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.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
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. :)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Crazy, busy, but good stuff!
Dear Followers, Tweeps and Friends -
I told myself that 2010 was going to be a year of change for me. I also told myself no more "what ifs" or "wish I would haves" are allowed.
Here's what's been my life for the past month.
I have been pushing myself to the limit, nearly every day of every week so far. I pack snacks -try to eat my "7 small meals", I've been waking up at nearly 6:30 or 8 a.m. depending on what day of the week it is, I'm doing my best to run 1.5 miles every day at Life Time Fitness. If I don't get my run in, I don't kick myself. Tonight, I didn't get that run in because I tend to be a bit of a night owl even with my schedule and didn't get to bed early enough last night. I'm also lifting weights and taking two new classes: MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and No Limits. I'm working on a Cycling class as well since I'm doing the Lakeville Life Time Fitness Triathalon March 14. I think that's the correct date.
Work at Life Time is busy, but fun and interactive. I appreciate my team, the lifeguards, swim instructors, our director and the Departments Heads in other areas of the club. We have a fantastic General Manager, Terrell Battle who I try and say hi to and touch base with every time I work. Which reminds me, I have a couple of things I want him to know before this week ends.
I teach 51 students every week and I have been pushing some students to their limit --the parents have been appreciating it, cheering their children along with me and their kids trust me, even when they think they cannot do the "impossible." When I left work last Saturday morning and walked through the Family Locker Room, I heard at least 3 kids saying "Bye Ms. Rachel!! Bye Ms. Rachel!!" It makes my heart smile. I'm getting feedback from our deck supervisor and director telling me how much my kids' parents adore my teaching skills and how "fantastic" they think I am. This is unbelieveably encouraging. I'm not really one to brag, but this makes me feel so good as a person, employee and mentor. I'm making myself more valuable to this company and this is part of our Vision Statement.
This evening when I met @AndreaKopfmann at Caribou in Lakeville, a lady (I think a manager) recognized me and asked me if I teach swim lessons at Life Time. Haha. :)
I've been interning at BRIO and we have a fabulous, brand-spankin new layout. I love it! I've been writing book reviews, making phone calls for book donations, speaking engagements, writing blogs and soon, I'll be going on a couple tours. I'm choosing to not disclose much information about that yet. Been learning a lot about writing and the classroom textbook information is coming back and I'm being reminded of good things.
What else is new? My schedule is nearly booked until beginning of April, but I make time for friends and family still, even if we have to plan out a couple of weeks or months if you wanna hang out with @SimonLeung. This is typical, right? FYI, until April, Saturday's and Sunday's work best, but I can make exceptions ;)
I still have not gone ice fishing (what the heck?!), I think I'm hitting the slopes soon to learn how to snowboard with @kareemy --I've been putting this on hold now for years. I used to ski all the time when I was younger.
I'm beginning to work on a project I hope to put on paper and present to Life Time Fitness someday with @robertstanke and other Life Timers, if they so choose to jump on board. I'll disclose details later. *cue heavy Beethoven piano music* :)
I believe this is about everything I've been doing with my time. I still don't have internet on my phone. I'm too stubborn for technology sometimes. Maybe it's for the better. :)
Thanks for reading tweeps. Comments/feedback are always welcome here.
I told myself that 2010 was going to be a year of change for me. I also told myself no more "what ifs" or "wish I would haves" are allowed.
Here's what's been my life for the past month.
I have been pushing myself to the limit, nearly every day of every week so far. I pack snacks -try to eat my "7 small meals", I've been waking up at nearly 6:30 or 8 a.m. depending on what day of the week it is, I'm doing my best to run 1.5 miles every day at Life Time Fitness. If I don't get my run in, I don't kick myself. Tonight, I didn't get that run in because I tend to be a bit of a night owl even with my schedule and didn't get to bed early enough last night. I'm also lifting weights and taking two new classes: MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and No Limits. I'm working on a Cycling class as well since I'm doing the Lakeville Life Time Fitness Triathalon March 14. I think that's the correct date.
Work at Life Time is busy, but fun and interactive. I appreciate my team, the lifeguards, swim instructors, our director and the Departments Heads in other areas of the club. We have a fantastic General Manager, Terrell Battle who I try and say hi to and touch base with every time I work. Which reminds me, I have a couple of things I want him to know before this week ends.
I teach 51 students every week and I have been pushing some students to their limit --the parents have been appreciating it, cheering their children along with me and their kids trust me, even when they think they cannot do the "impossible." When I left work last Saturday morning and walked through the Family Locker Room, I heard at least 3 kids saying "Bye Ms. Rachel!! Bye Ms. Rachel!!" It makes my heart smile. I'm getting feedback from our deck supervisor and director telling me how much my kids' parents adore my teaching skills and how "fantastic" they think I am. This is unbelieveably encouraging. I'm not really one to brag, but this makes me feel so good as a person, employee and mentor. I'm making myself more valuable to this company and this is part of our Vision Statement.
This evening when I met @AndreaKopfmann at Caribou in Lakeville, a lady (I think a manager) recognized me and asked me if I teach swim lessons at Life Time. Haha. :)
I've been interning at BRIO and we have a fabulous, brand-spankin new layout. I love it! I've been writing book reviews, making phone calls for book donations, speaking engagements, writing blogs and soon, I'll be going on a couple tours. I'm choosing to not disclose much information about that yet. Been learning a lot about writing and the classroom textbook information is coming back and I'm being reminded of good things.
What else is new? My schedule is nearly booked until beginning of April, but I make time for friends and family still, even if we have to plan out a couple of weeks or months if you wanna hang out with @SimonLeung. This is typical, right? FYI, until April, Saturday's and Sunday's work best, but I can make exceptions ;)
I still have not gone ice fishing (what the heck?!), I think I'm hitting the slopes soon to learn how to snowboard with @kareemy --I've been putting this on hold now for years. I used to ski all the time when I was younger.
I'm beginning to work on a project I hope to put on paper and present to Life Time Fitness someday with @robertstanke and other Life Timers, if they so choose to jump on board. I'll disclose details later. *cue heavy Beethoven piano music* :)
I believe this is about everything I've been doing with my time. I still don't have internet on my phone. I'm too stubborn for technology sometimes. Maybe it's for the better. :)
Thanks for reading tweeps. Comments/feedback are always welcome here.
PR Tips
Achieving a degree in Mass Communications paves a road for those who want to submerge themselves into the world of social media.
First and foremost, journalists and public relations practitioners know social media is a business world and the most important first step in to maintain 100 percent credibility; you will go no where quickly without it.
Second step is to know your audience as it's your job to keep them interested and informed. Third step is simple, yet difficult for some: follow through with clients and continue to make those connections personable. People like to see and hear their name.
Find ways to campaign your message -or product- that will keep your audience captivated and hungry for more. Social media is filled with opportunities of different kinds as it's a fast-paced world, constantly changing and evolving every day. There are many different ways to communicate and reach out to the public; fundraisers, press releases, networking, meet-ups, marketing pojects, advertising, blog posts and list goes on and on.
Strategic commuication and campaigning go hand in hand as social media is a conversation.
Be present, be on time, know your facts, and be ready to brace to unexpected.
Bottom line, if you cannot connect with people, you simply won't be successful in the business world.
First and foremost, journalists and public relations practitioners know social media is a business world and the most important first step in to maintain 100 percent credibility; you will go no where quickly without it.
Second step is to know your audience as it's your job to keep them interested and informed. Third step is simple, yet difficult for some: follow through with clients and continue to make those connections personable. People like to see and hear their name.
Find ways to campaign your message -or product- that will keep your audience captivated and hungry for more. Social media is filled with opportunities of different kinds as it's a fast-paced world, constantly changing and evolving every day. There are many different ways to communicate and reach out to the public; fundraisers, press releases, networking, meet-ups, marketing pojects, advertising, blog posts and list goes on and on.
Strategic commuication and campaigning go hand in hand as social media is a conversation.
Be present, be on time, know your facts, and be ready to brace to unexpected.
Bottom line, if you cannot connect with people, you simply won't be successful in the business world.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Twitter #FollowFriday list
"Too often, we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." -- Leo Buscaglia
I've been doing my best to change my way of life for the past two years and only recently has it gotten easier for me, but alas, I'm still growing. I want to be surrounded by people who make me a better person, virtual or not. I want to continue to pursue and change my attitude so that instead instead of walking "a mile in someone shoes", I'm constantly learning and growing with them. This life is all we have and I want to make the most of it.
"Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is." -- Mary Anne Radmacher
I have many followers and I'm proud of this. I feel like I have 10 new people I want others to know and 10 people who I'm constantly mentioning on Twitter for others to follow. This is a list of people who encourage me daily, in one way or another and I appreciate the relationship I have with each one, for different reasons. People I meet along the way on Twitter, I will most likely add to this list.
Here's people who I follow that definitely stick with me and I think of through-out most of my days during the week.
@PRSarahEvans; location - Elgin, Illinois. I'm a huge, huge fan of Sarah's. Never met her in real life, but plan on attempting to make that happen in 2010. She is an entrepreneur and began her own media consulting company, Sevans Strategy, in 2009. She is the founder of #journchat, the top-trending weekly live chat between PR professionals, journalists and bloggers, taking place on Monday evenings. She is also a guest-writer for Mashable, founded by Pete Cashmore (@mashable) which is one of the most popular social media blogs in the world. You can also find her on Facebook, and at any given time, she's bound to be wearing one of these --after all, someday she just might own them! ;)
@Scott_Bryant; location - Portland. Scott loves to make you laugh, is a great photographer and is a lover of life who opens my eyes through his blog. I'm looking forward to meeting him this year, most likely this summer. He's a great friend, has a huge huge heart and makes animated voice-overs that are entertaining in a way that make you smile because you know he's having fun and is testing out new areas. Add him on Facebook, click on his videos, and you'll see what I mean.
His catch phrase seems to be "never put all of your eggs in one basket." He's a smart guy.
@RochelleVeturis; location - Orange County, California. Rochelle brings inspiration to my life, is a great mentor, advocate, peer, lover of life, Tweet Meet Ups and belongs to the #OCTriumvirate (she's the oldest and her sisters are listed next on my list). They also have @ourdogally, who is probably the most popular pup on Twitter. So many amazing things to say about this lady and I'm thankful to have found her on Twitter.
@ChelseyVeturis; location - Orange County, California. Chelsey is funny, inspirational, lover of life and understands not only how to form relationships, but keeps her relationship with those she runs into growing. It's not an easy thing to do as we all know.
@ReporterHaley; location - Orange County, California. Haley has so much going for her! Check out her DNA Blog! This girl has got it going on. I love her attitude and the way she carries herself. She's sweet, fun and I enjoy our conversations!
@PaulTTran; location - Orange County, California. Paul is a comedian in his other life. Funny, inspiring, businessman, knowledgeable, keeps in close contact with you and cares about people. Apparently he's broken a few karaoke machines --according to his bio on Twitter-- and this made me laugh in a very good way. I think he loves singing as much as I do. Someday, we'll sing a duet together. Oh and if you ever get sick of my hashtag humor *nudges Paul*, I blame it aaaaaaaaall on this guy! ;)
@TCTHURHAPPYHOUR; location - Minneapolis. I've met Jeff Nolan in person once; great guy who means well. He's the founder of Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hour. It's a very popular event where you meet other business people for drinks once a month, generally downtown Minneapolis and it's typically the 3rd Thursday of every month. You can check out more here.
@Lotay; location - Los Angeles. Lotay Yang is the CEO of Black Card Circle and when I catch his tweets, I know he means business. That's the main reason I follow him. I like my humor, but business is business. I plan on meeting him this summer as well when I visit SoCal, if it all works out well that is. He's so busy!
@GlobalPatriot; location - San Diego. Mark Lovett is a great friend of mine who I'll also be meeting with this summer. His Web site is very informative about what's going on in the world and I don't get nearly enough chances to talk with him as much as I'd like to. He's a kind-hearted man who seems to always be willing to go out of his way to make the world we live in a better place.
@kshoop; location - Minneapolis. I met Katie in person shortly after we were connected on Twitter. She is the host of #YPCTC on Twitter and there's also a YPCTC Facebook fan page . Great individual whose smart, savvy, lives with intention, challenges herself in different ways when she gets stuck, we can bounce ideas off each other. All sorts of fun things come to mind that I wouldn't have thought of before when we get really 'deep' into our conversations. I really like PR people like her.
@DannyBrown; location - Burlington, ON, Canada. CEO of 12for12K and you can read all about it here. He's making a difference once again by raising more funds for Haiti. I don't think he needs anymore of an introduction. :)
@Admore; location - Detroit, Michigan. David is always in the back of my mind pushing me to thinking 'small', but do big things in relations to something I randomly one day decided to call #RRTweetMeetUp. The first one is apparently taking place next Thursday, Jan. 28 here. David is indefinitely a "sky is the limit" kind of guy, much like @RobertStanke, which is why I enjoy the company of these guys. A hashtag that David has 'made' me become familiar with? #MakeItHappen. I like it. I have a lot of learning yet to do and he's another mentor of mine!
@RobertStanke; location - Minneapolis. Bob is a colleague of mine at Life Time Fitness, Inc., who I'm looking forward to collaborating with in the near future. He has big ideas, always stretches for better ways make "this" or "that" easier or better and more convenient for us to live this life with even more intention. He listens, executes, he pushes himself to try new things and is a very, very busy guy with a lot on his plate right now. But, there is much that I even have yet to learn from him and I think you'd learn a lot from him too if you submerge yourself into his world.
@SimonlLeung; location - EVERYWHERE. Simon Leung is the guy who seems to always wear sunglasses, is traveling and is never in one place for longer than one month or so. He's an online marketer and you can get to know him much better here.
@MissMotorMouth; location - Los Angeles. Michelle loves cars. She loves to blog about cars, too. In fact, I'm a big fan and I'm somewhat of a gear head myself, but I trust few people when it comes to mechanics since I'm very much weary of being ripped off, just because I'm a female. So, why not turn to an expert? Michelle is funny, sweet and has great advice. She might even be able to help you solve your car troubles.
@Switchfoot; location - San Diego (and everywhere else). Switchfoot is Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman, Chad Butler, Jerome Fontamillas and Drew Shirley. My opinion is obviously completely biased, but these guys are about as down to earth as can be, yet their music/lyrics is powerful beyond my own explination. They live very private personal lives, yet reach millions of people and changes lives with their music. I first fell in love with their song Dare You To Move back in 2002 or 2003 when I saw the movie A Walk To Remember. There's no "specific" reason for you to follow them. They're just an amazing band whose music and messages I've fallin in love with.
I met Jon Foreman back in October 2009. I'll just say, he didn't seem to thrilled to take the picture, but I was estatic to have the chance to meet him in Minneapolis after the Music Builds Tour.
I'm going to end this with the following:
"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for never and richer experience." -- Eleanor Roosevelt
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. DISCOVER." -- Unknown
To those of you who push me everyday, thank you. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.
I've been doing my best to change my way of life for the past two years and only recently has it gotten easier for me, but alas, I'm still growing. I want to be surrounded by people who make me a better person, virtual or not. I want to continue to pursue and change my attitude so that instead instead of walking "a mile in someone shoes", I'm constantly learning and growing with them. This life is all we have and I want to make the most of it.
"Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is." -- Mary Anne Radmacher
I have many followers and I'm proud of this. I feel like I have 10 new people I want others to know and 10 people who I'm constantly mentioning on Twitter for others to follow. This is a list of people who encourage me daily, in one way or another and I appreciate the relationship I have with each one, for different reasons. People I meet along the way on Twitter, I will most likely add to this list.
Here's people who I follow that definitely stick with me and I think of through-out most of my days during the week.
@PRSarahEvans; location - Elgin, Illinois. I'm a huge, huge fan of Sarah's. Never met her in real life, but plan on attempting to make that happen in 2010. She is an entrepreneur and began her own media consulting company, Sevans Strategy, in 2009. She is the founder of #journchat, the top-trending weekly live chat between PR professionals, journalists and bloggers, taking place on Monday evenings. She is also a guest-writer for Mashable, founded by Pete Cashmore (@mashable) which is one of the most popular social media blogs in the world. You can also find her on Facebook, and at any given time, she's bound to be wearing one of these --after all, someday she just might own them! ;)
@Scott_Bryant; location - Portland. Scott loves to make you laugh, is a great photographer and is a lover of life who opens my eyes through his blog. I'm looking forward to meeting him this year, most likely this summer. He's a great friend, has a huge huge heart and makes animated voice-overs that are entertaining in a way that make you smile because you know he's having fun and is testing out new areas. Add him on Facebook, click on his videos, and you'll see what I mean.
His catch phrase seems to be "never put all of your eggs in one basket." He's a smart guy.
@RochelleVeturis; location - Orange County, California. Rochelle brings inspiration to my life, is a great mentor, advocate, peer, lover of life, Tweet Meet Ups and belongs to the #OCTriumvirate (she's the oldest and her sisters are listed next on my list). They also have @ourdogally, who is probably the most popular pup on Twitter. So many amazing things to say about this lady and I'm thankful to have found her on Twitter.
@ChelseyVeturis; location - Orange County, California. Chelsey is funny, inspirational, lover of life and understands not only how to form relationships, but keeps her relationship with those she runs into growing. It's not an easy thing to do as we all know.
@ReporterHaley; location - Orange County, California. Haley has so much going for her! Check out her DNA Blog! This girl has got it going on. I love her attitude and the way she carries herself. She's sweet, fun and I enjoy our conversations!
@PaulTTran; location - Orange County, California. Paul is a comedian in his other life. Funny, inspiring, businessman, knowledgeable, keeps in close contact with you and cares about people. Apparently he's broken a few karaoke machines --according to his bio on Twitter-- and this made me laugh in a very good way. I think he loves singing as much as I do. Someday, we'll sing a duet together. Oh and if you ever get sick of my hashtag humor *nudges Paul*, I blame it aaaaaaaaall on this guy! ;)
@TCTHURHAPPYHOUR; location - Minneapolis. I've met Jeff Nolan in person once; great guy who means well. He's the founder of Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hour. It's a very popular event where you meet other business people for drinks once a month, generally downtown Minneapolis and it's typically the 3rd Thursday of every month. You can check out more here.
@Lotay; location - Los Angeles. Lotay Yang is the CEO of Black Card Circle and when I catch his tweets, I know he means business. That's the main reason I follow him. I like my humor, but business is business. I plan on meeting him this summer as well when I visit SoCal, if it all works out well that is. He's so busy!
@GlobalPatriot; location - San Diego. Mark Lovett is a great friend of mine who I'll also be meeting with this summer. His Web site is very informative about what's going on in the world and I don't get nearly enough chances to talk with him as much as I'd like to. He's a kind-hearted man who seems to always be willing to go out of his way to make the world we live in a better place.
@kshoop; location - Minneapolis. I met Katie in person shortly after we were connected on Twitter. She is the host of #YPCTC on Twitter and there's also a YPCTC Facebook fan page . Great individual whose smart, savvy, lives with intention, challenges herself in different ways when she gets stuck, we can bounce ideas off each other. All sorts of fun things come to mind that I wouldn't have thought of before when we get really 'deep' into our conversations. I really like PR people like her.
@DannyBrown; location - Burlington, ON, Canada. CEO of 12for12K and you can read all about it here. He's making a difference once again by raising more funds for Haiti. I don't think he needs anymore of an introduction. :)
@Admore; location - Detroit, Michigan. David is always in the back of my mind pushing me to thinking 'small', but do big things in relations to something I randomly one day decided to call #RRTweetMeetUp. The first one is apparently taking place next Thursday, Jan. 28 here. David is indefinitely a "sky is the limit" kind of guy, much like @RobertStanke, which is why I enjoy the company of these guys. A hashtag that David has 'made' me become familiar with? #MakeItHappen. I like it. I have a lot of learning yet to do and he's another mentor of mine!
@RobertStanke; location - Minneapolis. Bob is a colleague of mine at Life Time Fitness, Inc., who I'm looking forward to collaborating with in the near future. He has big ideas, always stretches for better ways make "this" or "that" easier or better and more convenient for us to live this life with even more intention. He listens, executes, he pushes himself to try new things and is a very, very busy guy with a lot on his plate right now. But, there is much that I even have yet to learn from him and I think you'd learn a lot from him too if you submerge yourself into his world.
@SimonlLeung; location - EVERYWHERE. Simon Leung is the guy who seems to always wear sunglasses, is traveling and is never in one place for longer than one month or so. He's an online marketer and you can get to know him much better here.
@MissMotorMouth; location - Los Angeles. Michelle loves cars. She loves to blog about cars, too. In fact, I'm a big fan and I'm somewhat of a gear head myself, but I trust few people when it comes to mechanics since I'm very much weary of being ripped off, just because I'm a female. So, why not turn to an expert? Michelle is funny, sweet and has great advice. She might even be able to help you solve your car troubles.
@Switchfoot; location - San Diego (and everywhere else). Switchfoot is Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman, Chad Butler, Jerome Fontamillas and Drew Shirley. My opinion is obviously completely biased, but these guys are about as down to earth as can be, yet their music/lyrics is powerful beyond my own explination. They live very private personal lives, yet reach millions of people and changes lives with their music. I first fell in love with their song Dare You To Move back in 2002 or 2003 when I saw the movie A Walk To Remember. There's no "specific" reason for you to follow them. They're just an amazing band whose music and messages I've fallin in love with.
I met Jon Foreman back in October 2009. I'll just say, he didn't seem to thrilled to take the picture, but I was estatic to have the chance to meet him in Minneapolis after the Music Builds Tour.
I'm going to end this with the following:
"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for never and richer experience." -- Eleanor Roosevelt
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. DISCOVER." -- Unknown
To those of you who push me everyday, thank you. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Your chance to get to know me a little better
This will be the most random note you'll ever read about me, but I encourage you to do one for yourself, for the public to see.
- I hate the sound of slamming cupboard doors; it seriously puts my stomach in a knot.
- I love the spotlight when on stage, but can't stand the media frenzy -- someone tell me how this even makes sense. :)
- I hate being put on the spot and depending on circumstances, I like to think things through.
- I love diet coke --but I find myself drinking less of it the more I work out.
- Belly button piercings take me back to 1998; I don't like them.
- I'm not a big on life stories in a 10-minute pitch; I'd rather learn what your story is over a period of 10 years.
- I love salt and used to not like black pepper . . . now, I like both.
- I'm a very strong spirited @Switchfoot fan who believes that no matter what you feel, attitude will take you as far as you wanna go.
- I want(ed) meet two people and know them personally. Unfortunately, one of them died my favorite month in the year of 2009. The other, ask and I might reveal the answer.
- One person I want to meet again and get to know better dropped out of college who lives in San Diego, but thrives on his Faith, music and surfing; he's in a band whose motto for their fans is "Friend of the Foot."
- I wish that silver looked good on my fingers. It doesn't, therefore I'm hoping I can settle for Platinum but I've heard that's not the best quality and gets beat up over time.
- I love camoflauge more than I think I should, as well as silver colored skeleton heads, as jewerly (i.e. rings).
- One huge reason I loved being 24; the song 24 written by Jon Foreman of Switchfoot.
- I love converse shoes; I don't tend to dress emo, but that's the one shoe I really like
- I wear my Ugs on the daily basis, as well as flip flops. Considering I have a job that requires me to be in the water a lot, especially during the winter time? Yeah, you would too.
- I can't stand it when cockiness overcomes the real reason for pride.
Random, but I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone here and see if anyone else is willing to follow.
- I hate the sound of slamming cupboard doors; it seriously puts my stomach in a knot.
- I love the spotlight when on stage, but can't stand the media frenzy -- someone tell me how this even makes sense. :)
- I hate being put on the spot and depending on circumstances, I like to think things through.
- I love diet coke --but I find myself drinking less of it the more I work out.
- Belly button piercings take me back to 1998; I don't like them.
- I'm not a big on life stories in a 10-minute pitch; I'd rather learn what your story is over a period of 10 years.
- I love salt and used to not like black pepper . . . now, I like both.
- I'm a very strong spirited @Switchfoot fan who believes that no matter what you feel, attitude will take you as far as you wanna go.
- I want(ed) meet two people and know them personally. Unfortunately, one of them died my favorite month in the year of 2009. The other, ask and I might reveal the answer.
- One person I want to meet again and get to know better dropped out of college who lives in San Diego, but thrives on his Faith, music and surfing; he's in a band whose motto for their fans is "Friend of the Foot."
- I wish that silver looked good on my fingers. It doesn't, therefore I'm hoping I can settle for Platinum but I've heard that's not the best quality and gets beat up over time.
- I love camoflauge more than I think I should, as well as silver colored skeleton heads, as jewerly (i.e. rings).
- One huge reason I loved being 24; the song 24 written by Jon Foreman of Switchfoot.
- I love converse shoes; I don't tend to dress emo, but that's the one shoe I really like
- I wear my Ugs on the daily basis, as well as flip flops. Considering I have a job that requires me to be in the water a lot, especially during the winter time? Yeah, you would too.
- I can't stand it when cockiness overcomes the real reason for pride.
Random, but I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone here and see if anyone else is willing to follow.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Putting a filter...on your opinions?
Finding the "happy medium" is hard. But if you do it the right way, you gain respect from your peers and you feel better about yourself. Or maybe I'll have a different perspective at the end of this blog?
When I worked for Kwik Trip Inc., in Rochester, Minn., I was still a teenager and I remember applying for the job because my friend, now aquaintence, Chad Stokes worked at one also in the same town. He loved it and I just wanted a job cause I wasn't taking advantage of the work study on campus (yuck), but didn't feel I needed one.
I was hired less than one week after I interviewed with Joe Storks, who became my manager and was the store leader. Stokes no longer works for the company and has since moved to Tennessee. Storks does however, he's moved up in the company.
At the time, my personality was still growing (and always will be), my maturity was so-so, my attitude needed a lot of polishing and little did I know I'd learn to "manage" people, even though I was never a manager for this company. I didn't have a "filter" at work; I said what was on my mind, but was careful with my words most of the time, I made friends with co-workers and went out with those co-workers to party and have good times. It was, in a nutshell my college job that helped me pay bills and go out with friends.
People still accepted me for who I was because I meant well.
I no longer work for the company, as I've moved on and found better opportunities for myself that fit me better.
With Life Time Fitness, Inc., (I was hired in July 2009), I was beyond thankful to finally have a job again. At this point, I had not worked for Kwik Trip Inc., for a couple years and I had a couple odds and ends jobs in between: I wasn't jumping over the moon when I got these jobs because they were "dead end" to me and just a paycheck. Ouch? Not so much. Different boats for differents folks is what I say.
In a nutshell: I was back in aquatics and felt that it was where I needed to be and had something that finally could make me feel like a human being again.
What's different about LTF? It's a healthy way of life company and I'm not saying that just because it's part of our mission statement. I'm also not trying to sound savvy or sell anything. The general manager at the Lakeville location treats his employees very well. He's one of those once-in-a-blue-moon managers who is approachable and realistic. Because he treats us well, we have a better attitude and treat our Members with pride and respect, too!
As for this "filter" I'm thinking about with this post, I'm referring to walking a mile in someone elses shoes. Don't speak too soon, especially if it's just for gossip. I'm not gonna say anything more regarding that.
Professionalisim: when you take time to understand and you talk to people, and you don't talk down to other people just because you're "higher" than them on the ladder in a corporate setting. You lose credibility fast and you might as well just stand still in the sinking sand.
When can you take the filter down a notch though, yet still keep your credibility?? I'm in tough spot and I'm looking for answers. I understand it's also a learning experience and another part of management.
I take pride in my line of work. It's rewarding, it's fun, I'm constantly learning and the free membership isn't bad either. ;)
I have so much more to say, but don't need this to be a mile long.
Looking forward to meeting @RobertStanke (Corporate LTF employee) though at the end of this month!! :)
When I worked for Kwik Trip Inc., in Rochester, Minn., I was still a teenager and I remember applying for the job because my friend, now aquaintence, Chad Stokes worked at one also in the same town. He loved it and I just wanted a job cause I wasn't taking advantage of the work study on campus (yuck), but didn't feel I needed one.
I was hired less than one week after I interviewed with Joe Storks, who became my manager and was the store leader. Stokes no longer works for the company and has since moved to Tennessee. Storks does however, he's moved up in the company.
At the time, my personality was still growing (and always will be), my maturity was so-so, my attitude needed a lot of polishing and little did I know I'd learn to "manage" people, even though I was never a manager for this company. I didn't have a "filter" at work; I said what was on my mind, but was careful with my words most of the time, I made friends with co-workers and went out with those co-workers to party and have good times. It was, in a nutshell my college job that helped me pay bills and go out with friends.
People still accepted me for who I was because I meant well.
I no longer work for the company, as I've moved on and found better opportunities for myself that fit me better.
With Life Time Fitness, Inc., (I was hired in July 2009), I was beyond thankful to finally have a job again. At this point, I had not worked for Kwik Trip Inc., for a couple years and I had a couple odds and ends jobs in between: I wasn't jumping over the moon when I got these jobs because they were "dead end" to me and just a paycheck. Ouch? Not so much. Different boats for differents folks is what I say.
In a nutshell: I was back in aquatics and felt that it was where I needed to be and had something that finally could make me feel like a human being again.
What's different about LTF? It's a healthy way of life company and I'm not saying that just because it's part of our mission statement. I'm also not trying to sound savvy or sell anything. The general manager at the Lakeville location treats his employees very well. He's one of those once-in-a-blue-moon managers who is approachable and realistic. Because he treats us well, we have a better attitude and treat our Members with pride and respect, too!
As for this "filter" I'm thinking about with this post, I'm referring to walking a mile in someone elses shoes. Don't speak too soon, especially if it's just for gossip. I'm not gonna say anything more regarding that.
Professionalisim: when you take time to understand and you talk to people, and you don't talk down to other people just because you're "higher" than them on the ladder in a corporate setting. You lose credibility fast and you might as well just stand still in the sinking sand.
When can you take the filter down a notch though, yet still keep your credibility?? I'm in tough spot and I'm looking for answers. I understand it's also a learning experience and another part of management.
I take pride in my line of work. It's rewarding, it's fun, I'm constantly learning and the free membership isn't bad either. ;)
I have so much more to say, but don't need this to be a mile long.
Looking forward to meeting @RobertStanke (Corporate LTF employee) though at the end of this month!! :)
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