I work a lot through the week, that’s nothing new. Usually I don’t have Friday night plans, but I’ll tell you what, when it comes to having plans, it really makes Fridays almost impossible to work, especially the hour or two before you’re gonna leave.
I have a pretty in-depth project that I’m working on which will require quite a bit of concentration to piece together. Looks like it won’t be happening today.
Like many others i’m sure, i get caught up in life and spend time avoiding the important matters at hand. Let’s start over…Recently i have become aware of a change i want to make and will work towards it. Part of making changes in your life requires taking responsibility. Taking responsibility for yourself and the part you play as you affect the lives of others. We had/have a client that promotes healthy habits. It seemed too simple that making small changes in your life could actually have an impact. Well, every day, i think of that one special person in my life that i have the privilege to be a part of. My daughter reminds me everyday of how she grows and learns and makes simple changes. Although she may not be aware of them, she is constantly changing her daily habits as she learns new things. Never stop learning and never stop trying new things. And don’t be afraid to go back to old things and approach them in a new way. So for my new change in life, i’m going to keep it simple. I’m going to make a list and i’m going to do my best to follow it as it may affect myself and those around me. And who knows, practicing this simple discipline will help me become more organized, focused and energized. So do a favor for yourself and try to stick to something new everyday. Hell, drink water for three days, yes ONLY water!
This is a very entertaining miniseries created by Joss Whedon (”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”,”Firefly”) starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day. Check out the trailer.
I love working at jumpfrog marketing. I am learing so much more then sitting in a class.
Motivation is hard to find. Some days you’re as focused as can be, other days you couldn’t concentrate to save your life. I got through bouts like that and I’ve watched others do the same thing. Sometimes a little push, like working on a new project or trying to do something I’ve never done before, is all it takes to get myself back on track.
I work several jobs, I dabble in many different things, so my attention is almost always divided between projects. I multitask really well, so that helps, and I don’t usually have a problem. My memory is pretty good, plus I rely on notes and my cell phone to keep track of projects, due dates, everything in my life. Either way, I keep good tabs on myself and do whatever I can to keep myself motivated.
The problem comes when coworkers aren’t quite as motivated as they should be. Problems with their personal life, boredom, hatred for their job, discontent, any number of things can affect someone’s motivation. So what do you do to get them back on track? I haven’t quite figured that part out yet, but when I do, I’ll be sure to let everyone know.
After several months of waiting for one of four phone companies to respond, JumpFrog FINALLY has an office line. Kinda ridiculous, it took maybe 25 minutes for them to install, and yet that required 4+ months of waiting, but oh well, it’s done, there’s now an official phone line, the Frog is happy.
Sometimes things come along and are misinterpreted by various people. Communication is key in a business, but it’s not always there. Recently I ran into this problem. I was in talks with a prospective client about a project they wanted me on. I’d been in talks with them for a while now, but never settled on the project. I was away for 5 days in NC, and during this time the client was talking to my liaison, who in turn called me several times to set up a meeting upon my return. So when I did return, I was prepared for said meeting. However, due to a miscommunication, I had the wrong time. I’m a very busy man, so when something like this comes along, I try to schedule my time as precisely as possible, and since I had the wrong time, this threw my timetable right out the window. Some extenuating circumstances had occurred and the meeting had to be pushed back, however this led to a major conflict for me, and I could not take the meeting. Due to a lack of communication, I was not told the importance of this meeting, and as such it soured the relationship with the client and the project was abandoned. It’s hard to say if anyone was in the wrong. I don’t think anyone was right in this situation, but I do think that had proper communication been used, this situation would have turned out to be different. Instead, it left all sides with a bad taste in their mouth.
Moral of the story, communicate clearly and often! If you don’t, it’ll come back to bite you in the ass. Better to communicate too much than too little when it comes to business.
I’m happy to announce that John Botch joined our team this summer as a Junior Marketer. He is going to be a senior at Wilkes University and is a member of SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) which went to the national competition in Chicago this past month. John will be assisting us with our social media efforts as well as managing some of our performance accounts. He comes highly recommended by two of my favorite former professors; Dr. Alves and Dr. Batory of Wilkes University. Welcome John!
I asked John to write a little bit about his SIFE experience.
For those of you who do not know me, I am going to be a Senior Business Administration Major at Wilkes University in the fall. I recently had the opportunity to attend the SIFE Nationals in Chicago. SIFE is an international organization that mobilizes university students around the world to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. We went to the event to showcase the programs and projects that we have done in the last school year. Out of over 800 universities in the country we where one of the 200 colleges and Universities to have the chance to go to nationals. After the first round of nationals we have received 3rd place in our league. This means that we are within the top 60 teams in the US. Not bad for a hard years work but, we have to improve on that next year… and we will. That was part of my last month’s activities. Going to Chicago and to only have to pay for food was a good thing. I really liked visiting Chicago it is a very nice city, and we brought back a trophy to boot!
I recently received an email asking me to reminisce about my life when i was young. I say “young” because in our office, i don’t qualify as youth being the “old man” in the office. I’m still waiting for someone to put a walker next to my desk. When i was younger, we played simple games and didn’t have all the technological distractions that bog us down daily. Things were much more simple. But then i think, certain things today are more simple because of these techy distractions. If there weren’t social sites like facebook and linkedin, how easily would i be able to connect with old friends? It would be a viral effort - calling this person to find that persons number and address… even looking in the phone book! Now all we have to do is type a name into our search bars or search the social sites for those long ago friends. Reconnecting with just about anyone is made simple. It’s non-intrusive to just “drop a line” or post to say hi. So i say hello to all old friends and invite you to post as well! Utilize Social Media to expand your viral efforts.
I’m guest posting because the boys are too busy to write their first post. This is Jumpfrog Marketing’s blog. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting most of the team, and I can vouch they are a very high caliber group. Their ideas are innovative and they’re willing to go the extra mile for any of their clients, no matter how big or small. I’m very impressed with their skill set, and I had a great time when I visited their office. A great, down to Earth company.