Ted Tuesday: Success, Failure and The Drive to Keep Creating with Elizabeth Gilbert

"Know your purpose and it becomes your rock in the good and bad times"

Good Morning Folks,

Elizabeth Gilbert was once an "unpublished diner waitress," devastated by rejection letters. And yet, in the wake of the success of 'Eat, Pray, Love,' she found herself identifying strongly with her former self. With beautiful insight, Gilbert reflects on why success can be as disorienting as failure and offers a simple — though hard — way to carry on, regardless of outcomes.

Her message: "Stay true to yourself. Possess your passion, indulge your passion. Do it for yourself and live with the results whatever they may be."

Please enjoy her TED Talk about finding your way back home again when you feel like you run out of your creative juice.  

She’s funny. She’s passionate. She talks about rediscovering “whatever in this world you love more than yourself”. And with over 15 million YouTube and Ted views between her talks, she's proven to be well worth a listen.


With assistance and graphics from Chris Donner and great thanks to Ted and to you for watching.

Have a fabulous, productive day filled with love and inspiration.  

Cheers!

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. 

Shout-Out: "Outsourcing The Way It Was Meant To Be"

"The team is hard  working, courteous and reliable. They work tirelessly going above and beyond their responsibilities to us happy."

Good Morning Folks,

Our success is all about our clients knowing they can always count on us, we will always be there for them, we care about their success and we would never let them down.

Here are some of the nice things we are hearing in the market:

At a Client in the Healthcare Industry:

Re: Lily & Yang — "They provide a critical component to the science. They are both hardworking, dedicated to clear communication, follow up with customers, and provide high quality in their work. They also provide a collaborative approach to their work, working well together to overlap their skill sets which benefits the customer with cell lines that are of great quality and adhere to the requirements from the customer.

Re: Annie As the leader of the group, Annie is a rising star, with the ability to take on difficult tasks, provide clarity from chaos, and show warmth and concern for her team.  She is determined to continue to develop her team."

Re: Martin — "As a team of one he his dedicated work allows for things to move efficiently. Recently the team moved to a new system and Martin learned the system quickly while still ensuring that the everyday tasks were completed."

Re: Haley — "Even though she is the new addition to the account, Haley has already introduced her experienced from her previous job and made improvements to the lab associate position. We look forward to see what else she brings to the table which we know will be all good things."

At One Of The Big Four Mobile Communications Companies

Re: Zachary — "Zachary helps in all he can and takes all the time needed to explain things in detail with much professionalism and patience. He is a team player and works hard to ensure that all responsibilities are completed."

Re: Facilities Team — "The team stepped up recently and assist with a very urgent need at the client site. They immediately jumped in and helped with the delivery and set up of a breakfast for a very large conference. They did so without being asked and truly exemplified the All Hands in philosophy."

From The NYC HQ Of The World's Preeminent Daily Newspaper

Re: LaBrun — "LaBrun is responsible for six individual client floors of delivery of mail and courier packages, one of which is the Data Center which received multiple large boxes. LaBrun ensures that all the packages are handles carefully and consistently."

From Our Wall Street Clients

Re: Erika & Davita — "Erika and Davita work extremely hard and are very dedicated to the client and make sure that they handle all of the client’s needs with care and professionalism."

Re: Rossi — "Rossi goes above and beyond to ensure the client is taken care of. He also takes time to pitch in and assist when he can to ensure everything runs smoothly."

Re: Jonathan  & Team — “Thank you for all that you do for me each and every day, but especially with my event last night. Each of you calmed my nerves, set up the room and materials perfectly, and made sure that everything ran smoothly. I truly wouldn’t be able to do my job if it weren’t for you and the team.” 

From The World's Largest Professional Services Firm

Re: Curtis, John, Angela & John C. (“JC”) — "Kudos to the team for assisting with a very sick individual onsite. They were able to assist in administering first aides, calling 911 as well as providing the EMT with detailed account of the situation in a very calm, professional and quick manner. It was their quick thinking and actions that saved this person life as professional assist arrived on the scene. Thank you very much for the excellent emergency actions taken."

Re: Michael  — "Michael has done a fantastic job of assisting in finding necessary space for everyday business needs like meetings and conference calls. He has assisted all levels and across various locations. His works tireless to make sure that his finds the correct accommodation for each request."

Re: Lisa, Nikeisha, Michael & Monica — “Thank you for all of your hospitality and help with this year's World Leadership Forum. You and your team are an integral element of this year's success, and I want to thank you personally for all of your help. I look forward to working with you again soon.” 

Re: Vanessa S — "Vanessa is subbing on our floors and I see her more often than our own floor host. 11 and 12th floors are lucky to have her. "

Re: Kimberly — "Want to say what a pleasure it is to work with our new floor host, Kimberly. Kimberly is always willing to help and recently assisted with two lunch orders.  She waited for the orders, assisted in setting up the order in the conference room, was able to get extra chairs for the room, and when the meeting was over, assisted me with collecting the remaining food to take it back to our floor. She has also jumped in and helped with the moving of some boxes which made the process quicker and more efficient. She is a great addition to the floor and looking forward to work with her more in the future."

Kudos like these exemplify the true culture perspective of our company. It's what we do. It's what separates us from everyone else. It's in our DNA!  

To those applauded today, CHEERS to you and THANK YOU for working tirelessly to deliver Service Extraordinaire with a smile. I am so proud of all of you, and to count you among the FSO family. Keep up the great work!!

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

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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“It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn't.”

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Shout-Out Wednesday: A Deep Level Of Commitment To Customer Service

"She's quick to respond, efficient and handles the most complex/annoying of requests, she's been absolutely indispensable." 

Good Morning Folks,

As Founder, Chief Happiness Officer & Owner of FSO, it gives me great pleasure to share with you every Wednesday, the client fan mail I get from in praise of our employees, working on their sites. 

With a twinkle in their eye, a skip in their step and  fire in their belly, our approachable and professional guest service focused teams are brand ambassadors delivering perfect service. They exude a deep level of commitment to customer service— the whole "White-Glove" experience, and are as comfortable greeting employees as they arrive each morning as they are setting up conferences and events for the world's top power brokers, who hold key leadership and board positions at our distinguished clients.

Daryl at The New York City Offices of The World's #1 Consulting Firm...

"Darryl has been an essential part of the floor host program. He continues to excel with the surpassing requests of the clients he supports on a daily basis. Darryl is assigned to main floor for Meeting & Events which has him interacting with client visitors from across the country and territories. He is always know for functioning at a rapid pace from the time he enters the office until the end of each day. Darryl’s reliability, experience and “can do” attitude is highly valued by the clients and colleagues alike."

Rita at The Above Mentioned Firm, Chicago Office..

"We wanted to thank you for your assistance with the MPL meeting. With twenty partners involved, it was most helpful when you escorted them to the boardroom. We were pulled in many directions but we were confident all would go well because you were backing us up. Your assistance proved invaluable to us today. We look forward to the next event. Rita continue to deliver a great customer service experience for our high end clients!"

Janet at The World's Leading Daily Newspaper...

Janet has been such a great help to us! She's quick to respond, efficient and handles the most complex/annoying of requests, she's been absolutely indispensable. Thank you for all you do!

Karina at A Major New York-City-Based Content Creator...

"Want to praise Karina's performance over here at 200 Fifth over the course of the last three months. Specifically during our vendor presentations for the  Video Imaging project two weeks ago she was great in both helping the many guests and solving  some of the A.V. issues we experienced. Know this has been a transitional period for 200, and her solid work daily supporting us at the reception desk is appreciated by Original Content."

Kudos to Carolyn

"Carolyn exemplifies the FSO spirit. She is always in a great mood, always delivers excellent service to her clients, is loved by her clients, has been with the site 10+ years, and has PERFECT attendance the entire time she has worked for me. Great job and keep it up!"

The Team At a Global Political Organization...

"I want to thank each and every one of you for the excellent team work that led to the success of our event on Procurement for Women's Economic Empowerment, Friday afternoon. The seamless cooperation between all three of our business units - Development Business, Publications and the Bookshop - was remarkable. It is an important topic to work on and agenda to push forward. You can all be proud of your contribution."

Thanking Ladon

"We would like to say thank you to Ladon for his hard work and dedication, out Client loves him and would like for him to move on to his next role. Thanks Ladon for all you do."

Thanks to Gorge & Miguel

And Kudos to Jasmine!

THANKS for all you do each and every single day. Your contagious enthusiasm and cheerful smiles engage senses, touch hearts and start the day pleasantly for everyone you meet.

To other companies reading this: Rewards are both earned and learned... so spread it on thick. Love on your workforce when they deserve it .... they will surely want to repeat the experience. As Richard Branson says: "If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers."

For employees, forging a fulfilling career is one of the most important — and often, most difficult —challenges in building a happy life. For employers, building a culture of happiness is key to cementing their brand’s success. When these interests converge, the result is a sense of belonging through shared values and an intangible, emotional belief that we are on a shared journey.

We look forward to giving YOU your own “Shout Out” coming soon to a Wednesday near you.

Have a GREAT day,

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Ted Tuesday: The Key to Success: Grit

“Grit is sticking with your future — day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years — and working really hard to make that future a reality.”

Good Morning Folks,

Every Tuesday we bring you one of my favorite TED talks. TED.com is a treasure trove of inspiration, and I promise you whenever you are feeling down, you can go there and find a few smart words that will cheer you right up.

Today though the message is "Never give up! It's more than just a platitude.

Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn’t the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of “grit” as a predictor of success.

Assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, Angela Lee Duckworth studies intangible concepts such as self-control and grit to determine how they might predict both academic and professional success.

In her extensive research, psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth found that more than IQ or talent or any other factor, the #1 predictor of a person's success is their unflagging commitment to a long-term goal... in other words, their grit.

Find out why... WATCH: The Surprising Trait That's MUCH More Important Than IQ

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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“The secret to happiness is low expectations.” 
— Barry Schwartz 
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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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At FSO, We Are Thankful For You

Good Morning Folks,

Our lives are peppered with mentors, bosses, colleagues and teachers who have helped us with our professions. But I bet you're like me and got your first career lesson from family.

I'll never forget mine. I think of it almost daily around the holidays.

Holidays are a time for family and good memories. And for saying thanks.

At FSO, we have a lot to be thankful for. We had another record year, advancing rapidly from a blank canvas to the fastest growing privately-owned outsourcing company on the planet. But, the best is yet to come (more about that in my 'kickoff" message back here on Jan 7).

Saying "thank you" — sincerely and with heart — feels good. Not just to the person receiving it, but also to the person offering it. And that's part of work too. It's hard to remember, as we process our 580th post, that behind each message being read is a person..

So, as we celebrate the end of one year and usher in another, I want to say "thanks" to you. The support I feel from you, my readers, our customers, employees and clients, is an unending source of encouragement to keep at it. 

It is a huge gift to me that you are interested in what I have to say and spend your valuable time reading and sharing it. It touches me and I am so thankful for it. 

Remember...

Zig's New Years Resolution: 

"Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being positive about what could go right"

We'll be pausing the blog until Monday so our ever-growing FSO family can spend quality time with their own. 

Thanks again, and Happy Holidays!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold."

~~ Maurice Setter
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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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Inspire ME Friday: How To Make Today Amazing

Adopting winning habits is one of the surest ways to get to where you want to go.

TGIF Folks!

As human beings, it can be very easy at times to fall into a rut and get in the habit of having just average days where we seem to not get much of anything done. Here are 20 ways that will hopefully rekindle that passion of yours and help make today ridiculously amazing.

==> 20 Ways to Make Today Amazing by Matt Mayberry (first appeared in Entrepreneur)

1. Engage in consistent action.

2. Constantly picture yourself beyond your current circumstances. 

Dream enormously big and hold that dream deep within your mind, body and spirit.

3. Spend time in solitude to just think and visualize.

4. Write your most important goal on a note card and look at it five times a day. 

Say it out loud and believe with a deep conviction that it will become a reality.

5. Drink tons of water. 

It's impossible to operate to the best of your ability and tap into your full potential if you are dehydrated. Our minds and bodies need water in order to perform at an extremely high-level.

6. Eat to win. 

If you don't want junk results stay away from junk food. The bottom line is that we are what we eat.

7. Get your sweat on. 

One of the best productivity tools that you can utilize is to get a workout in at some point throughout your day. Whether you go to the gym or at home, make the time.

8. Pick up a book for 15-20 min and get lost in it. Just as our bodies need physical exercise, our minds need to stay mentally fit.

9. Spend your time around those who lift you up and encourage your vision, not belittle it. We are the average of the five people we hang out with the most. Pick your company wisely.

10. Make time to grow. 

Carve out 30 min to an hour and find ways to personally and professionally grow.

11. Turn off the music in your car and listen to an audiobook. 

Most of us spend hours in a car daily, utilize that time to better yourself and learn.

12. Keep a journal. 

Record your thoughts, ideas and strategies. We have roughly 20,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Don't let an idea or strategy go to waste. Never rely solely on your memory.

13. Think of five things you are grateful for right this second. 

It can be something as simple as how beautiful is mother nature or how wonderful your family is. Be grateful for what you have and you will eventually end up having more.

14. Snack on almonds. 

Great source of protein and other minerals and vitamins that will increase your energy levels and keep performance in peak state.

15. Say "I love you" more often. 

Don't let a day go by where you don't tell those you love how much they truly mean to you. Life is short and by simply saying the words "I love you" will bring you an immense sense of satisfaction.

16. Treat others how you want to be treated. In business and in the game of life, people matter. If you want to truly win in both, make every person you come in contact with feel important.

17. Have a green smoothie. 

Instead of turning to caffeine turn to the power of mother nature and blend yourself up a delicious, energizing and healthy green smoothie. One of my favorites is two handfuls of organic spinach, one apple, juice of one lemon, three stalks of celery, and ginger root. There are plenty of recipes available to you online.

18. Take a post-it-note or note-card and write down some quotes that move, inspire and empower you. 

There will be times throughout the day that might upset you or discourage you.Constantly feeding your mind with words that inspire and empower you will instantly get you back on your feet ready to hit the ground running.

19. Cut off all distractions. 

When it's time to work, work. When it's time to relax, relax. Discipline yourself to stay off Facebook and other social media sites when you are working on a computer. If you are in an office, hang up a "Do Not Disturb'' sign if possible. Focus  completely on the task at hand.

20. Take full and complete responsibility for your life. 

Own up to your mistakes and never fall into the trap of playing the ever-so-popular blame game.

Adopting winning habits is one of the surest ways to get to where you want to go. What we do on a daily basis determines the results that we end up with. If you don't like what you have been producing up to this point, then change what you do daily. It's my hope that this list of 20 ideas is of extreme value to help make today utterly amazing for you.

Life is short so never regret anything that made you smile!

HAVE A GREAT and SAFE Weekend!

Be great and (re)IMAGINE!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind."
 ~~A. von Szent-Gyorgyi

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