As a Transformational & Intentional Creativity Life Coach, I am a fan of self-help books.  Many are full of very insightful perspectives and insights that have shifted my thinking, and some have truly been a catalyst for significant healing in my life. And I’m not alone. It’s estimated that the self-help industry will reach $14 billion by 2025.  Despite my being a fan of self-help books, there is one thing that gnaws at me about many of them. Many of them overlook that we’re not all the same. They give cookie-cutter solutions versus giving tools or recommendations based on understanding who we are as individuals (i.e., what's good

I was facilitating Color Code workshops in a large organization that had tens of thousands of employees and around 3,000 leaders at various levels. This organization had well over 100 locations and depended on Location Leaders to be in charge of each of those locations.  Location Leaders had hundreds of employees under their purview. They were compensated well, and they carried a massive basket of expectations put upon them by the organization.  The organization worked hard to build a pipeline of lower-level leaders to fill these ranks as spots opened up, and over time, a common thread appeared—the candidates often hired into the Locat

My focus with Color Code has always been in the work and team-setting.  In every Color Code workshop or keynote speech I deliver, I share what each color brings to the team.  Everyone expects it when I say that “Red brings action,” “Blue brings the heart and quality,” “Yellow brings creativity and optimism,” but there is often a moment of surprise when I say, “The White type is your best friend.” Your best friend is that person who has your back.  They are the rare person in your life who will protect you from yourself.  With that definition of “best friend,” the White personality type is the one best equipped to prot

Wouldn’t it feel great if our significant others, parents, kids, friends and/or coworkers met the needs that come with our personality? Each personality type comes with its own set of needs, but no one will know how to meet the needs of their loved ones if they don’t know what their needs are. Today, we are going to identify the needs of the Yellow personality and educate those who know Yellows (it should be all of us!) on what they can do to meet those Yellow needs. Ready? Let’s go! Yellows need to look good socially. Yellows are sociable and charismatic. If it seems like your Yellow friends are trying to be the center of attention too

Twenty-five years ago, my boss told me we were going to do the Color Code for our organization. I said that was a waste of time. We are running a data center not an HR think tank. As you can guess, I am a Red — I was so Red I believed my Red limitations were some of my best attributes. Well, Dr. Hartman took the challenge to train me as a Color Code facilitator — I’m sure I am the most difficult person he has ever certified. I had an interesting environment to work in on my road to developing character. My wife is a Blue, and I have a White daughter and a Yellow daughter. My mother is a Blue and my father a Red. Most of my bosses have

Parenting is difficult, challenging and frustrating, but it’s also wonderful and rewarding. It’s especially great when our kids show their strengths. Of course, between the day-to-day hustle and bustle it may be hard to notice all the great things about our children. Each of our children have strengths and limitations, and although the limitations are frustrating, the strengths are beautiful. Today we want to focus on highlighting some strengths children with Blue personalities have in the hopes that by recognizing their strengths, you can foster more gratitude as a parent. Here we go!

Although I am a core Blue personality, I scored almost just as much White on the Color Code assessment. This means that although I definitely feel like a Blue, I also greatly identify with the White personality. In some respects, this is great, because I can pinpoint the natural strengths I have from both the Blue and the White personalities. However, it also means I deal with natural limitations from both personalities, which makes it harder to become charactered since I have to learn to overcome my Blue and my White limitations. I’m definitely far from perfect when it comes to overcoming my White limitations, but I do have experience try

Have you ever seen this kind of story play out either in your own life or in somebody else's? Let's say there's a woman named Nicole who is unhappy with life. She just really doesn't feel very successful, so she vows to change. She ends up taking massive action and focusing like she never has before. Things start to change for Nicole, and she starts stacking up victories. Her persistence eventually leads her to achieve great financial success! ...But she's still not happy, and she can't figure out what went wrong. Do you know someone like Nicole? My guess is that you've probably seen something like that played out before. Of course, the s

My son is only 4 years old, but I can tell you right now he is a Red personality. Thankfully I've had the Color Code in my life since before he was born so what would have DEFINITELY upset me without having a prior knowledge of Motive now has become a matter of amusement, appreciation and guidance. That's the big gift of Color Code for parents as far as I can see it. It gives us tools to speak our kids' languages and see where they're coming from instead of wanting to kill them at times. ;) So, with that in mind, for today's post I thought I would share with you five tips that seem to do wonders in the lives of a Red child and his/her paren

Just like every other color, Yellow children come with natural strengths and natural limitations. Obviously, the strengths are great while the limitations can be frustrating. But don't worry, we're here to help!   In this article, we will mention some of the limitations Yellows have as children and offer advice on the things you should or shouldn’t do as parents to maintain the best relationship you can with your child in spite of these sometimes frustrating limitations. Yellow children tease siblings constantly   If they’ve got Blue siblings, this can be especially tough! However, to have the best relationship with a Yellow, you