Lesley Young/Special to The Commercial Appeal

"I have never felt better," says Rachele Johnson, who signed up with a personal trainer last fall. "I am just elated."

Once Rachele Johnson decided to lose some weight, she progressed from walking with a friend a few times a week to working out sometimes twice a day.

"My friend recommended a trainer for me, and it ended up being an excellent decision," said Johnson, 56.

She signed up last fall with Yvette Smith, and over the course of six months, she has lost more than 60 pounds.

"My weight loss has averaged 10 pounds a month consistently," said Johnson, who lives in Cordova.

Smith first gave Johnson a "calorie budget," based on her weight and age, and Johnson gradually adapted her eating habits to include more fruits, vegetables and lean meats.

"I ate very poorly," she said. "I ate lots of sweets, lots of breads, drank wine regularly, and all the foods that are not good for you."

In the beginning of her workout journey, Johnson met with Smith three days a week for strength training and some cardio exercise.

Once she had mastered that routine, Smith changed it up for her.

Continued here:
Success Story: Rachele Johnson

Martyn Walton

HATFIELD Swimming Clubs Martyn Walton insisted he was delighted to not only break a personal record but come away with an added gold bonus at the Sainsburys School Games.

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The 14-year-old swam a time of 1:57.38 minutes in the 200m freestyle at the London Aquatics Centre to come top of the podium before coming fourth in the 400m individual medley later in the day.

To add to the gold medal, Walton also went below 1:58 in the 200m freestyle for the first time to claim a new personal best.

And the John Henry Newman School pupil could barely hide his delight at what was a very successful day in the water.

I feel really good actually, obviously getting a gold medal is really nice but to also get a personal best is a really good thing for me, he said.

More:
Hatfield swim talent Walton on road to success

Matthew 25: Ministries ships food, medical supplies and personal care items to more than 11 million poor people or disaster victims each year from its sprawling facility in Blue Ash.

Now the entire world will get a peek at how thats done.

The nonprofit charity will become the next local operation to have its inner workings featured in Google Business Photos. The new program offers 360-degree visual interior tours that can be found in Google Maps, Google Places and Google Search when customers search for a business.

Alias 360 Photos, a division of downtown commercial photographer Alias Imaging, will begin shooting at Matthew 25: Ministries on Friday. Alias is the first local photographer to become a certified Google Trusted Photographer, debuting with a 360-degree shoot of historic Arnolds Bar & Grill earlier this month.

My first thought was, from a business perspective, this is a gold mine, said Chris Breeden, general manager of Arnolds. We have customers ask about the tub room (featuring an antique bathtub). They can go to our website and virtually walk into the room. They get to tour our restaurant before stepping foot inside.

In February, Breeden approached Alias Imaging, his next-door neighbors on Eighth Street downtown, about becoming a Google Trusted Photographer and making Arnolds the companys first subject.

I knew they would make it happen, Breeden said. The response has been great. Our hits are up on the web site. (The 360-degree tour) went completely viral on Twitter.

Google Business Photos also represents a huge opportunity for Alias Imaging, founded in 2003 by photographers Adam Henry, a former Procter & Gamble employee and mechanical engineering graduate from Purdue University, and John Carrico, an ex-freelance photographer with Frontgate.

Alias had built a robust client base including P&G, Macys, LensCrafters and Kroger when the recession resulted in a 40-percent drop in business. But business is booming ever since Alias completed the three-month process to become a Google Trusted Photographer.

(Page 2 of 2)

Continue reading here:
Pairing with Google for a snapshot of success

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYb5yMZmVQk

26-05-2012 04:04 Here is a very sincere and real testimonial from a long time client who shares her personal success with Fitga`s personal training, and nutriontional counselling here in Toronto!

Originally posted here:
Fitga Toronto-Client Testimonials-Great Personal Training Success Stories! @www.fitga.ca - Video

Last updated at 12:14, Saturday, 26 May 2012

Wheelchair racer Simon Lawson hopes to tie up a place in the Paralympics next week by setting a new personal best for the marathon in Switzerland.

Simon Lawson

The Maryport ace planned to already have secured a place in the Games this summer but had to miss his chance of posting a fast time in the London Marathon after falling ill ahead of the race.

And instead he watched on TV as British No 1 David Weir, the only man ahead of him in the domestic rankings, bagged his place in the Great Britain team.

You need a time of 1 hour 40 to be eligible for selection and I have done that, Lawson said. If I go 1 hour 35 or quicker I should be okay.

I did 1 hour 36 last year, and if conditions are all right I should be okay on the day.

Switzerland is pretty hilly, but it should be fairly flat as the race is around a lake.

If weather conditions are really bad and everyone has a slow time, they will take in to consideration your position in the race. I think I should be all right for a good time.

The 29-year-old, paralysed 11 years ago when he came off his moto-cross bike during a practice session, had his first wheelchair race in September 2009 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the sport. I just did it to keep fit and active at first, he said.

Read the original:
Paralympic hope Simon eyeing a Swiss success

Last updated at 12:14, Saturday, 26 May 2012

Wheelchair racer Simon Lawson hopes to tie up a place in the Paralympics next week by setting a new personal best for the marathon in Switzerland.

Simon Lawson

The Maryport ace planned to already have secured a place in the Games this summer but had to miss his chance of posting a fast time in the London Marathon after falling ill ahead of the race.

And instead he watched on TV as British No 1 David Weir, the only man ahead of him in the domestic rankings, bagged his place in the Great Britain team.

You need a time of 1 hour 40 to be eligible for selection and I have done that, Lawson said. If I go 1 hour 35 or quicker I should be okay.

I did 1 hour 36 last year, and if conditions are all right I should be okay on the day.

Switzerland is pretty hilly, but it should be fairly flat as the race is around a lake.

If weather conditions are really bad and everyone has a slow time, they will take in to consideration your position in the race. I think I should be all right for a good time.

The 29-year-old, paralysed 11 years ago when he came off his moto-cross bike during a practice session, had his first wheelchair race in September 2009 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the sport. I just did it to keep fit and active at first, he said.

Read the original here:
Cumbrian Paralympics hope Simon Lawson eyeing Swiss success

Quality time! There is no better way to get it than on a road trip. For me it was a three-hour drive from Lake Worth to Orlando, with my youngest daughter at the wheel of her trusty Honda.

Interstate 95, which can take you from South Miami to as far north as the Canadian border, was wide open, with only a few container giants to watch out for. We stopped for brunch at Cracker Barrel. Their pancakes with warm maple syrup are to die for.

The country-style restaurant has a wonderful surprise-filled little shop. It is pricey but irresistible. After poking around for a pasalubong for our hosts, I found and bought a wooden sign that read: Wherever you go, there you are. They only had one, or I would have bought several to give away to a few choice friends and to hang over my own door as a reminder.

We discussed many things. She told me about her unforgettable high school years at Assumption San Lorenzo, a culture shock for a girl who grew up in public school, USA. We talked about her two daughters. She knows them so well. It made me wonder if I ever knew my own children that closely.

Just when she was getting into my personal business, the lady with an English accent (on our GPS) announced we had arrived at our destination. Our friends met us at their front door.

I remember visiting them many years ago in this same house. My children were very young then and were straining at the bit, eager to get to the land of fantasy called Disney World, 30 minutes away.

Panic-stricken

My days for theme parks have long been over. But I remember the excitement of getting the children there, of lining up for scary rides, of being panic-stricken thinking we had lost one child, and how two days of paying homage to Mickey, Snow White and Peter Pan could put a huge dent on our budget.

That was in the 70s, when entrance was about $4.95 and premium rides cost a dollar. Today I dont know how anyone can afford it. I hear it takes close to a hundred dollars just to enter, whether you get on the rides or not.

This time my visit was unrushed. We sat around and feasted on grapes, cheese and crackers, and stoked our never-ending treasure of old memories. We relived old times with lifetime friends. We pored over old photographs, a 3D wedding album by Bobs Studio, complete with a viewer. And in an old musty box, among love notes and newspapers clippings, we found a letter I wrote in 1954. Talk about flashbacks.

See the article here:
Is success worth it?

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nAF7KCCKKM

24-05-2012 15:09 What is your formula for motivation? How to create a personal success formula.

Read the original post:
What is Your Formula for Motivation? How to Create a Personal Success Formula - Video

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

On June 11 food company executives will join investors, lenders, and key senior advisors at McCormick Placein Chicago for one of the fastest growing organic & healthy food industry conferences. In the midst of building new orders and relationships the Association for Corporate Growth Chicago (ACG Chicago) will serve up their third annual Midwest food industry conference to celebrate the heartlands leadership in this critical sector.

Some of the most respected industry executives reveal their particular secret ingredients to deal with hyper-growth, turnaround of distressed situations, critical branding and innovation issues, and catching the wave of healthy food. And after that, all attendees get exclusive access to the invitation only annual food show.

The stage is set as Darren Tristano, EVP, Technomic, and Kathryn Peters, EVP Business Development, Spins LLC provide very unique views on the food industry from a macro and a targeted organic perspective.

Then some of the most respected industry players join in the discussion:

"The experience of these battle scarred leaders provides inspiration and direction for those in the trenches whether they are taking the market by storm or rising from the ashes," noted Craig Miller, CEO of ACG Chicago. "The collaboration between KeHE and ACG Chicago is a prime example of successful private/public/not-for-profit partnerships that can drive new investment and job growth."

Jeff Mengel, Partner, Plante Moran and, Chair of the conference highlights the benefits for the conference attendees, We are in a unique position to bring together some of the most active investors and lenders with senior corporate executives that are on a high growth curve. Clearly many are on track to replicate KeHE's great success and we will offer up ideas and experiences coupled with capital to help drive this growth.

Financing experts sharing their view of a more accessible market include:

Armed with the wisdom and capital access of the morning, attendees have exclusive access to attend the invitation only food show. This key benefit allows them the chance of meeting some of the 600+ vendors and putting their new ideas to work.

For registration and information about ACG Chicago's Feasting on Opportunities Conference, visit http://www.ACGChicago.com or call us at 877-ACG-Network [877-224-6389].

More here:
Corporate Growth Executives Join KeHE Annual Food Show to Share Recipes for Success at Feasting on Opportunities in ...

Ignite the Spark Explode Your Results! 12 revolutionary strategies to kick-start your life

Author: Robert D. Hamilton

Publisher: Discern Publishing House

THE author draws on his personal experiences of success, failure, losing hope and losing everything and yet is able to say, failures are just temporary setbacks that can be overcome if you have the right attitude to life. He says that no matter what your background, status, schooling, intelligence or present circumstances are, virtually anything is possible if you can just follow 12 golden rules. The first is the past does not equal the future, you have to change, you have to believe yourself and the list goes on.

The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business

Author: Charles Duhigg

Publisher: Random House

WHY do some people struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight? The author explores the neurosciences and how the right habits are crucial to the success for change. He writes about personalities who implemented habits to help themselves move on to the right track. By harnessing this new science, he writes about the importance of taking that first step and sticking to it.

Need, Speed, and Greed: How the new rules of innovation can transform businesses...

Author: Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran

The rest is here:
Compiled by THEAN LEE CHENG