LinkUp Thursday: A Great Summer Read

"For anyone interested in technology, entrepreneurship or the price of greatness, Ashlee Vance's new book, "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future," is a tremendous look into arguably the world's most important entrepreneur. Vance paints an unforgettable picture of Musk's unique personality, insatiable drive and ability to thrive through hardship. The book bursts with telling anecdotes and quotes that illuminate who Musk is". - The Washington Post 

Good Morning Folks,

With the holiday season upon us, we'll all be spending more time in airplanes, on boats and on the beach. It might be the perfect quiet time to put away the Smart Phone and enlighten ourselves with an inspiring business story.

I just finished the new Musk book. Has America lost its ability to think beyond the fancy dinners, yachts and houses the quick buck might provide? Our greatest American 'capitalists' did not pursue money. They pursued causes and changed the world in the process. Maybe Musk will get to mars, maybe he won't. Maybe Tesla will be able to deliver a $40k fully electric car, or maybe not. But the essence of his pursuit, the reason he risked everything he owned every day, is the interesting aspect of this book. Capital was a means to an end (eliminate the need for fossil fuels; find a place where mankind can go when we eventually and inevitably destroy this beautiful earth), not the end. Highly recommended and very thought provoking.  Order on Amazon HERE

Recently in a standing room only event at Apple Inc.’s shiny SoHo store, people packed in to listen to Steve Jobs’ biographers talk the iconic CEO’s life and legacy.

But as it now should, the discussion shifted beyond just how the iPhone inventor should be remembered, to who the next great visionary might be. The more important question now is not that of Jobs’ legacy, but whether there is, or will be, anyone in the same orbit as Jobs that has the ability to greatly shape civilization for the better.

For Schlender, the answer is Elon Musk, the Tesla Motors Inc. TSLA, -2.07%  and Space-X CEO, and chairman of SolarCity Corp. SCTY, +0.18% for his space aspirations—Musk ultimately wants to set up a human colony on Mars—and electric car. Musk, he says, has “the track record and ability to build enthusiasm and paint a beautiful picture of how the future should be,” similar to the way Jobs could.

Read this book and you will see why.

Meanwhile we do as Musk does: WOW our clients!  WOW our employees!  Roll out the Red Carpet!  Ensure White Glove Service!  Perfect professional images!  Make a difference to ensure our clients Feel the Experience!

Have a happy, smiling and productive day.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, 

who can cut through arguments, debate, and doubt 

to offer a solution everyone can understand."

~~General Colin Powell 

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Shout Out Wednesday: And The Praise Keeps Coming For Our Talented Rock Stars

"He is so helpful in keeping the kitchen clean and stocked, making sure the conference rooms are ready for big meetings, and always responds to our requests in a timely fashion. Most notably, he carries out even the smallest of tasks with a great attitude. 

When it comes to hospitality, you are the best!"

Good Morning Folks,

Seems like only yesterday I was getting calls about how the service in the legacy outsourcing companies that I had built, had fallen short, which began picking up the back of a napkin as a blank canvas to doodle my ideas on how I could come out of retirement and do it right.

Since then not only have we become the fastest growing company in all of outsourcing, but so far in 2015, as companies everywhere and even our competitors are cutting back and being spun off, we've hired over 200 employees, added major accounts like Burns and Levinson, MCCarter & English to join PwC in keeping us Boston strong as well Ruben Companies, Sage, Fosun  KCG and Chicago Title to our ever expanding national roster of clients.... and best of all we promoted several of our Future Leaders to support our budding infrastructure!! FSO is truly embarking on something remarkable.

It's said that great leadership seems easy when things are good and everybody's happy. When times grow tough, however, a leader's true colors are revealed.

And what a challenging time for those true colors to shine with the severe winter all around us. But as you'll see from the comments below, when clients needed a true strategic partner they could count on, they counted on us. And we delivered.

Here are some of the AWESOME things our clients said about our motivated, team oriented, passionate people in the month of April… Keep up the EXCELLENT work!

PHD Team

"Just wanted to send a quick thank-you note out to the not so small village of folks that made yesterday’s Bring Your Daughters and Sons To Work day such a hoot: The kids had a blast and quite frankly so did I."

Monica Middlebrooks, IMG

"Thanks for all of your help with Hillary Mandel’s meetings today.  It’s hard to plan things from another location but helpful to have you working on our team. We really appreciate it!"

Daniel, IMG

"DANNY DID A GREAT JOB WITH THE FLOOR CLEANING !"

Victor, IMG  ***2Kudos in 1 Month***

"My name is Sammi and I work in the 200 5^th Ave office. I am writing to you in regards to Victor and what a pleasure it is to have him in the office. He is so helpful in keeping the kitchen clean and stocked, making sure the conference rooms are ready for big meetings, and always responds to our requests in a timely fashion. Most notably, he carries out even the smallest of tasks with a great attitude. You’re the best !"

                             Kenneth, NY Times

"You are really on top of your game. 

I am glad you are on our team. Thank you"

ASME Team

"I wanted to be sure I thanked each of you for your assistance with setting up for the 3D display event yesterday.  It really means a lot that you were all so willing to get things done fast and efficiently."

"I am traveling next Monday and Tuesday but when I return in on Wednesday, I will have lunch catered in for all of you."

Karen Russo, ?/ ASME

Cecilio Aponte, FSO

"My name is Kelly Iselin and I work in Bridgewater, NJ for the Brother account, Bomsi and I have recently met because things here had not been going so smoothly actually in all honesty things were pretty bad but then you put Cecilio Aponte on our account. 

We heard all the promises before and yet nothing had changed throughout the year, but Cecilio asked for one more chance and at that point we had nothing to lose….and then it happened he actually did what he said he was going to do, whether it was a simple call back or finally putting into place a resolution to the floater problem we had from day one.

Cecilio calls to check on us, he visits us to make sure (we) and the client are happy (and he brings us awesome popcorn). When I had a personal tragedy in my home life happened he checked on me daily whether it was call, a text or a note on email. For the first time since joining FSO I felt appreciated and what I was doing for the client actually meant something. Earlier this week we (Malka and I) were beyond surprised to receive beautiful flowers from Cecilio to let us know how awesome we are

(His words) and for me I can’t stop smiling, I am proud to share with everyone who walks 

by our reception desk who they are from and why.

Thank you for giving us Cecilio he has made a difference and I love working with him, he deserves to be recognized for his contribution to FSO.

My colleague Malka and I will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary next week with FSO/Brother, although the first 10 months were pretty rough having Cecilio working with us has made our future look a lot brighter."

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Kelly Iselin, Informationalist/ Brother International

Daniel, Sarah Lawrence College

"I wanted to let you know that Daniel Lugo is always super helpful and friendly and I really enjoy working with him."

Whether a salesperson, an experience associate, a records manager, an informationalist, or messenger, what makes our folks so special is their ability to think beyond their daily tasks and think like our clients. 

"What would the client want? What do they need? How could i be more proactive in their eyes? How could i really impress them?"

Do you know? Have you asked? Or are you assuming?  A true partner who never stops looking out for you, who takes that extra second to ask and then ACTS! 

Never lose the passion, the smile and what makes you special but put yourself in our clients shoes and get to know what they might be thinking! 

All of you are out in the field and have the power to make an incredible impact and a difference in the wealth and success of others.

I look forward to hearing stories from our clients how our team has made an impact by being a leader.

IT IS YOU that makes FSO who we are. Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"None of us is as smart as all of us." --Ken Blanchard

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Shout Out Wednesday- Clients Praise Our Teams

"First impressions are everything and having Kelly represent us the way she does leaves a lasting impression with our guests. She displays a genuine “brother at your side” commitment!"

Good Morning Folks,

I hope you are having a successful start to your week. Every Wednesday I bring Kudos - Shout Outs direct from a clients praising the great work our employees are doing at their sites. Let's go!

David, Perseus Books

"I am not sure if David is on staff and if he reports to one of you guys now, but I wanted to let you know that I think he does such an amazing job here. So helpful and always goes the extra mile. Great employee, for what it is worth."

Dian, Metropolitan College of NY

"I am writing to commend Dian for her professionalism, outstanding customer service skills and work ethic. Regardless of the number of requests or deadlines, Dian accomplishes the task at hand quickly and efficiently while always maintaining a pleasant persona to the benefit of her operation and the college community. She is a role model to all who have the opportunity to observe her actions and/or interact with her. In sum I appreciate the leadership of Dian and the services of the Mail Room/Copy Center."

Kellyanne, Brother International Corp.
"Just wanted to send you a quick note regarding Kelly and the front desk before my tenure as a contractor here ends.I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to let you know what a difference it makes for our candidates, vendors and various guests to be greeted by Kelly. She does so with the utmost professionalism and makes everyone feel welcomed and comfortable. Often, she is the first person that our prospective new hires meet. First impressions are everything and having Kelly represent us the way she does leaves a lasting impression with our guests. She displays a genuine “brother at your side” commitment!

Kimathi, Hilton 
"Please be informed that our Office Systems team has received excellent customer service and technical support from Kimathi ! She is not only helpful but has a pleasant and positive attitude. She also demonstrates diligent professionalism."



Luis, SMP
"I am writing you to express my appreciation and commendation for Luis who in the short period of time of working with and for me as his client, has demonstrated daily great displays of professionalism, courtesy, respect and manners. That will be a great gain for any employer to have on their side. It is not often that you see goof and wholesome work qualities and ethics in the young men of today but you gave all that and more in Luis!"

Marcos , United Nations Book Shop

"Marcos just called me to give me excellent news about the sales trend in the Bookshop that I wanted to share with you: We just had two record-breaking days, and will close today with nearly $9000 worth of sales. The sunshine and warmer weather must be having a positive impact on our customers, but I think it's mostly due to the efforts made by our team here and especially Marcos and the Bookshop staff to get the new space up and running."

"WOW!!!!!!!  RECORD BREAKING $9000.00 in sales…………………….in one day!!! HUGE CONGRATS to Marcos and the entire team at the United Nations Book Shop – THANK YOU to Marcos, Claudia, Lale, Beatrice, George, Brandi & Kareem!!!!!! I was at the book shop today and when I walked in the line of customers was out the door – EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE was in place, ringing customers up at the register, answering questions on the floor…………….a work of art!!!! We SOOOO appreciate the effort guys. Thank you all for the pride you take in your work and the effort you put forth each and every day. Congrats on the RECORDS BREAKING SALES !!!!!!!!!! GREAT GREAT GREAT JOB."

To all of those applauded, CHEERS to you and THANK YOU for working tirelessly to deliver Service Extraordinaire with a smile. Keep up the great work!!

Have a great day and thanks for being a part of our amazing journey.

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." 
--Amelia Earhart

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Ted Tuesday: Bel Pesce— 5 ways to kill your dreams

"If you have dreams, it's your responsibility to make them happen."

Good Morning Folks,

All of us want to invent that game-changing product, launch that successful company, write that best-selling book. And yet so few of us actually do it. Brazilian entrepreneur Bel Pesce breaks down five easy-to-believe myths that ensure your dream projects will never come to fruition

What do you suppose they are? Those things that’ll kill your dreams?

You can’t believe they can be yours?  Your dreams that is.

What about I don’t believe I can be that person.

Or there’s always I‘m not good enough to have my dreams come true?

These come under the category of doubt and yep that’ll do it. Doubt is a great way to repel anything that might otherwise be drawn to us.  All those beautiful desires, burned out by the flame of doubt.  

So sad.

When we join the Doubting Thomas crew you can be sure we’re uncertain and distrusting.  Uncertain of what?  Distrusting of what?  Us?  The creative laws of the universe that are ours to operate to our heart’s content?  What the heck’s with that?  What are we focused on here…certainly not the fulfillment of our desires.  Once again we’re back on that old arguing for our limitations bandwagon.

But really, one of the biggest killer of our dreams is inertia.  Join it with fear and you have an awesome twosome, in the worst sense of the phrase.  The terrible twos.

Our challenge is that there are times when the status quo is too damned comfortable.  We don’t want to rock the boat, no, not even to experience our greatest dream, because what if….

It doesn’t work out…

I can’t do what I need to do to have what I want…

I might actually succeed and then what?

The best way to kill your dreams? Listen to the advice of others, rather than following your own best instincts.

Often, our goals in life can only be reached with the cooperation of others. Lacking that cooperation, goals may not be met because they cannot be achieved alone.

Tells Bel, "I myself have a story in Brazil that people think is an overnight success. I come from a humble family, and two weeks before the deadline to apply to MIT, I started the application process. And, voila! I got in. People may think it's an overnight success, but that only worked because for the 17 years prior to that, I took life and education seriously. Your overnight success story is always a result of everything you've done in your life through that moment."

Here's Bel....

Wise words Bel. I'm a big fan of yours :) What a great talk Bel Pesce, very motivating and inspiring.

It really gives people courages as well as telling things are not easy in real life. Love all the points especially No 1 about overnight success and no 5 about the journey. We are all waiting for that magic moment but actually success comes when we actually enjoy the journey. This is powerful. I hope more and more young people can come to understand life in their own positive way.Taking hard work as one of very fabulous success for us to persuit in our life

So, believe in overnight success, believe someone else has the answers for you, believe that when growth is guaranteed, you should settle down, believe the fault is someone else's, and believe that only the goals themselves matter. Believe me, if you do that, you will destroy your dreams.

Have a GREAT Day,



Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Destiny is not for waiting. Destiny is for achieving."

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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.  

About FSO Onsite Outsourcing
Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing companies for the third consecutive year, and lead by industry pioneer, Mitch Weiner, FSO's growth and success can be attributed to making a positive and powerful impact on their clients' bottom lines, as well as their employees' careers and lives.

Ted Tuesday: Stanley McChrystal: Listen, learn ... then lead

“One of America’s greatest warriors.” — Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Good Morning Folks,

If you want to be a better leader, today's Ted talk is going to be quite remarkable for you. This is a good speech on leadership from one of the finest Generals of our time, General Stanley McChrystal.

General Stanley McChrystal is the former commander of U.S. and International forces in Afghanistan. A four-star general, he is credited for creating a revolution in warfare that fuses intelligence and operations.

Four-star general Stanley McChrystal shares what he learned about leadership over his decades in the military. How can you build a sense of shared purpose among people of many ages and skill sets? By listening and learning — and addressing the possibility of failure.

Says McChrystal, "I was raised with traditional stories of leadership: Robert E. Lee, John Buford at Gettysburg. And I also was raised with personal examples of leadership. This was my father in Vietnam. And I was raised to believe that soldiers were strong and wise and brave and faithful; they didn't lie, cheat, steal or abandon their comrades. And I still believe real leaders are like that. But in my first 25 years of career, I had a bunch of different experiences."

"And I learned personal relationships were more important than ever. We were in a difficult operation in Afghanistan in 2007, and an old friend of mine, that I had spent many years at various points of my career with -- godfather to one of their kids -- he sent me a note, just in an envelope, that had a quote from Sherman to Grant that said, "I knew if I ever got in a tight spot, that you would come, if alive." And having that kind of relationship, for me, turned out to be critical at many points in my career."

"I stood in front of a screen one night in Iraq with one of my senior officers and we watched a firefight from one of our forces. And I remembered his son was in our force. And I said, "John, where's your son? And how is he?" And he said, "Sir, he's fine. Thanks for asking." I said, "Where is he now?" And he pointed at the screen, he said, "He's in that firefight." Think about watching your brother, father, daughter, son, wife in a firefight in real time and you can't do anything about it. Think about knowing that over time. And it's a new cumulative pressure on leaders."

Have a look:

Concludes McCrystal: "That was my journey. I hope it’s not over. I came to believe that a leader isn’t good because they’re right; they’re good because they’re willing to learn and to trust.

This isn’t easy stuff. It’s not like that electronic abs machine where, 15 minutes a month, you get washboard abs.

And it isn’t always fair. You can get knocked down, and it hurts and it leaves scars.

But if you’re a leader, the people you’ve counted on will help you up. And if you’re a leader, the people who count on you need you on your feet."

Thank you General. Any day our Future Leaders need more inspiration I encourage them to watch this and then watch it again.

Good leaders are able to get others to buy into a common cause and to give others a sense of purpose, which is what this talk was about. Leadership is needed to communicate. He says that they must build trust and confidence in order to communicate with the people. I think that a true leader is trying to fit the characteristics. Thanks for listening.

Have a GREAT Day,



Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Leaders can let you fail and yet not let you be a failure."

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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.  

About FSO Onsite Outsourcing
Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing companies for the third consecutive year, and lead by industry pioneer, Mitch Weiner, FSO's growth and success can be attributed to making a positive and powerful impact on their clients' bottom lines, as well as their employees' careers and lives.

Shout Out Wednesday: Clients Sing Their Praises Loud and Strong

"Kaydeon has always gone above and beyond in a time crunching matter, whether related to locating and securing a conference room, or providing a GoToMeeting, or simply providing some necessary information."

Good Morning Folks,

I hope you are having a successful start to your week. Every Wednesday I bring Kudos - Shout Outs direct from a clients praising the great work our employees are doing at their sites. Let's go!

Sean, Aiche
"Sean, thank you so much for all of your ongoing support today of the large conference today, including managing all of the visitors and deliveries, checking up on the ASCE rep we parked in Pine for a bit who was not feeling well (she appreciated it very much), providing supplemental beverages, generally checking in to make sure all is progressing well, and more."

Mailroom, Y&R
'I received the plants this morning from my mailroom. 
Your mailroom did amazing job packaging the plants. 
Please thank them for me. I cannot thank you enough for all the help with these plants." 


"I can’t say enough about how incredibly smoothly the above-mentioned went under Joann’s caring supervision. Owing only to dynamics in our own group I had prepared myself for many bumps in the road. Joann had considered them all and not only did it go off without issues it was even faster than her quick plan suggested.  I was always a huge fan, but that respect has only grown even more with this project. We are so fortunate to have Joann with us!"

Capco Team

"Thank you for another great event today. The food was delicious and everyone was really excited about it. Well done!!"

Andrea, Capco

"I wanted to thank you again for helping to get everything set up. I really appreciate it. The event went great and everyone was happy so there will most likely be more to come."

  

Kaydeon, Capco

"I just wanted to piggy-back on a recent thank you badge which I've sent to Kaydeon , and to bring her to the forefront as one of your employees. Kaydeon has always gone above and beyond to help provide assistance especially in a time crunching matter. This could be related to locating and securing a conference room, or providing a GoToMeeting, or simply providing some necessary information. Therefore, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate Kaydeon, and all the support which she provides at Capco on a daily basis. It's greatly appreciated" 

Tareek, NY Times **2 Kudos in 1 Month**

"Thank you for providing us with Tareek, he continues to represent the quality of service Ken , you and I work together to provide our customers."

James and Tareek, NY Times

"We have been asking your team, James and Tereek, to whom we could sing their praises loud and strong. They are superb."

"Lee, the person from FSO that has been handling the delivery of most of our shipped boxes to the 14th floor and 15th floor offices. His name is Tareek and he is an absolute pleasure to interact with. He has a great positive attitude every time we see him. He makes a point to end each interaction with, “Is there anything else that I can assist you with?”. Being in the hospitality business myself, his genuine hospitality really shows."

Angel, Business Operations Director

"Angel, thank you for taking the time in your busy schedule to be on site for the walk through. Your continuing display of support and commitment for your on site staff and our partnership in handling the New York Times Postal/Messenger Operations adds value to our FSO relationship."

Evelyn and Tyrone, Medimmune

"Hi Bryce, Thank you for sharing your feedback. I appreciate you taking the time to do so. I am glad to hear things are on track for your deliverables. Thanks to Evelyn and Tyrone for making it happen!!!"



Wendy, PHD
"Wendy helping us out in HR, really made a huge impact in getting us organized with our files and in a good place.  Plus she’s helped us out a lot with the new hire on boarding. What do you think?  I don’t want anyone else to feel left out and singling her out but she has been a Wow wow help."

Our job in hospitality is to make the client feel as if they are at home and create memories and experiences that want to make clients "return." It is also our job to make sure that we supply our clients with that “WOW" factor that makes them feel special. As important as it is to take care of our clients, it is equally important to take care of all of our team members. The more enthusiastic and happy our employees are at work the more productive they will be. Without the support of each team member that “WOW” factor will never be given to our clients.”

To all of our honorees, CHEERS to you and THANK YOU for working tirelessly to deliver Service Extraordinaire with a smile. Keep up the great work!!

Have a great day and thanks for being a part of our amazing journey.

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." 
--Amelia Earhart

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ABOUT FSO:

Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing companies and ranked among the top 25 of New York's fastest growing privately held companies by Crain's magazine, FSO can proudly boast: 

• 98 % client retention with ZERO displacements 
• 98 % employee retention – twice the industry average 
• 300+ years of industry experience residing in its Senior Leadership Team 
• 120+ corporate support staff supporting our national footprint (HR, IT, Analysts, Subject matter experts etc) 

Led by Mitchell Weiner, the co-founder and pioneer of onsite outsourcing, FSO was created to deliver what the industry has lost sight of – and everything you deserve: 

• An outsourcing experience powered by passionate people. 
• An intimate and personal approach to service. 
• A partnership based on care, trust and mutual success. 
• Involved owners listening to your needs and proposing customized solutions. 

VIDEO:

Brief "corporate portrait" video shows who we are and what we can do for you HERE

To learn more, please contact our national direct line: 212.204.1193.