AmEx's Gold Star

One of the reasons it took me some time to write my blogs was because I had two very cool engagements this week. One was on Wednesday when I appeared on Good Morning America with my friend Mike Santoli from Barron's. Diane Sawyer interviewed us about the current housing climate and if escalating fuel and food prices will change habits and create a mass exodus from suburbia to more metropolitan cities. It was a fascinating topic.

On a side note, it was so cool to meet Diane and Chris Cuomo and watch Robin from a distance. It was my first time on Good Morning America and very cool to see after spending several years on the Today Show. The one thing that really stood out is how calm, controlled and at ease everyone felt. It had a great vibe! It's moments like that where I still pinch myself and remind myself that I am a broadcast journalist. I've been very blessed by my Today Show experience and the launch of this new network.

The second engagement was a visit to the American Express headquarters to interview its Chairman and CEO Ken Chenault. Wow! That was cool. The company is located at 200 Vesey Street at the World Financial Center. It happens to be the building that my mom worked in for a decade. Arriving there brought back great memories.

I was there to talk about a new initiative that American Express was launching called the Nonprofit Leadership Academy. In its first year of inception, the program selected 24 representatives from non-profit organizations. The recipients participated in a one week workshop on how to be a great leader. The Leadership Academy's mission is to build personal, business and leadership skills for the future leaders of the nonprofit sector.

Talking about leadership with someone like Ken Chenault was inspiring to say the least. His history, education, mentors, and his great ascendancy within American Express are examples for leaders around the world. I was thrilled to get the chance to talk to him and learned a lot. Take a look.