NimbleNelson's Blog

If it’s inevitable, make it immediate.

nimblenelson — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:02:17 +0000

Wise words from my husband. Can you believe he heard it on ESPN? (Where else do men get their information?) You know that dreaded feeling where bad things are coming and you know it, but can’t move forward? It’s really not about what bad things happen to you, but more about how you deal with them. And, if you know something bad is coming, why not get it over with?

Pulling a band-aid instead of slowly removing it. Gulping cough syrup instead of sipping it. It all makes sense. The common, everyday items that we must face seem easy. It’s the dreaded stuff that takes more time to deal. It’s more difficult to pull the plug on things like employees, relationships or things you care about. But, in the wise words of my husband (and ESPN), if it is inevitable, make it immediate. Take action and make it be so.

The Nine Reality Rules:

(John Alston and Lloyd Thaxton)

1.Wise up, stuff happens
2.To win you have to begin
3.Knowledge is power
4.Be prepared
5.Working hard at what doesn’t work doesn’t work
6.To change your life, change your mind
7.Gratitude is the most powerful attitude
8.Feedback…the breakfast of champions
9.The power to choose is within

It’s a frickenhousen good time…

nimblenelson — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:29:55 +0000

Whew. Just returned from a business trip where we visited 3 countries within 6 days. We landed in Belgium and took a car to Frickenhousen, Germany. Yep, you heard me correctly. It’s a fricken good time in Frickenhousen. The quaint village is a winery and has fields of private vineyards. Not the best wine, but while we were there they had a wine festival and the entire village came out to listen to music, dance and celebrate good wine.

Frickenhousen winery church built in 1699

The wonderful bed and breakfast in Frickenhousen Germany

Next, we were off to Genk, Belgium, where we met with our EMEA partners. The meetings were long, but the end of the day brought a surprise with a wonderful italian restaurant where we had some of the best italian I have experienced. Next, our journey took us to Barcelona, Spain to complete site previews for an upcoming conference. To say we were exhausted at this point is an understatement. We visited two hotels, the Olympic grounds and toured the city with a driver.

View from our hotel in Barcelona Spain

All in all, it wasn’t your average business trip. Good wine, nice dinners and Olympic stadiums are not typically on the agenda for my business trips. Missed my husband and Jackson, but if you have to travel, this is the way to go. It was a frickenhousen good time…

Every stage gets better…and more dangerous

nimblenelson — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:01:46 +0000

This week, our little Jackson started crawling. Yep, it’s official. He is on the move. And, when they get on the move, they really don’t want to slow down. My husband had to sit me down for a little chat. He explained that I needed to “Man up”. His words, not mine. Basically, I had learn how to not be a complete wimp when our son fell and bumped his head, scraped his knee or broke something. He reminded me that afterall, our son takes after me in a lot of ways. (I have broken so many things on this old body that I can’t name each injury!).

So, Ken was right. I picked Jackson up from school yesterday and he had fallen and had a nice goose egg on his head. He didn’t seem to mind so much and was completely over it by the time I arrived. It’s the first of many his teacher explained and I should get used to it. Basically, she just told me to “man up”. So, we’ll see what the next chapter brings in hopes that at some point, I can hug and love on my baby boy and save the “man up” stuff for his dad….

The dance continues…

nimblenelson — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:14:53 +0000

So, what is it with Jackson that he can read when his dad is out of town? Sick. Again. But, the interesting thing is that the kid is not sick when dad is here. Only when dad leaves town. So, what should we learn from this?

To say that we are completely in love with the little one would be an understatement. I have no idea how parents let go. I thought I would grow up to be one cool, laid back mom. A mom that let her kids cry so they could learn. A mom that didn’t mind a little dirt. A mom that would be OK with her child wearing his bathing suit to school. A mom that was OK with a little dog drool on the face. Well, to say I grew up to be exactly as I thought is a big fat lie. I am a complete worrier. A complete overthinker when it comes to being a parent. Did he eat enough, why is he throwing up, should his face be that color, should his feet be that way, does that look normal?

In any case, we are having fun loving the little man. I can’t imagine anything better. Well, he could start by not getting sick every time his dad leaves town, but I will take whatever I can get.

Jackson 5 months

Part of the Not-So-Secret Society

nimblenelson — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:30:53 +0000

On November 23, 2009 my husband and I welcomed a new baby to the Nelson family. Weighing 7 lbs, 5 oz, and 19 1/5 inches, Master Jackson Lowe Nelson joined our world at approximately 11:36 AM. The little guy is perfect and the last two months have been quite a roller coaster. Never in my life did I think we would spend so much time analyzing poop, sleep schedules, bottles, formula, what each cry means, etc. Such a tiny person has rocked our world so completely.

I am in love. But, I will admit that it wasn’t instant.

(It’s difficult when the little guy is constantly screaming at you) But, I am in complete amazement of everything now. I miss him when I am not with him, but love to see the changes when I see him again. Today was his first day at daycare and to say that I have thought about him at least a million times is an understatement. Will the other kids like him or make fun of him? Will he give them that piercing scream that could turn them away? Sometimes he does omit an awful smell that might earn him a nickname.

Ok, so now I guess I am part of the not-so-secret organization of parents who have known this love for quite some time. I promise to keep his poop schedules to myself and to not speak in babytalk…other than that, all bets are off.

Kids and the Recession (No More Field Trips!!!)

nimblenelson — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:10:42 +0000

This weekend our son, Bret, came home and said that the recession had officially hit his school. Why he knows about the recession is actually my doing. Any question dealing with money, buying a new cell phone, a new baseball bat, or just going out to eat was met with the same answer: “I’m sorry, it’s the recession, try eating a turkey sandwich or taping your SIMS card to the cell phone.”

The fact that the budget cuts at school were causing him concern was interesting for me. He really wasn’t concerned about the cuts to purchasing or the fact that some teachers might be laid off. His biggest priority was the fact that his field trips were cut from the budget this year. (Imagine the horror!). Instead of going to the Georgia Aquarium, they were going to draw their favorite sea animal and tell a story about it. It doesn’t really give them the same experience, so I wonder “why has the digital age not caught up with his school or teacher?”

Digital field trips have been used by teachers all over the world to give kids real experiences. Kids that have never experienced the beach, snow, or traveled abroad can do it in an instant. Distance learning is nothing more than a video or web cam, internet service, and a lesson plan.

Many education destinations are setting up digital field trips that give students a taste of history, without the price of the trip. By a quick google search of electronic field trips, Colonial Williamsburg is all over the place. With a You Tube video, advertisements on history curriculum pages, and a site dedicated to electronic field trips, they are prepared for classrooms of any size, at any time. Check it out.

Our son may not be as excited to visit the aquarium digitally, but it is a better lesson than Bret thinking the movie Jaws is the ideal depiction of sharks.

The New Language of Social Media…

nimblenelson — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:17:56 +0000

Twitter, Ning, Facebook – whew, if you didn’t know better, you would think I was speaking a different language. How is a normal person supposed to navigate all of the different technology, and most important, know what is actually needed.

Maybe I am old school, but sometimes I wonder if people really care what I have to say. Is any one person that interesting? It really doesn’t matter, because that is the way life is moving. Journals and diaries are now blogs and tweets.

I was looking for ways to understand the entire world of social media when a friend became a fan of Dell’s Social Media for Small Business.(Ok, I saw it on facebook). It says it is for small business, but I think anyone can benefit from it…

It is actually really easy to read and helps you navigate the social media world, as told by Dell. I happen to be a MAC user and am not exactly looking for Dell pieces and parts, but the series they have created for small business social media is quite interesting and relevant. And, for teachers who are being told to get in the digital age and teach kids the way they want to learn, this is a perfect introduction.

It is broken into 10 parts and each has a small tutorial and article download of about 3-4 pages. They tell you everything from what is RSS to measuring your success. It is a facebook community, so you’ll have to join to check it out. Search for Dell Social Media for Small Business.

(Just think, once you join Facebook, you are already part of this social media movement…) Learn the language, then teach me a little. Enjoy.

Going back just deletes progress…Look Ahead Instead.

nimblenelson — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:22:29 +0000

When people ask me where I am from, I tend to pause and determine how much information to provide. During my childhood, my family moved every two to three years. My dad was not in the military, nor was he in the witness protection program (although I changed the story depending on the circumstances). He was a corporate guy working for a global company.

When you move to a new city, it takes a while to get the hang of things. You have to meet new friends, get acquainted to new schools and understand the community. Sometimes, you have to learn new languages. (In my case, I had to lose my Louisiana accent to fit in with the “new” crowd). But, once you get the hang of it, you’ve got it. And, you can never go back to where you just left.

As an adult, I forgot this… Until yesterday. I had lunch with old friends I used to work with. Not much has changed – they still deal with the same people, same schedule, same issues, same same same. The only thing that had changed yesterday – was me. It was apparent to everyone there. I miss the “friends”…But, I quickly realized our common bond was surrounded by our work. By changing my “work”, the commonalities among us were different.

So sometimes, change is good. But whether change is good or bad, once it happens, life is different.

Going back just deletes the progress you have made. So, I was reminded again to only look ahead.

Planning ahead instead of looking back.

Getting the hang of things…

nimblenelson — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:32:54 +0000

So, I am on week 6 of the new game, and I could really get used to this…I am happy to report that my brain is still working and I am actually making a little bit of money. I can’t go out and purchase new cars or anything, but I can afford groceries (that is no small challenge). I am learning how to run a business and am working on a few new projects. I am looking at getting some type of software to help manage the books and deductions for taxes. Any suggestions?

Working from home is great and I can get things done at a quick pace…It’s easy when you know a little work is

Waiting to go for a walk.

the only thing holding you back from taking the dogs for a walk or watching Oprah.

Currently, I am working on re-branding a company and their product messaging. It is actually quite fun because we are taking sound equipment and making it relevant for students. I am also working on positioning for a device management company. (Sounds pretty boring, right? Wait until you hear the new positioning)…It’s all about going green. Stay tuned.

Changing Games (and diapers)

nimblenelson — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:35:39 +0000

Just when you cope with the rules, the game will change. Today I am in Chicago, Illionois where my brother, sister-in-law and two nephews live. My job for the next two days is to take care of Jack (5 years old) and Sam (7 months). Keep in mind that at this point in my life, I have a husband (self-sufficient) two stepchildren (2 days a week) and three dogs (require food & yard). (Are you wondering if my brother and sister-in-law are crazy for leaving kids alone with me?) This week, I will be caregiver and now, I have contracts with two new clients that are willing to pay me, but expect me to produce something and quick… So, just as I was complaining about no job, peace, and too much quiet…my game changed.

Today’s game is juggling. Baby Sam is sick (evidently there is a bug going around) and Chicago is a balmy -4 degrees. (You would think my brother and sister-in-law would have mentioned this before my trip?) And, my two new clients both want marketing plans and new messaging for the FETC event next week. I will keep you posted on my progress, but if you have any magic potions for saving time, taking care of kids, and weathering a snow storm, let me know.