LinkUP Thursday: “What if?”

"In fact, Orman might have become a restaurateur if not for a critical turn of events — she lost the $50,000 in a bad investment. The setback, Orman writes, helped launch “a new career passion: helping people take control of their financial lives.”

Good Morning Folks,

The Internet is such a great invention. So many wonderful, useful things that can be applied to our greatest challenges and opportunities in unexpected ways. Things they don't teach you in Harvard Business School. Things just waiting to be discovered or to be pointed out by a friend... which brings me to why we do these LinkUp's on most Thursdays on MitchWeiner.com.

What ties today's stories together with FSO is the movement of (re)IMAGINATION that is taking place in every company of every industry today. Forced to innovate or capitulate in a technology-leveled playing field, (re)IMAGINE is something so simple as it is Revolutionary, showing clients how to look at their business from a completely new perspective, that of a blank canvas. Looking not at “What is” but “What can be”.  But let's start with something more personal, something you can ask yourself....

“What if?”

Depending on where you are in your career, those two words have the ability to inspire — or haunt — you.

If life had taken a different turn and you weren’t in your role today, where would you be? What would you be doing instead? Or if you’ve already changed directions?

In this latest series on LinkedIn, “The Road Not Taken,” some of the world’s most successful professionals were asked to explain how their career paths might have turned out differently. From Suze Orman and Deepak Chopra to the World Bank’s Jim Kim and General Electric’s Beth Comstock, more than 60 Influencers chimed in with inspiring tales and reflections of what might’ve been. In some cases, as with Randi Zuckerberg, Influencers also revealed what’s on the horizon.

Read on to find out what might’ve been for Suze Orman, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski, and others.

Some careers are made by turning misfortune into opportunity.

Before Suze Orman became “the Money Lady,” she worked as a waitress who aspired to open a neighborhood restaurant. In an amazing display of generosity, Orman’s loyal customers rallied behind her: “When [Fred, a beloved customer] finished his breakfast, he didn’t just leave a tip. He gave me a $2,000 check and commitments from other diners/friends that totaled $50,000 (the equivalent of nearly $150,000 today) along with a note:

As a teenager, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary worked at an ice cream parlor. One day, his boss ordered him to scrape gum off the floor. “That’s not my job,” I said. “My job’s to scoop ice cream.” Next thing out of my boss’s mouth was: “You’re fired. Get out of my store.”

This early experience was all the inspiration O’Leary needed to become his own boss.

Though Randi Zuckerberg loved to sing, she abandoned her love of singing for more “professional” endeavors at Facebook. “I learned quickly that in the corporate world, it’s ‘distracting’ for women to have side interests, aside from work and family – and that if I wanted to be taken seriously in my career, I would need to shelve my passion for performing,” Zuckerberg writes.

Now years (and one Broadway stint) later, Zuckerberg says she’s ready for her second act.

Other career crises may feel as if the universe is conspiring against you.

MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski describes getting fired from CBS as an “out-of-body experience. I sent my work to other networks and the response was… crickets. I went from everything to everyone to nothing to no one.”


As her severance pay and job prospects dwindled, Brzezinski reluctantly broadened her job search: “I’ll never forget the moment. Driving my pickup up the hill near my house, the ’93 Ford 150 with roll-up windows just stopped… Stalled out and died. I knew that meant another $500 at the shop. $500 that I did not have. Then my cell phone rings. It’s the PR firm. Wanting to know if I can come in this week…”

Should she leap at the much-needed job opportunity? Or should she stay the course?

But whether reflecting on the road not taken brings angst or clarity, it’s what you do next that matters.

In the coming days, don’t miss these other “The Road Not Taken” stories, and more:

Deepak Chopra on how he learned self-awareness the hard way (note to self: never dump a pile of papers over your boss’s head and storm out…)

eBay CEO John Donahoe on the PayPal split and why he’s stepping aside next year
World Bank President Jim Kim on what he’d be doing as a doctor on the front lines of the Ebola crisis

Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec on when he realized he needed to be the supplier, not the seller

Looking not at “What is” but “What can be”, is what sets FSO apart from the other outsourcing companies and what has made us the fastest growing outsourcing company in the nation.

It is woven into the culture of who we are, it is part of everything we do. (re)IMAGINE allows us to uncover those hidden cost savings every company is looking for, identify innovative ways to improve their business, and inspire those who take care of them. 

If your outsourcer is not keeping their commitments nor fulfilling the promise of all the advancements and new technology at its hand, I invite to you call me directly and I'll set up a time for you meet with a member of our (re)IMAGINE team and learn why of 250 companies have made the switch to FSO in the past 4 years.

TALK TO US. WITNESS US. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, EXPERIENCE US! 

Call me directly at 212.204.1193.

BTW, You can write your own "What If" post; be sure to include the hashtag #RoadNotTaken in the body of your post so LinkedIn can find your great stories.

Thanks to Amy Chen at LinkedIn and thanks to you, for listening.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Happiness Ahead: Welcome to Outsourcing Nirvana

"How good is it to be part of a family who really cares about you, where you go, what direction you take, give you opportunities to grow, and reasons day in and day out to be proud of who you are 

and who you work for." 

Good Morning Folks,

If nothing makes you happier than making other people happy, then you're in good company this morning.

It's simple: happy companies make more money.

According to recent research from WooHoo, "This means that happiness at work is no longer a luxury. It's an absolute necessity for any organization that wants to be competitive and successful."

The study concludes....

• Happiness at work is one of the 3 most important sources of happiness in life.
• Happiness at work is the best antidote to stress. Stress doesn't necessarily come from working too much but from feeling bad while you work.
• Your happiness at work is your responsibility. Not your boss's, not your co-workers' and not society's. Yours.
• Your boss and your workplace are responsible for creating a setting where it's easy to be happy at work. 

Our own Experience Director Joseph Yapp reflected on Happiness at our place of work in a recent internal communique:

"As the year comes closer to the end, I get reminded of our 2013 Awards Night.   

It was a powerful reminder of all the hard work, sweat and smiles that led into getting an award. And as a recipient of a couple of awards that night, it took passion, personal dedication and a productive smart approach to work to be nominated, just like my peers. Masters of our trade!! Everyone mattered. You are somebody and we all know who you are.   

How? Because here at FSO, we communicate!!! We let everyone know what we did!!! We send pictures!!! Management writes about us, talks about us and the Owners acknowledges us in emails, company meetings, newsletters, blogs, social media.   

Here at FSO, when you get recognized you feel like a celebrity, a VIP and YOU actually mattered!   

How good is it to be part of a family who really cares about you, where you go, what direction you take, give you opportunities to grow, become someone, carry a title and give you reasons day in and day out to be proud of who you are and who you work for.  

When I first joined FSO, I did not know the concept of a happy office nor understood the title “Chief Happiness Officer."   

As weeks went by, I realized that the title is also a way of life. HAPPINESS!!! That is the key to success!!! 

Happiness is when you want to do a great job for your client and provide that HOSPITALITY experience (remember that feeling of euphoria when you complete a job well done?) 

Happiness is when you can help your staff achieve their goals or even just helping them perform their jobs (that feeling of giving), happiness is being part of a bigger picture and that your contributions are just as equally important as everyone else.  

I can honestly say when you come to HQ, you feel that ENERGY!! the EXCITEMENT!! the PASSION and see the smiles in people’s faces.  People hugging?? Yes!! Where on earth do you see such happy folks?? Is this outsourcing nirvana?? Yes folks, it is. And all that happiness radiates nationally to the field, regions, states and even in New Jersey!!!  

When I first started with FSO, I was a newbie at this happiness concept, now you can call me an expert. Because I spread it to my clients, my staff, my peers and more importantly to my family (personal & FSO)."

You see Joseph, as the WooHoo study validates, "happiness at work doesn't come from the organization's policies, strategies, plans or values. It comes from the things that you and I do here and now."

"Happiness at work doesn't come from raises, bonuses or perks. It comes from two things: Results and Relationships, IE. doing great work together with great people."

"Happiness at work doesn't just happen. It takes a focused effort from management and employees together."

As your Chief Happiness Officer my job is to ensure all of us are showering you with all the happiness and hospitality you deserve. 

Nothing makes me happier than making you happy. All our clients feel it, our staff feels it, you feel it and I feel it. 

As I often say: LOVE Life! Because when you are loving life you are living HAPPINESS simply defined.

Have a GREAT start to a GREAT week as I look forward to seeing all of you soon in my travels.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me I didn't understand the assignment. I told them they didn't understand life" - John Lennon

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Read more inspiring messages from our employees HERE

Inside FSO: The Making of a Memorable Guest Experience

“Since shifting from in-house to outsourcing the cost is better and performance has improved”

Good Morning Folks,

A picture is worth a thousand words. So today we take you inside FSO to show you the before and after ways we never stop (re) imagining a better way to work for you.

For example the centerpiece of a memorable guest experience starts with Our Informationalist Hub (known elsewhere as "Front of House")

The hub is staffed and managed by FSO’s specially cross-trained teams or “Informationalists” who provide a wide array of administrative services from Meet & Greet to meeting room bookings, supply management, invoice reconciliation, scanning and hot desk/hoteling management services behind the Front Desk. (The possibilities are endless!)

• FSO sees the Informationalist Hub™ as the future direction of The Guest Experience and has invested considerable time in research and development in forming the right mix of staff, technology and skills to make this an effective and cost efficient service model

• FSO Exclusive i-Kiosks  are designed to provide a flexible mix of any Administrative Services offerings based on your organization’s needs and desires: End-users can use to submit job tickets, track packages, receive updates and news and see the great things that are happening within your operation firsthand in an engaging and interactive format.  

• Innovative expansion of services includes: Social media support, remote worker coordination, help desk overflow services, presentation services

FSO is driven by fun, passionate people and the value they create. We hire, retain and assign people with that deep inner passion to perform — the spirit that gives them that fire in the belly, that twinkle in the eye, boundless pride in their work and the drive to succeed. New and legacy staff are always attracted to FSO and are inspired by our performance based rewards and opportunities for advancement. At the end of the day, passion is really important. You can’t fake passion—you either have it or you don’t!

Have  a look at how we are raising the bar for hospitality. Then jumping over it:

FSO will never stop (re)IMAGINING the possibilities that exist in the onsite outsourcing world. The way in which business is being conducted and communicated is being revolutionized by FSO. 

For example at mega ad agency Y&R: Y&R had spent nearly 90 years on 285 Madison Ave without having a personal concierge service. In addition, the shift of moving to a newer location felt dramatic, the primary objective and expectation was to have a solid "shoe guy" and "cleaner" in place.

Today Ben, our concierge extraordinaire, has transformed this function into  total service that makes employees lives easier by taking the errands and tasks off their backs and into our capable hands and also relieves stress with massages and other health and happy indulgences.

Says Ben, "I start very early, ready to rock at 8:00 a.m. with a gigantic smile, offering a friendly good morning to everyone who passes by the desk!  Quickly on, the first collection of personal mail trickles in. As the staff/employees begin arriving so do requests for repairs: ripped sweaters, jeans that need hemmed, shirts to be laundered, shoes to go out for sole repair and a quick shine don't forget! In the midst of these urgency's we track a lost parcel for someone, and a Creative Director has just appeared needing her watch cleaned and a battery replaced."

"It's in the great FSO spirit that makes me feel accomplished each and every day when I can make someone's life that much easier while at work. Our clients at Y&R are always on my mind, and servicing them is something I live, breathe, and FEEL, and I want them to FEEL it too!"

And other clients love what we are doing for them too:

“People show up and work gets done. The front desk changed to outsourced model and is very successful.” 

“They are like proactive, like a breath of fresh air. They’re well dressed, presentable and… cheaper!” 

“Since shifting from in-house to outsourcing the cost is better and performance has improved” 

“Always doing more to assist is what hospitality is all about.”   

“The way you anticipate needs and show the care and passion for what you do in commendable!” 

“We are convinced the did the right thing and picked the right company. Things are getting done that were overlooked before, because we have the manpower and expertise that was lacking and, as a result, improvements are being made all the time. I couldn’t be happier with my decision and to present this building to my staff”

These enhanced services and capabilities are just the tip of the iceberg of future enhancements and investments the company continues to make. 

So, if you'd like to turn those outsourcing frowns to smiles, talk to us, witness us. We'll   take you on a tour of client sites and and let you taste the FSO experience first-hand. You'll see how different life has become for some of the best known-brands in the world.

Call me personally at 212-204-1193.

Feel the FSO Experience - and ensure everyone around you does too. 

Here's to a wonderful day!

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"An apology is the superglue of life. It can repair just about anything." 

~~ Lynn Johnston

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Ted Tuesday: The Talks Everyone Talks About

"Google was not the first search engine and Facebook was not the first online social community. Very few TED Talks are about original ideas. Simon Sinek was not the first person to talk about identifying the purpose for your life and work, nor was Amy Cuddy the first person to talk about how your body language and posture shape your self-confidence."

Good Morning Folks,

The TED platform is about “ideas worth spreading.” Watch any TED Talk and you can observe that everything a speaker says is in service of advancing one key idea, and making audience members so passionate about the idea that they want to spread it as well. This is why so many TED Talks go viral. The speaker does not just successfully convey an idea — they make everyone watching excited to share it too.

If you look at any TED Talk, you will discover that the thought leader’s delivery style can be categorized in one of the following five ways. The speaker is either a:

==> Change agent: 
Uses language, stories, and pictures that show what is possible when the change being shared happens

==> Scientific expert: 
Relies on logic and evidence to present an idea

==> Performer: 
Incorporates theatricality into the delivery of a message

==> Vulnerable expert: 
Connects life experience and stories to a message

==>  Inventor: 
Discusses an original idea, product or service and breaks it down into easy to understand, digestible parts

When you look at the most successful companies — such as Google and Facebook, or popular TED and TEDx Talks by Simon Sinek and Amy Cuddy — most are not household names because they came up with something original. Google was not the first search engine and Facebook was not the first online social community. Very few TED Talks are about original ideas. Simon Sinek was not the first person to talk about identifying the purpose for your life and work, nor was Amy Cuddy the first person to talk about how your body language and posture shape your self-confidence.

What each company or person did, however, was improve upon an existing idea. That should be the goal of entrepreneurs. While being first to market is nice, it’s rarely possible. If an idea can be monetized, it likely already has been. Plus, the first incarnation of a product or service often has significant flaws in its design or user experience. Entrepreneurs can and should focus their attention and strategizing on advancing business ideas that already exist by improving upon problems or frustrations for its customers and clients.

Check out our extensive library of Ted Tuesday Talks featuring Simon Sinek and Amy Cuddy and others on life, love and happiness, HERE (scroll backwards).

Thanks to Forbes for today's message and to you for listening.

Have a GREAT day and…. Love Life,

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

Ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, they morph and adapt into their most potent form. TED Tuesdays on MitchWeiner.com highlights some of today's most intriguing ideas. Look for more talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more— HERE. 

Open Your Arms to Change, But Don’t Let Go of Your Values.

"Of the many problems we face today, some are natural calamities and must be accepted and faced with equanimity. Others, however, are of our own making, created by misunderstanding, and can be corrected. One such type arises from the conflict of ideologies, political or religious, when people fight each other for petty ends, losing sight of the basic humanity that binds us all together as a single human family. Often we cannot overcome our problems because we either do not know the cause or, if we understand it, do not have the means to remove it. This is not the case, for example, with the nuclear threat."~ Dalai Lama

Good Morning Folks,

Here is an extra dose of inspiration and fruit for thought as the harvest season, falling colored leaves and crisp fall air remind us that change is the only certainty in life.

At the turn of this century, the Dalai Lama issued the following eighteen rules for living.

Rule 1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Rule 2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson

Rule 3. Follow the three Rs: 1. Respect for self 2. Respect for others 3. Responsibility for all your actions.

Rule 4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Rule 5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Rule 6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

Rule 7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Rule 8. Spend some time alone every day.

Rule 9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

Rule 10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Rule 11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

Rule 12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

Rule 13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

Rule 14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

Rule 15. Be gentle with the earth.

Rule 16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

Rule 17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Rule 18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.



Thanks to Body Mind Soul Spirit for this selection and to you for listening. Please don't confuse this with a similar looking chain email which is a hoax that is pretty evident by the points being made about cooking and all kinds of things the Dalai Lama would never discuss.

And if you'd like to turn those outsourcing frowns to smiles, talk to us, witness us. We'll   take you on a tour of client sites and and let you taste the FSO experience first-hand where you'll see how different life has become for some of the best known-brands in the world.

Call me personally at 212-204-1193.

Feel the FSO Experience - and ensure everyone around you does too. 

Here's to a wonderful week!

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do" ~~Robert H. Schuller

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Inspire ME Friday: Where Are You Running To?

"There’s a wonderful Future Leaders Program on this course that I’ve had to pleasure to be a part of. In just my first 8 months here I was given many challenges and ultimately awarded my first promotion."

Good Morning Folks, 

Before I reveal my pick from this week's inspiring, internal communiques, I wanted to share some thoughts.

As you know, FSO’s Future Leaders (FLP) are among our greatest assets. The primary intention of our FLP is to know who our top performing employees are so that we can cultivate a deep bench of great talent to keep pace with our galactic growth. 

Nothing is more important than having great people who care about the service and experiences they provide to our customers. Our Future Leaders have the desire to grow and be a part of something amazing, something BIGGER. We have 260 employees in the FLP and I expect see at least 45 more promotions before the end of the year.

All of which leads me to my pick for today's inspiring share from our internal employee communications this week. It's authored by Peter, an Experience Associate Director based out of one of FSO's Boston client sites. Peter is a shining example of the success of our Future Leaders Program. Here's Peter:

"I joined FSO 11 months ago as an Experience Manager after working for our client directly for 8 years. I am truly honored to deliver this message, my first, to you today.

One thing that I enjoy very much is getting up each morning before the sun comes out and hitting the streets for a morning run. I use that time to organize my thoughts and compile the tasks that I’d like to complete over the course of the day. I decide how I’m going to use the next 24 hours to grow personally and professionally and then feed off of that energy to get out there and make every minute count.

I think of my career at FSO as the ultimate marathon. The start gun went off nearly 4 years ago with a small group of elite runners. Along the course hundreds of other hard working colleagues recruited by our amazing People Solutions team joined into this exciting race. There’s a wonderful Future Leaders Program on this course that I’ve had to pleasure to be a part of. Our leaders are committed to our development and growth and in just my first 8 months here I was given many challenges and ultimately awarded my first promotion. We have our Sales and Marketing teams that climb up the hills making calls, getting proposals together, doing site visits and securing new business to get to the top. At the top of those hills there are rows of clients ringing cowbells cheering us on realizing that we were the best decision.

Who is that elite runner at the front of the pack that shows no signs of slowing?  Mitch Weiner!!! He broke through the finish line that our competitors wish they could make it to, created a new course and refuses to slow down. And why would he? There is no better brand in the entire business and he will continue to conquer.

For the rest of you I ask… As you begin your marathon today, what are you going to do to make it a personal, passionate and productive journey? LET YOUR LEADERS KNOW!!! Mitch, Jim and the rest of the ELT are personally committed to helping each and every one of us succeed.

So folks, there’s a lot of time between now and the end of the day. I personally challenge you to use it well. 3...2...1…GO! FSO  USA"

These future leaders, like Peter, from mail room clerks to front of house to our Sr. Management team are driven by one simple goal: make today better than it was yesterday. 

Everyday we open our eyes to see what's else we can do to serve, to make our presence known, to solve problems, to help the client. Everyday we smile, say good morning, and make someone feel good about themselves. Our people never stop looking for ways to make our clients life better. 

Your energy, enthusiasm and professionalism are always greatly appreciated. 

Have a wonderful fun weekend!

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

Read more inspiring messages from our employees HERE

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"You are never a loser until you quit trying”- Mike Ditka                                                                                                                                  

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At FSO, Imagination Is Always In Season

“When I might feel like I'm drowning in my work all I have to do is take a few deep breaths and remember this support system of 1300 people who have my back.“

Good Morning Folks,

How lucky we are to have an extended burst of great weather here in NYC. Everyone is back from the beach and rested. You can feel the excitement, on the streets, in the air and certainly here at FSO where great ideas to better serve our clients are always in season.

I must say we are so entrenched in strategy it's amazingly exciting. When a company grows it's imperative to constantly evaluate its needs, ambitions and competition. 

That is exactly how we've accelerated growth at a galactic pace thus far. And, at our upcoming regional and national meetings, we'll be rolling out even more programs to ensure that we are the best oiled and most innovative machine this industry has ever seen. 

Hospitality is our DNA.

Operational best practices continue to be our greatest asset. 

We invest in our people.

We Fulfill Dreams.

We put Promise to Practice.

The new ideas flowing, and the programs they spur are an investment in our most precious commodity… OUR PEOPLE!  We are committed to providing our talent force with time-tested, proven and yet consistently (re)IMAGINED tools and focus like: 

• Amazing Training              
• Incredible Mentorship                   
• Creative Approaches                      
• Awesome Workshops                   
• Real-World Application                  
• Dynamic Development                  
• Endless Opportunities

In business, we always want to differentiate ourselves from our competitors, and we've done that by investing in a very strong and creative infrastructure that most our competitors simply can't duplicate. 

That in mind, I want to give a shout of appreciation to Crystal, whose rapid career ascension on was profiled here on MitchWeiner.com and her post has already become one of our most-read stories. 

At FSO, I promise our employees a career, not just a job. An opportunity for anyone with >>SKIP >>Twinkle >>Fire and a willingness to work hard and learn and grow each and every day, the a chance to shatter glass ceilings and realize their full potential as has never been possible before. 

Crystal's story is a case in point. It personifies the essence of the FSO client and employee experience. If you haven't read that yet I encourage you to do so. 

Crystal's been slammed with her new workload and humbled by the warm welcome and support communicated to her by just about every employee from all walks of the organization. I very much appreciate that. In an email to me Crystal confided, "When I might feel like I'm drowning in my work all I have to do is take a few deep breaths and remember this support system of 1300 people who have my back.“ How many friends do you know that honestly feel that way about the culture of their workplace?

As a client we always have your back too. And we will never stop (re)IMAGINING new and better ways to make your workplace work better. So as the harvest season rolls around, you can expect a healthy crop of great ideas to power our sites into the most critical quarter of your year and beyond.

Kiss your loved ones and thank them for all their support as we continue to work hard to fulfill the biggest and brightest dreams and ambitions of clients and employees alike. 

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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“The future of sourcing isn’t finding people— 
it’s about engaging them.” 

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Read inspiring messages from our employees HERE

Shattering Glass Ceilings and Realizing Her Full Potential, FSO Is Where Crystal's Career Dreams and Ambitions Are Being Fulfilled

"Mitch, Jim, and the entire ELT have built this incredible business and are allowing opportunities for every single FSO staff member to shine and grow personally and professionally. Do not only “FEEL THE EXPERIENCE” for yourself, SPREAD the experience to every person who you interact with and we will all shine!! :)"

Good Morning Folks,

We're back after a week's hiatus with a special treat for you this morning.

FSO is growing at an extremely fast pace. Outsiders want to know the keys to that success -- the driving force behind the ambition. We know it's our people that make the difference. 

But as I've said before, on Fridays when I share the best of our internal employee communiques of the week, the best way to get to know the size, scope and spirit of FSO is to hear what our employees have to say directly. 

At FSO, I promise our employees a career, not just a job. An opportunity for anyone with >>SKIP >>Twinkle >>Fire and a willingness to work hard and learn and grow each and every day, the a chance to shatter glass ceilings and realize their full potential as has never been possible before. Today, Crystal's story is a case in point:

Good morning and a very happy hump day FSO USA!! :) :) :) 

With this, my first ever morning message, I want to stress a very simple concept that we all know and have heard a million times.. this being “the golden rule”.. treat others as you would like to be treated.

Super cliché right? Allow me to just tell you a short story about the benefits of being a nice, positive person…

I grew up the daughter of a fabulous couple who owned a small family hardware store. From the time I was five years old I would go into the store and stand beside my mother at the counter and watch her interact with customers on a regular basis. I watched as every single customer, from the burliest, grease stained mechanic to the frazzled housewife with a clogged toilet, left our little store with a smile on their face because my mother treated each and every customer like family. The tiny store was a beacon of my little community with customers avoiding the “big box” hardware stores.. whose identities I will keep anonymous.. to pay a little more at our mom & pop store because of the EXPERIENCE.

This sublime level of customer service is in my blood (or, one could say that I have "FSO" in my blood.. to an outsider this may sound like I have a terminal illness but everyone in this family will understand my meaning.. and as we sweep the nation soon enough the outsiders will understand as well) and living by the idea of the golden rule has gotten me everything. I graduated from Hofstra University four years ago at the height of the recession still very unsure of what I wanted to be when I “grew up”. 

I needed to make money, so the food service industry was an obvious choice. I spent the past four years behind bars, knowing very well that it was not my end game but using it as a platform, a chance to speak with hundreds of people on a daily basis. I found myself growing within the food service industry and getting better and better opportunities.. all from bar guests. 

People who did not necessarily know me but who were willing to take a chance on me simply because I was nice to them and really cared. A guest at the dive bar where I was working offered me a position at his sports bar… a guest at the sports bar offered me a position at his fancier French bistro… a guest at the French bistro was a chef at one of the most popular restaurant/clubs in the heart of the Meatpacking District and he offered me a position there.

And it was there where a group of fun loving bar guests came in who were clearly celebrating and were clearly not only coworkers but dear friends. The leader of the group requested champagne and I worked with him to select the perfect bottle for the occasion. One of the members of the group was a lovely woman who was pregnant so I made her a virgin mojito. I made the group smile and laugh.. I was as accommodating as possible because that’s the only way that I know how to treat people.. I’m my mother’s daughter.

The infectious, permanently smiling man who was the ringleader of the group handed me his business card as he left and insisted that I call because he wanted me on his team. The business card read “Mitchell D. Weiner – Founder, Chief Happiness Officer, CEO & Owner". (A company with a Chief Happiness Officer!? SIGN ME UP!) And now here I sit, nearly four months into my tenure with FSO a week after receiving my first promotion, writing my story to the entire company… it is pretty amazing.

Today I have two pieces of advice for every person in this company. Number one is to treat others as you would like to be treated. Live life like my mother and I can guarantee that the results will be overwhelmingly positive. And number two is to appreciate and recognize when you are treated particularly well. Live life like Mitch and acknowledge that taxi driver, or that grocery store worker, or that barista who has gone above and beyond and let them know how much you appreciate it. Take it a step further and tell them about FSO. Every single one of us has the opportunity to recruit and build on this company simply by recognizing talent. We are a PEOPLE company.

Mitch, Jim, and the entire ELT have built this incredible business and are allowing opportunities for every single FSO staff member to shine and grow personally and professionally. Do not only “FEEL THE EXPERIENCE” for yourself, SPREAD the experience to every person who you interact with and we will all shine!! :)
 

Well Crystal, THANK you. What a great message!!!  So powerful, I'm so glad you're here! We are venturing into the fourth year of our youthful company with so many great people and ideas.  

This week, DELIVER THE FSO EXPERIENCE with POWER OF FOCUS. Let us all help each other so that we continue to be THE BEST ONSITE OUTSOURCING COMPANY IN THE WORLD!

With care, passion, inspiration and love. 

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me I didn't understand the assignment. I told them they didn't understand life" - John Lennon

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