purple46, Author at Lisa Demmi

The Small Magic Podcast Episode 9- Interview with Jessica Muroff

purple46 — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:57:40 +0000

Everyone has heard of the Girl Scouts. Did you know that they’ve been around since March 12, 1912? That makes the organization 105 years old. How does something that age still remain fresh and relevant? It’s the people. AND the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida has great people, specifically someone very special at the helm.

Jessica Muroff is the CEO and she hit the ground running. In our interview today, you’ll hear some of the new things Girl Scouts are doing and how Jessica and her team are putting their own spin and flavor on the West Central Florida Chapter.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Girl Scouts, click here. They are SO much more than cookies…but don’t worry, we do talk about cookies too!

For more information on Small Magic or to find out what I’m up to, just visit lisademmi.com or drop me a line at lisa@lisademmi.com

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The Small Magic Podcast Episode 8- Interview with Valerie Ellis Lavin

purple46 — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:43:33 +0000

Tampa is an entrepreneurial city and we are full of people creating new business ventures that impact not just them but also our community. One of those entrepreneurs is Valerie Ellis Lavin.

Valerie retired after 21 years in the Army as the U.S Central Command Commandant Headquarters First Sergeant. Her military background and her experience as an entrepreneur has given her a unique perspective on Veteran’s as professionals and as business owners. She is a dynamic leader who works tirelessly to ensure every Veteran (and Veteran Spouse) who wants to become a business owner can accomplish that mission.

Now, Valerie’s new mission is with Operation Startup, showing other former military and entrepreneurs the ropes when it comes to business.

Her motto: Serving those who served.

Valerie is a gift to Tampa and we are truly grateful for not only her service to our country but also her continued service to our community!

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The Small Magic Podcast- Episode 7- Interview with Jodi Pelletier

purple46 — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:39:41 +0000

Jodi Pelletier would say she is no one special. I disagree. Jodi is a teacher in the local Tampa Bay area and teaches second grade. I’d be willing to bet you that the eight learning challenged students whom she has taught would say she’s pretty special too.

Jodi is not a special needs teacher. She does not have an organization backing her other than the elementary school she teaches at. What Jodi does have is heart and love and respect for other humans. Jodi has given her time to these kids and likely always will.

She’s made a difference in their lives and they will be forever changed because of it. If I had a child in elementary school. I’d want Jodi to be his or her teacher.

She is what Small magic is all about. She didn’t like the way something was so she just took it upon herself to make things better.

Mission accomplished, Jodi. AND thank you for making a difference.

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The Small Magic of Thank You

purple46 — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 17:31:42 +0000

Recently, I was hanging out with one of my favorites, Krayl Funch. She’s an amazing person AND she’s an amazing home stylist! I know; I’ve seen her work.

We were talking about all kinds of things and then she said two words to me: “thank you.” She also said a bunch of other words but those two were the most important of the conversation. She went on to say that so often we forget to thank people and acknowledge them. She’s right and I’m totally guilty of that.

Now, how good do you think I felt when Krayl thanked me? I felt great! Here’s what’s really cool. You have the POWER to make someone feel great just by saying “thank you.” I know I always say this but this requires no preparation or special equipment. You don’t have to get ready to thank anyone- you just do it!

Here’s my challenge to you:
I want you to thank at least one person every day for the next week, seven days. You can thank someone who holds the door open, your best friend for checking in on you, your significant other for making you a nice dinner, and so on. Notice how it makes them feel. AND also, see how it makes YOU feel.

I bet you both feel amazing. So, thank YOU for reading this post!

Have a great day and be Magic!

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Small Magic and Halloween

purple46 — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 14:55:40 +0000

Yesterday was Halloween. That officially marks the start of the holiday season. Today, we’ll start seeing Christmas decorations go up and we’ll all have visions of yummy roasted turkey in our heads (well, except the vegans and vegetarians).

That’s ok. I decided this year I’d do the holidays on my own schedule.

This year has already flown by and I’d like to savor my favorite three months( you know, November, December and January- my birth month!)

I cherish this time of year. People are generally in better spirits and maybe, even a little nicer to each other. Ok, the exception is Black Friday when people are beating the crap out of each other to get a $45 74-inch flat screen at Walmart.

Think about it. We volunteer this time of year. We donate food, money, time. AND that’s all great! BUT, and it’s a big but, why now? Why not all year long? Don’t people need a little help at other times of the year? Isn’t kindness a gift you can give to anyone any day? I’m pretty sure I’d accept it anytime.

The way I see it? I’m WAY more fortunate than most people and if there’s something I can do to help someone, put a smile on their face or make things just a little bit easier, then why not do it?

Guess who wins? We all do.

So don’t save all your kindness for this time of the year. Do something every month, every day. AND it doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. It can be as small as saying “thank you,” holding a door open or smiling at someone.

Sometimes, that’s all people need. I promise you won’t be sorry.

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SMALL MAGIC is for Quitters

purple46 — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 01:36:04 +0000

I know, I know – most people don’t want to be thought of as a quitter. AND quitting has a really negative connotation.

I want you to look at it a bit differently. Ask yourself these questions:

Have you ever stayed in a relationship longer than it was healthy?
Have you ever stayed at a job that you knew was it suited for you any longer?
Have you ever tried to get a cat to listen to you?

OK, I think you can see where I’m going here. Sometimes, quitting just makes sense. For me, I can get so caught up in the “doing” that I forget to look at the big picture. When you’re so close to something, it’s hard to see that the effort and the time invested in it isn’t going to make it work.

I’m not a huge fan of the phrase “cut your losses” but it seems appropriate here. When I look back at all the times I just should have “quit” I can see that there was a lot of time and work put into something that wasn’t serving me anymore. Instead of quitting, I kept trying to make it happen.

via GIPHY

If I haven’t spent all that time on those things what could I have actually done that may have helped me grow, feed my development, or just plain made me happy. All this said, I’m not looking at those times I should’ve quit as a fail or loss but as a learning opportunity.

Delatorro McNeal always says “win or learn.” That’s something I said to myself every day.

So, what have we learned today?

Quitters are losers. Quitters are sexy (yes, I did just throw that one in.)

Be a quitter.

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Kindness

purple46 — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 11:07:29 +0000

The last month has been challenging to say the least. Between hurricanes, earthquakes, and shootings, there’s a lot more bad in our newsfeeds, on our TVs, and in our conversations.

I don’t know the answers. What I do know is that we should all make an extra effort to be kind to each other. God knows we could all use it; some more than others.

Being kind is easy, really requires no effort, and can make an enormous impact on the person on the other end of it. Don’t be so quick to judge a point a finger. No one wants to hear ” I told you so” or ” you’re wrong.” They want to hear ” how can I help,” ” I’m here for you,” and ” you’re not alone.”

Think about the last time you had a bad day and someone did something nice for you. How did it make you feel? At worst, it made you feel better. At best, it changed your whole day! Never happened? All the more reason for you to set the tone. Your kindness not only affects others but it sets the tone of your day as well.

Why not try it?

And one last thing, and this is important, don’t wait until you think someone needs it. Do it all the time.

There’s a saying I’ve seen a few times and today really resonates with me.

” kindness. It doesn’t cost a damn thing. Sprinkle that shit everywhere.”

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The Small Magic of Generosity

purple46 — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 11:06:18 +0000

My mom, Mama Sandra, has always been one of the most generous people I know, to a fault. She always taught all her kids to be giving and generous and not to make it all about us or to hoard our gifts from others. Sometimes, she did this to the degree that I thought was maybe not so good for her but I always understood it.

How did she show us? Let me give you a few examples.

Example #1
When we were growing up, our house was where all the kids ended up. Us, our friends, strays – my mom took them all in! She didn’t care who’s they were (eventually, they all became hers) or where they came from, as long as they were safe and cared for. And she was known for this by all of our friends.

Example #2
My parents owned an inspection company in the early 2000s. We rapidly grew to a team of 18 people. As you can imagine, my mom looked at all of them and their families as members of our family. When it was vacation time, we ALL went on vacation – together. My parents would rent out two complete buildings at the beach and everyone, their families included, would stay there for a week. You can imagine what a bond that forged between everyone.

Example #3
That same work family also exhibited something I’ll never forget to this day. Around 2009 or so, we all remember the housing market just tanked. Our business was built on that industry and we took a nosedive as well. There came a point when we couldn’t afford to pay people because we weren’t getting paid.

What happened?

Everyone stayed. They stayed out of love and loyalty to my parents. They had been so generous to the team that there was no way that anyone was going anywhere without my parents. That continued for several months until we finally had to shut the business down. They were all more concerned about what would happen to my parents than their own welfare. That says more about my parents than anything I can think of.

There are so many other examples that I just can’t list here. Suffice it to say that my parents, spearheaded by the enormous generosity of my mother, are beloved to so many.

That’s a legacy that’s worth living for and leaving behind.

And that’s truly SMALL MAGIC.

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Dame Un Besito

purple46 — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 11:05:09 +0000

For the longest time, when I was a kid, I thought my grandmother’s name was “Sito.” Every time she’d see me, she’d throw her arms wide open and say “Dame un besito!” I thought that meant come to Sito and for years I called her that. It actually means “give me a kiss!”

Grandma was always a little bit of a character but as she got older, she just didn’t care really. She had no filter and said what she wanted, did what she wanted and unapologetically, told a little lie here or there.

I remember being a little embarrassed as a kid, when she would just talk to people, pinch their cheeks, and tell them they were pretty. Now, I find myself trying to do that (minus the cheek pinching) in an effort to be more connected to people.

What did she know then that we didn’t?

Nothing I’m sure but that didn’t stop her from just dancing to her own beat every day. And she did! Grandma loved to dance and had this little jig she would do – mostly with the handsome boyfriends of my sisters. Yep, Grandma still head game in her 80s.

While she didn’t really worry about herself, she kept a hawkeye on all of her grandkids. I remember her senility starting to get worse and she’d go through a round of questions like clockwork every time she’d see us. She would ask all the significant others the same question: “who do you belong to?” That was her version of finding out who was with whom.

Grandma was not subtle about her opinions. If she thought something, she said it. She would always say: “Jesus doesn’t want me and the devil thinks I talk too much.” She was probably right and neither of them stood a chance against her.

She also had this not so subtle way of asking for things. She’d pick up a picture or stuffed animal or anything she fancied at the moment, and she hold and caress it and lovingly declare: “I would love this if it was mine.”

OK grandma – we got it.

We’d always have to pat her down and check her purse after every visit. Come to think of it, we had to check her purse pretty regularly to make sure there wasn’t a surplus of silverware taken from various restaurants or sugar and cream packets poached from the free coffee at the grocery store.

She was all about the here and now and she was ready to go every day. Not one day would pass where her hair and make up weren’t done. She always had her lipstick on because she wasn’t fully dressed without it.

And she lived by her own code. When my mom had me, she was exhausted. Well, my grandmother took over and fed me oats and beer for the next several days so that my mom could have a break. (That actually explains a lot.)

She danced when she wanted. She pretended not to hear you when she wanted and she said what was on her mind.

And even towards the end, we knew she loved us, even if she couldn’t always remember who we were or “who we belonged to.”

Jesus, I apologize because I know she’s talking your ears off. And I just know she’s throwing her arms open to everyone she sees and saying “Dame un besito.”

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Transcend the Bullshit

purple46 — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 11:03:49 +0000

I have a shirt with that phrase on it and it couldn’t be more appropriate for what has transpired in my world in the last week.

But let’s back up and talk a little bit about said bullshit, yes?

I LOVE, I mean LOVE, when my friends do well and succeed. It’s a win for me when they do because I like and care about them AND selfishly, I want to surround myself with people who do well.

But that’s not so with all people.

Recently, it’s come to my attention that some of my hard earned gains are not seen that same way but perhaps, as threats or competition.

Well, that hurts me.

My mother , yes Mama Sandra, always taught her kids to care and be happy for others’ successes and I grew up thinking that’s the way everyone acted.

Not so.

Perhaps, I’m naive in thinking that way BUT I like that my mind set is pretty positive ( ok, there was that one time when someone got the good parking spot from me.)

Like I said, this hurt me and it weighed heavy on my mind for a few days. After just getting it off my chest with my wife and one of my best friends, I let it go. Like poof, no more energy spent on it. And more importantly, I went back to focusing on the good things, th and goals I want to achieve and the life I’m creating.

AND, guess what?

I’ve been more productive this week than ever, I received a couple really good messages regarding things I’ve been working on, my business is starting to take off from both and engagement and exposure standpoint AND I go an offer from a really cool startup that “I can’t refuse!”

Once I let go of those negative feelings and redirected to the positive, my week exploded!

Yes, I am one of those people who believe in energy and the power of attraction. BUT, I’m also one of those people who likes proof.

This week I got it BIG TIME!

Listen, be open, do NOT wallow in the negative- it just doesn’t serve you at all. Think about what you want to appear in your life and then take action over and over and over again.

This is what I call SMALL MAGIC and the formula is:
(awareness + action) x habit

Do it. Take just one thing and use this formula and you’ll get it. I’m proof.

So, go out and transcend the bullshit and be magical!

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