On 20 July, I'm racing in Ironman USA in Lake Placid, NY, USA, as a participant in CEO Challenges. I'm racing in memory of my younger brother, Eric, who died five years ago this July. 

Watching Eric decline was devastating for me and my family. He was an intense person, a fitness fanatic and, along with my wife, my best friend. About a year after he died, I ran my first marathon with my older brother in New York City. We did it to vent our grief and to honor Eric's hometown. We think he would have loved it.

Through CEO Challenges, a partner of Ironman USA, I found a great way to honor Eric and also take on a big challenge- something I love because of my entrepreneurial DNA. The Ironman USA competition takes place about two weeks after the anniversary of Eric's death, so it seemed like a fitting tribute to a man who just couldn't keep going. It would also be a good way of putting my pain in perspective.

CEO Challenges was started by Ted Kennedy-not to be confused with the American politician Ted Kennedy-a former corporate marketer who worked for the Ironman Organization. CEO Challenges holds sporting events-triathlon, golf, cycling, marathon, fishing, sailing and tennis challenges-for CEOs around the world.

Training for this challenge, specifically the endurance training, has been a valuable lesson that I can apply to my own business. Sometimes you want to stop or slow down when the going gets tough, but experience shows that great rewards come to those who continue to push forward when others can't or won't.

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For more information on CEO Challenges, visit the Web site or contact Shawna Kennedy at +1.303.495.5343.

About a year ago, EO Philippines decided it was time to give back as an organization. We were well aware that most members do their own share of outreach programs within their own companies, but our chapter board decided it was time to do something together. Thus, the Philanthropy Committee was born. 

Our first project is called “The EO Village.” EO Philippines' goal is to build a village in one of the depressed areas of Manila that will consist of at least 40-50 homes for our less fortunate countrymen. Raising the funds has been easy, but we're quickly realizing that actually building these homes is more challenging than we had anticipated.

With Gawad Kalinga—the Philippines' version of Habitat for Humanity—as a partner, our goal is to encourage the residents to build the homes themselves. They will contribute their sweat equity, and that way we won't simply dole out the houses. They will learn to value their homes even more. 

EO members host a build every two to three months to encourage and motivate the residents. We go to the site to demolish homes and build new ones, and actually constructing these homes is no joke, especially when you're doing it for others. Chapter members and Forum groups are out there mixing cement, shoveling, carrying hallow blocks, bending steel, cementing walls and floors, and painting the houses.

EO members leave the construction site feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, but knowing that we've helped improve the lives of others is a powerful thing. We go home to our families and back to our own life and can't help but feel grateful.

We have now experienced the joy of turning over three new homes to three families, and we are just about to finish and turn over seven more within the next 60 days. For a little less than US$2,000 for the cost of each house, how can we go wrong? Why settle for 50 houses if we can build 100 or 1,000 and rightly call it The EO Village?

After all, we're not just building the physical houses; we're also building a better community for these people and a brighter future for all involved.

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If you would like more information about The EO Village, please contact Karla Campos.

When I talk about culture, people typically think I mean work culture, but that's not the case. When was the last time you thought about your own personal culture?

Let me define that: Your own personal culture is how you operate and interact in everyday life. It is the words you leave with people after they meet you. It is the choices you make each day and the way you purposely live.

I'm under the impression that if you know what culture you want to create for yourself, then you are empowered to choose what parts of our larger culture you will participate in and support. Equally, it empowers you to decide which aspects you will ignore or avoid.

My friend, Krista, helped me break down my personal culture into five words (see sidebar). Each of these words sums up what is critically important to me, what message I want to send to others and how I want to operate each day. It is a great measuring stick for my daily life and activities.

To define my own personal culture, here's what I did:

1. I took a piece of paper and found a quiet moment to define what was important to me in terms of what I like to do, what I value and what is meaningful in my life.
2. Second, I thought about what others would say about me if I asked them. How would they describe me? I wasn't completely sure, so I then asked five friends to list 10 words that described me.
3. Third, I looked at how I live each day. What things consumed my time? Work? TV? The gym? How I spend my day said a lot about what is important to me.
4. Fourth, I listed all of the words that came out of the first three steps. I sat down with someone I trusted and started to find the words that mattered most. Then, I narrowed my list down to five words that encompassed my culture and my approach. If my chosen words didn't exactly match what I was feeling that day but they did match my ideal approach, then that was good. It gave me something to strive for.
   

I was shocked to learn that more homeless people die from dehydration in hot months than perish in cold months because of cold weather. Any image you may have of the perils of people in rags huddling on top of a grate pales in comparison to the health hazards of being hot and thirsty without access to any water.

So why do I care? Because the homeless are my main cause across Canada. I am known as the “homeless person's best friend.”

Once I established my business, The Bargains Group, I decided to use my entrepreneurial skill to help the less fortunate, especially the homeless. Last year, I collaborated with another EO Toronto member, Robin Howlings (pictured at right, on the right-hand side), who is in the water filtration systems business. In honor of her late father, Robin's company donated 12 state-of-the-art Danamark Water Filtration systems to various homeless shelters in Toronto. Robin will also donate more systems this year, and this time to other major cities in Canada that have an emergency need for water systems.

In addition, bottled water companies are helping us provide water to needy social service agencies, including The Salvation Army, The Red Cross, Youth Unlimited and The Scott Mission. We've donated more than one million bottles in the past seven years.

Friends and EO members always ask me why I do this. As a mother and an entrepreneur, I am seriously concerned about my city, which is one of the reasons I have been so devoted to improving the quality of life for the homeless.

All of my projects were developed because the services to meet these basic requirements did not exist. When I see a need, especially in a vulnerable community, I set a goal to do something about it and don't stop until my mission is accomplished. That's what entrepreneurship is all about.

From my work with the homeless, I've learned to look beyond the obvious when dealing with a social problem. This can be applied to product distribution problems in general, or sourcing new bargains. I've learned to dig deeper to find a solution that I may have previously missed.

What I've done for the homeless isn't special or unique; rather, any entrepreneur or business is capable of doing the same. I like to think that the community is a part of us all, and that I should serve it just like I would any other customer.

I stopped at the Healthnetwork Foundation's booth at the 2008 EO Las Vegas University and tossed in my business card for a free executive physical. I thought nothing more about it until after the event, when I received word that I had won.

Had it not been for Healthnetwork's booth, I don't think I would have considered an executive physical as a priority. My health is not a concern unless something is wrong. I'm not the type to worry about something that doesn't seem to be broken.

Through the Healthnetwork Foundation, I was quickly linked to UCSF Medical Center, a Healthnetwork GOLD hospital, for my physical. I frequently travel to San Francisco, California, USA, so it made sense for the Healthnetwork Foundation to refer me to that facility.

I've had some good physicals in the past, but nothing as comprehensive as this. The fact that I could schedule all of these specialized tests with one phone call was such a relief, since-like most entrepreneurs-I focus on so many things other than my health.

The executive physical was well executed, and my liaison took care of everything. Other patients were waiting with paperwork while I breezed through. It truly felt like a VIP experience.

I now realize the importance of these preventive care visits, and I'm going to think of my health each year when I evaluate my yearly plan. EO and the Healthnetwork Foundation are providing us with a wonderful opportunity, and I'm definitely going to take advantage of it again. 

Afterall, as the CEO of my own business, don't I owe it to myself, my business and my family to take care of my most important asset- me? 

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Executive physicals are now available through the Healthnetwork Foundation. To schedule your appointment, call +1.866.968.2467 (US and Canada toll-free) or +1.440.893.0830 (international toll-free). You can also e-mail a Healthnetwork Foundation representative for help.

I can't believe it has almost been a year since Year One of the EO/MIT Entrepreneurial Masters Program (EMP) (formerly called Birthing of Giants)! I learned so much from that first year and am eager to share one of many fruits that came from my one-page strategic plan.

My “Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal” (BHAG)—a Verne Harnish term we fondly use in the program—is “to be the Southwest Airlines of the portable storage industry.”

When I used to say this goal out loud to my “Boxperts”—my employees—I said it as more of a rally cry. What I didn't realize was that it was my way of sharing my dream for Falcon Storage with the world. From EMP, I learned that when my Boxperts are on board with my BHAG, they can help make my dream come true in ways I never dreamed possible.

I recently lectured at the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at Austin. When someone in the audience asked where I envisioned Falcon Storage in 30 years, it was only logical to mention my BHAG. Afterward, one of the professors who heard me speak happened to know Herb Kelleher—one of the founders of Southwest Airlines—and recommended that we meet.

Herb and I had lunch this past Friday, and needless to say, it added some jet fuel to my BHAG! My meeting with Herb helped me understand what it means to be the Southwest Airlines of our industry. I gained so many nuggets of wisdom from him, and he helped me gain a laser-like focus on my BHAG.

I'm grateful to Verne Harnish for providing such a great framework, and I'm looking forward to attending EMP Year 2!

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For more information on EMP, one of EO's executive education programs, click here.

EO Global is pleased to announce that we have teamed up with FedEx to provide our US-based members discounts on shipping and business services. At this time, this agreement is for members in the United States only; however, this is a pilot program, and we are currently exploring roll-outs in other regions.

Participating members who enroll in the FedEx program will receive discounts of up to 29 percent on select FedEx Express® shipments, up to 20 percent on select FedEx Ground® shipments and up to 20 percent on select FedEx Kinko's® business services. At the end of every fiscal quarter, EO will add up member purchases by chapter, and each chapter will receive 50 percent of the revenue resulting from the partnership.

Members can call a FedEx representative at +1.800.475.6708 with questions about the program or enroll online by clicking here.

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A big shout-out to EO Detroit member R. Tyler Smith, who introduced us to FedEx! If you have connections to a potential EO partner or alliance on either a regional or global level, check out EO's Partnership Referral Program page on EOnetwork. You could win a free registration to an EO University of your choice!

The following announcements about upcoming regional and multi-chapter events are open to all EO members. Go beyond local and tap into the resources available to you outside your home chapter!

Current Listings

Event Title: The Body and Soul Retreat
Host Chapter: EO Indonesia
Description: Escape to Bali and experience a relaxing retreat like no other! More information to come.
Date(s): 26-29 June 2008
Contact Information: E-mail Ming Alihan, President of EO Indonesia, if you are interested in attending. 

Event Title: Southwestern Fishing Tournament
Host Chapter: EO Houston
Description: Hit the bait and tackle store and head south— it’s time for the Southwestern Fishing Tournament! For accommodation information, click here.
Date(s): 12-14 September 2008
Contact Information: E-mail Robert Wagnon or call him at +1.713.542.0724 for more information.