Denise Ryan

Diversity is an important issue with many organizations trying to recruit, retain and grow employees with different ethnicities, ages, and genders.  We work hard not to discriminate against people who look different than we do.  But there’s another way we are diverse that has nothing to do with exterior appearances.  We are diverse in our […]

I think silliness is vastly underrated. Anyone can be smart, or graceful, or eloquent, but silly?  Silliness is a special gift.  And there’s just not enough of it!  I’d like to enlist your help in bringing silly back.  Here are some ideas: Get some sprinkles.  Have them in your purse (guys, I know you won’t […]

Twenty years ago, on the 30th anniversary of the lunar landing, I started FireStar.  It’s been a great journey, and I am so very grateful for everyone who hired me over the years.  Hiring a speaker is a risk and I really appreciate every person who took a chance on me. I can never thank […]

I recently attended The Disney Institute’s Quality Service program.  I wanted not only to scope out the competition (since I do customer service training), but also to see Pandora – The World of Avatar.  Disney had some great takeaways I want to share with you: 1. They have learned to be intentional where others are […]

There are some people whose lives seem to always be in a state of wild disarray. There is often financial chaos or relationship drama. They seem to move from one disaster to the next. Often it’s because they just keep making bad decisions. Here’s the challenge – sometimes making a good decision has no immediate […]