What communities are you involved in?

Caribou, REI, Cabelas, Starbucks, Woofda!, Archivers, Apple Bee's, Life Time Fitness, Twitter, Facebook, Cub Foods, Fleet Farm, Barnes and Noble, GAP, The Limited, Michaels, Buckhill.

The list goes on and on. What is this list? Well, venture on!

We are each involved in a part of a community that we so choose to be involved with. I think it's vital to pick one, just one if you're unsure of how you feel about which one you want to interact with and pick a minimum of two people you want to get to know better. You can interact with those people weekly whether it's through an e-mail or sending them a private message from your online community group, if that's possible.

Here's why I'm bringing this up.

If I'm not engaging, interacting or talking to people daily or doing something to try better myself every day, this feeling of "I'm getting behind" comes over me and it drives me nuts. That's why I have a white board, two actually, in my room, so I can see everyday what is it I can do to be a better individual. How can I drive and inspire...me? No one else has control over that. If they did, I can guarantee I would not appreciate how they'd tell me how to interact or go about living my life.

Everyday, I try and think of something new I can do or I'll think about the way a company is interacting with their customers/audience and how they can do it better. Or maybe a company isn't quite sure how to interact and need help getting there. That's where the white board comes in among another thing I've creating with a business partner of mine. That business project is still under wraps, but I believe I'll be able to make an announcement within the next month regarding what it's all about. I'll also be using RachelRyanPR as a platform and yes, I realize how inactive I've been with that account in comparison to ryanr09. What does my RachelRyanPR twitter handle have to do with anything? Stick with me long enough and you'll see!

One community I so choose to involve myself with: Life Time Fitness. Besides the fact that I work there, I'm in love with my running shoes and my Mizuno's have changed the way I think about exercising. Maybe I've brainwashed myself into thinking these are the best running shoes in the world. Hey!! It works for me because it gives me motivation to get my butt out of bed, or even after a long day of work, if I want to put these shoes on, I get this huge urge to run. They make me feel amazing and unstoppable. I have no explanation for why except that it's a cute tennis shoe, that's extremely light weight, supports my feet and within 30 seconds of trying the shoe on back in January 2010, I was sold.

I've been keeping HORRIBLE track of my 'training' progress on my blog to the point where I just signed up with FriendFit tonight. I also filled out my paper work tonight and I'm running in LTF's Turkey Day 5K. I'm excited about their sponsors:
Clif Bar & Company (I've had some of their stuff & it's pretty good!!)
J.R. Watkins Natural Products
Muscle Milk (this actually looks super delicious)
Sketchers
KS95
TRIA Orthopaedic Center
Nature's Prime Organic Foods, Inc.
Caribou Coffee (they'll be at the Target Center the morning of race -yesssss!!!)
REI.

The cool thing about this Turkey Day 5K? You can also donate money towards great causes like the Life Time Fitness Foundation that's partnered with Heart and Hammers for the last five years where they find ederly and/or disabled homes whose homeowners need help with basic repairs. Also, Second Harvest Heartland will be collecting nonperishables the day of the race I believe.

In a nutshell, being involved in a community of your choice and being active in it weekly or monthly is not a lot to ask. If we don't support each other we all suffer. But what's most important is letting the reason you'll want to support a community find you. Yes, you read that right. Sounds backwards doesn't it?? Allow me to explain myself.

When I put my running shoes on, I feel really, really good. Yes, LTF pays my bills, but something else it's done for me? It's given me a reason to WANT to get out there and run. And after checking out FriendFit, I'm pretty excited to go outdoors and run. That's the reason I've been so pumped about this Turkey Day 5K. It seems so simple to some people...3.1 miles. Whoop tee ding do?!
Well, for me, excuse my cheesiness of using part of LTF's mission statement, but it's a healthy way of life for me. Also, I've found something through a corporation I just happen to work for, that's going to allow me to do good in a community that has found me...unintentionally. I graduated from college in May 2009 and needed a job and this is the path I've intersected with. Also, not to mention I've met amazing individuals (remember the part where I said you should pick two people to interact with??) who keep me laughing along the way; a couple people I can name off the top of my head, both who happen to work for LTF (not the reason I'm choosing them) and they also happen to be on Twitter (that's why I'm choosing them): Bob Stanke and Lindsay May. Oh, they also both happen to be runners.

Running isn't my only community I choose to be involved with. I've become more user-friendly with the library that is one block away from my home and if I want a more "lively" environment to go find some reading material at, I'll just head over to Barnes and Noble. If I'm feeling fashionable and having some extra cash I'd love to spend on something that I know will fit me very well, I'll head over the mall and hit up The Limited. Besides, I really like the one manager who works there; she's extremely friendly and helped me pick out the perfect dress I needed for a wedding. Next time, I'm asking her her name.

So, what communities are you involved in? Please include a link to share. I'd love to know more about them. :)

Case study tips

Had a moment this morning of "I just need more of a explanation of what that is so I can understand it better" and decided to do my own research.

What exactly makes a case study, a case study?

You could be a financial consultant, a blogger, a nurse, doctor, student, scientist, or even a Girl Scout. It doesn't matter what age you are, as long as you can spell and comprehend what it is you want to talk to your selected audience about. You should also be able to answer whatever "basic" questions might come your way. You know what to do if you can't, right??

Here's what I've come up with from my own findings.
Note: At the bottom of this post, you'll find the sources that allowed me come up with my own answers.

Company name
If you're doing this for a client, or work or even just for fun (stranger things have happened), representing (or giving credit where credit is due) is always a good thing! Not to mention it's just respectful.

Who are you "talking" to?
Who is your audience and what do you want them to learn from your findings and what do you want to leave your audience thinking about?

Building your message
What tools are you using to gather your information? Who is part of the process? What time elements are involved? Who is responsible for what tasks? The list goes on and on.

Delivery method
Get to the point and have fun with it in the process. You could be on a cruise ship, you could climb a mountain, you could be at the zoo, you could be in a classroom, you could be in your own home. Make sure you have brochures, a web site, a video link or something tangible people can resort to. Maybe your case study is a two-piece research project! There's always a creative, fun way to spread the word. In fact, CEO and founder Beth LaBreche of LaBreche tweeted about this one and it's the original inspiration behind me writing this blog.

Statistics and recordings
What numbers were you after and did you find what you needed in order to make a supported and educated finding? If not, go back and do more research!

Testimonials
Is there someone you can quote? Is there audio or a visual? Get picky and make it selective process.

Who benefits from your findings?
Just because you have your selected audience doesn't necessarily mean they're all going to dive in and be able to take something away from your findings. But this is an important question to ask.

Follow up, follow up, follow up
It is so important to ask for feedback because there's always room for improvement no matter how good you are or how many times you've done something. Oh, and it's always a good thing to add more names to your rolodex!!

These are just a few things to consider. I'll maybe add more in time.

Have a few things you'd like to add to list? Please comment below! Want to steal an idea of mine? All I ask is that you give me credit!

Here's a couple of other sources I found that helped me out! Ironically (or not), they all have the same title.

Evolving Practice: What makes a good case study?
Computer Weekly.com: Ata: What makes a good case study?
Tattle Tech: What makes a good case study?

The dark side

I'm setting the scene for you:

You walk into a room and the first five people you encounter are people you know really well and have great relationships with for the most part. They have a job they really enjoy, they have a good time and don't take life too seriously, yet are more or less on the conservative side. They have a great spouse, a great taste in fashion, they're healthy, friendly and for the most part, pretty content with life. You overall enjoy their company and like talking to them.

But one big thing about them drives you absolutely nuts. They only the see the negative side first when you talk about something they're not too keen on and jump to conclusions quicker than you can blink from time to time.

How often to do you care to speak to them?
What is it about them that keeps you coming back for more conversations?

Do you have a "Lanny" employee?

I'm attracted to people who love their job, who feed off of others inspiration and who've bascially found the bus and are in the right seat.

In roughly November 2009, I saw a commercial for a trailer of a new Disney movie called "Prep and Landing". It's a Christmas movie about prepping the house for Santa and ensuring he has a safe landing.

Lanny is a new guy at Prep and Landing who is, without a doubt, on the right bus and sitting in exactly the right seat.

Wayne has been working at Prep and Landing for more than 200 years and Lanny, at first, looks to Wayne as the guy he's been waiting to work with for a long, long time. Unfortunately, Wayne's attitude is all about the title of his job, not the impact he's making and even though Lanny is a pretty naive guy, he's not blind and learns how to quickly take charge.
To understand and see the whole picture I'm painting, you'd have to watch this 30-minute Disney movie special because there's a huge chunk of the story that is missing in these YouTube clips I'm sharing with you.
To get a pretty good glimpse of what it is I'm talking about (as in, the whole picture I’m trying to paint), check out this behind the scenes clip of the makers at Disney who are the creators of Prep and Landing; their ideas, what they wanted to create & the new 'spin' they wanted in a new Christmas movie special.

The point I wanted to get across is that in this 7-minute clip, you can easily see the difference between work ethics and who gives a damn about their job and how it impacts/affects those around them...for even years to come.






What first attracted me to this movie? Well, it's "so tinsel!!!" And there's plenty more where that came from!!

At the end of the day, when I’m not breaking down messages and thinking about how I see something portrayed, I really do enjoy Prep and Landing. It’s a fantastic movie that I laugh so hard along with –it’s actually kind of ridiculous…then again in my defense I’m just easily entertained – but it reminds me that when someone loves their job you can just see it in their work. Attitude is only part of the job description, no matter what yours is.

Show people what you can do and if you truly love it, you’ll intrigue them in ways you never thought possible.

Do you have a “Lanny” at your company or working within your business? If your answer is no, that is one spooky bus and I don’t want to know what you’ve been sweeping under the rug. To understand what I mean by that, click on the first link in this blog, which is the book review I did on Jim Collins’ “Good To Great”.

Free publicity exists, it's just rarely heard

People say that there's no such thing as free publicity. I think that's completely inaccurate.

Where can you find it? Well, that's just it. It's out there but the reason it's hard to find is because the person who is supposedly driving the car in fact isn't driving the car at all. The other person is...that is the person being interviewed.

And that's the reason the person supposedly driving the car is not getting any ROI from what they're doing among the other things I've listed:
They don't have a purpose.
They don't have a focused audience.
They haven't done any research, instead they just ask questions.
They don't prep their interviewee for their questions.
They don't contact them ahead of time to ask if they have anything big they want mentioned.
They don't follow-up.

That's why they call it free publicity because it never really goes anywhere for either party.

Well, it's obvious whose in control here and that's not how interviews work. Whose holding the microphone again??

Free publicity exists, but because of poor preperation, the interviewers voice is rarely ever heard and the ROI simply gets washed away and it's completely possible that both parties voices will never see the light of day.

Wow. What a sad ending.

"Good To Great" by Jim Collins

Everyone wants to have a meaningful job to have a purposeful meaning in the work force. When you find out what it is you want to do –which is half the battle in my opinion – how do you settle for doing anything less than doing just that and not making it great? You shouldn’t. Unfortunately, many people do.

When you decide to join a team, you’re deciding to work for someone who has a dream of making their company nothing short than the best it can be so if you’re a manager and someone is bringing down the team, be ruthless so they can get on with their life and you can continue bringing the right people on the team.

Jim Collins has opened my eyes and now I’m starting to ask questions of my own, but I will leave those out. Here’s what I took away from this book:

- The “bus” concept; get the right people on the bus and be rigorous. Don’t settle until you find the best candidate for the position. Once you’ve found the right people, make sure the seat you put them in is where they’ll be most effective. Oh and move them around as needed!

- The idea of creating a climate where the truth is heard and not swept under a rug. In other words:
1) You don’t always have to have an agenda ready for a business meeting. I said that’s an important factor after reading Peter Shankman’s “Can You Do That?!” book, but sometimes, having an agenda will get you no where in a meeting so get creative! In other words, I don’t take back what I mentioned in the book review I did for his book, but I don’t want to leave out the fact that I’m “on the fence” regarding agendas. Don’t be afraid to break out the white board people!! :)
2) If your employees are having a heated and healthy argument to the point where their veins are buldging out of their neck, let ‘em go at it. When you put passionate people together, beautiful things collide in the most unexpected ways!
3) When you have the right people on the bus, listen to them. Period. You did hire them for a reason!
4) Just because you’re the CEO or president or vice president doesn’t mean you’re all powerful and mighty. Maybe the way you’re running one thing in the company verses another is just not working. Allow your employees to “red flag” you because either they don’t understand what you’re saying or they understand what you’re saying, but you could possibly be putting a good idea on hold for a great idea your employee has!

- The Hedgehog Concept: I’m stealing these right outta the book.
1) What can you be the best in the world at (and equally important, what you cannot be the best in the world at)?
2) What drives your economic engine?
3) What are you deeply passionate about?

- “To Do” lists are just as important as “Stop Doing” lists.

- Technology can accelerate a transformation, but technology cannot cause a transformation.

- And I’ve saved the “best” for last:
Level 5 Leaders:
“They are fanatically driven, infected with an incurable need to produce results. They will sell the mills or fire their brother, if that’s what it takes to make the company great.” You can find that quote on page 30 of the book.

And for the road, a couple of quotes that stood out to me within the 210 pages.

Page 50:
“The right people will do the right things and deliver the best results they’re capable of, regardless of the incentive system.”

Page 62:
“No matter what we achieve, if we don’t spend the vast majority of our time with people we love and respect, we cannot possibly have a great life.”

I've learned quite a bit from Collins and I plan on reading "Built To Last" in time.

Can We Do That?! by Peter Shankman

The first phrase that comes to mind for me while reading “Can We Do That?!” by Peter Shankman for the second time (and half-way through it) is: believe in yourself or we’re all doomed. I can only help but wonder what businesses wouldn’t be around today if someone pulled their own plug.

Moving on.

A couple of things (or many things) I’ve learned from Shankman the second time around.

- Just because you know someone in your industry because of how well-known they are and you are inspired by their energy does not mean everyone around you will know who they are.
--> In other words, spoon-feeding the information to someone from the ground up will make them feel less lost, more likely to listen to you and in the end, when you’ve done your research, you look like the genius. Therefore, be brilliant and become a “genius”. It’s a simple logic a lot of people forget to think about.

- Doing something really cool and you want to drop a reporter you’ve never contacted before an e-mail? Explain who YOU are first because YOU are the person their going to be contacting if they have any questions…not your client.
--> Also, if it’s the first time you’re contacting them, make sure you’ve done some research and know who they are and why you’re pitching them. It would drive me bonkers (no really, it would), if someone contacted me and they pitched me effectively, but I had no idea how they know who I am. I personally think it’s very important that that extra little connection is there because as they say, a little bit goes a long way.

- When it comes to numbers: no matter what a number represents, do NOT let it control you; age, stock, cash-flow, etc.
-->If you’re super inspired, psyched, pumped, amped up about what you’re doing and you’re good at it, let the numbers fall as they will, but don’t forget that there is always (or so I would hope) a goal you want to attain and conquer.

“One of the things I like most about being in PR is that there’s always something to outdo.” – Peter Shankman

That quote…is why I chose (without evening knowing it at the time) to go into PR. It’s exactly what I need. Because I cannot seem to quit thinking and challenging myself –small or big. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: sometimes the challenge is a personal goal I set for myself that no one else needs to know about.

Shankman refers to another big idea to consider: someone called a “Stopper” and being prepared to “ROAR” (Responsibility, Opportunities, Awareness, Results) at them with the right answers to ANY (and I mean ANY) questions they might have. If you haven’t caught on yet, this means you have done your research and put everything on the table that could possible go wrong in the case that someone could sue you and/or the company you work for. There are no gray areas with Stoppers. They will say no faster than you can blink if you don’t have all the answers they want.

For me, “ROAR” is much like what I learned in the classroom: “SWOT” an acronym for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats.

The term “under-promise and over-deliver” comes to mind as it goes well with either acronym. If you don’t see this phrase everyday, I’d advise you post it somewhere. Why? It’s a simple way of reminding you that YOU are essential to the project. Educate yourself, communicate with your team members, set meeting times for business purposes to keep everyone on track, have an agenda and bring to life whatever is it you believe in.

There’s a line that pops out and SCREAMS at me in Shankman’s book when it comes to PR, Marketing and telling people about your business and what it means to them or why they should even consider spending their precious time realizing what it is you do: “The problem is, with constant noise comes very little signal” and with that said, the first virtual tool that comes to mind is Twitter and followed very closely behind that? Facebook.
Shankman is referring to people attempting to stand out from the crowd and advertise their business in some matter. There are much better ways to do reach for your future customers so get dirty and creative and make it fun!! People forget that just because you're an adult doesn't mean the "fun-o-meter" has dissapeared. You will thank yourself for doing so.

A couple more tips I couldn’t agree with anymore than I already do?
- Always take the meeting.
- If you run into a problem, find a way to turn it into an advantage for you and your client.
- Don’t spend time blaming; work the problem out and find a solution.

Shankman is a smart guy. Wait, that’s an understatement. He doesn’t waste anybody’s time; he’s good at what he does and I’ve resorted to his book twice now because I know that Shankman not only means business, but he’s been around the globe a few times and people trust him. Oh and the guy and doesn’t take life too seriously…I mean, he’s only skydived a couple hundred (or a few hundred) times. I stopped keeping track.

Thanks Peter Shankman for keeping my wheels turning.

I’m sure I’ll pick up your book again and read it for the third time, in time. That would set a record for me.

The next mile-stone and what I see in my future

You can't buy success. You can't buy experience. You can't buy amazing friends. You can't buy a journey. You can't buy happiness or joy or even...love.

Every single one of these precious mile-stones comes when the timing is right and when it's meant to be, it sticks around...forever. Yes, each of these mile-stones can dissapear for a while, but the best things that are made to make you who are will be there, always.

I have 28 days until my birthday rolls around. I've been really silent this week with my blog. Yes, I've been this silent before but that's because I wasn't thinking about my blog or anything but personal content to write about but that's not what my blog is here for; personal testimonies that only affect me. My blog is here for me to continue growing, learning and connecting...with you. Essentially, this time, I've been silent for a different reason: I have not stopped thinking about ideas I want to bring to the table, topics or experiences I want to tell you about through my blog or where I see myself going next and experiencing.

I picked up a book yesterday that is going to change the way I've been thinking the last 6 months. And 6 months ago, my way of thinking changed into my current (soon to be "old") pattern. Or maybe it won't "change". My thought process has been more productive in the last 6 months than it has in my entire life. I'm going to call it the next journey that will be filled with amazing friends, happiness, joy and love.

If you've heard of Jim Collins, then you've heard of his book Good To Great. I'm on page 40 and after work tonight, I will continue reading this book. I'm not going to give you a sneak peak of what I've been learning and how engaged I've become because it's THAT good.

This is step two in my journey: finishing Good To Great. I might as well get a 28-day head start, right??

What was step one? So far, it's been a six-part series I've been calling "Hire Rachel Ryan Campaign" (#HRR <-- on Twitter):
1) Five things you might not know about Rachel Ryan
2) Why do I write about what I write about
3) What my capabilities are in the work force
4) My interests outside of mass communicating
5) Twitter and Facebook: building relationships, utilizing without abusing old-fashioned invitations
6) Societies expectations

There's more where all of that came from and I'm not even close to done.

Folks, I'm just getting started and I hope you'll stick around for what's to come. Once again, I'm leaving you in suspense...just the way I like it. ;-)

Sunday "blues"

This is a night where I normally have a topic ready to go for a video blog, get my camera set up, do my own make up, wardrobe and hair and then it's lights camera ... action!

Unfortunately, tonight I'm dissapointed because I simply do not have the energy to do a video blog and I think my sleep is more important tonight. I was out in the sun nearly all day from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. lifeguarding and then I had an in-service tonight at work.
I absolutely LOVE doing these video blogs and though I'm in the beginning stages, I just decided to write a blog and be honest about my mental state of mind tonight.

Tomorrow, my schedule is just as crazy, but I'll be teaching swim lessons so I won't be as exhausted. I'm going to do my best to pull something together tomorrow and hopefully YouTube won't be too slow for an upload. It'd be fantastic if I could get the video blog done in the morning BEFORE my lessons!! Sooooo that means, if I go to bed now, I'll be up by probably 6 or so? I don't plan on crashing for a full 12 hours as I don't think I'm quite at that level of exhaustion. I can handle 6 a.m. though!! Whose gonna call me or text me to send me a reminder though?!?! Kidding!!

I have a couple of fun things up my sleeve regarding my "Hire Rachel Ryan Campaign" (#HRR <-- on Twitter) and I'm so ready for this week to begin. My 9-hour work day is over and my night is just "beginning" through getting some much needed rest so I can be amped up for the remainder of this week! This is my blog and although consistency is important, my lack of "alertness" tonight is going to win and I'm sorry if you were looking forward to watching another video blog. I'm just as "blue" as you are! ;)

I hope that you (yeah you!) had a fantastic weekend! Enjoy Monday and do something awesome for someone tomorrow; give a compliment, buy the person standing right behind you coffee (without telling them), smile at someone if you think their having a bad day or something else that is simple and doesn't cost you more than $5. Little things make a big difference. Remember that! :)

Thank you for being *says next word in a high pitched/muted voice* FABULOUS!!

#HRRC: Societies expectations

Originally, I wanted to talk about how I manage my time, but then I realized I really wanted to talk about how society had painted a particular "run of the mill life" picture for me and I realized that I over time, I had to find out what it really meant for me and how I'm managing my own life.

Two biggest things I've learned:
1) 'Titles', also known as status's don't define who we are in the work force; it gives us an advantage to do what something we're good at, without having to 'prove' anything.
2) Every situation is an opportunity; you write your own story while remembering that you can't always control what cards you're dealt, but you sure can choose how you play those cards.

#HRRC: Twitter and Facebook: building relationships, utilizing without abusing and old-fashioned invitations

I have a pickle with my generation (maybe even a couple of others) and how we communicate with each other. This video blog is inspired by recent and past events that I've personally been affected by through the use of Twitter and Facebook. I'm not saying that I'm necessarily right or that I have all of the answers, but I am asking you for your opinion, your thoughts and what you think.

Think before you post an update, tweet a tweet, invite someone to an event or recognize a famous person for something they said.

Is it possible we're abusing our own self-worth or looking for the easy way out/in to do something or just slightly recognize and then leave before even saying hi?

Are you being real and actually acting on progressive and purposeful intensions? Do you know who you're even contacting? Do they even realize they're being contacted??

#HRRC: My interests outside of mass communicating

I'm not always strictly business and nobody out there is.

I, for some random reason, decided I wanted to tell you about my other interests are when I'm not "mass communicating" or thinking about it.

Part 4:


To rewind for "Hire Rachel Ryan" (#HRRC <-- via Twitter) check out the following links: Part 1: Five things you might not know about Rachel Ryan Video
Blog

Part 2: Why do I write about what I write about
Video
Blog

Part 3: What my capabilities are in the work force
Video
Blog

Feedback is more than welcome! :)

Wired, intellectual conversations

My brain is wired a good chunk of the time I'm awake and sometimes I have issues getting to bed at a decent time. Why?

I do not drink coffee.

I do not drink pop...because I cut it out of my "diet".

I have had the most intellectual conversations with someone I met this year and every time we meet, I'm more intrigued. It's like an amazing drug that I cannot wait to consume and I'm anything but "powerless" when we go our separate ways. I always look forward to when we'll meet again.

Here's the deal:
You get a new chance everyday to make something happen, so take every opportunity that feels right, take it into your possession -in whatever form that might be, use it to your advantage, ask questions or become the questionaire and deliver results (measureable or not) that in "x" amount of years down the road will allow you to tell a story that will captivate those around you.

Rules:
- Don't wait for the sun to rise but don't wait for the sun to set.
- Don't wait for leaders; do it alone...in other words, 'build it and they will come'.
- Don't pull teeth where another persons brain gets your wave frequency.
- Don't limit yourself because, well, just don't.

Oh and biggest thing to remember: be yourself because everyone else is already taken and you are the only person who knows you best. You cannot control the cards you are given, but you can definitely control how you play them.

#HRRC: What my capabilities are in the work force

There is more to me than social media, Switchfoot, Jeep Wranglers, Twitter, blogging, my Mizuno's, Facebook and Diet Coke. But these are all things that make up a big part of who I am, some more than others.

In my third video, I talk about what my career goals are. What is it I want to be doing? Please understand this is just the icing on the cake and these are just a few "visions" I have for myself. There are so many opportunitites out there and I don't want you to think that what I mention is all I'm after.

I'm continually growing and learning and I don't want to limit myself by any means. As I've stated before, this is an opportunity for you to get to know the person behind the writing and realize that I am a person; not a spammar, not a "wannabe" image of anyone else, not an "expert" of this or that because we all learn from each other daily however, I know what I'm good at. Oh, and I'm not someone whose just twiddling their fingers waiting for you to come to me.

I've thought about whether or not I want to continue making these videos in the same spot or if I want to change things up. I'm looking at blue and green screen backdrops because these videos are something I really enjoy making.

Without further ado, here's my video for part 3. Feel free to comment or contact me here on my blog.

To rewind for "Hire Rachel Ryan" (#HRRC <-- via Twitter): Here's the links to part 1: Video
Blog

Here's the links to part 2:
Video
Blog

Captain Jack's in Prior Lake

Today is my Mom's birthday. We definitely have our differences, but regardless, I still love her and there are times where I wouldn't know what I would do without her. She's a person I confide in, but also the person who has shown me what hard work, persistance, tough love and where ideal judgement can bring a person.

Well, the other day, my StepDad called me and asked me if we should go to Rudy's Red Eye in Lakeville to celebrate her birthday. Not gonna lie. I rolled my eyes and simply stated "no" and that we needed to do something different and fun. Get outta dodge...even if it only meant going to a different city.

My sister recommended a restaurant right off Prior Lake called Captain Jack's. This place was FUN!!

They had a bar on the patio (lower level) right next to the water. And at the bar there are swings. Ohhh dear. Put a few drinks in someone on one of those swings and it could easily make a scene!!

For dinner, I had their Chicken Enchiladas. Very, very delicious.

I'm keeping my post short tonight, but wanted to give these guys a shout out. Their food is delicious (they serve breakfast from 10am-1pm), the view of the lake is spectacular, the swinging bar "stools" rocked and the company of wildlife (3 ducks were on patio) added a nice touch. I fed one of them a crouton. :)

I would highly recommend if you're looking to kinda get out of the city, but still want awesome food and friendly service to check out Captain Jack's.

Let me know what you think of it!

Miracles happen everyday

Less than 5 minutes before this very moment of deciding what I wanted to write about tonight, I actually didn't think I would be writing a blog tonight. My goal is to write a blog every day this week. Why? Because it's a challenge for me and I've been putting myself up to these quite a bit recently.

Tonight, I was supposed to do another video blog and post it on YouTube and write a short blog about it since I did one on Sunday and another on Tuesday. I suppose I could wait until Thursday night since I will be far more energized and more awake. It just wouldn't make sense for me to force something and tire myself out yet again and get sick...again. Not worth it. My health comes first.

Speaking of health (and the main reason of why I decided to write a blog at the last minute), today, I learned about an incident one of my co-workers was in at the Leadville 100, a Life Time Fitness biking event that I believe takes place every year in Colorado in the small town of Leadville. I consider this guy to be a friend of mine to the point where if I saw him outside of work, I wouldn't have any problems approaching him and starting a conversation. He's the person I directed my parents to talk to about opening their membership with Life Time Fitness as well! Why? I knew he would give them the best service and not try to sell them a bunch of other stuff they're really not interested in; he's so far guided them in the right direction and both of my parents are doing very well with their goals thus far.
When I learned that he nearly lost his life on Saturday and how his life was saved by two men, I immediately thought about how every time I see him, I make a point to wave my hand or smile or stop into his office if he doesn't look busy and say hi. It also made me think about my life (all over again) and where I'm at in my career, relationships and how I've been communicating; specifically who've I've been communicating with.

From what I've heard, he's making a good recovery thus far, but I haven't really been able to stop thinking about him or his family. I've known all along he's married, but had no idea if he had kids. Today, I discovered he has two little girls; one is 11 the other is 13. He's currently in Colorado at a hospital and I really wish he was here in the Twin Cities so I could go visit him.

My heart is heavy, but I believe that he will pull through this. He is an avid biker, has a big heart, doesn't take life too seriously, but works hard to achieve the goals he sets for himself and I miss his smiling face.

To my family and friends: I love you all so much and I don't tell you that enough, but I do my best to find the right way to tell you. Sometimes, I'm just not quite sure how to say it, but I should say it way more, regardless. At the end of the day, no matter how we communicate, I am grateful for all of your support and listening to me, even when I might not make complete sense.

To my friend tonight whose about 1,200 miles away from home tonight, you are missed and I can't wait to be able to see your smiling face. Take care and know I'm thinking of you in these difficult times.

The Test; what a lot of people seem to "fail" at

Note: This is a two-part series. You can read part one here.

You have the ability and option to stand out. Right now, the economy is still not good. This is actually a “test” for people and I thought about it tonight at work. Some don’t realize how big the “test” really is.

What are you passionate about? What are your goals? What drives you? What wakes you up in the morning? What keeps you up at night from being able to contently close your eyes? What feeds your soul? What attracts other people to you?

Pause.

Re-read that last question. Well, go on! :)

Unfortunately, I’m writing this from a creative perspective. Huh. That might not be such a good thing for you though. Or it is? Did you take art class or band or theater or architecture 101? No? That doesn’t mean you’re not creative by any means. Everyone is creative, you just have your own ideas of what is creativity. There is no law telling you what the definition of being creative is. Ever thought about that?

If you want the job bad enough, show it. Prove it. Live it. Become the job. But don’t get cocky and don’t just stand there and try looking good regardless to whether or not you have natural beauty. Have a brain? Use it. It’s actually sexy and appealing.

Take life by the reigns, put your own words into actions and a terrible thing happens: no one else to blame. It's your life. As Switchfoot would say, become who you are. It happens once in a life time.

#HRRC: Why do I write about what I write about

This is my blog and I write about various topics. But, I gurantee one of the top 10 questions anyone is asked as a blogger is what they write about.

I don't think I've written about this yet, so I decided to make a video on it instead to add to my #HRRC!



A couple of things:
First off, the blog post that I reference with Switchfoot, you can find that here.

Second, as far as running in my Mizuno's, I haven't worn them in about 4 weeks. Why? I was sick for a while and had to take care of my body before getting back into any form of training. What I am I training for? I'd like to run an event with Life Time Fitness, or any 5K or 7K. I should find an online program that works best for me so I can track my progress and have real stats to base my progress off of. I don't know if I want and/or need everyone seeing my stats though, so that's something I should consider.
My first 5K, I ran? I kept the blog short and sweet and even have my stats 'logged' there on there, so if you're interested, click here to read that.
The other blog I wrote? Yes, unfortunately (for me), I only have two posts written about this. Yikes!! You can find that here and though it's a bit longer, you could say it's because I ran into some of my own "technical" difficulties! ;)

I really hope you're liking these videos.

Do me a favor and pick my brain!! I'm know I'm just in the beginning stages of this, so maybe you're not sure what to ask, but this is a pretty fun for me so I'm going to keep doing it.

Need to rewind? Here you go:
Part 1: Five things you might not know about Rachel Ryan
Blog
Video

Not just a lifeguard

Note: This is a two-part series. You can read part two here.

I wear a whistle, swimsuit and wind-breaker pants and jacket to work. My hair is usually pulled back in a bun and I cannot stand it when my legs aren't shaved. I rarely wear makeup, even outside of the "office" and I deal with people of all shapes and sizes everyday.

I went through 32 hours of training to earn my lifeguard, first aid and CPR/AED certification. I battled for 3 weeks to get my current job. The process took extra long because of a change in department heads.

Less than 1 month into my job, I became a swim instructor and went through even more training. I now teach about 70 kids, weekly. I know I'm good at it because parents keep requesting for me to be their childs instructor and I'm complimented quite often.

I was promoted to a supervisor position within 4 months and when I supervise, I'm managing a team of 6-7 lifeguards, plus taking initative on deck with members.

I'm also required to attend monthly in-services which typically last 2 hours on Sunday evening where we have about 3 real-life scenarios we act out that could happen at our pool. The water is sometimes cold, but I have to get in because it's my job, it pays my bills and I find ways to make it fun! How? I volunteer myself as much as possible at in-services to be the victim, first or second rescuer. Why?
It makes me feel:
A) Valuable
B) It's a great refresher and I'm a hands-on person

I'm fortunate to be working with kick-a** team members. My boss works her tail off and she trusts us to do our job the right way. She's not what I would call an "eagle eye" and I plan on keeping in touch with her, even after I depart from my position.

What has this job taught me?
- You have the ability to develope others perceptions of your job by how you talk about it. I don't care what position you have with any company...being positive is attractive and sexy! You never know whose listening!
- People come to the business I work at for multiple reasons and I choose to accept that I have the ability to "make or hinder" their day.
- People will walk all over you if you don't set the record straight.
- Take yourself seriously, but make sure you can have fun, too, and give yourself credit where you can; no one is perfect but there's always room for improvement.

I can't find the article from Fortune magazine that inspired these thoughts of mine on their web site. But another blog post of mine coming up is actually the whole influence behind this post. Also, a new project I've put myself up for is also making me think in a different light. Maybe you've seen it? If not, check it out!

We've put ourselves in a tough, tough market because of how we've chosen to live. You can't blame just the government for putting us in the shoes we're in today. Hey...if the shoes fits...

Also, if you don't take control of your life, don't complain when someone else does. Need some fresh air but swear you don't have time for a 15 minute break? I disagree, unless you're working on a deadline and the project is due in an hour (in that case, why are you reading this?) and you're in hot water if you don't get it done. Someday, I might be living this scenario. Scary.

A quote from this article in Fortune (August 16, 2010 in the Special Adertising Section) that I pulled:
"...human resource managers report that workers want to feel that their employers truly understand them. For Scripps Health, that means designing a workplace built around the different life stages of its employees. 'If you focus on the things that really matter to people, rather than what HR might think matters, you'll get good results,' says [Vic] Buzachero."
Note: *Buzachero, corporate senior vice president for innovation, human resources, and performance management at Scripps Health, a not-for-profit health care delivery network based in San Diego.

*Also a direct quote from article in Fortune

#HRRC: Five things you might not know about Rachel Ryan

I did a video blog yesterday and even though it took forever to upload, I FINALLY have something for you to see of me...in person. Most important part: I want to know your thoughts.

Do you like it? Hate it? Want to see more videos like this? Should the next one be longer? Shorter? What are questions do you have for me? Pick my brain. Please!! :)

The twitter hashtag to follow for these is #HRRC, which stands for "Hire Rachel Ryan Campaign".


This is essentially a "part one" of why any company out there should hire me. This is me telling you what is it I can bring to table. It's simple, but it's real and I'm just being me.


I have a couple of other ideas in the works, but those are still in the process of being ironed out. Thanks so much and feedback is strongly encouraged!



P.S. The musical group I'm referring to (I stumbled over my own tongue a little bit here) is Switchfoot. :)