I invite you to listen today and see what Lee is all about. I know you’ll like him as much as I do.

One more thing: The Undy Run is a run that Lee does every year to help raise money for colon Cancer. I’m running it and if you’re a runner or walker and you’d like to participate, go here for registration!

The post The Small Magic Podcast Episode 10- Interview with Lee Silverstein appeared first on Lisa Demmi.

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

The post The Small Magic Podcast Episode 9- Interview with Jessica Muroff appeared first on Lisa Demmi.

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!

The post The Small Magic Podcast Episode 8- Interview with Valerie Ellis Lavin appeared first on Lisa Demmi.

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.

The post The Small Magic Podcast- Episode 7- Interview with Jodi Pelletier appeared first on Lisa Demmi.

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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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.

The post Small Magic and Halloween appeared first on Lisa Demmi.

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:

1. Have you ever stayed in a relationship longer than it was healthy?
2. Have you ever stayed at a job that you knew was it suited for you any longer?
3. 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?

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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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