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Established in 1979, Prairie Wind Players has a mission to produce, promote, and present cultural arts programs with a primary emphasis on dramatic arts and cultural enrichment.

The History of Prairie Wind Players

By Dayle Ray (1993)

On a cold winter’s night in 1979, five individuals met at the home of Tim & Kathy Ray.  We had indicated an interest in forming a community theatre in our area.  Kathy had been involved in a community theatre in Virginia, Minnesota, and liked what she had experienced.

At that meeting we decided “yes” we would form a theatre group.  Most of us had no theatre experience since high school days, but we decided that it would be fun to again get involved.

One of the first things we had to decide on was a name for our group.  The wind was blowing snow across the prairie that night and after several attempts Tim came up with “The Prairie Wind Players”, a name which has stuck with us ever since.

The First PWP Logo

Original Prairie Wind Players Logo

The city of Barrett had been holding an Old Settlers Reunion every 24th of June since 1905. We thought “What a wonderful time for a debut!”. We had no money and no place to perform, but we set out to see what we could do. Someone came up with the idea that we might be able to get a grant from the West Central Regional Arts Council in Fergus Falls. Most of us had never heard of this organization, but decided that it might be a good idea to try. Kathy volunteered to write a grant request for a very minimal amount and we were successful in our first attempt.

Next we must think of a play which would be suitable. We all agreed on Spoon River Anthology, a play in which some very colorful characters who had formerly lived in Spoon River, but have since passed away, and were actually speaking about their past from their graves. I stated that I remembered several colorful characters who had at one time been residents of Barrett. By this time we had chosen a director, Marleen Lang, who was at the time a teacher in the Barrett school. She liked the idea and suggested that I write parts for these characters and also act these parts as they were worked into the script. I thought that was a pretty big assignment, but agreed to do it. The play was a overwhelming success and got our theatre off to a good start in the community.

We decided that we could perform in the Barrett Pavilion, however at the time there was a dance there every Saturday night. We wanted to start out with a dinner theatre performance, as there was no such theatre that we knew of this side of Minneapolis. We spoke to a caterer who would be willing to serve a fine meal before our performance. But, we must build our set after the Saturday night dance, and strike it again before the following Saturday night. We had very little opportunity to practice with a set in place, but somehow managed.

We used this format for three productions, but then decided that these Crazy Sundays were just too much, and that we had to find another performance area. We thought of several options and finally decided on the old Roosevelt Hall. It had been abandoned by an insulation plant which had gone bankrupt and left ground up newspaper hanging from ceiling to floor. By this time our membership had grown some and we were able to round up several volunteers to clean up the mess. We rented this place for a few years and then decided to try to get a loan and purchase the place. By this time we had enjoyed several successful performances and were able to come up with one thousand of the ten thousand purchase price. We secured a loan from the local bank and were on our way.

For the first few years the Barrett community education organization had acted as our fiscal agent in securing grants, etc. At this time we agreed it was time to formally organize the Prairie Wind Players as a non-profit organization. We had an attorney as a member, and he helped us organize formally and to receive 501(c)3 status, which made us tax exempt and also made contributions to our organization tax exempt. This has been a great help to us in many ways.

We had virtually no lights or sound equipment to start with and borrowed what we actually had to have, and as we made a little money we replenished our supply of equipment. We will never have enough it seems. We have been fortunate in having some generous donors and have been especially fortunate in getting grants from West Central Regional Art (now known as Lake Region Arts Council), and the McKnight Foundation.

We have been especially conscious of providing our patrons with both quality performances and quality food at our dinner theatres. We do try to have several dinner theatre performances with each show. We have found that the musicals draw the largest crowds, but also cost the most money to produce. At this time we are able to pay our directors, producers, and all technical personnel. To begin with, everyone was a volunteer.

I think it amazing that what started out as five people looking for some fun has grown into an organization with over 150 members and a budget of over $30,000, and we are still having fun. We do find, however, that at this time we have to be more conscious of the business end of the organization than at the time we started.

I firmly believe that any community has the talent available to form and to perform a good community theatre. Always try to remember that community theatre is both fun and educational. I can think of no way where a community might become better acquainted with one another than through community theatre. If you have any questions about our organization which I might be able to answer, I would be happy to do so. Also remember we are always looking for new members, and hope you will choose to become involved.


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Flogging Molly
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The Natural Bodybuilding Training ManualThis practical, concentrated manual written by a natural bodybuilder for natural bodybuilders, shows you why natural bodybuilders need to–even must–train with methods and techniques specifically tailored to drug-free trainers, in order to reach their bodybuilding goals.  The manual features both an introduction for beginners as well as information and an overview for intermediate and advanced trainers.
The manual contains condensed information on reps, sets, energy and recovery–a  key concept for natural bodybuilders to master, guidelines on workout lengths and volume, as well as a brief  section on genetics.  It explains why it is crucial for drug-free trainers to train differently–very differently–than those using steroids and other drugs.  The manual also contains information on what to avoid in your training and nutrition, so you can benefit from and make the most progress possible in your training.
Included in the heart of the text are several workouts for each level of ability of natural bodybuilders, including a small section for the hard gainer.  Overall, there are more than a dozen workouts included for you to choose from, and there is information on how to construct your own workouts from what you learn.  There are explanations as to how and why to do things a certain way to improve your results.
This compact, 28 page manual contains an enormous amount of potent bodybuilding information.  It’s a small primer on natural bodybuilding training and nutrition, and even though you may think there are plenty of things in it you already know or are doing, you will likely learn something from it you’ll be able to apply immediately and productively to your workouts for better results.  The manual not only provides information, but shows you how to apply this  information right away.  Results are what this manual is about.
 The Natural Bodybuilding Training Manual
Contents include:
–Why Natural Bodybuilding Training is Different
–How to Train Drug-Free
–Workouts, Routines, Sets & Reps; Over a Dozen Workouts to Choose From
–Energy, Recovery & Overtraining: Learn How to Use These Principles for Muscle Growth
–Practical,Usable Information
–Simple, Clear, Easy to Understand and Apply
-Natural Bodybuilders, Your Training is Different!  (More Info)
Available on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iBooks and on your computer with iTunes.
Available for Kindle, Nook icon, Google Play, Kobo
Available for your favorite moble device.  Check your bookstore.
Paperback also available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble icon and Books-A-Million
Title: The Natural Bodybuilding Training Manual
Author: Greg Sushinsky
Price: $9.95USD - Paperback, $7.99USD - Digital
Language: English
Paperback Size: 6 X 9 inches (15.2  X 22.9 centimeters)
28 paperback pages All words, no pictures Approximately 5,500 words
Paperback OR Digital

Greg Sushinsky is a natural bodybuilder who has trained for several years. He is a professional writer who has written extensively about bodybuilding, with numerous training articles appearing in Musclemag International, Ironman magazine, Reps! and others.Greg continues to train hard and enthusiastically.  He strives to maintain a lean, proportionate physique,  write and publish on bodybuilding, and continues to do and pursue many writing and publishing projects in his other areas of interest. He continues to advise and consult with bodybuilders, athletes and fitness people. Read Complete Bio.

Articles by Greg Sushinsky

NOTE: This website concerns the use of nutritional principles and vigorous exercise programs, which can potentially pose physical risks to anyone who may undertake them.  No liability is assumed by the author(s) or owner for the use of any of the information on this website or affiliates. No medical advice or information is intended or implied.  You should always exercise safely and you should first consult your health professionals, physicians and/or nutritionists, before using any of the information contained on this website.


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One Arlington ARLINGTON HEIGHTS 3400 Stonegate Blvd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Get Directions

One Arlington is one of Chicago's northwest suburban finest residential communities. Designer finishes; hardwood floors, and stunning views are just a few of the perks of living here! It is just minutes away from downtown Arlington Heights and Woodfield Mall, where you will find shopping; dining and entertainment, and a short 5-minute walk to the Metra train.

Floor Plans

  • Modern Lobby featuring contemporary, stylish surroundings
  • Complimentary coffee, tea and flavor infused water bar
  • Community access with key fob
  • Package/floral acceptance area
  • 5,000 SF rooftop Sky deck with panoramic views of downtown Chicago skyline
  • Relaxation areas, grilling stations, oversized chaise lounges
  • Fire pits
  • Penthouse level fitness center open 24/7. State of the art Precor equipment
  • Yoga/Pilates room and TRX90 system
  • Party room with demonstration kitchen
  • Trugolf golf simulator, poker table, billiards, shuffleboard and foosball table
  • Basement Lounge area and 65"TV
  • Convenient dry cleaning drop off service
  • Bike storage and repair facility
  • Dog wash and grooming room

Apartment Features

  • Designer kitchens with granite or quartz countertops
  • GE stainless steel appliances
  • Built in wine rack
  • Immense kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms
  • Sleek soaking tubs and/or seamless glass enclosed showers
  • Full sized stacked LG washers and dryers
  • Custom plank flooring in the kitchen, living and dining room
  • Premium upgraded carpet in the bedrooms
  • Floor to ceiling solar shades in most units
  • Spacious private balconies with expansive views
  • Energy-efficient LED lighting


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heat 11 passes audits of Japanese customers

heat 11 passes audits of Japanese customers
(PresseBox) ( Bielefeld, )
The Bielefeld specialist for industrial process heat, heat transfer and energy conversion heat 11 (Germany) has successfully passed extensive quality audits of several Japanese companies.

Only 2011 introduced into the market, heat 11 completed several audits of various Japanese customers at the beginning of the year. The standards prescribed, among others, by the Japanese machine manufacturers Kobe Steel (Kobe), Japan Steel Works (Hiroshima) and the trading house Moritani (Tokyo) have been checked successfully at heat 11 and its manufacturing partners.

According to the company, heat 11 - with manufacturing partner Westerfeld Metallverarbeitung (Huellhorst, Germany) - was assessed as a very secure and clean company working under high quality standards and providing its employees good working conditions. Upon successful completion of the certification audit Dr. Dietmar Hunold, managing partner of heat 11, could receive the congratulations of the Japanese management representatives.

"This success is another milestone of our consequent quality policy." Hunold was very pleased with the result. heat 11 is very confident to be able to achieve important conclusions in Japan already in 2015. "The foundation for this was laid now." concluded Hunold.
The publisher indicated in each case is solely responsible for the press releases above, the event or job offer displayed, and the image and sound material used (see company info when clicking on image/message title or company info right column). As a rule, the publisher is also the author of the press releases and the attached image, sound and information material.
The use of information published here for personal information and editorial processing is generally free of charge. Please clarify any copyright issues with the stated publisher before further use. In the event of publication, please send a specimen copy to service@pressebox.de.


text:
Calgary Herald

$150K offer for victims

- ABBIE CHEESEMAN The Daily Telegraph

At least 26 people were killed and 60 injured when two explosions struck Yemen's Aden airport Wednesday as the country's newly sworn-in unity government stepped off a plane from Saudi Arabia.

Videos showed the blast shaking the ground as the cabinet was disembarking, with people scattering for safety as plumes of smoke billowed out of the airport terminal.

As the death toll began to creep up, images were shared of a charred body near the terminal building and the injured trying to move.

Yasmine al-awadhi, the deputy minister for housing, and Adeeb al- Janani, a journalist, were among those reported to have been killed. Other government officials are said to have been wounded as well as foreign aid workers.

Most of the casualties are reported to be civilians and airport staff.

Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, the Yemeni prime minister, condemned the incident as a “cowardly terrorist attack.”

About four hours later, Saeed said the cabinet would remain in the city despite the explosions and called for unity.

Within minutes of the prime minister tweeting his comments, Reuters reported another explosion was heard around Maashq Palace, where the cabinet had been taken after the airport explosion. There were not any immediate reports of casualties.

Yemen's internationally recognized government and southern separatists formed a power-sharing cabinet on Dec. 18, forging a joint front against the Houthi rebels who have seized the capital Sana'a and much of the north.

The cabinet's return to the temporary capital of Aden was a signal of the new political allegiance and closing of a major rift that had threatened to push Yemen into further violence.

The new unity government was formed of separate groups backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates respectively. The Houthi rebels are aligned with Iran, creating a proxy war.

Saeed said that the attack was part of a war being waged against the Yemeni state.

“This will only push us to fulfil our duties until the coup is over and stability is secured,” he said.

“We are sure (the airport attack) is a terrorist missile attack by the Houthi militia against the arrival of the prime minister and the cabinet,” a Yemeni government official told The Daily Telegraph, speculating that the weapon was launched from an airbase in the city of Taiz.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The type of munition and the source of the attack are also not yet known.

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Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada


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From Augusta: A Legislative Update for HR Professionals

May 12, 2021 at 8:30am9:30amNext Week

On March 13, 2020, Maine Senate President Troy Jackson and Speaker of the House Sara Gideon issued a joint statement to the 129th Maine Legislature signifying their intention to suspend the remainder of the legislative session due to COVID-19. One year later, the state house remains closed to everyone except legislators and other essential personnel. Steve Langsdorf will provide an update on where things currently stand, review any pending employment-related legislation, and forecast future policies and trends.

Firm Highlights

From Concord: A Legislative Update for HR Professionals

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, all legislative activities in the state of New Hampshire, with a couple of exceptions, will be handled remotely. Several employment-related bills will be considered and voted on during this...

Answering Employer COVID-19 Vaccination Questions

As COVID-19 vaccines become more readily available, employers are faced with big questions. Can we mandate vaccines for employees ? How do we manage a return to work ? Preti Flaherty's Peter Callaghan breaks...

Maine HR Convention

Last March, work as we know it, turned on a dime. The basics of where and when people work shifted dramatically. Many workers across Maine are uncertain of their employment status. Furloughed? Laid off...

Preti Flaherty COVID-19 Resources

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Preti Flaherty's attorneys have maintained a constant stream of the most up-to-date information and resources for our clients, business partners, and others struggling to navigate these complex...

Court Upholds Maine Employers' Discretion Not to Pay for Unused Vacation Time

In January, the First Circuit issued an opinion upholding a lower court's decision that rejected a former employee's attempt to get paid for unused vacation time following his resignation from employment.  See White v...

New COBRA Premium Subsidies Take Effect April 1, 2021

The recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) makes temporary but significant changes to Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) coverage rules. They provide: A 100% subsidy for COBRA premiums...

Preti Flaherty Partnership Announces Promotion of Moppin, Rideout, White to Partner

Preti Flaherty is pleased to announce that the firm’s partnership has named three new partners: Sara N. Moppin, Laura A. Rideout, and Emily T. White.  Each attorney stands out as a distinguished practitioner within...

How to comply with Maine’s new paid leave law

Fittingly, “Vacation Land” is among a small contingent of states that have a paid leave law on the books.  Maine, however, is somewhat unique in that the paid leave afforded under the new law...

What Owners Need to Know About Cannabis in the Workplace

Preti Flaherty attorney Kristin Collins spoke with Fast Forward Maine on the impact of legal recreational and adult use cannabis in Maine, including how will it effect hiring processes, health insurance, and government contracts...


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Kodak Smile Camera

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  • Powerful 8mm lens
  • Incredible colour and HD clarity!
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Kodak Smile Camera

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Create and Manage Prime Video Profiles on Fire TV

You can create and manage Prime Video Profiles through the Prime Video app on your Fire TV devices.

You can have up to six user profiles (one default profile + five additional profiles, which can be either adult or Kid's profiles) within Prime Video on a single Amazon account.

To create and manage (edit/delete) a Prime Video profile through the Prime Video app on Fire TV:
  • You can select and edit Profiles when the Prime Video app first launches. Otherwise,
  • Highlight the silhouette icon on the top menu, then select Switch Profile.
  • To edit an existing profile on this menu, use your Fire TV's remote control to choose the profile you wish to edit, then select New. This will take you to the screen to create a new profile.


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I developed some copy for a blog post.  It was for one of my consulting clients who owns a co-ed mid-sized club in Wisconsin.

The post was called: May I Be Blunt?

She used it as a direct mail piece to all of her “inactive” members.  She also posted it on her website and used it in a series of emails to her list.

Then, we devised a slick little social media campaign that led to her website landing page with the same copy and invitation to her programming.

It was a huge success!  Her current sales are 500% above her last year sales over the same time period.  Now that’s RESULTS!

And, it cost almost nothing more than postage.  So, now we’re even thinking about creating a video with her delivering the same message.

She’s agreed to share the basic copy that I initially wrote for her.  I’m going use it everywhere.  If you have ONBOARD 101, then this is perfect for you

But, even if you don’t… the copy can be tweaked to fit your programming…


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Student BenefitsPrivate student loan lenders: College Ave

  • Fast application and instant credit decision
  • 0.25% interest rate reduction when you make payments by automatic debit1
  • Borrow up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance (minimum $1,000)3
  • Free to apply and no disbursement fees
  • Choice of how long you take to repay: 5, 8, 10, or 15 years
  • Multiple repayment options, including deferred
  • No penalty for early repayment

Apply for a College Ave Private Student Loan

Best for Private Loans
Interest Rates

Variable rates as low as: 1.04% APR1

Fixed rates as low as: 3.34% APR1

Repayment Terms

5, 8, 10 or 15 years

  • You (and your cosigner, if applicable) must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
  • You must be enrolled at least half-time as a student at an eligible degree-granting school
  • Students must meet the minimum age of majority for their state of residence if applying alone

College Ave Student Loans products are made available through either Firstrust Bank, member FDIC or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.

1Rates shown are for the College Ave Undergraduate Loan product and include autopay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. Variable rates may increase after consummation.

2This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Deferred Repayment Option with a 10-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 8.35% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 120 monthly payments of $179.18 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $21,501.54. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.

3As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000.

Information advertised valid as of 4/22/2021. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Lowest advertised rates require selection of full principal and interest payments with the shortest available loan term.


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Balloons above the Valley Rainbow Ryders

By: Rainbow Ryders
ANGEL FIRE, N.M. - March 25, 2015 - PRLog -- Rainbow Ryders aims to fly its customer high in the air and to fulfill its ambition, it is continuously offering very attractive and affordable packages. It is one of its kinds of company to provide therides in hot air balloons. If a person wants a cool entertainment outside and want to push away the earth, the Rainbow Ryders will offer hot air balloon flight in its attractive and beautiful balloons. Buying hot air balloon tickets, to be the part of Balloon above the Valley, in advance will lead you to hassle free flight on time.

Never the less, there are lot of companies providing such services, but this company has its own brand and popularity due to its safety measures and trained pilots. In Phoenix and Scottsdale, you can say that Rainbow Ryder is king of all the balloon flying companies.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is world’s largest balloon festival and Rainbow Ryders honored that it is the only company which is providing balloon rides right from the Balloon Fiesta Park. Do not take time for thinking, come first and get a reasonable discount on booking and full balloon for your memorable flight.

Rainbow Ryders, Inc.
Address: 5601 Eagle Rock Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113.
Phone: (800) 725-2477
Website: http://www.rainbowryders.com/

Media Contact
Rainbow Ryders Inc

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Electrician / Electrical Fitter Upgrading (Safety)

Course Code EL5103123

Course Information
Duration of Study20 Evenings (40 hrs)
Mode of StudyPart-time (Evening)
CampusesPro-Act Training and Development Centre (Electrical) - Pokfulam Centre/ Kwai Chung Centre
Entrance RequirementsApplicants should have at least 3 years of practical experience in the electrical trade certified by their employers.
Course DescriptionTrade knowledge ; Regulations; Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations and practical training including : electrical installation wiring, motor starters, mains supply switchboard, motor control centre and emergency generator.
General Class Time19:00 - 21:00
Medium of InstructionCantonese


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MOBOTIX New Product Announcement

The new MX-Proximity-Box is a weatherproof radar motion sensor for the MxBus connector that can be installed in a concealed way – for example, behind drywall. The MX-Proximity-Box boasts a special technical feature: It differentiates between radar signals, meaning for example that the box is able to send a MxMessage in response to objects that are directly approaching the device.
Other MOBOTIX Innovations And Changes Arriving In March:
  • The MX-System firmware release MX-V4.4.2.5x provides hardware support for the MX-Proximity-Box and many detailed improvements

Read More Here

The Most Reliable & Secure Cameras in the World

Your IT security and privacy are important to us as a MOBOTIX distributor.

A wide range of built-in security technologies such as encryption, certificates, user defined access rights and anti-bot settings have always ensured that MOBOTIX camera systems are not only extremely reliable but also provide outstanding protection in terms of network security.

But even with all the technical precautions that take place in the camera, it is important to remember to change the factory default password.

Read more here

OCULI VISION – Integrated IP Technology

OCULI VISION, with its head quarters in the UK, is driving open platform IP Security through its world class products.

OCULI VISION manufactures MegaPixel, IP technology with a focus
on real time Frames Per Second.

Quality and integration are the key factors in our products, providing open source and flexible solutions for the global security market.

To have a look at the entire OCULI VISION range, CLICK HERE

Is Industrial Wireless Worth It?

Belden, a world leader in providing signal transmission solutions, completed the acquisition of Hirschmann™ Automation and Control in 2007. As a result, Hirschmann™ industrial switches and active devices now combine with Belden cabling, connectivity and cable management products to provide an unparalleled set of solutions for Industrial Ethernet networks.

Only Belden provides solutions for Open System Interconnection (OSI) Layers 1, 2 and 3 to ensure our customers’ networks are optimized for completely reliable performance.

In the automation area, the demands made on data communication via Ethernet differ widely from application to application. They range from simple installations to complex, high-performance networks with comprehensive management functions and extremely high failure tolerance. The OpenRail is the perfect switch for every application scenario and is ideal for machine and plant engineering where Ethernet is becoming the communications protocol.

Read more here

Your #1 Security Solution Provider

ProDiS offers advanced value added distribution services that enable you to increase your company’s revenue and competitive advantage by offering flexible solutions aimed to assist you in growing your business when delivering to your customers.

Designed to act as an extension of your team, the ProDiS operations department offers access to resources, skills, experience and industry know-how, when you need it most.

Feel free to contact ProDiS for more information – and also keep up to date on changes and special events by following our weekly newsletter.

Read more here


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We Empower Product Teams to Do What Matters.

Every product has a story. Here’s ours.

The challenge with product management is that without a flexible tool that integrates or replaces your other systems, you can't effectively align the team, collaborate on your roadmaps, and measure your work’s impact.

To reduce time wasted, we built a roadmap platform to help you focus on what matters most—building better products.

At ProductPlan, our mission is to empower you to own your product success and effectively communicate your product strategy in a single source of truth.

Leadership Team

  • Brad Wills

    Brad Wills

  • Annie Dunham

    VP of Product

  • Kate Gulbransen

    Director of Customer Success

  • Diana Ciontea

    Diana Ciontea

    Director of Finance

  • Morgen Monie

    Director of People & Culture

  • Mark Barbir

    Mark Barbir

    SVP of Engineering

  • Andre Theus

    Andre Theus

    VP of Marketing

  • Jeff Horn

    VP of Sales

  • Jim Semick ProductPlan

    Jim Semick

    Founder/Chief Strategist

  • Greg Goodman

    Greg Goodman

    Founder/Chairman of the Board

We’re Hiring

With offices located just a few blocks from the beach in Santa Barbara, California, a work hard, play hard attitude comes with the territory. Beach volleyball, sashimi lunches, and wine tastings in the Funk Zone are just a few ways we build camaraderie. Join our team and help us build the software behind today’s leading companies.


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Key facts

Consumer Services

Use Case
ProductPlan Roadmap/Planning Board

Company Size
4,000+ employees

Key results

  • Standardized objective prioritization process
  • Stakeholder visibility into development queue and roadmaps
  • Organizational alignment around prioritizing projects with significant ROI
  • Overview

    No one wants to have to call on a Servpro franchise, but when a flood or fire hits homes and businesses, their network of franchisees across the United States and Canada is often tapped to clean up what’s left behind and mitigate subsequent damage. Headquartered in Tennessee, certified Servpro professionals rush to the scene when disasters strike to quickly remove what can’t be salvaged and repair what can be saved, be it from water and mold or fire and smoke.

    But supporting a multi-national network of more than 1,900 franchises means satisfying a wide range of stakeholders, be they internal corporate employees or the franchisees themselves. For Servpro, the biggest issue they faced in their IT department was instituting a fair and transparent prioritization process that ensured initiatives with the biggest ROI and net benefits made it to the front of the queue for each of their major workstreams.

    Jason Wix ServPro ProductPlan Customer Story

    “I take pride in listening to every franchise,” Wix said. “They have great ideas and our backlog is beyond our capacity so we want to work on the things that matter the most and have the most bang for the buck.”

    Jason Wix, Director of Program Management at Servpro Industries, LLC

    Ensuring that development resources are expended on the most critical projects while creating transparency and consistency in the decision-making process.

    Using ProductPlan, all potential projects are evaluated equally using the same criteria. Scores for each proposed item are visible to all stakeholders, reducing conflict and confusion over how things are selected for implementation. Scheduled and completed projects are all visible on a common roadmapping platform.

    Servpro has been able to break down silos and create a meaningful dialogue among stakeholders from all departments. The team has a shared and supported vision for the priorities of their work. This alignment has created efficiencies for IT program management and makes certain resources are expended on the highest-value projects.

    The Challenge

    When the Director of Program Management, Jason Wix, took on his role in the IT department more than eight years ago, he found an organization missing some of the basic elements of a modern technology delivery organization. While the team boasted 35 employees, no QA, business analysts, project managers, or product owners were in place. Over time, with his CIO, Jeff Fields, and they restructured things to have a defined process governed by the PMO. The IT includes Jeff’s direct managers overseeing the Business Requirements, Development, QA, Support, and Infrastructure. Project managers, program managers, and business analysts reporting to Jason.

    Wix also saw the need for a better way to prioritize projects that would support his franchises on the ground dealing with the vast array of challenges and disasters present.

    “I take pride in listening to every franchise,” Wix said. “They have great ideas, and our backlog is beyond our capacity, so we want to work on the things that matter the most and have the most bang for the buck.”

    Of course, franchisees aren’t the only stakeholders with requests. Operations, the call center, accounting, and other departments all had their own wish list items and lobbied to get them implemented as well. The corporate operation’s rapid growth to 450 employees also contributed to the challenge of satisfying everyone.

    The sheer volume of items people were asking for became a management nightmare, and the existing systems for managing these things weren’t cutting it. Utilizing their ticketing system (Jira) proved to be inadequate for business users. Wix found himself relying on a completely unwieldy Google Sheet for five years, trying to keep everything organized himself. Adding on, Trello and Microsoft Planner also couldn’t deliver what he needed.

    The development team was working non-stop, delivering new features and functionality that weren’t necessarily worthy of being at the top of the priorities list.

    Wix found himself looking for a new solution to manage the prioritization of everything and offered clarity and visibility to everyone.

    Benefits: Fairness and Standardization

    Wix had purchased a ProductPlan license more than a year earlier, but he hadn’t spent enough time creating the organizational buy-in needed for widespread adoption. He decided to dig into what he had in-house and fully explore what ProductPlan could offer before moving onto another solution rather than purchase an expensive project tool that would be too complicated and never be used.

    Wix knew the tool alone wouldn’t quickly fix Servpro’s prioritization processes. Each of the 23 Servpro divisions had its own top five priorities, and there was no way to proceed when there were 50 different A1 items on the docket.

    To mitigate this, Wix, with the help of Executive and Division Managers, created a standard operating procedure for any development request that would take more than 160 hours to implement. Each request would go before the executive team at a monthly review and approval session, with the requesting party would make their case for the item in question’s worthiness to be slated for release.

    The requestor must define a problem and goals statement and present the ROI for the item to the governance board. This ensured the requestor did their homework and items lacking a solid business case were removed from consideration.

    “That slowed down requests and forced non-ROI items from being considered, and now we don’t get as many requests for large items with no business case.”

    With these new processes in place, it was as if a curtain had been lifted. There was no longer any mystery around why some items were scheduled, and others didn’t make the cut. It was an open and honest system.

    “Everyone now knows why their item didn’t get to the top. We put the onus on them to talk through things as a group and decide what makes the top.”

    The Planning Board has been the most valuable feature of ProductPlan, in Wix’s opinion. The organization had previously been using Microsoft Teams for this purpose. Still, the ability to prevent other people from changing things made it a non-starter for widespread sharing and socialization.

    Additionally, the Planning Board’s versatility has also proved extremely useful. Servpro’s default approach to scoring has been to judge each item on five criteria, with 20% of the potential score allocated evenly across these options:

    - Increase Net Income
    - Decrease an Expense
    - Strategic and Business Alignment
    - Development Effort
    - Implementation Effort

    With a system like this, each item is holistically evaluated. Additionally, some groups have different criteria they’re using for scoring, which ProductPlan easily accommodates.

    The scoring process also forces stakeholders to break down siloed thinking and evaluate projects based on their value to the organization as a whole. They can see for themselves how their request stacks up against currently prioritized items.

    “We had tried to break down the silos between divisions as we got bigger,” Wix said. “People weren’t in the know about what other people were doing. ProductPlan has hugely helped out on the communication front, as well.”

    With the Planning Board process established and universal visibility and standardization into how things were scored, Wix no longer has to battle with stakeholders over “why” something was prioritized. It’s all clearly defined by the scores and rankings.

    Once things go through the prioritization gauntlet and are reviewed and approved by the executive team, they make their way to one of the multiple roadmaps managed within ProductPlan. These include smaller corporate enhancements and specific roadmaps for Franchise, Servpro, Mobile, Web Services, Salesforce, and Tableau.

    “ProductPlan has just enough. I don’t want tools that have so much functionality that it’s too hard to learn and never gets used or we only use a fraction of features.”

    Results: Rigorous evaluation, business-driven prioritization, and transparency

    With the help of ProductPlan, teams can both see everything ahead of in the queue and know the "why" behind their order.

    For Wix and his team, another huge win was reducing the volume of email and phone calls asking about various requests and projects. Stakeholders review ProductPlan and see a request in ProductPlan by being tagged, so it’s easy for them to track their items' status independently.

    Even better, the CIO can see what was completed in the previous quarter and tap for the next. Wix’s CIO uses the Portfolio View to see a comprehensive picture of everything. Wix saves hours and hours of time now that he is no longer creating PowerPoints and aggregating data from multiple sources.

    Getting Team Buy-in

    Since Servpro already had a ProductPlan license, their adoption has been organic and linked with major process changes. Since the tool was intimately linked with those new standard operating procedures, its value was readily apparent to a broad swath of the organization as they interacted with it during prioritization and roadmapping exercises.

    For Wix, ProductPlan sits in a sweet spot of functionality and versatility without being overly complex.

    “It has just enough, but not too much,” he said. “I don’t want tools that have so much functionality that it’s too hard to learn and never gets used, or we only use a fraction of features.” He found ProductPlan easy to self-learn—and after a couple of days, he didn’t even need to rely on customer support. In Wix's words, "ProductPlan is extremely flexible, you can use it to meet whatever needs you may have."

    In the future, for ServPo, utilizing ProductPlan’s JIRA integration is up next. ProductPlan’s integrations will help to gauge the effort estimates and project end dates directly in ProductPlan versus manually updating those data points elsewhere.

    As it has rolled out further within the IT organization, the visibility into the process and current state of things are huge, and the prioritization feature gets everyone in alignment.

    “Alignment is critical because all the stakeholders are in a weekly meeting and they know their score. They know why their request isn’t getting worked on yet,” Wix said, adding that this process forces stakeholders to “take off your department hat and rank based on the value to the organization as a whole.”

    ProductPlan is extremely flexible, you can use it to meet whatever needs you may have.


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Product Tree

What is the Product Tree?

The Product Tree is a fun, visual, and useful tool that gamifies product management. It helps product managers (PMs) organize, prioritize, and tame the barrage of product feature inputs from customers and internal stakeholders. Product Managers will “prune the product tree.”

This innovation game represents a product roadmap as a simple tree complete with trunk, branches, roots, and leaves. The tree metaphor invites participants to think about how to grow (and shape) a product or service.

Branches represent the primary product or system functionalities, roots represent the technical requirements or infrastructure necessary to support feature branches, and leaves represent new feature ideas. Variations of the game include using apples (to represent ROI) or seed baskets (to express views that don’t make it onto the tree). The process is entirely flexible and customizable to any environment.

Read the product manager's guide to prioritization  ➜

How Do You Play Prune the Product Tree?

Look no further than your workspace to find the simple supplies you’ll need to play the game. To start, head over to the nearest whiteboard and sketch a basic tree with branches and roots or print the image below. You can also check out this online version.

Product Tree Framework Informational Breakdown Graphic

Next, grab some Post-Its and Sharpies. With supplies in hand, gather your people. Invite them to write down their feature ideas on Post-It notes, or leaves, and then place them on the tree. Once set, leaves can be moved from one location to another or removed altogether (i.e., pruned). Leaves closer to the trunk are near-term, while leaves nearer the tree canopy indicate long-term growth.

The shape the tree takes should generate valuable insights as well. Invite participants to comment on what they notice. For example, does the growth seem balanced, or is it heavily clustered along a single branch? Is the root system, which represents infrastructure, able to support the surface growth?

Read how Oracle uses Prune the Product Tree.

What are the Benefits of Innovation Games for Product Teams?

The Product Tree exercise elicits a variety of benefits, including:

  • Prioritization of feature requests
  • Identification of previously unknown requirements
  • Management of inputs from stakeholders and customers
  • Rich insight from a variety of sources
  • Enabling customers to help shape the future of a product or service
  • Helping an organization to achieve product excellence

Other innovation games, like 20/20 Vision, Me and My Shadow, Product Box, Remember the Future, and Give Them a Hot Tub, also help PMs and product teams gather valuable feedback from customers and stakeholders and enable communication within an internal organization, among many other benefits.

Learn how to incorporate these methods into the product roadmap. Read Your Guide to Product Roadmaps


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Pin It

I had the extreme pleasure of speaking and teaching from the stage at MidasCampLive over the past few days, and it was a phenomenal experience. Not just for me, but for every attendee there. I was literally able to see and experience real-time transformation happening moment by moment.

resilience-not-easeOn the final day, one interesting observation came up. One of the attendees said that she had been avoiding building her business because she felt it would be too difficult. She said that she was committed, now, to realizing that it wasn’t too difficult.

What I suggested, instead, is that she feel like she was capable and able to achieve her business goals, no matter how difficult they might be. This is a subtle, but important, distinction.

You see, none of us really have any control over whether something is difficult. Growing our business is likely to be difficult. If you, like me, believe that entrepreneurship is a prime personal growth vehicle, you will *definitely* come up against obstacles, challenges, and experiences which push you to grow.

(In graduate school, we called these AFOG’s- another f’ing opportunity for growth).

In any case, AFOG’s abound in business building. We are constantly called forward into our own leadership and to step out and uphold what we believe. We have our boundaries tested, question our own self worth, and have struggles with balancing everything in our business and still trying to have a life. We admire those who seem to be more successful and who make it look easier than we feel it to be.

Yet, even for all our efforts, there will be times where clients are unhappy. Where our websites go offline. Where we run into cash flow crunches, or find it difficult to collect monies owed. There will be times where we don’t know what to do next, and where we are bored with what we’ve been doing.

In short, we are likely to experience a full spectrum of difficult experiences, and difficult emotions. We might feel stressed, sad, upset, worried, anxious, or envious. And that’s just for starters.

But the truth is, everyone has difficulties in some area of building their businesses. It’s just a part of the process. Knowing this can help you find the right balance, for yourself, of stepping out and shoring up.

There is a right time to expand, and a right time to hold steady.

But you have to be willing to be uncomfortable and live through difficulty in order to grow your business and grow yourself.

So, when we ask for capacity, let’s ask for the belief in ourselves and trust that we can do this.

In other words, let’s ask for resilience, not ease.


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Posts Tagged ‘career’

How A Boomer Executive Got Fired and Launched a New Life

March 17th, 2012

Hi All!

I have 2 rituals that I perform prior to boarding a plane if it’s a morning flight: Buy a Vitamin Water and a USA Today newspaper. No matter what city I’m flying out of, if my flight is before noon local time, you can find me doing this in an airport store close to my departing gate.

There is absolutely no point in my telling you that, other than recently I was on a flight, reading my USA Today, and came across an interesting article about a new book that I thought was very interesting and inspiring. But, before I jump into telling you about it, let me take a minute to explain why the article about the author’s journey and his new book grabbed my interest:

Back in October of 2011, I published my third book, “Boomers into Business: How Anyone Over 50 Can Turn What They Know into Dough Before and After Retirement”. Basically, there are startling stats about how ill-prepared more than 47% of Boomers are to have enough money to retire (or to even cover their basic bills later in life!). So I wrote my latest book to provide career options that Boomers can consider to make more money now, on-the-side of their current job, if they’re employed, as well as what they can do after they “retire” from their current job or career to generate income past 65 years old. Again, almost 50% of Boomers are at risk of outliving their retirement savings so this is a serious issue…and will cause many Boomers to have to generate income, somehow, well into their later years.

Okay, now back to the book I read about on the plane. It’s called, “Diary of a Company Man: Losing a Job, FInding a Life”, written by James. S. Kunen (Lyons Press). In a nutshell, at 59 years old Kunen was fired from a corporate job at Time Warner, and found himself in what he, along with many other Boomers, describe as a place of: Too young to retire and too old to hire.

According to the article about his journey, 100 employees out of 500 were let go, and of those 100, 4-out-of-the-5 people let go in corporate communications were over 40 years old. He being one of the “oldest” at 59. So, there Kunen was, caught in that weird vortex many Boomers find themselves in where they find it hard to find a job, yet they’re too young to “stop” working because they don’t have enough retirement savings.

Now, I don’t want to give away the ending and how he survived this, so you’ll either have to read his book or read the article I read online in USA Today back on February 27, 2012 to get more details. But I will offer you this brief book description to wet your appetite:

The funny, insightful, and inspiring story of a 1960s campus radical turned corporate PR man who finds himself, along with his fellow baby boomers, in a place called “Too Young to Retire and Too Old to Hire”.

James S. Kunen—author of “The Strawberry Statement“, an account of the 1968 student uprising at Columbia University—chronicles his adventures on the road to finding meaning in work and life.

He traces his evolution from a rebellious youth who sees working as a kind of death, to a laid-off corporate executive who experiences not working as a kind of death, to a reinvented and reinvigorated individual who discovers something important and meaningful to do.

The experience of falling victim to America’s recession-ravaged economy (and the people who run it) leads him along a career path far different from anything he had planned. After years of making a living, Kunen finally learns how to make a life. “Diary of a Company Man” will be a revelation not only to baby boomers but to young people trying to figure out what to do with their lives.

Aside from publishing a book, what did he do to make a living? How did he reinvent himself? Did he become self-employed? Did he find another corporate job? If you’re a Boomer and find yourself in a similar situation as Kunen, let-go from a job close to 60, what can you do? Or if you still have a job but need to make more money for your retirement account, what can you do? Or if you’re looking for something you can do to generate income past 65 years old, what can you do?

For starters, on Amazon you can pick up a copy of Kunen’s book, or my new book (mine is available in both Print and Kindle versions), for some ideas! Sadly, all of this is a reality for over 35 million Baby Boomers, and the time to start thinking about financial security in your golden years is now!

Cheers & Happy Marketing!

How to Write Articles for Branding and Web Traffic: Part One

March 07th, 2011

Hi All!

A very powerful strategy for building your topic expert brand positioning, and for driving traffic to your website, is to write articles and submit them to online article distribution services. Some small business owners also choose to do this for additional income (because there are some article services and media that will pay for your articles), but many experts don’t do it for pay; they write articles for the 2 other key reasons I mentioned.

In Part One of this 2-part series I’d like to outline 12 ways to make your articles compelling and how they can become significant traffic-drivers to your website.

I’ll then conclude this 2-part series next week by providing you with a list of some popular online article submission and distribution services that you can use to get your articles distributed to the masses.

12 Ways to Create Articles for Brand Building:

When you write interesting articles in your area of expertise, it immediately positions you as an expert in your field. It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your knowledge and this can attract clients to you, as well as attract media interviews for you. But, if you’re not a great writer, don’t panic! You can hire ghostwriters (inexpensively) who will write them for you, and you can simply provide them with the topics you think will benefit your target audience.

However, regardless of whether you write the articles or someone does it for you, here are 12 tips for making them compelling and a valuable marketing tool for you:

  1. Grab The Reader’s Attention Fast: Make sure to create an interesting title for your article, and you can even make it a thought-provoking question. Also, in your opening paragraph set-up the “pain point” you’re going to solve and why it’s important to them. Writing articles that will solve a problem for your target audience is a great strategy for the angles you develop.
  2. Keep the Articles Simple and Easy to Understand Quickly: People want to read quick-hit information that they can grasp fast and benefit from. So make sure the articles you write provide good, helpful information and are written in a succinct style. A good way to achieve this is to use bullet points or numbered points so that your key messages and tips are easy to reference and follow. Having your key points “buried” in paragraphs will make it frustrating for your readers.
  3. Add Keywords for Online Search: Your articles will be posted in numerous ways online and will often be found by people doing keyword searches on your topic matter. So you want to make sure that you use the Google keyword tool that I mentioned back in the chapter about writing an effective Press Release, and add those popular search terms in the body of your articles. I know many experts who rapidly increase their search rankings because of writing articles, and oftentimes their articles start ranking higher in search results than their main websites do. Therefore, you want to implement this strategy!
  4. Make Your Articles Short: You don’t need to write super long articles to make them good. This is about quality not quantity! Most articles that I, and other experts write, are around 400-700 words. Keeping them short not only makes it easier for your readers but makes it easier for you to write them on an on-going basis.
  5. Don’t Pitch Your Services and Products: When you write articles it’s only about providing helpful info to your target audience. It is not about making your articles big infomercials to pitch yourself and/or your products. If you write good articles that people truly learn from, they will typically want to learn more about you and they will visit your website. The fastest way to kill your credibility and lose a potential “fan” is by trying to sell them on something in your article content.
  6. Be Yourself in Your Writing Style: Conveying yourself as likeable is important! If you’re a fun person, be sure to bring out your personality in your articles. This is the same advice I give to clients who hire me as a coach and consultant to launch their speaking careers! Don’t be one person on the stage and another person off stage. People can see through that because you’re not being authentic. And when you write articles, it may be the FIRST contact anyone has with you; even before seeing your website. So you want to make sure who you really are comes through in your writing. A good example of this is my writing style. I write in a very conversational way, and write very close to how I speak. I’m not afraid to add in sarcastic comments, casual verbiage or silly phrases to anything I write because that’s “who” I am…and I want my readers to get to know “me”!
  7. Don’t Quote Other Experts: The purpose of your articles is to showcase you; not someone who could be a competitor. You normally only want to quote other people in your articles if their information really adds to your message and content quality. Sure, you can quote stats and research results from studies you find, but try to avoid quoting or mentioning other experts who are similar to you.
  8. Offer Your Articles on Your Website: When I submit articles online, I also add them to my website, in Word, so that people can download them to use as content on their blogs, ezines, websites and newsletters. And, on my article web page, I clearly state they can use my articles as long as they are shown in their entirety, and the short bio about me provided at the end of each article is included. I also ask that they send me a link to it when it’s used. Millions of people are constantly seeking for content and understand they have to source the author who wrote it. This is great for driving their traffic to you!
  9. Create an E-book: Once you have several articles done, you can also compile them into an e-book and either offer it as a free gift on your website (as long as people provide you with their contact info to download it), or you can sell it. Either way, this is a good strategy for creating simple products and for building your contact list.
  10. Write Them Consistently: If possible, try to write and submit at least one article per month online. I know experts who do one-per-week because they receive so much benefit from doing so, but that may be tough for many of you. Start by writing a few, and after you get the hang of it and start developing a “formula” for cranking them out (or hire a ghostwriter to do them for you), you can start to increase how many you publish monthly.
  11. Share Your Links: Many article distribution services will create a web page for your article that will be found through online searches. You’ll have a unique url for your article’s page and can share that link to drive traffic to your article on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and in emails to your contact database.
  12. Embed Links in Your Articles: When you write an article, make sure to have certain words or phrases that have hyperlinks to pages on your website, your blog posts, Twitter page, Facebook page, and/or to other articles you have written and that are posted online. Just make sure the links take them to info that is relevant to what you’re writing about and to points you are making.

Okay! Get started on creating a list of article topics that will interest your target audience and showcase your topic expert knowledge. And be sure to read Part Two of this series for services that can distribute them for you to obtain massive website traffic and readers!

Cheers & Happy Marketing!

Why Developing a Personal Brand as an Employee is Important for Career Success

July 11th, 2010

Hi All!

Most people know me as a Branding Expert who works with speakers, authors, solopreneurs (ie: coaches, consultants, trainers, etc.), entertainers, and small business owners. But I also conduct workshops and seminars for employees of corporations on how and why developing a Personal (Leadership) Brand platform for themselves is important to their career growth, success and advancement. And I also discuss this quite a bit in my second book, “Millennials Into Leadership: The Ultimate Guide for Gen Y’s Aspiring to Be Effective, Respected, Young Leaders at Work”.

Here is a brief overview, that I call D.A.C.C., which explains why, even if you’re an employee and not self-employed, developing your own Personal Brand in the workforce is necessary:

  • Makes you stand out in the sea of other employees
  • Communicates who you are to your peers, leadership, employees and clients

  • Allows you to speak and act authentically
  • Prevents you from being “fake”
  • Gives you clarity “about you” and what you stand for
  • Great Quote: “To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are!”

  • Makes people know how you will act and handle situations, consistently
  • Enables others to know who you are and what they can expect from you, consistently
  • Regardless of who are interacting with, your personality and demeanor, are consistent

  • You know what you stand for and act accordingly
  • Gives you clarity, and others clarity, on your core values
  • Helps keep you on track: “If I do this or say this, is it supporting or diluting my Personal Brand?”
  • Keeps your moral compass in-check when faced with questionable situations that could tempt you

Take some time to think about your core values, work ethic, personality, and unique attributes that you bring to a work environment, and write your own Personal Brand Positioning Statement. And then once it’s crafted to your liking, proclaim it, live it, and BE your brand!

BTW: I even know some employees who have taken it a step further and added a “visual brand” element to their overall branding. What do I mean by this? One woman I know always wears striped socks at work, and she is known for that (as well as her positive personal attributes); and one young man I know is known for always wearing funny hats to work. Think of this in terms of Donald Trump and his hair…we all may laugh at it, but he is keenly aware that it’s part of his visual brand, he knows it is a topic of conversation, and he loves that the media talks about it.

In the book that I wrote (mentioned above), I have a whole chapter with quotes from senior executives about the importance of personal branding, as it pertains to leadership, in the workforce. One that I love, and that really sticks with me, is: “Be aware that people are watching what you say and what you don’t say, and what you do and what you don’t do. Your next opportunities, and indeed reputation, will be impacted by the actions and decisions you make day-to-day…everyday.”

By determining your personal brand at work, and living it consistently, you are building and creating a “reputation” that can foster career success – faster than the employees who choose not to.

Cheers & Happy Marketing!

Do You Struggle With Having Breakdowns vs Breakthroughs?

June 15th, 2010

Hi All!

Yes, many clients hire me as their Branding/Marketing Consultant and/or Publicist, but I’m also a Certified Business Coach. And, regardless of “what” role someone hires me for, my “coaching” hat gets put on at some point. Why? Because even some of the most successful people I work with often struggle with having breakdowns vs breakthroughs…and it affects their professional and personal success and progress.

And, no, I don’t mean major emotional breakdowns requiring medication! I mean those obstacles that get thrown at you all the time in business and life, that cause you moments of feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed…typically due to self doubt.

So this blog post isn’t one of my typical ones pertaining to PR, Publicity, Branding, Marketing or Social Media tips. It’s focused on YOU, and how to avoid having breakdowns vs breakthroughs.

Honestly, many people suffer from self-sabotage in the form of not taking responsibility for their actions. It can be more comfortable for them to stay in the “victim role” because they can put blame on everyone else for whatever is not working in their lives. And although placing blame on others for your own “issues” can be quite seductive (it gets you off the hook for doing any self introspection and work), it can be more exhausting than simply being honest with yourself. Also, and most importantly, the “victim role” mentality can make it virtually impossible to realize significant breakthroughs for progress…yet totally possible to experience consistent breakdowns in making progress within any aspect of your life.

Breakthroughs = Empowerment + Growth + Happiness

Breakdowns = Disempowerment + Stagnation + Sadness

To effectively breakthrough a personal, professional or emotional obstacle, the driving force behind it is taking responsibility for your actions and trusting yourself. For many, this can be easier said than done! Let’s take a moment to look at both of those drivers more closely:

Responsibility: You gain significant empowerment and freedom when you choose to shift your perspective from assigning blame to accepting responsibility.

And although you may feel in control when assigning blame to others for your personal obstacles, the reality is you are totally out of control. Why? You have given your power to someone else. And even though it may feel like a “relief” initially, it can manifest itself into more stress later.

You simply cannot resolve personal issues, and have breakthroughs, when the power is not your own. At the point of assigning blame, and releasing all responsibility for challenges in your life, not only have you given all the power to others, your “destiny” becomes based on their next move and decisions…not yours.

And, being able to shift your perspective to being someone who takes responsibility, starts with having self-trust.

Self-Trust: Self-trust is the foundation to our being. If you do not have self-trust, whom can you really trust? And, suffering from lack of self-trust leads to self-doubt. Having doubt in yourself is a powerful force that can set you up for failure in anything you attempt. Why? Because you are already assuming the decisions you make, and actions you take, probably aren’t the right ones, and they won’t provide you with the results you desire.

Think of this in terms of (2) real-world scenarios:

Scenario One: You want to make a career change because you’re bored or very unhappy with your current occupation. If you lack self-trust, your decision of making a change could be clouded by self-defeating “doubt” questions like: Am I smart enough to do this? Can I afford to do this? What will my friends, family and peers think? What if they think I’m stupid for making this career change?

By having those types of self-doubt questions running through your brain you can actually talk yourself out of making the career change before you even try! Or, even before you look at options and first steps to making the career change. And what is the result of that? Being stuck in a career you no longer enjoy and wishing you were doing something else…yet never even trying to make the change happen!

Scenario Two: You don’t have enough business and you’re struggling…but have your REALLY done the work to get more business? Or do find yourself blaming the economy, the competition, the powers that be?

I have clients who come to me complaining about lack of business. And when I ask them what their business development strategies have been (prior hiring me), they tell me and I don’t doubt they’ve been struggling. Posting a couple blog posts, a few tweets here and there, created a website, and occasionally go to networking events. And they truly believe the “problem” is all about the economy.

They soon realize they are not doing enough, they need to take responsibility for that, and they need to stop blaming others for their lack of business success.

Take some time to ask yourself:

  1. Are there situations in your life where you choose to assign blame versus take responsibility?
  2. How does assigning blame serve you when trying to breakthrough an obstacle?
  3. How can building self-trust serve you in having consistent, positive breakthroughs?
  4. When you feel yourself being paralysed by self-doubt, what can you do to breakthrough versus breakdown?

Your personal success and business success depend on YOU…you can have the best brand platform in the world, a terrific marketing strategy, an amazing book…but none of them will get you where you want if the demons in your head constantly try to sell you garbage…and you buy it!

Cheers to your happiness & success!


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Musa Hall of Fame

The Musa Hall of Fame was created to honour individuals who have made valuable contributions to our knowledge on bananas. Each inductee is given a Musapedia page highlighting their achievements.

For the better part of the 20th century, research on bananas was dominated by nationals of countries involved in the export trade. For example, the three British inductees — Ernest E. Cheesman, Norman Simmonds and Kenneth Shepherd — made some of their most important contributions when they were working at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad, which at the time was a training centre in tropical agriculture for the agricultural services of the British Empire.  Similarly, both Phil Rowe, a breeder from the United States, and Robert Stover, a plant pathologist from Canada, worked for the United Fruit Company, which later became Chiquita Brands.

The other inductees come from different backgrounds. The American nutritionist Lois Englberger earned a place in the Musa Hall of Fame because of her ground-breaking work on bananas rich in precursors of vitamin A in the Federated States of Micronesia, whereas the self-taught Finnish botanist Markku Häkkinen was recognized for his field studies of wild species of bananas.

Photo of 'Toraka gatagata', a Fe'i banana, is by Gabriel Sachter-Smith.


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Despite accusations by various state officials that title insurers paid kickbacks to win business, the head of a major title insurance firm said he is glad that state regulators are focusing on his industry.

Ted Chandler, chief executive of LandAmerica Financial Group, whose company has had its legal tangles with state officials, said the result of their attention “will be messy at times, but at the end of the day a lot of good comes from state regulators promulgating clear rules and regulations==and I hope they enforce the hell out of them.”

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Home > Surety Bonds By Type > Utility Surety Bond

Are You Looking For A Utility Surety Bond?

10063118.jpgThank you for choosing Pro Surety Bonds, your one stop source for Utility Surety Bonds and all of your many bonding needs. If you are a Commercial Property Manager or business seeking a Utility Surety Bond for your new commercial structures, feel free to contact us at our toll free number 1-800-314-7003 for a fast free quote on the Utility Bonds you need. Our courteous team of agents is standing by to assist you in this somewhat overwhelming process. We will use our knowledge and experience in the bonding industry to help streamline this confusing process and get you Utility Bonds you need at the best price quickly and easily!

What Is A Utility Surety Bond?

While this can be very confusing, simply put, a Utility Bond is a type of commercial surety bond that is required by utility companies when a business or commercial structure is in need of utilities on a new structure. A Utility Bond acts as an assurance to the local utility companies that you will pay your utilities expediently. Utility bonds provide a type of safety net for the utility companies, as well as helping to cover the substantial deposits necessary for new service contracts. This is due to the fact that the utility companies have to go to great expense to bring their services to your new developments. These assurances are necessary and required by the state and federal laws that govern the commercial property industry.

Why Do I Need A Utility Surety Bond?

If you are a business opening a new commercial site, restaurants, shopping centers or other commercial structures, there are many laws and statutes that govern the many aspects of your business. In order to maintain compliance with these many laws and statutes Utility Bonds are required for each and every new commercial site you are erecting. A Utility Bond will provide the electric, gas, phone and water companies in your region that you are operating legally and have every intention of paying your utilities in a timely fashion. This is a necessary step in the process of insuring that the utility company did not expend resources and materials needlessly. Utility Bonds also provides a safety net for said utility companies provided the unfortunate circumstance should arise and your payment is substantially in arrears, the utility companies are not out money and resources.

Let Us Help You Acquire The Utility Surety Bonds You Need!

Here at Pro Surety Bonds we have made it our life’s work to simplify this daunting and arduous process for any and every client we have. We appreciate that this is a difficult process and want to make it easier on you. We have relationships with underwriters from all across these United States that are waiting to provide you with the necessary Utility Bonds you need to get your various commercial structures and properties the utilities you need quickly and easily.

Let Our Utility Surety Bond Staff Go To Work For You!

We here at Pro Surety Bonds have spent the last 25 plus years cultivating quality relationships with several underwriters from all over the country. So no matter when or where your commercial projects are we have the ability to get the Utility Bonds you need to get all of your commercial properties off to a running start. Rest assured that we will exhaust all of the resources at our disposal to insure you get the Utility Bonds that the state and federal agencies require of you, in a simple and painless fashion. So no matter your credit score or the state you wish to operate in Pro Surety Bonds has you covered!

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Playshoes - Bottes de pluie pour filles - Rose

  • 100 % waterproof children's rain boots.
  • Made of high-quality rubber.
  • Reflective details for additional visibility.
  • Drawstring closure to tighten the top.
  • PVC-free.
Achetez en volume à 27,99
En stock
Numéro d'article
En stock
Delivery date: mercredi 12 mai 2021

These nice children's rain boots by Playshoes make it even more fun for your child to play in the rain. They've been decorated with a ladybug and a clover leaf for good luck! In addition, these little rain boots are also very practical. Not only are they made of waterproof rubber, they also feature a drawstring at the top which you can use to pull the boots tightly around the legs. This way, your child will be able to jump in all the puddles without a single drop dripping into the rain boots. Moreover, reflective details have been added to the back of the boots for additional safety. Your child will be extra visible in bad weather!

Playshoes is a brand that offers fun and practical fashion for children. Apart from rain boots, we also sell rain trousers and rain coats for children by this brand. It's often possible to buy a matching set, so be sure to browse our Playshoes collection to buy your child a great outfit!

Plus d'infos

Product Details

Product Details
Numéro d'article188583-PI

Attributes General

Attributes General
Pour quiBébé, Fille
Âge1-2 years, 2-4 years, 4-6 years, 6-8 years, 8-10 years
Matière principalePlastic
Anti-UV protectionNon testé anti-UV
EntretienCold wash or handwash, no dryer
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Tips for March Madness Fans to Avoid Ticket Scams

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With March Madness upon us, college basketball fans across the country will be looking for tickets to see their team in the Big Dance. However, consumers should be smart when searching for and purchasing tickets on the secondary (resale) market to ensure they are purchasing from a trustworthy source. The National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (BBB) have partnered to raise awareness and educate consumers about the safest ways to buy tickets on the resale market to avoid any heartbreak.

The NATB is an association representing more than 200 professional ticket resale companies who abide by a strict Code of Ethics, which includes numerous consumer protection measures such as a 200% money-back guarantee.

“Tickets represent more than just entry to an event, they’re part of an experience, and attending the NCAA Tournament is an experience like few others,” said Gary Adler, NATB Executive Director and Counsel. “Professional resellers formed NATB over 20 years ago to ensure ticket resale was being done the right way, to deliver the tickets consumers are looking for so they can enjoy their event and experience the excitement of a game, concert or show. With hundreds if not thousands of resellers out there, we believe it is wisest to buy with confidence from one of NATB’s 200 professional ticket resale companies.”

BBB and NATB present the following tips for consumers:

  • Understand the terms of the transaction. For example, ask for section and row, and check the seating chart.
  • Do your research and know the market price.
  • Make sure your ticket reseller is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers – you can check if your reseller is an NATB member at
  • Do not buy on the street corner or outside an event.
  • Do not buy on an unsecured website.
  • Do not pay with cash.
  • Do not take the “too-good-to-be-true” deal.
  • Report counterfeit or dishonest sellers.
To keep up to date on forthcoming information related to this new partnership and for additional information on avoid ticket scams visit: Also, to learn more about NATB’s Ten Commandments of Ticket Rights visit:

ABOUT NATB: The National Association of Ticket Brokers was formed in 1994 to establish an industry-wide standard of conduct and to create ethical rules and procedures to protect the public. Today NATB is comprised of more than 200 professional ticket resale companies. While the goals of the NATB are many, its primary goal is to represent the interests of legitimate ticket brokers by promoting consumer protection and educating the public about the industry. This is done by assuring the public that when dealing with an NATB member, they are working with an honest, reliable broker that will deliver what is promised. In addition, the NATB provides a platform that allows the public to report unethical conduct by ticket brokers.

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ProvoRecruiter Since 2001
the smart solution for Provo jobs

Bank Teller - Full-Time M-F 9:00 - 6:00

Company: Capital Community Bank
Location: Salem
Posted on: May 3, 2021

Job Description:

We are seeking the ideal candidate to join our dedicated Teller Team here at Capital Community Bank. This a part-time opportunity that we have reserved for someone with a knack for customer service and a passion for community interaction. If you are a motivated individual and feel that you meet the qualifications, then apply today! We look forward to meeting you!

About Us
Founded in 1993, Capital Community Bank is a community-focused financial institution, serving the banking needs of Utah residents through our offices in Orem, Provo, Salem, Sandy and Pleasant Grove, UT. We offer multiple checking and savings accounts, and our lending products include business and consumer loans as well as mortgages for commercial and residential real estate.
We dedicate ourselves to providing a Utah community bank that focuses on the financial and social health of our local communities and the state of Utah. We also believe in rewarding and providing an excellent work experience to our staff, that is why we offer excellent benefits and quarterly performance bonuses

A Day in the Life
As a customer service rep and teller, you will have the opportunity everyday to interact with our community, and assist customers of all sorts with their varying needs. You will gain experience at the drive-up window and in the lobby, while you perform teller transactions including but not limited to deposits, withdrawals, cashing checks, transfers, and others. Your strong attention to detail is crucial in this position as you will be responsible for handling money and balancing your cash drawer. You will come to know the great team that make us who we are, and you will be able to showcase and perfect your skillset.

Requirements and Qualifications

  • Strong math and communication skills
  • Cash handling experience
  • Excellent customer service skills
  • Computer and 10 key skills

Job Posted by ApplicantPro

Keywords: Capital Community Bank, Provo , Bank Teller - Full-Time M-F 9:00 - 6:00, Other , Salem, Utah

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Job Postings

From California PowerSchool User Group
Jump to: navigation, search

MBA Technical Support Specialist

Marcia Brenner Associates (MBA) is an independent company that provides implementation, training, support and custom programming services to K-12 districts throughout the world.

MBA is looking for an individual to join our support team and perform a variety of support functions related to the PowerSchool SIS.


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Chambersburg Public Opinion
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Sometimes I wonder how and why questionable, high-level decisions are made.

Was it just one person who made the decision?

Was it group of like-minded morons?

Or was it a group of yes men/women pretending to make a decision that ultimately was floated out by their boss and are afraid to openly disagree with him/her?

Either way, one of those decisions was made last week by the Los Angeles Angels. Some Bozo in the Angels organization decided to change the policy in regard to the playing of the National Anthem.

In years past, when the anthem started, everything stopped. This year, the Angels used security concerns and better crowd flow as the reasons to make ticket takers continue to work through the anthem.

Fortunately, the regular stadium workers decried the change and the Angels have backed off – temporarily.

This used to be automatic, right?

If you were at a game at any level or any sport, you stopped when the anthem started. If you had a hat, you took it off with your right hand and held it over your heart. It was taught to you by your parents and enforced by everyone.

If some kid was running around when the anthem started, somebody invariably said, "Hey!" That's all that needed to be said. Kids froze in their tracks. Of course, that was also a time when parents let other parents scold kids if they were getting out of line.

The fact that the Angels cited crowd flow as a reason for keeping the cattle chute rolling defies what everyone coming through the turnstile should be doing as well. All the "fans" should, again, stop in their tracks and reinforce the importance of the anthem and national solidarity – especially in this day and age when we are constantly under assault from some whack bag group of wingnuts somewhere in the world.

I have complained in the past about some versions of the national anthem and how "artists" try to make the song their own with crazy long vocal runs and long pauses. To them, I say, "Just sing the song, pal. It's not your song, it's our song. Sing it like it was written."

As for security, what does that even mean?

The same amount of people are coming to the game either way. If someone is late and starts becoming irritated at being slowed down by the National Anthem, the company line to those individuals should simply be, "Get here sooner next time. This is America first, the Angels Stadium second."

Again, someone made a stupid decision, but I'm glad the workers stood strong on the issue. Traditions are very important and the National Anthem has, in fact, become as such. At some point fairly recently, it really became uncool for far too many people to show any type of patriotism and even espouse any degree of exceptionalism.

I think we are an exceptional country. Not perfect, but closer to perfection than most.

LOUD AND PROUD >> New Orleans Pelicans coach Monty Williams intimated that the crowd noise at Oracle Arena (home of the Golden State Warriors), is way too loud.

He even said that it is so loud that it is probably illegal.

On Monday night, the fans at Oracle really let the noise loose.

I wonder why players and coaches step into that trap. Even though Williams was complimenting the atmosphere, all quotes like that end up doing is fanning the flames and providing bulletin board material for fans, coaches and players.

Golden State took Monday's game and leads the series 2-0.

I think the lesson here is the best practice is to just shut up, be complimentary and play the game.

And learn the words to the National Anthem. There are too many close ups of people and players singing the wrong words. If you are going to sing it, at least learn it.

Things have gone too far for too long.

Free-lance writer Graham Messner has been a writer for over 17 years and has also been involved in real estate, fundraising and coaching. He can be reached at toofar

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Our 2019 season has kicked off with some great catches. Pete and Gary were with us for one of their umpteenth visits to Puyravaud. They were having a fantastic week of fishing, made even better when Gary hooked into a beauty and 25 minutes later landed a 58lb 7oz mirror to beat the existing lake record by over 1lb.

This was just one of 22 fish caught in 3.5 days fishing, landing 824lbs in weight, including 2 x 50’s and 5 good 40’s and an average weight of 37.5lbs. Gary’s average for his 8 fish was over 41lb!!!!!!! with no fish under 31lb!

Hopefully, this is a sign of what’s to come as we look forward to welcoming many more regulars and some new visitors to Puyravaud.

Heron Lake

A 4 day trip for returning guests Pete and Gary – 32.7C, 58.7M (New Heron Lake Record), 48.2M, 32.0C, 31.3M, 43.0M, 36.9M, 48.6M, 28.0M, 47.6M, 31.0M, 38.9M, 25.12C, 27.01M, 28.7C, 46.5M, 37.7C, 33.15M, 53.13M, 36.2M, 29.9M, 27.10M

22 Fish, Total Weight – 824.1lbs, Average weight – 37.46lbs.

An excellent 3.5 days for the guys, new lake record for Gary and some great fish to remember!

Kingfisher Lake

Closed all season

Heron Lake

Adrian and Tony arrived for their first visit to Puyravaud (3 days), courtesy of a lovely joint birthday present from Gemma, to celebrate their 40th and 70th birthdays respectively – 28.0M, 34.0M, 30.0M, 23.0C, 34.0C, 27.3C, 52.3M.

7 fish, Total Weight – 228.6lbs, Average Weight – 32.65lbs.

A good trip for the guys with multiple PB’s all round, including a very nice 50 for Adrian! Not a bad birthday present eh?

Kingfisher Lake

Closed all season

Our first catch report of 2019

Heron Lake

Josh and Emma returned for a 3 night stop, this time with Adam and Wendy – the girls fished for some of the days.

39.7M, 53.0M, 33.0M 39.12M, 33.6M, 36.3M, 25.0M, 40.0M

Total Weight – 300.4lbs, Average Weight – 37.55lbs

Not a bad start to the season – 3 PB’s, our first 50 of the season and customers went home happy!

Kingfisher Lake

Closed for the 2019 season