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There´s not one person on this planet who hasn´t wished for all their dreams to come true. Wanting what our heart desires and having it handed to us on a silver platter would be a dream come true right there.
The problem with that mindset is that there is too much passive thinking and not enough physical participation. In order to achieve your dreams, you can´t let destiny lead the way. If you want something, it´s not enough to just think about it, you have to actively pursue it.
Judi Moreo, author of Achievement Journal: You Are More Than Enough, is a leading authority in the areas of communication and motivation. She has conducted consulting assignments, training workshops, seminars and keynote speeches in 26 countries on 4 continents. She has coached countless business leaders worldwide on issues of corporate change, cultural diversity and conflict management.
Her expertise has assisted corporations and organizations such as Walt Disney Imagineering, Sony Electronics, the U.S. House of Representatives, Investec Bank, U.S. Army, BMW, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Nestle, and Nissan Motor Corporation.
As an international business leader and entrepreneur, Judi knows firsthand what it takes to be successful especially amidst political, social and cultural differences. In 1991, she became a senior executive in one of South Africa´s most prestigious corporations. In 2003, Judi was named Nevada Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Business Advisory Council. She is currently President of Turning Point International, Inc., an international performance improvement consulting firm in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce honored her with the Woman of Achievement – Entrepreneur Award.
She has served on the Boards of Directors of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Women´s Council; the World Modeling Association; the Greater Las Vegas Soroptimist; Women in Communication; and the Las Vegas Professional Speakers Association. Judi is listed in the World´s Who´s Who of Business and Professional Women; Who´s Who in Professional Speaking; and the World´s Who´s Who of Women, and was awarded the Outstanding Achievement and Community Service Award by the American Women in Radio and Television.
This year, Ms. Moreo received the Diamond Star Las Vegas Visionary Award.
In a candid interview, Judi explains how to achieve your goals and help those dreams come a little bit closer.
Thank you for the interview, Ms. Moreo. You are a mentor, coach, speaker, among many other illustrious occupations. Can you tell us why you chose this field to go into?
I´m not sure if I chose it or it chose me. When I started my first business, I didn´t have much money for advertising, so I started speaking to schools and organizations to promote my business, before long people were asking how much I would charge to speak to their groups. Charge? Wow. That was exciting. People thought what I had to say was worth paying for... That was over 20 years ago...
As a child, were you a leader?
I´m not sure. I was the last child in a large family and the others were quite a bit older than me, so they had left home by the time I was old enough to really determine if I would be a leader or not. We lived in an area where there were no children closer than about 5 or 6 miles away. So I had imaginary friends. I lead them around the property, but of course, they would always do what I told them. I couldn´t imagine it being any other way! I was very shy when I started school but somewhere along the line I became a bit of a rebel. No. In school, I was not a leader. Nor was I a follower. I´ve pretty much always been on my own path.
How were your years growing up? Did you pave your way yourself or did you have a mentor?
I had incredible parents who believed I could accomplish whatever I sat my mind to and encouraged me to do it. I had a brother and sisters that I adored who were all very encouraging to me. I was fortunate to marry a man who supported and encouraged the pursuit of my dreams. When I went into business, I had a landlord who believed in me and several powerful women in my Soroptimist Club who were phenomenal mentors. I believe everyone benefits from a support team. Mentors are such a blessing! One of my mentors now is much younger than me, Greg Kompes. He is teaching me about internet blogging, the web, podcasting, and all these technical things that we need to know to survive as well as thrive in today´s competitive environment.
In what way can you tell us that your past was any indication of what you would become today?
My past has, of course, brought me to who and what I´ve become today. Isn´t that true of everyone? We are so influenced by all the things that happen to us as we grow up. At some point we will make the decision to be the person we either think we can or can´t be. We must all learn that we are responsible to make our opportunities. In fact, as I was sitting here in the airport filling out this interview for you, I overheard a woman talking to someone on her cell and saying she was a columnist for the local newspaper. So when she hung up, I stopped answering your questions and introduced myself to her. I just happened to have an extra copy of my book with me which I gave to her. She was quite thrilled that I would give it to her. It may be an expensive business card, but let me tell you....people love it. When opportunity presents itself, I believe you must knock.
You live in Las Vegas. Can you tell us about your lifestyle there?
My Las Vegas lifestyle would probably be considered boring by many people. When I´m not on the road traveling to promote the book or speak, I get up at five am, write four or five pages, go to my office, make phone calls, do paperwork, record audio tapes, and all the things people do that work in any business office. I clean the printer, empty the trash, sweep the floor, make copies, file papers, whatever needs to be done.
Nightlife is exciting here. I´ve seen almost every entertainer in the world and eaten more food than my body really wants, so I stay home most nights now and watch Law and Order on TV. I have two cats that love it when I´m home and the three of us just hang out and read much of the time. I love writing and so I do it whenever I have a spare moment. I´m attempting writing in several genres.....trying to stretch myself. I do have some incredible friends that live here who have remarkable backgrounds and life experiences and I never tire of their adventures. I also like the 24 hour lifestyle because if I need to go to the grocery store or I want to go to the gym and the clock just happens to say 11 pm or 2 am, they are still open, as are my cleaners and many other businesses.
Your accomplishments are amazing! Of all the fields you are involved in, which stands out more as being more fulfilling?
Your accomplishments are amazing! Of all the fields you are involved in, which stands out more as being more fulfilling? Most fulfilling is the opportunity to share something with people that helps them improve their lives or believe in themselves a little more....whether that be writing, speaking, or one-on-one consulting. When someone says, you touched my heart. Or they send a card saying how much better their life has been because of something I said to them the year before. Those things make my heart sing.
You also speak quite frequently. How often and why do you choose to do this?
I like to eat! Seriously, I´m so fortunate that I can make a living doing what I love to do. I speak about that...Do What You Love and Get Paid for It. I speak approximately 4 to 5 times a week. Some days I do two programs in a day. One for one group at breakfast and another at dinner time. Sometimes it´s luncheons. Some days it is all day seminars... I basically teach Communication Skills and How to Deal With Difficult People and Negative Environments. Many corporations hire me to present Customer Service programs or manage a culture change. So many workplaces are negative... often because people don´t know how to change the environment or to manage themselves within that negative environment. It´s wonderful to see people light up when they realize they can do something about it.
Your book, Achievement Journal: You Are More Than Enough, is fantastic. I have it and I can´t wait to fill out my achievements and goals. Why did you feel it was necessary to get this book on the market?
I would ask my audiences if anyone ever felt they were created for, something more, than they were doing, having, or being right now and after about 85% of 200 audiences raised their hands and said, Me. Me..Me. I kept thinking about why it is that so many of us underestimate ourselves and overestimate other people....why many of us don´t trust ourselves to make our own decisions...why we sometimes feel scared or insecure and I decided to share some of my own story in the hope that my life experiences would save others from some of the pain.
I have to quote you in the book. You said, "Every step I take brings me closer to the realization of my dreams." Can you explain how we can take that first step?
First decide where you want to go. Put your shoes on and then put one foot in front of the other. In other words, do something. If you find you aren´t going in the right direction, change paths. I had an attorney once that told me I failed more than any of his other clients. Then he laughed and said, "But you succeed more than any of them as well. Here´s what I absolutely swear by: The journey becomes clear when the destination is known.
There is another quote in your book that goes, "Follow Your Star…to be a star you must shine your own light, folow your own path and don´t worry about the darkness…for that is when stars shine brightest!" Can you explain that quote in terms of how people should shed their past and take charge of their future?
Shine your own light means to project a positive image. To put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Follow your own path. Look to the positive future. Stay focused on where you are going. You can´t focus on where you are going if you are constantly focusing on and talking about the past. Always have a goal in mind and keep striving for it. Then the next one and the next one. Don´t worry about the darkness for that is when stars shine the brightest; we will all have times that seem so very dark – the loss of a loved one, a divorce, loss of material things through no fault of our own – things that happen just because it´s life, but in that dark sadness, you concentrate on who you are, your core values, your beliefs, your faith, and it will see you through to a better place and a better tomorrow.
There is a "balance wheel" in your book with the subtitles: Career, Finances, Relationships, Health, Spiritual, Education, Community and Recreation. Can you explain how this works?
The balance wheel is actually in the companion Achievement Journal. These are the 8 areas of our lives in which we set goals. In the front of the journal, there is a place to write the goals for each of these areas and a place to put pictures of the goals so that we can visualize them on a daily basis. The balance wheel asks you to rate how you are doing on a scale of 1 -10 in each of these areas and then it will display a visual to you of the areas in your life or the goals on which you need to concentrate next. A balance wheel appears in the journal every 21 days because it takes 21 days to change a habit.
Why do you think people are not comfortable with change and maybe that perhaps is why they don´t actively pursue their dreams?
People are not comfortable with change because it brings with it the unknown. We are familiar with what we know and therefore, we are comfortable....even if the situation is uncomfortable...it´s familiar and we know what to expect. Stepping out into the un-comfort zone is scary. What might be out there? What might happen? Then our imaginations go to work and dream up all sorts of horrible things. We must train our imaginations to think up wonderful things. What we think about is what we bring about. You won´t pursue your dreams if you are constantly telling yourself that things are scary and that you are afraid, stupid, dumb or lack the finances.
I love it that there is pop out gold-foiled stars in the back. In what section of the book do we add these?
They can be put in any section of the book. Those stars are for you to reward yourself for doing or being anything you want. We must reward our accomplishments to anchor in our self esteem. Sticking those gold stars in the book physically anchors that good feeling into your subconscious. If you want to stick them on a blank page, that´s ok with me. You do what makes you feel good. It´s your journal.
At the very back of the book, there´s a page that says, "21 Things to Do Before I Die" with blanks for people to add their 21 things. What are your top three things to do before you die?
Oh, I thought you were going to ask me if I got the idea from the movie, Bucket List and I was going to say, no. I put the list in the back of the book long before the movie was ever produced. But you surprised me and want me to share my PERSONAL top three. Ok, here goes.
1. To make a positive difference in the lives of those people I come in contact with.
2. To get my books in the hands of one million women...and some men too!!!
3. To write an incredible story like "Pay It Forward", or "Tuesdays With Morrie."
And in addition, I would like to go on an elephant back safari through the Okavango Swamp and do a Hot Air Balloon ride over the Serengeti when the animals are migrating.
Thank you for the interview, Judi, and I wish you much success in helping others achieve their dreams!
Thank you so very much.
You can visit Judi Moreo´s website at www.judimoreo.com
The problem with that mindset is that there is too much passive thinking and not enough physical participation. In order to achieve your dreams, you can´t let destiny lead the way. If you want something, it´s not enough to just think about it, you have to actively pursue it.
Judi Moreo, author of Achievement Journal: You Are More Than Enough, is a leading authority in the areas of communication and motivation. She has conducted consulting assignments, training workshops, seminars and keynote speeches in 26 countries on 4 continents. She has coached countless business leaders worldwide on issues of corporate change, cultural diversity and conflict management.
Her expertise has assisted corporations and organizations such as Walt Disney Imagineering, Sony Electronics, the U.S. House of Representatives, Investec Bank, U.S. Army, BMW, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Nestle, and Nissan Motor Corporation.
As an international business leader and entrepreneur, Judi knows firsthand what it takes to be successful especially amidst political, social and cultural differences. In 1991, she became a senior executive in one of South Africa´s most prestigious corporations. In 2003, Judi was named Nevada Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Business Advisory Council. She is currently President of Turning Point International, Inc., an international performance improvement consulting firm in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce honored her with the Woman of Achievement – Entrepreneur Award.
She has served on the Boards of Directors of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Women´s Council; the World Modeling Association; the Greater Las Vegas Soroptimist; Women in Communication; and the Las Vegas Professional Speakers Association. Judi is listed in the World´s Who´s Who of Business and Professional Women; Who´s Who in Professional Speaking; and the World´s Who´s Who of Women, and was awarded the Outstanding Achievement and Community Service Award by the American Women in Radio and Television.
This year, Ms. Moreo received the Diamond Star Las Vegas Visionary Award.
In a candid interview, Judi explains how to achieve your goals and help those dreams come a little bit closer.
Thank you for the interview, Ms. Moreo. You are a mentor, coach, speaker, among many other illustrious occupations. Can you tell us why you chose this field to go into?
I´m not sure if I chose it or it chose me. When I started my first business, I didn´t have much money for advertising, so I started speaking to schools and organizations to promote my business, before long people were asking how much I would charge to speak to their groups. Charge? Wow. That was exciting. People thought what I had to say was worth paying for... That was over 20 years ago...
As a child, were you a leader?
I´m not sure. I was the last child in a large family and the others were quite a bit older than me, so they had left home by the time I was old enough to really determine if I would be a leader or not. We lived in an area where there were no children closer than about 5 or 6 miles away. So I had imaginary friends. I lead them around the property, but of course, they would always do what I told them. I couldn´t imagine it being any other way! I was very shy when I started school but somewhere along the line I became a bit of a rebel. No. In school, I was not a leader. Nor was I a follower. I´ve pretty much always been on my own path.
How were your years growing up? Did you pave your way yourself or did you have a mentor?
I had incredible parents who believed I could accomplish whatever I sat my mind to and encouraged me to do it. I had a brother and sisters that I adored who were all very encouraging to me. I was fortunate to marry a man who supported and encouraged the pursuit of my dreams. When I went into business, I had a landlord who believed in me and several powerful women in my Soroptimist Club who were phenomenal mentors. I believe everyone benefits from a support team. Mentors are such a blessing! One of my mentors now is much younger than me, Greg Kompes. He is teaching me about internet blogging, the web, podcasting, and all these technical things that we need to know to survive as well as thrive in today´s competitive environment.
In what way can you tell us that your past was any indication of what you would become today?
My past has, of course, brought me to who and what I´ve become today. Isn´t that true of everyone? We are so influenced by all the things that happen to us as we grow up. At some point we will make the decision to be the person we either think we can or can´t be. We must all learn that we are responsible to make our opportunities. In fact, as I was sitting here in the airport filling out this interview for you, I overheard a woman talking to someone on her cell and saying she was a columnist for the local newspaper. So when she hung up, I stopped answering your questions and introduced myself to her. I just happened to have an extra copy of my book with me which I gave to her. She was quite thrilled that I would give it to her. It may be an expensive business card, but let me tell you....people love it. When opportunity presents itself, I believe you must knock.
You live in Las Vegas. Can you tell us about your lifestyle there?
My Las Vegas lifestyle would probably be considered boring by many people. When I´m not on the road traveling to promote the book or speak, I get up at five am, write four or five pages, go to my office, make phone calls, do paperwork, record audio tapes, and all the things people do that work in any business office. I clean the printer, empty the trash, sweep the floor, make copies, file papers, whatever needs to be done.
Nightlife is exciting here. I´ve seen almost every entertainer in the world and eaten more food than my body really wants, so I stay home most nights now and watch Law and Order on TV. I have two cats that love it when I´m home and the three of us just hang out and read much of the time. I love writing and so I do it whenever I have a spare moment. I´m attempting writing in several genres.....trying to stretch myself. I do have some incredible friends that live here who have remarkable backgrounds and life experiences and I never tire of their adventures. I also like the 24 hour lifestyle because if I need to go to the grocery store or I want to go to the gym and the clock just happens to say 11 pm or 2 am, they are still open, as are my cleaners and many other businesses.
Your accomplishments are amazing! Of all the fields you are involved in, which stands out more as being more fulfilling?
Your accomplishments are amazing! Of all the fields you are involved in, which stands out more as being more fulfilling? Most fulfilling is the opportunity to share something with people that helps them improve their lives or believe in themselves a little more....whether that be writing, speaking, or one-on-one consulting. When someone says, you touched my heart. Or they send a card saying how much better their life has been because of something I said to them the year before. Those things make my heart sing.
You also speak quite frequently. How often and why do you choose to do this?
I like to eat! Seriously, I´m so fortunate that I can make a living doing what I love to do. I speak about that...Do What You Love and Get Paid for It. I speak approximately 4 to 5 times a week. Some days I do two programs in a day. One for one group at breakfast and another at dinner time. Sometimes it´s luncheons. Some days it is all day seminars... I basically teach Communication Skills and How to Deal With Difficult People and Negative Environments. Many corporations hire me to present Customer Service programs or manage a culture change. So many workplaces are negative... often because people don´t know how to change the environment or to manage themselves within that negative environment. It´s wonderful to see people light up when they realize they can do something about it.
Your book, Achievement Journal: You Are More Than Enough, is fantastic. I have it and I can´t wait to fill out my achievements and goals. Why did you feel it was necessary to get this book on the market?
I would ask my audiences if anyone ever felt they were created for, something more, than they were doing, having, or being right now and after about 85% of 200 audiences raised their hands and said, Me. Me..Me. I kept thinking about why it is that so many of us underestimate ourselves and overestimate other people....why many of us don´t trust ourselves to make our own decisions...why we sometimes feel scared or insecure and I decided to share some of my own story in the hope that my life experiences would save others from some of the pain.
I have to quote you in the book. You said, "Every step I take brings me closer to the realization of my dreams." Can you explain how we can take that first step?
First decide where you want to go. Put your shoes on and then put one foot in front of the other. In other words, do something. If you find you aren´t going in the right direction, change paths. I had an attorney once that told me I failed more than any of his other clients. Then he laughed and said, "But you succeed more than any of them as well. Here´s what I absolutely swear by: The journey becomes clear when the destination is known.
There is another quote in your book that goes, "Follow Your Star…to be a star you must shine your own light, folow your own path and don´t worry about the darkness…for that is when stars shine brightest!" Can you explain that quote in terms of how people should shed their past and take charge of their future?
Shine your own light means to project a positive image. To put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Follow your own path. Look to the positive future. Stay focused on where you are going. You can´t focus on where you are going if you are constantly focusing on and talking about the past. Always have a goal in mind and keep striving for it. Then the next one and the next one. Don´t worry about the darkness for that is when stars shine the brightest; we will all have times that seem so very dark – the loss of a loved one, a divorce, loss of material things through no fault of our own – things that happen just because it´s life, but in that dark sadness, you concentrate on who you are, your core values, your beliefs, your faith, and it will see you through to a better place and a better tomorrow.
There is a "balance wheel" in your book with the subtitles: Career, Finances, Relationships, Health, Spiritual, Education, Community and Recreation. Can you explain how this works?
The balance wheel is actually in the companion Achievement Journal. These are the 8 areas of our lives in which we set goals. In the front of the journal, there is a place to write the goals for each of these areas and a place to put pictures of the goals so that we can visualize them on a daily basis. The balance wheel asks you to rate how you are doing on a scale of 1 -10 in each of these areas and then it will display a visual to you of the areas in your life or the goals on which you need to concentrate next. A balance wheel appears in the journal every 21 days because it takes 21 days to change a habit.
Why do you think people are not comfortable with change and maybe that perhaps is why they don´t actively pursue their dreams?
People are not comfortable with change because it brings with it the unknown. We are familiar with what we know and therefore, we are comfortable....even if the situation is uncomfortable...it´s familiar and we know what to expect. Stepping out into the un-comfort zone is scary. What might be out there? What might happen? Then our imaginations go to work and dream up all sorts of horrible things. We must train our imaginations to think up wonderful things. What we think about is what we bring about. You won´t pursue your dreams if you are constantly telling yourself that things are scary and that you are afraid, stupid, dumb or lack the finances.
I love it that there is pop out gold-foiled stars in the back. In what section of the book do we add these?
They can be put in any section of the book. Those stars are for you to reward yourself for doing or being anything you want. We must reward our accomplishments to anchor in our self esteem. Sticking those gold stars in the book physically anchors that good feeling into your subconscious. If you want to stick them on a blank page, that´s ok with me. You do what makes you feel good. It´s your journal.
At the very back of the book, there´s a page that says, "21 Things to Do Before I Die" with blanks for people to add their 21 things. What are your top three things to do before you die?
Oh, I thought you were going to ask me if I got the idea from the movie, Bucket List and I was going to say, no. I put the list in the back of the book long before the movie was ever produced. But you surprised me and want me to share my PERSONAL top three. Ok, here goes.
1. To make a positive difference in the lives of those people I come in contact with.
2. To get my books in the hands of one million women...and some men too!!!
3. To write an incredible story like "Pay It Forward", or "Tuesdays With Morrie."
And in addition, I would like to go on an elephant back safari through the Okavango Swamp and do a Hot Air Balloon ride over the Serengeti when the animals are migrating.
Thank you for the interview, Judi, and I wish you much success in helping others achieve their dreams!
Thank you so very much.
You can visit Judi Moreo´s website at www.judimoreo.com
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