Lisa Cruz

Kindles, social media, hand-written notes, mom's lessons and love

"You should be in public relations." My mom always told me this while I was growing up. The funny thing about her saying that was she, nor I, had any idea what public relations was about. But, because she saw me easily make friends and noted my initiative, she thought it sounded like a perfect fit. One of my first lessons that mama is always right.

Throughout the years my mom has certainly taught me a lot. As a teenager, she would give me life advice and I always shrugged it off because what did she know. Only to figure out later that she was right. At this stage in the game as I stare 40 in the face, I've learned to listen. Here are a few things my mom has taught me over the years.

A love of reading: My mom always had my dad running out to get the newspaper. Always. And she always had a stack of books next to her bed. Not just a few books, a tower of books. And it wasn't uncommon for her to read more than three books at a time. Today, she and I enjoy a shared account on our Kindles and continuously download books and give our recommendations to each other.

Always write a thank-you note: While I may be a staunch advocate of social media, I'm also a firm believer in the power of the hand-written note. Mom would say to me, "If they took the time to buy you a gift, you can at least take the time to write them a thank you." In today's business world, handwritten notes are few and far between but those who frequently write them understand how beautiful they are.

Dress one level up: When in doubt, dress one level up. Mom always made sure I put my best foot forward when it came to clothes. For interviews, parties, church, meetings, everything, I had to always look my best. There is no second-best dressing.

Commitment through the good times and the bad: So the story goes, when my mom and dad were faced with bankruptcy during the 80s, lawyers advised them to divorce so they could salvage some of their assets. This wasn't an option for my mom... or my dad. Today, she continues in her commitment to my dad who has spent the last nine years in a nursing home. Almost every day she visits with him and he lights up as the most beautiful woman in the world walks into his room ... how I imagine it was the first time he laid eyes on her.

And last but not least, love: The greatest gift of all she has demonstrated in so many ways over the years. And believe me, I am not the easiest daughter to love. But she does. No matter all of my flaws and idiosyncrasies, my mom loves me. Unabashedly and wholeheartedly. I can share with her my fears, tears, frustrations and more but I know that no matter what, she loves me. 

Thank you mom.

From Diabetes to the Boardroom

Way back when I wrote a blog post about the important role communications play in making sure my 10-year old son Manny is safe no matter where he is--because of his diagnosis of juvenile diabetes this past February. I thought it was time for an update to share some of the important lessons I have learned since then, which have actually impacted my professional life.

For the past 6 months his current intake of insulin was via shots. This meant that each day in addition to his frequent blood sugar checks (6-10 times/day) he also received around 6 to 8 insulin shots per day. After his diagnosis these shots were given the traditional way with a lot of syringes and vials.

After that he graduated to insulin pens. The pens are definitely easier to use but at the end of the day they were still shots. And we were still administering a lot of them as he continues to grow as little boys do.

The past few months Manny decided to take the next step and move to the insulin pump. After weeks of agonizing which pump was the coolest ... he made his decision. Overall the pump is certainly much better and an easier way to deliver the insulin.  Manny is continuously connected to a palm-sized pump  he carries which delivers insulin through the catheter. With each meal his current blood sugar syncs with the pump and then he manually punches in the amount of carbs he ate ...the pump then delivers. You can imagine what a relief this is given the amount of food Manny eats, and boy does that kid eat. No more shots.

However, every three days we have to use a quite elaborate system to insert the catheter. Think of a stapler held against the skin that pokes in about 6 mm. For all of us this process has been a learning curve. You have to grab enough of his "fat" which is hardly existent and then use the inserter. Every three days we re-do this process which can be extremely nerve-wracking. And yes, we've had a few mishaps along the way when all of us end up in tears.

So what have I learned so far that helps me in my day-to-day business life at Red Shoes PR? Here it is:

Confidence - I never thought I would be able to give my own child shots, much less insert a catheter. With this new level of confidence, anything is possible when it comes to my business.

Perspective - With all the things that can go wrong in my day-to-day at the office, it still pales in comparison to the daily battle he fights.

Attitude - I have noticed considerably that my attitude directly impacts his attitude. If my hands shake when inserting the catheter, he gets nervous. I've noticed the same impact when I am in the office: my attitude can have a direct impact on my team.

Appreciation - For the simple things in life like watching Manny run down the basketball court with energy. At the office, sometimes it's those unplanned meetings which include a lot of laughter. Music to my ears.

These are my gifts from Manny. I hope you can find use for them, too.