Friday, February 28, 2020

Keeping Score


I was at a meeting recently with my mentor and friend, Paul Martinelli.  He said something in that meeting that has had me reeling and searching through my memories.  He said, “You have to stop before you begin keeping score.  When you keep score, it leads to the three R’s:  Resistance, Revenge, and ultimately Resentment.”  He said when you start going down the relationship hole of you did this and I did that and you begin to tally the results, it leads to you withholding or retaliating until the threshold of resentment is reached.  Once resentment has set in, it is extremely difficult to hold on to the relationship.

From a context perspective, I am a data driven person.  Not necessarily to keep tally of score, but to look for trends and patterns to help find areas of improvement in business processes.  I even wrote a chapter in my book called “Data Rules All…”  This conversation made me reflect on my past teachings and determine if some of my project failures came from tallying data.

I realized this is not the case.  Data collection and trend analysis is paramount to improvement.  What I learned through reflection is in how we use the data.  I started to go back to the painful projects.  The ones that still can keep me up at night if I think about them.  I read through some of my old documents and looked at them through this light.  When a project does go bad, or at least is starting to, it is typical to reflect and begin to prepare your cover.  However, I could tell in many of those documents, revenge and some resentment was flowing through.  Especially when you start to write documents with dates and things that have occurred.  I ask you as the reader to reflect on some of the more tumultuous times and determine were you simply seeking revenge, or did you resent the person or company that you were dealing with?

As I was contemplating this, I had an opportunity recently to put it in action.  We had a development project that was not going as planned for a variety of reasons.  It was certainly shared by both sides; however, the client was growing increasingly angry.  I then received the email that had dates and what they saw us do wrong.  My old behavior would be to fill in the blanks of dates and the rest of the story.  I immediately felt myself go into the mode of keeping score.  Yes, we had delays, but you caused XX number of days as well.  Quickly I realized this feeling and started to ask myself a few questions.  Did I want to keep this customer?  Yes.  Was the relationship more important than my ego or being right?  Yes.  Whether I proved my point or just accepted the blame, would they still do business with us?  Not sure.  That is where I started.

When we got on the call, the first thing I said that it was all on me.  I will take the hit.  Here is where we are and here is where we will be in this time.  I stated that I didn’t want to go through all of the history because all that would do is cause us to defend each other’s position and would not serve the project.  So here is where we are, what would you like to do?  The tension immediately waned.  All parties went into problem solving mode and positive momentum was gained.

I do not advocate that this is the appropriate approach for all occasions.  What I do advocate is to think of Paul’s poignant words and look through that filter before you make any decisions on how to go forward.

No Day But Today,
Rick

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Journey of a Child Star - Lindsey Alley - Radio Show Transcript - February 21, 2020

To get to the web page of the radio show, click here.

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This transcription was completed through an automated service.  Please excuse any typos or misrepresented words.

VoiceAmerica  0:04  
One problem facing people at many levels of business is how to make time for a work life and a personal life. Do you find that one seems to keep getting in the way of the other? This is the work life balance with Rick Morris. Even if you're not involved in the business world, you'll have a lot to gain by tuning into today's show. Now, here's your host, Rick Morris.

Rick A. Morris  0:28  
And Welcome to another Friday edition of the work life balance. So happy to have you guys along and super excited for today's show. You know, since last Friday, not a lot happened. I am still on somewhat of a performance high though I get to see rents which you know if you guys know me and know the play, no day but today for me, the book that I wrote about that play, it got to come through Birmingham and I could take my family to it as first time my son sat down and saw the play and look over and you know, 13 year old cool kids in tears. It was it was pretty good.

The sea but other than that, I'm not going to waste a whole lot of time on the recap of the week because I want to get straight to our guest. I'm so excited that she's here with us. And just to tell you a little bit about her she's been performing in theater, television and film since the age of six. In 1989, she was cast as a mouseketeer on the Disney Channel's all new Mickey Mouse Club forming alongside Brittany and Christina and Justin Ryan. Carrie, you know them all. We've talked about him on the show, but she was one of only three cast members to appear in the pilot and all seven seasons. Since then, she's gotten onto Broadway she played the role of older Helen in Hollywood arms, and just completed the Chicago engagement of First Wives Club. regionally She starred in Freaky Friday Young Frankenstein Legally Blonde let's misbehave having it all. She's gotten a couple of La ovation nominations during that on the TV and web. She's starting Jessica Jones lies the on demand lethal weapon. How I Met Your Mother, I didn't

Do it Bedtime Stories earn his saves Christmas, which, you know, we all know Ernest saves everything. But her original web series was fantastic. It was called on the patio. You can see that on the patio TV. com. She's a graduate of the University of Missouri Columbia, the William Esper studio in New York and the imagined life studio in Los Angeles, and is currently touring the world and you can bring her to your organization with an acclaimed act called blood, sweat and mouseketeer. So let's bring her on. Miss Lindsey. Alley, how are you, Lindsey? Hi, I'm great. I'm great. Thank you. So I'm officially going to turn into your hype man. That's that's, I need to get out there and do that for you.

Lindsey Alley  2:41  
It's Lindsey, you just travel with me and do that as I walk into rooms. It will do it yeah, we'll do my my Michael buffer. impersonation, but I mean, let's talk about this though. Right. You started acting at a really young age right? Did you always know that? That

Where you're gonna head? Um, you know, this is, this is what happens kids when you're when your parents let you watch too many movie musicals. I think I wore out my tapes of Annie and the sound of music and, and my parents actually took us my brother and I took us to my brother and me, excuse me, to the theater from the moment we could sit. So I think that just planted a seed very early.

And I knew I wanted to be a part of that. I loved the way I felt in the theater. I love the way I felt when I was watching those musicals on TV and I knew I wanted to be in that world. And it you know, it wasn't necessarily show business it was I wanted to entertain people in that way. And I I wanted to make people feel the way I felt when I when I went to the theater, so Yeah, so I guess you could say I've always known I've known since probably I was five or six, truly.

Rick A. Morris  4:09  
So when he did the makeup, I become very protective of what I call the first five seasons of the Mickey Mouse Club. So when you bring up Mickey Mouse Club and the all new Mickey Mouse Club, everybody does go to the ones they know they go to Justin and Christina, and Brittany and all that, oh, you know them. And I was like, Yeah, but if these super talented kids on season one weren't awesome. There wouldn't have been a season six. Right. And so I

Lindsey Alley  4:36  
good point, Rick. I've actually never

Rick A. Morris  4:38  
thought of that. Have you not? I say it all the time. I'm like, if you guys had to kill it for five seasons, or we look, we may have still heard of Justin and Christina and Brittany, but we wouldn't have heard from them from the Mickey Mouse Club. You wouldn't have been the club

Unknown Speaker  4:54  
the way for those kids.

Rick A. Morris  4:57  
Well, good. Take it known it because it's the truth. You guys guys killed it. Yeah, you guys.

Unknown Speaker  5:03  
Thank you. So what

Rick A. Morris  5:04  
was it? What was your experience like? And I mean, for those of you that are trying to say I think I know the name or whatever she was our cutesy there's always the cute one that you just want to squeeze the cheeks was our Lindsey, but I would like for you.

Lindsey Alley  5:20  
I was the youngest for a long time. Until I wasn't until that second wave of kids came in. You know, it's so funny it was it was such a long time ago. There's sadly chunks of it that I don't even remember I have I have these very specific images now and very specific memories, but I don't have like, what did it feel like to be on set? I don't really remember. Isn't that sad? And it's not because I grew up and did a lot of drugs or you know, drink it all the way it was nothing like that. But I think you know, My big takeaway from the experience was this sense of family and sense of, you know, these, these are the kids that I grew up with. It was my high school. And it all felt so normal to me. So when people are like, what was it like? Well, it was normal it was, you know, I had this job on on TV and, and got to do these sketches and sing, you know, do these musical numbers with these awesome kids who were in my high school. And it was it was truly It was truly wonderful. But it felt strangely just normal to me. That that this was just my everyday that it's weird to say that that a TV show in your childhood could feel like a like a regular everyday activity, but that's what it was for me.

Rick A. Morris  6:54  
What I found fascinating it was pre internet, right? So there was no following you on Twitter seeing you on Instagram or you're watching your Facebook or any that kind of stuff. And so it was the handwritten letters, you know, that would come right. But on top of that, there really wasn't a sense of the impact that you guys were making. And I think that's what made our event in May so special, which was the 30 year reunion. And so first time we had cast members from all seven seasons on stage together and yeah, but but the interaction with fans talk about that a little bit.

Lindsey Alley  7:30  
Um, well in this it was the same in the sense of, we all kind of grew up together and it was so wonderful that we didn't have Facebook and Insta and we actually really connected face to face and those fans who came to the set to see the tapings. I'm friends with like they're in my life. They are they're my friends now to its there was this real sense of family and then it was so cool at the reunion to actually meet people face to face for the first time after receiving letters over the years or connecting through Facebook years later. And then to finally see them in person and hug them it. It felt like seeing a long lost family member. I'm not I'm not being dramatic. It's true. Because we all had this. It was this common ground meeting place at 530 on the on the weekdays where we could all just, you know, let it all go be kids hang out together, whether we were on the show or you were a member of the show watching at home. It was our It was our time to just be ourselves and it was very unifying. Is that word Make sense? And this

Rick A. Morris  8:52  
does, it does I think one of the moments that sticks out the most for me other than you know your performance For a room that was built for you, but the thing that sticks out the most for me is when you were sharing with you that you were going through like a braces stage. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Do that when you got your braces and when you got above how the fans, you know, supported you.

Lindsey Alley  9:16  
Yeah. And you know not to I would never say anything disparaging about Disney or the producers because I have such an incredible experience on the show. But they, they didn't want me to have braces. And I think they were afraid of I'm not sure what the exact words were to my parents when when my dad told them that I was going to get them. And they I think they said something like someone said something like, well, we don't have imperfect kids or something. I don't know what it was. We don't we don't want this. We don't want her to have braces. I don't know what the exact words were. But my dad was like look she could shoot down a tree with the He needs these braces. Anyway, I got them. And it was like this instantaneous connection with these other kids who had braces, everybody was going through it, everybody was dealing with something. And they saw themselves, you know, it's it was representation, you know, on a very small level, it was just a mouthful of braces, but it it had impact. And it it meant so much to the to the viewers at home going through that, but it meant so much to me too, because even though I was on the job, I'm still a kid going through puberty and and awkward stages. And it was so nice to get these letters from these fans all over just saying I'm so happy to have them too. And it just it it just made me feel so great. So

yeah, again, a unifying experience.

Rick A. Morris  10:58  
So what we didn't know and I just put two into together is you do a joke about your your husband's family in in their teeth and had Disney one you would have just fit into the family essentially.

Lindsey Alley  11:12  
Exactly. I see all the time that you know my husband's from the UK and I say I had to marry him he's the only English guy I've ever met with nice tea. So look I had to do it I had an area but yeah if I if we just let it go You know I still even say to this day, you know? Look, we can always move back to England and let our teeth go. We can just

Rick A. Morris  11:34  
what's the joke about your first time running the pictures but the

Lindsey Alley  11:39  
other Yeah, they rule I always say they his family ruined our wedding photos.

Rather has teeth like a drunken graveyard.

Oh, Lord.

Rick A. Morris  11:54  
Yep. So So had you had Disney one then you and his brother would have more in common than you think.

Lindsey Alley  12:01  
Exactly, exactly.

What's the other the other thing that we say is? Oh, he could eat an apple through a tennis racket.

I'm sorry, you guys, that's my computer here. Let me It's okay. It's okay. It's saying that I have messages which you know are just spam anyway. It just makes me laugh so hard and of course Lee just shakes his head now and he's like, this is so tired, Linds. Come on, like get some new material. It still makes me laugh.

Rick A. Morris  12:34  
makes me laugh every time and what was so cool about the reunion is you know, you tell stories about the Mickey Mouse Club and you tell stories about family tell stories about your mom and everybody was present there you know, it was a lot of other than Justin right, which will save that joke for the corporate gigs.

Unknown Speaker  12:53  
Will cable that joke,

Rick A. Morris  12:55  
but but I thought that was a really cool moment. So We're going to continue talking with Lindsey, we're gonna find out what she's done post MMC and what the future holds for her as well. So we're gonna take a quick break right here you're listening to the work life balance

VoiceAmerica  13:20  
we're on Alexa smart speakers and connected devices. Alexa, play being here podcasts on Apple podcast Troy know. Are you frustrated with the overall productivity of your project management processes? Do you lack consistency and project delivery? r squared consulting provides end to end services to assist companies of all sizes and realizing and improving the value of project management. Whether you want to build a project management office, train project managers or learn how to bring the oversight and governance to your project processes. r squared has tailored best practices to help you in all areas of our Management visit r squared consulting.com are you getting the most out of your project management software. In many cases, it is not the software that is failing, but the implementation limitations or processes surrounding the use of that software. r squared can analyze your current use and help improve your return on investment. Our square can also suggest the best software for your organization and goals and assist in the selection implementation and training. allow our square to ensure that you are getting the value of your investment visit r squared consulting.com Today

you are tuned into the work life balance to reach Rick Morris or his guests today. We'd love to have you call into the program at 1-866-472-5790. Again, that's 1-866-472-5790 if you'd rather send an email Rick be reached at r Morris at r squared consulting.com. Now back to the work life balance.

Rick A. Morris  15:10  
And welcome back to the work life balance on this Friday afternoon. We're visiting with the one and only Lindsey Alley   Lindsey. So we were just talking about your experiences on the Mickey Mouse Club. And obviously that was a big portion of your early life but you've now transition from a kid actor to an adult actor. What was that like?

Unknown Speaker  15:29  
Hard?

Lindsey Alley  15:31  
I'm not gonna lie. It's it's a major thing. And I think it's I think it's really tough when you I think any kid actor would tell you this or anybody who's had success really early, which I did. In a way it kind of sets you up. To think that this is kind of how it's always going to be, oh, this is just my life. I just go in and work on TV shows and this is This is who I am and what I do and

Unknown Speaker  16:03  
it kind of just shapes your worldview very early. And then when

Lindsey Alley  16:11  
when the chips don't continue to fall that way, you start to wonder if there's something wrong with you and then you wind up in a lot of therapy and and then you try to give it up and do something else and try other jobs but realize that you don't love it as much as you love this one thing so you stay the course. And it's not that I haven't had success as an adult actor. It's just that my success with was profound as as a kid and it wasn't just the Mickey Mouse Club. I mean, I started doing regional theater when I was six. I mean, I did Annie at the Burt Reynolds dinner theater when I was eight. I mean, working professionally like paying taxes since the age of six. So You know, making that transition, I still feel like I'm making the transition. You know what I mean? I still feel like I'm reinventing myself all the time or discovering something new. But it It hasn't been like a series of slam dunks in my, in my adult hood as it as it was in my childhood. And, you know, sometimes I say, it was college that kind of slowed me down. I mean, it was very important to me and my family that I get a degree but I think we all know that you don't really need a college degree to be an actor, and you need to just keep doing it. And so a part of me wonders, should I have zigged instead of zagged? Meaning should I have, you know, maintained the momentum that I had as a kid and just moved to LA or moved to New York, right after high school, and instead, I chose to kind of slow down and and get this degree and it was an amazing experience. And I'm so happy that I have it. But I do still wonder if things would have been different if I just kept going. You know,

Rick A. Morris  18:13  
what's interesting, we call you an adult actor, but you're only 22 years old, let's be honest. Right? You still got a whole life ahead of you there. But

Lindsey Alley  18:21  
years ahead of me,

Rick A. Morris  18:22  
you know, I've gotten a chance to visit with a lot of you the Mickey Mouse Club, and what's interesting to me is, you know, if you look at the normal acting career, you, you you're a success in high school and maybe some local theater and then you're going to go to LA and when you finally kind of make it, you know that that's a journey, but when you guys have Disney money behind you at such a young age, you know, when I talk with Damon and chase and DD and you know, they had Disney money behind their recording, right, they were working with Dr. Dre and Teddy Riley and it just ridiculous producers is such a young age, and then that gets taken away. I feel like It's your to mountaintops further down than the normal actor coming back up. Does that make sense?

Lindsey Alley  19:06  
Oh, yeah, yeah, totally. And then there's when the other kids around you are blowing up. There is this sense of like, feeling like a hamster on a wheel. Like, you're trying to keep up on some level and, and recognizing that you can't. And, you know, and I'm thinking, what what am I trying to keep up with? I don't want to be a pop star. I don't I don't want a career in that world. But then there's this sense that you're like, oh, are people thinking what happened to her or Where did she go wrong? Or, you know, it's just the mind games that go on. So when people say to me, you know, my kid really wants to be in show business. What advice would you give? I take a big pause before before I give any answers or any advice, because it hasn't been easy. It's it's a, it's a really tough business. It's a really tough career, whether you're, you know, just starting out at age, you know, 20 or you got to start really early and you're, you know, trying to gear shift from child actor to adult actor. I think it's all really tough and it all comes in seasons. It's feast or famine. So I am very cautious about advising parents to get their kids into show business. And the only advice I can give is you have to stay in it. If you can't think about doing anything else. If you if you wake up thinking about it, and you go to bed thinking about it, and you dream about it, and everything else feels like you're faking it. Then you have to do it. But, but it is hard. It's really it's a life of sacrifice and therapy

Unknown Speaker  21:02  
and booze.

Rick A. Morris  21:05  
But I think you know, there's a lot of people that that that have this fascination with fame right in fact, but what were you sometimes don't even become the person in front of them it's it's the character that you played You're no different than somebody walking down the street they showed your character name I think the difference you know for you guys in the Mickey Mouse clubs It was your name there was no character right it was just you and so you know it's it I can promise you this I feel like I got to come into big brother role here for a second. The the choices that you made back then and where you are right now is exactly where you're supposed to be. There's no regret for past decisions. And, you know, it's not like you didn't act because you you were hooked on cocaine and you know, in a crack house somewhere it was to college. And it I think every decision and regret that we have in our lives becomes the the building block and test for us to pass later.

Unknown Speaker  22:08  
Right. Right.

Rick A. Morris  22:10  
So no regret on that decision. No regret.

Lindsey Alley  22:12  
No. And you know, and I say that as almost as a joke. Because

I mean, the truth is, is I probably did slow things down a little bit. I'm so sorry you guys. Okay? Um, you know, it probably did slow things down, but I would I would I go back and change like all of the friends that I made all the shows that I got to do that collegiate experience. Those boys that I got to make out with, I mean, like,

Rick A. Morris  22:44  
I mean, I wouldn't do tell our stories like, all right. That's how rumors get started.

Lindsey Alley  22:49  
Exactly right. I just, I mean, I, I wouldn't change any of it. It just I think everybody does this to some degree. Like if I had zero Instead of zagged you know what would my How would life be different? But I saw some and this is so embarrassing it makes me sound real dumb but I think I saw this quote on Instagram the other day and I don't I don't know who's quoted is but it it said stop pretending like it could have been any other way and I don't know why it makes me emotional to even think that but it does. It's like that's right like this is we are exactly where we're supposed to be on the map. And finding peace with that is challenging sometimes, but it's it's the truth. We're exactly where we're supposed to be. So you're right. No regrets, no regrets, big brother.

Rick A. Morris  23:44  
And I'm a big fan of energy, right in belief in energy and the manifestation of so I operate as if I've already done a lot of things right.

Unknown Speaker  23:57  
So smart,

Rick A. Morris  23:58  
so cool, which Why, you know, you're going to have 37 corporate gigs next year, right?

Lindsey Alley  24:04  
Please keep thinking all the thoughts

Rick A. Morris  24:07  
are going to manifest that. We're going to get into the one woman show in the next segment. But just as a teaser, you you write quite a bit as well. Is that correct?

Lindsey Alley  24:19  
Yeah, Yeah, I do. It's a form of therapy.

Rick A. Morris  24:23  
But in writing, one of the things that that was so cool of the MMC 30 was your opening song was tailored to that audience. Is that something you do for most of your shows?

Lindsey Alley  24:34  
It is Yeah, and I actually have help with that. I have two guys, two really brilliant writers who I work with regularly. Eric kornfield and David Goldsmith. And, and we collaborate on these tunes and I take these. I take these concepts to them and think okay, what makes a great parody. It's a song that everybody knows to start with and how can we make it specific to them? How can we speak directly to them with our opening number? Because I really feel like that is what you know gets people listening straight away if it's if the show is for them about them and not just Hey, I'm going to show up with this stock opening number of the Stock Show and I take a lot of I take a lot of time and pride in the fact that we try to make things specifically for the audience we're entertaining

Rick A. Morris  25:33  
was it's no different than why rock and roll shows they come out and go Hey, Chicago, we love

Lindsey Alley  25:39  
this exactly right. That's exactly right. You want to you want to speak to these people directly. So yeah, it's it's important to get all the inside joke jokes in and, and and make them feel like you know, we know you are we've got your number straight away. I think it you know,

It's people listening from the start show.

Rick A. Morris  26:03  
And I'm very cognizant not to release jokes or release material. But when you did the opening number at MMC 30. And you hit the line grown up Mouseketeers. I mean the place just went

Unknown Speaker  26:14  
Oh, yeah.

Rick A. Morris  26:16  
Yeah. But that was a perfect example of how you how you personalize the show for for the audience, which means we're going to go into break here in a second. But if you're thinking man, I really need something funny, something entertaining, something touching. Go through all the emotions is the way to open up my conference or my corporate event or we just want to laugh before we reveal the 10 k numbers to our investors, any of that kind of stuff. Think Lindsey and we'll make sure that she personalizes you know if you got bad news to release about your earnings, let Lindsey do it in her show. Right. We'll do it.

Lindsey Alley  26:55  
I love bringing down the hammer.

Rick A. Morris  27:01  
So we're gonna take a break here we'll be right back with a fantastic

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VoiceAmerica  27:25  
Try it today. Are you frustrated with the overall productivity of your project management processes? Do you lack consistency and project delivery? r squared consulting provides end to end services to assist companies of all sizes in realizing and improving the value of project management. Whether you want to build a project management office, train project managers or learn how to bring the oversight and governance to your project processes. r squared has tailored best practices to help you in all areas of project management, visit r squared consulting.com Are you getting the most out of your project management software. In many cases, it is not the software that is failing, but the implementation limitations or processes surrounding the use of that software. r squared can analyze your current use and help improve your return on investment. r squared can also suggest the best software for your organization and goals and assist in the selection implementation and training. allow our square to ensure that you are getting the value of your investment visit r squared consulting.com Today

you are tuned into the work life balance to reach Rick Morris or his guest today. We'd love to have you call into the program at 1-866-472-5790. Again, that's 1-866-472-5790 if you'd rather send an email Rick can be reached at our Morris at r squared consulting.com Now back to the work life balance.

Rick A. Morris  29:09  
And we're back to this Friday edition of the work life balance. I'm going to be in Boston this weekend. So if you guys want to come out and see us, Tony and chaser are doing a show out there at the city winery. So we'll be out there to support our brothers. Come visit us out there. I think it's sold out. So if we can just create a nice line out the front, that'll be fantastic for our crew. So coming back to Lindsey. So Lindsey, we're talking about your your one woman show that you've been doing for years to talk to us about that.

Lindsey Alley  29:40  
So, you know, it's I feel like it started. A million years ago, my friend Barbara Smith, who's an actress in my hometown of Lakeland, Florida, was doing a little segment at the library one day, called people in their stories and she wanted to interview me for this thing. We had such a great time, just riffing for a teeny tiny little audience at our local library, that it turned into a bigger show. And then I took that concept to college and, and kind of built out this little show in college and then that transition to look Mondo ears a show that I ran off Broadway for six weeks back in 2006. And then I took this version on gay cruises. And that's where the show kind of took on a whole new life because I was doing these cruises regularly in front of a very discerning audience of gay guys on the high seas, who had no problems saying what worked and what didn't work and, and I was able to build up this act and it wasn't just, it wasn't just a cabaret act. It wasn't just song to song to song and then song was written by Cole Porter. And this song was written by beep bop boop, it was, you know, it had a real arc, a beginning a middle and an end. And I realized I had this Mickey Mouse Club hook that I could work with that certainly set me apart from other cabaret artists. And, and it started taking on this sort of life of stand up as well. So it's, it's part stand up part musical comedy, part, touching cabaret. It's this hybrid show that kind of works for any audience I found, and especially when you tailor the show specific to these audiences. And and it's it's great fun, I've it's the thing that I've always done. And I think it's one of the oldest ways to connect. It's so simple. It's just one art And a musician on stage it's, there are no pyrotechnics. There's, I don't even have a drummer or a bassist. It's just a piano. And it's very pared down. But it's a very effective entertainment tool.

Rick A. Morris  32:15  
It's me it's like old Vegas.

Lindsey Alley  32:18  
Is all Vegas. It is it's the great American club act and bring it back.

Rick A. Morris  32:22  
There it is. There it isn't. You're so dang funny in this. I mean, you just, but I mean, we went through the whole realm of emotions from from tears to laughter to just you know being into you can captivate an audience with your voice as well. It's it's just, but but I love that you don't take yourself so seriously on stage. You know, I think that's a really important thing.

Lindsey Alley  32:45  
Yeah, I mean, I, I just can't I mean, I just start with I look like a muppet. So I mean, if you look like a muppet, and really take yourself too seriously, you got to keep it real. So yeah. I'm, it's just I like seeing I like seeing people be real onstage you know, I, I strive for perfection in my shows, but like when I go to see other people perform, my favorite moments are when they go up on a lyric or they have to stop to collect themselves or they're at a moment where they can't remember what's coming next in their show and we see these glimpse we see a glimpse of a real person. And that's far more interesting to me than this super polished, pristine, you know, show that has been rehearsed within an inch of its life. You know, I love seeing the humanity and things like that.

Rick A. Morris  33:44  
You brought me back to Carol Burnett. That's why that was always so funny with her Barbie and Tim always trying to crack each other up when they build a character. That was the funniest part.

Lindsey Alley  33:53  
Yeah, it was the best part. It was the very best part and it was the moment that people live for because you just saw it. Oh my god, these people are having the best time and they're just people. So yeah, your people, people being people. Anyway, yeah, it's I mean, maybe it's a way of letting myself off the hook for not being perfect when I'm up there. Because I, you know, they're little failures and every show but the older I get the more accepting I am of the imperfect show, the imperfect skate, as I call it. So

Rick A. Morris  34:34  
let's be clear to though this is no Mickey Mouse show. This is in fact, just to peel the curtain back a little bit there was we had to negotiate because we were outside at Epcot. And because it's family we had to negotiate you know certain words and how many say and you know that can so so you can go ultra clean? But

Unknown Speaker  34:55  
yes,

Rick A. Morris  34:56  
it is. It is a negotiation to see how far you can push that envelope.

Lindsey Alley  35:00  
That's right. And I and I, I stepped right up to the line. Didn't I read?

Rick A. Morris  35:05  
You? Did you did? We actually negotiated a couple of words you didn't use? You? I think he used not antonyms synonyms. But you didn't use any any word so you weren't supposed to

Lindsey Alley  35:20  
know now as my mother always says, Lindsey, please don't talk about your body part.

Rick A. Morris  35:30  
I think that was the best do that your mom was in the audience that was

Lindsey Alley  35:33  
Yes. With with oxygen standing by and in a crash cart. Like right right behind her.

Rick A. Morris  35:40  
And I I had a Disney representative right next to me. So how they were just the monitoring just in case. That's right. Mouse is always watching.

Lindsey Alley  35:51  
The mouse is always watching. No, I mean, like, Look, you know, if somebody says don't say this, and don't say that I'm always going to be very respectful because I don't want Gonna show up and and you know mess up the bed in someone's house so

Unknown Speaker  36:07  
you know I want to be asked back for God

Unknown Speaker  36:10  
exactly

Rick A. Morris  36:12  
so we got about we got about two minutes for break what's one of your what's a story of you doing something maybe you shouldn't have done while on set at MMC or while in the park at MMC

Lindsey Alley  36:26  
um well nothing on set I mean I can't say that I was I've always been a good girl like I've always been a rule follower and a people pleaser so I don't step out too much. I mean, if somebody says look, you cannot drop the F bomb I really won't like I might not have it. I might gesture something inappropriate but I'm never I'm never gonna come out and you know unset like, again, I was always kind of a good kid. But I do remember one day at can Vincent, one of the PA is to let me drive a golf cart. And I was like, I don't know what he was thinking letting me do this. I was 12. I mean, the poor guy probably lost his job. But I remember driving around the back lot of the set, and I put it in reverse. And again, he's like sitting right next to me totally letting me do this. I put it in reverse and drove right into the wardrobe trailer, and I couldn't

Unknown Speaker  37:27  
gain the whole

Lindsey Alley  37:29  
trailer. I mean, look, it was no big deal, but I did damage Disney property. No, no, it was kind of bad. Kind of bad. But I think my parents were spoken to about it. But again, somebody allowed me to do this. So I'm not even I'm not even.

Rick A. Morris  37:47  
Yeah, it's not even your fault. No, clearly clearly was that whatsoever,

Unknown Speaker  37:52  
totally assigning blame to someone else.

Rick A. Morris  37:55  
Alright, we're gonna take our last break here and then we're going to talk about one of the biggest changes that That's happened in your life but we'll talk about that when we come back from break. You're listening to

VoiceAmerica  38:16  
smart speakers and connected devices. Alexa, play being here podcasts on Apple podcast droid No. Are you frustrated with the overall productivity of your project management processes? Do you lack consistency and project delivery? r squared consulting provides end to end services to assist companies of all sizes and realizing and improving the value of project management. Whether you want to build a project management office, train project managers or learn how to bring the oversight and governance to your project processes. r squared has tailored best practices to help you in all areas of project management, visit r squared consulting com Are you getting the most out of your project management software. In many cases, it is not the software that is failing, but the implementation limitations or processes surrounding the use of that software. r squared can analyze your current use and help improve your return on investment. r squared can also suggest the best software for your organization and goals and assist in the selection implementation and training. allow our square to ensure that you are getting the value of your investment visit r squared consulting.com Today

you are tuned into the work life balance to reach Rick Morris or his guest today we'd love to have you call into the program at 1-866-472-5790. Again, that's 1-866-472-5790 if you'd rather send an email Rick can be reached at r Morris at r squared consulting.com. Now back to the workload Balance.

Rick A. Morris  40:07  
And welcome back to the final segment of the work life balance this Friday afternoon with the great Miss Lindsey Alley. So Lindsey, we teased it going into break though you've had a huge change in your life once you tell us what that is,

Unknown Speaker  40:19  
um, well, the biggest change is having a baby at 40

Lindsey Alley  40:26  
which seems like a totally appropriate thing to do.

Yeah, I mean, I, I can't say I've, I, I was always one of those people who, you know, desperately want to kids and I'm just keeping it real.

Yeah, I often say I love kids. I'm a big fan of their work. I

Unknown Speaker  40:51  
just wasn't sure I wanted to own one. And, and then

Lindsey Alley  40:57  
you know, when my husband and I decided to Kind of give it a go. It was very much a, you know, we'll see what happens. We're older. It may or may not happen for us either way, we're fine. We're totally happy if it's just us and that's, that's going to be our life and and I, I sort of got pregnant straight away, which was shocking to both of us. And I didn't tell anybody because I just you know, you hear all these stories and you just sort of think, well, this might not this might not be a real thing and then as the months ticked on, I thought, I guess this is real, like, I guess I'm gonna have a baby. And then it was about 37 weeks when I finally told Facebook I was like, I told you guys I guess I'm I'm get I mean, it's 37 weeks now. I guess I need to commit to this like I'm having I think it's officially too late. I you know, I definitely look pregnant. Anyway, I there was so much fear around it. I thought what kind of mom? Am I going to be? Is this kid gonna like me? How is this going to change our world and it has changed everything. And I I say with love that he's ruined my life in the best way possible. Because I just you you, you don't think about how dramatic the changes until your until you're in it and and how I cannot fathom my life without this kid in it now which is so weird to me because it's not something I thought I wanted and now I can't imagine not seeing his face every single day. He's just the greatest kid in the world. He's so nice.

Rick A. Morris  42:48  
And they're amazing. What's funny is is there's a secret and I'm gonna go ahead and reveal it. But there's a secret with those of us that have kids to couples that don't we're always like yeah, now go do it. Yeah, sure. know it's the greatest thing. And we don't tell you everything that's involved on purpose because we want you in our miserable club.

Lindsey Alley  43:08  
That's right. That's right. Exactly. And you know, it is so true and nobody really tells you what it's like. And the truth is, is they can't, because you think it's going to be different for you. Even when people say, Oh my god, you're never going to sleep again.

Rick A. Morris  43:26  
You haven't slept in two years. You saw

Lindsey Alley  43:29  
two full years. I used to be really cute. And now I look like a white walker.

Knocking I used to say my boobs were so cute before and now they look like they belong in a menu at I have.

Unknown Speaker  43:46  
This kid has sucked the life out of my face and my body. But he's great.

Rick A. Morris  43:56  
The visual of the menu out of control. I'm just gonna

Lindsey Alley  44:02  
go accurate if I could show you under

magic, itty bitty tities is it's so bizarre, but having said that the body is amazing is it it is so weird what I just did. I mean, I just

and then I said that person was

Unknown Speaker  44:27  
I mean, it's just so weird.

Unknown Speaker  44:32  
It's insane

Rick A. Morris  44:35  
but great, great material comes from the kids. Hey, you want to have a writing comedy? Good gracious.

Lindsey Alley  44:41  
Well, that's the thing. It's like I don't even I can't even take credit for any creative ideas. It's like my kid is just handing me these gems on a platter now. I mean, he's just so funny. yesterday. I my husband's been out of town for work and he I put some oatmeal on the table for him and I was like listen, and he's too. I was like, Listen, eat your oatmeal. I've gotta go do my makeup. I'll be right. And I hear him in here eating his oatmeal and I'm like, listen to that kid eat doing what I asked him to do. And I come in here after doing my makeup and I realized that I had failed to put a spoon out for him. I am such an awesome mom. And instead of asking me for a spoon or an and I knew he couldn't get to the utensil drawer in our island in the kitchen is a lower drawer where I keep the serving spoons. That kid went in the drawer and got himself a gravy ladle and ate his own. He was eating oatmeal with a gravy ladle.

Unknown Speaker  45:47  
That is resourceful. I was impressed.

Rick A. Morris  45:51  
I remember my daughter was like, I want to say she's six months old. I actually have this on video. But she she used to Grab her baby food bottle and like make this weird like where she would kind of shake her head and it didn't dawn on me until I saw her mom feeding her one day and her mom struggled to open up the the baby food jars so you know how you strain and you kind of shake your head right she had picked up on that and thought that's what you do. She grabbed a bottle then she should shake her head like she was straining opening was one of the funniest things I've ever seen

Unknown Speaker  46:26  
at their show and you cannot say or do anything now I really have to watch it. Right. You know, if he's going to pick up something it's definitely going to be something

Unknown Speaker  46:39  
that I say so.

Unknown Speaker  46:42  
My mom is like Lindsey You better watch your mouth. Kid

Rick A. Morris  46:50  
so how do people book you and and find you, Lindsey.

Lindsey Alley  46:53  
So I mean I'm I'm for sale. I'm on me and

I am very available and reachable. You just have to go to your local social media site of your choice. drop me a line on Facebook actually don't because if we're not friends on Facebook doesn't get filed away into some secret folder and then something like that. Yeah. Okay, so just go to my website, Lindsey le calm. And you can, you can find me there. Insta Twitter, I have an agent, I have all the things or call Rick Morris. He's got myself.

Rick A. Morris  47:32  
Thanks for that. So how's that getting called at all?

Unknown Speaker  47:39  
I'll give you

Rick A. Morris  47:41  
There it is. There it is. So quickly, what's some of the best advice you've ever received?

Lindsey Alley  47:46  
Um, I've received lots of good advice over the years and I

haven't, haven't used a lot.

But, you know, in i and this is this is a sad statement to make. I don't remember who gave me this piece of advice I I don't recall. But it was, it was a few years back when you would walk into I would walk into auditions and think, what do they want? What are they looking for in quotes? They What did they want? And I was trying to be something else for a while. And this was this was many years ago this probably 10 years ago. And I was trying to fit into some mold of what I thought people wanted in show business or what I thought they wanted my show to look like. And the best advice somebody gave me was, don't try to be anything like don't try to fit into anything you are your own superpower. Like the you are. It the fact that no one else can be you is your biggest asset. And I've carried that with me and whenever I thought, you know, I'm not as good or I'm not as this or, you know, my body doesn't look like hers or my face doesn't look like hers. And I just think Yeah, but their face doesn't look like mine. And, and I, I've let myself be me. And I just think that is the one thing that we can all we should all remember is like we're all so unique and, and being ourselves is our is our superpower.

Rick A. Morris  49:31  
That's awesome. Well, Lindsey, we love you so much. Thank you for joining us, and we got to have you back.

Lindsey Alley  49:36  
Thank you. It's so so wonderful to be here. And thank you so much for having me. This was such fun.

Rick A. Morris  49:41  
So next week, we're going to have the fantastic bb stegman. Look, we we really, I don't know who we bribed or who we robbed to get Barb on the show. But Barb basically started a company by going to war torn countries and sourcing oils and minerals from like Africa. Stand and Iraq and Yemen and just these places so that they she could provide a living to those farmers and then makes perfumes that she sells and so forth, Macy's all these places and killing it. Really, really fantastic story. She's going to be with us next Friday. We hope that you're with us next Friday right here on the work life balance you've been listening.

VoiceAmerica  50:27  
Thank you for joining us this week. The work life balance with Rick Morris can be heard live every Friday at 2pm pacific time and 5pm eastern time on The Voice America business channel. Now that the weekend is here, it's time to rethink your priorities and enjoy it. We'll see you on our next show.

Are you frustrated The overall productivity of your project management processes Do you lack consistency and project delivery? r squared consulting provides end to end services to assist companies of all sizes in realizing and improving the value of project management. Whether you want to build a project management office trained project managers, or learn how to bring the oversight and governance to your project processes, r squared has tailored best practices to help you in all areas of project management, visit r squared consulting.com are you getting the most out of your project management software? In many cases, it is not the software that is failing, but the implementation limitations or processes surrounding the use of that software. r squared can analyze your current use and help improve your return on investment. r squared can also suggest the best software for your organization and goals and assist in the selection implementation and training. allow our square to Ensure that you are getting the value of your investment, visit r squared consulting.com today