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

Where in the World is Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer?

Hey Gang,

I guess I am missing! I am very worried about me...

Snacks On a Plane

Hey Gang,

For those of you following my podcast, you know I am on a non-stop adventure to finally meet my Tony! (For those of you not following my podcast, follow my podcast.) In my pursuit of this opportunity I have had to travel in some creative ways.  I recently rode on a plane. ( I also visited the TSA people in their office for a long time.)

A lot of things have changed  since my last airplane trip in the late 90's.  Now instead of dressing for the plane ride, people wear sweat pants and open-toed flip flops...How comfy!  Eating on a plane has also changed.  I remember getting a light meal and a can of soda while on board. This time, I was just handed a small glass of soda, no can and a bag of crackers.  As disappointed as I was, I realized that the airlines are now letting passengers bring in their own refreshments on the plane.

A lot of people on my flight seemed to go for the fast food that they over paid for in the terminal.  The smell of greasy food in a giant tube stuffed with people really make the senses come alive!  A few people brought in homemade food.  Fortunately, the smell was just as pungent as the recently purchased food.  The real aroma, however, came 45 minutes after take-off when those passengers got gassy from the high altitude. Economy flying is fun!

I don't want to give any spoiler alerts about the rest of my pursuit of the great Anthony Robbins, but follow my podcast and see my other means of transportation.

Hope everyone is having a great summer. Stay awake, kids!

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

Desperately Seeking Tony Part 3

Hey Gang,

The saga continues...I am getting closer!

Gaining Vacation Time

Hey Gang,

I have a big vacation that I am planning.  I can't let you in on all of the details, but let's just say it involves going to a big city in pursuit of the most handsome lifestyle guru out there. (Hint, it's not Oprah.) I have a lot of preparing to do for my big trip, so I thought I would share my travel tips with my readers!

Packing Your Suitcase

• It is important to remember to take as much as you possibly can with you.  The rule of thumb... bring 2 1/2 outfits for every day that you are away.  You never know when you will need to change from your spring yellow blazer into your winter yellow blazer. Pack all your blazers! Even if your going to the beach...It is ALWAYS blazer season.

•  Another travel misconception out there is to roll up your clothes before putting them in your suitcase.  I think that technique couldn't be wronger.  Yes, you may save space by packing that way, but is that how you want your clothes to experience travel? Remember this vacation is for  everyone.  Throw your clothes in your bag the way you would want to be thrown in a bag...with gusto and unabashed joy!  Let your garments free from the confounds of luggage conformity.

• A lot of people will pack ahead of time.  I don't.  Too much preparing will only add to the anxiety of travel.  Gather your travel belongings the morning of your departure, it adds to the excitement of the journey!

Eating On The Go

• Unlike clothing, taking extra food with you isn't necessary.  Most places that you are going to have food.  The airport is full of over-priced food, as well as hotels.  Many hotels have food right in your room.  They charged you up to 10 times the  regular amount, but hey...what are vacations for?

• Don't stray for your usual palette.  In the last decade or so, a term called "foodees" has been used a lot.  It describes people who like to try new and different types of food. Not on my vacation!  I have eaten a 7-11 granola bar and a red Gator-Aid every morning for the last 20 years. That type of routine isn't going to be stopped just because I am on vacation.

Taking Pictures

•  We live in a society of social media. We take pictures of ourselves and our food constantly.  Why not go on vacation from picture taking too?  If you are someplace special, why do a mundane task of capturing the moment...that is for "everyday" life, not your "getaway" time.

I hope these travel tips help. If you are taking a sabbatical this summer, remember to stay safe and stay awake, kids!

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

The Writer's Block Blog

Hey Gang,

I have been writing this blog for a year and a half.  If it were a baby, it would be walking by now.  If it were a kitty, it would be fully functional and plotting against its enemies by now. If it were a panther chameleon, it would have gone through puberty, laid eggs, saw its offspring and died of old age by now.  I have had this blog for awhile is what I am trying to say.

It isn't always easy to come up with new and exciting topics week after week.  Some weeks, I am inspired by world events, personal challenges or even interesting observations that come into my mind.  This week I have nothing.

I am sure the news is chock full of fodder, but there are times when I become Cathy Gainer Stick My Head In The Sand Trainer.  There is only so much I can read without becoming overwrought with anxiety and fear for the future, it's at that point I transform into Cathy Gainer Can't Get Out Of The Fetal Position Trainer.  No one really wants her to write a blog.  It usually just consists of tears on a computer screen and the words, "When will it end?" written over and over.

This week has also been full of personal challenges. Not the fun, 'I have gone through the storm and came out on the other side' challenges.  They have been more like the 'When will it end?' challenges that turn me into Cathy Gainer Full Of Regret Trainer.

That leaves me right where I am, on the computer with nothing to write about.  I try to think WWTRANOD? (What Would Tony Robbins and Oprah Do?)  In my mind's eye, I see them pulling up from their funk, sitting at the computer and finally writing a weekly blog.  In reality, I wonder if one of Tony or Oprah's assistants would just write the blog while the gurus sat in a dark Gremlin binge eating cracker sticks and cheese dip in a packet. (Those snacks are delicious. Oprah probably has a fancy cheese like brie in her packet. )

Well gang, I hate to disappoint but this week's blog is going to be preempted by a case of writer's block and a very small block of gooey fake cheese.

Stay Awake Kids,

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

Leave Tony Alone!!!

Hey Gang,

It's been a dark week.  You may have heard that my Tony got in some trouble. Here is my heartfelt response!

What's The Color of Your Uber?

Hey Gang,

 I have tried to explain to the people selling food that someday I will rival Tony Robbins and have a multi-billion dollar speaking career with an estate in Fiji, but they don't seem to care.  They just say, "That's great, but you need to pay for that Slim Jim today."  So, I decided to emulate a free spirited entrepreneur or an unemployed stand-up comedian and become an Uber driver.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Uber, it's like a taxi where the driver uses their own car.  Since I am a driver with my own car it seemed like a perfect fit.  I hit a few snags at first.  Apparently, Uber has "rules" to be affiliated with them.  An Uber driver needs a car with 4 doors and it has to have been built in 2007 or later.  I have neither.  I did't let that stop me, though.  I reached down into the depths of my soul and thought, WWTRITD, What Would Tony Robbins Incredible Teeth Do?

His teeth told me to become my own Uber, to be the taxi driver that I always knew I could be (but never really thought about until recently.)  I have decided to start my own transportation system called Gruber, it's a Gremlin based ride share program.  You don't need a fancy smart phone either to catch a ride in a Gruber.   I will provide you with my pager number.  If you need a ride you page me, wait near a phone line, I will call you back, ask you for directions, have you wait on the phone until I fold and unfold my map and then come get you.  One ride in just 5 easy steps!

First contact is just the beginning of the Gruber experience.  Once I arrive you will be treated to first class door to door service.  I will carry your bags to my hatchback, protect your head while you squeeze into the back of the car and present you with complementary beverages of tap water and soda crackers.  Once my business takes off, I will be able to provide those elusive Slim Jims.

Once we arrive at you destination, I will retrieve your bags, help you out of the car and announce your arrival by cupping my hands and yelling out to the world that you are here. (I can also make the announcement in a fancy British accent but that would cost extra.)

I can't wait to see you on the open road!

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

My Own Gizmo

Hey Gang,

I have mentioned before that I am a Life Coach that lives in my 1968 Gremlin in the Walmart parking lot.  Now some of you may say, "Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer, I am a car enthusiast and the Gremlin didn't come out until 1970."  Which is true.  My Gremlin was the beta test car of all the Gremlins.  It was given to my Grandpa Gainer back before they had crash test dummies.  AMC (the Gremlin's manufacturer) would just call my Grandfather every evening and if he was still around to answer the phone, they assumed the Gremlin passed the safety test.

I like that my home/transportation was handed down from generation to generation.  After my Grandfather survived being an owner of this beauty, he handed it down to my father, who politely declined the offer.  Later, when I asked my father for some rent money, he told me to just live in the Gremlin and here I am in now!

The Gremlin is a pleasure to drive and to live in.  I named her Gizmo after the 1977 movie, Gizmo.  My favorite part of the car is the hatch-back, or as I like to call it, my lanai.  It keeps things cool on the humid Fl nights and it is also acts as my security system. (Shoppers walk by, look in and see my shrine to Tony Robbins and keep walking.)

Today is a big day for Gizmo, I am putting some indoor/outdoor carpet in her lanai.  I once tried to put shag carpet in her, but the candles from my Tony Robbins shrine kept starting fires.

Take Care,

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

6 Reasons Why Articles Objectify Subjective Subjects.

Hey Gang,

I often read articles from informational websites that tell me that the things I enjoy are bad.  For years I thought that  my favorite movies were entertaining and appealing to me.  Well, it turns out that I was wrong.  The authors of these blog posts offer their opinion to create lists and rankings to make rules on what is normally subjective.  It's fun!

All of the articles that list top the 10 best/worst of almost any forms of entertainment tell me that I have terrible tastes in songs/movies/tv shows and books.  It's all very interesting.  I have found that being over 30 and a woman is a disadvantage to knowing what is good and what is bad in the world of entertainment.

Let's take superhero movies.  I never read comic books as a kid.  I thought DC was a city that the president lived in and that Marvel was something I did when I watched Tony Robbins. That isn't the case.  These superhero movies have been the backbone to the box office for the last decade.  What makes a good movie are stories about people with super-human strength or who are some sort of mutant.  Any other story line will definitely make it on the "worst" list.

The same goes for music.  All of music that I listened to as a young person and enjoyed because of the memories they created are all garbage songs.  I guess good music didn't exist until the dawn of the millennium. 

Thanks internet!  You always teach me new things.

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

Listen To What You're Hearing.

Hey Gang,

As you know, Tony Robbins is my spirit animal.  I have wanted to motivate the masses like that gravel-voiced Adonis since I first saw him on Oprah.(Oprah is my spirit human.)  He can light up the room with his powerful words and gleaming teeth.  He's like a televangelist with rock hard abs that doesn't need to offer eternal salvation.

In my never-ending quest to motivate myself to become more motivating, I will often do research. I find wisdom through books, articles and memes. (That little boy who shakes his fist is quite a thinker.)  I recently read that motivation  isn't about what you say, it is about what people hear.  This passage was like a light bulb moment for me. (I would say aha moment, but I don't want another cease and desist letter from my spirit human.)  If it's about what people are hearing rather than what you are saying, that only means one thing...Google Translator!

I will offer my words of wisdom and advice and then put them into Google Translator.  I will put in phrases like, "You Be You", "Keep On Keeping On" and "Keep on Being You!"  (They are the staples of my motivational speeches.)   I can't wait to see what they are translated into and what people hear from those translations.  It will be like an electronic game of mad libs!  If this works out, maybe I can finally get that island in Fiji near Tony's island. (I can't buy the one right next to him, my latest restraining order prohibits it.)

Until next time!

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

Tony! Tony! Tony!

Hey Gang,

As life-long fan of Tony Robbins, I wasn't surprised to hear that he has his own awards show.  It was broadcast last Sunday and people have been posting about it since.  It was a fancy event filled with talent , music and celebrities. It was simply called the "Tony Awards."

Tony Robbins has always been my inspiration and the reason I decided to be a corporate trainer/life coach/motivational arouser. I realize that I don't have his well chiselled body that make those black shirts hang off of him like a work of art, or a set of perfectly white teeth that light up the room when he smiles, or even his fees of thousands of dollars that help to extra inspire people.  I do, though, have one thing that he has...his words.  I say his words verbatim. I have memorized  most of the stuff he has written in his books or during his appearances on Oprah.  (Where are the Oprah Awards, by the way?  It's time to step up, America.)

Thanks to someone not signing out of the Netflix account on a public library computer, I was able to see Tony's latest special.  Oh my was I impressed! Not only was he charismatic and handsome, he was also dangerously dispensing psychological advise that he was clearly not qualified to give.  It was kind like watching people at a church, if the church had charged thousands of dollars and the preacher berated them in front of the congregation.  Netflix, you were worth that low monthly fee a stranger paid for.

Well kids, go out there today and find your motivation . Maybe you will find it from me, or from Tony, or from me talking about Tony.  Go find your happiness.  And remember what Tony always says...."That's great!!!" (That was actually Tony the Tiger.  As per some on-going legal battles, I am not allowed put any of Tony Robbins direct quotes in my blogs and I have to stay at least a thousand feet from his property.)

Thanks Gang,

Cathy Gainer, Corporate Trainer