Team Building 101 – What Would You Do?

You are in charge and employees normally come to you with problems and questions. That’s great unless you want to grow your organization. To do that, you need to delegate and have empowered employees who can handle those problems and situations.

To encourage employees to take the initiative and gain that often sought after sense of empowerment, ask them this simple question the next time they bring you a problem, “What would you do?” and then have a discussion including what you would do, their ideas and opinions, pro’s and con’s, etc.

Honoree 139! and Yes I’m Going to Run Another Marathon!

Hey There,

Quick Update:  Tomorrow, I’m heading to Columbus to run the Columbus Marathon on Sunday to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and cancer research to save lives!  I’m running until we reach our fundraising minimum of $5,000!  Woohoo!!

After running the Oil Creek 100 last week, I’m feeling pretty good.  I’ve been taking it easy all week and my feet are pretty well healed.  Sunday morning, I should be ready for another 26.2 miles!  Piece of cake!!  By Sunday afternoon, I will have run the equivalent of more than 4 marathons in eight days.  Woohoo!!

(Yep, my feet are sore, but I’m taking good care of myself.  Thank you for all the well wishes, emails, texts, and the love.  I feel like the luckiest guy in the world!)

Our fundraising is now up to $4,305 and we are just $695 away from our $5,000 minimum!!  Woohoo!!  Thanks to all of our donors that have come through this past week to support LLS and the cause.  You guys are tremendous!  Huge thanks to loved ones Leah Beck and Jimmy Gnass for helping put the word out to their networks of friends and family to bring in even more donations! Awesome!  We are almost there!!

Honoree 139!
Our goal is to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and raise funds for cancer research to save lives and it’s in honor of our list of Honorees that are now up to 139!  And that’s why I run these “crazy ” races!  I do it for Becky and her cousin Kathy

Here are Becky’s words:
“Hello Ernie,  Hope you are well.  Here is some info on my dear cousin, Kathy:

Kathy was born on July 17th, 1964, to Carol and Michael Andriaccio Sr.  Kathy grew up surrounded by friends and family who always appreciated her welcoming personality and enjoyed being in her calming presence.  Kathy had two sons, Justin and Matthew Andriaccio.  Kathy married Michael Krug and helped him raise his daughter Ashley. Unfortunately, Kathy fell ill in the Fall of 2008 and was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS and commonly referred to as preleukemia.) In the Winter of 2008/2009,  Kathy underwent one bone marrow transplant, thanks to her brother Fred, who was a perfect match.  Kathy made it through that surgery and began recovering, but later on had complications and became ill again.  Kathy went back that Spring to have another bone marrow
transplant.  Kathy made it through that surgery, began the recovery process, and seemed to be doing well.  Unfortunately, Kathy stopped progressing and fell ill again.  Apparently a virus that had been dormant in her body, attacked her while her immune system was down.  Kathy passed away on July 17th, 2009, surrounded by friends and family in Roswell’s Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY.  It was her 45th birthday.

Kathy is truly missed by her family and friends, but never forgotten.  Her son Justin just recently brought his first child ( a daughter named Leena) into this world, saddened by the fact that grandma will have to look down on them from Heaven, instead of being there in person to love and spoil Leena from right down the street.  It’s hard to remember Kathy without picturing her with a smile on her face.  Our family’s hope is that more families will get to keep their “Kathys.”  On behalf of everyone who ever had Leukemia steal their great mother, great wife, great sister, great aunt, great cousin and great friend,( which are all terms that can be used to define our Kathy), thank you Ernie for fighting the great fight against Leukemia.  Thank you Ernie for running in honor of our Kathy!!!  We love her dearly and she deserves it!!”

That’s why I run.  I run because cancer sucks!

Thank you! to everyone that has come through for the cause this week and weeks past.  Thanks for all the words of encouragement.  I know we couldn’t do it without everyone’s help.  I appreciate it more than I can say.

And to support the Mission, if you haven’t yet, please consider a donation for LLS and for cancer research to save lives.  Every little bit makes a HUGE difference!  Don’t wait because the more we can raise now, the sooner we can reach the ultimate goal of finding a cure! You can donate easily at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/columbus11/elewisgbvt

If you prefer to donate off-line, please make your check payable to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail it to me at:  3936 Elmhurst Road, Toledo, OH 43613.

“Run with your heart, not your feet,” because cancer sucks and it’s not just a race, it’s someone’s life!

Thanks for helping fight the good fight!
Ernie

Don’t Make Me Run Another Marathon!

Hey Everyone,

Oil Creek Update:
I started the Oil Creek 100 race on Saturday morning at 5:00 a.m., and to make a long story short, I didn’t finish.  I’m very sorry.  I hit the wall the first time around mile 62.  The tough Oil Creek course and it’s 18,000 feet of elevation change did a number on me this year.  I did my best to keep it moving but I kept hitting the wall. Every few miles it kept getting worse.  My legs were wobbly, my feet were blistered over, I couldn’t keep anything in my stomach and I couldn’t make sense of things.  Even my brother John, who has always been able to get me moving and motivated, couldn’t get me going this time.  I missed the cutoff at the last aid station and stepped off the course around 9:00 a.m.
Sunday morning.  I completed just 84.5 miles.

In 9 years of running and after 34 marathons and ultra marathons, this is my first ever DNF.  I am extremely sorry for that since this one wasn’t for me.  It was for all our Honorees fighting the good fight.

In the last minutes before the race, our Honoree list jumped from 137 to 138. 
Friend Nick Nigro sent this message via Leah Beck, “My supervisor, Mary Ryan, who just married on June 11 of this year, is dealing with her husband’s fight with cancer. We don’t know how long he has to live; however, it is a shorter time than a longer one. A little over a year ago, he had a bone marrow transplant and it looked like he was on the way to full recovery. Then they found a lump at the base of his head and discovered brain cancer. It is so sad and so overwhelming; so, even more the reason to support what Ernie is doing. Count my family in as a supporter.”

And, friend Joe Kominek sent this sad word on his friend, “Howard Burkert from your honoree list is in his last days.  He has been battling brain cancer and it has now attacked his liver, lungs, stomach, throat etc.  Hospice is coming in Monday.  Thank you for all you do.”

Both of these are sad stories.  Of course, they’re all sad.  They remind me of when I sat next to my good friend, Karen, breathing her last breaths at Hospice due to a brain tumor so many years ago.  I’ll never forget being there with her and how she handled it. She fought to the end and she never gave up.  She had bad days and she had good days and she made good days out of a lot of bad days but she never gave up.  And so I’m not giving up either. Saturday at Oil Creek was a bad day for me but like Karen, I’m going to keep making good days…

We still have a long ways to go on the fundraising side!  That’s our important goal, to raise funds for cancer research, to save lives. So, next weekend, on Sunday, October 16^th, I’m going to finish my mileage that I didn’t do at Oil Creek and I’m going to do it at the Columbus Marathon, sore feet and all!  And if that doesn’t get us to our fundraising goal, I’m going to run another marathon and then another and then another!

I don’t really want to run another marathon (LOL!) since my left foot looks like a Bandaid commercial, and I can’t step fully on my right foot, and I’m exhausted, but I’ll do it if I have to.  Yes, it’s crazy, but it’s for the cause!

Please consider making a donation to support the cause and fight the good fight!  and “Don’t make me run another marathon!” We’re at about $3,605 with checks and pledges to date!  That’s great but we’ve never raised less than $5,000 so we have just $1,395 to go!!  I know we can do that and I’m going to keep running until we do!

Please donate at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/columbus11/elewisgbvt

Help fight the good fight and save lives!  Do it today because it’s not just a race, it’s a life!

Thank you and God Bless,
Ernie

Honoree 137! Little Isabelle and less than a day…

Woohoo!  We’re almost to race day, less than 24 hours!
Thanks to everyone for all the donations to support LLS and cancer research!  Just the last few days has been amazing with everyone coming through for the cause!  We still have quite a ways to go so if you haven’t donated yet, please do.  Every little bit helps to save a life!

Our Honoree list is now at 137!  We are adding Jack Conner Sr. for my Uncle Jack who himself is a colon cancer survivor.  For good friend Kit Curran, we are adding her friends Larry Moyer and Sue Boyne who are struggling with cancer now.  We are also adding Kit’s mother, Sally Carhart, who died of thyroid cancer 6 years ago.

Honoree 137 is little 3 year old Isabelle Chappie, friend of Bill Steele, and just diagnosed with Leukemia.  Isabelle’s recent diagnosis reminds us that the fight never stops!  The need to help is great because cancer sucks!

I am proud to run for Isabelle and all 137 of our Honorees.  The Honoree list is attached and this is the list I will have with me on the trail tomorrow.  It gets me through the toughest parts of the race, when the miles get longer than a mile is supposed to be!  Thank you for this opportunity and this gift.  I appreciate it more than I could ever put into words.  So…I’ll just run…a lot!

And to support the Mission, if you haven’t yet, please consider a donation for LLS and for cancer research to save lives.  Every little bit makes a HUGE difference!  Don’t wait because the more we can raise now, the sooner we can reach the ultimate goal of finding a cure!
You can donate easily at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/columbus11/elewisgbvt

If you prefer to donate off-line, please make your check payable to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail it to me at:  3936 Elmhurst Road, Toledo, OH 43613.

“Run with your heart, not your feet,” because cancer sucks and it’s not just a race, it’s someone’s life!

Thanks for helping fight the good fight!

Ernie

P.S.  I know my sore feet, tired legs, blisters, and physical exhaustion will be nothing compared to what a cancer victim goes through or the loss of a loved one, but if you get a free moment tomorrow, send lots of good vibes, text messages (419-345-4254,) and words of encouragement!  Thanks again!  Woohoo!!

It’s Not Just a Race…

5 Day Update!!

We’re almost to race day!  This Saturday, October 8th at 5:00 a.m., is the start of the Oil Creek 100 Ultra-marathon race.  I won’t finish until about 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning!  The goal is 100 miles in 24 hours, non-stop!  Why do I do it?

Why do I run these “crazy ” races as my good friend Debby Peters calls them?  I do it for my Mom, my Uncle Jack, my friend Melonie, for Gary, for George, for Carol and for Pat.  I do it for my friend Herb Landis who is fighting lung cancer again!  I do it for my friends Karen and Judy lost to cancer several years ago.  I do it for Brian and Tyler both recently diagnosed with Leukemia.  I do it for all 131 of our Honorees who are cancer victims and survivors.  I also do it for their loved ones because I know it’s not easy on either side.  I do it because Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under age 20!

I do it because cancer sucks!

I do it because in the last few days, we had a big boost in our fundraising!  With checks and pledges coming in, we jumped from 45% to 57%!  We are now at $3,410 to date! Woohoo!!

Thank you! to everyone that has come through for the cause this week.  And also thanks for all the words of encouragement.  I know we couldn’t do it without everyone’s help.  I appreciate it more than I can say.  And, every “good luck,” every atta-boy helps too.  Keep sending them because I carry each one with me and I “hear” them again on the trail.  You wouldn’t believe what even a little bit of negativity can do after 70 or 80 miles!  Every positive word makes a difference!

And to support the Mission, if you haven’t yet, please consider a donation for LLS and for cancer research to save lives.  Every little bit makes a HUGE difference!  Don’t wait because the more we can raise now, the sooner we can reach the ultimate goal of finding a cure!  You can donate easily at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/columbus11/elewisgbvt

If you prefer to donate off-line, please make your check payable to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail it to me at: 3936 Elmhurst Road, Toledo, OH 43613.

At Oil Creek, I hope to do you proud.  My plan is to do as my friend Jennifer Fehnrich said to me yesterday, “Run with your heart, not your feet,” because cancer sucks and it’s not just a race, it’s someone’s life!

Thanks for helping fight the good fight!

Ernie

Good Weather Update – Marathoning to Fight Cancer!

Quick Update on my training and fund raising to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and cancer research to save lives.  Woohoo!!

With the break in the heat and humidity, relatively speaking, training for the Oil Creek 100 ultra-marathon has been a little easier!   Last weekend, I put in a 35 mile training run and felt pretty good about it.  Today, I took it easy with a 13 miler because next Saturday, I am running a 50 mile race up in Manistee MI.  I’m running it as a tune-up race for the Oil Creek 100 in October.  It should be a good test run and a lot of fun.  Wish me luck!

And of course, the important part…my fundraising is at $1,860 which is 31% of my $6,000 goal!  We have a long ways to go and just a couple of months to get there but I know we will!   Huge thanks to everyone that has donated this past month.  Special thanks to friends Lynne and Scott Forsythe for their $500 off the chart generosity!  Scott is a survivor and he and Lynne keep giving back to help the cause.  Lynne ran with Team In Training about a year ago to also help raise funds for cancer research.  She’s a dedicated and disciplined runner and she never quits!  Woohoo!!

My Honoree list is up to 130 names!  If you have a friend or relative that you would like me to run for in their honor, at the Oil Creek 100, I would be proud to do so.  Please send me their name and their story for they are my inspiration and they help me keep it moving through the long miles and to get across the finish line!

All of us have someone in our lives touched by cancer.  For that reason, please consider making a donation to help fight the good fight.  No amount is too small.  Every little bit helps!

You can donate quickly and securely at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/columbus11/elewisgbvt

If you would like to send a check, please make it out to “The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society” and mail it to:  Ernie Lewis, 3936 Elmhurst Road, Toledo, OH 43613.

Thank you so much!

50 Mile Update – Marathoning to Fight Cancer!

Quick Update on my training and fund raising to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and cancer research to save lives. Woohoo!!

Training for the Oil Creek 100 ultra-marathon has been tough! Two days ago, the last day of the month, was my last chance for a long training run here in July. I’ve been trying all month but the heat and humidity just kept stopping me in my tracks. This past weekend, I decided I was just going to do it…a 50 mile training run! No matter what! So, Sunday morning I loaded up the Gatorade and got to the park early and started running. It got hot quick! I think the high was supposed to be around 90 something. I didn’t really want to know how high exactly. My goal for the day was 50 miles in 10-12 hours.

I got to 22 miles, and yep, I wanted to quit. It was still early but already hot. I thought about my failed attempts earlier in the month. I kept going. I reached 28 miles and was starting to hit the wall. It was near noon and getting really hot. I was hot and tired but I kept going! Soon, I wanted to quit every time I stopped for water which was about every 5 miles, plenty of hydration, but the heat was getting to me…I so wanted to bag it! By 35 miles, I felt exhausted and every mile was tougher than the last. I kept moving and I started thinking about my Honorees.

I thought about family and friends with cancer, survivors of cancer, and those lost to cancer. I thought about Judy, Paula, Karen and Herb, Uncle Jack, my Mom, and all of the more than 100 Honorees on my list. As you know, they don’t have a choice. They get their diagnosis, then their treatments, and they deal with it the best they can. Sometimes they win, sometimes they don’t.

I especially thought about my little friend Nataleigh, who as a toddler, went through cancer treatments for over two years! If she could do that, I could surely keep moving for 10-12 hours…mile 39…42…45…I was walking a lot now in the afternoon heat. It was definitely 90 degrees, if not hotter. I was spent but I kept moving. I thought about little Nataleigh with needles and tubes and chemicals and cancer in her and I kept moving. I knew I had to finish because, at 5 years old today, Nataleigh is cancer free and it’s due to advances in cancer treatment and new research that saves lives. And that’s why I’m running, to continue the fight to save lives just like Nataleigh’s. Mile 46…47…48…49…that little sweetheart, that little fighter, got me through the last and the toughest part of that 50 mile training run on Sunday! We made it in 11 hours and 52 minutes! Woohoo!!

And of course, the important part…my fundraising goal is $6,000 to support cancer research to save lives just like Nataleigh’s! To reach it, I need your help! All of us have someone in our lives touched by cancer. For that reason, please consider making a donation to help fight the good fight. No amount is too small. Every little bit helps!

You can donate quickly and securely at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/columbus11/elewisgbvt

If you have a friend or relative that you would like me to run for in their honor, at the Oil Creek 100, I would be proud to do so. Please send me their name and their story for they are my inspiration! I’ll add their name right next to Nataleigh’s!

Thank you so much!

The Cost Plus Mistake

Many small business owners have trouble figuring out their pricing.  A common method is Cost Plus which is where you add up your business costs and then add a little more for “profit.”  There are a few problems with this method of pricing.  For one, it does not allow for cost increases and too low a price might send the wrong message regarding quality or credibility.  Also, the little more added on for “profit,” is usually too little and profit margin ends up being small or even negative which makes it difficult to grow your business.

A better approach is to consider the value of your product and service to your customers and what they are willing to pay.  If you are not sure, checking out your competition can give you a heads up on what this might be.  Use this number as the high end of your price range and use Cost Plus as the low end.  By establishing the ends of the price range, you now know the minimum you need to charge (so if you want to give a discount, you can) but you also know where to set your price points in regards to the real value of your product and service, your quality message, and effective business growth.

Leadership Toledo Fundraising Breakfast

Leadership Toledo’s Annual Fundraising Breakfast is coming on Friday March 4th, 7:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.!  LT supports and encourages community involvement and leadership development.  The Fundraising Breakfast supports the Youth Leadership Toledo Program for 50 area high school youth.  The Breakfast is free and we’ll ask you to donate and if you do, that’s great.  If not, that’s fine too.  Just come to learn about this great program for adults and youth!  It’s also a great networking opportunity with 500 other professionals in attendance! 

RSVP to me at:  ernest@ealewisconsulting.com so we can save you a seat!

It’s Double Marathon Time!

It’s Double Marathon time!  This Sunday November 14^th I’ll be running for LLS to find a cure!  I’ll be at Oak Openings park and running a 5.25 mile loop a total of 10 times non-stop.  I’m calling it the Double O/Double Marathon.  Course directions are at the end of this post.  Look for the TNT sign that will be on my car window and you’ll know you are in the right place.

This is an informal race, purely for the personal challenge, no race registration, no t-shirt, no medal, no fanfare, just running to save lives!  Please come out and run or walk a lap or two with me to support the cause.  I would love the company!  I’ll be running from 7:15 a.m. until around 5:15 p.m., rain or shine. 

On the training side, I’m not quite ready.  My hamstring is still giving me problems but we’re going to make the best of it.  Just like for all our Honorees, ALL 127 OF THEM, there is no quit!   Thank you for letting me run for you and your loved ones.  Your stories of pain and sorrow, triumph, and love helped me through each mile during training and they’ll get me through all 52 on Sunday!  Thank you!

On the fundraising side:  We’re at $4,870!  A huge Woohoo! to everyone that has donated so far.  I do appreciate it.  

We have just until Sunday to still collect donations and hit our goal.  I’m hoping we reach and exceed $5,000 before we’re done.  So if you haven’t already, please consider donating to support the cause and find a cure.  You can donate safely and securely online at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/columbus10/ernestalewis

If you prefer to donate off-line, please make your check payable to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail it to me at:  3936 Elmhurst Road, Toledo, OH 43613.

Thanks for your support and for helping fight the good fight!

Course Directions:  I’ll start at the Mallard Lake parking area, follow the brown all-purpose trail east to the lodge then south and east to the Evergreen Lake area, then circle around and back to the lodge, then follow the all-purpose trail north to near the Wabash-Cannonball trail, then west to the Dunes, then south back to the Mallard Lake area…5.25 miles X 10! 

I’ll essentially be running counter clockwise, so if you go in the opposite direction, we should run into each other.

Or, I’ll be passing through the Mallard Lake parking area every hour starting at 7:15 a.m.  You can simply wait and meet me there if you like.  See you soon!