon the desired length of training, this session covers the profile of new students, communication skills in depth, parent concerns, motivation, and other issues as requested. Team building for OL staffs and how to do ice-breakers for new students is also available.

Believe Me... It's You! Strategies for Dealing with Difficult People
Is there someone on your staff or in your life that seems hard to "get?" Does everyone else seem to be on the same page - yet this ONE person consistently appears to have their OWN agenda? Wait! Is it possible that YOU are the difficult one? Is it possible that your skills of conflict management and interpersonal communication aren't as sharp as needed? This practical skill building session will discuss why people are sometimes hard to understand while providing practical tips on how to alter your point of view around confrontation, challenge inappropriate comments and behaviors, and inspire you to see the value in "difficult" people.

Civility, Leadership and College Life
Is that your tray left for someone else to pick up? Did you just interrupt your professor? Is it cheating if everyone else is doing it? These are actually questions of character. As college students the expectations for positively contributing to your community include enhancing - not distracting - from a high standard of civility characterized by your integrity, intelligence and inspiration. At the core of your civility are three constructs: compassion, consideration and concept of self. Using humorous examples and a non-judgmental style of presenting, this session offers original ideas around the notion of "courteous and kind" behaviors with assessment tools and original handouts. It is designed to challenge you to fully accept the many contributions you can make to your campus community and why college is "higher" not "lower" education. Watch out! You've got potential.

Community as a Context for Sensitivity Training
1 or 2 hours
The many notions surrounding "community" can be valuable tools for training in the areas of sensitivity, diversity and multiculturalism. This session is an opportunity for professionals who do training to gain sensitivity presentation tips from a professional trainer including activities, resources and processing techniques. A complete handout assists participants in designing their own workshops and style of presenting.

Community, Synergy, and Team Building
1 or 2 hours
Have you ever wondered what it would take to work in an environment that fosters personal development, provides quality services to "clients" and values team work? Sometimes this ideal isn't that far away. With minor adjustments and a greater knowledge of working "in community" participants will be encouraged to evaluate their role in making a staff productive. The motivation to work towards greater group cohesiveness and better intra-group communication will be explored along with accompanying skill building lessons.

Creating Meaningful Leadership Training Exercises
What goes into the perfect leadership training experience? How do you design a program, leadership day or retreat weekend with intentional learning outcomes that captivate and teach? This session presents all of the components making effective training experiences and challenges presenters to be creative, yet meaningful.

Creating Your Leadership Reputation
Considering the reality: Your reputation arrives before you do! So, what does your reputation have to say about your ability to inspire others towards a common goal? Components coming together to "define" your leadership are reviewed along with numerous self-asssessments.

Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed!
1 to 3 hours
"You want it when?" followed by hysterical laughter is not the kind of behavior human beings in the "business" of helping other human beings want to emulate. In fact, knowing how to do your job effectively while dealing with "clients" and "customers" with significantly different needs, backgrounds and expectations can be extremely difficult - not to mention frustrating! This session will take a look at the basic components of effectively doing your job. The components of effective service will be reviewed along with the opportunity to explore the "customers" you deal with on a regular basis. Techniques to better serve your external and internal "customers" will be presented along with skill building opportunities. The customer may not always be right but you can be!

Dealing with Difficult People: Confrontation Skill Building
Ever wonder if it's you or if it's them? It's you. This rather provocative session challenges participants to look at their personal role in relationships with others while focusing on the power of perception. Strategies for dealing with anticipated difficulties in communication are reviewed along with the inspiration to collaborate, show compassion and let some things go!

Defining Diversity Differently
minimum 2 hours
It's time to move beyond "tolerance" the different cultures, interests, sexual orientations, races, physical appearances, etc. found in today's society to "celebrating" such differences. This session challenges individuals to examine their level of understanding of a variety of populations through a host of individual and group exercises and experiences. How to give a caring response to inappropriate behaviors, factual information about the diversity in our lives, and the motivation to become understanding makes this training an essential component of staff development, educational programs and employee enhanced efforts.

Developing Student Leadership Skills
Just because you teach leadership, do students actually learn leadership? This session reviews the necessary components of developing leadership skills in students while being engaging. Determining intentional outcomes and formatting a training experience is also presented in a "train the trainer" format.

Educating with Style and Substance: How to Better Reach and Teach Students
Why does the “do not disturb” sign go up on the forehead of the future? Using a variety of creative teaching methodologies, this session offers ways of making yourself more personally dynamic and magnetic. Just because others are listening doesn’t mean they are hearing your message… but, knowing how to check for comprehension adds to your potential effectiveness.

Empowering the Powerful
When you find yourself doing all the work, it’s not because everyone else doesn’t care – it might be because you care too much!!! This session teaches strategies for delegation, inspiring others and practices of empowering others to work towards something greater. It is everybody’s job, yet nobody gets the work done… until now!

Finding Your Communication Style
How do you say what you intend to say? Do you think before you speak? This session identifies the various ways we “speak” to one another while challenging participants to consider all of the components of effective exchanges.

Fit to Lead: The Necessity of Nourishment
You can’t give what you don’t have. This session reviews various wellness strategies and offers a self-assessment tool to determine one’s current level of fitness.

Followship for the Sake of Leadership
Too many leaders without any followers makes for great vision without any movement. By understanding why others follow, leaders can more efficiently achieve their vision and accomplish group goals. Using Maxwell’s model of followship, this session encourages discussion around traits that bring others on board, instead of those which lead to a loss of enthusiasm and participation.

The Future is Yours to Create!
1 hour
Hey, wake up! This is your life we're talking about here! Do you find yourself going through your classes, relationships, leadership positions, etc. in the "uninterested student position" where you assume the "Check me off, I've shown up" personality ? Do you need a little "kick in the butt?" to re-energize and re-focus on those things in life that are important to you? This session is about YOU and what it takes to motivate yourself into action. Through a host of self-exploration and interactive exercises you will be challenged to consider the meaning IN your life not the often sought after and never found meaning OF your life. You will even be taught the "interested student position" that can change your entire outlook on life. Watch out.... you've got potential!

The Future is Yours to Create: Strategies for Success
What now? Beats you? Learn what it takes to get where you want to be, even if you donŐt know where that is yet. Strategies for self-discovery and skill building are offered in a non-threatening and fun way.

The Future is Yours to Create! A Look at Life and Leadership
1 to 8 hours
Life and leadership go hand in hand. It's all connected. This extensive training experience will focus on the individual as well as the group. Through the use of interactive exercises, self-explorations, group discussion, inspirational music, individual skill building exercises and a host of other FUN training techniques participants will learn about what it takes to lead, contribute and make a difference. Essential to this mission is a discussion of one's content of character. This program also includes a six minute video, "The Future is Yours to Create." (Depending on the amount of time desired topics to be included through out this training experience might include creativity, group development, program planning, public speaking, communication skills, time management - just to name a few.)

Getting it Right: Gender Differences in Communication
Say what and to whom? Don't be silly, of course men and women communicate differently. Research on the difference between genders is shared along with important tips on how to hear what isnŐt being said, communicate more directly and learn more effective means of interpersonal communication.

Head Games: Internal Dialogues and Inspiration
If the only one laughing at your jokes is you, then you understand the significance of "personal dialogues." Regardless of what you call those conversations that take place in your head, they are powerful. Learn how to replace unhealthy speak with productive language.

Holding Others to Higher Standards
"How low can you go?" Or, is the more fitting questions for Greek leaders: "How hard are you willing to work to be leaders of character?" This interactive and enlightening session will discuss the challenges of challenging attitudes and behaviors contrary to the ideals of being a leader. Practical strategies for being men and women of high moral, ethical and civil standards will be offered along with the comfort in knowing YOU MIGHT JUST BE RIGHT!

How Can I Help? Customer Service for Student Employees
When training staff, remember the power of presence! This session reviews important considerations for providing quality customer service while inspiring participants to WANT to stand for quality.

How to Empower Athletes to Excel
Whether a captain or a coach you need to be an effective motivator. Learn what it takes to inspire and the various small things you can do to have a large impact.

How to Zing! Your Life and Civic Leadership
Gandhi said, "WE must be the change we wish to see in this world." His words don't suggest we sit around talking about making a difference in the world, they call us to act. Zing! is the energy it takes to override competing forces to positively influence others towards a greater social good. Leadership is the making of a difference. Zing! represents a mind set for productive, intelligent and compassionate involvement by citizens of all ages, races and beliefs with the reminder one's vision of the world must be 20/20. Using personal explorations, interactive experiences, stories and shared gifts, audience members will learn what Martin Luther King, Jr. meant when he said, "There comes a time when your silence is betrayal." Various strategies for thinking globally and acting locally will be presented along with the inspiration to change the world... one person at a time. It's always Zing! time.

It's Not What You Say, But How You Say It
1 to 3 hours
We learn how to communicate at a very early age and then forget to keep learning this highly complicated and significant skill. This session will offer actual skill building exercises in a variety of areas, including assertion theory, conflict resolution, non-verbal communication, two-way communication and listening. Learning how to say what you want or what you are feeling and hear what others are saying and feeling is a significant part of this training experience. Wayne Dyer said, "People treat us the way we teach them to treat us." He is right. This session will challenge you to consider your current level of effective communication and provide you with useful tips on how to be even more effective. Is there room for improvement?

The Life and Times of Eleanor Roosevelt
An amazing woman way ahead of her timeÉ or was she? Learn about the life and times of this history altering first lady while examining the traits of effective leadership.

Life by Design
1 to 2 hour
Based upon the speaker's first motivational book, Life by Design, this extended session is about YOU and YOUR life! It is about where you see yourself now (point a) and where you'd like to see yourself in the future (point b). Using a "life" to "house" analogy, the original concepts presented will assist you in identifying your definition of "having it all" and what changes you need to start working on NOW to achieve a "dream" life that for YOU is fulfilling and meaningful. Are you really content with your relationships, communities, job, health, family, financial situation, or career choice - to name a few? Do you control your destiny or do you feel that you're going through the motions - living everyone else's definition of "having it all?" Self-exploration techniques will be presented that will assist you in figuring out HOW to make the desired changes in your life not IF you will ever make them. Be careful, there just might be some work to be done on your life!

Make Me! Empowerment and Motivation of Others
If the leaders are exhausted, the followers must be sleeping! This is a wake up call to your life and leadership as it stresses the value and necessity in knowing how to motivate others into action. Specific tips on how to bring others into your organizations, life and leadership are shared.

Managing Upwards
Being in a position of leadership doesnŐt make you a leader, just as reporting to someone doesn't make you a follower! Learn various strategies for contributing to betterment of the entire organization regardless of your position of influence.

Membership Strategies: Recruiting Future Chapter Leaders
In this highly engaging session participants will learn what it takes to attract and keep volunteers focused, inspired and involved. Taking volunteers from the stage of "no bodies" to "some bodies" is a learnable skill. You can make adjustments to what you do and how you do it that will result in a volunteer pool self-motivated to get their feet wet! One person at a time is how to change the world. Jump in and join in - Viva! The Volunteer.

The Mess of Stress
1 or 2 hours
Being in a state of consistent stress is bad. There's no other way to say it! Stress needs to be controlled so that it doesn't control you. This session is an opportunity for participants to take the needed time to explore the stressors in their lives and ways of dealing with them. Information about the effects of stress on your body and ability to function are covered along with numerous stress reduction techniques. Actual practice time is devoted to trying out the various stress reduction exercises such as programmed visualization and deep breathing. Walk away relaxed.

The Mirror Has Two Faces: Self-Esteem Building
1 or 2 hours
Based upon the presenter's book, Life by Design, original concepts on self worth become the foundation of this session. What did you see the last time you looked in the mirror? And did you like what you saw? This self-exploring session is about building your self-esteem and how that changes who you are and what you do. Numerous skills to enhance self-esteem are demonstrated with the inspiration to get to work! "Gee, you've got potential!" Now the response to that compliment is "Thank you! You're very perceptive." Without a healthy well of self-worth all aspects of your life - from job to family - are affected. Change for the better is not possible, moving forward is not possible. This session explains how to get busy working on your self-worth.

The Now Factors of College Success
Perfect for students needing specific strategies on how to self-manage! Don’t leave your college success to chance when you can intentionally plan and act on your future accomplishments. Be good today and tomorrow works itself out!

On Becoming a Successful Woman [Women]
There’s nothing more powerful than a room of woman on a mission! What are the traits that make a female stand out and most importantly, happy? Sharing words of wisdom from women around the country, this session is personal and productive as it speaks to the excellence in knowing one’s potential contributions.

Organizational Change and Transitioning
– It’s new and it’s real. Whether the change in your life and organization was your idea or not, you have two choices: be the problem or be the solution! No one is comfortable with change, yet it is how life and leadership get done. This session reviews a change model, strategies for change management and offers the motivation to work with change, instead of against it.

Personal Management: From the Clock to the Calendar
Clutter, disorganization and being late… sound all too familiar? To lead is to lead yourself first. Effective time management and organizational skills are offered to assist participants in accomplishing their goals.

P.R. is Everything You DO: Public Relations for Greeks
1 to 4 hours
How many community service projects do you have to do to balance out the occasional noise complaint? Interesting question. Interesting answers can be found in this self-exploratory and interactive session on the true definition of "public relations." How to have better public relations by individual chapters and the entire system is also addressed. Public relations is "everything" you do and don't do. So, what do you promote? What strategies can help your chapter and entire system put their best foot forward?

Potential Impact: Considerations for a Career in Student Affairs
Working with students can be an exciting and rewarding career. Learn the various ways to have daily contact with students and the steps to take to land in the “perfect” job.

Remarkable Turning Points
What was it that made the difference? How did you know you didn’t know… or that you were sure? Learn the signs that change is needed and how to work it.

Refreshment Strategies for Advisors
We all can use a dose of motivation now and again – so why not those who motivate the motivators? Using a personal approach, advisors of student groups are challenged to assess their current level of motivation and thus effectiveness in working with students. Tips on how to add more fuel to your engine are offered in a humorous and practical manner.

Say IT with Style and Substance: Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
Because it's your job! Because you want more Zing! in your life! Because other people might start to take you more seriously! There are many reasons for becoming more effective at giving presentations or standing behind a podium. From business professionals to educators, from students to CEOs, your ability to communicate publicly is a reflection of your mission, vision and potential leadership. Sharing personal experiences and relevant strategies, the presenter offers up her own tips (not trips) on improving your confidence, competence and learning outcomes as a speaker.

Seriously? How to Hold Others Accountable
We all like to be liked, yet part of being responsible is holding others accountable. This skill set can be learned and the fears associated with not being liked minimized so others have a chance to learn more from your life and leadership. Specific strategies are offered along with various “comfort level” assessments.

Staff Synergy: To Be or Not To Be?
1 or 2 hours
Have you ever wondered what it would take to work in an environment that fosters personal development, provides quality services to "clients" and values team work? Sometimes this ideal isn't that far away. With minor adjustments and a greater knowledge of working "in community" participants will be encouraged to evaluate their role in making a staff productive. The motivation to work towards greater group cohesiveness and better intra-group communication will be explored along with accompanying skill building lessons.

Staying Motivated to Work in Higher Education
1 or 2 hours
Does the "Just Expired" sign go up on your forehead every time a student or colleague (maybe even friend, spouse, boss, etc. ) walks into your office? Is it frustrating when you recognize that the methods, practices and policies that used to work effectively just don't get the same results? Has the push for providing better "customer service" left you wondering where "student development" fits in? This session is designed to allow participants to become re-energized by providing motivational strategies, information about reaching today's college student and tips on being student consumer oriented. You make a difference.

Taking Care of Business: Motivating Strategies for Life
How's your life going? Parenting, working, running, shopping, dealing with difficult people... the stresses of every day life. Are you in need of a reality check? Take an evening to get into the moment and focus on what needs to be repaired, remodeled, renovated or rebuilt in your life. This "do-it-yourself" approach to bringing back the balance in your life is offered by the author of Life by Design: A Do It Yourself Approach to Achieving Happiness. In an upbeat, inspiring yet content driven program, a five phase process of living the life you want will be shared along with fun self-assessment opportunities and humorous takes on life. Let's face the first reality - if you aren't happy or content with your life, odds are you are making the people around you miserable. It's time to take care of business!

Teaching and Training for Community
1-4 hours
The many notions surrounding "community" can be valuable tools for training in the areas of sensitivity, diversity and multiculturalism. This session is an opportunity for professionals who do training to gain sensitivity presentation tips from a professional trainer including activities, resources and processing techniques. A complete handout assists participants in designing their own workshops and style of presenting.

Teaching Tools with Zing!
Having to compete with today’s electronics makes teaching and reaching our students difficult. So, what can be done differently to better engage students? How can you change it up and add some spice to your teaching efforts to accommodate a host of learning styles? This session demonstrates, instructs and pulls from the group personal strategies for enhanced student engagement.

A Time of Holding On and A Time of Letting Grow
Your student is anxious, excited, ready, unprepared, nervous, thrilled... and the list goes on! Strangely enough, so are you. The transition between high school and college is exactly that - change. Not only are there important developmental stages unfolding in front of your very eyes, but you are in a unique position to assist (rather than resist) your "soon to be college" student. In a humorous and conversational approach, the speaker seeks to provide realistic expectations around the transitioning college student, while suggesting rather forwardly - it's time to hold on... while letting them grow. Tips for parenting a college student will also be offered for those open to "parenting and partnering" with whatever institution of higher learning awaits your student. One of the greatest outcomes of this program is the opportunity for parents and guardians - who have gone through it already - to share their expertise!

Transformational Connections
Making connections is simple when you understand your likability factor and reasons why people connect (or fail to connect) with others. Relationships can change someone’s life for better or worse. This session suggests knowing what you want others to see when they see you is the first step in making more powerful and lasting relationships.

We Want More! Recruitment and Retention for Student Groups
1 or 2 hours
Quality not quantity only goes so far. This highly active and engaging session will take a look at those things that attract members to your organization and those retention strategies that keep members dedicated and enjoying their experience. Have you ever considered why people join organizations? Has the notion of planning a year long recruitment campaign ever been "entertained?" Do you truly value and understand the members who do show up? This session will not only motivated YOU to think differently about recruitment and retention but it will provide you with the tools (and handouts) to attract more members and help them make their experience a meaningful one!

What Did You Say? Gender Issues in Communication
1 to 2 hours
Ever feel as if you were speaking a different language? Ever desire to be more informed about the influence of culture and gender on how you interact or do business with others? This informative and practical session will present the research on gender differences in communication and how these generalizations - once recognized - can interfere or assist you - in getting your goals accomplished. Considerable demographic data is offered to enhance participants understanding.

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Effective Interpersonal Communication
Ever wish you could take back that text or last conversation? Knowing the components of communication help you to better control the outcome. By reviewing the process of communication, practicing skills of introduction and making not so small talk, participants will understand the role they play in the quality of their leadership and relationships.

You Want it When? Customer Service versus Student Development
Students don’t always get what they want, but they should get what they need. How do you know which you are providing? Dialogues around the importance of living up to what is promised by your role while being true to educating students are encouraged while suggesting the significance of true professionalism.

You Want Me to Do What? Change Implementation Strategies
1 to 2 hours
Change this! Not everyone embraces change. How do you get others to buy into it? How do you light a fire under those needed to make change happen? In order to inspire, educate and lead your "team" or group into action you (and your team) need to know more about the Denney Change Theory and how to apply it to your personal or professional needs. This session will present a few strategies on how to implement change and review what conditions are needed in order for others to consider implementing change. Tips on how to motivate others will be shared along with a self-analysis of how well you respond to change. Self-exploration exercises and worksheets help participants understand the "personality" of change.

ZING! Your Life and Professional Influence
Ever notice how some people have "it" and some wonder what "it" is? Have you started to wonder why some people get noticed and you only get passed by and passed up. In a highly humorous and engaging presentation style, Nancy Hunter Denney presents her original Zing! Impact Equation demonstrating it's never just one thing, rather a combination of the person, environment, skill level and minimization of distractions that determine the level of one's potential influence or charisma. Zing! is the thing that allows you to "override competing forces to positively influence others." Zing! is living life and leadership with an exclamation point and comes from the fundamental belief, "the energy you put out there, is the energy you get to draw from." Within the context of "professionalism" Zing! is the standard effort and attitude needed to be consistently applied in order to effectively accomplish a shared mission. Relevant "insights" ranging from self-inspection to humility offer the road map to Zing! and enhanced happiness. You always know what time it is when you accept your aptitudes as a means of demonstrating your gratitude! From this moment on: It's Zing! time...

Zing! Your Life and Leadership: For Women Only
Do you have it? That thing called "Zing!"? This engaging and inspirational session is about female influence, charisma and leadership. It's about raising the bar on your life and leadership through the use of various "insights" as offered in Zing! Your Life and Leadership: 21 Insights on Maximizing Your Influence. Learn what time is really is - all the time! (It's Zing! time!)

Zing! Your Team to Victory: Leadership for Team Captains
A great way to start the season… Zing! This session inspires, educates and suggests the valuable role of role modeling. Captains have a unique opportunity to lead, yet fail to know how. Specific tips on ways to positively influence teammates and lead your team to victory are shared in a fun and motivational manner.

KEYNOTES
Life by Design: A Do-It-Yourself Approach to Achieving Happiness
Zing! Life and Leadership
Zing! Your Life and Professional Influence
The Future is Yours to Create [commencement address or new student orientation]
Zing! Your Future [career choice]
Why Not Now? College Success Strategies
Staying Motivated to Work in Higher Educaton