Leadership Tidbits With Coach Tee Wilson

This week's Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features special guest, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Tiffany Channer.As a highly accomplished woman in STEM, you can imagine that her resume is extensive, you would be right! Here are some of the major highlights you should know about the powerful Tiffany Channer.Tiffany Channer currently serves as the Technical Supervisor for OneBlood, Inc. at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida. She honed her skill and knowledge of blood banking at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, where she completed her 9-year tenure as Blood Bank Educational Lead Medical Technologist III/ Safety Officer. During her undergraduate studies, she was a STEP/CSTEP mentor where she educated students of neighboring urban areas of Medical Laboratory Science.  Soon after graduation Ms. Channer was granted a life altering opportunity of being an American Society for Clinical Pathology / President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief initiative consultant in Swaziland, Africa. After her experience there she pursued a Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy and Management and a graduate certification in Global Health. In 2011, Channer was awarded with the Medical Laboratory Scientist of the year Award for the Transfusion Medicine Department at the prestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She has taught rotating Clinical Laboratory Science students and Doctoral Fellows theory and technical aspects of transfusion medicine. Tiffany also recruits for the Clinical Laboratory Science profession as a whole. As the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Chair-Elect for the Council of Laboratory Professionals, Patient Champion Advisory Board Member, and Career Ambassador she educates, informs, and inspires students, seasoned scientists, and individuals within the STEM field about ASCP and its importance to the field. Channer lives by a Nelson Mandela quote. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Her love of education permeates through her acts of service and she hopes to inspire and encourage future scientists to enter a field that is unfamiliar to many. While Ms. Channer was on the show, she took us through her often fast paced lifestyle of what it is like to work in transfusion medicine as well as simply working in the business of saving lives. She shared with us that life is so much bigger than working on the bench. She explained that can be used as a metaphor for a lot of things, but from the medical lab perspective she stated, “there's more to what we do than working on the bench, take time to know your team and for them to know you. As good leaders, it's very important for us to be accessible.” Overall here are some more leadership tidbits from Ms. Channer: Having a mentor is essential to your life and your progress, you need to have that person who is a champion for you, who's rooting for you, and who's exposing you to things that you didn't even know was possible. Lastly, nothing changes without policy and that's not limited to the lab, this applies to the context of the world.

This week's Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features powerful leader, Cedrick LaFleur. Cedrick LaFleur is a motivational and empowering Senior Executive with more than 30 years of success across the healthcare sales, leadership, and sports industries. Cedrick is the Founder and Chief Executive at LaFleur Leadership Institute, where he has created a successful company that delivers workshops, seminars, keynote speeches, and coaching for organizations focused on leadership development. He is an Executive Director with John Maxwell Team, where he was able to travel with John Maxwell to to Costa Rica to help lead a leadership transformation for the Costa Rican government. In addition, Cedrick is a Dave Ramsey certified Master Financial Coach, where he provides financial literacy training to individuals and organizations across the U.S. As if he couldn’t do any more, Mr. LaFleur, is also the Chairman of the Executive Leadership Circle and serves as Founding Partner and President of Lake Charles Education Collaboration, Inc., a 501c3 Education Based Think Tank where their focus is to help low performing failing schools improve academic outcomes. Cedrick wasted absolutely no time before he dropped tons of tidbits for the listening audience. He began with explaining that there are  two things in life that he believes people have control over which is their time and money. He explained further...  “If you control your time then you will control 50% of what happens to you. If you're more effective in the use of your 24 hours you're going to be more successful.” Cedrick went on to tell the listeners what it means to visualize success and what helped him learn that lesson. He explained that he learned a lot from author Napoleon Hill in his book “Think and Grow Rich.” Cedrick applied the knowledge he obtained from this book and put it this way, “If you never visualize a million dollars in your bank account, then you will never see it in reality. This doesn't have to just be for money but could be for any goal that you want to achieve. You have to go to a place in the future.”Overall, some extremely useful leadership tips to take away from Cedrick LaFleur: Immediately add the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill to your collection to learn more about how to control your time and control your finances, you have to be laser focused, it is important to have a vision, and remember when you have an opportunity to ask people questions especially those executive leaders remember the what, why, how, and who. Be sure you tune in to the podcast to hear more of Cedrick LaFleur’s thoughts. You don’t want to miss it!!

This week's Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features special guest, Senator Eddie Melton. Eddie Melton was elected as State Senator for Indiana’s 3rd District on November 8, 2016. In addition to serving in the Indiana General Assembly, Melton serves as the manager of Corporate Citizen and Community Relations for Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO). Prior to joining NIPSCO, Melton worked as a grant officer for the Legacy Foundation, Lake County’s community foundation in Northwest Indiana. Melton has served as chairman of the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males, served on the State Board of Education,national board member for the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE), and represented the First Congressional District of Indiana. In addition, Melton has been recognized as a national leader in the area of youth mentoring. Since 2005, he has been instrumental in establishing and training mentoring organizations around the country. In 2015, Melton worked with President Barack Obama's Administration in implementing "My Brother's Keeper," the initiative designed to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color. Besides working with a former president, Melton has been recognized with multiple awards and accolades, such as; Top “20 Under 40” young professionals in Northwest Indiana by The NWI Times Media Company (2010), South Shore Leadership Award winner (2012), and Freshman Legislator of the Year by the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities. Melton was recently elected by lawmakers from around the country to serve on the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and received a B.S. of Organizational Management from Calumet College of St. Joseph.In many recent episodes the guests have all mentioned the importance of a mentor. Senator Melton did as well, but he also offered a new piece of advice to the listening audience. He stated, “I always tell folks, pay attention to what you do, what you say, because you never know who was watching. You don't know who you're mentoring from a distance.” For those of you who are interested in getting into politics but are struggling to figure out how to get involved, Senator Melton had some advice for you as well. “I would encourage them just to be in tune with what the people in their community, city, and state really want and need and listen. Being a good public servant is someone that's able to listen to the issues from a broad diverse viewpoint and represent an wide array of individuals. You have to be able to bring those issues to the table and work with other stakeholders whether it is grass root organizers, educators, state leaders, local leaders, etc to formulate solutions.” Overall, here are some leadership tidbits to remember from the game changer that is Senator Melton: Always be willing to ask questions of yourself and of others, be open to growth especially if you're going to run or be in the political landscape, as a leader you have to be able to accept criticism and have tough skin, have the heart to serve, make sure you study and research the issues and concerns that are happening in your community so that you are better informed and can be better engaged, and make sure you vote!Listen to the full episode to hear more of Senator Eddie Melton’s thoughts!!

This week's Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features L. Kobie Wilkerson a.k.a L. Kobie Da Wiz. He is an award-winning author, poet, speaker, presenter, storyteller, edutainer, master teacher, and powerful transformer of schools and organizations. Kobie works with schools and organizations where it is his goal to see them systematically operate at their best, so they can effectively impact those they serve. Mr. Wilkerson has a B.A. in Education and a B.S. in Sociology from Kentucky State University. He obtained his Masters in Education Administration from Kansas State University. Kobie is a graduate of the Les Brown speaker training program and was also selected as a South Carolina Educational Policy Fellow, a program of the Institute for Educational Leadership out of Washington, D.C. Kobie has taught in Topeka, Kansas and Cincinnati, Ohio (where he was born and raised). During his time in Cincinnati he founded Camp Gye Nyame, a summer camp that focuses on reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. He has presented in South Africa, and most recently participated in a Kenyan delegation put together by Utengo, whose goal is strengthening impoverished Christian churches and schools so that they become places of healing and restoration for Kenyan youth. Currently Kobie serves as chief consultant of the Love II Learn Educational Group and Love II Learn Music where they work to empower teachers to engage students to transform our world through literacy and music. He is also President of Love II Learn Books and CEO/President of the newly founded Love II Learn Foundation. Kobie has a passion for relationships and personal development, and a sincere desire to see all who he comes in contact with become their very best.Kobie came on the show more than ready to share not only advice on how to be successful, but also what shaped him into the teacher and leader he is today. Some advice that Kobie told us that he gives the kids he advises is this, “I tell them that who you are at this present moment is not who you're going to be in a future moment, which is why trusting yourself is so important because you do what you know is best at that time, at that moment. So I tell them you know what you know until you know something else.” Kobie reminds us as well that as we push and strive for more out of life, we can only really control two things: effort and energy. For those of you who have been searching for strategies for thinking outside the box and reinventing yourself, Kobie gave you this piece of advice, “If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got. Whatever you want is going to cost you something, you have to decide whether you're willing to pay for it. Be willing to do more to get what you're going after, if you don't have a bull's-eye you don't have a target, trust the process, find some mentors or coaches and don't be afraid to pay to be connected to those mentors and coaches, and be willing to learn and not just try."

This week's Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features Dr. Christine Handy. During this show Dr. Handy shares with us the importance of preparation as a leader, and how she prepares for what’s next. Here are some important facts to know about her. Dr. Christine Handy has held a mentoring role for more than 30 years as a teacher, track coach, and high school principal while also being an entrepreneur and author. Dr. Handy's life mission is to enhance the lives of others via education, counseling, and coaching. She loves the Lord and is an active member of the Church of the Redeemer in Clarksburg, Maryland where she serves as an usher. Dr. Christine started in the field of education as a special education teacher and has served as a high school principal for the past 19 years. She has been recognized as the 2006 state of Maryland's secondary schools principal of the year and was the 2014 recipient of the prestigious Dr. Edward Shirley award for excellence in school leadership as a respected leader in education. She is currently the president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Dr. Handy is an international speaker and trainer. She has trained school leaders in Beijing, China and across the USA. She is a trainer, coach, and speaker with the John Maxwell team, specializing in presentations on leadership matters and leading teams through the leadership game. Dr. Handy is also a proud entrepreneur and author. For the past six years she has been involved with Send Out Cards, a technology-based company that uses a mobile platform to help individuals to create financial freedom. She loves helping others to become wealth warriors. Dr. Handy supports businesses with relationship marketing, helping them to increase repeat and referral business by sending greeting cards and gifts in the mail creating mailbox happiness. For Dr. Christine, this is a “Gratitude Ministry.” Dr. Christine was selected to serve on the Eagles Nest among the top earners with the company and her current rank is Senior Manager. She is also a leader with Melaleuca, an online wellness shopping club. Once again, on a mission to help others to become wealth warriors by simply switching stores and sharing. Additionally, Dr. Christine Handy is an Amazon Best Selling Author of the book, Dear Fear Volume II. Co-Authoring with 17 others, she shares her life experience from her early college days and titled it, “Dear Fear, You Can’t Have My Slingshot!” As we dove into the interview, Dr. Handy was more than eager to share with us her passion for teaching and helping others reach their full potential. She shared with us that one of the keys to being a successful leader and coach is that you have to be a visionary. You have to be able to try and envision what’s next and prepare your students for that. Some advice Dr. Handy gave for those struggling to balance career and maintain home life harmony is to schedule everything into your calendar. This includes your personal time. Dr. Handy recommends that you schedule off personal time just as you do your professional business endeavors. She mentioned that if she could talk to her younger self, she’d make sure that  once she started coaching track, she wouldn’t have stopped running track. Reminding us once again that it’s all about finding that balance in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle in both work and with yourself. Some of the leadership tidbit takeaways Dr. Handy wanted to leave you with; “Whatever you do, you have to make a commitment. You have to have that commitment mindset. Think big, take bold action, and make an impact in whatever you do. Always remember that in order to get what you want out of life you have to help others to get what they want.”You may connect with Christine via the following:  Facebook: www.facebook.com/christinethecardladyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/christine_the_card_lady

This week's Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features the woman who wears many hats, the lovely Mardia Shands.Mardia graced the show willing to dive into the different ins and outs of many of the workforces she’s been a part of thus far. Before we get to her leadership tidbits, here’s some information you should know about Mardia Shands. Mardia earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Cincinnati and a Master's degree in Labor and Employment Relations also from the University of Cincinnati. She currently holds the Senior Professional and Human Resources designation from the Human Resources Certification Institute and the Senior Certified Professional Certificate from the Society of Human Resources Management. Ms. Shands is the Executive Director for Partners for Competitive Workforce. The Partners for Competitive Workforce is a regional collaborative that leads the efforts to grow the skills of the workforce and create a talent pipeline to meet employers' needs for labor. Ms. Shands has more than 20 years of human resources and workforce development experience across multiple industries including manufacturing, health care, construction, and IT. Her career has spanned from multinational global corporations to small not-for-profits across North America and Africa. She has been recognized by the Cincinnati Business Courier as a 40 under 40 business leader and the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati as a Rising Star. Ms. Shands is the immediate past chair of the Workforce Investment Board of Butler, Warren, and Clermont counties where she was recognized as a regional expert on solving workforce development issues. She also serves on the board of directors for the YWCA of Dayton and Lifespan. As Ms. Shands began to share with us how she’s gone from field to field, she reminds all young leaders out there to “slow ya roll.” She states, “...young people and those moving through their career who are goal oriented, slow down. It's not going anywhere, it's going to be here, and give yourself time. What's for you is for you, so just slow your roll, you’ll be alright.”Overall, here are some leadership tidbits to take away from Mardia Shands: This work is hard, find what you need to get through, be flexible and adaptable, know where you stand, and find a good coach and/or mentor.

This week's Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features the highly distinguished and accomplished Dr Karen Bankston. Dr. Bankston came on air more than prepared to drop some knowledge on what it takes to become a thriving and strong leader.Before we dive into a few of her leadership tidbits, here’s a few things you need to know about her. Dr. Karen Bankston is a fellow of the American College of Health Executives and national leader in the promotion of diversity and inclusion in educational and health care settings to reduce health disparities and inequalities. Capitalizing on her skills and experience, Dr. Bankston provides national organizations with support for change management, performance improvement and leadership as the President/CEO of KDB and Associates Consulting Services, LLC. She is an adjunct professor in the doctoral program at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing and serves on the Executive Committee of the UC Black Faculty Association. A highly favored speaker, Dr. Bankston has been actively involved in numerous boards, including the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Legal Aid Society and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Agenda 360, as a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee. In regards to her educational history, Dr. Bankston received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Kent State University, her Master’s Degree of Science in Nursing/ Psych-Mental Health Nursing from Kent State University, and her Doctorate of Philosophy from The University of Cincinnati. These are just some of the many facts and accolades of Dr. Karen Bankston. Through this interview, Dr. Bankston shares with us how she was able to create her seat at the table as an African-American female leader, while advising upcoming leaders, “When you get your seat at the table, it is important to not only be at the table, but to make sure your presence is known.” Growing up during the civil rights era, Bankston found herself more often than not, to be the “only” in the room. She was often the only woman or the only African-American. Because of this, she recognizes that for young black leaders specifically, it is difficult to remain authentic as you step into numerous rooms where you are expected to code switch and overcompensate. To remain authentic, she shared, “know what you value, and value what you know.” She explained that during the earlier parts of her journey, she spent her time getting to know herself and what she stood for in order to retain her authenticity as her journey continued.Overall, here are some leadership tidbits to take away from Dr. Karen Bankston: To be an effective leader Bankston advises those interested in leadership to accept and know oneself, stay focused, reflect often, remember you need others to help you, and always believe in yourself as you move forward.Check out the full podcast to hear more of Dr Bankston's thoughts!!

This week's Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features Tiffani Wills, a powerful leadership authority who has enormous strengths in motivational speaking, building exceptional leaders, and empowering others to perform at their highest levels. Through this interview, Tiffani shares with us how she transformed herself to become a dandelion and how we can become one too. Before we begin the transformation process, here is some of the information you need to know about the beautiful spirit that is Tiffani Wills. Tiffani holds a Bachelor of Arts in organizational communications from Wright State University, a Master of Education in Monastery Education from Xavier University, as well as an MBA from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. Tiffani is a mother, an instructional leader, a graduate of the BRIGHT New leaders for Ohio program, a former NCAA Division I women's soccer standout, a three-year captain, and a US Olympic Festival team alternate prior to her work as an instructional leader. Tiffani was the youngest individual and only female in company history to be charged with leading the adhesive division responsible for meeting the needs of four fortune 100 companies. In addition, she was also charged with creating and implementing the company's first supplier diversity initiative. Tiffani has taught first, second, and third grade students at a title one neighborhood Montessori School and the Cincinnati public school district, and currently holds a valid Ohio K-12 Professional Administrators license, a Professional K-3 teaching license w/TESOL endorsement, and an American Montessori Society Elementary I credential. She is an active member of the Cincinnati Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, as well as an active member of her church. I cannot fail to mention her business Rustic Urban Life, whose aim is to remind us to amplify gratitude, to preserve the simplicity of things that work, and to focus on bringing people back to the essentials of being, while acknowledging the demands of dynamic and fast-paced environments. Through this interview Tiffani Wills educated us on what it means to become a dandelion by stating, “In essence I learned how to be a dandelion, and that's something that's near and dear to me. You may ask... Why do I say dandelion? It is because dandelions they just don't go away, and I would not go away I kept coming back and learning more.” She also explained that the dandelion pops up in lawns whether you want them or not. They're among the most familiar plants with unmistakable characteristics that everyone knows. An important takeaway from this lesson of becoming a dandelion in life and in your individual fields is this statement from Tiffani when she noted, “Every part of the dandelion is useful so I've used that for myself. And making myself indispensable, making myself familiar with other things and building on those to make it so that that I would have to be indispensable and moving forward.” Overall, here are some leadership tidbits to take away from Tiffani Wills: Know your why, building relationships is priceless, be a lifelong learner, the importance of self-care, form relationships outside of your comfort zone, and remember the importance of getting back to the basics.Check out the full podcast to hear more of Tiffani Will’s thoughts!!To connect with Tiffani visit:Booking Inquiry:  [email protected]:  www.rusticurbanlife.comInstagram: rustic_urbanlife