TED Tuesday: Nilofer Merchant: Got a meeting? Take a Walk

"What you’re doing right now, at this very moment, is killing you.”

Good Morning Folks,

Nilofer Merchant suggests a small idea that just might have a big impact on your life and health: Next time you have a one-on-one meeting, make it into a "walking meeting" — and let ideas flow while you walk and talk. 

Her famed TED Talk, titled, “Got A Meeting? Take A Walk” has been seen online by over two and a half million viewers to date. The talk posits that “sitting is the new smoking,” and encourages sedentary office workers to be both healthy and productive by walking, rather than sitting, at meetings.

This is a short, highly insightful, and relevant talk to those who spend hours on end (no pun intended) at the office. Sitting is serious business, and here’s why you need to know about it. Have a look:


CPC Strategy, commenting on the presentation, noted: meetings on the go are good for 4 main reasons:

1) It’s good for your health. Office dwellers, and many of us are, form a habit of being sedentary week in and week out. Yes, this is American, but clearly not conducive to a healthy, active lifestyle.

2) It generates new ideas. Being stuck in your usual surroundings on a daily basis can really hinder your creativity. You start to get tunnel vision and tend to think more inside the box. The same goes for writing. You have to revisit your work after a couple days break to really look at it from a fresh perspective. If you change your surroundings and your context, you can start to look at things differently.

3) It gets you out of the office. Sort of like #2, but an excuse to get out of the office and stretch your legs is always welcome. We started having our marketing brainstorming meetings outside, and quite simply, it’s a revelation.

4) Speaking of backsides, gentleman, don’t sit on your wallets at work. It’s bad for your spine and refraining from doing so will do wonders for your back

The bottom line, which is, walk and talk. Walk the talk. You'll be surprised at how fresh air drives fresh thinking, and in the way that you do, you'll bring into your life an entirely new set of ideas.

Have a GREAT Day! 

Mitch

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

“To love without condition, to talk without intention, 
to give without reason and to care without expectation. 
This is the art of true relationship."

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

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.  

Ted Tuesday: Sir Ken Robinson— How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life

“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.” 

Good Morning Folks,

As I woke up this morning I wanted to share another inspiring @Ted talk with you.

The Sir Ken Robinson @Ted talk that follows is one of my all time favorites. It reminds me of a book which I also highly recommend called "Finding Your Element: "How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life" which you can find at Amazon.

Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk video and groundbreaking book introduced readers to a new concept of self-fulfillment through the convergence of natural talents and personal passions. The book has inspired readers all over the world and has created for Robinson an intensely devoted following. Among the questions that this new book answers are:

• How do I find out what my talents and passions are?
• What if I love something I’m not good at?
• What if I’m good at something I don’t love?
• What if I can’t make a living from my Element?
• How do I do help my children find their Element?

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Sir Ken Robinson:

“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.” 

“Creativity is as important as literacy”

“Imagination is the source of every form of human achievement. And it's the one thing that I believe we are systematically jeopardizing in the way we educate our children and ourselves.” 

 “We have sold ourselves into a fast food model of education, and it's impoverishing our spirit and our energies as much as fast food is depleting our physical bodies.” 

“Human communities depend upon a diversity of talent not a singular conception of ability. and at the heart of the challenge is to reconstitute our sense of ability and intelligence” 

In his talk that follows which counts 26 million views on Ted.com alone, Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.



What an inspiration Sir Ken is to the very core and spirit of FSO's brand. 

I could not help to be completely Inspired by the great teams and clients we have - so much passion and commitment to greatness and so much opportunity for all.

Nobody and I mean nobody will take CARE of the their customers or employees like FSO USA. 

So good morning. Get those inspiration hats on, put those smiles on, and lets rock the world together. 

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. 

TED Tuesday: How To Take The Best Courses From The Top Ivy League Schools— For FREE!

With Coursera, Daphne Koller and co-founder Andrew Ng are bringing courses from top colleges online, free, for anyone who wants to take them.

Good Morning Folks,

Daphne Koller is enticing top universities including Stanford, Yale, and Princeton to put their most intriguing courses online for free — not just as a service, but as a way to research how people learn. With Coursera (cofounded by Andrew Ng), each keystroke, quiz, peer-to-peer discussion and self-graded assignment builds an unprecedented pool of data on how knowledge is processed.

Says Daphne, "Like many of you, I'm one of the lucky people. I was born to a family where education was pervasive. I'm a third-generation PhD, a daughter of two academics. In my childhood, I played around in my father's university lab. So it was taken for granted that I attend some of the best universities, which in turn opened the door to a world of opportunity. Unfortunately, most of the people in the world are not so lucky.

A 3rd generation Ph.D who is passionate about education, Stanford professor Daphne Koller is excited to be making the college experience available to anyone through her startup, Coursera. With classes from 85 top colleges, Coursera is an innovative model for online learning. While top schools have been putting lectures online for years, Coursera's platform supports the other vital aspect of the classroom: tests and assignments that reinforce learning.

At the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, computer scientist Daphne Koller studies how to model large, complicated decisions with lots of uncertainty. (Her research group is called DAGS, which stands for Daphne's Approximate Group of Students.) In 2004, she won a MacArthur Fellowship for her work, which involves, among other things, using Bayesian networks and other techniques to explore biomedical and genetic data sets.

Filmed June 2012 at TEDGlobal 2012, with over three million online views since, I proudly present: Daphne Koller: What we're learning from online education...


As Daphne notes, "And finally, this would enable a wave of innovation, because amazing talent can be found anywhere. Maybe the next Albert Einstein or the next Steve Jobs is living somewhere in a remote village in Africa. AAnd if we could offer that person an education, they would be able to come up with the next big idea and make the world a better place for all of us.

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.

Ted Tuesday: Sir Ken Robinson— How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life

“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.” 

Good Morning Folks,

As I woke up this morning I wanted to share another inspiring @Ted talk with you.

The Sir Ken Robinson @Ted talk that follows is one of my all time favorites. It reminds me of a book which I also highly recommend called "Finding Your Element: "How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life" which you can find at Amazon.

Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk video and groundbreaking book introduced readers to a new concept of self-fulfillment through the convergence of natural talents and personal passions. The book has inspired readers all over the world and has created for Robinson an intensely devoted following. Among the questions that this new book answers are:

• How do I find out what my talents and passions are?
• What if I love something I’m not good at?
• What if I’m good at something I don’t love?
• What if I can’t make a living from my Element?
• How do I do help my children find their Element?

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Sir Ken Robinson:

“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.” 

“Creativity is as important as literacy”

“Imagination is the source of every form of human achievement. And it's the one thing that I believe we are systematically jeopardizing in the way we educate our children and ourselves.” 

 “We have sold ourselves into a fast food model of education, and it's impoverishing our spirit and our energies as much as fast food is depleting our physical bodies.” 

“Human communities depend upon a diversity of talent not a singular conception of ability. and at the heart of the challenge is to reconstitute our sense of ability and intelligence” 

In his talk that follows which counts 26 million views on Ted.com alone, Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.



What an inspiration Sir Ken is to the very core and spirit of FSO's brand. 

I could not help to be completely Inspired by the great teams and clients we have - so much passion and commitment to greatness and so much opportunity for all.

Nobody and I mean nobody will take CARE of the their customers or employees like FSO USA. 

So good morning. Get those inspiration hats on, put those smiles on, and lets rock the world together. 

I can we 2020 clearly. Hope you can as well. 

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. 

Making College Affordable, Relevant and Digital

"At the same time, four in 10 college graduates, according to a recent Gallup study, wind up in jobs that don't require a college degree."

Good Morning Folks,

A neighbor's daughter borrowed $80K to get a duel degree in Italian and Philosophy. She's now the deepest thinking waitress at the Olive Garden.

The truth is that America’s Middle Class is being priced out of colleges for their kids; and many parents are questioning whether college is worth it, and whether they can afford it.

Glenn Reynold's article in the Wall Street Journal  "For Too Many Americans, College Today Isn't Worth It" nails it: "There is no point in trying to preserve the old regime. Today's emphasis on measuring college education in terms of future earnings and employability may strike some as philistine, but most students have little choice. When you could pay your way through college by waiting tables, the idea that you should "study what interests you" was more viable than it is today, when the cost of a four-year degree often runs to six figures. For an 18-year-old, investing such a sum in an education without a payoff makes no more sense than buying a Ferrari on credit."

"For many families, the gap between soaring tuition costs and stagnant incomes was filled by debt without improving their job prospects. Today's average student debt of $29,400 may not sound overwhelming, but many students, especially at private and out-of-state colleges, end up owing much more, often more than $100,000. At the same time, four in 10 college graduates, according to a recent Gallup study, wind up in jobs that don't require a college degree.

Blogger Timothy D. Naegele argues for an online shift. He opines, "It has been said that "a college education is the largest scam in U.S. history." 

Clearly, online education is the future.
"

Newspapers and horses and buggies are testaments to bygone eras. College campuses may become relics of the past as well. In as much as children are learning to use computers at a very young age now, query whether traditional classroom education will be relevant—or necessary—at all in the future? Why spend money on “bricks-and-mortar” educational facilities? Among other things, why waste scarce energy resources getting to them?

Everything is online, at one’s fingertips.

At some point, the online schools may hire the best and brightest professors from traditional “bricks-and-mortar” colleges, universities and graduate schools to help them with their educational programs, and to enhance their credibility.

Naegele thinks that the idea of paying professors to give the same lectures year after year is absurd. "Give the lectures once, and record them, period. In the area of rapidly-changing subjects, again YouTube and online conferencing will suffice."

America's higher education problem calls for both wiser choices by families and better value from schools. For some students, this will mean choosing a major carefully (opting for a more practical area of study, like engineering over the humanities), going to a less expensive community college or skipping college altogether to learn a trade.

Writes Reynolds, "In a study they conducted among 48 female students in one residence hall at Indiana University from 2004 to 2009, they found that young women who were similar in terms of "predictors" (grades and test scores) nonetheless emerged from college on very different career trajectories. Those from more modest circumstances were often done in by their partying-related stumbles and actually experienced downward mobility after graduating. 

None of these alternatives to a traditional university degree is "the answer" to the higher education bubble. 

Many times college just helps get your foot in the door. We lose sight of that. It is up to the nature of the person as to whether or not they go far. What's missing in is the concept of self-motivation. If someone is motivated they can achieve a lot with very little. Rarely today do I see many young people who are truly motivated to achieve. In my career I have seen kids with degrees from Harvard, Yale, Stanford and others, who, once they got out in the real world did not amount to much and others from plain vanilla schools who succeeded not because they were the smartest or richest but because they worked the hardest. I'd take this person every time over the Ivy people. 

An eye opening case in point is that according to Wikipedia, "the average net worth of billionaires who dropped out of college, $9.4 billion, is approximately triple that of billionaires with Ph.D.s, $3.2 billion. Even if one removes Bill Gates, who left Harvard University and is now worth $66.0 billion, college dropouts are worth $5.3 billion on average, compared to those who finished only bachelor's degrees, who are worth $2.9 billion. According to a recent report from Cambridge-based Forrester Research, 20% of America's millionaires never attended college."

While it might be important which college someone attended when he or she applies for their first job, several years later it is essentially irrelevant. An online education may be just as valuable, at least in the future. Indeed, many fine universities worldwide would be wise to offer degrees online.

Whether educated traditionally, digitally or by a Jobs/Gates/Zuckerberg/Dell/ Lauren/Geffen drop-out style, at FSO our arms are wide open to anyone and everyone with passion in their hearts, a skip in their step and fire in the belly. 

As 2014 promises to be a year of rapid innovation, growth and expansion for our company, we're not cutting back on talent but ramping up big time.

So if you or someone you know of wants to join the happiest team on the planet, send your resume to fsoresume@fso-outsourcing.com

Have a GREAT Day. Love Life.

I'll be a seeing you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

. . . . . ..  . . . . . . . . . . ..  . . . . . . . . . .  . . .  . . . . . .  . . .  . . . . "When you walk with purpose, you collide with destiny."  ~~ Bertice Berry    . . . . . ..  . . . . . . . . . . ..  . . . . . . . . . .  . . .  . . . . . .  . . .  . . .

***********

Mr. Reynolds is a law professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. This essay is adapted from his new book, "The New School: How the Information Age Will Save American Education From Itself," published by Encounter Books

Timothy D. Naegele was counsel to the United States Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and chief of staff to Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal recipient and former U.S. Senator Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass).  He practices law in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles with his firm, Timothy D. Naegele & Associates, which specializes in Banking and Financial Institutions Law, Internet Law, Litigation and other matters

FSO Partnership Enhances Mail and Copy Services at Sarah Lawrence College

Photo: SLC.edu

"Delivering on-going cost savings, as well as improvements in service levels and efficiencies to Sarah Lawrence’s day-to-day mail and copy operations.” 



Good Morning Folks,

We are honored to let you know that we've been selected by Sarah Lawrence College, to manage the mail and copy operations at Sarah Lawrence College campus in Southern Westchester County, New York.

Our solution for the college has been designed specifically to enhance the mail and copy services experience to the students, parents, faculty and staff at Sarah Lawrence College.

The partnership is the beginning of a great friendship and a wonderful opportunity to support the College’s strategic growth well into the future.




In the press release, 

Denise Ngeow, our VP of Corporate Strategy commented, “At FSO, we understand the complexities and idiosyncrasies of supporting a campus environment, and our approach to onsite outsourcing service covers all stakeholders (students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff) needs.” She went on to add, “We could not be more excited and look forward to delivering on-going cost savings, as well as improvements in service levels and efficiencies to Sarah Lawrence’s day-to-day mail and copy operations.” 



FSO is, and has been, a business partner with NACAS (the National Association of College Auxiliary Services) - the largest auxiliary services support organization serving higher education. 

Most recently we exhibited at the NACAS East Conference and Exposition in Gettysburg, PA. FSO looks forward to exhibiting at NACAS’s 45th Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA.

Have a GREAT day,



Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer  

5 Degrees More and More Companies Want

Busch, Slipakoff & Schuh,
a law firm in Atlanta, hires only people
with a bachelor’s degree — no exceptions.
And it is far from alone.

Good Morning Folks,

This The New York Times piece caught my eye suggesting that a college degree is now needed for an increasing number of positions, even File Clerk. Jobs today are more technical and require mastery of various computer applications. We understand.

Wrote The Times, "Consider the 45-person law firm of Busch, Slipakoff & Schuh here in Atlanta, a place that has seen tremendous growth in the college-educated population. Like other employers across the country, the firm hires only people with a bachelor’s degree, even for jobs that do not require college-level skills."

"This prerequisite applies to everyone, including the receptionist, paralegals, administrative assistants and file clerks. Even the office “runner” — the in-house courier who, for $10 an hour, ferries documents back and forth between the courthouse and the office — went to a four-year school.

“College graduates are just more career-oriented,” said Adam Slipakoff, the firm’s managing partner. "Going to college means they are making a real commitment to their futures. They’re not just looking for a paycheck."

With that in mind,and as Chief Happiness Officer of the nation's fastest growing onsite outsourcing company with a large foothold in serving prestigious legal organizations, I've asked Degree Expert Jane Alvarez to write a guest post called, "5 Degrees More and More Companies Want"  Over to you, Jane....

In today's world, the job market is getting tougher and tougher. Most assume this is just due to the economy, but that's only half the story. The other half has to do with experience - more and more people are going to college, grad school, landing internships/volunteer experience, etc. That's why it's important to stay on top of things - if you want something extra special to go on your resume, consider the following degree programs.

English/Writing
If you look at the way that so many people write, you will notice that quite a number of flaws exist. Most people simply don't know how to use grammar and structure in the ways that they once did. Therefore, employers are eager to see candidates who have backgrounds in writing. They want to hire employees who are able to effectively communicate with clients and others in the business.

Foreign Language
Speaking of effective communication skills, we also must look at the significance of a foreign language degree. With multinational companies taking over the world, it's no wonder that employers want to hire people who are able to speak an array of languages. When you are able to say that you're bilingual or multilingual, you certainly have a chip on your shoulder.

Mathematics
Even if your degree is in basic mathematical principles or you have a mathematics background, employers will be happy to see that you have these skills. Much like writing, people are also losing their sense of basic math concepts. Tasks that would have been incredibly easy for people only 15 or 20 years ago are now impossible to a vast percentage of the population. One of the major reasons why such strife exists is that individuals are unable to perform simple calculations and take care of some of the most basic needs associated with the company.

Technology/Computer Science
In the 21st century, technology's role in the workplace is simply undeniable. In order to keep up with competition, companies need to make sure that they have people who are well educated. Therefore, getting yourself a degree in one of these areas can certainly heighten your chances of obtaining a job. Employers do not want to have to train every single person for weeks and weeks upon end. Instead, they want to find individuals who are able to help them create better technological situations and equipment that is at the top of the competition.

Communications
Usually, people with communications degrees have them in a specific sub-discipline. You might be an expert in journalism or marketing, or you may have a little bit of a  background in science and business. Regardless, any of these degrees help you to better communicate with the people around you and to get the word out there about a specific product. As a result, you're a major asset to any company.

You can never have too much education. And if you feel you are stuck in a career and could be offering your employer more value, contact us at the job link below. 

 Have a Great Day,

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Companies across the country are looking for people who have these degrees. If you are interested in one, it may be time to finally make that leap and enroll!

Jessica Alvarez writes about education. Her recent work is part of the statistics degree guide.

FSO: LEADING SUPPORT FOR THE LEGAL COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

We bring more experience in serving the legal profession than any company in the outsourcing industry. FSO’s subject matter experts and onsite staff provide support in many different areas of a legal department in a corporation and across a law firm.  

That's why, from the start of a case through the end of the trial, whether the assignment is a quick turnaround photocopy job to the most complex e-discovery project, we know how to make the process efficient, timely and cost effective.

Our dedicated staff delivers outstanding quality work that represents our advanced know-how, expertise and consulting prowess in many different areas of a legal department in a corporation and across a law firm:  
+ designing effective discovery response plans 

+ mitigate the risks associated with litigation: defense; liability; 

+ navigating the best of what technology has to offer.   

Learn more about our Nearly 90% Cost Recoverable Pillar To Post Legal Solutions >> CLICK HERE

To search available jobs at FSO click HERE