Exciting News for Higher Education in Westchester County

If you decide to take the path of higher education it can be a struggle. Fresh out of high school you may not know exactly what you want which is very normal. It could become an issue when you enter a college and then transfer to another college. We have heard some transfer nightmares that can add up to an additional year of classes to receive a degree. The partnership between WCC and The CNR is providing a great opportunity for local students to pursue their dreams. Check out their press release below for more details!



The College of New Rochelle Signs Articulation Agreement with Westchester Community College,  Addresses National Call to Action Seeking  to Expand Access to Higher Education

Four-Year Degree Becomes More Attainable and Affordable  for Local Residents Through Enhanced Transfer Process, Scholarships


VALHALLA, N.Y. (March 30, 2016) – The College of New Rochelle (CNR) and Westchester Community College (WCC) today signed an articulation agreement that formally enhances the transfer process for eligible WCC students into CNR with advanced standing. The agreement, which will strengthen higher education in Westchester County, will begin in fall 2016.


The agreement will provide transferring full-time students who have successfully graduated from WCC and meet eligibility requirements with an annual scholarship equal to $10,000, to be credited against CNR’s standard full-time tuition. This financial benefit will be known as The College of New Rochelle/Westchester Community College Transfer Pathways Scholarship.


This collaboration by two longtime Westchester institutions is designed to provide students with a solid education and access to the real-world experience critically needed upon graduation. It also addresses a national call to action by President Obama seeking to broaden access to higher education, in part by fostering stronger relationships among community colleges and four-year colleges and universities.
The agreement, as presently constituted, applies to students transferring to CNR’s School of Arts & Sciences, which recently became coeducational. CNR and WCC are working to develop similar pathways for nursing and health care programs to address critical workforce needs in Westchester County and the health care professions.
“By partnering with Westchester Community College, The College of New Rochelle seeks to address a national, state, and regional issue that is challenging everyone: diversity, equity, and access to higher education,” said Judith Huntington, President, The College of New Rochelle. “This articulation strengthens both institutions but, more importantly, it empowers the students and families we serve and supports the economy of Westchester County.”


One particularly unique aspect of the agreement is that the colleges will also work together on a reverse transfer process, ensuring that all WCC students who transfer to CNR’s School of Arts & Sciences also earn an associate degree from WCC. Even if students transfer to CNR before completing their coursework at WCC, through this uncommon but especially important collaboration, academic credits for applicable coursework completed at CNR will be transferred back to WCC.

CNR will grant junior standing and accept a minimum of 60 credits for students transferring from WCC into the School of Arts & Sciences. Credits that do not count toward a student’s major will count as elective credits toward a four-year degree. Additionally, one student each year who transfers from WCC to CNR’s School of Arts & Sciences will receive a full-tuition scholarship. Eligible students, to be nominated by WCC, must have completed their associate degree and earned a GPA of 3.5 or better.


“This partnership will help our graduates achieve a seamless transfer to The College of New Rochelle,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President, Westchester Community College. “This is an important agreement that focuses on student success. We are always pleased to build new bridges toward four-year institutions and to assist our students in moving on toward advanced degrees.”


The articulation agreement and scholarship program respond to student and industry needs, by offsetting the rising cost of obtaining a four-year degree and bridging the gap between academic and employer expectations. Addressing the kind of change needed in higher education, the agreement is a concrete response to the often prohibitive cost young people face to obtain a four-year degree, as well as industry concerns that college students nationwide are not graduating with the skills necessary to succeed in the workforce.


This initiative is yet another example of CNR’s longstanding dedication for 112 years to innovation and lifelong learning and to responding to the current needs of society. Since its founding by the Ursuline Order in 1904, CNR has been committed to providing its students with a rigorous education that effectively positions them to succeed professionally.


WCC graduates interested in enrolling in CNR’s School of Arts & Sciences for the fall semester may apply at any time. Transfer applications for the 2016-17 academic year will be accepted through the summer.

Is Social Media Ruining Your View of Reality?

I recently read an article about a woman who ruined her own vacation by using Instagram. Yea, sounds extreme. What she meant was that while posting pictures she was thinking of the "better" vacations that her friends had been posting and felt inadequate. 

Keeping up with the Jones' has filtered into all areas of our lives thanks to social media.What other areas of your life do you find yourself trying to compete with others in? Is everyone really that happy and living such amazing lives? The answer is most likely no. Would you ever post a picture of your termination letter or devastating news of a sick family member? We get to choose what others get to see on social media. No one has a perfect life, the perfect job, the perfect partner and the most fun social circle.

Don't get me wrong I LOVE social media, hell its my job! It is a amazing way to communicate in a technology focused era but it is good to keep reality in perspective. Don't think you life pales in comparison to others because there is someone out there who thinks you life is better than theirs. Challenge yourself to have a night out every now and then without documenting anything. You'lll be surprised how invigorating is it to just enjoy yourself without worrying about taking the perfect selfie or the funniest snapchat. Be present, have fun, and keep it real.

Dealing with work stress

I recently read an article sent to me from Monster about work stress. When your passionate about what you do and driven to reach your goals it is inevitable to have times of stress. The way you deal with the stress is what gives you a healthy work/life balance or turns you into a crazy work-a-holic. Here's the full article:

By Jenny C. Evans, author of THE RESILIENCY rEVOLUTION: Your Stress Solution For Life 60 Seconds at a Time (Wise Ink Creative Publishing; November 2014)

It’s quite likely this year held some challenging moments for you professionally, personally or both. It’s also possible the tools you used to cope actually made things worse, not better.

Perhaps you found yourself staying up late or waking up early to get work done. In an attempt to create time in a hectic schedule, you might have skipped meals or workouts. There were long stretches of time where you had to sit motionless and maintain concentration in a meeting, at your desk, on an airplane or in a car.

It’s time to say goodbye to workplace stress in 2015. For real this time. The key to dealing with your stress successfully, having better energy, and becoming more productive this year will hinge on looking at stress in a new and different way. It’s not something that’s just in your head -- it’s in your body.

Stress is a physical event that radically changes your chemistry and physiology. Understanding these changes helps prevent and mitigate its negative side effects.

Here are some of our typical responses to stress, why they make things worse, and what to do instead.

1. You sacrifice sleep to get things done.
It’s tempting to trade sleep for extra hours of productivity, but lack of sleep arouses the area of our brains responsible for the fight or flight response. It also inhibits portions of the brain relating to restoring balance and calm. (McEwen, B. 2002) Sleep deprivation also increases hunger and body fat levels, specifically around the body’s mid-section.

Not only can this abdominal fat be psychologically stressful, it also increases our risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and even premature death. (Epstien, L. 2008.) And unfortunately these disease states make our stress even worse. 

Resiliency Remedy: Keep to a regular sleep cycle and aim to get between 7-9 hours each night. We can “get by” on less, but sleep is one of the best tools we have for the body to recover from stress.

2. You skip meals because you’re too busy to eat.
When we skip meals or go too long without eating, blood glucose (a form of sugar the body uses for energy from many of the foods we eat) drops. When there’s not enough glucose, the body thinks a famine is occurring, the stress response is stimulated and the body secretes cortisol.

Cortisol puts us into food seeking mode to get much needed energy into the body, and makes us eat large amounts of high-fat, high-sugar foods. It stores much of this extra energy in the fat cells around our abdominal regions for the next glucose emergency.

Resiliency Remedy: Keeping blood glucose levels in the ideal range stops the stress response from being stimulated. Minimize stress by eating about every 3 hours.

Alternate between moderate sized meals (breakfast is a must) and small snacks high in fiber, healthy fats and/or lean protein.

3. You skip your workout because you don’t have time.
When the demands of our lives increase, we look for things to cut to reduce our levels of stress. Exercise is often the first to go. Unfortunately this is one of the worst coping strategies we can make.

Stress hormones are specifically designed to fuel a short burst of intense physical activity -- fighting and/or fleeing.

When we get this type of activity, it burns them off and releases a new class of hormones that restore balance and neutralize the negative consequences of stress. When we don’t get this type of exercise, we’re stuck stewing in our stress hormones.

Resiliency Remedy: The good news is just 30-60 seconds of intense exercise produces the hormones that restore balance. (Brooks, S. et al 1988, Schwarz, L. et al 1990, Schwarz, L. et al 1992)

Sprint up a flight of stairs, or do a few jumping jacks or burpees. Shorts bursts hit the physiological reset button on stress and make a big difference when accumulated throughout the day. They also train the body to recover from stress more quickly and efficiently.

4. You sit for long periods of time.
Sitting is the new smoking. It increases risk of death, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and body fat. (Stamatakis, E., et al, 2011) Think a workout negates it? It doesn’t.

Sitting for most of the day cancels out the effects of an exercise session. (Matthews, CE. et al, 2012) Also, tension builds the longer we sit while energy and metabolism slow.

Resiliency Remedy: Several times during the day take a minute or two to move your body.

Set your laptop on a cardboard box to stand and type, do some stretching to release muscular tension and stress, on the phone = on your feet, or conduct walking meetings when in small groups.

It's official! We are one of the best & brightest companies to work for.

NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Further information:

Contact:  Sue Voyles (734) 667-2005

-or-           Jennifer Kluge (586) 393-8800               

National Association for Business Resources Names theBest and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Country For 2014

December8, 2014 – Warren, MI — For the fourth year running, the National Association for Business Resourceshas named the Best and Brightest Companies To Work For™ in the country. (See following list of winners.)

The 2014 winning companies were assessed by an independent research firmwhich reviewed a number of key measures relative to other nationally recognized winners. They include Compensation, Benefits and Employee Solutions; Employee Enrichment, Engagement and Retention; Employee Education and Development; Recruitment, Selection and Orientation; Employee Achievement and Recognition; Communication and Shared Vision; Diversity and Inclusion; Work-Life Balance; Community Initiatives; Strategic Company Performance and the Best of the Best Small Business.

Additionally three companies were named Elite winners. Elite companies demonstrated exceptional innovative human resource practices and set high standards for all businesses. Winners are selected based on their high scores and then named an Elite winner in their respective category which included: The Best of the Best Small Business,  The Best of the Best Medium Business and The Best of the Best Large Business. The three Elite winners are:

Category                                                                                Company

The Best of the Best Small Business                          TransTech IT Staffing (Itasca, IL)
Best of the Best Medium Business                             Peckham, Inc. (Lansing, MI)

The Best of the Best Large Business                          WOW! Internet Cable Phone(Denver/Englewood, CO)

With nearly 15 years of experience conducting Best and Brightest Company competitions, the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) have identified numerous best HR practices and provided benchmarking for companies that continue to be leaders in employment standards.

“Nationally recognized award recipients keep innovative human resource initiatives at the forefront of their company culture and make it a priority to consider their workforce as an essential aspect in their company success. Our Association is proud to recognize and honor these winning companies for this impressive achievement,” said Jennifer Kluge, NABR president.

The companies that have been selected to be recognized nationally as a Best and Brightest Company to Work For™ will be featured in the December 18^th online edition of Corp! Magazine.The winning companies will also receive additional recognition as a national winner at a Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™ awards symposium and gala at a location of their choosing in several U.S. cities.

The “101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®” is a national program with annual symposium and award galas presented in Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Grand Rapids and Dallas. Nominations are now being accepted for 2015. Visit www.101bestandbrightest.com to obtain an application.

About the Best and Brightest Programs

The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® is a program of the National Association for Business Resources that provides the business community with the opportunity to gain recognition, showcase their best practices and demonstrate why they are an ideal place for employees to work. This national program celebrates those companies that are making better business, creating richer lives and building a stronger community as a whole.  There are numerous regional celebrations throughout the country. 

The National Association For Business Resources based in Warren, Mich. boasts a sphere of influence that no other organization of its kind can claim, leveraging a depth of programs and community initiatives that positively impact more than 150,000 businesses.

National Association for Business Resources

27700 Hoover Rd.

Warren, MI48093-6306

(866) 321-1822

2014 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™ Winners

2313 Inc

7Summits

Accruent

Acoustics By Design, Inc.

Acro Service Corporation

ADS, Inc

Advanced Resources

Aerotek

ALL4 Inc.

Allied Business Services, Inc.

alligatortek

Altair Business Consulting

American Academy of Pediatrics

Andy J. Egan Company

AnnieMac Home Mortgage

Applications Software Technology

Corporation

Applied Imaging

Ashton Staffing

Asset Plus Companies

Assurance

Audiology Systems, Inc.

Austin Benefits Group

Axios

Baudville, Inc.

BDO USA, LLP

Bel Brands USA

Benenson Strategy Group

Better World Books

Billhighway

Birkman International, Inc.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Bounce Exchange

Brad’s Deals

Brightwing

Brilliant™

Broder & Sachse Real Estate Services

bswift

Buckhead Business Consulting, Inc.

Burwood Group, Inc.

C-4 Analytics

Care Communications, Inc.

Carson Health

Celergo LLC

Citra Health Solutions

City Of Atlanta

College Works Painting

Commune Hotels + Resorts

Community Counseling

Centers of Chicago

Computer Generated Solutions

Computer Systems Institute

Computerized Facility Integration LLC

Connectivity Wireless Solutions

Consumers Credit Union

ContextMedia, Inc.

Conway MacKenzie, Inc.

Coretek Services

Corporate Visions, Inc.

Crane Worldwide Logistics

Credential Check Corporation

Credit Acceptance

Crowe Horwath LLP

Crown Motors LTD

CSM Group

Daugherty Business Solutions

DFCU Financial

DIAG Partners

DigitasLBi

DMC Atlanta, Inc.

Domino’s Pizza

Dynamic Marketing Group

Easter Seals - Michigan, Inc.

Edlong Dairy Technologies

Educational Data Systems, Inc.

Elzinga & Volkers

Construction Professionals

EMKAY Inc.

Employer Flexible

Enesco, LLC

Epitec, Inc

EPMA

EVC Scottsdale

Farbman Group

Flexfab

FONA International

Futurewave Systems

Gables Residential

Garden City Hospital

Geneca

GiftCard Partners

Grand Prairie Services

Grand Rapids Label Company

Greeley and Hansen

Greenleaf Hospitality Group

Greenleaf Trust

GreenStone Farm Credit Services

Harley Ellis Devereaux

HealthLink Dimensions

Henry Ford Health System

Hitachi Consulting

HNI

Holland Hospital

Honigman Miller

Schwartz and Cohn LLP

Hooker DeJong, Inc.

HRsmart

HUMANeX Ventures

Ifbyphone

imageOne

Impact Networking, LLC

Inktel Contact Center Solutions

iVision, Inc.

Jonathan Wesley, Inc.

kCura

Kelco Industries

Kelly S Mathews LLC

Kent Companies

Keystone Resources

Lake Michigan Credit Union

LaSalle Network

Legal Copy Services, Inc.

Life EMS Ambulance

LNE Consulting Inc

Longnecker & Associates

LTG Marketing & Development, Inc

Mastery Technologies

Maven Wave Partners LLC

McGraw Wentworth, a Marsh &

McLennan Agency LLC company

Medicus Solutions, Inc.

Metro Health

Michael Page/ Page Group

Michigan Financial Companies

Michigan First Credit Union

Michigan Office Solutions

Modern Business Concepts, Inc

Mortenson Construction

MotherG

Motivate, Inc. dba EPMG

MSU Federal Credit Union

Mutual Trust Financial Group

National Futures Association

Navigate Research

Navint Partners LLC

NCSA Athletic Recruiting

Nemeth Law, P.C.

Nichols Paper & Supply

NOW Foods

Obsidian Learning

OLN Inc

Omni One

Omron Automation & Safety

One Source Provider

Open Systems Technologies

OpTech, LLC

Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan

OxBlue Corporation

PBD Worldwide

Pcubed Inc

Peckham Inc.

Plastic Omnium Auto Inergy

PM Realty Group

Potestivo & Associates, P.C.

Prominence Advisors

Protiviti

PSI Repair Services, Inc.

Purchasing Power, LLC

Quest Healthcare Solutions

Ranir

re:group

Red Frog Events

Regal Financial Group, LLC

Rise Interactive

Rockford Construction Company

RSG

Ryan, LLC

Sachse Construction

Scarlet Management Group

Schupan & Sons, Inc.

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc.

Seco Tools, LLC.

Service Express Inc.

Shamrock Financial Corporation

Shoemaker Financial

Shure Incorporated

Sikich LLP

Sonoma Partners

Southwest Michigan First

SpartanNash Co.

Spot Trading LLC

Springthrough

Sun Coast Resources, Inc.

SunCoke Energy

SWC Technology Partners, Inc.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Taylor’s Special Care Services Inc.

The Futures Company

The Intersect Group

The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc

The Marketing Store

The SMB Help Desk, Inc.

Total Quality Logistics

Total Technology

Solutions Group, Inc.

Transportation Solutions Enterprises

TransTech IT Staffing

United Shore Financial Services, LLC

University of Michigan Athletic

Department

w3r Consulting

Walbridge

Willis Law

WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone

Xcution, Inc.

Zen Planner, LLC.

 National Association for Business Resources

(866) 321-1822 * www.nationalbiz.org

Don't let the holidays put you in a spiral!

With the holidays approaching stress can be at an all time high. Life gets crazy regardless and we have to be aware of when we are pushing ourselves too far. Recognize when your at at good level of stress (cause hey, its healthy to challenge our brains) or if your overdoing it before you get sick. Your working memory can only hold seven pieces of information. Dump out your brain, get everything onto paper, and prioritize whats important to you. Choose to do a few things each day instead of bogging yourself down for a whole day or weekend. Take time to pause! Know what's important to you and make time for it. (If you have to ponder whats important to you, its time to stop and think about your core values). Everyone deserves to have leisure time, so don't feel guilty when you do. Go ahead have some fun!

Set Goals and Reach Them!

A goal can seem daunting if you focus only on the end results, so break down the goal into more achievable milestones. Hitting smaller goals along the way is much more motivating. Pick a date and commit to it! Having something specific makes your goal more concrete. Make a visual of your goal to focus on, it will them become more powerful. Tell everyone about your goal! It makes you more accountable and your loved ones will help you work towards it. Set realistic yet challenging goals. Get scared, shoot for something big.

Top 5 Pieces of Advice We Have Received

1. Do things now! Do the things that people don't want to do because they seem hard. You'll be able to do things later that others can't.

2. Make decisions but never when you are emotional. Before you make a decision think if its coming from an emotional standpoint. If its, table it and come back to it.

3. Why. Always know it! When you know the why you can endure the how.

4. Be very careful who you get advice from. You wouldn't take financial advice from a person who just claimed bankruptcy so make sure the person you are taking business advice from is qualified to give it.  

5. It's not easy. If it was easy to be successful everyone would be so new flash its hard work. 

Celebrating a Successful Year

My team members are usually heard saying phrases like "work hard play hard". And "have fun make money". It's nice to see these come into play. 

This year, we had a lot of accomplishments. The most recent being promoting another managing partner and expanding to White Plains, NY. I think it's finally time for our annual management vacation. 

We like to treat the management team annually to a vacation where they can unwind and celebrate their victories. We've done this everywhere from Puerto Rico to Arizona, and this year, we're doing the Carribean. Stay tuned for pictures on all our social media. 

As if this trip wasn't good enough, I was also personally invited to an entrepreneur training conference for young up and coming business owners. It actually takes place the same week as our vacation. There's nothing like filling up my notebook with new information and then celebrating with my team! 

Here's a few pictures from our last few annual management vacations. 

Venice Beach, California 

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Scottsdale, Arizona 

Why is our expansion so awesome?

As you all know, we are expanding our company into the downstate market at the end of the month. We're super exited but it got me thinking, what are some actual reasons why expanding into a new market is so great? For one, its another chapter in our life book! Most of the team that is relocating has been born and raised in the CNY area, so this will be their first experience moving away from home. I, personally, have lived mostly in the Northeast but have resided in RI, NYC, NJ, and upstate NY. It has given me a ton of life experience and I have met some life long friends along the way. Visiting is great, but living in a new area is an eye opening experience and hey you'll have better stories to tell when you get old. 

Another factor is that this move will cement our team bond. Six of us have decided to relocate for this expansion and it was a big decision for everyone. We will be venturing into a new experience both personally and professionally. It has already brought us all very close together. The crew already has an invite to their first NJ Thanksgiving, courtesy of my mom. It's nice to know that your coworkers have your back no matter what and will be going through the same joys and challenges that comes with growing a company in a new market.

The driving forces for our company are meeting client demands, expanding our brand and preparing our staff to grow our organization by reaching their professional goals. The expansion team is getting a full dress rehearsal for what it will be like when they reach their goals and branch off into overseeing their own branch office. This is an amazing opportunity to see first hand the amount of work and reward that comes from intense planning and goal setting. It will also make it that much easier for them when that day comes!

At the end of the day the more you challenge yourself and push yourself out of your comfort zone, the more your grow as a person. Also tomorrow is my birthday, just thought I'd throw that in there :)

-Stephanie Melas

Some Life Tips for our Summer 2014 Interns!

It's always a bittersweet time when the summer comes close to an end. At LTG, it's mostly because the interns go back to school! We have a lot of fun with our internship program and we usually end it by awarding a few of the top performers. "I made the most money I ever made. I had the most fun at a job that I ever have" says Cam Kyle, our intern who won "Best Office Presence".

We treat our interns exactly like Full Time employees. They attend the same meetings. They learn the same things. Although it's more heavily sales based, they get a taste of our management development program. All of our top interns became great trainers. Our "Top Intern Award" went to Bryan Weinert, who actually started developing a sales team and became part of our "Core Leader Group", which is group of exceptional leaders. He was recognized in a nation wide sales magazine as "Number 1 Rep in the Verizon FiOs Campaign"... in the entire country! Our intern Dan DeBottis won the award for Most Consistent Intern. He was always on his top game! I'm very proud of our intern's growth and accomplishments.
One really nice thing about our internship program is seeing the growth of an individual! In just a matter of 2-3 months, our interns grow from an average college kid to a business professional. Our winner of the "Most Professional Growth" went to Kevin Black. Our interns, especially Kevin, became more positive, more professional, and more resilient with their goals. Here's some tips that could help our interns, as well as anyone else looking to accomplish something big!

1) Celebrate the small victories. Don't look at your mission you give yourself as a mountain. It's overwhelming. Break it down into sections. Celebrate each step of the way.

2) Create a habit of being resilient. Don't give up on your goals. Know that you're going to do it no matter what. Other people are going to be better, but you can work harder! Hard work beats talent.

3) Don't hold yourself back by comparing yourself to others. Competition is healthy until it affects your mentality in a negative way. If anything, compete with yourself. Make yourself better. Don't worry about anyone else.

4) Set your goals extremely high. Most people work their whole lives and they're satisfied with their life. They're just satisfied with the salary, home, car, and lifestyle. This has probably always been the case. It's only those that look above the average that achieve it. It's only the one's that see what the norm is, and set their goals past it. Don't settle for mediocrity.

5) Don't fear failure. Most people don't shoot higher because they're afraid it'll hurt more if they fall. Well, that may be true. But those who are successful don't care. They bounce back. Most people fear something "different" than what they're used to and never allow themselves to see a new opportunity. They use excuses to explain to other people why they're not doing something, when really the excuses disguise their fear. We see this all the time in our business. Let yourself go! You'll be surprised about what you can accomplish.

Winning the Most Improved Award

It was really a humbling moment to win the Most Improved Award at the most recent Conference. It had been my goal for the whole year. I joked with my office and said that winning the "Most Improved Award" usually means you were really bad at some point. To go from where we were to one of the top offices in the nation says a lot. But it doesn't say as much about me as it says about my team. My team is awesome. I think if someone didn't have the best attitude they wouldn't fit in. That just shows in our numbers. We've been number one in the country many times this year, promoted an Assistant Manager, and will soon be promoting her into management. We'll be expanding to an available location in a few months, and again within the next year.
I ran a meeting with my office about how I believe that I earned this award. I said it was all about being in your zone. You have to be relentless. You have to act as if there's someone working full time to take your goal away from you. You have to be mad that you didn't get it last year. Really believing you can do it is huge. If somebody doesn't actually believe they can do it, they never will.

                                                  

'Tis the season to slack off

Happy Memorial Day! It’s the official kick off of summer which means nice weather, barbeques, and feeling anxious at work due to the former. In order to get the most out of your summer you need to attack work with a plan to be more productive and get the most out of this time of year.

1.       Start your morning early – kick start your morning with an outdoor activity

2.       Make a progress map – print out a monthly calendar and add your goals and action plans to it

3.       Start your day strong – prioritize your to do list, some of those emails can probably wait

4.       Adopt a two minute rule – if you can address an email in two minutes do it! You take longer thinking about the response while doing other tasks

5.       Know when you need a break – a quick break goes a long way mentally

6.       Build a rhythm – identify the time of day you begin to procrastinate, during that time close out all distractions and set a time for 20 minutes to focus on one task

7.       Give yourself an out – if you have something planned at the end of the day you will push harder at work to make sure you can leave at a certain time

Have a Happier Monday

I recently read an article in Self about how attractive one feels during the week. According to their studies we feel less attractive on Saturdays and Mondays. The reasoning behind these feelings lean towards our mindset of weekday vs. weekend.

Everyone knows that Friday anticipation and the dread of a Sunday evening. Don't we all wish that everyday felt like a Saturday? Here are some pointers on keeping a balanced mood and mindset everyday:

1. Don't push back your sleep and wake up times. That all nighter on Saturday leads to sleeping in on Sunday which leads to going to bed later and waking up exhausted Monday AM.

2. Maintain the same diet and exercise routine. Allow yourself two cheat meals on the weekend instead of a two day binge. Nobody likes to start their week bloated and dehydrated.

3. Wake up at a reasonable time. The most effective way to tackle the work week is not by waking up extremely early on Monday, only to walk around like a zombie for the second half of the work day. Pre-plan your week on Friday so you can walk in feeling confident on Monday.

4. We feel our most attractive on Thursday. Why you ask? Your almost done with the week, you feel accomplished! Why not have everyday feel like that? Do little things for yourself to you reclaim your week. Plan something special for everyday - check out that new place around the corner for lunch, catch a movie with your best friend, get some pampering at a salon.

Stay Motivated!

One ability that is vital in our business is the ability to be self motivated. As a manager, I can set incentives and bonuses for all types of rewards. I've set challenges to win time off, LED TVs, cash, Wine Tours, and even something as simple as a beer. That's only a temporary boost. You need to be able to still work as hard when there are no extra incentives. What can you do when the reward is strictly your long term growth? Here's how you can stay motivated.

1 Reward yourself. Small victories. Set benchmarks

2 Know what motivates you and act on it-  surround yourself around positivity. One example us music. As humans, we typically listen to sad music when we're feeling down. Why not always listen to music that can keep you productive?

3 Don't let the small stuff affect your opportunity

Albert Einstein once said "Life's like riding a bike. To get balance, just keep it moving."

4 Be unique- be something different and you'll stand out

Set Goals for Your Life!

One of the groups we belong to on LinkedIn is the Leadership Think Tank. Here is an awesome email we received from them right after the holidays. 

Group: Leadership Think Tank Subject: Notification from Olivier Madel January 2014 comes to an end this Friday. What were your top New Year's Resolutions and how are you doing so far? Be sure to set goals for your life, share them with others, & create a solid support system for greater success! I speak with lots of people everyday about how the can meet their goals in life. And I came to the conclusion, that, we all share 4 primary goals in life and they are as follows: 1. The first is to be healthy, enjoy high energy, and live a long life. 2. Second, everyone wants to have good relationships with people they love and care about and who love and care about them. 3. Third, everyone wants to do work that they find interesting and challenging and that pays very well. 4. Fourth common goal of humanity is to achieve financial independence, to reach the point where you have enough money so that you never have to worry about money again. The best news is that it is more possible for you to achieve these four goals, at a higher level, faster, by starting and building your own successful business than in virtually any other way. When you start and build your own successful business, you take complete control of your life. You become the master of your own destiny. You remove all limits to what you can do, have, and be in life. By building a successful business, you open up a world of opportunities and possibilities that the majority of people can only dream about. And that's the chose I made 4 years ago. I started my own business, and I have the honor everyday to tell my story, share my knowledge and help other people enhance their quality of life. Up until now, I was really reluctant to share what I do here with you guys. This morning I wake up feeling that this was not right, this could only mean that : “I don’t believe in me.” “I don’t believe in my opportunity.” “I don’t believe in my product.” “I’m too ashamed to talk to you.” “I don’t think this opportunity is a good deal for others.” “I’m worried about what you will think of me.” “I’m afraid that you will not join and that I’ll feel rejected.” “What if I fail? I wouldn’t want my friends and family to know that I even tried.” And all of that is just not looking like me. Right now, my first obligation is simply to let you know that I have started my own business. My job is not to sell my products or to convince you to join. I'm here to educate you with the facts so that you can make the best choice for yourselves. That’s it. I'm an Herbalife Health Coach and Network Marketer, this is not high-pressure selling, convincing, manipulating, cold-calling, or a coercing business. Networking is simply giving people an additional choice in their lives, and allowing them to accept that choice if it helps them get what they want. That’s my job – educating people. That’s what I do as networker. I take Herbalife nutrition products, I eat healthy balanced meals, I train, I do personal development every single day so I maintain a positive mental attitude about myself, others and life, I make money doing what I would do for absolutely free which is help people enhance their quality of life. I am clear that some want it and some don't.. My mission is to just simply share the opportunity to beast this beautiful life with me whether you want health results, or make some extra income helping your friends and family along with your self get health results. This life is for everybody who wants it and are serious so if you’re looking to lose weight, gain lean muscle, need more energy or need a lifestyle change contact me so I can explain you what this is all about. Remember this is a notification. Not a call to action. Since I know we're all reactive people, I expect any kind of reaction to me. Have a great day, Olivier

Nelson Mandela: 4 Lessons His Legacy Can Teach Us All

Mandela was an inspiration and hero to many. In his passing we can learn how to better ourselves and our surroundings. Below is an article of lessons we can learn from this great man. 

"On Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, the world lost a leader, activist, fighter for freedom, and a universal symbol of peace and equality—Nelson Mandela. At age 95, Mandela lived not only a long life, but one of inspiration for us all.

To honor his legacy, I thought we’d take a look at the former president’s life, because although his path was one most of us will never have to endure, every person—no matter his/her profession or aspirations—can learn a lesson from the leader’s journey.

Nelson Mandela began his studies for a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University College of Fort Hare but did not complete the degree there as he was expelled for joining in a student protest. He completed his BA through the University of South Africa and went back to Fort Hare for his graduation in 1943.

Lesson #1: Take action

Most would not count it wise advice to get expelled for joining a student protest, but there’s a lesson in Mandela’s misfortune: take action. He was obviously passionate about a cause (or causes) while in school, and instead of just talking and voicing his opinions about the issue, Mandela joined others to take action and bring awareness to it.

Maybe you want to make a difference in your career or see so many issues in society that you hope to change. These are both great, but actions speak louder than words. Mandela showed us that 1) it’s important to actually put action behind your feelings and desires and 2) you don’t have to wait to do so. Mandela was a college student when he first joined the protest. It doesn’t matter how young or inexperienced you are; if you decide to take action and follow your passions, you can make a difference and become successful.

Meanwhile he began studying for an LLB at the University of the Witwatersrand. By his own admission he was a poor student and left the university in 1948 without graduating. He only started studying again through the University of London and also did not complete that degree.

In 1989, while in the last months of his imprisonment, he obtained an LLB through the University of South Africa. He graduated in absentia at a ceremony in Cape Town.

Lesson #2: Follow your own route

Mandela dropped out of school, began studying again, yet didn’t finish his degree. It wasn’t until he was in prison over the course of 27 years that he obtained a law degree. His life shows that not everyone has to (or is meant to) take the “conventional” route. Although most are taught to go to post-secondary school and receive an education right after high school, many people like Mandela and others didn’t do this and were still successful.

Find the route in life that works best for you. There are plenty of successful (and millionaire)entrepreneurs without a college degree or who completed a degree later down the road.

In October 1963 Nelson Mandela joined nine others on trial for sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial.  Facing the death penalty his words to the court at the end of his famous ‘Speech from the Dock’ on 20 April 1964 became immortalized:

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Lesson #3: Prepare for adversity

The path to pursuing your goals will inevitably be met with adversity. Mandela spent 27 years in prison for fighting against apartheid; he was even willing to sacrifice his life for the cause. In today’s society, most of us are not called to sacrifice our lives for a cause, but do we desire to reach our goals enough to meet and overcome every obstacle we will face along the way?

In 1993 he and President FW de Klerk jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize and on 27 April 1994 he voted for the first time in his life.

On 10 May 1994 he was inaugurated South Africa’s first democratically elected President.

Lesson #4: Embrace your destiny

So many of us have hopes and dreams, but are we actually prepared to step into those rolls? Are we prepared to start that business, be that CEO or conduct that heart transplant? After many years of fighting against (and helping defeat) apartheid, Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first black president. What an immense role, especially at the age of 76, but his life teaches us to fully embrace our destinies. Be confident in your calling and purpose, and be prepared for when the time arrives to step into the role of your dreams—not matter what age you are.

There are SO many more lessons we could learn from Mandela’s life, but I think a final one is best summed up in the influential leader’s own words:

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” — Nelson Mandela"

My Path to Entrepreneurship

As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur.

Yes, that's my version of the famous "Goodfellas" quote, but also very true. I can think back to being a kid, and how I always wanted to own a business.  I started martial arts when I was five. I don't have a whole lot of memories of the experiences at five years old, but I can remember looking at my karate teacher and thinking "I want to do that". It wasn't only the teaching that interested me, but I loved the leadership of it. I loved the independence. Seeing him do whatever he wanted and knowing it was his own business. With his hard work, integrity, and dedication, he made it a successful one.
I got a taste of it when I earned my black belt at 10 years old. Even though I was so young, I was helping run classes. I had to be able to look up at a grown 30 year old man (and I was also very short for my age!) and tell him what to do. I remember thinking it was weird, but I also remember them listening to me. By the time I turned 12, I became an Assistant Instructor. I changed karate schools after my family moved, and I had to get to know the new environment. It wasn't long, however, before I became the Assistant Instructor at that school as well.
Dreams and goals can always change throughout your life, and they definitely did with me. I started serving in college. No experience, but my friends were doing it so I figured I could make money doing it too. Wasn't long before I knew I wanted to own a restaurant/bar. I was serving and collecting tips, but also striving to be the best server and eventually get to management. I didn't want to own a karate school anymore, but I did have it as a back up plan.  One day, however, I remember talking to the manager and she was saying how she wanted to start serving again. I found out that she was putting in double the hours, hated her job, and got less pay than I did. I felt like that didn't make sense. My goal of owning a restaurant quickly changed.
I also wanted to own a recording studio/record company. I did music on the side. I started writing when I was 12, and I wrote everything! I wrote poetry, short stories, R&B, Rock, Hip Hop, and eventually, even a full length movie script. I found it as a way to get my thoughts out and express myself. I noticed that when I wrote, I felt stress free. The feeling developed and so did my music. I eventually focused on Hip Hop and spent most of my time with my Hip Hop/R&B/Acoustic group. They were my closest friends and we always spoke a big game of making it big. In college, we started to really make a name for ourselves around New Brunswick, NJ. We did every show we could find and eventually opened up for The Cool Kids and performed at Miss Brasil USA in Philadelphia. After college, we all continued work in entertainment, but went our separate career paths. I sometimes still wonder how far we could have taken it, but I know we're all working towards our own goals now.
So then I graduated. One of the only days that can be both the most scary but exciting time for someone. Like many others who earned their degree, I walked up on that Rutgers stage in 2009 clueless on what I'd do next. I went on job searching sites like indeed.com and looked for anything. Everything from music stuff to business related positions. I found that there were so many sales positions, but that scared me in a way. I've never done sales before. None of my friends or family had either. After interviewing at a sales office in New Jersey, I took the position anyway. I figured "What's the worst that could happen?" If I didn't try it, I would never know if this was something I could do. The pay was all commission. I remember that on my interview, I didn't even know what commission was. When it was explained to me, it made sense. You get paid for what you do. The better you do, the more you get paid. When the average rep was making like 500 bucks, I could work harder and possibly make 1000.
It was a lot of hard work and attitude adjustments. It took me about six weeks to really get consistent at it, but soon I was training and interviewing for positions. After exactly a year, I got to Assistant Management. It was around this time that I knew this was for me. I was going to own a sales office. The office I worked in did sales for Verizon FiOs. It was a huge client, and I sold a lot for them. Not only did I make them a lot of money, but I trained other people to do the same. FiOs was expanding. They wanted more outsourced marketing offices, and they needed the managers to do it. I knew that once I was ready, I could approach them and get an opportunity to do my own thing.
Sure enough, the time came. 2011 arrived and I had an opportunity to open my office in Staten Island, NY. I'd get to chose a company name, get incorporated, bring a team with me, and start my empire. I finally reached my goal- entrepreneurship.
A lot has happened since 2011. There's been ups and downs. I've lost people and gained people. I even moved my office from Staten Island, NY to Syracuse, NY. Throughout my experience though, I can confidently say that I would have never got to where I am now without having big goals. I still have big goals. I will be promoting out my Assistant Manager to a second location. I will be promoting a second Assistant Manager and start training them to do the same. I will create an organization of entrepreneurs who share the same dedication and work ethic that I had. I run my business based on it's name- Long Term Goal.

Smokey Bones is Smokin' Fun!

Smokey Bones has slowly become a regular spot for our office. Besides the fact that their food is delicious, they always have something going on! We first started going to Smokey Bones for their Trivia Nights on Thursdays. Come to find they have Pong Tournaments and soon to be Bingo (for those who are geriatric at heart, which would be a handful of the LTG crew). Each event has either a gift card or cold hard cash for the winner.

Our office attended the Pong Tournament last night (which we swept it by the way) and had such an awesome time. The bartenders were super friendly and the GM even introduced himself to us. We highly recommend having an experience at their Syracuse location!

No, Smokey Bones has not paid us to write this.

Goodbye Summer 2013

The summer is coming to end, which means all of our interns are headed back to school. It was amazing to see the growth of each individual after such a short amount of time. Here are a few testimonials:

"My summer at LTG Marketing and Development was more than I ever could have asked for out of an internship. I received more experience and was able to earn more money than any other internship I’ve ever looked in to. Coming in, thinking it was just a sales job, I quickly found out that was not the case. This job not only teaches you sales skills that will be helpful with any occupation that you do, it also teaches you how to teach, train and develop others. No other internship that I know of allows you the chance to interview potential employees, go on business trips, and also participate in fun games and activities in the office. LTG was also one of the most fun places I ever got the chance to work at. Everyone is young and filled with new ideas, hardworking, and most of all, helpful with everyone who has questions. Even though sales are an individual task, since my days of playing football, I have never felt more apart of a team than I have at LTG. The overall energy, structure, and positive attitude in the office will help allow any self-motivated person to succeed in this business. The skills I've learned here will be carried with me to every occupation I have in the future. Coming in with no sales or marketing experience, and leaving with a bunch of money and a top intern plaque, I think I’m a good example of what LTG can do, not only for a college student, but also for anyone with a student mentality, and is motivated for something better. " - Dave Chini


"My summer interning at LTG was the greatest summer of my life. The professional training I received at LTG not only developed my business skills, but my personal skills as well. Going to "work" everyday was fun! The office atmosphere is young, energetic and everyone is very friendly! I came out of the internship a much better man, more confident, driven, personable, and goal oriented.

This is not just an internship, it is a professional experience that will guide you to new personal heights in as little as 3 months. On top of it all, there is some serious potential to make a lot of money! Just stay determined and always keep the "long term goal" in mind and you can do anything!" - Tom Bennett

Business tips from Marilyn Monroe

I recently watched the documentary Love, Marilyn on HBO. Recently, boxes of handwritten notes from the goddess herself were found. Viewers are able to see her inner thoughts acted out by famous actors & actresses. The documentary takes the viewer through her entire life, with commentary from Marilyn's notes and letters.

Marilyn Monroe grew up in an orphanage, due to her mother being mentally ill. She knew she wanted to be an actress at a very young age and began working towards that goal. When she got her first role in a film her daily routine involved rehearsing at the studio and a hour practice of each of the following: dance, singing, fencing, acting, and physical fitness. Her producer at the time ask her why she worked so hard and her response was "you never know what opportunity is going to arise, and when it does you have to be ready."

The Marilyn mentality is what we all need! When you have a goal in mind you need to be focused solely on that goal. Having that kind of tunnel vision helps you steer clear of distractions and attain your goal as fast as you are capable.

"You never know what opportunity is going to arise, and when it does you have to be ready." Isn't that powerful? In order to become the best in you field you need to hit all your bases. Our current goal as an organization is to have ten locations within the next ten years. In order to hit that goal we need to make sure we are bringing on the right talent, implementing replicable systems, hitting client goals, and training and developing our staff (among other things). If we are not constantly working on all of these things we will not be ready to grow when opportunities arise.

As Marilyn's career grew bigger and bigger she moved herself from LA to NYC. She was still dedicated to becoming better at her craft and decided to take acting classes at an acting studio. At the time she began her classes she was a major celebrity and had already had her big break. She in no way shape or form needed these classes to get work.

As humans we crave learning and knowledge, and there never comes a point where we know it all. Networking and learning is a large part of our business and guess what, it works! We have learned from start ups as well as veteran businesses. Creativity and innovation is what keeps businesses growing. Learning from the top dog and the new kid on the block ensures your learning it all.