Periodically, we go through this existential moment when working on the Whittaker Report wondering does anyone read it? So, if you enjoy reading it, please drop us a note. We would love to hear from you.
Whew, what a month it has been. After celebrating the Fourth of July, I attempted to take the first week of July as PTO (personal time off). But, it turned into a list of projects to do around the house. (Note to self: when on vacation, go somewhere). My staycation gave me a chance to catch up on gardening and other chores. The green beans are flourishing, and the tomatoes and cucumbers are coming along, I am glad to report.
During this month, I continued conducting my weekly and bi-weekly coaching session with several clients. Coaching is a great opportunity to learn and support others achieving their goals. From one of my clients, I learned about the Coactive Coaching Institute. Based on his recommendations, and that from a friend who also does coaching, I ordered the book Co-Active Coaching.
Also, this month, I took a little time to catch up on reading. I discovered, or I should say, my retired librarian spouse discovered, a new author, Gary Paulsen, whose books I have enjoyed reading. They include Hatchet, a coming-of-age story, Lawn Boy, a funny story about an accidental entrepreneur at age 12, and Eastern Sun-Winter Moon, an autobiographic reflection on growing up during World War II.
Greenlights,by Mathew McConaughey, has been a deeper dive for me. In this memoir, he shares his life lessons through his poetic writing style which comes through in the reading of his book on Audible.
Later in the month, my curiosity was peaked when I met with a culture consultant. He helps companies and organizations manage through change. He said that the pandemic has brought home the importance of corporate culture as we face a return to the office and a desire to have the flexibility that working from anywhere has to offer.
I was thrilled last week to learn that a former colleague who had managed our Kathmandu, Nepal office had accepted a position at Co.labs, a business accelerator in Saskatchewan, Canada. During the reference process, I learned about their Startup Company Showcase of the 19 startup companies in it. They have an innovative process that moves the company from ideation through advanced mentoring with stages along the way. In addition, they are working on a unique program to attract entrepreneurs to the province.
On the WA business front, we added two new subscribers to our limited-edition SmartLeads Subscription service. Both were returning subscribers which made us feel good about our work and grateful to able to continue doing it. The Talent Recruitment Tool (TRT) continues to move forward. TRT links layoff data, company profiles, and individual LinkedIn and Facebook profiles.
On a personal note, this was my first full month with a personal trainer. It has been a great experience that I highly recommend. It is fascinating to experience the difference regular exercise is making in my quality of my life. However, the body does wear out over time, so I met with an orthopedic surgeon to discuss a possible knee replacement (ugh!) at some point in the future. The surgeon with whom I met uses a robotic assistant to help him create a precise fit for the new knee. I was quite impressed with his knowledge, the process, and his preparation for our meeting as he had reviewed my entire surgical history in detail.
Lastly, my good friend and his spouse stopped by Holland in their sailboat, Paya Breeze, and spent a few days doing what you do when you own a boat – maintenance and repair(M&R). In between M&R, we re-provisioned their boat, sampled local cuisine, and caught up on their sailing and retirement plans.
And that brings us to today. As we finish out the month, I’m looking forward to continued adventures in August.