Since she has been out of the Disney circle, the media has been beating Miley up over any possible instance where she wasn’t perfect. And we all know, nobody’s perfect.

She was not only cute, funny and full of energy in her Hannah Montana days, but if you noticed, extremely talented.   She had to audition for the part several times before she finally earned the starring role in the most profitable Disney show there has ever been. She glowed with a charismatic personality seldom seen at such a young age.  Mother’s, daughter’s, yes and even dad’s and son’s watched her and the great cast make us laugh, and hopefully learn a life lesson along the way.

She was 14 when she embarked on her first tour.  The concerts were wildly successful, as she sang and danced with the skill and professionalism of a well seasoned entertainer.

She grew up before our eyes.  Like most young ladies, Miley began to breakout, changing tastes in clothes, priorities and music.
I brought my then 6 year old daughter Sofia to see her favorite star on Miley’s next tour. She loved it, as did my wife and I. Then it began. How dare she wear short shorts and act as if she were growing up? The press had found a new target.

During the next 2 years, she was vilified at every opportunity by the media.  Photos of Miley and another girl sharing a twizzler, smoking from a bong at a party, pole dancing for a moment on an awards show, a photo shoot with her dad that was somewhat provocative…you get the picture.  Bit by bit, each one of these incidence reported by the media took a bite out of the “good girl” perception of Miley.

Her albums and movies continued to sell well.  She is one of the biggest earners for her age ever.  Miley has been reported in Forbes magazine to be the 4th highest money maker under 30 years of age this past year.  All this while losing a portion of her fan base due to the barrage of stories and negativity in the press.

Now to the point of the story:  How many of you know about GetUrGoodOn?  An organization where Miley and Youth Services of America team up to support positive community impact by the young people in your local town.  She is their spokesperson and very active in the organization.

How about her service in Haiti?  Miley took two trips to Haiti supporting the Starkey Hearing Foundation.  They educate the world about hearing issues and give the gift of hearing to those who can’t afford it or would otherwise never have the opportunity to hear.

Miley Cyrus with President Clinton at the Starkey Gala in July 2011.

In December, Miley took part in the CNN Heroes event, a multi-platform campaign that shines a spotlight on individuals who go to extraordinary lengths to serve others. She is active in regard to animal rights and takes part in many other charitable organizations.

I have not seen any of these events and activities reported by main stream media. I’m sure it will be widely reported when Miley gets a new tattoo.

Read more: http://www.justjaredjr.com/2011/12/12/miley-cyrus-cnn-heroes-with-liam-hemsworth/#ixzz1n2aUkTtH

I don’t know about you, but Miley is actually a heck of a role model.  As parents, it’s up to us to discern what is right and wrong, with the technological ability to learn as much about a person or subject before we make a rash decisions.

I’m proud my daughter loves Miley and follows her life and career. We should never let the media skew what we can learn to be the truth. Keep it up Miley, you’ve got fans who see the big picture, not what is portrayed by the media machine.

International Speaker Karen Purves joins Executive Coach and Keynote Speaker Carmen Carrozza to share her thoughts on communication, success strategies and strengths.

In tough times, effective communication is essential for gaining a competitive edge. As a communications expert, Karen shares immediately usable communication tips from prospecting to closing, from email to phone and in person, internally with staff or externally for customer service, sales or marketing.

Dr. Richard London is author of forthcoming books “Doctorate of Business Life” Creating Success and Wealth with No Limits and “Great Language- Great Life”, Communicate to Wealth, Words that Create Miracles in your Life

His Doctorate of Business Life Program, which he created and refined over his career, provides business people with the skills and mindset to create greater business results for individuals, teams and organizations as a whole, even in the most challenging business environment.

To learn more about Dr. London — visit his site at www.doctorateofbusinesslife.com.

To learn more about how to build your business plan and better realize your goals – Call Executive Coach Carmen Carrozza today at 888.616.COACH (2622)!

Executive Coach and Keynote Speaker Carmen Carrozza gets to the heart of how all the Facebook and social media changes have affected entrepreneurs as well as smart business strategies for success with expert Jennifer Shaheen from TechnologyTherapy.com. 

Jennifer Shaheen, The Technology Therapist®, is an expert at helping business owners harness today’s technology to effectively grow their businesses in the digital marketplace. As a monthly columnist for Entreprenuer.com, and with over 14 years of top-level experience, she has empowered businesses of all shapes and sizes to integrate effective digital strategies that boost sales, enhance staff productivity, expand customer base and increase market share. Her most recent accomplishment is the launch of her new line of books called Technology Therapy TO GO.

Larry Winget is a five-time New York Times/Wall Street Journal bestselling author. He is a member of the International Speaker Hall Of Fame. He has starred in his own television series and appeared in national television commercials. Larry is a regular contributor on many news shows on the topics of money, personal success and business.  Learn more about Larry by visiting him online at www.larrywinget.com.

Her motto;  If ever there was a time to STANDOUT from the crowd — it’s NOW.

Because “BUSINESS AS USUAL” IS OVER…For more than 1,000 organizations and two million people worldwide, Connie Podesta has been delivering the innovative strategies and results-provoking mindsets that have helped people go from “business as usual” to exponential growth, groundbreaking transformation and through-the-roof revenues.

Learn more about Connie by visiting her online at www.conniepodesta.com. 

by Executive Coach and Keynote Speaker Carmen Carrozza

Do you know how many businesses opened their doors in the U.S. in 2009?  Over 552,000.  That is a great amount of Americans who have taken the ultimate chance, putting the life of their family and a good portion of capital on the line.

Now for the bad news.  More than 660,000 businesses closed their doors in that same year. Another statistical fact is that over 50% of businesses don’t make it to celebrate their 5th anniversary.What is the reason for this degree of failure?

Here are the main reasons in order:

1. Lack of Experience

2. Insufficient Capital

3. Poor location

4. Poor inventory management

5. Over-investment in fixed assets

6. Poor credit arrangements

7. Personal use of business funds

8. Unexpected growth

9. Competition

10. Low sales

Yes, there is a common thread that could lead to any of these.  A bad business plan or a lack of one altogether. There are businesses that succeed without a solid business plan, but those are far and few between.  Are you willing to put it all on the line and “Hope for the best?”  That, my friends is crazy.

Whether new or existing, every business in this complex global, digital and economic environment needs to be on top of their game.  Without forward critical thinking, any business is at risk.

Post any questions or comments you have about business plans and I will be glad to respond to all of them as we travel this road.

by Executive Coach and Keynote Speaker Carmen Carrozza

If you are in the market for a new job or career, I’m sure you already know that it is fiercely competitive out there.  There are well over 15 million people out of work, millions more working part time or in positions that pay far less than they had previously earned.  On top of that, nearly 1 million college graduates enter the job market annually, never mind those who have chosen work over college. Right now, there are about 5 applicants for every job available.  when we look at professional positions, the number of applicants for a particular position can run into the hundreds.  What are your chances?

I’ll be giving weekly tips that  will help you gain employment sooner than later.  This week’s tip is:

Be sure to tactfully manage your social networking sites. As a career coach, I see good people lose opportunities every day due to the fact that businesses today Google youto gather as much background information as they can. Photos, comments and connections you make can give the wrong impression of you to a potential employer.

There are the obvious postings that can do you in; vacation, party and family fun photos for instance.  They should be reviewed to make sure there are not photos that show too much, or would throw up red flags. Also, anything available that you write can be reviewed.  Using inappropriate jargon or rudeness, along with more traditional reviews of grammar and spelling could speak to credibility.  So if you are serious about getting to that next level of employment, be aware of the background search realities:  It is not just about drugs, arrests and past experience anymore.

If you truly want to be considered for that next step in the hiring process,  be sure to “clean up” your online social life  to be viewed as a seriously viable candidate.

If you want to learn how you can best succeed in today’s competitive market, call me at 888.616.COACH (2622)!

by Executive Coach and Keynote Speaker Carmen Carrozza

It was early one morning in mid-November of last year when I first felt it.  An amazing pain shooting from my lower back down into the front of the thigh to my knee on the right side.  Immediately I thought I severely pulled a muscle.  When I was pained to my knees in the local grocery store about 10 days later, it was time to call my doctor.  during her exam, she noticed there was no reaction to the old hammer to my right knee.  I was told to get an MRI ASAP, which I did.  Two days later the pictures on the PC didn’t lie:  A herniated disc at the 4th and 5th lumbar.

I spent the next few weeks in extreme pain, working with my marvelous physical therapist, Jennifer.  Unfortunately, the pain worsened.  I could barely take a few steps at a time, hanging on to anything I could to gain some support.  It was like a sword being placed through my lower back to my right knee ALL the time.  Prescription drugs barely gave any solace from the constant agony.

In mid February, I visited my surgeon and her words as she watched me woefully hop into her office were, “It’s time for surgery.”   Back surgery?  As much as I feared and avoided it, I would have lied down on the bench and had her slice me right then and there.

As I awoke from anesthesia, the relief was palpable.  For those of who don’t know, a herniated disc is a when the disc between your back bones basically explodes open, with the contents lodging against the nerve root.  The operative procedure removes the disc material and cleans up the area, allowing the nerve to heal and work normally again.

I have been lucky so far.  My surgeons’ work is done, and my physical therapy is becoming more aggressive.  I can walk normally and hope to minimize any pain discomfort with core exercises and learning how to manipulate my body without causing too much pressure to my lower back.

As a business and life coach, I take this experience as an opportunity to not only form a more enlightened understanding of pain management, but how to live with it and still continue to thrive and grow.  Pain does not always mean physical pain.  There can be underlying issues like self-doubt, past failures, and general insecurity to move forward.  My job as a coach is to work with those who have regained the courage to move past these negative devices and move in direction driven by desire and new born motivation.

There is no richer feeling for me than to know I participated in raising the spirit of a company or individual to the point where they take positive action and look forward with confidence.  That’s why I do this.  Need help?  Contact me today at 888.616.COACH (2622)!