Shaken or Stirred?
You know the famous expression referring to James Bond’s preferred martini. “Shaken, not stirred.” It’s the most famous quote searched for in Google. Bond did not vocally order one himself until Goldfinger (1964). In the 1967 film You Only Live Twice, Bond’s contact, Henderson, prepares a martini for Bond and says, “That’s, um, stirred not shaken?” So, which was his preference? Do you remember?
What’s the connection to me? As speaker, I generally shake things up with audiences (we have lots of laughs) and I hopefully stir them to sound decision-making, regarding what is often the biggest decision of their lives—purchase/sale of a home.
So, it’s not really an “either-or” for me. I try to do both.
The groups to whom I’ve spoken have all been wonderful. They are: Association of American University Women (100+ in audience) at Atlantic Resort, in Middletown, on April 19; East GreenwichLeisure LearningGroup(also 100+) on April 25; Bristol Rotary on May 9; North Smithfield Rotary, June 27; 3 realtor groups in East Greenwich, sponsored by broker/owners Greg Dantas, Allen Gammons, and Dave Iannuccilli, on June 28; I was a guest on Frank Prosnitz’s radio program in Westerly, on July 30. I spoke before Wingate Sr. Residence in Needham, Mass., on Aug. 10.
I took September off.
On October 19, I spoke before the Tavern Preservation Society, in Kingston, RI.
I’ll be speaking Nov. 7 at Bristol at Hope Farm. Then, I go to Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, November 19, for the Rhode Island Aeronautic Hall of Fame gathering. They invited me, following my Providence Journal front page story on April 28th., Memorial Day, about my brother-in-law Fredric Mellor, RI’s first Missing in Action in the Vietnam war. One month after my story ran, the government officially identified his remains, 53 years after he’d been shot down, one month after my story ran. The coincidence (was it?) was stunning.
My talks are motivational. I tell folks how they can protect themselves from BIG mistakes in buying/selling homes. I talk about what I saw in Asheville, North Carolina (our chosen retirement town), with folks coming in from elsewhere, buying without representation. I tell them how foolish that is since, in most cases, they can have a Buyer Broker (realtor) who’ll represent their interests and they don’t even have to pay for it (ask the realtor when they might have to pay.) But I always recommend they do their own “due diligence.” For instance, I always checked, after touring with our realtor in Asheville, if any homes were near Superfund sites (I didn’t want to live near any.)
I tell them in some states (like Florida), realtors are Transactional Brokers, meaning they do not advocate for either party. So, buyers better be their own advocates.
For all these reasons, I wrote my book, Boomerrrang (3 r’s). But its lessons are for buyers and sellers anywhere….
And I pack the book with humor (read the reviews on Amazon).
So, why not come to my next talk—in Bristol? As you can see from reviews on my website, my audiences enjoy my presentations. I’ll have my books available: Boomerrrang or my two children’s books, Grandpa and the Truck (Books 1 and 2). If you can’t come, check out/buy a personalized/autographed book at colleenkellymellor.comand grandpaandthetruck.com. Boomerrrang is also at Amazon/Kindle, Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville, Barrington Books’ 2 locations in RI, Savoy Bookstore in Westerly.
And here’s the real corker!!! I’ve become a guest speaker, doing what, frankly, I never foresaw myself doing. And I love it. So, again, I’m here to tell you: Nothing in life is wasted effort. I share what were my triumphs and my mistakes in my talks. I’m brutally honest, as you’ll see if you click on my video below.
My partner, the trucker, appears with me, too…a man who traveled across all 49 states in his big rig—the hero of the Grandpa and the Truck stories. Folks tend to be fascinated with a trucker’s lifestyle, since truckers are mavericks who run the highways of our vast land, wielding those big metal beasts.
One time, at an all-women guest talk, I noted an older woman sidle up to my partner seated in the back row of the audience (I don’t even think she knew Paul was with me). She slowly stroked his arm, purring to him, saying: “You remind me of Roy Rogers (he wears a Western hat, boots and jeans.)” I called out: “That must make me Dale Evans.” She immediately got the message and stopped her flirting.
Inwardly, I laughed. He may not be a James Bond…but he’s apparently Roy Rogers.
So, come to my talk on Nov 7. Bring friends. We’ll have fun. In days ahead. I’ll post some of the info you will learn at this talk. Here’s the flyer for Bristol Farm, on Nov. 7, 2018.
Now, for a preview of what my talks are like, Here’s my first guest-speaking event–before 100+ women of the American Assoc of University Women, in Middletown, at the Atlantic Resort, last April…Contact me, at colleenkellymellor@gmail.com or through the Contact form on this site, if you’d like me to speak before your group.
But know from my experience in life: We’re never ‘done,’ unless we want to be. Figure out your talent and then “Go for it,” even if you can only do it part time while you do the necessary things in life. When you’re ready and life’s demands ease up, you can launch your new career (the one you always wanted to do) full time. Good Luck!!
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