MEET DENO PAOLINI: TRAINER
We are proud to introduce Deno Paolini, a Rapport Leadership Trainer since 1997. Currently, Deno trains Leadership Breakthrough One, Leadership Breakthrough Two, and Eagle Quest classes. A graduate of University of Southern California, he served three years in the United States Marine Corps during which he spent time in Cuba and served one tour in Vietnam. His life experiences have allowed him to live in Illinois, California, Alaska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Texas. He has two children and an incredible seven-year-old grandson, Zachary.
What does working at Rapport mean to you?
In our classes, we refer to the poem, “The Dash.” I live the Dash because I have the opportunity to affect the lives of people in a positive way. Being a trainer is a remarkable experience and I consider it a gift that I keep close to my heart. I constantly remind myself how special this gift is. In some ways, it feels like I am a “heart surgeon” and my hospital is the Rapport Executive Retreat Center. In my previous career, I owned several health clubs and took pride in helping people achieve their physical fitness goals. As a trainer, I have the opportunity to help people obtain their business and personal goals. Rapport has given me the opportunity to continue to spend my life helping others.
What do you love about your position at Rapport?
I enjoy the fact that when students leave our training, I know their lives will never be the same. They will make many decisions a little differently. As a result, their businesses will be positively impacted, their relationships enhanced, and their lives more fulfilled. When I receive cards and letters from past students about their successes after the training, I feel like I am living a dream.
I travel to many states training and meeting new friends. I love to show up to train a class and watch students progress through their two-and-a-half day journey; I see them meet their walls, learn, and grow. There are times when I am in an airport or restaurant and past students approach me, greet me with a hug, and eagerly tell me about changes they have made since their class. I am always in awe that people remember me, feel so strongly about their training and Rapport, and want to share their successes with me. It is truly a humbling experience.
If you could share anything with the Rapport family of graduates, what would it be?
I want to share a little secret with all students. Are you ready? There is no magic in our training. The magic is in the execution of the things I speak about in the classes and the insights I carefully write in my manuals. If you want to be successful, allow others to help. My favorite quote is, “If you want to get somewhere fast, go alone…if you want to go far, include others.” In their classes, students learn about the strength of teamwork and the value of allowing others to help them succeed. Our classes are a metaphor for life. When you apply this learning to your lives, you can accomplish so much more and achieve things that once seemed unreachable. In Eagle Quest, during the set-up of processes, trainers often say, “The objective is to go from point A to point B, using your greatest resource.” Students soon realize their greatest resource is their classmates.
The best gift any of our students can give their nominator is to continue to apply the insights they learned in class. The success stories make the nominator’s Dash that much longer!
