Fred Talk Flow #8: Being Assertive and My Two Cents on St. Louis

Fred Talk with Freddy Vasquez

This past weekend I visited the city of St. Louis. I checked out the Cardinals and crossed off ballpark number 14 on my list. Busch Stadium is an excellent place to catch a game and be amongst some of America's most die-hard, rabid fans. The vibe is jumping in Downtown St. Luis when the red birds are playing, and it made my personal Top 5 list when it came to parks already visited. If you're curious, the other 4 are Wrigley Field (Chicago), Petco Park (San Diego), PNC Park (Pittsburgh), and Camden Yards (Baltimore).

What I also noticed in St. Louis was the lack of leadership and government downtown. I didn't visit the rest of the city to be fair, but what I saw by The Gateway Arch was astounding. There were feces in the streets and I can't say for sure it all belonged to dogs. Questionable people in the area after dark, and even more questionable activities Sunday morning on a stroll for some coffee.

It made me sad to think that situations like this still existed.

I know I've made a good life for myself and I'm not ignorant to the fact that these situations exist, but I never thought it would be so apparent, so in your face. I right away found myself wondering who ran this town and what they were doing to make it better. Local government is SO IMPORTANT! Please do yourself a favor and research who you're voting into these positions of leadership! St. Louis needs help!

I also discussed assertiveness and how important it is to not only your life but your business. I've finally reached a point in my career where I no longer NEED to work with everyone. That's not an egotistical statement, because it's something I should have done long ago to spare myself hours of negative thinking and energy.

When you work with clients that lack the fun and positive vibes you are looking for on a daily basis, you're almost killing yourself slowly. DON'T DO THAT! Rather, work with those clients that put a smile on your face. You'll find yourself working even harder of your own volition and even greater things come from that.

Trust me, it's apparent in all the work I do.