Gratitude: The Secret Ingredient for Frying Chickens

Welcome to the next issue of Fry Your Chickens! — the newsletter that’s all about frying those pesky chickens (aka your fears) and having a laugh along the way.

Over the past week, I’ve had two fantastic opportunities to talk about the power of gratitude—an essential tool for managing stress and fostering connection. First, I spoke to an incredible group of leaders at St. Elizabeth in Northern Kentucky. The audience was fully engaged, and we had a blast (rubber chickens were involved, of course). One of the main points we discussed was how gratitude isn’t just good for your own stress levels—it’s contagious. When you practice gratitude, you inspire others to do the same. Thanks again to Terry Aufermann, MBA, LSSMBB and Emily Dumont, MBA, LSSBB for bringing me in!

A few days later, I sat down with Laurie Groh , host of the Wisconsin Wellness podcast, and we explored a similar theme. Gratitude, we agreed, is a simple but powerful way to shift your perspective and focus on what truly matters. Especially during busy or stressful times, it can help you manage what’s within your control and let go of what’s not. Thanks for a fantastic conversation Laurie!

With Thanksgiving just a week away here in the U.S., it’s the perfect time to reflect on gratitude. Who or what are you grateful for this year? Whether it’s family, friends, a great team at work, or just the fact that you’ve made it this far in 2024, taking a moment to appreciate the good can go a long way.

Here’s my Thanksgiving challenge for you: write down one thing you’re grateful for every day between now and the end of November. You might be surprised by how much it shifts your perspective—and makes those stress chickens a little easier to fry.

?? Fry Your Chickens in Action: Shutting Out Negativity

At St. Elizabeth, we tackled a particularly pesky stress chicken: Nasty Negative Nelly. Nelly represents optional stress. Optional stress is avoidable. Whether it’s doomscrolling on social media, obsessing over 24/7 news media or getting sucked into pointless arguments, eliminating optional stress is one of the best ways to lighten the load.

What’s an “optional stress chicken” you’re going to fry as we head into the holiday season? Are there habits or sources of negativity you’re cutting out to make space for what matters most? Let me know—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

?? Dad Joke Photo Dose

You didn’t think I’d leave out the dad jokes, did you? This groaner helped lower stress at St. Elizabeth's...

?? What’s Next?

• BA World Chicago: On December 2, I’ll deliver my “Fry Your Chickens” keynote, and on December 3, I’ll be delivering a symposium session on AI.
• PMBA Virtual Global Conference: On December 14, I’ll be speaking on Generative AI, sharing insights and practical tips for leveraging this fast-evolving technology.
• Private Event: On December 15, I’ll be speaking at a private event. We’ll be frying some chickens!
• Coming in 2025: My new book, Fry Your Chickens! Seven Ways to Get Those Chickens Inside You to Shut the Cluck Up, is on its way. Keep an eye out for sneak peeks and maybe even some rubber chicken giveaways as we gear up for the launch.

Booking Keynotes for 2025: I’m currently booking keynotes for 2025. If your organization needs a good laugh and some solid strategies for stress relief, let’s talk!

That’s a wrap for now. Got a chicken you’re working on? Got a dad joke to share? You know where to find me.

#PublicSpeaking #AI #StressManagement #FryYourChickens #BusinessInsights #Leadership #GoalSetting #OvercomingChallenges #PhilBarth