The L Group

10/09/2026

A Letter to Our Friends

For twenty-seven years, you’ve let us in

To walk by your side through thick and thin.

Some plans went right, and others went wrong,

Some days were great and some felt long.

You shared your hopes, your teams, your fears,

our biggest dreams across the years.

We so gratefully gleaned from you,

Life lessons and wisdom that rings true.

We started with a personal call:

To help leaders stand strong and tall,

To find their gifts and reach their potential,

This would outlast any credential.

Our experience has clearly shown

That no great leader thrives alone.

From leader, to team, to family,

Each life connected endlessly.

After trying and testing and learning

The science makes it clear to see,

That underlying all good things

Is what we call The Connection Key.

We’re always better together.

At work, at home, in all we do.

So this is more than just a book,

It’s a heartfelt love letter to you.

10/05/2026

Here's the story of how Julie Davis-Colan and I connected.

The Connection Key equips you to have an abundant life you cannot build alone.
https://bit.ly/4bGpDQW

09/29/2026

A Connection That Changed Everything for Us

From an early age, we both had a knack and a passion for understanding and encouraging people.

Youth sports and school leadership roles triggered Lee’s thirst to learn more about leading teams. Julie's fascination with psychology started in third grade as she followed her father’s readings and her mother’s teachings.

We both studied psychology at Florida State University and met the spring of our junior year when a mutual friend lobbied Lee to vote for Julie as president of the Psychology Honor Society. Julie was elected as president.

The following fall semester, we happened to sit next to each other in a psychology class. Lee became interested in Julie but was looking for a unique and memorable way to reach out to her.

So, he made up an imaginary exchange student named Hermann von Wagner from Leipzig, Germany, the city in which the field of psychology was born (an inside joke for Lee).

Hermann wanted to get into the Psychology Honor Society with a 2.0 GPA, so he wrote notes and put them in the Honor Society president’s mail slot for Julie, requesting to be admitted.

Lee later learned that Julie is the eternal optimist, so she considered the possibility that Germany might have had a different grading scale, and maybe a 2.0 GPA was the equivalent of an “A” in Germany (no internet to verify back then).

After a month of correspondence between Julie and “Hermann,” one day during class Lee turned to Julie and asked, “So, how is Hermann doing?”

After some processing, Julie was equally taken aback and impressed by Lee’s creative (and a bit wacky) approach.

Lee's unconventional attempt to connect with Julie led to a first date, a 39-year (and counting) marriage, a 27-year business (and counting), and three thriving adult children (no more counting!).

The initial connection for us, although admittedly unorthodox, set the tone for how we proactively connected with others to build our family, our business, and our community.

We have studied and tested strategies for human connection for 30 years. Now, we have written this book to empower you to more easily and effectively interact in real life and, ultimately, unlock elevated wellbeing and performance.

Pre-order your copy of The Connection Key on Amazon.

09/23/2026

Here is an advance excerpt from The Connection Key.
Pre-order today! https://bit.ly/4bGpDQW
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All growth occurs when we are uncomfortable. So, act first, then feel the benefits of your actions.

Celebrities and famous athletes often tout their “platform” to communicate messages.

Well, we all have our own platform called our lives. One small act can change the world of another person … and our world also.

Be the first to:

- smile at someone as you approach
- wave to acknowledge them
- say “hello”
- introduce yourself.

Giving someone your attention is a great gift. When you look directly at someone, it shows that you genuinely care and are interested in what they have to say.

When you are in a line, talk to the people in front of you and behind you.

When you are in a coffee shop, on a bus, at a playground, in an elevator, at an airport, in a physician’s waiting room, reach out to connect and explore those in your space.

Who knows, you might be introducing yourself to your new best friend.

Build your connection muscle, and you will enrich your life and the lives of those around you.

The Connection Key: Unlock Wellbeing and Performance with Human Interaction

09/18/2026

This poem by William Arthur Ward was printed on a magnet and stuck to our daughter’s locker when she was in 6th grade.

The adventure of life is to learn.
The goal of life is to grow.
The nature of life is to change.
The challenge of life is to overcome.
The essence of life is to care.
The secret of life is to dare.
The beauty of life is to give.
The joy of life is to love.

Take just one line from this poem and make it happen today!

09/17/2026

Give every team member the four behaviors that turn human connection into a performance advantage.
https://bit.ly/4bGpDQW

09/16/2026

Human connection is the strategic advantage that helps people live better, work better, and go farther together.

We feel very strongly about the power of human connection and are thrilled that current research reveals compelling work and personal benefits.

Connecting with others in real life is foundational to our human existence, and it’s necessary if we want to thrive. We have dedicated much of our lives to creating and maintaining meaningful human connection and helping others do the same.

One important step we are personally taking is releasing our new book titled The Connection Key: Unlock Wellbeing and Performance with Human Interaction.

It’s our 17th book, but we feel that this is our most important work to date.

Most books on this topic tell you why human connection matters. The Connection Key shows you exactly how to build it … one interaction at a time.

It’s not a book about human connection. It’s a practical playbook for creating it.

The Connection Key is built on 30 years of research and field testing. It presents a simple framework and actionable tools to create meaningful human connections at work and at home - starting today.

Our mission is to help readers discover an abundant life that they can’t build alone.

We invite you to join us on this mission.

Simply read and share your insights from The Connection Key. It's a rapid-read. :)
https://bit.ly/4bGpDQW

As an expression of thanks, you will be invited to an intimate book discussion we will host next month.

If you choose to join this mission, please comment “Count me in!”

09/15/2026

The warm feeling of well-being that washes over you when you’ve done something kind isn’t just in your head. It’s in your brain chemicals, too.

Most research on the science behind why kindness makes us feel better has centered around oxytocin.

Oxytocin plays a role in forming social bonds. It’s tied to making us more trusting, more generous, and friendlier, while also lowering our blood pressure. Acts of kindness can give our oxytocin levels a boost.

Additionally, Dr. Waguih William IsHak, a professor of psychiatry, says studies have also linked random acts of kindness to releasing dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain that can give us a feeling of euphoria.

This feel-good brain chemical is credited with causing what’s known as a “helper’s high.”

So, serve yourself and others by lending a helping hand:

- Hold a door open
- Carry a heavy package to someone’s car
- Put luggage in an overhead airplane bin
- Help someone who is not fully able to cross the street
- Offer directions to someone who looks lost.
- Carry a fold-up stroller for a mom with her children trying to make her way through airport security lines.
- Send dinner to a friend who had a tough day/week/month.
- Run an errand for a colleague who is injured or ill.

Your helping hand will refocus your mind to appreciate what you have versus what you want. It will also deepen your connection by helping the other person while giving you a boost of oxytocin and dopamine.

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The first 50 people who pre-order The Connection Key will reserve a spot in an intimate, live discussion and Q&A!

Email your proof of pre-order to [email protected].
https://bit.ly/4bGpDQW