Shout Out Wednesday: Kudos To The Best Outsourcing Team On The Planet

"This young lady clearly takes her job seriously and enjoys what she is doing. She greets me and my colleagues every morning with a smile and "how are you today? Can I do anything for you? Do you need anything?" It means so very much to have had you there to help." 

Good Morning Folks,

As FSO continues its expansion, we remain focused on the people and constantly raising the bar to (re)IMAGINE™ the way to go to business - ensuring we deliver the very best experience to our clients and employees. 

We believe people make or break the success of an organization. FSO hires for character, desire and attitude and then takes better care of that individual than one could ever imagine. We take care of our people and in turn, they take care of you. They bring a passion for hospitality and service that just can't be faked or duplicated.  

==> Compliments to Shalaine for training: 

At a time when others have cut back on the training and recognition that is essential motivation for success, this is just another example why FSO is the differentiator in the industry. Employees love what you are doing, Shalaine. Hear directly from them:

"Your hospitality training session Today was phenomenal. You hit on the most valuable points and was able to express the importance  of those points with passion and conviction."

"Your energy is contagious and you speak with such compelling inflection! "

"The ending of your presentation was the most memorable for me. I live by the statement "Do The Right Thing" especially when no one is watching. I felt every last word at the end."

"You come in and just rock the room with your amazing energy. The training was super exciting and so fun."

"Thanks so much for breaking down the meaning of hospitality. Your lovely words made it much more clearer as to what we needed to do working with this company."

"We just took the training. It was very helpful, very informative, and exciting. I loved your energy and the examples you gave."

"I find your training to be amazing! You are a breath of fresh air. You're always so happy and full of life.  You're aura is always so welcoming and your training is always insightful. You inspire me to challenge myself to be better than I was the day before."

==> Kudos To Fariyal, Jasmine, and Nakeisha:

"We had a VIP group (our competitors) for a meeting and it got a bit chaotic as the power around the table was not working and some of the guests wanted chairs that were adjustable. I kept running back and forth to Jasmine for help and although I know she wanted to throw me out the window (smile), and this is not her job, she was very pleasant, approachable and was quite helpful in reaching out to others to get us organized."

"Just wanted to write a note to let you know how helpful Fariyal was this morning.  Unfortunately, we forgot to reserve a conference room for a client meeting. We tried to reach the meetings and event group As we all ran around crazy (calling Mike, running to the office of the meeting and events group) I asked Fariyal for her help and she was extremely pleasant and was able to guarantee us a room.

"Nikeisha you are amazing! You always go far and beyond of your work. It is really a pleasure to work with you!

"She was very helpful by going downstairs and picking up my monitor vs me doing it. She offered to help me get it and i really appreciate the effort she put on her part as I was really busy this week to pick it up. So kudos to her for being very helpful. It makes the rest of our jobs much easier."

It's clear from these kudos that everyone on the team knows their position and role and they work in harmony to execute greatness. That is what FSO is all about – a perfect harmony of perfection and greatness.    

Thanks fort taking the time to write to me about these gifted employees. I am always eager to hear more about how we are doing.

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

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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TED Tuesday: WTF? Sneakers?

Josh Luber: The secret sneaker market — and why it matters.

Good Morning Folks,

If you've lamented over how much you've spent on sneakers for yourself or your kids, there may be a pot at the end of the rainbow. Because had you invested in a pair of Air Jordan 3 Black Cement in 2011, you could be rich now.

What if we could buy sneakers exactly the same way as we buy stock? And what if it wasn't just sneakers, but any similar product, like watches and handbags and women's shoes, and any collectible, any seasonal item and any markdown item? What if there was a stock market for commerce? A stock market of things. And not only could you buy in a much more educated and efficient manner, but you could engage in all the sophisticated financial transactions you can with the stock market. Shorts and options and futures and well, maybe you see where this is going. 

Josh Luber is a "sneakerhead," a collector of rare or limited sneakers. With their insatiable appetite for exclusive sneakers, these tastemakers drive marketing and create hype for the brands they love, specifically Nike, which absolutely dominates the multi-billion dollar secondary market for sneakers. Luber's company, Campless, collects data about this market and analyzes it for collectors and investors. In this talk, filmed at TED@IBM, he takes us on a journey into this complicated, unregulated market and imagines how it could be a model for a stock market for commerce.

Starts the presentation, "This is the Air Jordan 3 Black Cement. This might be the most important sneaker in history. First released in 1988, this is the shoe that started Nike marketing as we know it. This is the shoe that propelled the entire Air Jordan lineage, and perhaps saved Nike. The Air Jordan 3 Black Cement did for sneakers what the iPhone did for phones. It's been re-released four times. Every celebrity's been seen wearing it. There's a site about what to wear with the Black Cement. It's been right under your nose for decades and you never looked down. And right about now, most of you are probably thinking, 'Sneakers?'"

A fascinating talk. Have a look:
 

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT Day,

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.  

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.

Inspire ME Friday: (re)IMAGINE is good

"Passing up a cupcake may be a test of willpower but the goal of fitting into a smaller pair of jeans is an easily imagined, and often attainable, one."

Greetings,

(re)IMAGINE means change.

While many of us will say that "change" is the magic panacea when we aren't satisfied with an organization, political administration, personal relationship or management team, it is one of the things that we are inherently resistant to do. Change is hard, feels unnatural and moves us out of our comfort zone, even when we know that change will ultimately bring improvement.

Sometimes what we really mean is that we want change as long as it is similar to something that is familiar. That's why political platforms rarely differ; new CEOs may look the same as the previous ones; and budding relationships can resemble those we just left.

There are many reasons why we are resistant to change: dread for the unknown; fear of failure; a sense of powerlessness; we're creatures of habit, etc. But when we eventually make the necessary adjustments and begin reaping the rewards, we have a positive reference point for why change is beneficial.

The pivotal component in what makes change feel easy or difficult may be the level of choice we have in the experience. Personal change, like adopting good eating habits, is an individual choice that allows the greatest amount of control. Passing up a cupcake may be a test of willpower but the goal of fitting into a smaller pair of jeans is an easily imagined, and often attainable, one.

Organizational change, on the other hand, is often foisted upon employees, forcing adoption of new behaviors, systems, missions and processes that are neither individually chosen nor controlled. And while senior executives may have a voice in the change management strategy, they are not immune to the pain of change since the pressure is typically spurred by stakeholders.

Institutional change management initiatives that include components to empower and assuage the fears of the workforce, such as transparency, open communication and phased approaches, are likely to garner the most positive and least painful results. And leaders who can successfully guide their teams through transition will not only demonstrate agility, they will earn the trust and loyalty of employees.

What are you going to (re)IMAGINE today?  

I’m going to start small with.... the world.

Your energy, enthusiasm and professionalism are always greatly appreciated. 

Have a fabulous weekend filled with love and inspiration.  

Be great and (re)IMAGINE!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Only from the heart can you touch the sky."

~~ Rumi

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Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

TED Tuesday: Tali Sharot- The Optimism Bias

In the talk Tali shows a cartoon and speaks about a Penguin in a way that meshes perfectly with our own (re)IMAGINE theme. She notes, "Because if you're one of these pessimistic penguins up there who just does not believe they can fly, you certainly never will. Because to make any kind of progress, we need to be able to imagine a different reality, and then we need to believe that that reality is possible."

Good Morning Folks,

What a great way to start of 2016 then commit to look at things through a more optimistic lenses!

Are we born to be optimistic, rather than realistic? Tali Sharot shares new research that suggests our brains are wired to look on the bright side — and how that can be both dangerous and beneficial. While the past few years have seen important advances in the neuroscience of optimism, one enduring puzzle remained. How is it that people maintain this rosy bias even when information challenging our upbeat forecasts is so readily available?

Optimism bias is a tendency to overestimate the likelihood of good things happening to you, and underestimating bad things. For example 40% of people divorce, but people marrying assume the probability for them is zero. Even people marrying for a second time don’t see it: “Remarrying is the triumph of hope over experience”. People tend to be optimistic about themselves and their family, while at the same time predicting a bad future for the world in general.

Optimism about your own traits gives you a confidence and sets you up for success. But are low expectations the secret to happiness? This will mean you will be happy with success in love and career, but are not disappointed if it doesn’t happen. Our speaker today, with almost 10 million views of this program racked up between YouTube and on TED, is the author of author of The Optimism Bias and a research fellow at University College London's Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging. She argues the opposite, that optimistic people are happier because:

• Optimists interpret things differently. Whether they win or lose, they interpret successes as due to their own traits and failures as poor luck or biases.
• Anticipation makes people happy – something pleasant (a kiss from a celebrity) immediately isn’t as enjoyable as one in 3 days time – which lets you look forward to it
• Optimism acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy – it makes you try harder to achieve your goals. Optimism leads to success.

So how do we maintain optimism in the face of reality? That is: stay optimistic despite evidence to the contrary. Tali did a study – asking people to estimate their cancer risk (for example), then giving the population rate (30%) and asking them again their likelihood. People did change their estimate, but they changed it a lot more if their first estimate was high (i.e. changing their estimate from 50% to 35%) rather than when it was low (going from 10% to 11%). Tali found that there were 2 regions of the brain: one responsible for receiving good news and one that processes bad news. The ‘bad news region’ did not trigger in optimistic people: they kept the rose tinted spectacles on.

On average, we expect things to turn out better than they wind up being. People hugely underestimate their chances of getting divorced, losing their job or being diagnosed with cancer; expect their children to be extraordinarily gifted; envision themselves achieving more than their peers; and overestimate their likely life span (sometimes by 20 years or more).

The belief that the future will be much better than the past and present is known as the optimism bias. It abides in every race, region and socioeconomic bracket. Schoolchildren playing when-I-grow-up are rampant optimists, but so are grown-ups: a 2005 study found that adults over 60 are just as likely to see the glass half full as young adults.

A cancelled flight is hardly tragic, but even when the incidents that befall us are the type of horrific events we never expected to encounter, we automatically seek evidence confirming that our misfortune is a blessing in disguise. No, we did not anticipate losing our job, being ill or getting a divorce, but when these incidents occur, we search for the upside. These experiences mature us, we think. They may lead to more fulfilling jobs and stable relationships in the future. Interpreting a misfortune in this way allows us to conclude that our sunny expectations were correct after all – things did work out for the best.

In the talk Tali shows a cartoon and speaks about a Penguin in a way that meshes perfectly with our own (re)IMAGINE theme. She notes, "Because if you're one of these pessimistic penguins up there who just does not believe they can fly, you certainly never will. Because to make any kind of progress, we need to be able to imagine a different reality, and then we need to believe that that reality is possible. But if you are an extreme optimistic penguin who just jumps down blindly hoping for the best, you might find yourself in a bit of a mess when you hit the ground. But if you're an optimistic penguin who believes they can fly, but then adjusts a parachute to your back just in case things don't work out exactly as you had planned, you will soar like an eagle, even if you're just a penguin."

Have a look...


Thanks to The Guardian and TedSummaries for inspiring me today and to you, for listening.

Have a GREAT DAY!

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. 

2016 Resolutions: Forgiveness. Compassion. Gratitude.

"You are all very special and bring tremendous talent and spirit across every client that we take care of across all of our services – so I say thank you to one and all for all you do!!!"

Good Morning Folks,

As I write often we have lots to be thankful for and I am sure as a team 2016 will be our best yet. 

During my holiday vacation time I was catching up on reading and began curating articles for sharing next year on social media.

One of the best articles I read this vacation was Creative Leaderships "My Four Rules," New Years Resolutions written for the year 2000:

1. Don’t speak ill of others. 
It’s human nature to knock the other party down when they aren’t watching as a natural survival instinct. I always admire the people I meet in life who never feel they have to speak ill of others to make themselves look good.

2. Avoid passive aggressive behavior. 
Failing to be forthright with what you really want to say can be hurtful. Being honest and respectful is a good way to deliver a difficult message. 

3. Listen broadly, but don’t waffle on decisions. 
When people depend upon you to make a decision, they’re basically asking you to be responsible for the possible failed outcome. Your decision should be based upon expert opinions culled from your team, but in the end you make the final decision and are the one responsible — you bear the responsibility for the team. If you’re wrong, admit you’re wrong early and things will usually go better that way. If you’re right then consider yourself lucky and pass on the win to your team. Keep moving forward. 

4. When in error — admit, apologize, move forward. I am not perfect. 
The only way that I can guarantee not making any mistakes is if I were to do absolutely nothing. So by doing anything at all, I risk making errors of varying degree of intensity. When, and I will, make a mistake I will admit the

Since New Years is a a time for reflection and resolutions, today I'm going to give you a preview of some of the inspiration I discovered that can help you reflect on your career.

From Jet Blue's Outstanding CEO: "Finding a Great Mentor –  10 Things to Look for" by @JoelCPeterson on @LinkedIn 

Office attire that makes you look impressive... 

7 Habits of Highly Confident People by @kamaka_women on @LinkedIn 

Why Just A Job Is Never Good Enough 

And finally.... 35 things you should do for your career by the time you turn 35 (no matter what age you are!)

You may need to be logged into LinkedIn to view some of these. If we are not connected there yet, hit me up for an invite. 

And to keep up on my shares between blogposts, follow my PERSONAL twitter account where you can scroll back through 2015 and nearly 6,000 of no BS, hand-selected articles discovered by me, and passed on to you— to help improve your life and career. Leading to all the love, happiness and success you deserve.

As the end of year approaches it's the perfect time to reflect on how FSO has flourished in such a short year! We have continued to grow exponentially and expand our presence with great new sites and wonderful new staff nationally. Your commitment to service and our clients saw us recognized as the fastest growing onsite outsourcing yet again. 

We also created thousands of new jobs, recognizing and rewarding more employees than ever! I launched the "Happiness" team as part of my unbridled commitment to ensure that training and development, recruitment and hospitality were the best in the industry and that FSO will be the happiest place to work. 

The one thing that has been unwavering throughout has been the FSO culture. 

You are all very special and bring tremendous talent and spirit across every client that we take care of across all of our services – so I say thank you to one and all for all you do!!!

This has been and always will be, our differentiators. Our skip, fire, and twinkle will never be replaced. It is what our clients BOUGHT and what attracted many of you to work for Me and FSO. Our motivation, power of positive energy, fun, spirited and personal approach to business will ever be compromised! 

Thanks to everyone for their great efforts this year - we are blessed to have such dedicated and employees.

I want to wish all of you and your families a wonderful Holiday Break and a fantastic New Year. Celebrate happy but safe with friends, colleagues and family. 

The countdown has begin and in 2016, FSO only gets better from here. From the Forrests. Catons and Weiners, have a very  Happy, Safe, and Fun filled New Year's Eve. 

Life is too short, so why wait?

Have a GREAT weekend,

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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Lose weight, finding love, advancing your career-whatever your 2016 resolutions and goals may be remember: “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." [Dale Carnegie]

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Ted Tuesday: Stacey Kramer: The Best Gift I Ever Survived

"I cannot say enough how much sharing your story will help others. "

Good Morning Folks,

Today's talk is short, moving and relevant to a lot of folks we know.

Stacey Kramer offers a moving, personal, 3-minute parable that shows how an unwanted experience -- frightening, traumatic, costly -- can turn out to be a priceless gift.

In 2009, Kramer found herself confronting a terrifying diagnosis: a CAT scan revealed she had a brain tumor -- the size of a golf ball. She told her remarkable, personal story at TED2010.

Very moving story, the emotion is plain to see, and I like the message. 

Enjoy the holidays,

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. 

Inspire ME Friday: “So, Tell Me About Yourself”

'If it’s social, keep it more factual than self-promoting, but still something you’re proud of. “I coach t-ball,” or, “I just finished running my first 5K.”

Good Morning Folks,

For those of us in New York City, what a great week! What a treat walking to work in warm weather rand being able to take in all the Christmas decorations and store windows.

Introverts tend to hate the holidays. Extroverts love them. With all the socializing we are about to do over the next two weeks, I thought this morning's topic would be of high interest:

When someone asks, “So, Tell Me About Yourself” how do you respond?

According to our friend Drew, this question comes up two places–job interviews and awkward social encounters with strangers. In both contexts it’s a sort of informal aptitude test, a way of finding out, “Am I going to want to continue spending time on you or not?”

It’s a good idea to think about your answer to this question in advance. You can rehearse your answer if you are a rehearsing-your-answer sort of person, but really what you need is this three part formula.

1) One thing you think they want to hear.

2) One thing you are really proud of that’s different from #1

3) One personal, idiosyncratic thing that shows your human side

1. One thing you think they want to hear
If it’s a job interview, this is where you mention that you love working on a team or that you love working independently or that you love dealing with irate customers or whatever.  Don’t go on and on about it, one or two sentences is plenty.

If it’s a picnic where you are meeting in-laws or some other awkward social event, stick to what you do with your days and maybe some geographical history. “I’m an administrator for a nursing-home and I’ve lived in Smallville for seven years now–I love it here!”

2. One thing you are really proud of that’s different from #1
On a job interview this is the place for a little bragging, “I’m a whiz at Photoshop,” or, “I get a charge out of negotiating prices.” Just as long as it’s truthful and short.

If it’s social, keep it more factual than self-promoting, but still something you’re proud of. “I coach t-ball,” or, “I just finished running my first 5K.”

3. One personal, idiosyncratic thing that shows your human side
For work or socializing this is something ideally expressed as a positive rather than as a negative. So you could say, “And I am crazy about radishes–I plant my own every year!” But it’s not so great so say, “I hate country music,” because–hey, why be negative, and why possibly alienate your interviewer?

At work or socializing, it’s important to be short–three sentences is plenty. This isn’t meant to be an in-depth question with a lengthy answer, it’s more like a ritual coming from someone who is just as nervous as you are about what to do next.

Have a HAPPY, SAFE and HEALTHY Weekend.

Love Life and Light It UP!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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“If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door" 
~~ Milton Berle
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by DREW: Declassified from VIP JUNE 10, 2009

Throw Back Thursday: Everybody Leads; Everybody Cares

"Likewise, inspire and encourage your teams, “honk” by recognizing and rewarding an employee with a pat on the back, a kudo, a special mention during the daily huddle, it will go a long way to making everyone feel appreciated as well as promote camaraderie and teamwork."

Good Morning Folks,

Whether you have heard this tale before, or are taking it on for the first time, today's "TBT" post will always lift you up.

There was a time when the lone eagle on the mountain was a popular symbol for leadership.  But in a fast-moving organization such as FSO, we should have – MUST HAVE – leaders at EVERY position.  If you want a better metaphor than the eagle, consider the wild and wily Great Northern Geese.

EVERYONE is ALIGNED:  
A flock of Great Northern Geese will fly thousands of miles in a perfect V formation – and therein lies the secret: As each bird moves its great wings, it creates an uplift for the bird following.  Formation flying is 70 percent more efficient than flying alone.  If every associate at every site is aligned and FOCUSED  on delivering the hospitality experience, we will create an uplift for each other to continue delivering white glove service as a unit.

EVERYONE LEADS:  
At a distance, the flock appears to be guided by a single leader.  The lead bird does in fact guide the formation, winging smoothly and confidently through the oncoming elements.  If the lead bird tires, however, it rotates back into formation and another bird moves quickly to the point position.  Leadership is willingly shared, and each bird knows exactly where the entire group is headed.  At FSO, every associate knows where we are headed and can see 2020 clearly.  Each one of our teammates should be able to wing smoothly and confidently through any and all challenges they may face on a daily basis.

EVERYONE INSPIRES:  
Each flock finds its own unique rhythm and spirit.  The pulsating sound of the huge wings beating together excites and energizes the entire formation.  The geese enthusiastically honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up with their speed.  Likewise, inspire and encourage your teams, “honk” by recognizing and rewarding an employee with a pat on the back, a kudo, a special mention during the daily huddle, it will go a long way to making everyone feel appreciated as well as promote camaraderie and teamwork.

EVERYONE CARES:  
In good time or bad, Great Northern Geese stand by each other.  When a member of the flock gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it.  They stay with it until it is able to fly again.  Then they soar off together to catch up with their flock.  Know that you have easy access to an entire NATION of counterparts that can support you and guide you at any time…  all you have to do is reach out and they will help and support you to soar along with the rest, the best, FSO.

If WE have as much sense as geese, we TOO will share the leadership and stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

What a terrific, informative and timely message for all of us at FSO. Absolutely loved the message of unity, leadership and teamwork and I am always amazed how much we can learn from one of God's creatures.

In the spirit of the season.... CHEERS!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more,
do more and become more, you are a leader." 
~~John Quincy Adams

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Inspire ME Friday: Nothing Better For The Holidays Than A Handwritten Note

"Not a single person I've sent a card to has NOT written to thank me for the sentiment, and the card itself. It truly is a present in itself."

Good Morning Folks,

Handwritten cards are an undervalued and underutilized business tool. When was the last time you received one via snail mail?

Now when was the last time your email pinged? 

If your inbox is like mine, it is full of emails that need reading, responding and filing. Even with filters and spam guards, it only takes a couple hours for my inbox to get cluttered and my productivity to take a pummeling.

Because of this, I have come to rather enjoy receiving snail mail and the brief reprieve it brings. And, when I receive a note from a colleague or new acquaintance, the rarity makes the task that much more enjoyable.

I understand that the task of writing cards is cumbersome (not to mention outdated) and has been largely replaced by emails, Facebook messages and tweets. Sending a hand written note, however, to thank someone for a meeting or offer congratulations for a promotion, communicates volumes of in just a few words.

Yes, it is time consuming, but because this small gesture can make such a large impression, here are some tips for streamlining the process and maximizing their impact.  

Keep the presentation simple.
You can find simple, blank cards in the clearance aisle at OfficeMax or at Dollar General. Buy a box and keep a few with you at all times. Remember, it's the thought that counts. If you want to perk up your presentation, you can beautify your stationary through online services such as Mo0.com, which will create customized, high-quality notecards for a premium.  

Pre-label and pre-stamp envelopes.
Take a few minutes to prep your envelopes with a return address label and stamp. This will not only cut out this step in the process, but it will make you more inclined to actually use them. And, yes, buy stamps. Real stamps. You've gone this far in the process, so don't ruin the impression with a generic red stamp from a postage meter.  

Keep the message brief.
A long, detailed note defeats part of the original purpose. Simply include a brief reminder of where you met, what you discussed, and how thankful you are for their time. Anything more will most likely be seen as insincere and as an overzealous marketing ploy (it is, but it should not come across as such).  

Include a business card.
Instead of using valuable notecard real estate reminding the recipient of who you are, include a business card and let it do the talking. Just make sure your business card says what you want it to say.  

Use a good pen.
I find that having a high quality pen helps. While I will make small corrections on the card, if the pen leaks, bleeds, or runs out of ink mid-message, it kills the presentation.  

You can even find online help (if you need it).
If you find carrying cards with you too much, or you simply don't know where the nearest post office is located (hey, nobody's judging), then consider an app that will do the same thing. For instance, Felt is an app that allows users to create customizable greeting cards with handwritten messages on an iPad, which are then printed and mailed for you. It even allows you to handwrite the address on the envelope. Cost is steep at $3.99 per card, but the presentation is very nice.

Sending handwritten cards does not have to be a time consuming and burdensome task. The return on investment for your time, however, is priceless. And, if doing so gets you away from the anxiety of an Outlook inbox packed with email, even for just a few minutes, well, that may just be worth it all in the end.

Two very important takeaways are: 
1) Keep it brief
2) Include a business card. (lot of people don't do that).

If you really want to make an amazing impression, invest in note cards from Sweet Jane Papery.  Not a single person I've sent a card to has NOT written to thank me for the sentiment, and the card itself. It truly is a present in itself.    

Hooray It's The Weekend!

Be great and (re)IMAGINE!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"A conclusion is the place where you got tired thinking."
- Martin H. Fischer

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