Thank You Series: The Honorable Mentions

Coming up with the top three stories for my Thank You Series was such a great experience. Taking the time to reflect on people and situations throughout my life that have impacted me for growth and progress really was a worthwhile exercise. Because there were so many excellent examples to choose from, I'm posting the honorable mention list for your viewing pleasure:

Dick Case - World Class Hiring Manager

Huge Thanks to the late Richard W. Case, founder of USA Baseball and International Baseball Federation official, for showing me how run a world class interview process. Back in 1994, I interviewed and did not get a role with USA Baseball as PR Manager. My experience with Dick Case has still been unmatched as it related to a hiring process. He communicated with me weekly during the 11 week process, alerting me to changes and updates every time. Ultimately, he did not hire me but in the final call, he let me know what a pleasure it was to meet me, gave me real and actionable feedback (told me to get some media interactions and gave me specific ways to do so) and let me know that I could use him as a reference or let him know if there was anything he could do for me in the future. Needless to say, I did take him up on the offer and we stayed in touch until his death in 2003. Class act and without question a huge influence on me as a hiring manager!

Rose Glenn and Emma Lewis - Pinch Hitting Aunts

Big ups to my uncle's wife and my dad's sister for impacting me greatly in the early years. After my mother passed away at such a young age and left two very young daughters to my father, there were two aunts that stepped up in a big way to help. Each in her own way, my Aunt Rose and my Aunt Emma supplemented in a larger way than anyone else in the early years following my mom's death. Be it "Back-to-School" shopping in the city or summer break refuge at Camp Auntie - both my dear aunts were lifesavers in their own way. Both are passed on now - one my senior year in high school and the other just this past month.

Susan Reiter - Daughterless Mom - great friend and encourager

On the same note of "mom figures," I'd be remiss not to shout-out to Susan - a co-worker turned great friend who was actually born the same year my mom was born. We have been great for one another as she lost her daughter a few years before we met. Practical in nature, Susan has be a great ear and shoulder since 2004.

Mike Kleis - Open handed manager

Steve Davidson - Soul nurturing friend - male

Kathy DeWitt - Soul nurturing friend - female

Phil Dillard - It doesn't matter how you met friend

I had to put a stop to the list because I've been blessed with amazing people in my life over the last 41 years. My Thank You Series will be an annual event because every person I've mentioned deserves their own post.

It is good to stop and reflect on people who influence you. Take time to remember those who have contributed to your growth and progress often!

Thank You Series: The Political Push - Part Three

My political mentor, Paula Yensen with Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White and Rep Jack Franks

As a lifelong, outspoken political junkie, it may surprise many that I'd never imagined myself in public office.

It was never a goal or ambition. I spent many years behind the scenes helping other folks get elected and I liked it that way. From the early nineties when I finished college, you could have found me helping the late John Stroger in my ward on his first Cook County Board Presidential race or helping former Milwaukee Mayor John Nordquist retain his office. I took a hiatus from my activism to get married and start my family but was re-awakened during Senator Obama's race to the White House in 2008. That's when I met the recipient of my final big thank you post - McHenry County Board Member Paula Yensen.

Paula and I connected first because of our political ideologies. She was in a race to serve on the McHenry County Board and a tight race it was. We got to know one another through a series of Democratic Party events and by the time the fall of 2008 rolled around, she asked me "walk my neighborhood" with her. No issue. We walked it together for several hours and had lots of fun meeting voters and listening to their concerns. Toward the end of that walk, she asked me something no one before her ever asked.

"Denise, would you consider running for public office?" she innocently asked between door knocks.

It was not something I'd EVER considered. Ever.

But once she put it out there, it never left my mind. I thought about it. Prayed about it. Consulted with my family about it. And while I did not have to make the decision on the spot - it is a moment seared in my mind for its significance.

For the question she posed instantly changed my view of myself from active participant in the political process to possible leader in the political process. The rest of the story is documented many times here in this blog and other places.

I ran and won. Twice.

And while I have no idea what my goals or political aspirations are long term - I am forever grateful to Paula Yensen for challenging me to do something I'd never considered before. I am grateful to her for the time and effort she put forth in mentoring me as a candidate. She helped me make a small piece of history in my village if not our entire county.


Her political push to me that evening forever changed my view of myself and my ability to serve.

Thank You, Paula!

It was super hard to narrow down all the folks I'm grateful to for this series so I'll have an honorable mentions post next week. Tune in to see the runner ups to the three I've honored over the last three weeks.

Thank You Series: Awakening True Womanly Confidence - Part One

The next three weeks, I'll be giving a shout out to three individuals who have impacted my life in tremendous ways with seemingly minor comments and/or actions toward me that changed my life from the moment they delivered them.

This week, I salute Paul Johnson, the man who in the summer of 1997 awoke my true womanly confidence by approaching me and declaring what he knew to be true about me.

Now, this is not your ordinary flirting pick-up line scenario.

Paul had observed me in action as I juggled two dates in one night while playing co-host to an awesome summer party in Atlanta.  I did not know he was observing but he was. And he noticed a few things about me that I'd not quite noticed about myself at the time.

My smile is magnetic. Lights up a room and hearts of many with little effort. I am very generous with my smile - always have been. Paul simply asked me to share my smile with him up close. He wanted to know the source of my joy and he knew it was not either of the dates I'd attended to that night, nor was it my job at the time.

We spoke for I-don't-know-how-many-minutes that night on that porch in Atlanta but what I do know is when we stopped speaking - I was changed. He finished our talk with telling me what a beautiful and confident woman I was and how any man is blessed to have time with me.

Until that point, no one had ever called me beautiful based on spending time with me. There were the hecklers who wanted to bed me down who commented on my "physical beauty" and "sexiness" but never before Paul had anyone taken time to appreciate the richness that is me. My full personality.

Of course, I ended up dating him for a short time before we both left Atlanta that fall - he for LA and I for Chicago. But nothing compares to that initial meeting on the porch where he awakened a solid confidence in me that has never slept again. That led directly to my next thank you which goes out to a billionaire who gave me a different kind of gift that propelled me in my career.

Tune in next week for Part Two!

In the meantime - who do you need to thank? Reflect on people/situations that have changed the course of your life. Write about them. Leave me a comment. Open up and recognize goodness in your past.