Better Your Best: With recipes for success and inspiration from industry leaders in Detroit and across the country

By Jo Bruce

In life, we need friendly reminders of who we are at our best, a nudge to evolve to do better, and insights to ignite us to act. This book focuses on your strengths, your dreams, your "whys" in life. It's about building on the good to make it better--Bettering Your Best.

The secret sauce in life is the ingredients we choose. Read and digest the recipes that Jo's top clients, colleagues, and friends from Detroit and across the country have to say about success, happiness, and influence. Life is like a huge buffet with many choices. Choose wisely and satisfy your appetite in the best, healthiest, most delicious way.

Self-worth and happiness start with great ingredients: confidence, gratitude, goal setting, and thinking deeper about what matters and why. Life is truly about living and leading with love and leaving behind the most important ingredient--love.

Jo shares her perspectives on living life with her dollop of good juju from JoJo! Discover for yourself in this inner active book what your special ingredients are to create your gold medal, blue ribbon, and three-star Michelin life!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889606529

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Better Your Best

With recipes for success and inspiration from industry leaders in Detroit and across the country

Jo Bruce

Copyright © 2023 Jo Bruce

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2023

ISBN 979-8-88960-641-3 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-88960-652-9 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Book Components

Reader's Responses

Contributors' Thoughts and Recipes

Valiena A. Allison

Jan Wetzel Boggs

Matthias Bollmus

Stanley Brish

Dr. Mel Campbell

Susie Dahlmann

Luann Elwell

John Fikany

Nick Heintz

Mark Hemeyer

Gilda Z. Jacobs

Joyce Keller

Christy Tarr-McVey

Mark McVey

Mike Meenan

Breeda Kelly Miller

T. Napier

Julie Reed

Sue Robach

Tim Ross

Steve Selinsky

Fred Sievert

Stewart Smith

Tamara Tazzia

Doug Tietz

Dave Trott

Jim Tuman

Troy Weidman

Linda M. Schrock-Reinhart

Pete Rosenkrands

Success Poem

Jo's Thoughts

Success Summary

Happiness Summary

Reader's Rewrite

Leadership—Pencil Maker

Likeability

Know Your Value

Balance

Goals and Balance

Wheel of Life

Goals

Goal Setting

Comfort Zone

Resilience

Resilience

Resilience—Global Pandemic/Unrest/Stress

Resilience Exercise

Save Your I'm Terrific File!

Terrific Files

Family, Friends, and Neighbors

Family

Friends

Neighbors

Eulogies

Leadership Lessons by Ted Lasso

Jo's Recommendations

Carpe Diem

Acknowledgements

About the Author

To my beloved husband, Bruce, for his love, humor, and support.

He's my biggest fan, and he is fantastic.

And to my kids, Tiffany and Adam,

for making me proud and inspiring me to better my best.

And my grandkids—Maddy, Gavin, Jake, Jack, and Dylan—

for giving me best days ever and a reason to live to a hundred!

I love you all forever in my heart!

Foreword

It took me a while to figure out why she was always so happy. More on that later. I remember meeting Jo Bruce, I think Tim Ross or Jan Wetzel introduced us, had to be over 30 years ago. Her smile exuded warmth, kindness and a zest for life. I knew immediately Jo Bruce could help our organization. In this book you will discover why Jo impacts people and delivers results.

I was the Managing Attorney of a small law firm started by my father. We had ten employees and were growing. My Dad retired, my wife and I had two kids under two, and everything seemed like a challenge. Jo came in and provided some personal coaching on leadership (no such course offered in law school!) and also conducted training for the staff. Our law firm represented banks and mortgage companies and, in addition to providing quality legal services, client service was critical. Over the next 20 years the firm grew from 10 people to a staff of 500 and 100 attorneys. Jo was there every step of the way. She helped our team as the industry and technology evolved and played an important role in maintaining client satisfaction, the reason for our success. She shares many of her leadership insights and exercises in this book.

During this time, I started a title insurance agency and again looked to Jo for help with the culture and karma in the company. Attorney Title Agency, now known as ATA National, also experienced some explosive growth. After a few years we had 500 employees in 60 offices. This company had different challenges than the law firm, and Jo never missed a beat. She stepped right in and created an environment where people felt valued and motivated by our common mission. The agency could not have grown and become a market leader without Jo.

In 2014, I stepped aside from both businesses after being elected to the United States House of Representatives. Going from business to Congress was quite an adjustment. Again, Jo came to the rescue. She provided training and coaching to ensure my staff in D.C. and the district office in Michigan had the right skills and attitude to take good care of my constituents. This was a unique challenge as public service has a much different measure of success. Jo figured it out and soon we were able to do a great job representing the people of Michigan's 11th District.

In this book you will develop an understanding of how Jo works her magic to better your best. One of the takeaways will most certainly be the conclusion that nice people can finish first. In fact, Jo taught our organizations that the best way to ensure success is to create a culture where people are happy, and the best way to accomplish that goal is to be nice and kind to everyone. Sounds simple but it sure worked for my 1,000 plus employees. Jo obviously recognized there are difficult conversations that must take place, but you still need a work environment that values people.

The exercises Jo provided our employees taught them that creating a team is all about building relationships and trust. Through this process our attorneys, managers and staff came to realize that as Jo says, quoting Dr. Campbell, we are all perfectly human. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes. Jo helped all of us listen more to our inner view; to trust our gut. This resulted in better decisions and a more cohesive team. We enjoyed even greater success and, not surprisingly, happiness. I think the happiness preceded the success.

So how is it that Jo Bruce is so good at getting the best out of people? How can she help someone better their best? There are a few explanations, and I think after reading this book you will agree. First, let me say that Jo is a great listener. She never interrupts and believes being present is critical. She does this --- all the time. As a result, whomever she is training feels valued and believes her advice or the exercise will help them become a better employee and person.

Next, her energy engages people. Jan Wetzel described her enthusiasm as being contagious, and I think that is exactly right. The energy not only keeps people's attention, it also motivates them to try whatever idea or solution Jo is suggesting. I know Jo's seminars resonated with our employees because many of them asked if they could work with her individually. This still amazes me as often people don't really appreciate the value of coaching and training.

The last explanation is there is a genuineness about Jo whenever she interacts with people. She has a curiosity, gratitude and love of life that makes her a dynamic, likeable person. In this book you will read about the 14 habits of likeable people. This information was very helpful to me and my employees both personally and professionally. Being likeable and genuine draws people in and allows everyone to better their best.

So why is Jo so happy all the time? Well, it should be obvious to you by now. Jo Bruce is in the business of helping people and organizations. This book is all about the thousands of people she has helped, and helping people brings her happiness. This not unlike a book Jo gave me early on, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, by Robin Sharma. Jo and Robin Sharma will both tell you the only way to lead a happy, gratifying life is to help others. This book will teach you how to help yourself, and in the process, help all those around you. For any leader in any organization this is a critical ingredient for personal and professional success.

Jo talks about grief and loss in this book. She talks about how Gilda Jacobs found happiness and strength after tragedies. She discusses eulogies she delivered for her friends. Through it all, Jo finds happiness. The happiness, I think, comes from her knowing that sharing their stories is helping others, and that's what life is all about. Jo – thanks for sharing all your good juju with us in this book!

Dave Trott

Introduction

Dear reader,

If you have picked up this book—congratulations.

It means you are probably a reader, leader, or believer that we all can grow, change, evolve, and better our best. Most people know they have strengths and weaknesses, assets, and liabilities because we are all—human. Those who thrive and live full lives are usually those who are willing to take an inner view of themselves to evaluate, motivate, and navigate the choices they and others make.

For over thirty years, I have trained, coached, and spoken with more than ten thousand individuals while working with some very prosperous large organizations and awesome leaders. This book is a result of my very rewarding, positive, and time-tested takeaways about people, success, and living life to its fullest.

Here's what you can expect from this book:

Insights/inspiration from successful leaders being inner viewed

Recipes for success/happiness from my GOATS—and cooking up your own

Exercises meant to reinforce your personal power—inner active

Identifying how to be more likable and know your value

Ways to set goals for a balanced and better journey

Understanding how to build and reinforce your resilience

Creating an I'm terrific file with texts, taglines, e-mails, letters, and notes

Family, friends, and neighbors—it's all about your tribe

Eulogies—the power of loving words

Recommendations for top books, TED Talks, and a little Ted Lasso

Jo's last recipe for life—the crème de la crème

My nicknames are JoMama and JoJo, and my tagline is sending good juju from JoJo. This book is my good juju from JoJo—a blueprint for bettering your BEST (B-build your confidence. E-elevate your game, S-simplify things, T-trust your gut!) This book is especially for my kids and grandkids: Maddy, Gavin, Jake, Jack, and Dylan. The loves of my life who make me better.

Our youngest grandson, Dylan, nine years old, is known for his positivity and declaration that today is the best day ever. I hope you have a multitude of best days ever!

—Jo Bruce

Jo Bruce Training Associate (jobrucetraining.com), Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach, Corporate Trainer, Former Nursing Supervisor, Former Dale Carnegie Instructor, Former MasterStream Instructor, Currently a Reaching Higher Instructor/Coach/Consultant, Lucky and Blessed

Book Components

This book has two primary components. The first half presents my " inner views " done with some top-notch leaders, colleagues, and friends who responded to my questions. Many of these leaders are entrepreneurs, one is a former congressman, and several have written their own books and are speakers, trainers, and consultants. Regardless of their title, position, or profession, the one thing all these people have in common is they are great human beings. These leaders are humble, passionate and have wide circles of influence.

You know how certain people are referred to as the GOAT (greatest of all