InspireME: “Show Me a Good Loser and I’ll Show You a Loser”

Peter Stone, FSO CFO

"To Lombardi, not being a “good loser” means not ever being satisfied with losing, and when you do lose, rededicating yourself to the winning process of planning, training and execution."

Good Morning Folks,

Normally on Friday's I select one of my favorite inspirational posts from internal communications to share with you. Be it a shorter week with no Friday post, and some people off tomorrow, I wanted to share this brilliant first employee communication from our new CFO, Peter Stone.

To say Peter hit the ground running would be an understatement. Peter who reports directly to me is responsible for providing the highest expert level of strategic financial advice and assistance for FSO and our clients – resulting in one of our company’s top goals for 2014 – Profitable revenue and hyper-growth. 

Since 2007, Mr. Stone has been the CFO of New York City based White Cliff Holdings and affiliated investment funds, where he oversaw $250 million in invested capital and fund operations.  Prior to White Cliff, Peter was the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of Guideline, Inc., a $50 million publicly-traded research and consulting firm which was successfully sold to InfoUSA.  

Peter's career here is only three weeks old, but from his words below, he truly "gets it" and is off to a fast start.

Here's Peter:

The famous hall of fame Green Bay Packer’s head coach Vince Lombardi once said “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.”  I think about that quote a lot, both because of what it means, and what I think it specifically doesn’t mean.  On the surface, the message is obvious – we want to try to win at all times, and we should never feel good about losing.   

Vince Lombardi took over a Packers team that went 1-10 in 1958, took them to 7-5 in 1959, and then proceeded to win three straight, and five total, NFL championships in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and 1967 seasons. And the people of Green Bay never forgot it – after years of lackluster attendance at Packers’ football games, the Packers sold out every game in 1960, and have sold out every single home game (preseason, regular season and post-season) every single year to this very day!   

I think the culture of winning that Lombardi instilled is very similar to the culture of success that Mitch brings to FSO, and in doing so, Mitch has won the hearts and minds of all FSO employees and clients much the same as Lombardi won the support of Green Bay. But while I love the winning message of this Lombardi quote, I think that people sometimes don’t interpret it correctly. By implying that we should not be a “good loser”, Lombardi is not advising us to be unprofessional, or lose control or badmouth the competition when we lose.   

In fact, Lombardi was just the opposite.  100%  of his coaching philosophy was based on dedication to exhaustive planning, training and execution.   

To Lombardi, not being a “good loser” means not ever being satisfied with losing, and when you do lose, rededicating yourself to the winning process of planning, training and execution.   

In fact, any other response to losing, such as getting overly upset, blaming other people or trying to drown your sorrows, just wastes the precious time you could be using to invest in your next WIN!   

We are all human, and none of us wins 100% of the time. The true measure of our character and our professional success is how we are able to take a loss, learn from the experience and turn it into a win the next time. Remember, if we beat ourselves or each other up, we are just doing the competition’s job for them. It is also critical to point out that as important as winning was to Lombardi, he was able to achieve his enormous success without compromising his beliefs and ideals, just like we at FSO will not compromise our dedication to our employees and our clients.   

He was a deeply religious man, and attended services daily when he could.  He was also deeply dedicated to human rights at a time when that was often unpopular and not always good for business.   

In an age when the color barrier had not been completely broken by all teams in the NFL, Lombardi had a zero tolerance policy towards racism, and not only warned his team that if any player exhibited prejudice in any manner, then that player would be thrown off the team, but also told the entire Green Bay business community that any establishments that practiced discrimination would be off limits to the entire Green Bay Packers organization.   

Further (and unknown to me until I did research for this today) he was a pioneer in standing up for gay rights, openly supporting gay receiver Jerry Smith and protecting his position on the team.  Lombardi used to say “I view my players as neither black nor white, but Packer green.” What a great message, and how applicable to FSO – no matter what else we are, we are all FSO! So best to you all, Peter.

In another employee communication last week on the same theme, our National Director of Training and Hospitality Development, Missy Adriazola, shared "Winning. Isn’t that what it’s all about? I would say it’s a great end result, but what got you there? The training. 

The training is the best part of getting to score a win. 

Why?  

Because you’ve worked and practiced so hard, that there is no room for error in order to win. Look at Michelle Wie who’s 24 years old and won her first US Open in Golf. She tried to do a job playing against the men without proper training when she was 16 years old. She was not successful. 

It was not until she trained hard and surrounded herself with the right people where she was then able to dominate the women’s game of golf, and become a winner. You must master each skill level along the way to succeed."

Whether you are an associate, lead, manager or director, the more you train and work hard, the more you will succeed.

Missy is working on a great training program that will help all of the FSO team with the skills needed to ensure that everyone is a winner at FSO! More on that later.

I trust you are all looking forward to celebrating the 4th of July in style next week with a three day weekend.

In recognition of everyone’s efforts, we will be closing early on Thursday July 3rd at 3pm to kick off the July 4th Holiday.

From the entire Exceutive Leadership Team, thank you again for all you do and to making FSO USA the Greatest Onsite Outsourcing Company in the world.

Cheers and have a HAPPY, SAFE and JOYOUS holiday weekend.

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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“Each of us has been put on this earth to do something well. 
 We cheat ourselves and the world if we don’t use that ability as best we can”
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InspireME Tuesday: It's Never To Late To Change Your Heart

"This is a triumph of the human spirit that all started with his parents. All proving it's never to late to change your heart. Happiness is a choice! I take happiness very seriously. It is a creed, a philosophy and an objective. This man is truly amazing."

Good Morning Folks,

With a short week and most of us already in the holiday spirit, I am combining the spirit of Ted with our InspireMe series to share Oprah Winfrey's short production of "Farmer Chris: An Exceptional Man." This is a must-see exceptional short five minute story.

What a great way to start our day after wrapping up our first 6 months of 2014!!!! Huge accomplishments achieved and amazing growth in so many areas.

Everyone knows farming requires hard physical labor. While Apricot Lane Farms has a lot of excellent farmhands, none have been as memorable as Chris. Hear Chris' extraordinary story in this Super Soul Short from John Chester.

This is a triumph of the human spirit that all started with his parents. All proving it's never to late to change your heart. Happiness is a choice! I take happiness very seriously. It is a creed, a philosophy and an objective. This man is truly amazing. Enjoy!

 
Wow!!! How inspiring! I don't think I can ever rightfully complain about anything ever again.

What a great and positive attitude. How differently would you live your life if you approached it with this attitude? 

Like Farmer Chris, we have the greatest people our industry has ever seen – the best of the best. 

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

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"We are never really happy until we try to brighten the lives of others"

~~Helen Keller                                                                                                                                    

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Inspire ME Friday: Hidden Cash in the Office

"One of those employees made the comment “I wish we could wear nice uniforms like that, they look so nice” As you can imagine the alarm bells went off in my head."

Good Morning Folks,

Every Friday I choose one of the wonderful motivational messages that are being communicated throughout the week internally at FSO by folks from all walks of the company to share with the world.

Today I'd like to share a piece from one of our Experience Managers, Jason Giarmo in Detroit. Jason calls his essay "Hidden Cash In The Office." Jason… over to you,

That’s right, there is so called Hidden Cash out there and let me tell you all about it.

On my way home last evening, I was listening to a report on the radio about someone who has been leaving hidden cash out there for everyone to find.  I was astonished that this was the first time I had heard of this phenomenon.   

It had first started in San Francisco and from the report, it’s now happening in NYC. This generous person or persons has been hiding random amounts of raw cash and posting clues to the locations on twitter for everyone to find.   

From the sound of the report, this hidden cash craze has really taken NYC by storm the past few days with people dashing around for some free greenbacks. I mean who doesn’t like free money right?

That got me thinking though about the past few weeks. Isn’t there hidden cash right in front of all us every day?

Just the other day I was in the elevator with one of my team members as she was heading downstairs to gather the mail. Inside the elevator with us were two employees from one of those other guys heading down for mail as well. I won’t say who, but they like to wear black un-tucked shirts with a red logo.  One of those employees made the comment “I wish we could wear nice uniforms like that, they look so nice” As you can imagine the alarm bells went off in my head. I looked straight at both of them and said we don’t call them uniforms, we call it career apparel. I then quickly introduced myself and gave them my card. I told them both, we are always looking for great people and if they send me their resumes I would be in touch. They both smiled right at me and said thank you very much, we will. Hidden Cash?

Last week I attended a meeting with every tenants of our building with our client. As I walked around the room introducing myself, I received several compliments from other tenants (who are not our clients) on how courteous our staff has been. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to pitch them just a little bit with a thank you and that’s who we are. So you know, those other guys where in the room too. Hidden Cash?

If you haven’t noticed yet, we work in a building with a lot of those other guys. Hidden Cash?

Alright, maybe the cash isn’t really that hidden. It’s right in front of us every day. We just need to seize control of it when it appears. Maybe it’s that storage closet that need to be organized or those stock levels that need to assessed. How about those business service processes….it’s always time to innovate! The opportunities are endless. In the buildings we work in, the friendly employee at Kinko’s who has that wonderful smile, the Attorney you offer to hold the elevator.

Sure, some of those opportunities take time to develop, but why not plant the seeds now? Take action now!  Mitch, Jim, Denise and the rest of the executive team have laid the groundwork for all of us. AND I say thank you!  It’s now up to all of us to be that FSO Brand Ambassadors. A walking, talking personification of what FSO’s brand stands for. 

Excellence at all levels!  That is why I joined this company 8 months ago, because I used to work for one of those other guys. AND it’s not even close! So, when I was presented with this opportunity and met the leadership, there was no doubt. This is where I needed and wanted to be. Because there are opportunities everywhere, we just need to keep planting the seeds and watch them grow. You never know how fast, but keeping true to our values.  

The three P’s, we all know them….Personal, Passionate and Productive. While providing Exceptional Service…. they will grow. Not just for ourselves, but our loved ones, families and soon to be FSO family members. That’s what it’s all about right?

SO, I say hidden cash?  Sounds nice, but so does winning the lottery. The chances of either of those happening are pretty darn slim. You know what I prefer though, opportunity…..any day….seize it!

Oh and I forgot one last thing……Good Morning!

Bravo Jason! Amazing message and THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING.  

Today is my last day of vacation in Napa before catching a plane home, and I'm not going to waste a moment of it with all the glorious food, wine and natural bounty around me.

I hope that we are loving our clients and loving our employees. I miss seeing you all and speaking but I am almost back and hope to see you next week or in my travels, which will be plentiful in July.

Have a Happy, Healthy, Safe and Refreshing Weekend,

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

Creating Magical Experiences

“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others with them” 

~~Walt Disney

Good Morning Folks,

While the Weiners pursue our last two days of R&R in the Napa Valley, I leave you in the very capable hands of our Corporate Trainer Shalaine Adams, who is at a conference at Disney where, in addition to entertaining children, they also teach and train adults in the art of business hospitality which has become their hallmark.

Shalaine… over to you…..

Good morning FSO & Happy Thursday,

I hope you had a wonderful week so far!

I had the pleasure of attending the SHRM conference with Kim, Chelsea this week in Orlando Florida and boy, was it a blast!

Being in Orlando, you are surrounded by the magic of Disney. Over and over again it was mentioned in the advertisements, at restaurants and even at the conference:) You couldn't help being touched by it!

I'd like to bring you on a journey with me, back to when I was 7 years old. My grandparents took me to Disney world! I couldn't believe it, I was so excited and thrilled to be there surrounded by all of the princesses I'd seen on TV! My grandparents took me all around and when we we were on our last day, I was allowed to buy whatever I wanted at the Disney gift shop. I picked out a Minnie Mouse mug as I absolutely adored her. My grandparents bought it for me and I was so proud of my purchase! I picked it up off of the counter and Wham, it fell and shattered to pieces. 

I was so sad as I thought that was the end but oh no, a cast member (as the Disney employees are affectionately called) came over, gave me a huge smile and said it’s ok, don’t cry look; she GAVE me another Minnie Mouse mug...just like that; free of charge. And although it was a long time ago, that is an experience I will never forget! I felt so special! Not only do I want to go back, I want to bring my future family with me!

At the SHRM conference, it was said that people may not remember what you say or how you say it, but they always remember how you make them feel!

It is us (You & I) creating a MAGICAL experience that keeps FSO at 98% client retention and it is that MAGICAL experience that enables us to become sticky and expand our service lines like we have with PWC, Capco & Y&R!

So I ask our FSO team, how does your clients feel after they leave your presence, is it magical; did you go above & beyond for them anticipating their needs?

How do your teams and peers feel, do you show that you care, are you a team player; do you make the experience a personal one?

Disney World is the happiest place on earth providing experiences that keep their guests coming back to visit over and over again!

We at FSO, stand poised to become the Happiest place to work; providing a Magical, Hospitality driven experience for everyone we come in contact with both our clients and our teams!

Let's do our part and make every moment count, our culture is Personal, Passionate & Productive! FSO is our Magic Kingdom, and we as the cast members make the Fire, Skip & twinkle come to life!

Wishing you a Magical day!

Let's Rock it!

Shalaine Adams
Corporate Trainer

MDW: Thank you Shalaine. I too was impressed with the Disney way and my encounter with one of their legacy pioneering hospitality champions. I blogged about him here. 

If you ever have a chance to leave the kids behind and want a really unique experience and romantic Adult getaway for your next vacation, you really should consider a soiree in the Napa Valley. Like Disney, there is no place like it on earth.  

From the wine and the food to the spa, shopping and more, you’ll become intimately drawn to Napa Valley. It is our greatest joy to share our knowledge and expertise of this majestic dreamscape, making it a landmark journey for the senses. In fact my wife has built a business around our love for Napa. 

Experience Napa is the ultimate gateway to the intimate enclaves and best-kept Gems of Napa Valley. Check it out. I am always happy to share what I know so don't be shy with questions.

I will also be on the road quite a bit in July and excited to see all of you, your staff and our awesome Clients. 

I am bringing back some great wine for our clients and for us. 

Enjoy and stay in touch. Mitch. :-))

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Kiss ME: It's My First Blogiversary. And We're Just Warming Up.

"Many of us we can remember a time in the not too distant past when we were hoping for a phone call that would be the answer to our prayers...a job offer...to end the drought of our unemployed status. Being jobless is often a desperate situation; especially with a family to support it can be a heavy weight to bear."

Good Morning Folks, 

What a wild ride here at FSO Onsite Outsourcing last week: a cruise around Manhattan as a "thank you" to the employees for all their hard work; 2 new sites were launched/ WENT LIVE; our National Sales Team were in NYC for an awesome and productive day of strategy, and 3 promotions were announced. 

Most importantly our galactic growth continues to fuel the creation of new jobs, put people back to work, and provide advancement opportunities for roles that traditionally had been glass ceilings. 

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. Key is paying attention to the things your customer wants! Your customer is the one who creates success, you just have to be there to capture it.

And such customer-centric thinking has surely paid off for us:

• 100% Client Retention
• Exemplary Customer Satisfaction Scores
• Record Client Growth!

As we hit the midway point of 2014 we have a lot to be thankful for. So far 2014 has been a banner year for FSO across the USA!

I started this blog as a blank canvas 272 posts and twelve months ago, now with over 40,000 visits from 382 of the Fortune 500 leaders in Legal, Professional Services, Media, Financial Services, Building Management, Retail, Fashion  and Education.

I never pictured myself blogging or even being able to keep such a demanding commitment. But here I am and so glad I dipped in. Opines an Ted Keynoter that we shared with you last week, "employees, through social media, are changing how companies market to, and engage with, customers and prospects. 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."

MitchWeiner.com and our social media initiative have taken off beyond my wildest expectations. I would highly recommend that your brand follow suit. 

Blogging has become one of the most fulfilling, worthwhile and personally gratifying endeavours of my career. You make it so.

Every day, people show up on these pages in search for something that motivates them. Things to get them out of bed, things to get them pumped up, things to help them make it through the day and so much more! The sense purpose and emotional compensation that comes from interacting with and helping others get pumped through social media transcends cash. That in mind...

I want to end this Monday's musing by sharing an excerpt from a touching email I received from an employee. Joe writes:

"Many of us we can remember a time in the not too distant past when we were hoping for a phone call that would be the answer to our prayers...a job offer...to end the drought of our unemployed status. Being jobless is often a desperate situation; especially with a family to support it can be a heavy weight to bear.

For many of our folks (myself included) FSO was that beacon of Hope. Each and every day WE as a company help change people's lives for the better. Through succession planning with FLP we make it possible to help our folks forge a career where prior to joining FSO no such opportunities existed.

Faith is the complete trust in someone or something. We prefer to call it "Sleep Easy"…It's confidence. The confidence our clients have in us, the confidence we have in our leaders.

Hope & Faith is what makes us the Greatest Outsourcing Company on the Planet. Together we will make Mitch's vision a reality…and continue his legacy long into the distance.. 

Joe's right: Each and every day WE as a company help change people's lives for the better. My legacy is to pay it forward so people like Joe who show up with FIRE>>SKIP>> and TWINKLE... can have the same opportunities I had against all odds, coming from challenging circumstances.

Because…. HAPPIER Employees deliver more PRODUCTIVE and PROFITABLE results. 

And that's not only what makes us different, it makes us better.

Thank you for entrusting us with your business challenges. Thank you for your words of encouragement. Thank you for your support and readership of the blog and for taking time to write to me directly. 

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

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"We are never really happy until we try to brighten the lives of others. 

I take happiness very seriously. It is a creed, a philosophy and an objective" ~~Helen Keller                                                                                                                                    

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Ted Tuesday: Flow, The Secret to Happiness by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

“What makes us really happy?” He refers to the research that money can not make us happy and looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of “flow.

Good Morning Folks,

Leave it to your Chief Happiness officer to for you an inspiring keynote about Happiness that four million people have already seen and raved about, and I bet you haven't.

So appropriate to the peace and serenity I find when I visit Napa for a few days as I write from here now. I always leave Napa and return to the City with my own "flow" in check.

Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi asks, "What makes a life worth living?" Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow."

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives. A leading researcher in positive psychology, he has devoted his life to studying what makes people truly happy: “When we are involved in [creativity], we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.” He is the architect of the notion of “flow”– the creative moment when a person is completely involved in an activity for its own sake.

In this TEDx Talk Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi asks, “What makes us really happy?” He refers to the research that money can not make us happy and looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of “flow.”



He also refers to:

• how the nervous system is unable to process more than approximately 110bits of information per second, and
• difference examples of flow from a figure skater, a business man, Anita Roddick (the Body Shop) and Masaru Ibuka (Sony).
• The presentation is summed up on the slide (at 14mins), called How does it feel to be in flow?

Completely involved in what you are doing – focused, concentrated,

• A sense of ecstasy – of being outside everyday reality,
• Greater inner clarity – knowing what needs to be done and how well we are doing,
• Knowing that the activity is doable – that our skills are adequate to the task,
• A sense of serenity – no worries about oneself and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego,
• Timelessness – thoroughly focused on the present, hours seem to pass by in minutes, and
• Intrinsic motivation – whatever produces flow becomes its own reward.

If you are interested in his work, his books include Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life (Masterminds Series), and Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention.

Thanks to Habits For Well Being for their inspirations preparing this post, to TED and of course to you for listening.

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.

Inspire ME Friday: Taylor Miller— "If Your Dreams Don’t Scare You, They Aren’t Big Enough”

"You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do is ignore them."

Good Morning Folks,

I often refer to the wonderful motivational messages that are being communicated throughout the week internally at FSO by folks from all walks of the company.

Today I'd like to share a recent message from Taylor Miller, one of our sales rockstars and the hardest working advocate of outsourcing and FSO that I know. Taylor....

Dreams. Today I want to talk about Dreams. Having a dream, turning that dream into a vision, turning that vision into a possibility, into an opportunity and finally into a reality. 

Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Reagan, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs…When you think back to the most influential figures in history, you will notice they all shared a common trait. They all had the ability to dream. They all had the ability to look outside of the box and feverishly test the status quo. They refused to take no for an answer and they made a decision to push the human race forward. Whether these great heroes stood for equality or creating a world of fantasy and imagination, they changed our world.

Someone we all know also had a dream. A dream that started with an idea in 2008, turned into a vision, a possibility, an opportunity and finally a reality in 2014. A vision in which the hourly demographic is given a CHANCE to make their dreams a reality. A dream that hospitality and customer service must be brought to life, as it is truly a dying art in our society today. “All I need is 6,000 good people”, he says, “6,000 passionate people and trust me kids those 6,000 will begin to change our world”. All he needed were people to believe in his vision, his creativity, and his competitive edge. While some call it madness, I think we can all agree we all saw genius.

The 2,000 employees, 60+ cities and 225+ client sites speak for themselves that dreams are truly possible. If you work hard enough, stay positive, push the status quo and most importantly DARE TO BE GREAT every single day, good things start to happen.

I can personally attest that success starts with a mindset. A mindset to push yourself to be the BEST you can be each day.

Sleepily walking into a crowded airport terminal and finding my place amongst the noise, I never thought I would discover a piece of my destiny that day. As I sat, I browsed my notes on the week’s interviews before pulling an over sized textbook out of my bag that read “The Art of Sports Broadcasting”. I was a senior in college, the world before me, skills at my finger tips, but not able to recognize exactly what it was I should be doing. Not until I met Mitchell Weiner anyway.

I’ve never had anyone have a 15 minute conversation with me and look into my soul the way Mitchell did. He saw my drive, goals, optimism, ambition, tenacity, ability to talk to just about anyone, ability to engage, my honest interest in the lives of others and on and on… He made me realize that both my natural, perfected and unique skills I’d acquired over the years went hand in hand with sales.

To him, I am eternally grateful for believing in me, for taking a chance on a kid who had a dream to be something great and was willing to work even harder to get there. I, like the rest of you, believed in Mitch just as much as he believed in me. I believed in FSO, the journey and the vision of not only the FSO that is already standing, but the road of triumph and tribulations it would take to build it even further.

With that being said…

“Here's to the crazy ones.
The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them,
disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They invent. They imagine.
They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire.
They push the human race forward.
Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?
Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world,
are the ones who do...” ~~Jack Kerouac 

This is from Apple's "Think Different" ad campaign that launched the brand in corporate graphics departments while the world around it worked on MS Office whose WORD compatibility with OSX made it all possible. Actor Richard Dryfuss narrated there spots you heard, but as a special treat, here is a RARE version of the spot narrated by Steve Job's himself. It's called a "scratch track that is used as a placeholder until the narration and edited sequences are finalized.

As Forbes wrote about the campaign, "For any investor assessing innovation, creative destruction and disruptive technologies it’s a must to find the outliers. The standouts are not the technologies themselves but the zealous missionary people who conjure up the big new ideas and champion them to everyone else.

One strategy to find them early is to find the people who seem like their brains are on fire. Passion can be the best predictor of success in venture capital, where so much else is uncertain.

The same intensity celebrated in Steve Jobs can be seen in artists and musicians that straddle the thin line between eccentric genius and insanity.

It’s been said that genius is recovery of childhood at will. And Aristotle said that no great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness."

At FSO, our ability to (re)IMAGINE a future very different than exists today and surround ourselves with passionate, open minded people who always have our client's future success at heart, make FSO the Apple of its industry. The disruptor. The innovator. The better alternative.

Competition: Hear us loud and clear. We are coming for you.

Bravo Taylor Miller. Amazing message and THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING.  

Do you have the courage to change things? Think different. 

Here's to you Mr. Jobs... Peace be with you...

Have a Happy, Healthy, Safe and Refreshing Weekend,

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer