We had a blast in The Bahamas!

Our management team had a great time at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in The Bahamas over the weekend! We participated in a charity volleyball tournament for Operation Smile, relaxed in the sun, and went on every water-slide in the park! Can't wait for next year's trip...

Volunteering again at the local food kitchen

We recruited a few more team members to join us at Mary's Kitchen in the city of Orange over the weekend. Mary's Kitchen is an all volunteer organization that provides food and services to the homeless of Orange County.

Our team members helped prepare a hot lunch for community members in need. They also packed sack lunches to pass out. After preparing the meals they greeted and served the locals who came by.

Thank you to Mary's Kitchen for allowing us to participate. And thank you to our team for being willing to give up their time and energy on a Saturday morning.

Volunteering at Mary's Kitchen in Orange

We had a great Saturday morning at Mary's Kitchen in Orange. We spent the day preparing sack lunches, and a hot lunch for community members in need. Then we served the meal and helped clean up the kitchen. Thank you so much for allowing us to participate!

Our 2014 Marketing Conference!

The Project Launch team enjoyed a weekend jam-packed with education, networking, awards and fun at the annual Marketing Conference. Team members attended workshops, breakouts, and a special dinner banquet where they heard from more speakers and celebrated a great promotion. Our manager was recognized for running a top performing office and for setting the pace on our current campaigns. Can't wait to see how everything we learned gets put into practice!

Project Launch Goes Rock Climbing!

Our team met up in Orange County this week to spend a little time working on our fitness. We hit the rock-climbing wall and had a great time challenging ourselves to push our limits.

Tomorrow Is Always a Day Away…So Focus on Today

By The John Maxwell Company.

"The sun'll come out, Tomorrow..."
“Tomorrow” from the Broadway musical Annie

With all due respect to little orphan Annie, just thinking about tomorrow takes us away from the things we should do today. Indeed, what we are enjoying or suffering today is largely a result of the decisions we made yesterday. And, just like yesterday determined today, today determines tomorrow.
Yet even though we somehow know that today matters, we have tremendous difficulty fully realizing its value and importance. Why? Partly, it’s because we have a warped view of success.

How People Wrongly View Success:

1. It’s Luck
Good fortune may have a small part to play in success, but it’s certainly not the main factor. Did you know that 90% of lottery winners blow through their winnings in five years of less? Luck brings them momentary riches, but they are ill-equipped to manage their money, and thus they cannot sustain financial success.

2. It’s Mystical
Some people envision success as something mysterious. They’re convinced there’s a magic formula that they have to uncover in order to be successful.


3. It’s Suspect
Others view every success with a cynical eye. They assume anyone who is successful must have exploited others or taken advantage of them on their way to the top.

4. It’s a Result of Hard Work
Some people live by the philosophy: “the early bird gets the worm.” They think that by putting their nose to the grindstone, they will eventually gain success. However, I know a lot of people who work hard and yet aren’t very successful.

5. It’s an Event
Lots of folks are searching for a momentary experience that’s going to suddenly flip the switch for them, transforming them into an overnight success.

Find the full article from John Maxwell's Leadership Wired Blog... 

Office Bowling Night

We had a blast this week going bowling after work! We already knew our team was pretty competitive, but we didn't know they were so talented at bowling! Can't wait for next week's after-work social event...

8 Mistakes You Should Never Make On LinkedIn

By Libby Kane, on Forbes.com


What do you do with your LinkedIn profile?

Do you check it only every once in a while when a connection request comes through? Have you linked it to your Twitter account? Did you never quite remember to sign up in the first place?

As much as it’s convenient to merge our Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram accounts into one large social networking experience, LinkedIn has a special designation: professional networking.
And there is a difference between professional and personal networking, according to LinkedIn Career Expert Nicole Williams: “I see the same mistakes over and over!”

And, on LinkedIn, those faux pas can damage your career.

In fact, data shows that LinkedIn is especially helpful when it comes to landing higher-paying jobs—”informal recruitment” is a favorite of hiring managers aiming to fill positions up there on the payscale.

So whether you’re hunting for a new job, making the most of the one you have or just looking to learn about professional possibilities, avoid these eight big LinkedIn mistakes.

Not Using a Picture

“One of the biggest mistakes I see is no photo,” Williams says. “You’re seven times more likely to have your profile viewed if you have one. Like a house that’s on sale, the assumption is that if there’s no photo, something’s wrong.”

She also makes a great point: If you leave a networking event with a handful of business cards, intending to follow up on LinkedIn, it’s much harder for you to remember who’s who without pictures. A missing photo can easily lead to missed connections.

If you’re worried about unwittingly sabotaging your career through social media, check out the ten worst blunders you can commit.

Putting Up the Wrong Picture

“No dog, no husband, no baby!” Williams says, adding that your photo is meant to show you at your professional—not personal—best. “Especially for mothers getting back into the workforce, a picture of their child doesn’t convey that they’re ready for a full-time job.”

Another photo blunder: Misrepresenting your appearance. “I see older people who are worried about age discrimination use a photo of themselves in their 30s, but an interviewer wasn’t expecting them to look so different. And instead of listening to your answers, the interviewer will think you’re deceptive,” Williams confides. “Unless you’re getting hired for a modeling gig, people are just looking for energy, which you can communicate through great posture, open eyes and a smile.”

In fact, HSN Beauty found that, when paging through LinkedIn profiles, 19% of recruiters look only at your profile picture.

Read the full article online... 
 

Making Decisions Today That Will Lead to Success Tomorrow

By The John Maxwell Company

“There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.” ~ John Wooden

We not only make decisions, we are made by them. Every one of us is where we are today as a result of the decisions we made yesterday. Decisions powerfully shape our lives, and the effects of a major decision can linger for years or can even last for a lifetime.

Of course, not all decisions are equal. A few major decisions, particularly those about our personal values, give direction to all of the other choices we make. Values put choices in context and simply our decision-making, making it more consistent. In fact, once you know a person well, you can usually figure out which choices they’re going to make based on what they value.

Every leader faces a specific context in which they must exercise judgment in making the right call. However, some decisions transcend our individual situations and are worth making regardless of our particular circumstances. They establish values that, in turn, inform a host of future choices that we will make.

Decisions with Lasting Value:

1) Personal Growth: Decide to Grow Every Day by Developing Your Strengths
Being intentional about personal growth is a wonderful habit to have. However, taking the time to study, practice, and gather advice only brings uneven growth and miniscule gains if it happens haphazardly. We always get the greatest return by focusing our effort to grow on those areas where our natural ability (what we do well) intersects with our natural affinity (what we love to do).

2) Partnership: Decide to Add Value to Others Before Expecting Value from Others
When you make a habit of helping others reach their goals, then they will eventually help you attain your own aims. Young leaders eagerly scout out the road to success, searching for the quickest way to climb the ladder to the top. More seasoned leaders spend their energy building ladders instead of scaling them. Instead of wondering, “how can I excel?” they ask: “how can I help others to win?” On life’s journey, you’ll always go faster alone, but you will inevitably go farther in partnership with others.

3) Leadership: Decide to Add Value to Leaders Who Will Multiply Your Value Through Others
As undemocratic as it sounds, the best leaders invest their time unequally, favoring those with greater leadership aptitude. Investing your energies into non-leaders is like pumping water into a reservoir; it pools up and is prevented from going anywhere else. However, pouring yourself into leaders is like channeling water into a river; what you add is carried onward and can provide nourishment several miles downstream.

Check out the full article...

Study Shows Teaching Teens Financial Literacy Pays Off in the Future

By Mary Hiers

Today’s schools are starting kids earlier in just about every department: math, science, literature, languages, and so many more.

The idea here is that, since children soak up knowledge faster and more readily than adults, it’s best to get the lessons going at an early age so they’re more likely to retain them into adulthood.

In short, taking advantage of wisdom you learned at age 6 is a lot easier than stumbling onto it at age 26 and playing catchy-up with the world.

This same philosophy should apply to the financial world as well, particularly savings and budgeting.

Starting Off on the Right Financial Foot

If kids begin the path to monetary carefulness early on, they won’t be so tempted to blow all their earnings on toys they’ll never play with, clothing that costs them an entire paycheck, and an overall lifestyle they can’t afford.

This is backed up by a recent study conducted by financial literacy organizations EverFi and Higher One.

They took 65,000 college students, some of which took a financial literacy course in high school and some who did not.

They were all given a survey of their financial habits, and the ones who studied basic finance in high school proved to be far more responsible with their cash than the ones who did not.

This shows that, even though they don’t always seem to be doing so, kids do pay attention to what people tell them.

So if you teach them from an early age to not carry too many credit cards, to not buy things they can’t afford, and to set up a budget that tracks everything they give their cash to, they’ll probably abide by those rules for the rest of their lives.

Check out Mint.com’s simple budgeting tools that can get you started on financial organization, no matter how young or old you are!

And yet, the vast minority of kids take these courses, because the vast majority of schools don’t offer them. Right now, only 17 states require that their high schools offer at least one course on financial literacy.

Why the other 33 aren’t interested in doing so is a mystery to everyone.

Perhaps they feel that managing money is common sense? Because based on the amount of debt we’ve accumulated and continue to accumulate, clearly it’s not.

Until more schools get with the program, parents should take the time to educate their children on how to manage money, and they can start as early as grade school.

It’s actually quite easy to do so.

Read the rest of this article from Mint.com... 



 

4 Great Pieces of Budgeting Advice from Top Money Experts

By Mary Hiers

Earning money is great, but spending it properly is even more important.

If you pull in the big bucks and just spend it all recklessly, you’re risking walking down a very dangerous path.

Budgeting your money, no matter how much or how little you have, is one of the most important skills you can learn.

Below are a few sage tips from various financial experts to help you get started.

By listening to their words and applying their wisdom properly, you can survive and thrive on even the most meager of salaries.

Suze Orman: A 10% Cut in Family Spending

Financial guru Suze Orman suggests cutting your family spending (or just plain fun spending, for 10% every month.

those without a family) by

It’s just enough of a cut that you’ll start to see savings pile up quickly, thereby making it easier to pay back debts and cover actual, important expenses.

However, it’s not enough of a cut that you’ll feel like you’re depriving your loved ones of anything.

Let’s face it — if you’re used to spending $100 on movies and gaming every month, trimming that amount down to $90 a month isn’t going to cause mass wailing and angst.

Everybody will still have fun, including your wallet.

Dave Ramsey: Overbudget for Groceries 

The ever-animated Dave Ramsey knows why you budget and save, save and budget, and yet still end up broke every month –you forgot the food.

According to Ramsey, when people put together their monthly budget, a lot of them don’t consider their grocery bill at all.

And if they do, they severely underbudget, so even though they may think they’re putting $100 aside every month, $80 of that is actually going to num-nums they forgot to calculate.

So next time you go grocery shopping, hold onto your receipts, and add them all up at the end of the month (this includes times you ate out, because even though Burger King can barely be considered food, it still technically is.)

Whatever that amount if, add $50 to the total, just in case.

There’s your real grocery budget, and if you go under, great. That’s always preferable to going over.

Check out the full article online... 
 

The 3 Things Every College Graduate Should Know

by Ben Michaelis, Ph.D.

At this time of year, as many people exchange their well-worn student IDs for brand new alumni discount cards, they are being bombarded with information -- from credit card offers, to (hopefully) job offers, to advice from authority figures -- irrespective of their actual authority or right to dispense worldly wisdom.

Some of the counsel you will receive is worth its weight in gold -- from Steve Job's Stanford commencement speech, to the ever-present wisdom in Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places You'll Go, to the seemingly eternally viral and oft-misattributed "Wear Sunscreen" advice by Mary Schmich in the Chicago Tribune. As a clinical psychologist, I often bear witness to the struggle that people encounter during these transitional periods. As a couple of my patients are nearing graduation, I have begun to consider the indispensable lessons that are worth sharing with recent grads, or actually anyone who is in transition.

Regardless of whether you have the rest of your life planned or you are as clueless as Homer Simpson was when he was about to graduate --

Counselor: Do you have any plans for after graduation?

Homer: Me!? I'm going to drink a lot of beer and stay out all night!

-- you will, undoubtedly, eventually bump up against that pesky seven-letter word that gets in the way of living: reality. And so, if you lend me you mind's eye for a moment, I will share with you the three things that every college graduate should know:

The Power of Failure, The Power of Words, and the Power of Kindness

1. The Power of Failure -- One of the things that they don't teach you in school (along with how to manage your money, but that's a topic for another day) regardless of how much success you have had up until this point, in life, you will, with any luck, fail. I hope that you fail early and often. In contrast to what may have been led to believe by overbearing parents or overreaching teachers, failure is good for you. When you truly fail, it means that you actually did something, or at least you tried to. You put forth the effort and you took action, but you didn't get the result you wanted. When failure comes a knockin' and you get that twisty feeling in the pit of your stomach or you experience the heat of shame that rises through your gullet, don't suppress it. Use it. Your emotions are a gift, and when properly directed, they will fuel your rise. This is a part of what I call intelligent failure. Pay attention to why you failed, take copious notes, re-tool, and try again. The only thing that matters when you fail is what you do next. Regroup and attack with more vigor and intelligence. Remember that everyone who has ever done anything worth doing has failed. You can join this crew if you craft your response to failure intelligently.

2. The Power of Words -- School is an absurdly verbal place filled to the brim with words. When you are in school, words have power and meaning. However, when you graduate, that changes. Words are no longer powerful. People will say things that they don't mean -- usually out of laziness, but occasionally out of malice. Don't be seduced by words. There is only one thing that counts: what people do. If you are spending time with someone -- a friend, family member, co-worker, boss, or lover -- who tells you lots of things but then doesn't follow them up with action, it's probably time to re-evaluate the relationship (or job). When I graduated college and was in the dating world, my friend JP used to say, "When a girl is nice to you but rude to the waiter, she's not a nice girl. It's time to move on."

"As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I watch what they do." -- Andrew Carnegie

On the flip side, some people do more than they need to. Those people are kind souls, and guess what, they are out there too. It just takes a little bit of work to find them. But I swear to you, they are there too and they will help you.

Read the full article from the Huffington Post online... 

Why and How You Should Start Saving for Retirement Before You Hit 35

by Brazen Life

The news is full of articles about how few baby boomers are prepared financially for retirement. Yet many retirees have plenty of money to get through their golden years. Why are some baby boomers financially prepared for retirement while others are not?

The answer lies partly in getting started early — which is why you should thinking about saving for retirement now. When you’re in your 20s or 30s, retirement can feel like a long way away, but you’ll see in the strategies we’re about to go over that this is actually the best time to set yourself up financially. (Click here to tweet this thought.)

Here are eight techniques for financial planning that will ensure you’re comfortable when you’re ready to retire:

1. Invest systematically based upon your investment goals

Systematic investing provides discipline to save regularly rather than arbitrarily. It helps reduce the risk of timing the markets and brings down the average cost of your investments.

So how do you invest systematically? By creating a budget. A budget will allow you to manage your economic resources so you can make conscious decisions about spending.

You must spend less than you earn and save the difference. You can build your own program, participate in your employer’s retirement plan—often called a 401k—or find another program run by an investment firm.

2. Harness the power of compounding

Compounding means generating investment earnings from investment earnings. This is incredibly effective over the long haul—so much so that once you understand how it works, you’re likely to join in.

Here’s an example from LearnVest: If, at age 33, you invest just $100 each month and earn 1.5 percent annual interest, that money will turn into nearly $60,000 by the time you’re 70. Powerful, right?

3. Look for an employer that supports your goals

The best companies to work for usually have great employee benefit programs. Those programs may include 401k retirement plans with matching contributions, employee stock purchase plans, and, although this is becoming more rare, defined benefit pension plans.

If you are lucky enough to have several job offers, these perks should go into your decision-making process. The right employer can help you reach your financial goals.

4. Maximize your contributions to retirement vehicles

Many great employers who provide retirement savings plans match a certain percentage of your contribution. However, they often do not match the maximum you can contribute.

Many employees only contribute up to the employer match, foregoing the maximum tax deferral allowed by Uncle Sam. If you’re self-employed, you have a number of options to save for retirement there, too, including an IRA. If at all possible, max out on these contributions, and you’ll see a huge return down the line.

Read the full article online... 

How to Become a Public Speaker Who Wows Your Audience

by Brazen Life

 

Much like being forced to go into work during a polar vortex, many people detest public speaking. While a lot of great information on how to approach your fear of public speaking is available, there’s less focus on improving said skills once the fear of public vomiting has passed… mostly.

What are career-driven professionals to do when they want to enhance their rudimentary rhetorical skills? Well, here are a few places to start:

Maintain your rhythm

Pacing is an essential component of any good public speaker. Although you probably hated when your mom kept pumping the brakes during your first installment of “How to Not Make My Insurance Skyrocket,” audiences detest monotonous, un-engaging speeches.

Variety and emphasis provide a healthy flow, allowing listeners to join you on your riveting

rhetorical journey, rather than slyly logging on to Facebook to see which politician is leading the “Race to Be Racist” competition.

Speech patterns are developed over time and can be difficult to self-assess. Often, working with another person or videotaping yourself helps reveal monotonous (a.k.a. boring) speech patterns that may be hindering your effectiveness as a speaker.

Similar to driving, you don’t want to slam on the brakes; stops and starts can confuse audiences about where your concepts begin and end. Ease in fluctuations of rhythm and pattern smoothly, just as you would gently lean into a turn on the highway.

Strategic sounds

Before anyone gets overly enthused about the sound effect button on Windows PowerPoint, this tip references volume. Contrary to some parents’ opinions, shouting is not always the most effective way of making your point heard. (We get it, you love us.) 

A multitude of emotions can be conveyed through the simple application of sound and strength. For instance, if you want people to focus on a certain point, lower your voice and slow your pace, as opposed to shouting your assertion.

A well-placed pause can hold immeasurable power, both in establishing your point and showcasing your self-confidence. The change in tone and volume will catch the audience’s ears and draw them in to hear what you’re about to say, rather than turn them off.

Read the full article online! 

 

Billionaire Advice For 2013 College Grads: Oprah, Melinda Gates, Steve Case And More

Brian Solomon, Forbes Staff

The world’s billionaires are, by definition, some of the most successful people on the planet — often building their own companies and changing the world with a new product or a huge philanthropic endeavor. This makes them natural candidates to give advice to young college graduates who are just starting out in the world.

This year, a handful of billionaires gave commencement addresses, including media powerhouse Oprah Winfrey, global philanthropist Melinda Gates, and AOL co-founder Steve Case. Here are some choices passages from their speeches:

Oprah Winfrey: We All Want To Be Understood

“I have to say the single most important lesson I learned in 25 years is there’s a common denominator in our experience… We want to be validated. We want to be understood. I’ve done over 35,000 interviews in my career and as soon as that camera shuts off, everyone always turns to me and says, ‘Was that OK?’ I heard it from President Bush. I heard it from President Obama… I even heard it from Beyonce in all her Beyonceness!” -Harvard University

Melinda Gates: Human Connection Is Everything

“The people who say technology has disconnected you from others are wrong. So are the people who say technology automatically connects you to others. Technology is just a tool. It’s a powerful tool, but it’s just a tool. Deep human connection is very different. It’s not a tool. It’s not a means to an end. It is the end — the purpose and the result of a meaningful life — and it will inspire the most amazing acts of love, generosity, and humanity.” -Duke University

Shahid Khan: Don’t Take The Easy Road
“Whenever I faced an easy way or a hard way, invariably, the hard way turned out to be the right way.” -University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Steve Case: Be An Attacker
“The attackers are the people with bold, innovative ideas, who are trying to disrupt the status quo, and usher in a better way. We need to think out of the box, and be curious, and be willing to take risks.” -University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Read the full article online... 

West Coast Leadership Conference

Account Executives, Administrative team members, Assistant Managers and Managers at Project Launch attended our Leadership Development Conference on Sunday afternoon. This event that is usually scheduled once a quarter, is designed to give all team members a chance to gain additional coaching, development and training. We owe a big thank you to those who spoke at the event, as well as the event planners and all who attended. See you next quarter!

Financial Habits Workshop

At Project Launch top performers get rewarded! Top performing Account Executives earned an afternoon and evening in Los Angeles filled with both education and fun. Team members attending the event enjoyed the business finance workshop, and received coaching and tips from finance experts. Afterward they enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal, and then some time in the pool!