"People sacrifice the present for the future. But life is available only in the present." - Nhat Hanh (Buddhist monk)
I do it everyday, or so it seems.
I think pretty far into the future more often than not and sometimes, I scare myself with how direct I am in my ways.
Examples:
What I thought at the of 17:
1) Graduate high school
2) Move off to college
3) Meet the love of my life while going to class and getting the work done to make the grade
4) Graduate College
5) Get engaged
6) Live the "white picket fence life"
Uhhhhhhh. *shakes head to wake self up*
WHAT? *blinks eyes*
Societies social norms are what I like I to call ANYTHING but normal. I am not in control of my destiny; I am only in the drivers seat when it comes to what direction I so choose to take. But even then, I'm not always in control...my gut and heart are though. I rely on more than just friends, family and mentors to bring me to the next intersection and guide me in the right direction. If you're not sure what I'm referring to here, I'll just be up front and say that I choose to just Believe and have Faith.
Each intersection can be as little as five seconds from each other or even 24 hours apart from each other. Maybe even more than that.
You know those subconcious thoughts you think on a daily basis. That's where your truth and decision making ultimately comes from.
I'm going a million miles an hour right now with my schedule and this is probably nothing in comparison to others who I'm connected to via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. However, I'm not comparing myself. There's no need for this.
I try as often as I can to remind myself that I'm perfect just the way I am. Right here in this moment. I am here to be me and I'm not here to prove anything to anyone. Does that mean I'm not a hard worker? Nope. I want to ENJOY what I do, but still have time for friends, having fun and time to breathe. If you constantly have that mind-set of 'I have to prove this to s/he', you're never going to feel satisfied and I believe that that's no way for anyone to live; it's not a healthy way of life.
In May of 2009, I was "supposed to" (according to societies social norms) have a job all lined up and be making that $40K annually. I wasn't feeling entitled, but I was feeling pressured by others thoughts and opinions. That job I was supposed to have wasn't there. It still isn't.
You learn eventually, on your own, how to get over that hump and take life's punches for what they are. I'm not about to get all worked up or fuss about why I'm not making the dough. For me, it's not about that.
I love my job, even after days like today where there was a sick child in the pool.
I thoroughly enjoy my internship with BRIO; every single day I'm at this place is another chance to learn something new about the business of PR and how much I can continue to increase my search results as I report to both the PR Account Executive and PR Director.
So, now I ask you. Do you sacrifice the present for the future? No?
Then tell me what you would do if you woke up tomorrow with $0 to your name. #justsayin
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Pieces of my resume - a great "layout" to consider
I'm gonna "sell" myself to you and yet you only prefer 1 page of material, realistically? Okay, I know you'll accept two pages, as long as it's completely relevant to the position I'm applying for, but here my question: What do you want to see?
Well, I'll tell you what areas I could potentially show and tell you:
*My objective - to explain this in one sentence, for me, it would turn into a run-on sentence. I could do it the right way though, no problem!
*Education - simple enough
*Related/Work Experience - how is my background relevant to what you want in the perfect candidate
*Volunteer work - I want to do more; not because it looks good, but because I simply care
*Skills/Interests - what programs I know like the back of my hand (i.e. Microsoft Word)
*Activities - what personal experiences have I put myself through that allowed my character to build and add a different perspective to my outlook
*Related Coursework - I don't know why you'd be interested in this...shouldn't my education simplify this part?
*Honors/Awards - obvious
*Community Involvement - I know I don't need to know everything that's going on my community, but I bet you'd like to know what parts of the community projects that are going on intrigue me
*Campus Leadership/Involvement - University and/or Community College stuff
*Summary of Qualifications - what am I best at
*Memberships - PRSSA, etc...
There are similar categories here, I realize, but what I'm trying to get at is we all read words differently. For me, this was a picture painted of everything I could currently think of that would help me rewrite and present myself better and more in-depth on paper.
Just a thought! I mean, think about it. If you wanted to lose weight and just decided to go running at the gym and lift weights, is that really what your body needs? Or say your car needs a part replaced, but you need to figure out where specifically on/in the car you need to make a replacement. You're not gonna replace the whole windsheild if you just need a new set of wipers! Find out what your blue print is and go from there. It's always the best way to start anything out, or at least I think so!
P.S. No, I was never taught this in any class. This is just me looking at different angles and perspectives.
Well, I'll tell you what areas I could potentially show and tell you:
*My objective - to explain this in one sentence, for me, it would turn into a run-on sentence. I could do it the right way though, no problem!
*Education - simple enough
*Related/Work Experience - how is my background relevant to what you want in the perfect candidate
*Volunteer work - I want to do more; not because it looks good, but because I simply care
*Skills/Interests - what programs I know like the back of my hand (i.e. Microsoft Word)
*Activities - what personal experiences have I put myself through that allowed my character to build and add a different perspective to my outlook
*Related Coursework - I don't know why you'd be interested in this...shouldn't my education simplify this part?
*Honors/Awards - obvious
*Community Involvement - I know I don't need to know everything that's going on my community, but I bet you'd like to know what parts of the community projects that are going on intrigue me
*Campus Leadership/Involvement - University and/or Community College stuff
*Summary of Qualifications - what am I best at
*Memberships - PRSSA, etc...
There are similar categories here, I realize, but what I'm trying to get at is we all read words differently. For me, this was a picture painted of everything I could currently think of that would help me rewrite and present myself better and more in-depth on paper.
Just a thought! I mean, think about it. If you wanted to lose weight and just decided to go running at the gym and lift weights, is that really what your body needs? Or say your car needs a part replaced, but you need to figure out where specifically on/in the car you need to make a replacement. You're not gonna replace the whole windsheild if you just need a new set of wipers! Find out what your blue print is and go from there. It's always the best way to start anything out, or at least I think so!
P.S. No, I was never taught this in any class. This is just me looking at different angles and perspectives.
Twitter Tips
I wrote these for a student originally and then thought it would be a great blog post.
1. Biography
Keep yours short and sweet. Think of it like a head line in a press release; it’s the meat and juice of who you are and what you do.
2. Don’t abuse #FollowFriday
It’s not your job to recommend people; it’s an option. If you feel there’s 50 people who your followers really could benefit from, then my suggestion would be to write a blog explaining what each of these 50 people have done to help you out. I’ve done this already (it’s not a list that long, but I plan on adding more to it). In the future, I plan on just tweeting the link out instead of multiple #ff. People will appreciate it.
3. Daily things
Don’t tweet about what you’re eating or drinking, unless you’re at a function and you can tie it into something professional.
Ex: you’re at #TwinCitiesSocialMediaUnderground (TCSMU) event or #YoungProfessionalCommunicatorsofTwinCities (YPCTC), etc…
4. Be you
Nothing irritates me more than someone who is tweeting about stuff just to sound important; you could potentially and eventually meet the people you’re having a conversation with in real life. Also, people talk. I just met someone last night who knows someone whose most likely getting canned, yet the employee has no idea it’s coming. Don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk. I blogged about the fact that I used to just talk the talk and I openly admitted to it because I’ve changed and it’s all been for the better.
I don’t care if you tweet 5 times a day or 500 times a day; people who are interested in you (even potential employers) are watching you and are probably curious to know if you’re even getting any work done or if your tweets have any meat in them. Give people a reason to WANT to follow and talk about you and have conversations with you.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, but don’t forget to help yourself (aka: do your research) before you just start asking questions. This is BIG part of PR.
We, GEN-Y is considered the “Disconnected” generation; THINK before you TWEET.
5. Quotes
If there’s a quote that is just striking your fancy & it really pertains and means something to you, tweet about it. If you’re just tweeting because you think it’ll give you “popularity” then do the following: stop, drop and roll (move) on.
6. Recognize your followers
I’m not saying find out where they were born, where they live and who their kids and best friends are; do your research and understand who it is you’re following. If this person was “important” enough for you to keep in contact with in the first place then do your research and find out who they are. Wouldn’t you want people to do the same for you?
Treat your followers how you want to be treated. Just because it’s virtual, doesn’t mean you’re going to know them and don’t assume you ever really know them. There’s a big difference between virtual and real life and people forget that.
7. Auto DM’s
They’re ANNOYING, especially AUTO TWEETS.
Only DM someone if you’ve gotten to know them and you feel it’s necessary. There are other factors that you’ll come to figure out in your own time.
8. Grammar-error free tweets
It bugs the CRAP outta me when people don’t spell words correctly. It’s perfectly acceptable to dismiss vowels or abbreviate where needed, as long as people can understand what you’re saying. @PRCog does this all the time actually. Sometimes, I have difficulty translating.
9. Recognize when someone RT’s your tweets
First off, this can get OUT OF HAND. People will thank you “so much” or “very much” or “thank you for the love” when you retweet their stuff. WHY?? You don’t know them, they don’t know you, and it was one tweet. This is along the lines of abusing #ff. Yes, it’s great people are recognizing that you’re recognizing something they believe in, but it can also get very annoying.
If someone retweets your tweet and you want to get to know them better, this is your chance to have an informative conversation and who knows what it could lead to! Ask them why they liked the article so much –because that’s the whole reason they RT’ed it. But then again, some people…you just gotta wonder what’s going through their head.
10. What is Twitter even all about??
"The best way I can explain Twitter to new folks is to say it’s like going to a networking event, but it runs 24/7 and you don’t have to leave home." This quote is from my friend Rochelle Vetruis’s Facebook whose friend was explaining Twitter to someone (I think) or maybe just giving his/her opinion. Veturis is a PR Professional out of Orange County, Cali.
FYI: If you don’t have a solid list of people to follow on twitter, it’s not going to make sense to you and you’re probably going to get stuck, and highly annoyed/irritated fast. Therefore, ask and ye shall receive.
Just a short list of my opinions. Let me know what you think and as always, please feel free to leave me a comment!!
1. Biography
Keep yours short and sweet. Think of it like a head line in a press release; it’s the meat and juice of who you are and what you do.
2. Don’t abuse #FollowFriday
It’s not your job to recommend people; it’s an option. If you feel there’s 50 people who your followers really could benefit from, then my suggestion would be to write a blog explaining what each of these 50 people have done to help you out. I’ve done this already (it’s not a list that long, but I plan on adding more to it). In the future, I plan on just tweeting the link out instead of multiple #ff. People will appreciate it.
3. Daily things
Don’t tweet about what you’re eating or drinking, unless you’re at a function and you can tie it into something professional.
Ex: you’re at #TwinCitiesSocialMediaUnderground (TCSMU) event or #YoungProfessionalCommunicatorsofTwinCities (YPCTC), etc…
4. Be you
Nothing irritates me more than someone who is tweeting about stuff just to sound important; you could potentially and eventually meet the people you’re having a conversation with in real life. Also, people talk. I just met someone last night who knows someone whose most likely getting canned, yet the employee has no idea it’s coming. Don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk. I blogged about the fact that I used to just talk the talk and I openly admitted to it because I’ve changed and it’s all been for the better.
I don’t care if you tweet 5 times a day or 500 times a day; people who are interested in you (even potential employers) are watching you and are probably curious to know if you’re even getting any work done or if your tweets have any meat in them. Give people a reason to WANT to follow and talk about you and have conversations with you.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, but don’t forget to help yourself (aka: do your research) before you just start asking questions. This is BIG part of PR.
We, GEN-Y is considered the “Disconnected” generation; THINK before you TWEET.
5. Quotes
If there’s a quote that is just striking your fancy & it really pertains and means something to you, tweet about it. If you’re just tweeting because you think it’ll give you “popularity” then do the following: stop, drop and roll (move) on.
6. Recognize your followers
I’m not saying find out where they were born, where they live and who their kids and best friends are; do your research and understand who it is you’re following. If this person was “important” enough for you to keep in contact with in the first place then do your research and find out who they are. Wouldn’t you want people to do the same for you?
Treat your followers how you want to be treated. Just because it’s virtual, doesn’t mean you’re going to know them and don’t assume you ever really know them. There’s a big difference between virtual and real life and people forget that.
7. Auto DM’s
They’re ANNOYING, especially AUTO TWEETS.
Only DM someone if you’ve gotten to know them and you feel it’s necessary. There are other factors that you’ll come to figure out in your own time.
8. Grammar-error free tweets
It bugs the CRAP outta me when people don’t spell words correctly. It’s perfectly acceptable to dismiss vowels or abbreviate where needed, as long as people can understand what you’re saying. @PRCog does this all the time actually. Sometimes, I have difficulty translating.
9. Recognize when someone RT’s your tweets
First off, this can get OUT OF HAND. People will thank you “so much” or “very much” or “thank you for the love” when you retweet their stuff. WHY?? You don’t know them, they don’t know you, and it was one tweet. This is along the lines of abusing #ff. Yes, it’s great people are recognizing that you’re recognizing something they believe in, but it can also get very annoying.
If someone retweets your tweet and you want to get to know them better, this is your chance to have an informative conversation and who knows what it could lead to! Ask them why they liked the article so much –because that’s the whole reason they RT’ed it. But then again, some people…you just gotta wonder what’s going through their head.
10. What is Twitter even all about??
"The best way I can explain Twitter to new folks is to say it’s like going to a networking event, but it runs 24/7 and you don’t have to leave home." This quote is from my friend Rochelle Vetruis’s Facebook whose friend was explaining Twitter to someone (I think) or maybe just giving his/her opinion. Veturis is a PR Professional out of Orange County, Cali.
FYI: If you don’t have a solid list of people to follow on twitter, it’s not going to make sense to you and you’re probably going to get stuck, and highly annoyed/irritated fast. Therefore, ask and ye shall receive.
Just a short list of my opinions. Let me know what you think and as always, please feel free to leave me a comment!!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Gaining ground in another light
Note: I originally wrote this Friday, Feb 12, but didn't have acccess to internet.
Today, I did the usual. I took Metro Transit from Minneapolis to Apple Valley and took my usual route home. Three quarters of the way home, I looked off to my right and there was the high school I attended.
It’s been just under a decade since I graduated. I’m currently not considering attending a reunion. My class didn’t have a five year reunion. Five years seems like a long time, until you get to the age I’m at.
Where has the time gone and who have I become? The last seven years have been absolutely mind-consuming filled with education, dating, staying up late, attending school functions, making it on my own, living with complete strangers, evolving into an adult , earning an education and the list continues. I’ve learned more lessons in the last year (almost…closer to 10 months) than in the last six years. I consider what other people’s lives consist of, whether it they’re classmates or others my age, what I wonder most is this: are they happy living the American Dream, or have they just been living?
For a while there, I was just living, but I was also enjoying my late nights, going out and being crazy with friends, working to pay the bills, the usual. I was being a college student.
I wondered if I’d ever figure it out when I was young, just what it is I wanted to do for a career. I can’t define an age and here’s why. I went to lunch February 11 with Jenna Bennett and we’re both in the same boat: we’re very happy about our current directions and the people in our lives, however she brought up an interesting statement. You could be 18, 26, 35, or even 55 and the question of “what do I want to do for the rest of my life” will come up. It’s inevitable it seems for those who are willing and daring to achieve everything between letters A through Z.
I saw a tweet about that the other day. People want security and those who want security are possibly the ones who won’t step out of their safety zone; they’ll go safely from A to B to C and won’t go to R if the in between future situations aren’t presented in a promising light. That isn’t to say they can’t achieve their hopeful accomplishments though. When I didn’t know what I wanted, I did this (went from point A to B to C) because that is how I was raised. I learned lessons in between when I decided to step out of what I knew (job security), for whatever reason (dumbest yet best decision I had ever made thus far) and I appreciate what I have now because even though it’s something I wasn’t quite after, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience what I’m so excited about waking up to today. Interestingly enough, on February 12, @PaulTTran tweeted an article about “forgetting retirement” and it’s a great article and I think it’s geared toward people who really care about their jobs and will probably never completely walk away from their career. That might be me? Sometimes I’d like to think I’m a rookie philanthropist, yet my feet might consistently be wet.
Everything I just mentioned in that paragraph just might be as true as it gets, as of now, for myself. As for work, I know what I want right now and I talk about my wishful hopes with a few confident mentors of mine who don’t see any reason I can’t do the things I’ve been so hopeful to go after and accomplish.
I will admit this though: I used to just talk the talk. Not such a fan of individuals who do this, so I’ve surrounded myself by go-getters! It feels amazing to be able to now talk about a subject matter, have resources (thank goodness I’m a chatter bug whose not afraid to try new things like Twitter and evolve with it) and then possibly have the option of seeing it come to life.
Those of you who have met me in real life, I can come off as quiet or unsure at first and maybe don’t talk as much as you would think. That’s because I’m taking in that moment, thinking about what I’m going to say and trying to find out who you are (even if I follow you on Twitter), what you do and tie that into your working atmosphere.
Hint: I look up at the ceiling –usually off to my right—as I’m thinking and I don’t want to open my mouth about a subject that I’m not well informed about and that subject just might be your job and what I can learn from you.
I find myself still getting trapped in these situations. It happened at a networking event I attended that I was checking out for the first time called Twin Cities Social Media Underground. I was talking with a Generation X lady (I cannot recall her name) and I was trying to explain a project that I’m working on without completely giving away the idea that I came up with. I was tripping over my own words and I embarrassed myself and all the meanwhile in the conversation, I was thinking “get your words together Rachel!! You’ve lost her attention span!” Ack! That’s the worse feeling in the world: failing to make sense of your words as you’re speaking.
All in all, I’m not just waking up, punching a clock and feeling pointless at my job or my internship or life in general. I’m learning, engaging, retrieving, adapting, evolving, pushing the envelope, thinking outside the box and forming relationships. I’m happy with the progress I’ve made, specifically in the last 10 months and it’s only going to get better.
Today, I did the usual. I took Metro Transit from Minneapolis to Apple Valley and took my usual route home. Three quarters of the way home, I looked off to my right and there was the high school I attended.
It’s been just under a decade since I graduated. I’m currently not considering attending a reunion. My class didn’t have a five year reunion. Five years seems like a long time, until you get to the age I’m at.
Where has the time gone and who have I become? The last seven years have been absolutely mind-consuming filled with education, dating, staying up late, attending school functions, making it on my own, living with complete strangers, evolving into an adult , earning an education and the list continues. I’ve learned more lessons in the last year (almost…closer to 10 months) than in the last six years. I consider what other people’s lives consist of, whether it they’re classmates or others my age, what I wonder most is this: are they happy living the American Dream, or have they just been living?
For a while there, I was just living, but I was also enjoying my late nights, going out and being crazy with friends, working to pay the bills, the usual. I was being a college student.
I wondered if I’d ever figure it out when I was young, just what it is I wanted to do for a career. I can’t define an age and here’s why. I went to lunch February 11 with Jenna Bennett and we’re both in the same boat: we’re very happy about our current directions and the people in our lives, however she brought up an interesting statement. You could be 18, 26, 35, or even 55 and the question of “what do I want to do for the rest of my life” will come up. It’s inevitable it seems for those who are willing and daring to achieve everything between letters A through Z.
I saw a tweet about that the other day. People want security and those who want security are possibly the ones who won’t step out of their safety zone; they’ll go safely from A to B to C and won’t go to R if the in between future situations aren’t presented in a promising light. That isn’t to say they can’t achieve their hopeful accomplishments though. When I didn’t know what I wanted, I did this (went from point A to B to C) because that is how I was raised. I learned lessons in between when I decided to step out of what I knew (job security), for whatever reason (dumbest yet best decision I had ever made thus far) and I appreciate what I have now because even though it’s something I wasn’t quite after, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience what I’m so excited about waking up to today. Interestingly enough, on February 12, @PaulTTran tweeted an article about “forgetting retirement” and it’s a great article and I think it’s geared toward people who really care about their jobs and will probably never completely walk away from their career. That might be me? Sometimes I’d like to think I’m a rookie philanthropist, yet my feet might consistently be wet.
Everything I just mentioned in that paragraph just might be as true as it gets, as of now, for myself. As for work, I know what I want right now and I talk about my wishful hopes with a few confident mentors of mine who don’t see any reason I can’t do the things I’ve been so hopeful to go after and accomplish.
I will admit this though: I used to just talk the talk. Not such a fan of individuals who do this, so I’ve surrounded myself by go-getters! It feels amazing to be able to now talk about a subject matter, have resources (thank goodness I’m a chatter bug whose not afraid to try new things like Twitter and evolve with it) and then possibly have the option of seeing it come to life.
Those of you who have met me in real life, I can come off as quiet or unsure at first and maybe don’t talk as much as you would think. That’s because I’m taking in that moment, thinking about what I’m going to say and trying to find out who you are (even if I follow you on Twitter), what you do and tie that into your working atmosphere.
Hint: I look up at the ceiling –usually off to my right—as I’m thinking and I don’t want to open my mouth about a subject that I’m not well informed about and that subject just might be your job and what I can learn from you.
I find myself still getting trapped in these situations. It happened at a networking event I attended that I was checking out for the first time called Twin Cities Social Media Underground. I was talking with a Generation X lady (I cannot recall her name) and I was trying to explain a project that I’m working on without completely giving away the idea that I came up with. I was tripping over my own words and I embarrassed myself and all the meanwhile in the conversation, I was thinking “get your words together Rachel!! You’ve lost her attention span!” Ack! That’s the worse feeling in the world: failing to make sense of your words as you’re speaking.
All in all, I’m not just waking up, punching a clock and feeling pointless at my job or my internship or life in general. I’m learning, engaging, retrieving, adapting, evolving, pushing the envelope, thinking outside the box and forming relationships. I’m happy with the progress I’ve made, specifically in the last 10 months and it’s only going to get better.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Fundraising for schools
Target does it. And that's the only company I can currently think of, off the top of my head.
I keep thinking about the day I'll be an Aunt and I have so many things I have in mind to do for my niece(s)/nephew(s). I just though of this today, but I'm not doing research because I don't know if they'll be going to school in Prior Lake, Minn., or not. I want to be able to support the school district they attend, but I'm not sure what programs are still out there or what has been put on the back burner?
Things I've heard of in the past:
Collecting pop can tabs: I don't know what schools still do this. I'm not about ready to get on the phone and waste an entire afternoon figuring it out either.
Kwik Trip's "Moola for your Schoola": cut (from 1/2 galls plastic bags) the top of the bag off and bring it to your school --or something like this. Their one gallon jugs also have a 5 cent top you can keep while recycling in the end.
Is "Adopt A Highway" an option? I know Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can do this.
Leave a URL, an idea or a program you already support. I'd love to hear about it!
I keep thinking about the day I'll be an Aunt and I have so many things I have in mind to do for my niece(s)/nephew(s). I just though of this today, but I'm not doing research because I don't know if they'll be going to school in Prior Lake, Minn., or not. I want to be able to support the school district they attend, but I'm not sure what programs are still out there or what has been put on the back burner?
Things I've heard of in the past:
Collecting pop can tabs: I don't know what schools still do this. I'm not about ready to get on the phone and waste an entire afternoon figuring it out either.
Kwik Trip's "Moola for your Schoola": cut (from 1/2 galls plastic bags) the top of the bag off and bring it to your school --or something like this. Their one gallon jugs also have a 5 cent top you can keep while recycling in the end.
Is "Adopt A Highway" an option? I know Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can do this.
Leave a URL, an idea or a program you already support. I'd love to hear about it!
Southern California
Become who you are. It happens once in a life time.
I'm becoming who I want to be again --taking more vacations like I used to in high school-- and Twitter has a lot to do with who I've evolved to become over the past year. I've met quite a few amazing people, a lot of these people actually reside in SoCal. Maybe it's a sign?! *gasps* ;)
Paul Tran, Jenny Pollak and a few others would like to think this is true.
I went to Southern California in March 2005 for spring break with a cousin of mine who resides in Laramie, WY. I will never forget the college students we met from Flagstaff, AZ or the time when we parked illegally (long story --I'll tell you sometime if you're interested) just so we could go shopping, our boggie boarding adventures, whale watching, our unexpected $50 tab at Joe's Crab Shack in San Diego --we must have been hungry! There was plenty more.
I remember I had to changed plans once in Phoneix and the entire flight from Phoneix to California, I was looking out the window of the plane and was trying to recongize the boarder line so I could know for sure that I had finally reached California. It felt like it took a million years to get there.
It feels like it has taken a million years to get back there.
I'm going there again in the first part of May. I've decided this is the best month because swim lessons will be winding down as the spring air moves in and our outdoor pool at my site opens Memorial Day. It's going to be crazy busy and I expect numbers to quadrupal within the last few days of May before June comes around. The May weather in Southern California should be warming up, so I figured with all of this in consideration, the first or second week in May is perfect timing.
California, are you ready for me?!
Here's my list of things do:
1. Meet the following people:
@Global Patriot - Mark Lovett
@MissMotorMouth - Michelle Naranjo
@RochelleVeturis - Rochelle Veturis and her soon-to-be-hubby
@SimonLeung - Simon Leung
@ChelseyVeturis - Chelsey Veturis
@PaulTTran - Paul Tran and his girlfriend Jen Ho :)
@OC_Monica -Monica Mohler
@jonesin4cali - Jenny Pollak
@FasTak - Yacine Baroudi
@RachelAkay - Rachel Kay
@Lotay - Lotay Yang
@NealSchaffer - Neal Schaffer
I have feeling I'm still missing a few names here
2. Enjoy a bottle of fine wine with Mark Lovett and whom ever else would like to join us
3. Go to the HOLLYWOOD sign and get my picture taken - I'll be damned if I don't
4. Parasailing is a possibility, but not quite sure yet about keeping this on my list for sure.
5. Go to Universal Studios
6. Go to Disneyland
7. Take a couple of days to go on some hiking adventures
8. Go to Newport Beach; my show The OC filmed quite a bit in this area and I'm still a fanatic.
9. Visit Hollywood, Long Beach, Laguna, Los Angeles, San Diego; road trip anyone?! I just wanna do some site seeing.
10. Go to a winery
11. The list continues to build
I'm excited, beyond thrilled and ready to get out of MN again for a while.
I'm also looking at Timeshares in Southern California. I have a feeling I'll be going back to visit down there quite a bit. These friends of mine, who I have to even meet IRL have become like family to me.
There might be a part 2 later on with this blog. It's my one day off and I have much I want to do. :)
I'm becoming who I want to be again --taking more vacations like I used to in high school-- and Twitter has a lot to do with who I've evolved to become over the past year. I've met quite a few amazing people, a lot of these people actually reside in SoCal. Maybe it's a sign?! *gasps* ;)
Paul Tran, Jenny Pollak and a few others would like to think this is true.
I went to Southern California in March 2005 for spring break with a cousin of mine who resides in Laramie, WY. I will never forget the college students we met from Flagstaff, AZ or the time when we parked illegally (long story --I'll tell you sometime if you're interested) just so we could go shopping, our boggie boarding adventures, whale watching, our unexpected $50 tab at Joe's Crab Shack in San Diego --we must have been hungry! There was plenty more.
I remember I had to changed plans once in Phoneix and the entire flight from Phoneix to California, I was looking out the window of the plane and was trying to recongize the boarder line so I could know for sure that I had finally reached California. It felt like it took a million years to get there.
It feels like it has taken a million years to get back there.
I'm going there again in the first part of May. I've decided this is the best month because swim lessons will be winding down as the spring air moves in and our outdoor pool at my site opens Memorial Day. It's going to be crazy busy and I expect numbers to quadrupal within the last few days of May before June comes around. The May weather in Southern California should be warming up, so I figured with all of this in consideration, the first or second week in May is perfect timing.
California, are you ready for me?!
Here's my list of things do:
1. Meet the following people:
@Global Patriot - Mark Lovett
@MissMotorMouth - Michelle Naranjo
@RochelleVeturis - Rochelle Veturis and her soon-to-be-hubby
@SimonLeung - Simon Leung
@ChelseyVeturis - Chelsey Veturis
@PaulTTran - Paul Tran and his girlfriend Jen Ho :)
@OC_Monica -Monica Mohler
@jonesin4cali - Jenny Pollak
@FasTak - Yacine Baroudi
@RachelAkay - Rachel Kay
@Lotay - Lotay Yang
@NealSchaffer - Neal Schaffer
I have feeling I'm still missing a few names here
2. Enjoy a bottle of fine wine with Mark Lovett and whom ever else would like to join us
3. Go to the HOLLYWOOD sign and get my picture taken - I'll be damned if I don't
4. Parasailing is a possibility, but not quite sure yet about keeping this on my list for sure.
5. Go to Universal Studios
6. Go to Disneyland
7. Take a couple of days to go on some hiking adventures
8. Go to Newport Beach; my show The OC filmed quite a bit in this area and I'm still a fanatic.
9. Visit Hollywood, Long Beach, Laguna, Los Angeles, San Diego; road trip anyone?! I just wanna do some site seeing.
10. Go to a winery
11. The list continues to build
I'm excited, beyond thrilled and ready to get out of MN again for a while.
I'm also looking at Timeshares in Southern California. I have a feeling I'll be going back to visit down there quite a bit. These friends of mine, who I have to even meet IRL have become like family to me.
There might be a part 2 later on with this blog. It's my one day off and I have much I want to do. :)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Management; from my professional & personal stand-point
I woke up at 7:55 a.m. to teach my 8:55 a.m. private lesson. I knew I'd lay in bed for about 10 to 15 minutes, so I made sure to give myself that extra time I need. Today, was no exception.
I got ready and missed a phone call from my Life Time at about 8:15 a.m. It was one of the front desk employees whom I have a good relationship with. She left me a voicemail stating someone was there for swim lessons and that the Member told the front desk employee that her lesson was at 8:25 a.m. and had been there since 7:50 a.m. I called my colleauge back at about 8:35 a.m., just minutes before leaving my house and explained that I had an 8:55 a.m. lesson and that I'd be there in 10 minutes.
I get to the club and it's roughly 10 minutes before my lesson. I swiped in and talked to the two ladies at the front desk. Apparently my student was very upset, not thrilled and would be walking out to the front any minute as she changed from her swim suit back into her clothes and was apparently going to just leave.
I was expecting this person, my student, after I introduced myself to just begin snapping at me and have a very demanding tone, so I prepared for the inevitable.
I approached her and shook her hand explaining that there was a possible mis-communication between myself and the department head, even though I also received an e-mail the night before kindly reminding me of my 8:55 a.m. lesson.
My student didn't snap at me and she wasn't furious. If she was highly irritated, she hid it well.
As I listened to her side of the story, in my head I was thinking "Rachel, you can handle this much differently and further expand your explination as to what the rest of your morning entails. She'll understand it from that point of view." So, that's exactly what I did.
I explained that I also have 4 other lessons in the morning after hers is done and with Life Time's U-Swim School program, we have 5 minute 'breaks' between classes to talk to parents about their childs progress in the water. I explained I teach until 11:45 Saturday mornings and it would only make sense that we would begin her lesson at 8:55 a.m. because no matter what day we teach lessons, especially if it's in the morning, we never begin classes until typically 9 a.m., but we made an expection for this private lesson. I then said I had my suit on and I was ready to go and if we hurried, we could still get a 20-25 minute lesson in. She agreed and understood. I was thankful.
What I did? I apologized, explained myself and without even thinking about it I didn't even compromise her morning and allow her to leave empty handed. A part of Life Time's mission is to provide uncompromising quality within the Members experience and/or educational experience. This was a double whammy for me and I excelled within the experience with intregrity and a mission to not let her just walk away.
To end on a super high note, we had an awesome lesson and we had a few good laughs in between. I also figured out her experience in the water --she has none and I think she was embarrassed about this. This was awesome news to me because I now have the ability to really make a difference in her life and I'm excited about it! I also explained that it's never too late to learn how to swim and I have students who are 8 years old who cannot float without assistance and was quick to add in that no matter what age you are, every person progresses at their own pace. That made her much more comfortable. I encouraged her to practice outside of class so she could get as much out of these lessons as possible.
There was more to it, but I made all the right steps and she left with a huge smile on her face. That is the difference with Life Time Fitness. We're not a gym, we're "...a healthy way of life company." We strive for educational experiences, and we strive for nothing less than excellence within every opportunity.
I got ready and missed a phone call from my Life Time at about 8:15 a.m. It was one of the front desk employees whom I have a good relationship with. She left me a voicemail stating someone was there for swim lessons and that the Member told the front desk employee that her lesson was at 8:25 a.m. and had been there since 7:50 a.m. I called my colleauge back at about 8:35 a.m., just minutes before leaving my house and explained that I had an 8:55 a.m. lesson and that I'd be there in 10 minutes.
I get to the club and it's roughly 10 minutes before my lesson. I swiped in and talked to the two ladies at the front desk. Apparently my student was very upset, not thrilled and would be walking out to the front any minute as she changed from her swim suit back into her clothes and was apparently going to just leave.
I was expecting this person, my student, after I introduced myself to just begin snapping at me and have a very demanding tone, so I prepared for the inevitable.
I approached her and shook her hand explaining that there was a possible mis-communication between myself and the department head, even though I also received an e-mail the night before kindly reminding me of my 8:55 a.m. lesson.
My student didn't snap at me and she wasn't furious. If she was highly irritated, she hid it well.
As I listened to her side of the story, in my head I was thinking "Rachel, you can handle this much differently and further expand your explination as to what the rest of your morning entails. She'll understand it from that point of view." So, that's exactly what I did.
I explained that I also have 4 other lessons in the morning after hers is done and with Life Time's U-Swim School program, we have 5 minute 'breaks' between classes to talk to parents about their childs progress in the water. I explained I teach until 11:45 Saturday mornings and it would only make sense that we would begin her lesson at 8:55 a.m. because no matter what day we teach lessons, especially if it's in the morning, we never begin classes until typically 9 a.m., but we made an expection for this private lesson. I then said I had my suit on and I was ready to go and if we hurried, we could still get a 20-25 minute lesson in. She agreed and understood. I was thankful.
What I did? I apologized, explained myself and without even thinking about it I didn't even compromise her morning and allow her to leave empty handed. A part of Life Time's mission is to provide uncompromising quality within the Members experience and/or educational experience. This was a double whammy for me and I excelled within the experience with intregrity and a mission to not let her just walk away.
To end on a super high note, we had an awesome lesson and we had a few good laughs in between. I also figured out her experience in the water --she has none and I think she was embarrassed about this. This was awesome news to me because I now have the ability to really make a difference in her life and I'm excited about it! I also explained that it's never too late to learn how to swim and I have students who are 8 years old who cannot float without assistance and was quick to add in that no matter what age you are, every person progresses at their own pace. That made her much more comfortable. I encouraged her to practice outside of class so she could get as much out of these lessons as possible.
There was more to it, but I made all the right steps and she left with a huge smile on her face. That is the difference with Life Time Fitness. We're not a gym, we're "...a healthy way of life company." We strive for educational experiences, and we strive for nothing less than excellence within every opportunity.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Changing my ways
I've been thinking recently about how I've transitioned more into social media.
I graduated from MN State University, Mankato in May 2009 with my bachelors of science in Mass Communications with an emphasis in public relations and I was damned to land a job. I thought I kinda for the most part 'knew it all'. *chuckles to self*
Well, I landed a job with Life Time Fitness, Inc. as a Lifeguard in early July 2007.
Okay, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind.
No, I lied. This isn't what I had in mind at all when I graduated.
I remember sitting in on my bed, where I am now and where I tend to write my blogs, and I thought to myself, "I should get back into Aquatics. I loved it when I was in high school, I had fun and I should do that again."
So, I paid my dues and took the American Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification class in June 2009.
Fast forward eight months. :)
I went from a lifeguard to an aquatics supervisor to an acting department head (we had a few issues within the department) in five months. We now have a new department head and business is running smoothly. I'm still a supervisor and I've been teaching swim lessons for six months, yet it feels like I've been doing it for much longer and it is such a rewarding job on so many levels.
I wanted to bring public relations into the aquatics department so I contacted my General Manager, Terrell Battle via e-mail, explaining how I wanted to market the aquatics U-Swim School program as well as our Swim Team and Master Swim program. After jumping through a few loops, I was given the name Robert Stanke.
I couldn't help but chuckle. Yes, again. :)
I have been following Bob (as he prefers) on Twitter, since February 2009, just weeks after I joined Twitter. I must have found him through a #FollowFriday recommendation. I've been following his blog for sometime now and then I connected with him on Facebook just recently. I take his opinions and what he has to say seriously and read his blog daily, if I can. I just assume there's a new blog every time because he has ideas coming out faster than he can type, or so it seems. I'm so glad to be connected with him!
With public relations, I had this idea in my head to find out who the followers were for Life Time Fitness on Twitter and Bob, I believe, is the one who updates LTF's status on Twitter. I wanted to do some marketing on there for our program at the Lakeville site. My thought process runs deepers than this, but I won't bore you with details. Turns out, it wasn't needed at all, but I also never had the chance to complete my mission even after my discovery. It didn't matter. We currently have a waiting list of parents who want to put their kids in our program. Come March, we will have surpassed our revenue goals as we have six guards going through our U-Swim School training. Word of mouth is what has kept our program going strong since we changed Continuous U-Swim School in September.
I don't know what it is going to take or when it is going to happen, but I'm not seeing the green light quite yet in regards to me feeling completely comfortable within public relations, regardless of others opinions about my knowledge. However, I truly appreicate the comments. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself? We're all always learning because the second we understand techology is the second it seems to change on us (this is the only example I can think of off the top of my head); reformating, new layouts, new looks, better quality. It can be intimdating, yet encouraging.
I like to talk...quite a bit. But I try my best to remember that it's not about me; it's about everyone else around me. I listen closely, I execute after realizing the actions that need to take part in the project and even when I'm not sure what it is I'm doing, I keep moving forward. I have so much support from friends and family, I couldn't imagine where I'd be emotionally and mentally without the amazing people I have surrounded myself by.
What am I doing to change? At my internship with BRIO, I'm beginning to research more. I investigate. I read blogs. I click on tweeted links -on Twitter- that are of interest to me. I'm noticing many patterns in public relations; the same rules apply and there plenty of them; there are many "golden rules" to not "disobey."
I feel sometimes that because of my inefficiencies (as I have so much to learn about pr), there is a possibility that I will slow others productiveness down and irritate them. I don't want this.
I want to be taken seriously. I want to engage. So, I follow and I try to replicate others work, yet use my own creativity and wording. I love pr and I want to understand it and social media. I want to be a professional, yet still have fun. I can't always get what I want to say out; this is why I thoroughly enjoy engaging in deep conversations over a delicious meal and possibly a few drinks on the side. Although sometimes, it depends on my mood and who I'm with. :)
I graduated from MN State University, Mankato in May 2009 with my bachelors of science in Mass Communications with an emphasis in public relations and I was damned to land a job. I thought I kinda for the most part 'knew it all'. *chuckles to self*
Well, I landed a job with Life Time Fitness, Inc. as a Lifeguard in early July 2007.
Okay, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind.
No, I lied. This isn't what I had in mind at all when I graduated.
I remember sitting in on my bed, where I am now and where I tend to write my blogs, and I thought to myself, "I should get back into Aquatics. I loved it when I was in high school, I had fun and I should do that again."
So, I paid my dues and took the American Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification class in June 2009.
Fast forward eight months. :)
I went from a lifeguard to an aquatics supervisor to an acting department head (we had a few issues within the department) in five months. We now have a new department head and business is running smoothly. I'm still a supervisor and I've been teaching swim lessons for six months, yet it feels like I've been doing it for much longer and it is such a rewarding job on so many levels.
I wanted to bring public relations into the aquatics department so I contacted my General Manager, Terrell Battle via e-mail, explaining how I wanted to market the aquatics U-Swim School program as well as our Swim Team and Master Swim program. After jumping through a few loops, I was given the name Robert Stanke.
I couldn't help but chuckle. Yes, again. :)
I have been following Bob (as he prefers) on Twitter, since February 2009, just weeks after I joined Twitter. I must have found him through a #FollowFriday recommendation. I've been following his blog for sometime now and then I connected with him on Facebook just recently. I take his opinions and what he has to say seriously and read his blog daily, if I can. I just assume there's a new blog every time because he has ideas coming out faster than he can type, or so it seems. I'm so glad to be connected with him!
With public relations, I had this idea in my head to find out who the followers were for Life Time Fitness on Twitter and Bob, I believe, is the one who updates LTF's status on Twitter. I wanted to do some marketing on there for our program at the Lakeville site. My thought process runs deepers than this, but I won't bore you with details. Turns out, it wasn't needed at all, but I also never had the chance to complete my mission even after my discovery. It didn't matter. We currently have a waiting list of parents who want to put their kids in our program. Come March, we will have surpassed our revenue goals as we have six guards going through our U-Swim School training. Word of mouth is what has kept our program going strong since we changed Continuous U-Swim School in September.
I don't know what it is going to take or when it is going to happen, but I'm not seeing the green light quite yet in regards to me feeling completely comfortable within public relations, regardless of others opinions about my knowledge. However, I truly appreicate the comments. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself? We're all always learning because the second we understand techology is the second it seems to change on us (this is the only example I can think of off the top of my head); reformating, new layouts, new looks, better quality. It can be intimdating, yet encouraging.
I like to talk...quite a bit. But I try my best to remember that it's not about me; it's about everyone else around me. I listen closely, I execute after realizing the actions that need to take part in the project and even when I'm not sure what it is I'm doing, I keep moving forward. I have so much support from friends and family, I couldn't imagine where I'd be emotionally and mentally without the amazing people I have surrounded myself by.
What am I doing to change? At my internship with BRIO, I'm beginning to research more. I investigate. I read blogs. I click on tweeted links -on Twitter- that are of interest to me. I'm noticing many patterns in public relations; the same rules apply and there plenty of them; there are many "golden rules" to not "disobey."
I feel sometimes that because of my inefficiencies (as I have so much to learn about pr), there is a possibility that I will slow others productiveness down and irritate them. I don't want this.
I want to be taken seriously. I want to engage. So, I follow and I try to replicate others work, yet use my own creativity and wording. I love pr and I want to understand it and social media. I want to be a professional, yet still have fun. I can't always get what I want to say out; this is why I thoroughly enjoy engaging in deep conversations over a delicious meal and possibly a few drinks on the side. Although sometimes, it depends on my mood and who I'm with. :)
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