Move Over Pumpkin Spice Girls

Hey Gang,

It's the time of year that some people really look forward to... pumpkin spice mania has begun!.  The craze is starting now and will continue until eggnog season takes over. There is nothing like drinking a warm cinnamon and nutmeg beverage in the August heat!

As an unemployed coffee enthusiast, I often feel left out of Pumpkin-Spice-Palooza. (Which by the way, is the mildest of all the paloozas.)  Most the flavored lattes are sold at expensive coffee chains and are served by real-life burritos who write your name on a cup.  (Why they never started that tradition at Taco-Bell is a mystery to me.)

I have tried making my own pumpkin spice coffee, but the stem hits me in the nose when I take a sip. It got me to thinking though, why are pumpkins the most celebrated of the gourds?  I say we give another member of the Cucurbitcea family some time in the spotlight.  Why not combine the popularity of morning refreshments with the nutrients of squash?

Just think of all the fun combinations that Starbucks can have- A zucchini macchiato could be called a Macchaini or a yellow squash coffee could be deemed a Sunshine Squafee. How about a delicious acorn latte, or a Acorlatte as it would be called? Who needs hazelnut as a sweetener anymore when you can put butternut squash creamer in your coffee?

As in life, the possibilities are endless.  Enjoy your early celebration of fall in the relentless humidity and as always...Stay Awake Kids!

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

The Stairway to Success

Hey Gang,

My latest podcast follows me on a nifty job interview!

Goals With No Net

Hey Gang,

I don't know if you know, but my journey to stalk and meet Tony Robbins has been complete! For those of you who didn't know, the finale of my big journey is documented in the following video: https://youtu.be/5LjErxqIAGk

Now that I am back home, safe and sound in my Gremlin that I live in at the Walmart parking lot, I wanted to take some time to reflect on this crazy adventure!  Some may think, 'Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer, you traveled for miles and sacrificed so much just to get to the same stadium that Tony was in, but you only met his staff that he hired to keep people like you away from him.  What did you really gain?'

Great question!  I gained a lot.  I gained more debt, several travel blisters on various body parts and a few marks on my rap sheet for loitering in a public place. (Once I got to the venue Tony was at, I didn't leave...for weeks. I was hoping he would forget his watch or briefcase and would have to come back for it. He never did.)

The most important thing that I gained, though, was a completed goal.  I had told myself that I would someday be near the greatest motivational speaker of all times and I did it.  Should I have set my goal higher? Maybe.  Should I have planned on at least attending the seminar that I went to? Possibly.  Did I take a trip that cost me the rest of my money and dignity? Perhaps.  The bigger question really is: Did I promise myself that I would achieve a promise that I made to myself? YES I did!

I also learned something very important about goal setting, every goal doesn't have to be perfect. Goals are like basketball posts, some are high and shiny and have a painted-on square while others are shabby, crooked and have lost their netting...but each is still used to play a game. A game I have never understood. (I just confused myself with that sports analogy.)

My point is, keep trying!  Keep dreaming! Find your own hero to stalk and scour the country for.  In the end, it is something you can blog about!

Stay Awake Kids.

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

The Journey's End

Hey Gang,

It's all over. My quest to meet Tony is complete. It couldn't have turned out better. (Unless of course, I actually met him, but I got awfully close.)  Enjoy!

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer Rides the Rails!

Hey Gang,

My journey continues!  Join me as I (try to) take a train to see my Tony.  I will get there!

The Kitty Kitty Challenge

Hey Gang,

If you have been following my podcast (#ItsNotAPodcast) then you know that I am the journey of a lifetime to meet my one true Guru, Tony Robbins.  I did, though, want to take a little break and share something that I keep seeing during my travels.

There is a new video craze going around called the KiKi Challenge.  This trend has people jumping out of moving cars to dance to a Drake song and then jumping back in.  What could possibly go wrong?  Apparently a lot. Many people are injuring themselves by not successfully gauging the speed of the vehicle. (Quick ProTip, the best speed to exit a vehicle is when the car is parked and going zero miles per hour.)

I understand the need to follow trends, though.  I once had a mullet, high-waist jeans and leg warmers. (Awe... 2016 was a good year.)  I propose a newer, safer challenge, called the Kitty Kitty challenge.  It is where you find a cat, dance with it to the tune of "Who Let The Dogs Out" and then safely release the feline.  Make sure no harm is done to the kitty. (Other than the mildly annoying the cat, who was probably already annoyed anyway.)  You can post your videos in the comments section.

I am going back on my journey to meet Tony!  Keep watching and stay awake, Kids!

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer