Physics was the first class I took when I went back to school, and I was under incredible pressure. As a former music major, I was completely out of my element. But honestly, if I didn't take this class, I'm not sure I would have made it through NYU.

I'm going to just put this out there . . . sometimes I watch Mr. Rogers clips on YouTube.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw his famous Emmy speech where he takes 10 seconds and asks the audience to think about someone who made a difference in their lives.

I've had a few of these, but the one that is probably most relevant to my career, and how I approach learning and leadership, was my physics professor at NYU.

It was a long time ago, and I can't find him, but his name was James Christiansen and his face and voice are indelibly etched in my memory.

It's no exaggeration to say that in 30 seconds one day, he flipped a switch that helped me change not only my life, but my family's lives and maybe even influenced a few people I've worked with.

This all happened back in 1985 on my first day back to school after a 4 year forced break. During that time I got married, had a daughter and moved from California back to NY for medical reasons.

This Sunday Morning Story is about how a person who wasn't even talking to me at the time, sparked a truly transformational moment. I hope it jogs someone else's memory of someone who made a difference in their life.