With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I think it's important (as it is everyday) to talk about what I'm thankful for. I realize it's a little cliche, but a little gratitude doesn't hurt, right?
1. I'm thankful for the many opportunities that lie ahead of me. Although it's stressful and scary, I'm so fortunate to have options. I feel like I will be able to put my education to good use and hopefully help a few people along the way.
2. I'm thankful to have the ability to drive to Flagstaff whenever I want to see my friends. It's hard having my best friends two hours away, but if I really want to, I have the funds and car available to head up there for the weekend, or even just the night.
3. I'm thankful to have friends. I've had my same best friend for 17 years. We met on the first day of school in 1st grade. I showed her around because I had been at that school for kindergarten. Over the years, we have remained best friends, but we've also made other friends along the way. Some of them we haven't kept in touch with, but others, like our college friends, I know will stay in our lives for a long time. They're my biggest support system (alongside my family) and we can have fun doing nothing. I love that.
4. I'm thankful for my family. We've had a pretty perfect family. We stayed strong through a really rough time, and relations have changed, but we're getting through it.
5. I'm thankful for having healthy food. Through my capstone project, I've learned how many people don't have access to food, and especially healthy food. There are so many repercussions to eating bad food. I'm happy I have the choice to eat healthily.
6. I'm thankful for both of my jobs. I adore being a nanny and could not have asked for a better family. While I don't love my 2nd job, it's money in a time of need and it won't last forever. I'm glad to have the choice to quit or not and not be tied down to something because of the need for money.
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and finds a few things to be thankful for as well!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Group 6 career services
For my career services write up, I read an article from the W.P. Carey School of Business entitled, "Eight Strategies for Success" by Rhett Doolittle. Here were his 8 strategies:
- Positivity breeds success: Create a positive culture that is driven by success and always have a good time.
- Focus on the wins and don’t waste time on the losses: Figure out how to win and then multiply the wins. Learn from your losses or mistakes but do not waste too much time on them.
- Candor: Be brutally honest and up-front with yourself, your partners, and your employees. We made candor a huge part of our culture. If you sugarcoat anything it’s just a waste of time and hampering the chance of success. Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch described candor perfectly in his book “Winning.”
- Be smart and sacrifice: Be smart with your time, efficient, and still work longer than the competition…way longer. (SACRIFICE SLEEP FOR SUCCESS!)
- Hire the best talent: We realized early that we needed the best talent possible to grow and we did whatever it took in order to recruit top talent. It’s not scalable trying to do it by yourself. You need support to grow, so get the best talent possible to support your growth.
- Focus on our people: Train as much as possible, invest in developing talented people, and give them all the tools possible to succeed. Just finding top notch people is only the first step, you still have to invest time, money, and resources in the talent you find.
- Build your brand – Professionally and Personally: People should WANT to work with you, for you, or just be associated with you.
- Be aware of Risk Versus Reward: Make sure your business model matches your risk tolerance.We constantly took more risks than everybody else, but it was calculated risk and we made sure we hit our numbers consistently.
For the most part, I agree with these strategies. However, I think I would change a few of them slightly. For instance, on number 3, I would add it's important to be honest, but to also be kind. Referring back to Bambi, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." If honestly comes with rudeness, it's not worth it. Burning bridges won't lead you to success. I also feel that #4 is a bit extreme. It's important to take care of yourself. If sleep is what you need, working harder and later isn't going to help. You can't be attentive if you're exhausted. Bosses don't want you falling asleep in the office.
I think success looks different to everyone. One person may want to climb to the top of the corporate ladder and be a CEO of a company, while another might want to simply have enough money to travel with someone they love. In my opinion, in order to succeed in life, one must do the following:
1. Be kind, but not let others walk over you
2. Seek out people and opportunities that make you happy
3. Travel, read, and seek new ideas and experiences to broaden your horizons
Group 6 free write
Today I took the kids I nanny for to Barnes and Noble at Desert Ridge to play on the train table there. As we were walking down the breeze way, Savage Garden came on the outdoor speaker system and rocketed me back to middle school. So naturally, I started dancing with Zakary just to be silly. Apparently a woman sitting outside saw us. She called out to me, "You're a great mother!" I said, "Oh thank you, I'm just their nanny." She started chatting with me and asked if I did anything else besides nanny. I told her I'm about to graduate and am waiting to hear on a job in Flagstaff. She said she loved my personality and wanted to talk to me about working with her in the future.
Now, I realize this could totally be a weird situation with a fake job (I just said I'd give her a call if I didn't get the other job), but nonetheless, I think it was a good reminder that opportunity can be anywhere. In this stressful transition time in my life I think it's important to remember that. I'm really struggling with what I should do in my life. I've even thought of just packing up and moving to Paris. I don't know if Student Affairs is something I really want to do, or if it just seems like the smart thing to do. I'd have a steady career, benefits and my kids could go to school really inexpensively.
I also realize everyone else is going through this, but it's hard! I'm hoping things fall into place soon.
Now, I realize this could totally be a weird situation with a fake job (I just said I'd give her a call if I didn't get the other job), but nonetheless, I think it was a good reminder that opportunity can be anywhere. In this stressful transition time in my life I think it's important to remember that. I'm really struggling with what I should do in my life. I've even thought of just packing up and moving to Paris. I don't know if Student Affairs is something I really want to do, or if it just seems like the smart thing to do. I'd have a steady career, benefits and my kids could go to school really inexpensively.
I also realize everyone else is going through this, but it's hard! I'm hoping things fall into place soon.
Group 6 Post 1
A definite strength of my organization is networking and reaching out to possible clients. Even though it's a very small company, the owners have been in the entertainment business for decades and make sure to not burn any bridges. They see the value in keeping connections and it has certainly paid off. We are able to get big names and big accounts simply because of their reputations. They also have great relations with logistics companies. They work closely with ProEm event managements where we get our set up equipment as well as the security group we hire. This is important because we need someone we can always count on for day-of set up. It's the most stressful day and knowing that our security team and set up people will be there, on time, with the proper materials is crucial.
It's hard to think what I would change if I were in charge. I think they have done a good job at making their events count. They don't over book and create stress because they don't have enough people to work events. The events that they do are big, and have an impact. They don't take on small, unimportant events simply for the revenue. They make them count. I think a little more office organization could help. After my internship was over, I was hired hourly to organize thousands of files and papers. Not the most glamourous thing, but it was necessary!
It's hard to think what I would change if I were in charge. I think they have done a good job at making their events count. They don't over book and create stress because they don't have enough people to work events. The events that they do are big, and have an impact. They don't take on small, unimportant events simply for the revenue. They make them count. I think a little more office organization could help. After my internship was over, I was hired hourly to organize thousands of files and papers. Not the most glamourous thing, but it was necessary!
Monday, November 4, 2013
Group 5 free write 3
One of the coolest things I got to do with my internship was work at the Beach Boy's concert. It was the last event in a series called, "The Good Life Festival" where we featured cool bands and chefs. The first event was a Valentine's day culinary event where we had Tyler Florence and Duff Goldman from the Food Network come and do cooking demonstrations based on Valentines Day. It was awesome as I'm big fans of theirs! I got to hang out with Duff all day and drive him around in a golf cart!
Growing up, my dad and I would listen to the Beach Boys and rock out! We'd sing an dance in our living room and listen to them on the way to may day care. My favorite song is Barbara Ann.
So with this in mind, it was PERFECT that the Beach Boys were coming two days before my dad's birthday this year and I was able to get free tickets! My dad is incredibly hard to buy for and I couldn't wait to give him these tickets. I had to work the event all day and was excited to have my parents show up in the evening. The tickets were general admission and they sat in the lawn. Right after the concert started, my boss, and the owner of the company came up to me and asked where my parents were. I pointed to their spot on grass and he said bring them up to VIP. I want them to have a great experience. I could have cried I was so excited. I found my parents and told them to pack up, we were moving. It was awesome to see their faces when I brought them to the third row. We had a great spot on the end and danced and sang. It was awesome. Then, one of the other interns came up to me and said we were needed backstage. It turns out, they band wanted a group of girls to dance on stage with them! So we had to wait backstage until they wanted us to come out. I didn't want to miss Barbara Ann so I could listen and watch with my dad, so I asked if they would be playing it soon. Their stage manager said that's the song we'd be dancing to!! I figured, if I couldn't be next to my dad, it would be a close second being next to Mike Love!
We got on stage and totally rocked out. It was a blast!! The weather was absolutely perfect and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend time with my parents. I felt so blessed that night.
Growing up, my dad and I would listen to the Beach Boys and rock out! We'd sing an dance in our living room and listen to them on the way to may day care. My favorite song is Barbara Ann.
So with this in mind, it was PERFECT that the Beach Boys were coming two days before my dad's birthday this year and I was able to get free tickets! My dad is incredibly hard to buy for and I couldn't wait to give him these tickets. I had to work the event all day and was excited to have my parents show up in the evening. The tickets were general admission and they sat in the lawn. Right after the concert started, my boss, and the owner of the company came up to me and asked where my parents were. I pointed to their spot on grass and he said bring them up to VIP. I want them to have a great experience. I could have cried I was so excited. I found my parents and told them to pack up, we were moving. It was awesome to see their faces when I brought them to the third row. We had a great spot on the end and danced and sang. It was awesome. Then, one of the other interns came up to me and said we were needed backstage. It turns out, they band wanted a group of girls to dance on stage with them! So we had to wait backstage until they wanted us to come out. I didn't want to miss Barbara Ann so I could listen and watch with my dad, so I asked if they would be playing it soon. Their stage manager said that's the song we'd be dancing to!! I figured, if I couldn't be next to my dad, it would be a close second being next to Mike Love!
We got on stage and totally rocked out. It was a blast!! The weather was absolutely perfect and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend time with my parents. I felt so blessed that night.
Group 5 post 3
My internship doesn't really provide public services or display urban governance, as it's a production company. The closest thing to anything city-related would be filling out city permits for alcohol, festivals, having the health department come, and serving food. Because these are so important, I wasn't really in charge of them, but I did sit next to Chelsea and watch her fill some out to at least have some exposure.
In one of my event classes, we had someone from the health department come in and speak about what they do at events to make sure everything is safe. I think this is a really important aspect of creating an event. Food is always a crucial part of any event, and it has to be safe. If someone gets sick, not only is it bad for the person, but it can really damage an event's reputation.
At my main event, 'Eight's Check, Please! Arizona Festival,' I had to make sure each restaurant had their permits displayed where the inspector could see them.
You might say our events created civic engagement. It's certainly true that if someone has a connection with the city they live in, they're more willing to provide feedback to city officials, vote, and volunteer. Many of our events were charity related, took place in Downtown Phoenix, or involved local artists or chefs. These all add to the pride a citizen can feel towards their city.
In one of my event classes, we had someone from the health department come in and speak about what they do at events to make sure everything is safe. I think this is a really important aspect of creating an event. Food is always a crucial part of any event, and it has to be safe. If someone gets sick, not only is it bad for the person, but it can really damage an event's reputation.
At my main event, 'Eight's Check, Please! Arizona Festival,' I had to make sure each restaurant had their permits displayed where the inspector could see them.
You might say our events created civic engagement. It's certainly true that if someone has a connection with the city they live in, they're more willing to provide feedback to city officials, vote, and volunteer. Many of our events were charity related, took place in Downtown Phoenix, or involved local artists or chefs. These all add to the pride a citizen can feel towards their city.
Group 5 free write 2
Today would have been my big brother's 46th birthday. He died last March. That's not something I normally say out loud, but I think I need to start getting over that. I get asked about my siblings a lot because my dad is so much older than most dads. My dad (who's 72) was married to a woman and had my brother and twin sisters. They got divorced and he married my mom and had my brother and me. My oldest siblings were in college by the time I was born. I never quite know what to say when people ask how old my oldest sibling is (was). I'll figure it out someday, I guess.
Joel was a professor at NAU, so it was really cool going to/working at the same university as him for 2 years. We even got to work Orientation together. He was the first speaker the students heard each day and he spoke to the parents on the second day. He really knew how to connect with them. He got the students laughing and participating and knew how to relate to the parents. I always felt so proud to tell my students that he was my brother.
My parents and other brother and I went to dinner tonight in honor of Joel. My sisters in Florida spent the evening on the beach (one of his favorite places) and Joel's wife and kids went to Sedona yesterday and had a party in Flagstaff. I hate that we can't all be together for times like this, but technology helps. So much has changed in the past few years. I never thought my college experience would include losing one of the most important people in my life. I'm a completely different person because of it.
Joel was a professor at NAU, so it was really cool going to/working at the same university as him for 2 years. We even got to work Orientation together. He was the first speaker the students heard each day and he spoke to the parents on the second day. He really knew how to connect with them. He got the students laughing and participating and knew how to relate to the parents. I always felt so proud to tell my students that he was my brother.
My parents and other brother and I went to dinner tonight in honor of Joel. My sisters in Florida spent the evening on the beach (one of his favorite places) and Joel's wife and kids went to Sedona yesterday and had a party in Flagstaff. I hate that we can't all be together for times like this, but technology helps. So much has changed in the past few years. I never thought my college experience would include losing one of the most important people in my life. I'm a completely different person because of it.
Group 5 Free write 1
Today I had to tell the family I nanny for that I might be taking a full time job in Flagstaff beginning in January. The mom and I both burst into tears. I can't imagine my life without them anymore!
It's a tricky situation because it's not certain if I will get the job or not, and it's unknown when I'll find out. They're from South Africa and are spending all of December there so they would have to find somebody to replace them before they go. So if I end up not getting the job, I'm out of two jobs! But she said she would interview and not place anyone until I know for sure, which is more comforting. They have been such a bright spot in my life the past year and a half. I was there before she was pregnant and have gotten to experience her pregnancy and the birth of Gia and watch her grow. It's such an honor to be a part of a family like that.
Since I was little, I thought it would be so cool to be a nanny. I used to have occasional babysitting jobs growing up. Once I was in high school, my math and dance teachers (who were married) would have me babysit and house sit for them. She wanted me to be their full time nanny once I graduated but since I went to NAU, I couldn't. And up until last January, I wasn't in one place long enough (Flagstaff, Phoenix or New York) to be useful. I honestly think it was meant to be that I waited until I was at ASU. I'm not a person that thinks everything happens for a reason, but I do think they were meant to be in my life. From the love and support, to the sleep challenges and tantrums- this family has made my life so much better. Not too many bosses close text messages and emails with "xoxo" (and not have it be creepy haha).
She wants me to be there to interview potential replacements. Not sure how I feel about that, but I think I can handle it. I just have to keep in mind I'm growing up and heading into the real world. Apparently I can't be a nanny forever!
It's a tricky situation because it's not certain if I will get the job or not, and it's unknown when I'll find out. They're from South Africa and are spending all of December there so they would have to find somebody to replace them before they go. So if I end up not getting the job, I'm out of two jobs! But she said she would interview and not place anyone until I know for sure, which is more comforting. They have been such a bright spot in my life the past year and a half. I was there before she was pregnant and have gotten to experience her pregnancy and the birth of Gia and watch her grow. It's such an honor to be a part of a family like that.
Since I was little, I thought it would be so cool to be a nanny. I used to have occasional babysitting jobs growing up. Once I was in high school, my math and dance teachers (who were married) would have me babysit and house sit for them. She wanted me to be their full time nanny once I graduated but since I went to NAU, I couldn't. And up until last January, I wasn't in one place long enough (Flagstaff, Phoenix or New York) to be useful. I honestly think it was meant to be that I waited until I was at ASU. I'm not a person that thinks everything happens for a reason, but I do think they were meant to be in my life. From the love and support, to the sleep challenges and tantrums- this family has made my life so much better. Not too many bosses close text messages and emails with "xoxo" (and not have it be creepy haha).
She wants me to be there to interview potential replacements. Not sure how I feel about that, but I think I can handle it. I just have to keep in mind I'm growing up and heading into the real world. Apparently I can't be a nanny forever!
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