Giving Back for Christmas

We enjoy giving back here at Altair. We adopted a few families for Thanksgiving, filling boxes with all of the wonderfully traditional Thanksgiving foods and some special goodies requested by the families.

We had so much fun for Thanksgiving that we decided to provide gifts and meals for a family this Christmas. Through a local agency we were provided with a family's information and Christmas list. We spent the day in the office on Tuesday wrapping gifts, packing boxes, and buying groceries for the family. We dropped it all off to them later Tuesday evening. Words can not describe the look on the faces of the family members when we dropped everything off for them.

Through our opportunity here at Altair, we have been blessed with many opportunities to advance ourselves and become successful. We enjoy doing philanthropy year round but particularly around the holidays it is always amazing to give back to those less fortunate and we certainly do enjoy doing it. As an office, we all come together to decide on gifts, wrap them, and deliver them. Why shouldn't others have a splendid Christmas like we do?

What Makes a Fun Work Environment?

Is it the one with the boss that doesn't notice anything so you can slack off? The “cool” boss that thinks you’re so fantastic that they give you days off for no reason at all? Playing hooky and getting away with it?

When I sat down to think about what having fun at work means it occurred to me that if I asked ten people what they do for fun I would easily get ten different answers! Many of the things above do not make good business sense, even downright lazy. They include “fun” but no “work.” So how do we add them together?

Taking it down to simple grammar “fun” is the adjective describing the noun “work” (back to school house rock here!). It only goes to reason that a “fun work environment” cannot be had without a solid “work environment.”

A solid work environment calls for things that make money, sustain the business, and develop the individuals who are employed there. Any business is based on the sale of a particular product or service; from a dentist’s office to a plumber to a grocery store. Sales equal revenue, and as any one of us knows, revenue for the company equals paychecks and the occasional bonus! Not working means no pay. No one can expect to make money by going to the movies and getting ice cream all the time rather than getting up and heading to work. Slacking off means that at some point the doors will close and then your fulltime job becomes…job hunting, which no one likes having to do. Once we get past being lazy and having bad work ethic we can get to fun!

A FUN work environment will be different for everyone. Some like quiet, others like loud, moving around a lot, or being stationary. But we all know that a job can be perfect for you, but if the people you work with are rude, not fun, selfish, or any combination of unpleasant attributes. It’s the people that we work with that can make or break a job. No receptionist will tell you the highlight of their day was answering twenty phone calls, it was the stand out conversation on that one phone call that made them laugh! Inside the work place, when work is going well stress is low and spirits are high making conversation light and tension low. The same goes for being outside of work; If that’s going for a casual drink, watching the Big Ten game on Saturday afternoon, or karaoke for the brave few, it’s only fun with the right people and attitude.

So next time you think about slacking off…think about what you’re looking for: fun with no money (somehow!), a zero-fun-work-environment (because you’re slacking and no CEO likes a slacker!), or a fun work environment!

Becoming a Morning Person

Mornings are valuable to those of us working a 9 to 5. Most of us don't know how to have the most effective morning. I know I certainly didn't. When my alarm would go off I would most often hit the snooze button for a few extra, glorious minutes of "sleep". When I decided I couldn't stay in bed any longer and risk being late, I would drag myself out of my bed, carrying myself, still half asleep into the bathroom to begin my morning routine. To cash in on a few extra moments of sleep in the morning I would shower at night (clearly, I am all about sleep). Groggily I would brush my teeth, do my hair, and stagger into my bedroom and pick out an outfit, more often than not changing 100 times because my half asleep eyes can't make something work. I was always groggy and fatigued while at work for the first part of the day.

As an entrepreneur, business waits for no one. I was losing valuable time in the mornings because I was still trying to wake up. I began reading articles and scientific studies (I'm a nerd, I know) about how to increase productivity. Most of these pieces of written gold suggested a nailed down routine that called for discipline and action. I fought my attachment to sleep and decided it was worth a go.

1. Set up an effective nighttime routine and stick to it! Nighttime has nothing to do with morning, you say. Trust me, it definitely does. To ensure a smooth morning void of rushing around I always set up the night before. I pack a lunch so it is ready in my refrigerator, in the morning, it becomes a quick grab and go. I pick out my suit, ironing if I need to so everything is crisp. I stop checking my phone and turn off the TV and my computer 90 minutes before bed. The screens on all of our modern amenities actually make it harder to fall asleep. I still shower in the evening to allow myself time to relax. Before bed, I curl up with a cup of tea and read a book, any kind of book, business book, trashy romance novel, American Classic.

2. Set a bedtime. Have a specific bed time in which you turn off the lights and finally lay down. This is completely determined by the person themselves. Some people need 8 hours of sleep, some people need less and some people need more to feel rested. I personally, need about 8 hours, 7 hours and 40 minutes to be exact (we won't go into detail on how I determined this, it makes me sound crazy).

3. Stop hitting the snooze. When you hit the snooze your body goes back into sleep mode and instead of waking you up, it actually makes you more tired. I was the queen of pressing snooze. Once I stopped, I noticed immediately how quickly the groggy morning feeling went away and how much more prepared for my day I felt. A great tip for those of us that find it difficult to stop hitting snooze, place your alarm clock on the other side of the room so you physically have to get up to shut it off, you kill two birds with one stone.

4. Have a great morning stretch. I find even after this routine above, nothing wakes me up as much as a great stretch. Whether this is deliberate stretching like touching your toes or an awkward stretch that just feels so good (you all know exactly what I'm talking about), make sure you do it. The sooner the better, really.

5. Create a morning playlist. I always start my morning with a great playlist. Find songs that will wake you up and dare I say, songs to get you singing. This is especially effective if you shower at night rather than in the morning. For me, it gets the blood flowing and helps me get more energized for the day.

Don't get me wrong, sleep is a glorious thing. I would kill to go back to my college days when classes didn't start until noon, I could wake up on my own time and take forever to complete a morning routine so I would slowly but surely wake up. But, as I have entered the working girl world I have noticed that an effective morning routine can get you through even the earliest of mornings to help you feel awake and productive for the entire day.

Fish Theory

There are many theories for types of people. The Fish theory is one of my favorites. It encompasses the people I work with in my company. It helps me relate to people by understanding they type of person they are and what motivates them so that I can be a better mentor and coach to those people.

Fish Theory

Shark
A person who is a shark acts like a shark. They are blood thirsty, competitive, hungry. These people are typically money motivated. They will be motivated by any extra things they can take on to gain them an extra few dollars. I have people in my office that will work extra in order to make more money even if they've already made more than everyone else during the week. While coaching these people it is important to focus always on the money. How will what you're suggesting they try make them more money now and in the future?

Urchin
This person gobbles up knowledge, the more they know the better they'll do. They constantly what to know why we do things, how we do things, and every aspect of a situation. They ask a million questions, typically questions no one has asked or probably even thought of before. They also want to know all the fine details and ins and outs of your business. These people can be difficult to coach because they may ask questions that create problems where problems never were. The best way I've found to coach people like this is to be completely transparent with them, if they ask a question I don't know the answer to, I find one or point them in the direction of someone who would know. Involving Urchins in all aspects of a business process will help motivate them to replicate it. The more information and finite details they have, the more motivated they will be to complete a task and master it.

Whale
A person with a whale personality has a big heart and always wants to help. They care more about the betterment of people than of their own. A whale will work very hard for the good of others. They are cause motivated individuals. If your trying to expand your company by half its current size by the end of the month, this person will do whatever it takes to help you achieve that. They will stay late, come in early, or research innovative ideas to help move your company forward. For a whale personality, it is all about helping others. Using this as a coaching technique will help them. Coaching them in how doing something a specific way will better themselves will not be most beneficial. Coaching them on how that specific way will help the cause you're working towards will.

Dolphin
This personality type is the most fun to be around. They are extremely excited about work and about the culture and environment. They are also excited about the opportunity. They rarely have a bad day and even if they do they it's difficult to notice. Coaching these people involves focus on the opportunity. Most companies have an opportunity for advancement, focusing on that keeps Dolphin personalities engaged and motivated. Where are they going, how will they get there, what can they do to get there faster?

Everyone will be a little bit of one or the other. Find what you are most of and focus on this. Alert people around you that could coach you exactly how you need to be coached and what motivates you. All in all, this will make you the most successful and you will get the most out of your coaching as it will be definitively focused on what motivates you.

Hard Working People

Hard working individuals differentiate themselves from those that aren't willing to work as hard. We recently had a conference call in the office discussing the promotion of a colleague to a corporate position. When asked what she did to get herself into that position it wasn't being the best, or doing the most that got her to the top. Her answer was simple. She was a hard worker. She wasn't afraid to put in extra time to do her job properly.She understood that achieving most things in a business sense comes out of working hard. Most people have a tendency to give up when it gets difficult, she however, decided to push through the difficult situations and advance herself in her career.

This is an important lesson for all of us. In our organization there is a certain level of focus on a merit based system. Those that work harder or take more advantage of opportunities to learn and develop go further than those that don't do as much. This isn't true in all workplaces. I am fortunate enough to work in a place that focuses on this aspect and encourages it.

As a business partner I am constantly looking at the colleagues I have in my office and noticing the ones who are working harder to achieve a goal. Those are the people I want to spend time with, I want to help, I want to be around. To me, seeing others achieve goals is so motivating particularly when those goals are difficult for them to reach. The growth that takes place is amazing to see. I've had the privilege of being around many people who are willing to work hard for their goals. The hard workers will go out of their way to ensure that they are learning all they can about a business or specific job responsibilities. They hit goals in order to achieve more responsibilities. Depending on the workplace ideology, employee vs. entrepreneur, hard workers can be either intrinsically motivated to work hard or they can be motivated by the opportunity they have to better themselves and move up within a company.

I was always taught that working hard would get you to your goals and help you ultimately achieve success. In this business, I have seen it exemplified. I also work for an amazing company that rewards those that work for it in the most grandiose ways. All expenses paid trips to Miami and Las Vegas, group adventures to sporting events, like Lions games along with monetary bonuses and incentives. I have never worked for a company before that appreciated hard work. hard work is truly the gateway to bigger and better things.

Interview How To

We've all been in the position where we had to do an interview. Some of us may have been the interviewer. This blog was designed to give tips to interviewees based on what I look for while interviewing. In my office and in many others, preliminary interviews are conducted first with a candidate either over the phone or in person as an initial meet and greet for the employer to determine whether or not they believe someone would be a good fit for a position available in their office.

1. Give clear and concise answers. The preliminary interview is designed to be short, to allow an interviewer to see many candidates without spending too much time with them. Providing clear answers to the questions asked will show that you are well spoken and practiced. Understanding nerves, the more you practice before your interview, the more the answers you give to questions will sound more concise rather than nervously floundering for the answer you know you have.

2. Research, research, research. Everyone says it. Do your research! Most companies will at least have a website for you to check out and get a little more information on what the company values. Many businesses now have ties in social media which will typically be linked to their company websites. Google searches are also an excellent way to research everything about the company you're interviewing with. This knowledge helps you learn more about the company but also helps you sound informed about company culture, position, and their future plans. Doing your research can help you determine questions you may want to ask during your interview. You'll know what was covered on the website and what was not to keep the interviewer from repeating information you could have gathered yourself.

3. Dress professionally! I can't stress this enough. First impressions are everything, if you walk into a company your hoping for a job at and you look unprofessional or disheveled, you have a lot of making up to do in your interview. You want to stack the cards in your favor. This tip ties along with the previous tip. If you do research on the company, you can usually prepare how to dress. Another way to find out proper attire would be to ask when scheduling your interview or calling the company again to ensure that you'll dress appropriately. If you are unsure what they mean when they say "business casual" or "business professional", ask! You may think you'll look stupid, consider how stupid you'll look if you show up inappropriately dressed. Also, each company may have a different interpretation of what "business casual" and "business professional" look like. You can never be too dressed for an interview.

4. Arrive early. As a recruiter and interviewer I always noticed when people arrived. It told me a lot about how seriously they took the opportunity to interview with my company. If they arrived early I immediately knew that they were looking for a position, they saw my time as valuable, and they took my company seriously. I also noticed when people arrived just on time or late. First impressions are everything and that wasn't the way to make a first impression.

5. Bring at lease one copy of your resume. You probably submitted a resume to the company for their review which gained you the interview. Bring at least one copy of your resume to the interview as well so the interviewer(s) can reference it before they take you in and afterward when they are considering you for another interview or the position. Also, ensure that you take extra time to print your resume and account for any printer trouble you may encounter. It's unprofessional to you ask them to print it for you, particularly when they ask you to bring a copy with you. This is a first impression flaw that can be avoided.

6. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification. If you don't understand a question, ask the interviewer to repeat it or say it differently. This shows your concern for answering the question properly. Avoid trying to answer a question your unsure of, ask for clarification instead of answering it in a way that doesn't add to your interview or value as a candidate for a position.

7. Avoid explaining your life long story. If asked a question that requires personal explanation, include only the details that will contribute to your story, not every detail. I've done interviews where people tell much more than they need to. For me it won't immediately disqualify them but if the consideration comes down to a candidate that told too much versus the candidate that told enough, I will always choose the latter. Those doing interviews are busy, they have many things to accomplish in a day and filling their time with needless storytelling won't win you any points in the interview process.

Consider these tips when you go on your next interview. Remember, presentation is key. Dress appropriately and professionally and present yourself well. You want a new position and you don't want to cut yourself short on your attributes. Practice, research, and ask questions for every interview.

Let's be Leaders!

Being a leader is difficult. It's difficult to always be on top of things and always have the answers or the right answer for a situation. Just as much, as a leader, we're constantly in front of those we lead so awareness is key more than anything else. I have compiled a list of the things I've learned as a leader and recruiter along with things I've researched from reputable sites such as Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.

1. Lead by example. The only way to effectively lead is by setting the right example. No one likes a hypocrite. Before saying something to those we lead, we must first ask ourselves if we are doing the things we are asking others to do, if we are doing it correctly and efficiently, and if we could be doing more to make our example the best it can be. One of the best things I learned from being a leader is that those we lead will have 20% of our good habits and 80% of our bad. Though I disagree with the percentages the concept rings true. Those we lead will choose the things we do poorly often because they are a short cut to the bigger picture, they take less time or less effort. There can always be too little effort exerted for a task or situation but no one will every tell us as leaders we've gone too far above and beyond.

2. Have a mentor. Before entering the business world I was not a leader by any means. I was pretending to be a leader. A large contribution to why I became a better leader came from those that mentored me. Not only did I let them come to me to offer help, but I took the initiative to seek my own help with things I knew I was struggling with or wanted to know more about. Always seek help from those that are qualified, those that have been in your position in the past and have had a similar situation happen to them. They are the best to learn from, they've been through it and come out on the other side.

3. Have a no excuses mentality. For a leader there is no reason a task or goal isn't accomplished or reached. Leaders find a way no matter what to achieve what they have said they would or what they have set their mind to. This goes hand in hand with leading by example. Most of those that we lead will provide any excuse for why work isn't completed. For me, I would just prefer the truth. If work wasn't completed by those I was assigned to lead, rather than providing me with a laundry list of excuses, I preferred for them to tell me the truth. As a leader, these reasons are so much more valuable. I can teach and mentor based on these reasons rather than an excuse. We all fall short sometimes so it is my job as a leader to minimize the shortcomings to make a more efficient team.

4. Be solution oriented. It is easy to focus on the problems that arise during a day. A true leader will focus more on how to solve the problem. Innovation is key. Thinking outside of the box will help find solutions that fulfill the shortcomings of convention. Trust your instincts, if you think something may or may not work, try it and make adjustments as you go. Being a leader in business is about trial and error. What may work for you will not work for others and vice versa. Many times when I am having a problem, I will find out what others have done in the situation and put together the things I liked from all of them to form my own solution.

5. See the value in those you lead. Everyone on your team has something to offer. They all have different ideas and different talents that could lend themselves to situations you may run in to. Asking those you lead for advice does not make you a poor leader. It shows those on your team that you respect their abilities and want to utilize their talents. This will propel your leadership forward by showing your people you pay attention to their strengths. Most other employers or managers will not acknowledge individual strengths. Be the leader that focuses on the value of your employees.

6. Everyone has goals, focus on the goals of those you lead. Everyone likes to be cared about in their work environment. They spend 40 hours a week in the workplace. Be the leader to sit down with team members to determine their goals. Promoting a goal oriented environment allows your team to be more productive. It also means continuous growth for everyone in the team. As a leader, you probably have goals of your own. Most of these goals regarding your business will be affected by the individual goals set by your team. You will reach your goals when they reach theirs. This will also increase your teams overall satisfaction with you and your company.

7. If things aren't being done properly, it's probably due to lack of teaching. I found more often than not, if someone on my team didn't know something, most everyone on my team didn't know it. This was the same with regular day to day tasks. If tasks aren't being accomplished or being accomplished correctly it is usually due to lack of training rather than lack of will by the team. Take a look at why things aren't getting done properly to determine the reasons. Continuous teaching will also keep this problem from occurring or reoccurring. Many times when things are being done wrong it is because I, as the leader, had not taught it properly or didn't monitor that it was being done correctly. Awareness is key. This is also true for your team members. They may not know something, even if you know you've said it before. Reconsider how you say it again. They may need to hear it differently or see it again to really determine how to accomplish something.

This list is by no means the only things it takes to be a great leader. Everyone has their advice as to what can make someone better. These are just a few things I've found that helped me accomplish more with my team and to make sure I was bringing my A-game to my company everyday.

Does it Really Pay to be an Entrepreneur?

Since many of us were young, we have been raised on the idea that when we get older, we will work for a company with a boss, a set schedule, and yearly expected earnings. We will clock in, complete our work, and clock out. We will have to ask our boss for a raise, for time off, and for a change in our daily responsibilities. We will work until we are older thereafter we will retire to a comfy life of golfing and vacationing in Florida.

The less glamorous side of this working life that we imagined is that often, in an employee setting, one employee does more work than another. The boss won't grant all of the days off that we may have wanted to take, and our salary may not accurately reflect the work that we do or what we believe we're worth.

For those of us that have pursued an entrepreneurial workplace, there is generally a taboo around the uncertainty of entrepreneurship and those around us often will encourage us to just stick to convention and find a "stable" career elsewhere. In today's economy there isn't necessarily stability in any position. As a recruiter, I notice more and more often how many companies are still downsizing or closing due to economic hardship.

Forbes recently published an article titled "Does it Pay to Become an Entrepreneur?" In this article it states many compelling facts that suggest that more of us considering the employee workforce should much more seriously consider an entrepreneurial workforce instead. Entrepreneurs tend to make more than employees with a mean wage 50% higher.

How could this happen? Entrepreneurs control their environment. They make their environment work for them rather than the other way around. Not only are entrepreneurs more lucrative over time but they also enjoy their business much more. Of course you'll do what you love.

So, as an Entrepreneur, I would like to encourage everyone to at least pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor, just once to see if it could quite possibly be a great fit. It will be scary initially but give it time and it will pay off in happiness and of course in overall financial growth.

Reactionary vs. Visionary

There are two types of people in any given situation. The reactionary person and the visionary person.

Let's pretend you have a boat, you're in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. Your boat strikes an iceberg (think Titanic style). Now you have a hole in your boat. The reactionary person will determine the best way to plug the hole right now, in the moment. The visionary person will devise solutions to avoid future icebergs.

We need both people in a business. One cannot be both. Those that are reactionary only deal with the problems at hand and their exact solutions. The visionary person will find a solution to prevent the problem from happening in the future. Those that are reactionary tend to repeat situations over and over rather than finding a fix for the situation permanently. The visionary person will find a future solution but has trouble handling the solution now. Obviously, you can see why we need both of these people on our boat or in our business.

There are many day to day situations that happen in the business world that we need to both handle immediately and prevent in the future. It is certainly beneficial to determine the type of problem solver you are as well as those around you. We can all learn from each other on how to think more like those that are our opposites.

To Sink or to Swim

It is the age old question, will you sink or will you swim? This question is also one that is posed frequently in business. When a problem arises, as an entrepreneur, you can choose to either sink or swim. The success of your business rides on which option is chosen. Our reference for sinking and swimming not only affects small day to day problems and tasks but also affects the large problems and tasks over time.

Let's consider a situation, in your business, a few associates in your office decide not to show up for work. You needed them because they were responsible to run a meeting for the other associates in your office. To sink, you as the entrepreneur would make a big deal out of the fact that the associates did not come in to work and now you have to cancel the meeting for the rest of your associates. Though this may not ruin your business, it definitely effects how your business runs on a day to day basis. The reason you chose for those associates to run that meeting was because the information they had to present was important to the development of your other associates in the office. The associates may learn what they needed to learn in that meeting at a later date, at the expense of your business until they do. As the entrepreneur, you can choose this option. Or you can do something else.

In the same situation if you as the entrepreneur choose to swim instead of counting on those associates to run the meeting and choosing to cancel the meeting because they failed to come to the office. You choose to run the meeting yourself. Your associates learn the things they needed to learn and your overall business runs better because you chose to teach what needed to be taught.

The world of an entrepreneur means more swimming than sinking. Sinking isn't an option. There are solutions to all of the problems we have in the day. Whether it be better planning or thinking of a solution quickly to ensure the betterment of your company. Remaining calm in moments of possible sink or swim allow the entrepreneur to make the best decisions for their company.

The Employee vs. the Entrepreneur

Most everyone has a job, a career, a place of work. How do you view yourself in that position? A cog, an individual member, a team player? It varies for everyone. There are multiple approaches we can take to our mindset about work and our career. We can either be an employee, with a boss who approves time off, tells us when to be to work, when to leave work, what we can and cannot do while we are going through our day, when to take lunch, all of our responsibilities and managing our every move. This is the typical position, most would agree.

For those of us embracing an entrepreneurial role, this is a much different scenario. We determine our schedule, the days we can and cannot take off, what time we want to take lunch or come into the office, what goes on during our days, what or who we need to be responsible for, and the general day to day activities of our business. This isn't to say that entrepreneurs do not work hard because they don't have to. If anything, entrepreneurs have to work harder to make their business successful because there isn't a beginning and end time to the day. Entrepreneurs do not punch a time clock or work a regular 9 to 5. The day doesn't end at 5pm, the day ends when all of the work and tasks that have needed to be accomplished throughout the day have been taken care of, even if that takes until 8pm.

The difference between an employee mindset and an entrepreneurial mindset is just that. For the employee, they will leave at 5pm whether or not their work is completed and most of the day is separated by periods of productivity with some individuals working harder than others to complete all or few of their daily tasks. The entrepreneur will work hard all day realizing that the end result is future success the more time and effort is put in to get to that future success.

Similarities between the two are also recognized. The entrepreneur can choose to work like an employee, checking out at 5pm if work isn't complete with some entrepreneurs working harder than others to achieve goals.

The simple difference is structure. The employee strives on structure given by a day to day routine without much variation. One employee typically works harder while another counts on them to pick up the slack. The entrepreneur strives on completing all tasks realizing that if they don't do it, no one else will. Successful entrepreneurs count only on themselves to complete tasks while getting mentoring from other entrepreneurs to round out their skills, struggles, or experiences to continue learning and growing.

The most glaring difference is in pay. The employee is told what they are worth by the company that employs them. Based on skills, job requirements, experience, background and multiple other factors each employee is paid the same regardless of how much work they do during their general working hours. An entrepreneur writes their own check. If an entrepreneur chooses to work more or work harder either short term or long term, this will pay off. They will move up faster and make more money because they have the ability to choose just how hard they want to work.

Whether you are of an employee mindset or an entrepreneurial mindset, or somewhere in between, both have qualities that can be learned from and embraced. They also have qualities to be expanded upon and adapted to create a more effective and efficient business. Neither is better than the other and as with anything, there has to be two sides to a coin. Consider which mindset you are and change how you view your current career, job, or workplace to be what you've dreamed.

Just a Quick Q & A!

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a few of our newest ETT's in the office, Moriah and Cam. It was a great change of pace for me because I typically see them when they pass my desk on their way into meetings and one on ones. We sat down, and I picked their brains about seemingly mundane topics, just because I could. I really got to know them as the questions turned into spin off topic after spin off topic.

Moriah Rae Hernandez

Moriah grew up in a few different places in Lower Michigan. She lived in Lansing until she was in 6th grade and then moved to Jenison, where she's lived aside from a brief move to Kentucky. When she was a child, Moriah always wanted to be a police officer or a coroner. I have never met a child who wanted to be a coroner, as a matter of fact, I've never met anyone who wanted to be a coroner. Moriah grew up with a cat named Mittens. She told me a story about a photo her mother took of her, dragging the cat around the house by his tail when she was a toddler. According to Moriah, the cat was a great sport and actually seemed to like riding around. Currently, Moriah has a dog named Ginger. "She's a mutt." She told me while she giggled.

Moriah has a three and a half year old son, Brayden. Her most embarrassing moment happened while she was pregnant with him. She was out at a store and a lady approached her saying she looked as if she was about to pop and she must be due soon or she was having twins. She still had 4 months left. Moriah said it was because before she got pregnant, she was very small and her son ended up being big when he was born. She said he also liked to make himself very comfy and usually that meant he was horizontal, making her look bigger than she really was.

An interesting fact about Moriah is that she was part of choir since 4th grade. Karaoke, anyone? She also prefers the summer so she and Brayden can head out to the beach. She says she likes to go to a beach close to Jenison to avoid the busy beaches in Grand Haven and Holland.

Cameron Jacob Alevesteffer

Cam has always lived in the Grand Rapids area, He has mostly lived in the Hudsonville/ Jenison area. He briefly lived in Cedar Springs when he was a kid. Cam attended Hope College studying Communications and Business Management. 

When Cam was growing up his dream occupation was playing football for Michigan State. Oh, the dreams of a young boy. When he was a child he also had a dog named Buzz Lightyear. He was a golden retriever and probably the happiest dog in the world with a name like that. He currently has a dog named Gracie who is a dachshund/ beagle. According to Cam, she has the cutest face. We all love our furry friends!

An interesting fact about Cam is that for about four years, his main employment was as a professional poker player, can you say poker face? He used to play in Michigan and Indiana in all kinds of casinos and clubs. His most embarrassing moment happened at a different position he had as a furniture mover. He and his partner were moving a 400lb couch, it was their first job in a long list of jobs for the day. When Cam bent down to lift it, his pants ripped all the way through the center, almost in two. He didn't have a chance to change the entire day.

Cam's favorite season is summertime. He enjoys golfing and going to concerts. He also enjoys a good bonfire with friends. I think we could all agree that bonfires are the best in the summer.

Carlos Linares: Los's Rule of 5

Obviously we loved Miami. To keep with our theme, here are some excellent take aways from our guest speaker Carlos Linares' talk at our company mixer on Friday night.

Carlos Linares is the CEO of M.I.T Consulting Group. In our industry of direct sales, he is seen as an expert in coaching leadership, management, sales, marketing and personal development. All of the fantastic things our company is built on. Not only is Carlos himself an expert but he has also developed training mechanisms for successful training and knowledge transfer of skills in sales, marketing, management and leadership. He not only does but he also teaches other to do as well. Carlos has an MBA in business management from the University of Miami (Coral Gables, Fl.). He started his career in direct sales in 1998 in New York City selling home services door to door. Talk about a difficult place to start! His first corporation was opened in 2000. He quickly developed a reputation for developing leaders and placing them in their own offices and businesses. During his time running his independent offices, he never made less than 250k annually. His organization peaked at 4.6 million in revenue yearly.

For the past seven years Carlos has been mentored by one of the most internationally recognized leadership experts, speaker, and coach, John C. Maxwell. John's books have sold over 19 million copies. Through his mentorship Carlos, since 2010, has been a founding member of the President's Advisory Council in the John Maxwell Company. Carlos is a certified coach, teacher, and speaker doing workshops, seminars, keynote speaking, and coaching for companies and businesses around the US.

Carlos' main point illustrated during his speech with us in Miami invilved Los's Rule of 5. You've never heard of Los's Rule of 5? Well neither had we.

Rule #1: Lead myself first
Sounds pretty self explanatory, right? Before leading others we must first learn how to lead ourselves. Leadership is earned through responsibility and visual actions. This is so true in a company like ours where we encourage people to be leaders. How can you lead if you aren't even sure how to lead yourself in one direction or the other?

Rule #2: I continue to grow/ specialize my knowledge
If we teach what we know, we know/ reproduce who we are. There is a common connection between finding your passion and reaching your potential. The first sentence is interesting in that if we do not know, we need to find out from someone who does (they are reproducing themselves). Once we understand, that is when we can reproduce others like ourselves to be successful. The second sentence talks of passion and potential. This concept makes so much sense in the fact that if we are passionate about something we will unlock our own potential to be great at it for the sole purpose that we have passion.

Rule #3: I intentionally practice leadership
People don't want to follow your finger, they want to follow you. You can't build a team on what you're going to do. So often in business or life we think we can get away with setting goals and telling everyone what we're GOING to do. Instead of saying we're going to do something, why not just do it and then tell everyone that was the plan in the first place? People will follow a leader with a vision to go places, but more people will follow and be successful following a leader that not only envisions himself in those places but actually gets there.

Rule #4: My belief system is unwavering
Our belief system impacts our purpose and our intention and provides us with our results. there are two great moments in a person's life, they day they were born and they day they discover why. Fighting against belief systems is never easy, so why not put a business model and leadership style into an already established belief system?

Rule #5: My environment shapes me. The right environment is a place where:
Others are ahead of me.
Where I am continually growing.
Where my focus is forward.
Where others are growing or passing me by.
Where people desire success.
Where growth is expected.

Considering the speech Carlos gave, so much of what he had to say rings true in our business and many others. It reminds us of an entrepreneurial mindset, get it done no matter what. Sometimes this is a hard mindset to maintain, particularly when things aren't going our way. Changing small things to adapt what isn't changing into how we lead based on the things we know and the values we have make us better leaders, teachers, and mentors to those that look to one day be in the same place if not ahead of where we are now. \

This was an exciting and thought provoking speech by Carlos on our otherwise nonbusiness related vacation. I think it was the best way to kick off this trip to remind us why we are all doing this business and what we need to do to make ourselves better leaders when we get home.

“Leaders don’t tell better stories, they make the stories better.” Carlos Linares

Welcome to Miami!

After a successful weekend in the lovely Florida sunshine, our reps are finally back from their Top Performer Retreat in Miami. In case you missed our post before, the top performers in each office in our organization along with Directors and Assistant Directors jetted off to the sunshine state to visit Miami's South Beach this past weekend. From the Altair Business Consulting office, our Director Kati Schwartz and Top Performers Ryan Kelley, Elizabeth Brennan, Ryan Ruiz and Seth Vanderwey were selected to attend this all expenses paid trip.

First off, we would like the thank our wonderful and generous CEO, Dean Elali and our equally wonderful and generous CFO Mike Hammoud for rewarding the top reps in our organization in such a big and extravagant way. Not only does this trip show that hard work PAYS OFF, but also that hard work doesn't go unnoticed by the upper level management in our company. It was a great vacation of fun in the sun, networking, and relaxing after such hard work.

CFO Mike Hammoud (left), ETL Ryan Kelley (center), CEO Dean Elali (right)

Everyone got in early on Friday afternoon to maximize their time in the Miami sunshine. With their early arrival some enjoyed the shopping Miami had to offer while others headed right for the beach. In the evening, Director of Operations, Jordan Gray hosted a mixer for the Top Performers in the Penthouse conference room at the Shore Club Resort in Miami. Here, everyone listened as the directors spoke as well as motivational speaker, Carlos Lineras.

The view from our Penthouse mixer

Director Kati Schwartz speaking at the mixer

Saturday was spent engaging in the best things to do while on vacation in Miami, lounging by the pool or at the beach, playing beach volleyball, or jet skiing. Such a relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

After the delightfully relaxing afternoon on the beach, everyone joined together for dinner at the world renowned Baoli restaurant. 

Top Performers: Seth Vanderwey (left), Elizabeth Brennan (left, center), Ryan Ruiz (right, center), and Director Kati Schwartz (right)

Sunday morning came way to quickly, but the lovely outdoor breakfast was delicious!

Before leaving the absolutely delightful weather in Miami, the gang enjoyed one of the hottest pool parties in the nation at the Shore Club Resort. 

It's always hard to come back after a vacation. But it was exceptionally difficult to come back after such a relaxing and exciting trip with friends to Miami! Again, thank you to the two men who made this possible, Mike Hammoud and Dean Elali! Congratulations to our Top Performers on their excellence and commitment to our company and its growth for years to come. Looking forward to repeating this again with all of you next year. Who knows where we'll end up then!

Everything is better in Miami!

We're excited to start our awesome blogging experience. This is a busy week for us here at Altair Business Consulting. We've promoted two ETL's in our company (stay tuned to another post all about this exciting event!) and we're sending a group of top performers and hard workers to MIAMI in two days!

Those that have qualified for this trip have done so by setting a great example to all of the other people in the office, always working hard to achieve their goals, going above and beyond to keep progressing in the program, training new employees when we hire, and growing the company exponentially over the last few months.

This trip is an amazing opportunity for the guys to hang out with upper management including our CEO and CFO along with other reps and directors from the other offices in our organization. It is an opportunity to network with others to help everyone progress in business and have loads of fun in one of the top destination areas in the US. Altair Business Consulting is sending four of our top reps on this all expenses paid trip to South Miami Beach to enjoy the sun and the ocean for three days and two nights.

The company is hosting a cocktail mixer Friday evening after everyone arrives, Saturday will be spent in exclusive cabanas on the beach lounging or playing volleyball during the day, in the evening they will be enjoying an incredible dinner at one of Miami's sought after restaurants, Baoli, followed by VIP booth access at one of the hottest nightclubs in Southbeach. Sunday will be spent at the one of the biggest pool parties of the season before the guys jet off back to Michigan late on Sunday evening.

We are happy to congratulate, Ryan Kelley, Seth Vanderwey, Liz Brennan, and Ryan Ruiz who have qualified for this all expenses paid vacation. We can't wait for you to get back and share all of your photos with us from your trip!