Helping Others on a Corporate Level

It's easy for us to get wrapped up with our own lives. It is in the nature of humans to consider our own needs before that of others, whether it be our car, home, or recreation. This isn't a negative thing. It's hard-coded into our genes. This pattern continues into our work as well because it is our work that supplies the resources to provide for ourselves and our family. Take this concept further and we'll see that corporate entities follow this direction as well, supplying and nurturing their own needs before all else.

This isn't wrong nor should we ever feel guilty for prioritizing ourselves, individually and corporately, before others. It is only when our own needs are met that we can begin to help others. Many people do this by donating their time to charities like Goodwill, soup kitchens, or church projects. Personally, I've been blessed to have helped with some non-profit causes in Africa and post-quake Haiti.

How do we take this concept of charity to the business level? It starts with Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR for short. This can be as simple as a company giving money to help charities. However, that misses out on opportunities to accomplish some organizational goals such as team building or employee appreciation while giving.

Style My Office

Over the past few weekends I have been working on wedding story boards, proposals, and contracts.  Don't get me wrong. I love it but this involves a lot of brainstorming thus leading to "some" wall staring.  I write this and feel like I am saying I'm bored...Not the case!  Well y'all get this.  I have found a few DIY items that I placed in my office to get my brain going or to place emails and pictures on pertaining to what I am working on.

DIY Magnetic Board:  Go to your local hardware store and have them cut metal to fit any size frame you have chosen.
I used spray adhesive with scrapbook paper to give it some color.  You can use fabric or leave it the "industrial" metal look.
Then get some fun magnets and there you have it.  OR you could get some regular magnets and glue buttons, marbles, or other fun objects to them for your own touch. 
You can also add some magnets to empty pill bottles with gaff tape to make pen holders...

I also took a regular 8x11 picture frame and placed more scrapbook paper behind it...Voila! A snazzy dry erase board for all of the good ideas that eventually slip your mind when you do not write them down.

Last but not least; the liquor cabinet! Just kidding.

Staying Productive When You Seem to have ADD During Business Hours

I do not know about you but my most productive hours are from 7:45AM to 11:20AM Monday through Friday.  When I get into work, I turn on my venue and get to emailing, sorting, calling, and filing.  When 11 AM rolls around I feel myself slowing down.  Lunch time?! (man we love lunch here) Lunch is a great way to take a break and relax but when you come back it is hard to get out of that mindset and back into productive mode.  Here are some things that help me get the wheels spinning again:

1. Before lunch, lay out the items/tasks that you either need to complete, should have started, or just plain do not want to do. Don't make a stack that you know you will not finish.  Just a few things that really need to be addressed.  RULE: DO NOT file them somewhere to work on b/c if you are like me, they will just stay filed in that spot.  I cannot stand to have loose items on my desk so this makes me finish them or at least notice that that task needs to be worked on.

2. Set calendar reminders.  Again, only make a few and doable tasks so you can avoid clicking the close button without completing the project.

3. COFFEE... No need to elaborate on this one.  I do not get this luxury.  My co workers have taken away my privileges of afternoon coffee due to excessive "sparkle" (refer to earlier blog, "Sparkle Effect").

4.  Slow down and focus.  I know this sounds crazy but if you really slow down and take the time to think about what you want to get done before tomorrow, focus, and DO IT, you would be amazed at what you can get done.  I find myself staring at one of the files I placed on my desk before lunch thinking...uhhhhhh. However once I slow down and start working on it, it just starts flowing.  Its like going to the gym. The hardest part is getting there.  Once your there it's easy!  You also have the feeling of accomplishment when you are finished.   

Kinda like this blog... I knew I wanted to write one but didn't want to start it AND here I am.  One task complete and feel GREAT! What do you do to keep you day productive? 

Sparkle Effect

EFFECT:

1.something that is produced by an agency or cause; result; consequence

2.power to produce results; efficacy; force; validity; influence

3.the state of being effective or operative

4.a mental or emotional impression produced, as by a painting or a speech.

5.meaning or sense; purpose or intention

  

I have come down with the sparkle effect.  My entire life has been full of friends and family telling me: "Stow, calm down.", "Stow, you need Ritalin!", "Holy crap! You're hyper!", "No wonder you stay so small.", "How do they keep up with you!".
  

I 100% feel that when people say I am just so ecstatic they are referring to my sparkle effect.  If you are reading this and have not met me yet, let me fill you in.  In a nutshell, this is me day to day and just some general information:

• Wake up: 10 minutes of plyometrics, COFFEE, COFFEE, COFFEE, emails, small amount of news and weather, and cartoons! Next, breakfast (protein pancakes) and finally, walk my dog (Name:Evie Called:Ratsie, Ratsis, or Tuesday and I do not know why I call her these names)
• Driving to work: Call Mom (she normally gets 20 words in)
• Work: This is an entire workout!  I turn on my venue, do little dances here and there, check emails, pull traces, talk to my Purple Cape (this is a real person.  I am not that insane...yet), talk to the lovely Christina and Matt, maybe talk to some appliances, and of course talk to our Oracle, Mr. Clarke Allen about normal things like workouts that make you nauseous, pancakes made strictly out of casein powder, and disposing animals that should not be in your driveway. During meetings with current and new clients, I really have to refrain my excitement.  It is like I am meeting a new best friend! I have to concentrate on not bursting out in excitement and scaring the client. Most of the time, I am more excited than the bride on her wedding day! REALLY. I guess this is where that saying, "love and be passionate about your job" comes in.  GOT THAT; CHECK!  Something about making others lives exciting makes me happy.  I always treat every event like my own just through another person's mind/eyes.  To be honest, I do not even want an elaborate wedding if one at all.  I get to see what it would be like to plan my wedding everyday.  And it is never the same! Like I said I treat it like it is my own but OF COURSE exactly how my clients wants it (with my personal care).  
• Don't talk to strangers: My poor mother must have worried sick.  I wouldn't stop talking to them. I do not know what it is about knowing what is going on in other lives and how I can make it more exciting that fascinates me? A stranger is a new potential friend (and a friend that may love to party).
• My afternoons after work: Gym, walk Ratsie (sometimes enough to where she is asking to SLOW DOWN), cook dinner (FOOD is a whole other blog), talk to my boyfriend, and SLEEP.  Funny, most think it has to be late before I can fall asleep.  Wrong.  I am in the bed and asleep by 10 pm.  I believe all of my sparkle wears me out.    
• Weekends: Time to relax? NOPE. Any and all activities...bring em' on! Can I tight-rope? I don't think so but I will sure try. 

In other words, I do not stop until I am in the bed.  I like to call it sparkle be cause when you see glitter, lights, sparkling things, they put you in a better mood (unless it's your house on fire) and for the most part it keeps on sparkling!  I keep moving and working.  I love to put people in a better mood and I hope to rub off on others...AKA My Sparkle Effect

Rolling tables in style

Anyone who has read my blogs before knows I am an OCD, overfiler, organizer, and prepping individual.  With that being said, every evening after dinner, I pick out my outfit for the following day.  I always consider who I will be meeting with, in front of, the weather, and most importantly the current trends. Hello?!? What's in style y'all!  After all, I do work in the industry where you must show that you are boldly fashionable and can pull anything off.

• Monday: Free People black skirt and hot pink blouse. 
• Tuesday: Trina Turk Cheetah leggins, black tunic, and Toms wedges.  
• Wednesday, Thursday, etc. Friday: Yellow Pencil skirt... 

WAIT, vendor load-in day. High heels? No, bad idea. Ella Moss dress? Nope. What if I am rolling tables?  Ugh... How do you look fashionable while working or setting up an event?  Good news! There are two ways to pull this off.  One: the easy way.  Bring a change of clothes!  Wear your t-shirt/work shirt and jeans during the set up and when it is time to manage change into your perfect event outfit.  Easy, right?!  However, what if your guests want to load in early or you will just not have time to change?  How can you look professional in the eyes of your client and physically work as well?

My go-to article of clothing is... nice black stretch pants (yes, ladies.  I know you love them)  I have found that a nice pair of black stretch pants (mine are Victoria's Secret sport) look classy enough to throw on a nice top and look professional enough with tennis shoes for your guests.  Its almost says,"I'm here to manage but I can also produce physical labor as well."  Sometimes I slip on some 1 inch wedges with a collared shirt or vintage top accessorized with jewelry and now you are comfortable enough to move around and look the look.  Another item for days like this are leggins. Again, a pair that do not have holes or the potential to acquire one from wear.

Both of these articles, stretch pants and leggins, can be dressed up or dressed down easily.  Without changing.  Basic shirts; ( I prefer Karlie shirts) a solid color shirt that can simply be accessorized are wonderful.  Not anything too expensive because there is always a chance it can be damaged. There are always those events that you must be professionally dresses no matter what!  This requires the change into outfit method or have set up and break down staff.

Tech Savvy: Google+ Your Next Event or Meeting

If you're a geek like me, then you were probably getting curious looks from your coworkers during Google's I/O conference just like I was. Having the live stream playing for a few days, I absorbed a fair amount of interesting news about Google's offerings for the year. Though the new Nexus Tablet stole most of the thunder, Google+ had some interesting evolution.

For all those who are living in the 21st century, you may have been inundated with Facebook invitations to various events sometimes relevant and other times annoying. With this in mind, I tread carefully in recommending any online-based invitation solution. However, Google has found a way to outdo the juggernaut known as Facebook.

Why Do You Meet?

When I attended my first training meeting, I was instructed by my manager not to get distracted by the speaker, but to try and focus on the information the speaker was delivering. Good advice, because when the speaker entered the room, he was a very unimpressive man with a speech impediment that after a period of time really got on one's nerves and to this day, I don't remember what he said. He was followed by another man in a wheelchair who told a heart wrenching story about his life and then followed it with some really impressive sales training. He made the group get up and repeat after him, and interact with him.  We cried, we laughed, and I remember him well. I never anticipated being the one who would be planning events like this but this experience taught me one thing: make it memorable!