If you are like the average American, you are working, living, and playing at a speed of light pace, finding yourself at the end of the day feeling exhausted and used up. Maybe a year has gone by, and you can't remember the last time that you took a vacation. Do you own more than three chargers for your iPhone or Blackberry? Do you create a work schedule that forces you into an eternal state of hitting deadlines and crossing items off the to do list? Serious enough to the point where you can't take time off or your "system" will fall apart? I was 100% guilty of this until my life took a turn from that state of perpetual working nonsense and I reached a breaking point. This lead me to a conversation with a very smart friend of mine. He shared a story with me that has made a huge impact on how I view life. I would like to share that story with you.
Early one morning Jacob and Edward go out to chop wood all day using axes. There is a bet on who can chop the most wood. Jacob is quite physical. Standing tall and stout at 6'4" 260 lbs. Edward is not quite the physical force; not in bad shape, just more of the average build. Jacob is very confident that because of his muscle he will chop more wood than Edward and win the bet. So the wood chopping starts.
During this axe swinging madness, Jacob notices that about every hour or so, Edward sits down for what appears to be a break. Jacob thinks to himself, "I've got this bet won." By the end of the day, Jacob is tired and hurting from his aching back and blistered hands and sits down to look at his work. He is proud of his large pile of wood. Then, Jacob's lifts his tired eyes and sees Edward standing by his pile of wood. Edward is not looking nearly as tired and exhausted as Jacob. More like he could still continue! Edward's pile of wood is bigger than Jacob's as well. Jacob, now feeling frustrated asks, "How could you have possibly cut more wood than I did Edward? You took breaks and rested and I didn't!" Edward replied to Jacob, "That is where you are wrong my strong friend. I was not just sitting and resting. I was sharpening my axe."
At this point in my life, almost 4 years later, my life is so much more fulfilling. My work ethic is still as strong as ever. My calendar is still booked consistently. There are very few differences between my current schedule and a past schedule. I found a hobby that I am truly passionate about and have created many memories and accomplishments that will stay with me forever. I have been very plugged into my local church with great relationships and opportunities to give back to my community. Meals with family and friends are scheduled so that I don't miss out on those opportunities to continue cultivating relationships. However, one of the most important items on my calendar is downtime. All facets of my life are a beautiful equation properly balanced to create an environment for growth and fulfillment.
Frank D Chiuppi
Rhonda Allison Clinical Enterprises
817-410-9899
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I hate to say this, but more often than not first impressions are generated by ones appearance. Imagine going out on the town with your friends or going on a first date with someone special. As you get ready you put on your favorite jeans. You're about to leave, check yourself in the mirror, and then you realize it... your favorite, perfectly worn-in jeans have a hole in them. Frustration and anger takes over because they fit you perfectly and give you a certain sense of comfort. Even though you hate to do it, you change them.
You're probably thinking, "How does an old pair of jeans have any relevance to business?" Well, it all goes back to appearance being the biggest part of a first impression. The outer-shell of your business is what draws in your clients. You wouldn't own a restaurant without having the name of the restaurant out front, would you? Unfortunately, the corporate world is full of business owners who resist the need to update or change for the good of their company. The key to making your business successful is being susceptible to change. Times are changing and you should work to keep up!
One of the fastest growing changes in the world as we speak is, of course, technology. Technology is driving businesses worldwide to become more successful than they ever imagined. Businesses can have one office, be located in ten or more different cities, and have their employees working remotely from home through the ease of technology. Instead of clients calling your office phone and getting your voicemail if you're busy, now those calls can be forward to your cell phone! Or even better, you can have your voicemail sent to your email! Have you ever missed an important email while not at your computer? Well thanks to changing technology, you can receive emails via your cell phone. My point is, technology can help you be more efficient not only for your employees but most importantly, your clients.
I get it... you're comfortable with your old phone system just like you are with your old jeans. Why would you want to start all over again wearing in a new pair? Similarly, you don't want to go through the trouble of learning to use what you think is "complicated" technology. The problem with this is, nothing lasts forever. Eventually, you need to put on a new pair of pants. Your business needs to update its communications solution. The great part is that thanks to VoIP, you can establish change without burning a hole in your pocket. It actually saves you money and increases your ROI. That's like finding another great pair of jeans on sale! There's definitely no excuse for you not to make the change. Even if you're hesitant to leave your comfort zone, we at Unified360 urge you to take that first step towards an upgrade. After all, isn't your business worth it?
Felicia Cienfuegos, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360
As an employee at Unified360 and a former dancer, if there's one thing I know about, it's being on a team. I have learned through my past experiences that your team has the power to help you succeed, or contribute miserably to your failure.
I think it's fair to say that we all work better with someone else. It helps to have that support system to bounce ideas off of and help you with your responsibilities. It all goes back to that age old saying "together we stand, divided we fall". No truer words have ever been spoken. I believe that those who are the most successful in life can name at least one other person who contributed to their accomplishments. How much can one person really do without enlisting the help of others? And even if the answer is a lot... how enjoyable is it?
Personally, I have found that I am best at my job when I roll my chair over to Felicia's desk and we talk about things together. I believe we both learn faster and come up with a larger variety of ideas. The support the marketing team gives each other contributes to our success and the enjoyment of our jobs. But just as easy as it is to build one another up, it is just as easy to tear each other down. As a dancer, I came face-to-face with both realities. There is nothing more exhilarating than having your team cheer for you and believe wholeheartedly in your abilities. But there is also nothing more devastating than having them rip you apart and experiencing the darkness that comes from feeling alone and worthless. It's hard to believe we have that kind of power over one another.
Most large, profitable, thriving businesses are successful because of a team of people working together.
- Facebook was started by Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg in his dorm room. What began as a kid hacking into his dorm network grew to be a world-wide phenomenon only after he was joined by friends Eduardo Saverin (business aspects), Dustin Moskovitz (programmer), Andrew McCollum (graphic artist) and Chris Hughes.
- Bill Kaplan was a "smart guy" who graduated from Harvard who, after joining forces with J.P. Massar, created a card-counting blackjack team that took Vegas for millions in the 1980s... a feat that definitely couldn't be accomplished alone.
- Our company, Unified360, was started by the partnership of Jim Barker and Paul Tran in the back of a dry-cleaners.
Troy, Emmitt, and Michael; Dolce & Gabana; Shaggy and Scooby... Let's face it. Your team is your foundation and many times, the key to your success. If anything, it's just nice to have that support in knowing that someone believes in you. Having been torn down and built up by teams that I've been a part of in my life, I choose to follow the golden rule, if only for the fact that my success and happiness is intertwined with that of my teammates.
Tonight, I'll head home to sit and relax after a long day at work--- with friends of course. After all, if I'm going to sit around and do nothing, I might as well do nothing with other people. That's teamwork! :)
Tara Young, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360
How to create success is a constant question and obstacle that we all find ourselves facing on daily basis. The first step is to acknowledge that success is a long-term investment of hard work. The next step is building a road map figuring out the most efficient way to get from point A to point B. The best way to determine what the key factors in creating success is to look at other successful people. In doing so the following is what I have found to be the common denominators.
1. Mental Programming
This is a very critical point: Believing creates the power to accomplish. As I was walking into the office earlier this week, I was talking to one my coworkers about a few projects he is working on. I asked, "Do really think you are going to complete all of these projects successfully?" He replied confidently, "I don't worry if I will complete them because I know I will." I stood there quietly for a few seconds and finally had to ask, "How do you know for sure?" He replied, "Travis, when you can't afford to fail you don't....... you just don't...I will get them completed." There are plenty of scientific studies that I could have sited here, but to me this was the perfect example of mental programming. You can't take failure into account when setting out to accomplish something great.
2. Goals
This is where I think the term "road map" really comes into play. First and foremost, you need to know what you want to achieve by determining your end result. Next, break your overall goal into smaller manageable targets, goals that you can achieve short-term. If you don't allow yourself to hit short-term milestones and experience small successes, you'll quickly lose focus of your overall goal.
3. Execution
"Execution, execution, execution!" I hear my father shouting that repeated phrase at me every time I hear the word. When talking about execution and its importance he says, "This is where the boys are separated from the men." This is by far the most important step in creating success. The number one thing that holds people back from achieving their goals is fear. None of the above keys matter if you do not take action. On your journey to achieving success your course might change, your priorities may shift, but one aspect that always remains the same is....execution.
Travis Rothell, Managed Services Technician
Unified360