Inspiring Stories For Work
Finding Purpose in Your Work
What do you want out of life? Does what you do fill you with purpose? If not, it's time to find meaning in what you do. Consider this - If you're cleaning tables and sweeping the floor at a fast food restaurant, you're doing more than picking up dirt. Beyond creating...
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Strong Teams: Lynn’s DQ managers are fans of being fit
Tammy Burkey’s #1 goal was to be more productive and confident. The General Manager of Lynn’s DQ Grill & Chill in Connellsville, PA, wanted to be healthy too. But at 150 pounds overweight, her blood pressure was on the rise and her lower back and hip were in pain....
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16 motivational quotes to create your best year yet
You are a work in progress. That's good to remember as you enter 2016. Like gratitude and the smile that goes with it, your "to do" list every day should include building a better you from the inside out. The "People Who Inspire” and "Strong Women" featured here this...
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People Who Inspire – Ed Cope on life through the camera lens
For Ed Cope, life is a series of photographs. Put them together and you’ll see a moving picture of his career in local news. With each frame is another reflection of a day in his life – and ours too. During the course of his nearly 50 year career, he’s covered every...
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Strong Women – Mrs. Michaux is lifted up by the hand of God to lead
Andrea Michaux experiences the hand of God in her life every day. It’s what has enabled her to take on the role of principal to early 800 middle school students – and to lead with faith. It wasn’t a job she intended to have. An assistant principal at Connellsville...
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Strong Women – Gina Lynn isn’t missing what’s around the bend
Gina Lynn doesn’t know what’s around the next bend. And that’s exactly why she has to get there. “If you stop too soon, you may miss something amazing.” That’s what she said as she trekked through the ancient cities of Germany. It’s also her mantra for living. Heading...
read morePeople Who Inspire – Larry Orlando on making a lasting impression
Larry Orlando has a knack for leaving an indelible impression. In fact, it’s fair to say the calligrapher and retired math teacher has mastered the art. “Mr. O is the reason I am a teacher,” said Sean Kenney, a Geibel Catholic Jr/Sr High School 1987 alumnus. He pushed...
read morePeople Who Inspire – Tim McClellan on becoming a designer, builder and story teller
Tim McClellan became a celebrity when he won the hearts of viewers on HGTV, a network that reaches 94 million households. His furniture design made him the winner of “Ellen’s Design Challenge”. It was the biggest moment of his life…until it was taken away. Before we...
read moreTime Management: 5 expert strategies to get the most out of your day
What if you could turn a 50, 60, or 70 hour work week into 40 hours? Thomas Dowd, author of Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance, says it’s possible when you work smarter, not harder. He’s mastered the subject of time...
read morePeople Who Inspire: Dr. Tony DiGioia on Operation Walk Pittsburgh
When Dr. Tony DiGioia and his team of more than 60 volunteers travel to Honduras in June, they’ll take with them 8,000 pounds of medical supplies. But mostly what this group will bring is hope. They are part of Operation Walk Pittsburgh - a non-profit he founded to...
read morePeople Who Inspire: Dominick Domasky on the flip side of failure
In 2005, Dominick Domasky was a 26 year old entrepreneur who was a half million dollars in debt. His restaurant went under, he was bankrupt and the law was after him for unpaid taxes – all while his wife was pregnant with their first child. It wasn’t the best year of...
read more17 “People Who Inspire” quotes to help you achieve your goals
It's been a bright year at MaryMotivates.com. In 2014, 15,000 visitors from 83 countries stopped by to find inspiration for life and motivation for success. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Together, we’ve met some extraordinary “People Who...
read more10 first jobs and the lessons they taught
Barbara Corcoran tried 22 jobs before she found the right career. That was the subject and title of a video interview she did with LinkedIn Executive Editor, Daniel Roth. But it was what she said about those jobs that served up some interesting conversation. The...
read morePeople Who Inspire: Tuffy Shallenberger on giving thanks and giving back
Terry “Tuffy” Shallenberger, Jr. knows the meaning of hard work. It’s a lesson his parents taught him and his first big client proved true. And for that he is grateful. “I was running a bulldozer in 7th grade. After school and in the summers, I worked with my parents...
read more5 life lessons learned from the making of “Pittsburgh from the Water”
One year ago, WQED-TV video-photojournalist Paul Ruggieri was asked by executive producer David Solomon if he would want to spend the next year creating a show that would capture four seasons of activities on western PA waterways. If Paul accepted the assignment, he’d...
read morePeople Who Inspire: Brad Geyer on “The Little Theater That Could”
In 2005, Brad Geyer, picked up the newspaper and read a story about a local theater company that was changing its name in an uphill struggle to survive. Bearing the weight of upkeep and low attendance, the board of directors of Scottdale Showtime Theatre chose to take...
read morePeople Who Inspire: Gary Wandel on the adventure of life without limits
Gary Wandel is a retired high school Calculus teacher who experiences life without limits. It’s a perspective this world traveler carries with him on every adventure - whether he’s skydiving in Kittanning, PA or exploring the recesses of the Waitomo Caves in New...
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5 leadership lessons learned on a zipline
I did something this weekend that took me outside of my comfort zone. After suiting up with harnesses and learning the safety rules, I took my fear of heights and trekked up a hill to climb a rope ladder onto a platform 50 feet high that swayed a back and forth in the...
read moreLeadership Lesson #1: Put the right people in the right places
A vice president of a major energy company once shared with me the biggest reason for his success. It wasn’t because he had all the answers or because he knew how to do it all. He said he was successful because he “put the right people in the right places.” He knew...
read moreA tribute to 15 co-workers and their lessons of leadership
This is a tribute to co-workers. They’re the cast of characters that mold us, move us, humor us, and help us grow. They’re part of our lives for the better part of every day. We depend on each other because we’re a team and because what we do matters. Television...
read moreLife lessons learned on my first job with the Pittsburgh Steelers
I remember my first day on the job like it was yesterday. It was a cold November morning in 1984 and the sun was shining. Recently graduated from college with a degree in Communications, I was about to embark on an unexpected journey serving in the Pittsburgh Steelers...
read moreTurning a New Year’s resolution into a goal
What's better than making a New Year's resolution? Making it a goal instead. "A resolution is a solution to a problem". That’s what Dr. Caroline Cederquist, medical director for bistroMD and the Cederquist Medical Wellness Center shared in a CNN report. Breaking the...
read moreEmpathy – What Cleveland Clinic can teach us about it
A visit this week to Cleveland Clinic got me thinking about empathy – how putting ourselves in someone else's shoes can transform our personal and professional relationships. Walking through the Clinic’s skywalk, the giant glass windows on both sides allow visitors to...
read moreBehind the scenes with Director, Paul Ruggieri on the making of “Portraits for the Home Front: The Story of Elizabeth Black”
Inside a footlocker and tucked away for almost 70 years was a Veterans Day story waiting to be told. The trunk belonged to Elizabeth Black, a World War II Red Cross volunteer who took her bravery and artistic talent to the front lines to sketch the faces of World War...
read moreHow being happy can make you successful
If there’s one thing a yellow rubber duck can do, it’s make people smile. So when a 40 foot rubber duck floated into Pittsburgh recently for a three week visit, it’s not surprising that more than a million people flocked to see it. It’s a sure bet too that everyone...
read morePeople who Inspire: John Ruggieri on being True To US
John Ruggieri knows that “Made in America” is more than a label. It’s a sure sign that entrepreneurs are providing products and services that are making America stronger. And he wants to be part of the movement. “I watched the ABC WorldNews Made in America series that...
read morePeople who Inspire: Jim Protin on the most important job in America
James E. Protin, Jr. may be a business strategist, but he’s really a teacher at heart. Just ask the 200 kids he’s coached in high school basketball, the elementary classes he recently spoke to, or his colleagues at the engineering firm where he works in Pittsburgh....
read morePeople who Inspire: John Robinson on a journey of hope
John Robinson was a registered nurse working in a skilled nursing facility in Massachusetts when something happened that would change his life and the direction of his career. “There was a patient who had no idea he was dying. His family did, but they were in denial...
read more5 things a five year old can teach us about success
If you want to succeed, it's good to know how to play by the rules. It's also good sometimes to color outside of the lines. Five year old kids have got these mastered. So to find out more about what it takes to succeed, I sat down with an expert – my five year old...
read more5 steps to your best business networking
For lots of people, business networking at events ranks up there with public speaking - it can feel uncomfortable. After all, to do it right, you’ve got to engage with a roomful of people you don’t know. But what if there were some simple steps you could take to...
read more5 important lessons learned on a tour of Google Pittsburgh
Last week, I took a group of high school students on a tour of Google Pittsburgh. The goal was simple. Give these students an experience that would change their perception of the workplace and their role in it. There’s probably no better place to do that than at...
read moreWater Cooler Lessons: Care about everything you do
Long before Paul Ruggieri became a 21 time Emmy Award winning television photojournalist, he was a high school student on a mission. "A teacher, Mr. Orlando, put a camera in my hand and asked me to take photos for the yearbook. That's when I discovered a path to a...
read moreWater Cooler Lessons: Meet people where they are
Megan was new on the job as a high school English teacher said when she found herself puzzled by what was happening in the classroom. “I used to get so upset when a student reacted negatively towards me and what I was trying to teach,” she remarked. She started...
read moreWater Cooler Lessons: Are you listening?
The people you work with can teach you a lot about what it takes to succeed. One of the best lessons I ever learned was taught to me by somebody who was more than just my supervisor. She was somebody that I admired. While that’s good enough reason to pay attention to...
read more5 lessons from a Golden Retriever on achieving your goals
You've got a goal. Now, how are you going to achieve it? For inspiration, just look around. I didn't have to look further than my feet where Sydney, our Golden Retriever, is usually sitting. Here are five things she's taught me so far about navigating the road to...
read more10 Simple Steps to Becoming a Confident Public Speaker
It’s a fact. Fear of public speaking ranks above fear of death. Yes, most people would rather die than speak in public! But what if your job depends upon your ability to give a presentation? The good news is that fear doesn’t have to become a barrier to your success....
read moreGetting out of your jar
You can’t see the label from inside the jar. Think of your own customer service experience with this saying in mind. You walk up to the counter to place an order and what do you see? Do the employees on the other side of the counter look neat and professional? Are...
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Recent Posts
Taney Basinger I StrongKids Podcast
An interview with sophomore, Taney Basinger – Taney talks art, fashion, singing praise and worship music and what it was that motivated her to stop trying to fit in and start being herself. We’ll also hear who inspires her as well as what’s next for this aspiring designer. Her story will help you become stronger in who you are too.
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read moreLife Skills Teacher, Carrie Douty I StrongKids Podcast
An interview with Life Skills Teacher, Carrie Douty – Her students with special needs operate the Falcon Fuel coffee shop at Connellsville Area High School. And while they’re serving up the fuel the school community uses to power through the day, these incredible kids are gaining life skills and building relationships. A few of Carrie’s students join us to share what they like best about their roles.
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read moreRyan Craig I StrongKids Podcast
He’s an aspiring filmmaker who collaborates with the best friend he never met in the UK as they write and compose screenplays. As he gets ready to graduate from high school, the storyteller shares his journey and the biggest lesson for future success he’s learned along the way.
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read moreParker Carte I StrongKids Podcast
In the school musical, Les Misérables, Parker portrays the lead, Jean Valjean, a man who struggles to live a normal life. In reality, this CAHS senior leads an extraordinary life, filled with curiosity.
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read moreFinding Purpose in Your Work
What do you want out of life? Does what you do fill you with purpose? If not, it's time to find meaning in what you do. Consider this - If you're cleaning tables and sweeping the floor at a fast food restaurant, you're doing more than picking up dirt. Beyond creating...
read more