Angie Brown Inspires Me
Sometimes in life people cross our paths and it is like destiny that they were meant to find you. They touch us in very powerful ways. Through their 
example, their leadership, and their genuine caring, they make us want to be a better person.
Angie Brown is one of those someones.
I actually don’t remember how I learned about Angie’s LinkedIn group – Phenomenal Women of Focus – but I can remember as it was yesterday the first meeting I attended. Even before the night came, Angie’s emails already made me feel important to her. She signed up to become a Good Things Pledge Champion in advance so that she could let others know.
It was an evening when I really needed a boost. How did Angie and her group know? I’m sure they didn’t. But Angie’s bear hug, and an entire room filled with women who wanted to inspire and support each other sure lifted my spirit. They shared stories of how they lost a job only to rediscover themselves, of their accomplishments in a career they love, or of how they were still in the process of figuring out what they want to do with the rest of their lives – and they were excited for the opportunity. They spoke with passion and heart. They gave me a gift more valuable than what any store would have on its shelves.
I’ve since learned Angie has a way of bringing that out in those around her. More than once she has gone out of her way to drop a simple note just to remind me she is there. And gosh, in October I was so honored to have been selected to share my story with the group.
It should really be no surprise to learn that one of the reasons Angie is so related to the Phenomenal Women is because she too rediscovered herself.
There was nothing unusual about the start of that frigid January day. But hours later, with cars whizzing past, an 18-wheeler pummeled into them, crushing the car – and Angie’s entire leg among other injuries. In the months that she lay in her hospital bed, depression set in. For the first time since infancy, Angie had to depend on someone else (her husband) to feed and bath her. She couldn’t help ask the question…”Why?”
But then, soon after, her question became, “Why not?”
“I decided ‘this isn’t who I was supposed to be. I wasn’t going to allow my circumstance to prevent me from making my life count’,” she told me.
Angie did eventually get out of the hospital, and when she did, she left her high salaried corporate job for a new career. It has been seven years now since she has been a certified life coach (her business is ‘The Best is Yet to Come’ coaching), and, she said, she loves what she does as much today as she did when she started.
Her other job is that of loving wife and mother. Anna, their youngest, is close to graduating with a pre-med degree as an honors student. William is also an honors student majoring in engineering, and is captain of his college’s golf team. And 24-year-old Aleia is chief curator for a national museum.
“I want to know, when I leave this world, that I gave up every gift I have been given,” Angie said.
Stopping Parrot Biting Without Force
NOTE: I have a new pet behavior blog. Please visit http://www.SoMuchPETential.com/blog. Thanks!
Dreyfuss is a bird who – if I’d let her – would spend her entire day sitting next to me or on me, frequently with her head down for rubs. So how was it that this sweet girl (who actually may be a boy but I’ve never had her sexed) would lung at my bare arm, and even bite it, when I’d put my arm in front of her body before asking for a ‘step up’ from her inside cage perch?
My education in behavior has taught me that biting doesn’t just ‘occur’ in a vacuum, and that before that aggressive behavior happens, a bird behaves with nonaggressive body language (such as dilated eyes, feathers fluffed) to let me know my arm is not wanted in its space. If I get bitten it is because I did not pull my arm away when the bird dilated its eyes or fluffed its feathers, causing the bird to need to escalate its behavior.
Yes, I know that. But I had been watching Dreyfuss’ body language and I just couldn’t see it. One second her body language was telling me she was eager to step up and the next split second she’d lunge.
My turning point came the moment I had written an email to a trainer I know. In it, I told her Dreyfuss’ behavior was ‘unpredictable’. I hit send and then had a WOAH moment. Hold on here, Lisa. You know better than that. And you have the skills to solve this without the use of force and set both you and Dreyfuss up for success.
Applied behavior analysis is a systematic approach to solving behavior problems by changing the environment in which the behavior occurs. It involves looking at the very specific behavior (such as a bird biting or screaming) and the related environmental context that signals and reinforces it. We ask, “What happened *immediately* prior to the behavior (antecedent) to set the whole ball rolling?“ And, “What happened *immediately* after the behavior to reinforce it (consequence)?“
There you have it…the A (antecedent), B (behavior), and C (consequence)’s.
So, let’s look at the ABC’s of this situation.
A(antecedent): Lisa puts hand on cage door
B (behavior): Dreyfuss either rocks from foot to foot or with slight movement
C (consequence): Lisa opens cage door
A: Lisa moves arm to Dreyfuss saying ‘step up’
B: Dreyfuss lunges or bites
C: Lisa removes hand
Prediction: Dreyfuss will lunge or bite more to get Lisa to remove her hand
I know, this doesn’t make sense for a bird that, once is on me, could live there. But obviously there is something about my arm being put in front of her that she didn’t want to have happen. How do I know? Because her behavior of biting/lunging continued and got more frequent.
The thing about studying behavior is that I don’t need to know what Dreyfuss was thinking. I only need to know that the behavior had a function for 
her in her environment and I can then modify the environment to modify the behavior. I like to think about it as teaching new skills.
So, what did I do? Well, I DID NOT use punishment or any kind of force.
What I did do is create a plan that would set us both up for success.
I taught her the contingency that *when* I put my hand on her door, *if* she moves to the left side of the perch, *then* I will put my arm in front of the right side of the perch. And *if* she walks over to and steps up onto my arm, *then* she comes out for attention, seeds, and more.
The power of deciding whether to come toward my arm to come out – or not – was ALL up to HER. And guess what, given the choice, she not only decided to come to my arm every single time – she runs to it and jumps on board.
How great is that!
So, here is the new ABC:
A: Lisa puts hand on door
B: Dreyfuss moves to other side of perch
C: Lisa puts hand at opposite side of perch
2nd ABC:
A: Lisa puts hand at opposite side of perch
B: Dreyfuss moves to hand and steps up
C: Lisa takes Dreyfuss out for attention, seed and more
Taking her out of her cage is that simple now. The beauty of it is that I never used force or punishment. My ‘unpredictable’ bird when it comes to getting her out of her cage, now reliably runs with her feathers relaxed to my arm and as a result we both have confidence in that situation.
To read my post on why parrots bite, please click this link.
DeAnna Hoskins Is A Woman Of Resilience
I am SO proud of DeAnna Hoskins. I met her many years ago. A single mother of three, her obstacles were huge but not unconquerable. She found the inner strength to leave behind drugs and an abusive relationship, to find a new path after being incarcerated. DeAnna has three degrees including a master’s degree in criminal justice, and she is considered an expert in the field of re-entry. She is also a licensed clinical addiction counselor, a certified offender workforce development specialist/trainer and a certified recovery/peer-to-peer coach. DeAnna is featured in The Women’s Book as a woman who inspires greatness in others. I don’t know anyone more deserving.
Congratulations DeAnna!
Want A Pet Who Loves To Learn? Make Training Fun
NOTE: I have a new pet behavior blog located at http://www.SoMuchPETential.com/blog. Thanks!
I was at a friend’s house the other day who was telling me she wished her dog would come when she called. “He just wouldn’t listen,” she’d say.
I didn’t have to observe long to get a sense of at least one of the underlying explanations. I’ll paint a picture to see if you get a sense too. Her dog was outside having a perfectly good time where there is so much sensory stimulation outside – noises, smells, sights. She opened the door and called him in. He did come (this time) and the reaction he received upon coming was simply a nondescript voice saying ‘good boy Willy’.
“Hmmm,” I could visualize Willy saying to himself. “Big deal. Why should I give up my perfectly good time to come for THIS?”
I see that a lot actually. Pet owners being frustrated because their dogs won’t follow their ‘commands’ and blaming the dog. Part of the whole problem is our thinking about what we want our pet to do in terms of a ‘command’. That word alone connotes dominance and force, not a very motivating and encouraging way to learn.
I’m not going to get much into behavior analysis in this post but I do want to offer a suggestion. What if, instead of thinking about telling your dog to do a command, you think about how you can put the fun back in learning? You put the responsibility on yourself to make the behavior you want to teach, a behavior that is just super cool to do because what happens right after the behavior is so high value.
I tell people all the time how much our Sam loves to learn. The other day, in just a couple of five minute sessions, I taught him to scratch an itch on his nose. (Unfortunately Sam got adopted into a family with a very silly trainer.)
The truth is, Sam loves to learn because I’ve made it so much fun. (Well, I’m also very consistent in reinforcing the behavior I want to see but that is a separate topic for a separate column.) That time we share is really quality time together. When I’m initially teaching a behavior (usually through shaping), he loves the challenge of trying to figure out what he needs to do to get me to shout in my very animated voice, ‘GOOD BOY’, which is followed by a favorite treat. And when we are going through his repertoire of behaviors, he does each one so enthusiastically because we make it one great party.
To everyone who has a dumb or obstinate dog, I challenge you. Instead of holding your dog up to expectations, hold yourself up to creating an environment that fosters a love of learning.
A Puggy Pal Is Up For Grabs By ArtWorks Cincinnati
Is it a pig or is it a dog? It’s both!
A Puggy Pal was designed and created by Stephen Smith and Jennifer Acus-Smith and sponsored by an Anonymous donor in honor of Therapy Pets of Greater Cincinnati. You’ll notice that he’s wearing the green vest that Therapy Pets’ pups often don! This is one of eleven pigs that ArtWorks is auctioning off as a part of Secret ArtWorks: When Pigs Invade. A portion of the proceeds from this auction will go towards supporting ArtWorks’ programming while the rest will go towards supporting Therapy Pets of Greater Cincinnati.
What is Secret ArtWorks?
Well, on Friday, November 16, hundreds of 5” x 7” pieces of art will be up for grabs at Secret ArtWorks: When Pigs Invade! They’re all made by locally, nationally or internationally acclaimed…but the SECRET part of this is that you won’t know the identity of the artist unless and until you purchase the piece. Pretty sneaky!
All proceeds from the event will benefit ArtWorks Cincinnati, an award-winning nonprofit that empowers and inspires the creative community to transform everyday environments through employment, apprenticeships, education, community partnerships, and civic engagement. Since 1996, ArtWorks has employed more than 2,500 youth and 500 professional artists.
Secret ArtWorks Information:
Friday, November 16, 2012
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
5:00 – 6:00 cocktails and music
6:00 curtains open
MCA Event Center
Mercantile Building
120 E 4th Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Admission: $125 (single), $175 (double). Includes admission to the event, voucher for one (1) Secret Work of Art, drink tickets, and hors d’oeuvres.
For more information, please click here.
