As much as it pains me to admit it, every single time I reach for a bag of potato chips (which I love), or a piece of chocolate, or a ding dong cookie, an image of that annoying Joyce Cherrier and her perfect abs pops into my head. That doesn’t mean I don’t buy the chips, eat the chocolate and hide the cookies from my kids. Au contraire. It does, however, mean that my friendship with Joyce and her admirably devoted to fitness and nutrition self makes me stop and think about the consequences of eating yet another piece of crap. And, as much as it pains me to say, never mind write, it probably does make me eat less. And, loathe as I am to admit it, I even subscribe to and actually read her doggone healthy blog, which makes me at least FEEL more buff, even if I’m not.

Joyce makes me better.

And when I’m writing a blog post, whenever I feel like mailing it in, I stop and think of my friend, Erika Napoletano, the infamous Head Redhead at Redheadwriting. She’s a magician with words and crafts them in a way that always inspires me. Whatever there is to say, whomever it is saying it, Erika can and does do it so very eloquently. And I’m not just talking about her say anything persona. It’s about so much more than that. She’s an incredible writer, knows more about writing for maximum SEO than I can ever hope to, is an amazingly adept researcher and has a way of wrangling the written word that’s better than just about anything I’ve seen. I’m in awe. She also taught me to pay myself first. And it’s a mantra that I repeat to myself, and anyone else who will listen, on a daily basis. That means regularly remembering to do things for yourself – like write a blog post, or optimize your site for search, or anything else that impacts your business or your life – every single day. Before you take care of everyone else. Because if you don’t’ take care of yourself, who else is going to do it?

Erika makes me better.

And when I’m thinking about who I want to be when I grow up, if I ever grow up, I think of Liz Strauss. She’s so dead on smart that it almost takes my breath away. She forces me to ask tough questions and never just be satisfied with the quick and easy answer. Liz dives deep into the middle of just about everything and doesn’t ever settle until she’s found the answer she’s looking for. The one that makes sense. And when I’m with her or talking on the phone with her or just thinking about her, I find myself wanting to be sure and think things all the way through. The way that Liz would. I love the way she pulls people together and supports them, whether it’s through her blog, SOBCon, her SOB awards and directory and a myriad of other things. And she pushes them (even when they don’t think they want to be pushed) and pulls more out of them than they thought they had to give. She manages to magically create a feeling of community out of even the most mundane experiences, before anyone even realizes what’s happening. She’s a teacher, a mentor, a strategist, a connector, a facilitator, a brilliant thought leader and all of those terrific qualities are wrapped up in just about the nicest person ever. With whipped cream and a cherry on top.

Liz makes me better.

That’s me. There are more. But this is my start. What about you? Who makes you better? Won’t you tell me who they are and why? I’d love to know who inspires you. Then I’ll stalk them my own self!

Who Makes YOU Better? is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

“What” you say? “Whatever do you mean?” Well, I’ll tell you. That #hagilicious hag of a woman took it upon herself to send me one of her favorite torture products, the P90X.

Do you have any idea what that is??? Here, let me show you.

Note the title: P90X Extreme Home Fitness System

Seriously. I’m at the gym lifting 10-pound dumbbells and this crazy broad sends me P90X. This is what I’m talking about, folks. Clearly, she is ill intentioned. To further illustrate my point, check out this lingo, lifted directly from the PX90 Extreme Home Fitness System Instruction Manual:

“If you’re unsure whether or not you are in good enough condition to take on this extreme fitness program (I am not, let me assure you), see the minimum suggested requirements in the Fit Test section of this guidebook. If you are unable to perform the minimum required reps for most of the exercises {or find the need to call the paramedics within minutes of popping in the first video} (funny, very funny) P90X might not be for you.”

So, I’m going on the record here. I’ve apparently done something to piss @JoyceCherrier off, because she has, without question taken the first step in an obvious murder attempt. I write this blog post to protect my family in the event she is ultimately successful and to warn others about her. Just as I first suspected, anyone who has abs like that, clearly, can NOT be trusted. Be careful. Be very, very careful.

P.S. And if you’re even remotely interested in fitness, great nutrition or living a life of wellness, I highly recommend you read and subscribe to @JoyceCherrier’s blog – she’s amazing and knows her stuff.

Pssst – That @JoyceCherrier is Trying to Kill Me! is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency