Not Your Father's Company Picnic

"I would like to thank you for showing us that management indeed cares about all the employees and how hard work and dedication is truly the key to a successful organization. It was a wonderful opportunity for FSO employees in the same region to get to know each other and recognize the diversity."

Good Morning Folks,

While most companies in this economy are cutting out or cutting back and having pot luck summer supper get togethers in their parking lots, while only top executives and sales stars jet off to golf outings in fancy resorts, FSO (where business never is conducted as usual) believes that our people make the difference. Therefore there is nothing more important than recognizing their achievements and celebrating our success as a family.

So for our second half kick-off and (re)IMAGINATION of the summer picnic as usual, we took to sea, chartering a cruise for a sunset toast around the isle of Manhattan. And we took the whole gang aboard. This was a great expression of gratitute for our site leaders! :) We rocked the boat which is a great metaphor for what we do every day in the field. When was the last time you treated your employees like this?

Wrote one of many employees to me in a post-event thank you, "I would like to thank you for hosting such a wonderful event. It was a wonderful opportunity for FSO employees in the same region to get to know each other and recognize the diversity that the company offers. I would especially like to thank Christine for showing us that management indeed cares about all the employees how hard work and dedication is truly the key to a successful organization."

Said another, "First I would like to thank you for the wonderful boat cruise and I had a great time. I also want to say thank you for allowing me to represent FSO under your leadership. I'm amazed watching the growth of this company and the environment that's created for us makes me feel blessed. It's been a little over a year since joining FSO and I was with Deloitte at the time. Deloitte is a great company and people had asked me why would you leave a company like Deloitte and my response was I missed the passion and energy working with the both of you prior with the other company. I just want to say I'm proud to work for FSO and happy with the training and leadership from Don Adams & Neal Michael. Thanks for everything and I will continue to inspire my team and develop."

So people also ask me what ever in the world brought you out of retirement to deal with the stress of building a business especially in these times? And the answer is that I live in service to others. My approach to employee care and inclusion will be my leadership legacy.

I'm just a kid from Queens, New York – the product of a broken family and the school of hard knocks. I had no expectations of anything being handed to me; I stood to inherit nothing from my parents. Everything I earned came from working “100 jobs at once” – parking cars, serving Baskin Robbins, and pursuing my own future with a relentless passion that drives me today. I’ve built it all from scratch, passion, belief and drive with people who share those traits and want to bring success to life.

My legacy is to pay it forward so people who show up with FIRE>>SKIP>> and TWINKLE... can have the same opportunities I had against all odds, coming from challenging circumstances. It's nights like these, emails like those above, that provide a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment that no amount of money can buy. To see others grow and prosper is the greatest of gifts I can give myself.

I tell my managers: "Leadership is teaching. Leadership is caring. Leadership is giving. Your employees are great. Use them. Teach them. Lead them. Love them. We don't have to do it alone. Show them the love all day every day. They want us to lead them to greatness. Never can be too busy too not have time to think about them and find new talent. Think of all the great people we or I have found this year and beyond. Where would we be without them.Maybe they have friends we can hire hire. Make your leadership skills come alive."

I could go on and on, but the pictures of our event that follow tell a story more powerful than even ten thousand words could. The sky's not the limit because the universe is infinite… but because YOU keep raising the bar!!! (As the saying goes "don't tell me the sky's the limits when there are already footsteps on the moon!" That's the FSO way of thinking. lol)

FSO USA!

Welcome to the FSO Summer Launch

Celebrating as we pass Statue of Liberty

Strike  pose!

Time to enjoy each other's company

Everyone traveled from afar to join the party

Mitch & his ladies (Crystal, Mitch, Denise and Hope)

Smile and laughter all around

See even more photographs on our Facebook page.

I've seen other workers out there – overlooked, ignored, forgotten in the decades-long transformation of Corporate American. They’re the hourly workers who work in traditional, corporate-run catacomb-like mailrooms of the workplace. Their tasks are vital to business, yet their faces are a blur to patrons and higher-ups.

Once upon a time, any job could be the launch pad for a savvy, bright worker’s rise through the ranks. No longer. Today, these workers are anonymous to many, and often fated to stay that way. 

I will always be that guy in the space who cares enough to take care of the hourly employee from the middle manager down. And that's why our company meeting will never be your father's tired old company picnic.

It was great seeing everyone in NYC! What an incredible and memorable sail! FSO rocked the boat and now we head into the field to rock the competition. 

Thanks to our employees for all you do for us, and to our clients for all you award us the privilege of doing for you.

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

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"It is never too late to be what you might have been." –George Eliot
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It's Wednesday: That Mean's It's Atta' Boy Time (or Girl): Here's a Shout Out To Our Stars (Part Two of Two)

"Your guys are amazing. All of them! They truly go above and beyond, coming in early for 7:30am set up to just delivering the white glove service that elicits comments (from clients and hosts ) such as “flawless”

Celebrating good times at the company meeting "circle lining" it around the isle of Manhattan! 
We rocked the boat which
is a great metaphor for what we do every day in the field.
No one celebrates the way we did Monday night.
At least not for the site staff.
YES, the competition does those events for their senior management
 (and golf and retreats, etc...) but not for the site staff. 

Good Morning Folks,

Monday was a historic day for FSO. With great planning and execution by Hope, Aida and Crystal, we had all of our Field Management and National Sales Team at Headquarters for a great day of planning, strategizing and recognizing the people and processes key to our success. 

Then we took to the Hudson on the Circle Line to celebrate our rapid ascent as the fastest growing player in our league. The night exemplified what FSO stands for: family, teamwork, a fabric and culture that cannot be replicated by any of our competitors. 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.  

Our clients love what we are doing for them. As an example check out what our kids did to earn sixteen yes 16 combined compliments from our client Capco in one month! 

When clients take time to write like this after months of being let down by their former suppliers, it is testament to what I've been saying all along: At FSO, our difference is people. They bring a passion for hospitality and service that is unduplicated. 

Here is part two of the April/May shout-outs and kudos we started last Wednesday. I am honored to be in the company of all mentioned: 

==> Ryland Kurshenoff, Comqi
"Excellent summary, Ryland.  Thanks for the nice work on this. It’s super helpful."
~~ Wayne Kraemer/Content Services & Customer Support Manager/Comqi

==> Concierge Extraordinaire--Saleem Abdullahi, Capco **2 Kudos in 1 Month**

"Thank you so much for the great research on this. I got a great offer with Panasonic. ~~ Claudia Krawczyk/Capco 

"Thank you. You brought new life to a watch I haven't worn in a long time."   

~~ Nitesh/Capco

==> Wendy Fortes, Lilian Merandy, and Mariane Sucena, Itau Team
"Ladies, I would like to talk you a lot to help us during the MD's meeting. We had a terrible experience with the provider and your team work and commitment made all the difference. I'm very happy to know that I can count on you!" Have a great weekend!
~~Carolina Serra | Human Resources/Itau Unibanco NY Branch

==> Amara and Nathan, Wisdom Tree

"Alex, Katie, Amara, Nate, Irene, Becky and Esther,Just wanted to thank you all for the AWESOME help that you gave me and put toward the Summits last week. As we grow as a company and our client events get bigger, it’s a great to know I have a group of people to rely on to help prepare and execute on different tasks that aid in the success of our events. I truly appreciate all of your efforts. These Summits wouldn’t have been able to happen without your help!!" Thanks again, Cat Hess/Senior Event Coordinator/ WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc.

==> Angel Vazquez, HRIS Analyst
"Angel is an Angel. She helped me out with some questions I had about Paychex, she is what FSO Hospitality is all about!! Service with a Smile!! ~~ Mike Reitano/Experience Director

==> Antonio Torres, OMD
Hope all is well with you.I wanted to take a moment to let you know how well Antonio is doing at 195 Broadway. He is extremely diligentwith his daily walk through of the office  space. His attitude is excellent. When I met with my boss, Gianluca Baglioni, he remarked on how pleasant Antonio was to deal with.  His talents as a handy man are constantly be put to good use at 195 Broadway. He truly is an asset to your company."
~~ Juli Collura/ Facilities Manager/ OMD

==> Ashley Menear, Y&R **2 Kudos in 1 month**
"Ashley, thank you for your consistent professionalism, courteousness and dedication to your job. We’re grateful." ~~Anne O'Driscoll/ SVP, Dir of Building Operations /Y&R

"I just wanted to let you know how helpful, resourceful and accommodating the 3CC conference team is to the Dell team. I have worked closely with both Stephanie and Ashley and they are always on point to find a room when the 3cc online system is not working or when my computer is down. They are always pleasant, going above and beyond the call of duty, trying to find rooms on the lower floors closer to the Dell team. We are lucky to have them! Thanks!" ~~Patricia

==> Ausberto Falcon, Capco

I want to recognize Ozzy for all his hard work around the office. Ozzy goes out of his way to deliver all urgent mail to my desk and always assists me when I need supplies from the mail room. He also goes above and beyond his daily responsibilities. If myself or any other EA is unable to leave their desk during the day, he is thoughtful enough to save snacks and bring them to us. Ozzy's upbeat attitude and helpfulness make him a great asset to Capco." ~~Clare Gallagher/Capco 

==> Brennan Becker, Capco **3 Kudos in 1 Month**
Just wanted to say how nice dinner was last evening. The venue, food and service was excellent. Thanks again! ~~Mariann Ferrari/Executive Assistant/Capco

"I wanted to just say how amazing it is to have these festivities in the work place. Not only does it give us something to look forward to but it helps us engage with each other over lunch, or breakfast or just a mid day snack. We are all extremely busy during the day and it is very refreshing to be able to have some time to unwind and mingle with our clients. Capco is very generous with their spending and I wanted to say out of all the companies I have worked out, being here is such a joy!"

"Thank you for helping us stay sane and treating everyone so wonderful." ~~Jennifer Elgart/Talent Acquisition/Capco

"Brennan, I wanted to thank you for all of the support with the Freddie meeting yesterday. It was a bit crazy in preparation with the ever changing agenda but was a great success." ~~Cathy Martin/Director of Strategy/Capco Digital / NYC Innovation Lab

==> Capco Team **7 Kudos in 1 Month**
"Hi Jonathan, Hope you are well! We so loved working with you and your team on the Capco event. I am not sure you remember us talking about this, but I mentioned early on that we might be interested to have someone from your company come to our office in Atlanta for a "consultant for a day" type experience with our Office Management team. I know it’s probably not something you typically do, but I was hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction of someone we can talk to on your end? To be completely honest, I can’t even remember the name of your company, but I do remember the professionalism and I guess that’s what counts right?!! :) Thanks for your help!" ~~ Palmer Booth Ramsay/World 50

"My name is Alan Chiang and work for Capco. On Tuesday, May 20, I suffered a seizure at the Capco Office at 77 Water St. and wanted to say your staff did a great job handling the situation." ~~Alan Chiang/Capco

Your Stars☺ Last Tuesday the CEO of FIS and a couple of FIS Board Directors came to our office to meet with Mr. Heyvaert and the Senior Partners of Capco. This was a big event considering the level of executives meeting at our offices.I would like to thank a group of FSO people who helped me make this event a very successful one. The help that was provided was excellent!!!!  Please recognize the following individuals for their above and beyond support last Tuesday:Taylor Mason, Monica Veloz , Razelle Townsend, DeAndre Mims, Jonathan Ramos, Osvaldo Cruz,Roger Rios , Ausberto Falcon ,Saleem Abdulahi." ~~ Thank you, Nini/Capco (MDW: Nini, consider them recognized before the world wide web!).

I just wanted to send you a note regarding your team and the great job that they do on a daily basis. The Front Desk - When I come in the morning they are always pleasant and polite and when I leave at night they always say good-night. I had to fax documents a couple of times and they took care me promptly and efficiently.

Refrigerators- Your guys are always loading the refrigerators before the water and juices run out and there are always snacks out before lunch. The cafeteria area is always clean and ready for us to use whenever we need a break. 

Supplies -Every time I need supplies like book-binding, scissors, pens, notebooks, etc.they take care of me within minutes.I think that most of the Capco staff takes you team for granted but I enjoy talking with them because they are also a lot of fun.' ~~Fred Falcones/Senior Consultant/Capco

"Jonathan, Please thank your team for assisting me these past two days for my ACD (5/2) they were all so helpful, and the candidates really were impressed by the customer service they received. I am going to attempt to list out those who helped, but please know it was pretty much all of them!Monica, Mary Anne, Deon, Ozzie, Edgar, Roger, Brennan, Taylor, Kind regards!" ~~Cristina Rodriguez/ATP & Campus Recruiter - North America Human Capital/Capco

"I know the day is not over but I want to thank each of you for doing an amazing job for us! don't know what I would do without you!! Please let the guys know how much I appreciate their hard work!! Thank You." ~~Anyanna Phillips/Executive Assistant/Capco 

"Your guys are amazing. All of them!" ~~Jennifer Elgart/Talent Acquisition/Capco

==> Christine and Azra, Brookfield

Just a note to acknowledge that we have a fantastic team in place. The staff at reception always going above and beyond. Catering staff as well. These individuals are instrumental in ensuring that our client facing capabilities are represented with the highest degree of professionalism. They truly go above and beyond, coming in early for 7:30am set up to just delivering the white glove service that elicits comments (from clients and hosts ) such as “flawless”. We had a return visit from a potential investor (100MM). They specifically requested the breakfast set up they had last time they came to visit which was source by Christine and her staff. Well done." ~~Vielka Oscar/Executive Assistant/Private Funds Group-Brookfield Asset Management

==> Edgar Cruz, Capco
"I would like to give kudos to Edgar for his dedication to maintaining the office, especially the cafe.  Edgar always takes the time to keep the coffee machine clean, stocked, and ready to go and I (along with several other coffee drinkers in the office)  very much appreciate it. Thank you Edgar!!" ~~Clare Gallagher/Capco 

==> Print Shop Team, NYU Poly
Dear Print Shop team, I would like to thank both Allison and Andy for professionally printing a publication I designed for MSA entitled, "The Muezzin's Minaret." They did a wonderful job at patiently printing, cutting, and hand stapling all 70 copies of this 88 page publication. Thank you so much for your efforts!"~~ Moona Ahmed/NYU Poly

==> Ralphy Mata and Christopher Rodriquez, Liquidnet

I just wanted to take the opportunity to recognize Ralphy Mata and Christopher Rodriquez for their commitment to LN. I have been out sick and we had an event on Tuesday night that would have required me to stay late and work a very long day.  Ralphy and Christopher stepped up to the plate and ensured all would be taken care of and I was able to leave work at 7pm instead of 10pm.The two of them did an awesome job managing the event and cleaning it up – everything was put away and cleaned up perfectly. What a relief to know I have these 2 great guys to count on. I am extremely happy to have them here at LN. Please let folks know at FSO what a great job they both did! Thanks!"``CATHERINE PETERSON/ OFFICE MANAGEMENT AT LIQUIDNET 

==> Razelle Townsend & Monica, Capco
"I just wanted to take a few minutes to wish you a wonderful afternoon and evening, and say "thanks" for all that you do. I hope that Capco has celebrated you today.
You're the best!" ~~Suzanne Branch/Administrative Assistant/Capco

Rene Mata, Liquidnet

==> Rene Mata, Liquidnet
"Rene Mata is truly your star here at LN. Rene has taken it upon himself to work with ETS and transfer files to the updated computer in The Source. Not only that but he is always willing to go above and beyond to get jobs done for our customers. Barbara Francis, who works the trading desk came up to me and said it is truly a pleasure to deal with Rene and he is always willing to help he with last minute printing jobs. Rene understands the meaning of customer focus and he should be recognized for the great work he does here at LN.Thanks!" ~~CATHERINE PETERSON/ OFFICE MANAGEMENT AT LIQUIDNET 

==> Regina Zakai, Brookfield
"Thank you for always being so extra helpful even in times when it’s a little uncomfortable with everything from soup to nuts that we deal with. You are truly an asset, with all that you do for me, my groups – I truly appreciate it!!" ~~Renate Ramdhan/Executive Assistant at Brookfield
                   

The statue of liberty that we circle Monday night (incredible photo below by our wn Nick Williams), is a symbol of opportunity and prosperity that perfectly sums up the growth and opportunity available to us at FSO. I love the energy, the love and the FSO difference. That is what these customers we've heard from today are expressing their appreciation for.

We have lots to be thankful for, proud of, and reflect upon. Especially our Chief Chaos Officer, Jim Caton, pictured with me above, who is 50 years young this morning! Jim and his team's flawless execution ensure the career and customer satisfaction of the people and sites mentioned above. Thank you Jim for making all of us shine every day. 

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

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way” ~~Christopher Morle

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Ted Tuesday: The Rise Of The Social Employee: Mark Burgess at TEDxNavesink

"Employees, through social media, are changing how companies market to, and engage with, customers and prospects. With the transparency and opportunity for personal connections that social media offers, pushing fabricated, unauthentic sales pitches doesn’t work anymore. Instead, we are witnessing the rise of the social employee who creates a win/win proposition by leveraging their personal brands to build trust and increase the digital “surface area” of the brands for which they work."

Good Morning Folks,

Last night a large group of FSO's finest spent three hours circling manhattan on a yacht to celebrate our success, our growth, and future goals. It was a blast and I look forward to soon sharing the photos of all the fun and dancing shoes :-).

Today, however, I am going to focus on a topic of paramount importance in our company and if not your company now, it will be coming sooner rather than later. It's a revolution that begins with every employee… starting with YOU.

A book by today's guest speaker, College of Business Administration professor Mark Burgess explores how employees can serve as brand ambassadors.

In 2010, Southwest airlines removed director Kevin Smith from one of its planes before takeoff, saying he violated the company’s “Customer of Size” policy. Offended, Smith took to Twitter, excoriating the airline in a series of tweets to his many followers. The potential public relations disaster rippled across the Internet, and as control over the incident began to spiral away, the airline had to react in real time.

Enter the social employee. Conceived by College of Business Administration professor Mark Burgess and his wife and business partner, Cheryl, the social employee serves as the brand’s ambassador, its most authentic connection to consumers in the social media sphere, where the bottom line goes beyond buying and selling toward a transparent dialogue of values.

“People tend to believe in the voice of an employee more than the voice of an ad, which can be intrusive and less valuable,” Burgess says. “They want to hear from employees. People respect and engage with those voices.”

Southwest responded to Smith with tweets of its own, followed by a blog post that tried to soothe Smith and put out the fire. Burgess, who helped develop courses in the CBA that shifted emphasis to the growing field of digital marketing, commends the transparency of the response (even if Smith wasn’t gratified) in the 2014 book he and Cheryl wrote together, The Social Employee (McGraw-Hill). Drawing on success stories from Southwest, IBM, Dell and other companies, the book gives real-life examples of how companies empower employees to become brand ambassadors through social media.

“We coined a phrase and feel like we’re leading a movement,” Burgess says. “More and more companies are all using the same term.”

“Marketing is always about trying to sell something, but the difference is how you do it,” Burgess says. “More and more, people are ignoring TV ads. What’s relevant is your own network, and all of this is driven by social conversation.”

Burgess cites a study that concluded brands are central to about 40 percent of conversations on social media. “If you don’t have a strategy, you’re going to miss being a part of those conversations,” he says, adding that employees are an obvious if traditionally underused channel to tell a brand’s story and publicly share a company’s culture. “Trained and inspired around the power of a brand, employees can engage within their own network about it,” he says.

A sound social media policy and well-trained employees can help avert that result, Burgess says. Aside from establishing useful guidelines, brands can foster success by identifying the employees who inherently feel passionate enough about the company’s brand to become its ambassadors. “You want employees to work within their comfort zone,” Burgess says, so if they favor Twitter over Facebook, don’t force them to use Facebook.

The upshot for employees, Burgess says, is that the work also helps them grow their network and burnish their personal brand. “It’s a classic win-win situation,” he says. “If you’re actively engaged, you’re benefiting the brand you work for today, but you’re also building your own brand.”

The activity is far from onerous for the so-called digital natives who take social media as a fact of life.

As more companies adopt the social employee model, the next leap will be to the social executive, says Burgess, who equates the role to that of the player-coach, calling in plays while partaking in the game as well. “At some point it’s almost going to be a requirement that you have to be out there,” he says. “And if you’re an executive who can’t say something about your brand in 140 characters, you’re in the wrong business.”

In this talk, Mark Burgess brings to our attention how employees, through social media, are changing how companies market to, and engage with, customers and prospects. With the transparency and opportunity for personal connections that social media offers, pushing fabricated, unauthentic sales pitches doesn’t work anymore. Instead, we are witnessing the rise of the social employee who creates a win/win proposition by leveraging their personal brands to build trust and increase the digital “surface area” of the brands for which they work. The result is nothing short of a revolution that touches every company and relationship around us. Enjoy.


FSO is a force to be reckoned with; our competition is on the run. They know they cannot compete with us and our Personal, Passionate and Productive approach we take in everything we do. 

Our client’s rave about the work we do for them, we hear it from them every day!  

We have a clear path in front of us; it is ours for the taking.  

We have worked hard to get here, we should all be proud of what we have accomplished, but it’s not over!  

To continue the astonishing success I am committed to building a team of Rock Stars, each with the specific purpose to drive new opportunities for FSO! The social employee is on the rise right here.

Let's all go make things happen today. I look forward to seeing you soon.

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. 

About FSO Onsite Outsourcing
Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing companies for the second 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.

Our People Are The Sizzle, Outsourcing is the Steak

"Each site employee, YOU, are the FSO difference! Your commitment to service, to exceed the client’s expectations, to notice that detail, to have that SKIP, FIRE, TWINKLE are the reason we have experienced Galactic Growth."

Good Morning Folks,

What a fabulous Monday morning here in Long Island as I head into the great city of Manhattan. I hope you all had a glorious Father's Day and enjoyed the time with your families. And now, it's MONDAY. 

As we head into this week we have a different Monday. We have our regional teams and our front end machine led by pat, our nation sales team in NYC.  Training. Planning. Strategy. Inspiration and more. I am looking forward to get face time with all of you.

I was thinking about FSO's place in the outsourcing space while reading Seth Godin's blog over the weekend and he makes a great point:

"Without a doubt, your hard work in test prep led to better SAT scores, which got you into college. It's not clear, though, that SAT prep skills are going to help you ever again.I

I know that all those years of practicing (8 hours a day!) got you plenty of praise and allowed you to reach a high level on the bassoon. It's not clear, though, that practicing even more is going to be the thing that takes your career where you want it to go. 

Those same skills aren't what you need to actually build your company into something that matters, though. 

Successful people develop a winning strategy. It's the work and focus and tactics that they get rewarded for, the stuff they do that others often don't, and it works. Until it doesn't. 

Brands work not because they have clever logos or taglines, not because they run a lot of ads, but because something about their story and their promise resonates with deeply held cultural beliefs. "People like us do things like this/buy things like this/like things like this," is the mark of a brand (a comedian, a clothing line, a store) that has become part of the zeitgeist, at least for a portion of the population. Most of all, it's, "people like us treat others like this."

Sell the sizzle ... not the steak.

A steak has always had a sizzle, but today we know much more about what makes a person buy a steak. We have the creative and technological tools to sell the steak in such a way, that it transcends being just a piece of meat. As long as purchase decisions are made by humans and not robots, the sizzle - the emotional impact on buying choices - will continue to be more and more important.

• If you sell fridge freezers, talk about the amazing things you can grow, cook then store in them
• If you sell car insurance talk about the amazing journeys you can go on with those vehicles
• If you sell hotel rooms, talk about the incredible experiences and activities you can enjoy whilst staying at your hotel
• If you sell tents, talk about the life-changing adventures you can go on in them

The value a product delivers is way above then the product itself. Think of the great work that Apple has done a decade back with its design innovation and the value that it brought for the customers worldwide. 

So if outsourcing is steak, and all vendors sell steak, our sizzle is people. People who are passionate and care as much about our clients success as their own. Because you can't have one without the other.

Each site employee, YOU, are the FSO difference! Your commitment to service, to exceed the client’s expectations, to notice that detail, to have that SKIP, FIRE, TWINKLE are the reason we have experienced Galactic Growth.

To be part of a company where the employees LOVE what they do and the leaders CARE as much as they do, is such a blessing…we are VERY LUCKY to be a part of the FSO Family!

I ask our employees to look around you. You work for a HAPPY company, with a Chief HAPPINESS Officer at the helm - who truly wants you to be happy, who gives you all the tools, opportunities and support to grow and be happy at what you do. 

Folks on our team: I cannot say enough how great it is to have such a motivated and pumped up team of professionals. Spotting talent and mentoring is what I love love to do and I hope I full fill all your dreams and your expectations every day. 

No matter how big we get I will always be here to hug, kiss, cry, celebrate and whatever you need and right be by your side. I know you are for me. 

So make a conscious choice to let happy and have a positive attitude continue to be the sizzle on our steak, and I promise you – we will accomplish great things together. No further SATs or testing required.

Don't let anything or anyone stop us. Believe and inspire. And SPREAD THE WORD. 

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

Hugs all around.

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

~Helen Keller
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InspireME Friday: Shawn Curwen on TEAMwork!

"Nothing happens without the syncopated movement of our FSO TEAM. We are all here to win "championships" but it cannot be done without our team. I am quick to correct someone when they give kudos to one person when it was a T.E.A.M. effort."

Good Morning Folks,

As you know I task different folks from all walks of the company to send daily motivational messages to everyone.  Experience Director Shawn Curwen sent a great one last week on Teamwork. I want to share it with you because it embodies our whole philosophy of going to market and striving for excellence in our pursuit of the fulfillment of BOTH customer and employee dreams.

There is nothing more exciting or inspiring than TEAMWORK! We are surrounded and consumed by it everyday in sports, at work and even at home when parents are working together to raise a child to be successful or more important independent of them....WOW.   

Todays message is my Ode to a T.E.A.M. A team is constructed in such a way where you have a leader, a few "go to" people and supporting cast or "role players". I am reminded of the Chicago Bulls winning championship after championship with Phil Jackson as the leader...the coach, the guy who tells everyone where to go and how they will be better for it. Who does that remind you of (cue the Jeopardy music) MITCH!   

Where would we be without our G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) leader in this industry of on-site outsourcing.

Then we have the "go to" players like Michael Jordan.  eed I same more? This is our leadership, our ELT, RDs,  EDs, EMs, Leads and more. They are "scoring" and staying on top of the overall goal to win over our clients and get new clients for more opportunity. Then their our our role players...the folks that know what they have to do every day but when called upon can and will do more. I see this everyday at the "Mothership" and in field with my peers.   

Visiting with the Miami TEAM

Nothing happens without the syncopated movement of our FSO TEAM. We are all here to win "championships" but it cannot be done without our team. I am quick to correct someone when they give kudos to one person when it was a T.E.A.M. effort. 

TEAM Means TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE..more cross training... more support...more succession for your growth...more love for the client! I could not do it everyday without my Mothership TEAM.They had never really worked with one another as closely as they are now. After we meet I watch them go and it's a symphony of tactical movement that curls either end of my mouth.    

Pride follows. Of course I want to do more. Spend some time watching football and you will witness on every play one man working as hard to get to score a touchdown as the next. Every yard..every inch they scratch and claw for to reach that goal line.  This same determination happens at HQ and our sites everyday. The goal is that we all see 2020 clearly.  Use this as your team concept and we will all achieve this and many other goals.  

I follow an African saying symbolized by the word  "Umbuntu" which means I am because you are. Let's get to work TEAM and get excited! Love them up...they deserve it, trust me. I came all the way to Miami to love up Lissette's team in the PwC office in Miami.  Beautiful office...beautiful team. Let the TEAM lovefest be the catalyst to how great we make our client experience.  

Shawn thanks for the wonderful message this morning and super glad you are with the fso family.. love having you and your smile. Happy Friday to all of you.. and YES, it is a beautiful weekend forecast ahead in New York.

Have a Happy, Healthy, Safe and Refreshing Weekend,

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

ThrowBack Thursday: Napster, MySpace and What We Thought Was Progress and Way Cool in 1999

"Once proud industry leaders like Blackberry, Kodak, Tower Records, MySpace, Sears and Napster who should have been innovating their way towards eliminating the need for iPhones, iPhoto, iTunes, Amazon and Apple, were asleep at the switch and let new upstarts with younger more passionate people and an open minded strategy embrace possibility thinking and eat their lunches."

Good Morning Folks,

They say in this digital generation every ten years of progress is faster and better than the total output of the last hundred years before it.

Today some cases in point.

Hard to believe the young workers already advancing in their careers with us were glued to sites like MySpace and Napster while their parents back in the office could barely open an APP let alone think of themselves carrying iPhones with albums of family pictures and racks of CDs at their finger tips 15 years into the future.

Back then, only the top executives were given Blackberry's and everyone thought "WOW"-- but now they are antiques. 

Well, all that's changed for the better. But to give you your Thursday trip down memory lane I call your attention to this Mashable feature "20 Things Other Than Napster Released in 1999"....

Napster was born on June 1, 1999, in Shawn Fanning's Northeastern University dorm room, and music was forever revolutionized. 

The service pioneered peer-to-peer file sharing, meaning it allowed users to transfer files directly between each other. Prior to Napster, downloading music off the Internet was unreliable. 

But two years later, the Record Industry Association of America filed lawsuits against Napster users who illegally downloaded music and the service was shut down. Napster may be gone, but its legacy will live on. 

Music wasn't the only thing set free 15 years ago. Take a trip with us down memory lane and relive the final year of an innovative century.

Browse the gallery to see 20 Things Other Than Napster Released in 1999 

Technology changes fast and the Internet never stops or pauses for stragglers to catch up. Once proud industry leaders like Blackberry, Kodak, Tower Records, MySpace, Sears and Napster who should have been innovating their way towards eliminating the need for iPhones, iPhoto, iTunes, Amazon and iTunes, were asleep at the switch and let new upstarts with younger more passionate people and an open minded strategy team who embraced possibility thinking, eat their lunches.

That won't happen here. I have never taken my eye off what drives a successful company – continued innovations, changing with the times and having the ability to be flexible, and retaining great talent. FSO is driven by passionate people and the value they create. They are passionate about their work. Their passion and enthusiasm are the fuel that ignites our success.

We enjoy what we do, believe in what we do, and deliver to you a passion that just cannot be duplicated by others in our industry.

We excel at attracting and retaining inspired and passionate people with performance-based rewards and opportunities for advancement. We offer employees the opportunity to work with industry leaders, the latest and greatest technology, and some of the most forward–thinking customers in the world. FSO provides an environment that rewards innovation, is rich in resources and respects the incredibly talented team we’ve built over the last three years.

No other organization provides the level of encouragement and motivation that FSO does and we continue to remain at the top of our industry for recognizing and rewarding our dedicated staff. We believe that our motivated and happy staff, with that twinkle in the eye, skip in the step and  fire in the belly will go the extra mile when it comes to providing the Service Extraordinaire that we promise deliver to each and every one of our clients.

The result of this philosophy is happy customers, workers who can see meaning in their contributions and soaring profits for those clients who place their trust in us.

Thanks to Mashable and Pinterest (for the image) and to you for listening.''

If know of someone who would enjoy working for or with FSO please do not keep us a secret.

Have a GREAT day

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here