Friday, September 19, 2014

Inspire ME Friday: Shalaine's Story

"Feel the Experience is not just marketing speak. It is all about what we are creating, a special moment, a memorable moment— a lasting impression of Service with a Smile. This is what our clients know they can count on when they meet someone from FSO – an Experience that is uniquely FSO."







Good Morning Folks,

Friday on MitchWeiner.com is the day when I share with the world one of the inspirational employee emails that is normally restricted for internal consumption.

Recently I announced the promotion of Shalaine Adams to the newly created position of Regional Manager, Delivering the Experience. In Shalaine’s new role, which relocated her from our headquarters in New York City to the Central Region, she is already working with all of our teams rolling out our brand Nationwide. Shalaine will lead and assist in training, her largest percent of time, specifically around the CLIENT and EMPLOYEE experience. 

Upon her promotion Shalaine put some thoughts on paper for her colleagues. I have selected her email as the employee communication of the week to share with you today. This is from her heart and exemplifies the exceptional people onboard FSO, the passion they have and their commitment to our client's success. Here's Shalaine:
Hello & Good morning FSO, USA!! J What an awesome week it’s been!!! We’ve spoken a lot about Feeling The Experience, it’s something we want all of our clients to feel but, did you know this goes for YOU as well, because when you are feeling the experience you can then be inspired share it with others! 
Your experience with FSO is important because you are Mitch’s heart! You see, life is made up of many experiences, all of which are there to help you grow & learn. Each experience helps shape you into the person you are meant to become! 
I would like to take you on a journey with me, back to when I was a receptionist with the competitor. My experience was not a great one, my opinions didn’t matter, I didn’t have any opportunity to grow, I was stuck at a dead end job with nowhere to go. I knew there had to be something more out there for me, a place where I can grow and have an actual career. Fast forward to three years ago, joining the FSO family, believing in Mitch’s promise to have a shot at a career not just a job and now I am seeing my dreams come to fruition how exciting is that!! 
The sky is the limit for you here at FSO; working hard never goes for naught.   I have had an awesome experience here at FSO, the Care, Love and Respect that Mitch has for US is like no other and it is such a blessing to feel that love & support everyday! 
As I embark on my new journey as Regional Manager, Delivering the Experience; I am preparing to leave NY and will be heading to the Mid-West. I realize that I am truly not alone, I take all of my fond memories and experiences with me. From being a part of the amazing PS team, all of the support & love of my good friends at HQ, working with my sister Chelsea, creating Experience Greatness and meeting and training the best employees in the industry! I FEEL the difference and the true meaning of being a part something much bigger than myself! Words cannot express how excited I am, knowing that I will be touching the lives of our wonderful employees is something I take much pride in. You see, for me; it is Personal, making each moment & interaction count. Inspiring, motivating & empowering the field one employee at a time is an honor and I am so grateful to have this opportunity. 
I am so excited and I look forward to lighting up the FSO nation. Looking forward to seeing many of you very soon!
Ok, I must admit .. I teared up reading Shalaine's email. What a beautiful message. All I had to do is give her a chance to fly and she did. Shalaine’s promotion is just one example of how FSO is changing the onsite outsourcing world and changing our employee's worlds! 

We will miss Shalaine's positive influence in New York. But our company is national and she can help us be the best we can be at all times in all places. I am so proud and excited for her as she will bring to the field tremendous love, care, heart and ideas with deep experience to make our business grow and support all of our clients and employees in FULLFILLING DREAMS and AMBITIONS.

I shared an AWESOME quote my LinkedIn page this week: "Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words." I thought this is just perfect for what we stand for at FSO. Respect, Integrity, Transparency, and Trust – The FSO Difference.

The single most  important thing about our culture is, it never wears off.  It doesn’t go away. It’s there every day, and it has a huge impact on everything that matters to every business we serve. 

We have the best people in the industry from our mail rooms, front of house, office services, Experience Directors, Regional Directors, Future Leaders and everyone in HQ, to our Executive Leadership Team, marketing, finance, operations, sales and people solutions. There are so many people willing to help our employees at FSO that they can learn from, to make them better in their careers.

For our clients, our commitment to exceeding your expectations, ensuring that every single teammate is the best trained and best prepared employee they can be is what sets us apart!

As Shalaine would say, "Have a great day filled with purpose & love; make each moment count!! LET’S ROCK IT!!!"

Have a GREAT weekend!


Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer  


........................................................................
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, 
to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt (A favorite quote of Shalaine's)
.................................................................................


A Big Thank You To These Notable Readers of MitchWeiner.com:

Access Staffing, Adecco Usa, ADP, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld, Albert Einstein, College Of Medicine, Amazon Corporate, American Express Company, American Honda Motor Company, American University, Amgen, Amster Rothstein & Ebanstein, Anchor Associates Group Inc, Angelo, Gordon & Co., Anne Arundel County Govt, Aquantive, Arent Fox Llp, Arhus, Kobmandsskole, Arrowhead Aea, Asrc Federal Holding Company, Llc, Aurelius Capital Management, Automatic Data Processing, Automattic, Ball State University, Baltimore Technology Park, Bank Of America, Barclays Financial Corp., BDBO New York, Bechtel Corp, Best Buy, Black Oak Computers Inc, Blackrock Financial Management, Bloomberg Bloomberg, Brandprotect, Brookfield Asset Management, Bsnl, BT (UK searching for Denise), Cahill Gordon & Reindel, California Department Of Justice, California Education And Research Federation Network, California State University, Long Beach, Canon Usa, Carolinas, Healthcare System, Cassidy Turley Commercial Real Estate Services, Cb Richard Ellis, Cbi Connect, Cdw - Cdw Llc, Ceasars Entertainment Group, Central Methodist University, Charles Schwab & Co., Choopa, Llc, Citigroup, City Of Houston, Clyde & Co Llp, Colgate-palmolive Co., Colliers Abr, Inc - Cassidy Turley, Chubb, Colt Technology Services Group Limited, Columbia University, Completel, Comporium Communications, Conagra Foods, Concordia College, Condenast Publications, Control Risks Group Llc, Coral Graphics, Cottage Hospital, County Of Marin, County Of Suffolk, New York, Credit Suisse Group, Credit Suisse Group / Canada, Cuddy & Feder Llp, Cwie, Llc, Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc., Data Control And Systems, Datagram, Dell, Deloitte & Touche, Delta Dental Of California, Delta Dental Plan Of Michigan, Department Of Administrative Services (Ohio), Department Of The Interior, Office Of The Secretary, Department Of Veterans Affairs, Detroit Public Schools, Dewitt Stern Group, Inc., Dod Network Information Center, Dow Jones & Company, Devry, Dga Security Systems, Dickstein Shapiro Llp, Discover, Financial Services, Distributed Systems Services, Duane Morris, Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom,Edelman Pr, Emerge212, Equity Residential, Ernst & Young Llp, Esi International, Espn, Estee Lauder, European Police Office (europol), Evercore Partners Services East, Llc, Facebook Corporate, Factory Mutual Insurance Company, Family Dollar, Federal Aviation Administration, Federated Systems Group, Fedex Office & Print Services, Fenwick & West, Fidelity National Financial, First American Equipment Financial, Fisher Scientific, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Llp, Fujitsu Limited, Florida Department Of Management Services, Florida International University, Ford Motor Company, Fort Hays State University, Fortressitx, Free Sas, Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, P.c., GE, Genentech, Georgetown University, Gerson Lehrman Group, Godaddy.com, Llc, Gilead Sciences, Google Corporate, Goose Creek Consolidated Isd, Government Of Saskatchewan, Graphnet Inc., Gravitas Technology, Greenberg Traurig P.a, Griffin Information Systems Limited, Group M Worldwide, Hachette Book Group, Hamilton-clermont Cooperative Assn., Harris Government Sector, Havas Worldwide Llc, Hccs - Houston Community College System, Hearst Corporation, Hewlett-packard Company, Higher Colleges Of Technology, Hill & Knowlton, Inc, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Hma, Hughes Hubbard & Reed Llp, Humber College, IBM Corporation, Ikon Office Solutions, Illinois Wesleyan University, Immedion, Llc, Intergrated Office, Internal Revenue Service, International Business Times, International Monetary Fund, Io Capital Princess, Llc, Jefferies International Limited, Jewish Board Of Family & Children 's Services, Johnson & Johnson, Jones Apparel Group, Jones, Day, J. Walter Thompson, Reavis & Pogue, Kabel Bw, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hayes, And Hudler, Kddi Corporation, Kelley Drye & Warren Llp, King & Spalding Llp, Kirby Mcinerney Llp, Kirkland & Ellis Llp, Leaseweb Usa, Laughlin/constable, Inc, Latham Watkins, Legal Source Ls Llc, Leslie Digital Imaging Llc, Lexis-nexis, Linode Resources, Liquidnet Holdings, Lion Resources, Loeb & Troper, Cpa, Lombard Odier Asset Management, Los Angeles County Office Of Education, Loyola Marymount University, Macquarie Bank, Macquarie Holdings, Marriott International, Marsh, Mayer, Brown & Platt, Mcnc, Mckesson Technologies, Medex Pharmacy, Mediadata, Mellon Bank, Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center, Mercury Radio Arts, Merck And Co, Miami University, Michaels Stores, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union, Micro Graphic Info Svcs, Microsoft Corp, Middle Country Public Library, Milbank - Milbank Tweed Hadley Mccloy, Ministry Of Education Computer Center, Miox Corporation, Montclair State University, Moody's Investors Service, Morgan Stanley Group, Moses & Singer Llp, Motorola, Mount Sinai School Of Medicine, Multiverse, Munsch Hardt Kopf Harr, Museum of the City of New York, Namesco Limited, Museum Of The City Of New York, Nassau County Board Of Cooperative Education Services, Nassau County Boces, National Board Of Medical Examiners, National Chiao Tung University, Navy Network Information Center, NBC Universal, Nbs, Nbty, Nco Group, Ncs Pearson, Neuberger Berman, New Mexico State University, New York City Public Schools, New York Power Authority, New York Public Library, New York University, Next Jump, Nomura International Plc, Northern Michigan University, Northern Ohio Educational Computer Association, Northwood University, Nyedc, Off Campus Telecommunications, Old Republic, Onewest Bank Fsb, Openband Multimedia, Llc, Orange, Orange County - Telecommunications Department, Orange Israel, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, Oshean, Paramount Pictures, Partners Healthcare System, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker Llp, Pavlov Njencom Colo, Perfect Building Maintenance, Peter-paul_verduin Pfizer, Phonoscope, Pillsbury Madison & Sutro, Pitney Bowes Plc, Plum Creek Marketing, Pluk Pluk,  Plus One Health Management, Polaris Project, Polytechnic University, Powerspace & Services, Preferred Office Products, Privax Limited, Procter & Gamble, PwC (50 locations!); Queens Public Library, Qitx; R.r. Donnelley & Sons Company; r.sea; Readers Digest; Reed Smith Llp (PA); Regus Business Centers, Research In Motion; Revenue Assurance Test; Richards Kibbe & Orbe Llp; Robins, Kaplan, Miller, & Cire; Robert Bosch Gmbh, Rockefeller Group Technology Solutions; Rothschild, Row 44; Royal Bank Of Canada; Rutgers University; Safra National Bank Of New York; Salesforce.com; San Diego City Schools; San Francisco Marriott Marquis; Santa Clara County Office Of Education; Sarah Lawrence College; Scholastic; Sfr; Sedwick Llp, Sharp Electronics Corporation; Shearman & Sterling; Sidley Austin Brown & Wood; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Llp; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Llp; Social Law Library; Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, Sify Limited, Smoothstone, Societe Generale; Socorro Independent School District; Softbank Bb Corp; Sony Pictures Entertainment; Soros Fund Management Llc, Spherion Corporation; src Federal Holding Company, Llc; Standard Motor Products; Starwood Hotels; State Of Minnesota , State Of Montana; Stinson Morrison Hecker Llp; Straub Clinic & Hospital; Sungard Availability Services Usa; Syracuse University; Systems Research And Applications Corp; Talktalk; Target Corporation , Teco Energy; Tesoro; Companies; Texas Blending & Warehousing Corp; Texas Instruments; Texas Medical Center; The Chubb Corporation; The City Of New York; The Coca-cola Company; The Heritage Foundation; The Interpublic Group Of Companies; The Jnt Association; The Limited, The Metrohealth System; The Municipal Communications Utility Of The City O (Iowa); The New York Times Company; Tiaa-cref , Time; Toronto District School Board; Tower Group Companies; Trlg – Hq, Ttx Company; U.s. Bancorp; U.s. Bancorp, U.s. Center For Disease Control And Prevention; U.s. Environmental Protection Agency, Ungaretti & Harris, United Business Technologies, United Stationers Supply Co., University Of Arkansas, University Of Connecticut, University Of Dayton, University Of Florida, University Of New Mexico, University Of Notre Dame, University Of Texas At San Antonio, University Of Virginia, Urs Corporation, Us Department Of Defense Net, Varian Medical Systems, Viacom, Virgin, Virgin Media, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State Univ, Virgo Penn Business Centers L, Viacom, Vivo, Virgin Media, Volumedrive, W.w.grainger, Warrenville, Illinois, United States, Weill Cornell Medical College, Weitz & Luxenberg, Wellington Management Company, Llp, Wells Fargo & Company, West Corporation, West Publishing Corporation, White & Case Llp, Widnes, Halton,, Wisdom Tree Investments, Inc., Workforce Software, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, X--ray Optical Systems, Inc., Xerox Corporation, Xerox Corporation, Xilinx Incorporated, Yamaguchi Cable Vision Co.,ltd, Yaquinto Printing, Yon Lew, Zuckerman Spaede

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Throwback Thursday: Selling Like A Mad Man: Being Don Draper

"You can't sell something you don't believe in yourself, and you can't sell it to someone who doesn't buy into your process. You have to want it to get it, and you have to have absolute confidence in what you're pitching."









Good Morning Folks,

Mad Men's Don Draper is a "get its, get it". Thanks to Oren Klaff's brilliant book, Pitch Anything, I am now a bigger fan. If you have not yet read Pitch Anything, I highly recommend you do so.

What follows, inspired by Pitch Anything, is an excellent illustration of not only how to play to win, but how to avoid the “Slow No”.  Sales people tend to forget that one of the most important attributes to their trade is not to sell, but to first qualify and disqualify prospects. Not everyone is meant to be a fit. Listening, understanding, and then eventually selling are the keys to a mutually rewarding customer partnership. 

As a fan of Mad Men, I realize Don Draper’s style is harsh, but if you are not bold and willing to have a deliberate “adult conversation” with your prospects and customers, then you are wasting precious time that should be directed toward believers.

==> The traits that make Don Draper successful include:
  • An insatiable desire to win.
  • Solid business acumen.
  • Ability to take action.
  • A rare ability to see what others will never see. 
I have met many "Don Drapers" in my career. Companies with ten to twenty salespeople are lucky if they have one on their sales team.

I thought I'd ask other top sales executives I know what they think are the top qualities one should look for when interviewing candidates for a sales position. Here they told me in no particular order.
  • Aptitude: The one not often mentioned  is aptitude. After all we all want someone who can understand the product mix. Their aptitude needs also to extend to comprehending the various types of businesses/situations your customers are in, or how else will they be able to properly uncover needs.
  • Listening: God created us with 2 ears and one mouth, to listen with as much as we talk. Qualifying and disqualifying the client are important. As a sales rep, the top priority is get more possible background situation of customer at very beginning, so he who is not good at listening and only preaches the specs, the company and/or  the price to a potential customer mostly will end their chances right there. Because, we are not led in our selling by selling "products and services" but more around the experience of what we offer, understanding the client and what story they are telling to their clients. Then how we can help them with that specifically. 
  • Determination: You can't sell something you don't believe in yourself, and you can't sell it to someone who doesn't buy into your process. You have to want it to get it, and you have to have absolute confidence in what you're pitching. Your attitude has to be "We know what we offer is top shelf, and if you can't see that, then it's you that's missing out" rather than getting desperate for a sale---clients can smell that from a mile away. The successful sales person takes the word no as the beginning of the sales cycle and is even more determined each time they hit an obstacle 
  • Resilient: A successful professional sales person can only have success if they are resilient. There are far more No's than Yes's out there. Every time you don't get the sale, you have to keep the positive attitude to move on.
  • Cultural Fit: As a first step, I'm always looking for fit rather than skill set. Can they thrive in an environment like ours… high activity and direct feedback? You can train an employee to have the desired/necessary skill set - you can not train an employee to fit into the culture of your organization.
  • Entrepreneurial Spirit: I look for someone who will take ownership. I look for a "fit as well" in my last hire I did this and it has been a great success. Passion. 
  • Adaptability: In today's competitive environment of rapid innovation, flexibility is essential. Aptitude and attitude are also key trait
  • Likeable: What comes to mind is someone who is "likable". Likeable is someone who relates, listens, identifies needs and can speak in the language of the client. Someone who is funny and has a great spirit
Don Draper had those qualities suggested as well. He looked the part and you could trust that.


There was always something in his eyes-- when he got inspired you could feel that and you knew you were on good hands no matter what he was selling.

Some of those traits are hard to discover in interviews. You must get the interviewee to tell stories. You can't determine that just by asking them to sell you a pen. Because, in sales, if you have all of the other qualities but can't listen, can't understand the customers pains before running your mouth, you will always put your foot in it.

Here are a few clips of Don Draper in action. Have a look at magical works of wisdom from the godfather of closing:

==> Don Draper Sales Pitch

==> Don Draper wants: All of it

==> Position Yourself. Nothing Is Free.

==> Mad Men - Jantzen Meeting


I love these clips. They really do work in a Sun Tzu "Art of War" kind of shorthand for summing up the essence of Don Draper.

Don is confident in his ability, vision, and capacity. Professionally, Don is strictly take-no-prisoners. He can clearly see where his clients need to go and how he will get them there. Don is a storyteller. 

Thanks to Chris Young Founder and Thought Leader, The Rainmaker Group, Inc for inspiring this post with his. Says Chris: "The Rainmaker Group uses an advanced "Moneyball Approach" to help Clients select "wolf class" salespeople that scare the hell out of the competition." Now that's exactly what Don Draper would say if he was pitching Chris' business. lol

I want take this opportunity to thank you for what you do every day to make FSO GREAT!

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


Have a Personal, Passionate & Productive Day!










Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer


Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here



Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Shout-Out Wednesday: "Oh How Lucky You Are, and How Lucky We Are!!


"I took a moment to meet Chad, our morning greeter. He was so welcoming, that big smile and friendly hello, it made me just want to introduce myself. Now every day, I get that same warm hello, regardless of how hot it is outside and it just helps me start my day off right. I wanted to let you know that Chad is making a difference in my world, starting my day off with a smile."





Good Morning Folks,

What an incredible past few days! 

The new client onboards, new hires, promotions, the excitement, and the kudos pouring in from all over the country, what a great time it is to be a member of the FSO family.  

Every day, my in-box fills up with words of thanks and congratulations from our clients expounding the great works and deeds of our employees. I can’t help but have a smile on my face as I share some of the client sentiments with you this morning.

We are truly Delivering the Experience and making FSO the Happiest place to work on the face of the Earth, as confirmed by clients and guests offering this week's kudos:

Crystal, (re)Imagine Hospitality Manager (Subject of her own story here last week)
"I just wanted to send you an email giving a Kudos to Crystal. If I ever have a question or an issue, she is always there being so helpful and with a pleasant attitude. I truly enjoy working with her!" ~~MN




Informationalist Hub, HQ
"Your front desk staff are very professional. Maria was very polite, professional and from the moment I walked in, she had a smile on her face. Just wanted to compliment because I have visited many offices and agencies where the front desk staff didn't look up/made eye contact or even responded when I said good morning or good afternoon. For job seekers like me, being welcomed with such big smile and professionalism when entering an agency is a pickup, a little light of hope :)."  (From a job seeker about her very first touch point with our own company— reception. This key service offering of ours carries the most weight. It's because your front of house is the storefront for your organization. Our team brings your brand values to life and make visitors feel warmly welcomed. We deliver high-quality visitor experiences that perfectly reflect your values.)



Capco Team
"Hello Jonathan,I just wanted to thank you and your team for all the hard work you all do on a daily basis. Your staff was very polite and helpful throughout my two weeks of ATP training at the New York office. It's been a pleasure meeting everyone and I look forward to seeing you all again in the near future. Hope you all have a great weekend." ~~ Associate Consultant - Washington, D.C./Capco


Y&R Team
"Demetrius, great job by Marlon Fogo of your team in identifying the suspected explosive device. It looked convincing to me. It was confirmed by Ann Davila that it is a cylinder computer. Attached are images of the computer as seen on the x-ray scanner and the actual computer from Apple. Great job!"  ~~Director of Security/Young & Rubicam Group  
(see my separate post dedicated to this key service of FSO that is so critical in these uncertain times. Our people are trusted with responsibility for being the first line of defense for our clients in these circumstances, we conduct company-wide interactive sessions on Ricin and Suspicious mail/package training regularly)- 


Being there for client where and when it counts: 
A slide from FSO’s all-hands seminar on Ricin/suspicious mail training, shows the complexity of the issue
and expertise that you must confirm before selecting an outsourcing partner.
Some people look at Wednesday as being just a day in the middle of the week. For FSO, Wednesday should be a time where we look at what we've done this week, and for us all to think and say "What can I do to make the rest of the week amazing? That's what our folks at sites all over America are thinking right about now.


Perhaps that is why I love Wednesdays.... because it gives everyone an opportunity to reflect upon things, and challenge oneself to make the rest of the week great!! Because the "rest of the week" is just a little bit of our future.... so what we do great today makes our future even greater!!  

To all of our employees receiving these commendations from our clients, CHEERS to you and THANK YOU for working tirelessly to deliver Service Extraordinaire with a smile. Keep up the great work!!


IT IS YOU that makes FSO who we are. Love Life!



Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer  



..................................................
"Don’t live your fears, live your dreams"

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


ABOUT FSO:


  • The fastest growing and most successful national onsite outsourcing in the U.S. focused on 1) improving services, 2) reducing costs, and 3) giving employees  an opportunity to grow.
  • We outsource functions like: Mail, Copy, Reception, Switchboard, Office Services, Records, Messenger, IT, Concierge, Front & Back Office and much more.
  • 1600+ employees, operating in 60+ cities, 225+ operational sites, 98% employee retention & 100% client retention.
  • We (re)imagine the ways businesses are run.

ABOUT FSO CEO & FOUNDER – MITCH WEINER:

  • Pioneer of the onsite outsourcing business model.
  • 20+ years of industry experience.
  • Previous owner of Archer, which he sold to Canon.

VIDEO:


Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Ted Tuesday: Meet The Happiest Kid In The World

"Adults ask kids, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Adults want to hear I want to be an astronaut or neurosurgeon. Us kids will answer surfer, Minecraft player, skateboarder or something we are more stoked on, what we think is cool.. what have experience with.. and that’s usually the opposite of what adults want to hear.”
~~Hackschooling Makes Me Happy:Logan LaPlante at TEDx University of Nevada


Good Morning Folks,

You have Marketing Intern Emily Bowen to thank for introducing me to 13-year old Logan LaPlante, a kid genius whose Ted Talk already has 6 million views and will show you how a great presentation is done. This young man is impressive in every single way. You have to see and hear the happiness he expresses in what he is doing in his life for such a young age. 

Talk about some one born for the role of Chief Happiness Officer! A "mini" me!

When 13 year-old curious and creative Logan LaPlante grows up, he wants to be happy and healthy. He discusses how hacking his education is helping him achieve this goal because he wonders why happy and healthy aren't subjects taught in traditional schools. He really deserves a Nobel for this. The most common sense and intelligence I have seen in some time. 

He combines the “hacker mindset” with a network of do-it-yourself friends, family, and community organizations to optimize for health, happiness, creativity, and wisdom. He calls it “hackschooling”.

Blogs Emily:
"As I was scrolling through my Facebook timeline, I came across a video that had been shared of a thirteen year old boy speaking at a Tedx Talk event. The boy's name is Logan Laplante, and he was taken out of school to be homeschooled. His impressive public speaking ability (at such a young age) wasn't the only thing that caught my attention. Like all good presenters, his story and message were intriguing and made me think about a few things. 
Unlike many children or teens who are asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?", he not only had an answer- but also a plan. The overarching theme of Logan's talk was how his goal is to [continue to] be happy and healthy. Through what he calls "hackschooling," Logan is able to tailor his education and style of learning to be focused on what interests him. According to him, hackschooling includes four things: a creative hacker mindset, experimental classes & camps, technology & online resources and the 8 researched tactics to being happy and healthy. By not being a part of the traditional education system that we know today, Logan has the opportunity to achieve his goals by learning through real life experiences. 
Much like Logan’s thesis of learning about what interests you and things you are passionate about, I believe everyone should have the opportunity from day one of college to get the most value for their money. Given the chance, I could have spent more time taking marketing and other supporting courses that would be more relevant to my field, such as Graphic Design."

And now here's "Hackschooling Makes Me Happy:
Logan LaPlante at TEDx University of Nevada


Logan loves skiing and is on the Alpine Freestyle Team where he enjoys competing in the big mountain Junior Freeskiing Tour and USASA Halfpipe and Railjams. As an intern at Bigtruck Brand in Truckee, Logan is working on developing his design, sewing, and business skills. Logan has performed in Young Chautauqua for the past 4 years as the notorious “Billy the Kid”, Sir Edmund Hillary, and most recently the psychopathic yet infamous Al Capone.

Logan enjoys public speaking and has been watching TED videos for as long as he can remember. He hopes that with his opportunity to speak at TEDx he can inspire some kids, parents, and educators to think differently about education and to make health, happiness, creativity, and wisdom a priority.

At the end of the day, a degree is a sheet of paper- a very expensive, needed one. It is how you take what you’ve learned, no matter how relevant, and apply it to real life that will test whether it was worth the time and effort.

We need more “hacker” mindsets in our society today, and it is enlightening that there are people like Logan who can have such a clear vision at such a young age.

Each of you can benefit from watching this. Something to share with your parents and friends! Please pass this along to others!

Like Logan, how lucky are we to be able be given new chances to improve ourselves, improve the way we serve our clients, improve the way we work with our staff, as well as to improve the way these opportunities are spread among all levels of employment at FSO. This is important. 

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 third consecutive year, and lead by industry pioneer, Mitch Weiner, FSO's growth and success can be attributed to making a positive and powerful impact on their clients' bottom lines, as well as their employees' careers and lives.




Friday, September 12, 2014

Eddie Pons: "I Am That Boy"


There is no better example of someone who took opportunity to heart and made the most of it in the form of a fulfilling and lucrative career working his way all the way up to FSO Division Director as Eddie Pons. According to Eddie, "When people ask me what I do for a living, I reply: FULFILL DREAMS!"







TGIF Folks,

To send you off to the weekend with a BIG SMILE, here is today's inspirational message from Eddie Pons. It's the kind of motivational messages people from all walks of our company contribute daily. Here's Eddie:
A brief story:
24 years ago, a young boy met a person that would change his life...forever. 
 
This boy worked for a small New York company providing customer service via a busy mail room. Snow, rain, extreme temperatures, he would trek "to and fro" retrieving and delivering mail and parcel for his company, always with a smile - always helpful. He learned and learned whatever would make the job better. He cared about everything he did, and could do - to help anyone. As much as he loved his job, it was just that, a "job" - however, something was about to change... 
Those so many years ago, this boy met... a Visionary. A Pioneer. A force that would change... everything! This Visionary would create a career from that "job", the boy loved so. 
Both the boy and the visionary shared the same passion. They both believed in taking care of people, finding the best in them and helping wherever possible. The meeting of the two was destiny. The feeling of finding someone that shared the same philosophies, focus, passion could only be described as a mutual love. Love of people. 
Unbeknownst to him at the time, the boy had met someone that would impact his life, the life of his family and the lives of all that would be so blessed as to share and experience in his vision. That feeling of comfort, of satisfaction, of simply being blown away is something that is not felt everyday and is to be treasured. We all want that feeling, deserve that feeling and would want to spread that feeling to as many people possible. 
That boy with a job, grew to be a man with an amazing career and great success. 
That visionary with a dream, is growing the most dominant company in our industry. 
I - am that boy. 
Mitch - is that visionary. 
And that love?... that love - is the FSO EXPERIENCE!
Everyone of you deserve it, and so do our clients. This is who we are. This is what we provide. This is what they all want. Everyday - Every interactions  - Every moment - the message never changes, the feeling is real - share it with the world:  
FSO...Feel the EXPERIENCE
Thanks so much for this Eddie. There is no better example of someone who took opportunity to heart and made the most of it in the form of a fulfilling and lucrative career working his way all the way up to FSO Division Director, as Eddie Pons. 

I dare say we promote more people every day than most other companies of our size.

Just ask Eddie Pons and dozens like him at FSO who have worked their way up to stardom. According to Eddie, "When people ask me what I do for a living, I reply: FULFILL DREAMS!"

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

Your energy, enthusiasm and professionalism are always greatly appreciated. 

Have a fabulous, sunny weekend filled with love and inspiration.  

Be great and (re)IMAGINE!


Love Life!


Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer  


.................................................................................
“Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open." ~~T. Dewar
.................................................................................




Wednesday, September 10, 2014

It's Wednesday: That Mean's It's Time For a Shout Out To Our Stars

"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”








Good Morning Folks,


Our clients love what we are doing for them. When they 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 are some of the amazing things our clients are saying about our motivated, team-oriented, passionate people. I am honored to be in the company of all mentioned. 

Andrea, Capco
"Andrea, Thank you so much for putting everything together. Food was excellent! Great job and thanks again!" ~~Rhea /Consultant/Capco

Capco Team **2 Kudos in 1 Month**
"Jonathan - thank you and the FSO team for the incredible service I saw growing over the last couple of months – smile," ~~Global Head of Brand & Creative Services 

"Just wanted to say thank you for helping with the Jefferies event today. Our clients were very happy with the outcome of the meeting."

Saleem , Capco **2Kudos in 1 Month**
"A belated note of thanks for your help in the happy hour that you helped organize. It was a successful event. Trinity Bar and Restaurant was a good pick." Thanks, Brian.

"I just want to bring to your attention that a lot of us think Saleem is doing a wonderful job. He is always very helpful, flexible and very easy to work with. Thank you for bringing him to Capco."  ~~Nini/ EA/ Capco

Crissette, People Solutions On-Boarding Specialist
"Wanted to recognize Crissette for being so amazing with getting our folks on board and especially helping the new employees with paychex.  She has been so patient and helpful with the group from Empire. Good Job Crissette!"! ~~Nitza / Associate Director




Corea Loach, Centerline
"Just a quick note to let you know that Corea Loach filled-in today at Centerline Capital and she did a very good job." ~~Charles 





Demetrius, Y&R
"Dee continues to do a great job for us and to always go the extra mile.  I have seen him literally manning almost every FSO position here this week. Apparently he was a little short staffed but he rose to the occasion and made sure all bases were covered. I’m sure he put in extra non-billable hours too and he never ever complains. Make sure he feels loved. Thanks and have a good weekend." ~~ /SVP, Director of Facilities Management/Young & Rubicam Group

Mariana, People Solutions**2 Kudos in 1 month**
"I want to thank you for all of your support and help during the Hartford recruiting process. You followed up with me constantly and offered assistance whenever needed. You provided me with so many resumes that I finally filled my 2 open positions. You are very dedicated to your job and that dedication shows!  I truly appreciate all of your efforts. You made my job a lot easier!  Thank you." ~~Lisa/Experience Lead/ FSO

"AGREE…KUDOS for MARIANA!!! The Northeast is getting back in shape because of her diligence, “Fire , Skip, and Twinkle”. We are all very thankful for her efforts! Best!" ~~Shawn /Northeast Regional Director/FSO

Michael , Lowenstein**2 Kudos in 1 month**
"Michael was a tremendous help this evening in getting documents turned over to Michael Lichtenstein, Mary Knodel and Office Services.  I had to download voluminous pleadings from PACER for Michael L. and Mary K.  Without Michael’s direct assistance, I could not have expeditiously completed the assignment. Thank you Michael and thank you Angel for having such a great staff!" ~~Evening Legal Secretary/Word Processor/Lowenstein Sandler LLP

"I know you guys had a long/hard day, so I will keep it short and sweet. Michael ROCKS!  Talk about great help with a problem I just had. I can’t tell you how happy that made me. Thanks!" ~~Partner/Lowenstein Sandler LLP



PHD Team
"Hi,We just really wanted to say thank-you to all the team there for helping us organise the Guardian Roadshow event last week! It was a success and the client is really happy. Ray, Wendy, Cleon, Christina  and Jonathan especially made the set-up and running completely seamless - so special thanks to you both- you guys are awesome!" -MOHAWK / Luke /LONDON

Ivan & Anthony, Mantena
"By the way....I have to mention how wonderful Ivan is over at Mantena. He is a great leader and very engaged. Also, Anthony was actually shopped by our Senior VP of the company and did an excellent job!!!! I did get a chance to speak to Ivan about the "shop" to express my appreciation for the consistency. GREAT JOB!" ~~Area Manager/Equity Residential

Thanks fort taking the time to write to me about these gifted employees. I am always eager to hear more about how we are doing.

The PERSONAL touch AND CARE that our clients complimented us on…this is what sets us apart; this is why we are blowing the competition out of the water every chance we get, this is why our employees LOVE FSO and feel the connection to us!

THANK YOU for all of your support and hard work…Keep on shining! WE really appreciate it!  

Cheers FSO USA!!!!








Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

...........................................
.................
"Leadership is service, not position" ~~Tim Fargo
............................................................

About the Author:
Welcome to the fastest growing onsite outsourcing company in the nation! Led by Mitch Weiner, co-founder and industry pioneer, FSO is "the" award winning enterprise-wide outsourcing and people solutions firm servicing a multitude of clients across North America.

Contact Mitch: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email