It's Time For Shout Outs! WOW – HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR AWARD WINNERS!!

BBDO Team

"We have an awesome product. We have competitors asleep at the wheel and a boss who pushes for greatness."

Good Morning Folks, 

Due to great strategy and planning, 2014 is poised to be another banner year for FSO. We are going to *light up the nation*! If you love seeing the FSO spirit in action, and reading all the Kudos, today's post is for you.

First, I want to give well-deserved recognition to all our winners– from the EM of the Month to the MVP Award and onto the Passionate Powerhouse Award – this is what it is all about and what we are and will be known for.

Experience Manager of the Month:

November- Kevin Jackson, ASME

December- Christian Diaz 

FSO MVP of the Month

November- Alred Pereira, ED 

December- FSO HQ Office Services Team 

FSO Passionate Powerhouse of the month:

November-McCarter & English

December- Y&R

From Left to Right our staff at: BBDO, Cahil Gordon, Univision Miami, Sarah Lawrence College, American University, UN Bookstore, Schnader & Univision

==> CCO Shout Outs
Here are some of the AWESOME things our clients are saying about our motivated, team oriented, passionate people…

Juan Tinch & Ezequiel Martinez, Univision, New York
"I wanted to take just a moment to acknowledge the amazing support of the ETS Team and NYC Mailroom, Cynthia and last but not least Elideth here at Univision provided with getting computers and phones and all the extra equipment situated. The move could not have gone better or smoother."

Brennan Becker, CAPCO
"Definitely one of a kind. Yes the mark of greatness, is when the small things count. Like her name means in Yiddish, 'Fire'."
    
The FSO Team at CAPCO

Team at McCarter & English, LLP 

Marcus Williams & Devon Spencer, McCarter & English, LLP 
"Last Wed. at about 4:30 p.m. I unexpectedly  needed a file for a meeting that had just been called for last Thursday morning.  My secretary was gone, as was Tracy the paralegal, who had to leave earlier than usual because she was worried that her pipes were freezing at home. Marcus and Spencer appeared at my office door at about 5:15, file in hand.  I was able to prepare and go to the meeting the next morning with the papers I needed. It sounds trite, but we truly are a family here and when people go over and above to help someone else, they are worthy of recognition.  Thank you, Marcus and Spencer. You made the firm look good."

Toni Ann Stevens, Unicredit
"Toni Ann is a rockstar's dream! Really wonderful and detail orientated. Even the toughest person to handle within UniCredit has nothing but raves for Toni Ann. I am so grateful she is the person filling in for me while I am away taking my class, I don't have to worry about a thing. Thank you so much for finding her!!"

Julieta Capote, Moses & Singer LLP 
"Julieta came to work on Friday January 3rd, and despite the snow storm and transportation difficulties, she arrived early to handle our bagel breakfast.  She is amazing, has a wealth of talents, and is just a pleasure to have at our site."

The FSO Staff at The Cliffs, New Jersey
"I just wanted to send you a quick email to let you know that two of the staff at the Cliffs went Above & Beyond for me in the last couple days. I caught that awful stomach bug that is going around. I called down to Martin on Friday morning to call the paramedics and he instantly was upstairs to help me. He also went to the store to pick me up a few things that the paramedics recommended. I honestly don't know what I would have done without his help these last few days."

The Team at CAPCO

Gabrial Santant & Roger Rios, CAPCO 
"I have never been more impressed by the way Roger and Gabriel take care of this place! Just the mere fact that I have only been here 3 weeks and their work has made an impression on me speaks for itself."

Not only are they always extremely friendly and helpful, everything under their realm is always in tip top shape - there is never a want for anything because they are always ahead of the game.  Wanted to just share that with you and make sure they get recognized for their hard work because they certainly deserve it!"

Clare Gallagher, CAPCO
"I wanted to formally recognize Clare for the help she has provided over the last few months. I moved to New York in early September, and Clare has consistently worked to ensure that I have settled in with a minimum of fuss. She was particularly helpful in sorting out my company phone, which I had a few bespoke requirements with. She has also been very helpful with numerous room requests and AV requirements."

The FSO Team at Fross Zelnick 
"All of the filing room staff is in the same unique position as a singer's accompanist and is generally taken for granted by the people they help. I cannot survive here without you, without your help, your supportive quick response, your intelligence and know-how - and flexibility (when I know accutely how thin you are spread some days). I know this does NOT make up for all the pressure that I have personally placed you under, but thank you for all of your help. I could not survive without you."

The FSO Team at Schnader, Philadephia, PA
"The secretaries on 34 wanted to thank Drina for helping out and organizing our copy stations.  They look great and are perfectly organized.  We appreciate her going the extra mile! It makes our work easier. We think all of the mail & records staff have been really friendly, pleasant and quite helpful!  Thanks for doing a great job!"

The FSO Team at Schnader 

Brayhan Cuervo, Neuberger Berman
"With Melissa out, Brian's help has been invaluable to us. We have thanked him 100 times :) but thank you to you and Tracie for making this happen and your ongoing support

The FSO Team at Richemont 
"Here at Richemont we just completed about half of several extremely large moves and construction projects with more on the near and far horizon. I could not have managed or completed these without the entire support of my team. Everything went, and is going very smoothly, with these projects, and this is mainly due to the dedication and strength of the team. I have no doubt that with everyone's continued support, all remaining projects, and especially the move of Cartier's offices, will be a huge success."

Kevin Jackson & The FSO Team at ASME
"I can’t say enough, Kevin is on top of it – he teaches, he trains, he cares. The staff are not only helpful but they really know things. Their knowledge has been phenomenal in supporting me and ASME. The team is in harmony, they are so helpful and if I ask for anything they are all over it and so proactive and get it DONE."

Christine Vanhorne, Brookfield Asset Management

Team at New York Times

"I don't know where to begin...you were a dream to work with. From start to finish I was impressed by how professional you handled everything and how everything was flawless. The dinner itself was beautiful.  I am still besides myself at how well everything came together. It was a pleasure working with you and I congratulate you for a job well done!"

The FSO Team at NY Times
"I just ran into Catherine Dolan in the cafeteria this morning and she complemented you and FSO for such a great job that was done in making sure the equipment was delivered as needed for their show this weekend. Catherine praised you personally and FSO as a whole, how professional and committed the company is."




Donald Myers and Jose Hernandez, Shiseido
"They helped the Miami team plan and execute an outstanding seminar. They were always warm, kind, hospitable and willing to help. The Miami team was incredibly gracious and highly complementary of the group and their experience with your team."

The FSO Team at Shiseido

Luis Muniz, Clyde & Co. 
"Thank you very much for helping out on the Office Services project at Clyde & Co. I really appreciate your willingness to help out outside your current position and other locations that you cover for FSO. It is helpful to have someone who has had experience with similar issues on previous projects to offer guidance. I know FSO, Clyde & Co and myself are very happy to have you assisting in this matter."

Team at Clyde & Co.

Candace Britt, GLM 
"I wanted to give Candace recognition for her work with Eva. These past two days Candace has made sure that Eva has not missed a thing. Candace breaks everything down to Eva so that there are no questions and to prevent mistakes. This shows that Candace takes her job seriously. On top of Candace doing her job and helping Eva, Candace has this warm, approachable, “hey I’m here if you need me” attitude. She is kind and never gives you the impression that any of your questions are silly. Candace is an amazing TEAM PLAYER. Always willing to jump in and help."

As we continue to expand our national footprint with a keen focus on hospitality and concierge service, communication remains key. 

Take a moment to realize we are the only company in the industry celebrating every site for their amazing work. 

Cheers to our winners for striving for perfection now and in the future.

Have a GREAT Day. Love Life & let’s keep the energy and passion rolling!!!

I'll be a seeing you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

........................................................................................................
Success - "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; this is to have succeeded." Hat Tip Dawn Giuffrida
........................................................................................................

How to Get Human Customer Service

"Of course at FSO, you can always count on getting a live person to help you."

Good Morning Folks,

Have you ever had a problem with a company and wished you could just get a person on the phone? Yeah, me too!

According to Steve Anderson, "Even with all the technology at our disposal sometimes it is faster, easier, and creates a much better customer service experience when you can actually talk to a customer service agent. But, it can often be difficult to find the right number to call."

That’s why you need to bookmark GetHuman.com. This site does one thing really well. It maintains an easily searchable list of over 8,000 company customer service phone numbers that, in most cases, connects you with a real live person.

It also provides advice and shortcuts on how to get through voice menus as well as tips on how to receive good service. You can also see reviews left by others and leave your own reviews about your experience with a company for others to see.

The site does have quite a few ads displayed between blocks of information so just make sure you click on the information you want and not an ad.

GetHuman.com also works on your mobile phone. No special phone necessary. Any Internet-enabled phone can use GetHuman.com by using your browser to navigate to the website. When you visit on your cell phone, you’ll see a mobile version of the site that is fitted to a smaller screen.

If you have an iPhone or an Android device, you can download the free GetHuman App from the respective stores. The app has customer service phone numbers for major businesses, and the steps for getting a live person – just like the website. But unlike the site, the app is on your phone, meaning that you can contact customer support from wherever you are. The app dials the phone number for you after suggesting how to talk to a real person."

Of course at FSO, you can always count on getting a live person to help you.

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

................................................................
“If failure is not an option, then neither is success.” 
.................................................................

Steve Anderson is the leading authority on insurance agency technology. He is a prolific writer known for his knack for translating “geek speak” into easily understood concepts. Check out his free weekly newsletter “TechTips” and other resources for the insurance industry on his website.

Via LinkedIn: Creative Commons

LinkUP Thursday: The Best Business Books In Brief...

"People want to be part of something that is bigger than they are"

Good Morning Folks,


Want to read 15 famous business books in under a minute?

To save you some time and money, Business Insider's made it possible. They boiled down some of the most popular and influential business books out there to their central lessons.

For those looking to bone up on some business theory, here are the highlights.

Read all about it: http://www.businessinsider.com/famous-business-book-summaries-2013-10#ixzz2jd8lh8HT

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

.........................................................................................
"Never stop working at what you love because that's the fuel that makes life worth living. Happiness is about making dreams come true, no matter how long it takes."
..........................................................................................

Shout Out Wednesday: Celebrating The Best of the Best

My Visit to Our Operation at NBC Sports

Good Morning Folks,

Boy has it been a busy month! We welcomed over 40 new FSO Experience Managers; implemented the industry standard in Payroll and HR systems, Paychex; launched an FSO “Finding Talent Telethon” that allowed us to identify great candidates across the country; AND we hosted another very exciting Company Meeting. PLUS, FSO is open in LA!

Here are some of the AWESOME things our clients are saying about our motivated, team oriented, passionate people…I love this stuff! How could you not??

==>Ariel Haag, Sky Club Condos

“He is professional and friendly without being intrusive. He always personally greets us upon our entry, assists us in unloading groceries, and helps us with whatever else we might need.”

==> Lauren Anderee, Informationalist – FSO HQ

“Lauren has been an incredible asset to our organization. She gracefully jumps in to help us with administrative work, providing coverage at other sites and uses good initiative at our Info Hub.”

==> Ray Gonzalez, Office Services – FSO HQ

“Ray is the kind of person every company needs he takes direction well and totally gets the bigger picture.  He has been a great help with organizing and getting things in order at HQ. The best part is that he does it with a smile!  He also recently started to float at other accounts and we have received great feedback.”

==> Jazmine Chase, Marsh & McLennan

“She has demonstrated commitment and dedication to her role as Informationalist supporting the Conference Services operation. She has gone above and beyond her scope of work and is truly a role model for her peers.”

==> Christine Vanhorne, Brookfield

“I would like to let you know that Christine has done an outstanding job coordinating last night’s event! The event was a great success and everything worked out very well. Christine has been doing a great job and we, at Brookfield, appreciate her hard work and commitment.”

==> The FSO Team at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP    

“Thanks to Diane, Mercedes and Doug today! I was told everything went really smoothly for the World Architecture Day Workshop in 25A and 25B – so thank you for their hard work and smiles! I want to make sure it is noted how much I appreciate Bernard’s help during my training sessions…He made several trips for me to drop things off and pick them up and he did it with no complaints, without mistakes and even called my cell to tell me one of the drop-offs went smoothly when I had to leave early.”

==> Lisa Dulski, Fross Zelnick

“We are so grateful to have you!!!!”

==> Jonathan Cummins, Clermont Cove

“He is welcoming and friendly; he greets everyone warmly and with a smile. He is knowledgeable about events/issues in the building. If he does not know the answer to a question, he finds out what he can and follows up with us or directs us to the person who would know. Jonathan is professional and excels at his job. We enjoy having him here at Clermont Cove, but know that he has a great future ahead of him.”

==> Timothy Jones, Argo

“I wanted to take this opportunity to compliment FSO, specifically Timothy Jones…Timothy quickly stepped in, offered a solution and went personally this morning to get them [the documents] signed. He just dropped them off to me and because of his help we can close this transaction today.”

==> Ben Rydell, Y&R

“Ben was most helpful in tapping into his network of friends. Kudos to Ben again! We might just have to add another service to Ben’s wall!  Thanks again to Ben for going above and beyond his duties. The consummate concierge!”

==> George Roman, Clermont Cove

“Kudos to George for solving the garage drain clog. Through persistence and hard word George broke free the debris that was causing the garage drain to clog and flood.”

==> Eric Singletary, Caplin & Drysdale

“I wanted to let you all to know that Eric Singletary has gone above and beyond and done a fabulous job coordinating the move of FSO from the 10th floor to the 9th floor so their space can be renovated.  He has been one step ahead of the process the entire time and the move would not have been successful without him taking the lead role to make sure it was completed correctly and on time.”

==> David Reiss, Related

”Both you and your entire staff at the desk displayed professional work ethic and were courteous.  People like you and your staff make a person feel comfortable and at ease when entering the building.  The entire security detail should be complemented.”

==> Sonya Verny, FSO Sales

“I would like to take the time to commend one of your excellent employees, Sonya Verny.  I had the pleasure of meeting Sonya at the ALA Regional Conference in Memphis recently.  She is one of those people who has such a pleasing personality that you like her immediately.  And she is certainly the right person for the job. Again, please know that Sonya made such a good impression and that she’s a true asset to your company.”

==> The FSO Team at Univision New Jersey

“Things are much improved at Univision since FSO has been operating our center at 605 Third.  It’s hard to believe that we are coming up on a one year anniversary of the launch.”

==> Tanisha McDaniel, Fross Zelnick 

“Tanisha has been amazing lately. All of my file aways (which have been A LOT) are all up to date. She has been getting them done super fast and she has really been putting in a lot of effort.”

Also, Thank You to the “Wonder Twins” (Shalaine Adams, Corporate Trainer & Chelsea Weiner, People Solutions Specialist) who continue to do a great job delivering trainings to ALL of our staff! Here is what one of our clients had to say about the Twins J

“I just wanted to send you a quick note.  It was a pleasure meeting with you both.  I see why the team speaks so highly of you. I hope that you know how important training is to me and that I really appreciate the work that you have been dong with the team.” – Neuberger Berman

And, CONGRATS to Rafael Mata a.k.a Lynx who was featured on NBCLATINO for his bachata music. His debut signle “Máscara” (“Mask”) is out on iTunes & Amazon. We encourage you to download it!

Finally, here are some photos of last month’s winners – keep smiling! 

Israel Bulter, Sara Lawrence College

Kevin Jackson, ASME

Nitza Plaud, Ray Gonzalez & Aida Hibbert at FSO HQ

Jonathan Viscuna & Guillermo Catano, Univision Miami

Ty Youmans & Angel Negron, NY Times

There’s certainly been a lot happening and to EVEYONE, “Thank You!” We could not attain such great success without you. As I always say, our success is built on great people doing great things for great clients. 

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

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

.........................................................................
‎"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are."
 ~ Carl Jung
..........................................................................

Inspire ME: Do 80% of People Quietly Despise Their Lives?

"While the more you can do the thing you love the better off you will be, the more important thing is to identify why you wake up in the morning. You need to come to grips with something that you value and be willing to make sacrifices in order to move towards it."

Greetings Folks,

Steve Spalding suggests that 80% of People Quietly Despise Their Lives. Are you among them?

This isn't a statistic, it's a casual observation based on talking to way more people about their careers than any normal person should. I'm convinced that most people dislike their lives, not in any robust way but with the kind of casual contempt that can be easily ignored by a society that prizes movement and action above just about everything else.

They dislike their jobs, they dislike their boss, they dislike the things they must do in order to make the living that will allow them to continue disliking their life.

They don't yell and scream and complain about it, in fact, they shuffle their way through it peacefully enough and teach their children that life is hard and painful and that they should appreciate any ounce of goodness that the universe deems them worthy of.

I think that the older you get, the more likely it is for you to fall into my 80%.

Children typically like life a lot. Teenagers are a little wishy-washy on it, but for the most part they think it's the tops. The problem starts somewhere around the mid-20s, when we get thrown out into the world to do "whatever we want to" and we realize that the majority of that time will be spent surviving and helping others to survive.

Kind of a bummer, especially when you spend the majority of your early days looking forward to the freedom of being an adult. This realization is enough to cripple most of us, and very few who survive it make it through unscarred.

So who, you might be wondering, are the elusive 20% who are actually enjoying the ride?

The richly working.

More than any other criteria - age, class, wealth, sex, whatever - it's the people who have a purpose, who have something they believe in and are willing to work on it despite whatever obstacles might get in their way who end up being happy. It's the people who wake up and know they are moving in a direction, towards something that is important to them, that end up loving their lives. It's the people who don't think about retirement because whatever it is that they are doing is truly meaningful that end up being truly content.

Before you ask, you don't have to quit your job and move into a commune to pull this off.

Having a purpose doesn't mean devoting your entire life to that purpose. While the more you can do the thing you love the better off you will be, the more important thing is to identify why you wake up in the morning. You need to come to grips with something that you value and be willing to make sacrifices in order to move towards it.

It might take you 20 years to write your novel, but put a sentence or two on a page every day.

It might take half your life to save up enough to open your restaurant, but do save and make concessions, make sacrifices to see to it that you will eventually get there.

Don't just hope that things will work themselves out, understand that you can make goals and as long as you actively pursue them it's not foolish or crazy to think that you can really accomplish something.

A big part of happiness is having something that makes you happy. A bigger part is doing something with it, developing real, practical steps that you can use in order to reach your goal. You can work your entire life and never do anything that you like. Considering time is the only resource that is truly scarce, you have to ask yourself whether it's worth it.

What say you about this? Let me know by reply.

Have a safe, happy and healthy weekend as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

.........................................................................
"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower" 
~~Steve Jobs 
..........................................................................

InspireME Friday: On a Positive Note, Let's Be Grateful.

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings."~~ Eric Hoffer

Good Morning Friends,


Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.

These words remind us that all of us at FSO we have lots to be thankful for.

Indeed, we do.

Here's a life lesson my mother taught me:

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decisions.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch- holding hands, a warm hug or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

Sometimes you need just a little something to make you smile. 

At times like these we all need to smile. 

People forget what you said, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

You should pass this along to someone you care about. I just did. 


And always remember what John F Kennedy said: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

Here is how you say Thank You in 465 languages.

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

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

...................................................................................................

People may not always remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel. 

........................................................................................................