Enjoying Life: Habits of Happy People

“Happiness is a habit – cultivate it.” 

~~ Elbert Hubbard

Good Morning Folks,

I’d like to share this uplifting piece I found on Digg.com years ago and, as your Chief Happiness Officer,  have always referred back to for inspiration since.

Happiness is one aspiration all people share. No one wants to be sad and depressed.

We’ve all seen people who are always happy – even amidst agonizing life trials. I’m not saying happy people don’t feel grief, sorrow or sadness; they just don’t let it overtake their life. The following are 21 things happy people make a habit of doing:

==>Appreciate Life
Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Develop a childlike sense of wonder towards life. Focus on the beauty of every living thing. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

==>Choose Friends Wisely
Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals. Friends that have the same ethics as you will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed.

==>Be Considerate
Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Respect them for who they are. Touch them with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with.

==>Learn Continuously
Keep up to date with the latest news regarding your career and hobbies. Try new and daring things that has sparked your interest – such as dancing, skiing, surfing or sky-diving.

==>Creative Problem Solving
Don’t wallow in self-pity. As soon as you face a challenge get busy finding a solution. Don’t let the set backs affect your mood, instead see each new obstacle you face as an opportunity to make a positive change. Learn to trust your gut instincts – it’s almost always right.

==>Do What They Love
Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.

==>Enjoy Life
Take the time to see the beauty around you. There’s more to life than work. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc. Learn to live in the present moment and cherish it. Don’t live in the past or the future.

==>Laugh
Don’t take yourself – or life to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself – no one’s perfect. When appropriate laugh and make light of the circumstances. (Naturally there are times that you should be serious as it would be improper to laugh.)

==>Forgive
Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you make a mistake – own up to it – learn from it – and FORGIVE yourself.

==>Gratitude
Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to tell them that you are happy they are in your life.

==>Invest in Relationships
Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Don’t break your promises to them. Be supportive.

==>Keep Their Word
Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.

==>Mind Their Own Business
Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Don’t judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you.

==>Optimism
See the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even though it may be hard to find. Know that everything happens for a reason, even though you may never know what the reason is. Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought.

==>Love Unconditionally
Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them.

==>Persistence
Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.

==>Be Proactive
Accept what can not be changed. Happy people don’t waste energy on circumstances beyond their control. Accept your limitations as a human being. Determine how you can take control by creating the outcome you desire – rather than waiting to respond.

==>Self Care
Take care of your mind, body and health. Get regular medical check ups. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of water. Exercise your mind by continually energizing it with interesting and exciting challenges.

==>Self Confidence
Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. After all no one likes a phony. Determine who you are in the inside – your own personal likes and dislikes. Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself.

==>Take Responsibility
Happy people know and understand that they are 100% responsible for their life. They take responsibility for their moods, attitude, thoughts, feelings, actions and words. They are the first to admit when they’ve made a mistake.

Begin today by taking responsibility for your happiness. Work on developing these habits as you own. The more you incorporate the above habits into your daily lifestyle – the happier you will be.

Most of all: BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.

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

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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 “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up"

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Great Customer Service Builds Brands And Loyalty

"Every customer contacts us at least once sometime during his or her lifetime, and we just need to make sure that we use that opportunity to create a lasting memory." 

~~ Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com

Good Morning Folks, 

Ken Blanchard, coauthor of Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service, introduces a passage about how great customer service builds brands and loyalty from Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose, by Tony Hsieh (the world's best-known Chief Happiness Officer).

To keep your customers today, you can’t be content just to satisfy them. If you want your business to thrive, you have to create what I call Raving Fans — customers who are so excited about the way you treat them that they want to tell stories about you. These customers become part of your sales force.

Great service is not an accident. It starts when you decide what kind of experience you want your customers to have — when you articulate a clear vision. You keep it alive by empowering your people to go the extra mile for the customer. When it’s innovative and comes from the heart, great service keeps customers coming back again and again.

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, understands what great customer service — or, as they call it at Zappos, WOW service — is all about. Once you read the following excerpt, you’ll understand two things. First, you’ll figure out why Zappos quickly became the biggest online shoe store. Second, you’ll know the company is not exaggerating in calling it WOW service.

— Ken Blanchard

Excerpted from Chapter 5 of Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com

We receive thousands and thousands of phone calls and e-mails every single day, and we really view each contact as an opportunity to build the Zappos brand into being about the very best customer service and customer experience. Looking at every interaction through a branding lens instead of an expense-minimization lens means we run our call center very differently from most call centers. 

Most call centers measure their employees’ performance based on what’s known in the industry as “average handle time,” which focuses on how many phone calls each rep can take in a day. This translates into reps worrying about how quickly they can get a customer off the phone, which in our eyes is not delivering great customer service. Most call centers also have scripts and force their reps to try to upsell customers to generate additional revenue. 

At Zappos, we don’t measure call times (our longest phone call was almost six hours long!), and we don’t upsell. We just care about whether the rep goes above and beyond for every customer. We don’t have scripts because we trust our employees to use their best judgment when dealing with each and every customer. We want our reps to let their true personalities shine during each phone call so that they can develop a personal emotional connection (internally referred to as PEC) with the customer. 

Another example of us using the telephone as a branding device is what happens when a customer calls looking for a specific style of shoes in a specific size that we’re out of stock on. In those instances, every rep is trained to research at least three competitors’ Web sites, and if the shoe is found in stock to direct the customer to the competitor. Obviously, in those situations, we lose the sale. But we’re not trying to maximize each and every transaction. Instead, we’re trying to build a lifelong relationship with each customer, one phone call at a time. 

A lot of people may think it’s strange that an Internet company is so focused on the telephone, when only about 5 percent of our sales happen through the telephone. In fact, most of our phone calls don’t even result in sales. But what we’ve found is that on average, every customer contacts us at least once sometime during his or her lifetime, and we just need to make sure that we use that opportunity to create a lasting memory. 

The majority of phone calls don’t result in an immediate order. Sometimes a customer may be calling because it’s her first time going through the returns process, and she just wants a little help stepping through the process. Other times, a customer may call because there’s a wedding coming up this weekend and he just wants a little fashion advice. And sometimes, we get customers who call simply because they’re a little lonely and want someone to talk to. 

I’m reminded of a time when I was in Santa Monica, California, a few years ago at a Skechers sales conference. After a long night of bar-hopping, a small group of us headed up to someone’s hotel room to order some food. My friend from Skechers tried to order a pepperoni pizza from the room-service menu, but was disappointed to learn that the hotel we were staying at did not deliver hot food after 11:00 pm. We had missed the deadline by several hours. 

In our inebriated state, a few of us cajoled her into calling Zappos to try to order a pizza. She took us up on our dare, turned on the speakerphone, and explained to the (very) patient Zappos rep that she was staying in a Santa Monica hotel and really craving a pepperoni pizza, that room service was no longer delivering hot food, and that she wanted to know if there was anything Zappos could do to help. 

The Zappos rep initially was a bit confused by the request, but she quickly recovered and put us on hold. She returned two minutes later, listing the five closest places in the Santa Monica area that were still open and delivering pizzas at that time. 

Now, truth be told, I was a little hesitant to include this story because I don’t actually want everyone who reads this book to start calling Zappos and ordering pizza. But I just think it’s a fun story to illustrate the power of not having scripts in your call center and empowering your employees to do what’s right for your brand, no matter how unusual or bizarre the situation. 

As for my friend from Skechers? After that phone call, she’s now a customer for life. — Tony Hsieh

Make this week a REIMAGINE WEEK. To our employees: I'll see you at YOUR awards Wednesday night. 

Have a GREAT day,

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary."

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And The Winners Are...

Meet our JUST HIRED (Lucky Seven) 2014-Winners-to-be
(L to R)Pat Mustico, Chad Wold, Nick Williams, Kim Padnes,
Nicole Smith, Kristin Kee  and Michael Fuscaldo

“FSO truly cares for their employees and this event was proof of that. I’m truly grateful knowing that I work for a company where I have an unlimited career path. FSO indeed is the Happiest Place to Work.”  

Good Morning Folks,

Following up on yesterday's post about our awards celebration last week, 2013 was a banner year for FSO, and there were several top performers who proved to be critical to our success this past year. This event was all them – the great people who make up FSO.


What really made the evening so unforgettable was seeing and hearing everyone’s stories of success and inspiration. We are in the business of fulfilling dreams, and it was clear to see that on Thursday night.

The evening commenced with a heartfelt "thank you" from meand went straight into the announcement of nominees and winners that spanned over 15 different award categories. The winner/s for each category included: 

==> Associate in Leading Role:

Joann Manigo (NY Magazine)

• Started with FSO as the Informationalist at New York Magazine
• Promoted to assistant manager at DKMS last October
• Because of Joann’s exceptional work at both sites she was promoted again to EM and returned back to New York Magazine
• Worked very hard to ensure the client and the team experience is impacted everyday
• Joann is on the fast track with FSO and has her sights on becoming a director in the future

Roger Rios (Capco)

• Taken initiative to create tracking systems and spreadsheets for all inventory managed by fso 
• Gone above l and beyond the clients expectations
• Does not have to be told to do certain items
• Takes the initiative and pro activity needed
• Has worked after hours to ensure client deadlines are met

Henry Azcona (PwC)

• Transitioned from his 5 yr employment at PwC to his new Lead role at FSO seamlessly
• Henry leads the Facilities team @ 300 Madison (the mothership) to a level of HOSPITALITY worth its weight in GOLD
• Supports not only our PwC leadership and staff, but our own team with ease! 
• Clients and leaders all love him

==> Best Fire, Skip, Twinkle:

Lissette Umpierre, North East Regional Director

• Perfect example of FLP - personally hand-picked and recognised by mitch for their leadership abilities and potential
• So much kool-aid that this person just needs a handle
• Amazing hyper communications that reflects our culture and has singlehandedly "infected" all their multiple sites to have the same fire, skip and twinkle
• Exudes hospitality. The perfect host, attention to detail, smile, personal and high high standards and work ethic
• Continues to build revenue opportunities and expanding sites due to delivering promise to practice. 

==> Leader in the Field:

Joseph Yap, Associate Experience Director 

• Instrumental in relocating Societe General to new space
• Most FLP members 
• Successfully launched new Lobby/Concierge Services – French speaking
• PPP Monthly Award Winner – Qualifier for PPP of Year Award
• Secured contract increase and renewal – 2015
• Instrumental to implementation and openings in 2013 – specifically Y&R
• Field Analysis SME

==> Promise to Practice:

Shawn Curwen, Experience Director 

• Shawn has done an outstanding job delivering the perfect client and employee experience through operational excellence
• A positive attitude towards work responsibilities, a commitment to quality in carrying out those responsibilities
• Since joining FSO this person has supported Operations, Sales, (re)Imagination Team
• Shawn exemplifies FSO’s 3P’s and they are even featured in the company video saying “you can’t fake passion”

==> Hospitality (re)IMAGINED:

Ben Rydell (Y&R)

• Our Master Concierge
• Leads the Hospitality Mission at Y&R
• From shoe shines, manicures, to dry cleaning to local discounts – Ben is the Go To For Everything 
• Perfect example of customer service/satisfaction
• Personal Service and Vision executed – Global CEO of Y&R David Sable – Bens biggest fan

Freddy Feliz (Grove Pointe)

• Concierge afficianado
• Delivers perfect customer satisfaction and white glove service
• Owns the stakeholder relationships – treats every guest like gold

Ian Rampaul (PwC)

• Communicates with all levels of our client’s leadership daily, to move 7000 visitors and clients around in 300 Madison seamlessly.
• Works with our entire FSO team to ensure every Hoteling client is ready to their job in a clean workspace and is getting the highest quality service every day.
• He has just enough personality and patience to be loved by all 7000 folks who walk through the doors of 300 Madison every day.

==> Best Experience Director:

Aida Hibbert, Experience Director

• From the moment this person arrived – the words being of service has resonated through our company 
• Has significantly impacted every account under their watch
• Has impacted the employee experience and client experience
• Has reImagined solutions and  thinking outside the box on how we help our clients
• Has secured new headcount, services and contract renewals and increases across every client
• Inspires their teams and sites to achieve greatness and deliver outstanding Hospitality and White Glove Service
• eams have received the most Kudos in 2013
• Is a leader for us today – due solely to her desire to provide outstanding service and leadership
• Sees the future and drives the vision of FSO – Inspiring a Nation and Fulfilling Dreams

==> Excellence in Execution for Headquarters:

Jonathan Shulman, Sr. System Administrator  

• Led the FSO site cut over for HR and Payroll in the Paychex cutover as if he was part of their departments
• Spoke to almost every FSO employee in the field supporting them in using the Paychex time entered system
• Hosted training meetings for the ED, EM etc… on multiple occasions
• Constantly developing professionally and taking advantage of the challenges FSO throws his way through its hyper growth
• Going to be an important part of managing our FSO IT accounts/staff as we grow this line of services, allowing me to go outbound to make it rain. 
• Always ready to lend a helping hand IT related or not, the staff loves him!

==> (re)Imagine Excellence:

Christine Rainey, North East Regional Director

• Solely built our Jersey Market
• 100% Client Retention
• Grew market through perfect process and operational execution - perfecting best practices
• Expanded business from 6 to 20+ locations
• FLP leader - hiring, training, promoting teams
•  Obvious choice for promotion
• Leading our largest region
• A focused. results drive, and dynamic leader 

==> Rookie of the Year:

Taylor Miller, Business Development

• She is young enough to be our child so we would like to think we “raised her”
• She has secretly volunteered to play on every corporate soccer team in exchange for meetings and business - she is their ace in the hole!
• She navigates technology better than any of us “old folks” and finds unheard of accounts 
• She drinks a lot of milk and therefore has a great large smile that makes everyone want to give her business….
• Billed the largest amount of revenue in her first year with a FSO as a rookie

==> Top Revenue Performance:

PWC Team (Jim Caton, Denise Ngeow, Bari Klein, Christine Rainey, Clark Duverger & Ben Rydell)

• All played an integral role in closing the largest deal in outsourcing history 
• A 57-city service agreement with multiple service lines
• Changed the face of our company forever
• Level of commitment to this deal could not have been stronger or more personal
• RFI and first meeting - presenting to 30+ people (we thought it was the wrong room!!) 
• Site tours, cupcakes & every detail in between
• Thank you for (re)IMAGINING!! We did it! FSO in the USA

==> Believe it, Deliver it Award:

Missy Adriazola, Experience Director & John DeSena, VP & GM North America

• Relentless commitment and tireless efforts to successfully deliver one of the largest transitions in the history of the industry
• Coordinated placement of over 300 staff across 57 cities over 6 weeks!

==> Passionate Power House of the Year
Societe General 

• Expanded services and lead the charge in reImagining mail services
• Site leads with most FLP 
• Awarded reception services which expanded to lobby/concierge and French speaking 
• Completed Massive HR scanning and data validation project - Team of 4 for 4 months
• (re) Imagined and supported the move to 245 Park - all services 
• Joe, Phil and team have ensured a solid and perfect Referencable client 
• Expanding into more services as we speak
• Team lead the way with a fire,skip and step - leading the best client and employee experience and inspiring a nation 

==> Carpe Diem 
Denise Negow, Chief of Staff

• Promoted to Chief of Staff 
• Has made the greatest impact in supporting the company and innovation of solutions that surpass the industry
• There from day one, Denise has done whatever is needed to drive the goals of the company 
• Recognized by her peers as someone who ALWAYS goes above and beyond to make a difference for the greater good of the company
• Continually supports Mitch’s vision
• Side-by-side with Mitch, lighting up the nation and laying the foundation for future growth across the country, one plane ride at a time!
• Gives 101% effort in all that she does

The top performers listed above received monetary awards and Academy Award like trophies to showcase their accomplishments. FSO's Passionate Powerhouse of the Year will be celebrated at a social event later this month. 

To further inspire and drive FSO employees to deliver exceptional service with positive attitudes, Jim Caton, Chief Chaos Officer & President, gave a shout out to the "up and comers"/"ones to watch" of 2014. 

The event concluded with a raffle of cash prizes, Paid Time Off days, and a brand new LED Smart TV. 

If there's one thing that FSO lives and breathes every day, it's the Employee Experience. We believe that people can make or break the success of an organization. As a result, we remain laser beam focused on rewarding our hard-working, dedicated employees. 

Photos from FSO's 2013 Awards & Recognition Ceremony can be viewed on FSO's Facebook page and will be featured in the next issue of FSO's monthly e-newsletter, FSO Connect. In addition, a slide show from the event is featured on FSO’s YouTube channel. 

Big HUG.. this morning to all.. have a terrific day.. make it count and lets rock it out there and INSPIRE THE NATION and give the zillions of prospects out there that are using our competitor what they rightfully deserve.. US

To our present and future stars, it doesn't get any better than this!

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision.
The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives.
It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." 
~~ Don Adams (Locked and loaded!)

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Lovefest in Full Force: FSO Stars Shine In Red Carpet Recognition

"That was without a doubt the most incredible company meeting I have ever seen. I watched the people in the room, and could see they were pumped. I saw Mitch tear up on several occasions. How many employees get to see their owner and leader, let alone see him display such emotion??? Then there is Jim out there displaying his dance moves with the employees. That was fun to watch."



Good Morning Folks,

On Thursday of last week, FSO, hosted hundreds of Associates, Managers, Directors and Executives to recognize the key players of 2013 in a special Awards & Recognition Ceremony. The event which mimicked a Hollywood awards show, featured a red carpet, acceptance speeches, a DJ and Academy Award style trophies.  

Last week's red carpet recognition gala was so awesome. Does FSO know how to celebrate or what? With over 70 nominees in attendance, it was the best awards ceremony that I can remember.. and in the spirit of complete transparency, I am not sure if I have cried that much in one night.  

I AM SO SO PROUD OF OUR COMPANY ACROSS THE GREAT FSO USA.. and to the winners of awards.

It was so special.. a night we will not forget, and in fact a night that LAUNCHES us to INSPIRE A NATION

Congrats to all the winners! The FSO lovefest was in full force and  the clapping, cheering, and dancing will resonate for many months to come. The energy, love and friendship in that room last night was awesome! We really know how to party AND dance...Wow! 

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, insights, war stories and best practices!

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees and thank you to everyone who attended and made the night so so special and unique. Not a dry eye in the house at times. 

The efforts behind making the night a top class hospitality event was clear to see - thanks to Jim, Lindsay, Aida,  all the Experience Directors, and presenters and everyone who truly made it a night to remember.

What also made it unforgettable was seeing and hearing everyone's stories of success and the inspiration it gives us to keep driving and building the FSO brand onwards and upwards across the nation.

As one tearful employee told me, "Yes, FSO truly cares for its people and tonight is proof that we mattered. We celebrated the achievements of our work, we all saw an array of emotions from tears of joy, surprised with uncontrollable shakes, overwhelming pride & acceptance and gratitude, to the man responsible for what we have and what we are right now at FSO. That man is you, Mitch. You have tirelessly worked to run a successful company which in turn made it possible for us to call FSO our home."

I am not sure where to start to respond to all the kind sentiments sent my way but to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

The future is bright, and I promise you I carry each and every one of you in my heart and personally could not be more focused on helping you achieve all the success you deserve. 

Please enjoy the photos that follow which don't even begin to express the joy of the evening.

Tomorrow check back this space as I will recap the awards with detailed accomplishments worthy of celebration for each winner.

And See more pictures on our Facebook Page.

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

Promise to Practice Winner: Shawn Curwen

Associates in Leading Role Winners: Joann Manigo & Roger Rios

Rookie of the Year Winner: Taylor Miller

Excellence in Execution HQ Winner: Jonathan Schulman

Best Experience Director Winner: Aida Hibbert

Hospitality reIMAGINED winners: Ben Rydell, Freddy Feliz, and Ian Rampaul

Leader in the Field Winner: Joseph Yap

Best Fire, Skip, Twinkle Winner: Lissette Umpierre

Our two business analysts, Karolina & Vivian

Hope Ndoci and Mitch Weiner

Tom Pategas, Kim Shephard, and Peter Marcus

(re)Imagine Excellence Winner: Christine Rainey

Missy Adriazola and Lindsay Gallagher



See more pictures on our Facebook Page.