The Power of Community College with Soccer Star Oumar Ballo
I’ve been championing community college for years. Not only did I attend community college myself, but I’ve been teaching at variety of community colleges for last 20 years. In that time I’ve had over 3,000 students, and let me tell you, they come from all walks of life. With their grit and determination I’ve seen them go on to be incredibly successful.
I’m so excited about community college that it will be the subject of my second book. As part of writing that book, I’ve been interviewing people with amazing and inspiring stories whose journeys took them through community college. It’s amazing work, and conversations I truly enjoy.
In this video I speak to professional soccer player Oumar Ballo. He’s a defender for the Swope Park Rangers in the United Soccer League and on his way to playing for the Sporting Kansas City team in the MLS (Major League Soccer).
Apart from being a community college alum, he’s an incredible young man who has gone through a lot to get to where he is today. After a hard day of training, we talk about enthusiasm, vision, optimism and action. Oumar was keen to point out that bringing positive energy everyday is one of his keys to success.
Check out the video below for more, and stay tuned for the next interview coming soon!
Cheers,
Greg
The Power of Community College (my next book)
Last week I was at the CONCACAF Champions League game between Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver Whitecaps. Really beautiful stadium at Children’s Mercy Park, and I always love supporting my Kansas City teams.
Midway through the game there was a weather delay, and I had a few minutes to record this video (on Facebook live) and I talk about lots of exciting news and interviews I have coming up.
My next video is with Oumar Ballo, a defender for the Swope Park Rangers in the United Soccer League. We talk about lots of great things, and community college is of course one of them.
Check out the video below to see what’s coming!
Cheers,
Greg
Shout Out in the NCO Journal
As many of you know, I started my days in the military many years ago as a humble Airman in the Air Force, and overtime, worked my way up to being (slightly-less) humble NCO (non-commissioned officer).
I routinely speak at NCO Academies around the world and I’m honored anytime I get to stand up in front of these young men and women. They are doing amazing work and are at pivotal moments in their careers and lives. Being able to share some of my life-lessons with them is incredibly rewarding for me.
I can’t make it to every NCO Academy though, and certainly can’t talk with every NCO out there. Or so I thought.
This week the NCO Journal honored me by featuring my story on their homepage. This really means a lot to me, and I hope a few more NCOs out there can hear my message, no matter where they are in their careers. You can check it out here.
For those of you who are not familiar with it, the NCO Journal is the official magazine for non-commissioned officer professional development. It is published at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas, and I had to pleasure of working with Pablo Villa throughout the process of writing this story.
So I’m sending a special thanks to the NCO Journal and to all the NCOs and Petty Officers out there. Thank you for your service, you are the backbone of our military.
Keep charging and Auf Geht’s!
Cheers,
Greg
Thank Yourself– Videos 1 & 2
For those of you who have been following me for a little while know that I’m all about giving thanks. I’ve written about it here on my blog before when I talked about writing thank you cards. Incredible things happen when you say “thank you” to others and I’m living proof of that.
In these videos below, I wanted to talk about a different kind of thanks, and that’s the kind of “thank you” you give to yourself. It’s something we sometimes forget to do, but it’s no less important than thanking others. So check out the videos to hear about how some incredibly successful people do this.
As always, thanks for stopping by. If you’ve got a trick that helps you to thank yourself, I’d love it hear it! Share in the comments below.
If you haven’t gotten your courtesy look at my book Three Points of Contact, sign up to my mailing list on the top right of this page, and I’ll send you the link.
Contact me anytime at greg@gregcheekspeaks.com or on my contact page for a free 15-minute consultation.
Till next time,
Cheers,
~Greg
Live Stream this Friday, 20 May 2016!
I’m so honored to be the 2016 Commencement speaker at Barstow College this Friday, May 20th at 3:00 PM PST. If you are in the area, please let me know. The event will also be live on live stream here:https://www.youtube.com/c/barstowcommunitycollege/live
I’ve had the pleasure of teaching for Barstow College since 1997. I’ve been able to teach 2-3 classes every semester for BCC since 2004. I have over 2,700 students that have gone on to do amazing things around the world! I’ve had the pleasure of teaching at 7 different community colleges and also the Univ of Kansas, Univ of Nevada, Las Vegas, Univ of Maryland, Park College, and the Univ of Texas. Over 130 college courses taught while having the OPPORTUNITY ( I hate the word “work” in reference to a job) to serve in the military on active duty and as a DoD civilian and now run my speaking business. It all started with Barstow College and I love this college and the OPPORTUNITY it provides for everyone.
It’s a long way from not graduating high school in Northern California. I tell every audience, “Life is not a SPRINT, it’s a beautiful MARATHON” Have a GREAT Day and enjoy the ride with ENTHUSIASM and OPPORTUNITY!
Aug Geht’s,
~Greg
Introducing The 4th Point of Contact with MMA star Sascha Sharma
This is a new series that I’m working on called The 4th Point of Contact.
As most of you know, my recent book is called The Three Points of Contact which refers to a three point stance, a position that give you maximum stability, balance and the ability to move in any direction. Imagine a football game, when a defensive linebacker is ready to move the moment before the ball is snapped.
So what is The 4th Point of Contact? Well, imagine now that same defensive linebacker the moment after he has sacked the quarterback. He’s got all four points on the ground, two hands and two knees. The 4th point of contact means truly being in control and having the upper hand.
In this series I’ll be talking to professionals from all fields, people who have mastered their craft and are truly in control of what they do. These are people who have not only used the themes from my book but taken them to the next level.
I’m honored and humbled to have Sascha Sharma as my first professional athlete on this segment. He is an amazing young man who overcame Gullian-Barre Syndrome as a teen to become one of the fastest rising MMA stars in Europe and around the world. He’s a native of Stuttgart, Germany, my home for the last 4 years, and was recently on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF 22).
Check out the video below, and be sure to tune in to Sasha’s next fight in St. Petersburg, Russia on April 9th. More info on that here.
Cheers,
~Greg
Notes:
In this segment of The 4th Point of Contact, Sascha and I discuss the following topics, many of them from my book, Three Point of Contact ~
Self-Talk: 2:20
Thanks/Karma: 3:40
Sascha shares story from his father: 4:40
Stillness: 5:40
Healthcare: 7:14
Guillain-Barre Syndrome: 8:40
Enthusiasm: 10:00
Enthusiasm Killers: 12:05
Sascha fighting at India MMA:
https://youtu.be/XHYtP-jAQJs
Army Magazine Book Review
Thanks to Army Magazine and Lt. Col. Chad Storlie, U.S. Army retired, for reviewing my book for the March 2016 magazine. The issue is already available on their website.
Army Magazine is one of the world’s premier professional journals for leadership and advancement of the military arts and sciences. It’s published every month by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), and I encourage you to check it out!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
~Greg
Greg Cheek Speaks 005 ~ Kimchi, Nori and Drawing #002
People are always asking what I do to control my weight, my cholesterol, blood pressure, stress. Running is great, and fitness certainly helps but in this episode I share a little secret about the amazing foods that help me stay in great health.
I also announce the winner for my Give Away Day, as well as a few other people who have been going above and beyond in their sharing of my videos.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
~Greg
Notes:
Healthy eating with Kimchi and Nori. Also mentioned the victory by Amy Hastings(Cragg) at the 2016 US Marathoning Olympic Trials.
Recorded live in Stuttgart, Germany.
Drawing #002 and the winners are:
German Hearts from Fasching made of Gingerbread: Deena R.
Signed book and journal: Betty L and Susan S
Book referred:
Three Points of Contact
My favorite Kimchi Dish: Kimchi Fried Rice
https://youtu.be/Lf44Fk7H24s
kimbap: 김밥 (Korean Sushi – Amazing)
https://youtu.be/Y-Y9CXGRJPU
Seattle Korean Favorites
Asian Market and outside the gate of McChord AFB – Amazing and Diner in the back.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/asian-market…
Pal-Do Market
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pal-do-world…
https://www.yelp.com/biz/h-mart-lakew…
Upcoming:
– The Relentless Piggy Bank. A great way to add resilience and fun to dealing with a difficult person or situation. This activity can be found on page 19, chapter 1, Three Points of Contact.
2 Minutes with Greg ~ Subscribe for all Friday Give-Aways
Just a quick 2 minutes video in the Stuttgart Main Train Station (Haupt Bahnhof) to talk about the Greg Cheek Speaks website and my weekly Friday give aways. If you’re a subscriber on either my website or on Youtube then that makes you a team member, and edible to win.
Subscribe to both the e-mail list AND the YouTube channel and get TWO chances to win every Friday!
The winner for Friday, 5 FEB 2017 is Kyla B! Kyla is serving in Iraq and I will be sending her journal in the morning. Not sure what I’m talking about? You can watch the Journaling video here:https://youtu.be/m4Q0uhiJzUM
Next drawing is 12 FEB for the two German Herz in the video. Again, I’ll be picking a winner from my YouTube and e-mail subscribers, so sign up today.
Recorded in Stuttgart, Germany on 7 FEB 2016.
Video Blog throwback ~ 2 Minutes to Take Charge of Your Day
A couple of months ago I ran the New York City Marathon and spoke at the Marathon Expo. Before doing those though, I recorded this quick video on taking charge of your day. Since my last couple video blog episodes have been focusing on journaling, I thought this would be a good time to post this one.
In this video I talk about “what is your why?” or what is the reason or thing that motivates successful people? These can be a future aspiration, or a physical reminder that gets you going. For me, when I didn’t graduate from high school I kept the empty diploma case, and it was constant reminder to me of the need to strive hard and push through adversity.
In my book Three Points of Contact I refer to these things as “Bulletin Board Material” and that means you can put these things in place you’ll see them everyday and say “that’s what I’m working towards”. It doesn’t need to literally be on a bulletin board, it can be in a journal, but the point is you see it and it motivates you to keep going, especially when things get tough.
Check out the video below for more tips on making this happen. Got a “why” that keeps you going? lets hear about it!
Cheers,
~Greg
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