Author Archives: Jessica Rozitis

30 Day Challenge

The yoga studio I am currently practicing at is doing a 30 day yoga challenge. Although this is not a new concept, it is worth visiting, as it could provide inspiration to try another 30 day challenge whether it be yoga, or whether it be giving up caffeine.

Why 30 days? 30 days is the threshold to make or break a habit. Stephen Covey famously said that it takes 21 days to create a habit. Some of us need longer – so let’s just round it up to 30. A 30 day challenge allows you to take baby steps to achieve your goals.

This 3 minute TED video spells it out clearly. I don’t think I could give up sugar for 30 days like Matt Cutts did, or chocolate for that matter.

Think of something you’ve always wanted to try. Make those small changes, see your self confidence grow, and achieve your goals. You can even sign up at 43 Things and find others with similar goals and cheer each other on with encouragement. The #21 All-time Most Popular goal on the site is “get a job”. There are others like ‘lose weight’, ‘stop procrastinating’ and ‘drink more water’.

So, the question is, what will your 30 day challenge be?  Feel free to share in the comments below.

~ Jessica Rozitis

Customer engagement

I read this recent post, Faking it by Chris Ferdinandi, managing editor at GoMakeThings.com and I find his thoughts on customer engagement so very true.

Sincerity is key when it comes to customer service, and clearly if you love your job, and have a thriving culture, the sincerity will come naturally. The positive byproduct of this is happy, loyal customers who believe in your product or service, and want to be a part of that experience. It’s that simple.

Foster a positive corporate culture which will keep your employees happy, and your customers will be happy too.

~ Jessica Rozitis

Goodbye to a Great Leader

He shaped the way we use technology today. He made it cool. He made it beautiful. He made it fun. He made it personal.

Steve Jobs was the most innovative CEO of our time. He was a dynamic maverick who built and rebuilt Apple over the course of several decades. Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world in terms of its market capitalization. Everybody talks about Steve Jobs’ creativity, innovation and passion. He was also a very inspiring leader, a visionary. He was known to be a micro-manager, but in a positive way.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.” –Steve Jobs.

And one more thing…

3 Apples changed the World. The 1st one seduced Eve, the 2nd one fell on Newton and the 3rd was offered to the World half bitten by Steve Jobs.

~ Jessica Rozitis

photo credit: Giandomenico Ricci

How Happiness Can Fuel Success At Work

Are you happy at work? Did you know that your happiness can fuel your success? Obviously if you like what you’re doing, you’re going to perform better. The folks at Socialcast have put together this fantastic infographic on Office Bliss: How Happiness Can Fuel Success At Work.

                        Click on image to enlarge

~ Jessica Rozitis

Quirks at work

Some companies have quirks. And definitely, there are co-workers that have quirks. Sure, this is an advertisement for Kohl’s department store in the U.S., but I found Jennifer Lopez’s quirk in this short video can either totally annoy you, or perhaps give you the giggles.

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Do you have any co-workers with funny quirks? Feel free to share.

~ Jessica Rozitis

Back to School

Those 3 dreaded words. Do they still give you the shivers? As children, we never wanted summer to end.  As a parent, I am now observing how my children feel about going back to school this week.  All is good. They had a fantastic summer, and they are looking forward to seeing their friends again,  getting back into a regular routine, and starting a new year.

I like the freedom that summer brings, but I also like the regular routine that the new school year brings back. I look at the Fall as being the start of a new year. I am ready to take on some new projects at work, and that excites me. It feels after some time of rest during the summer that I can now focus my energy and give these projects my full attention.

We took a poll last year, on what September means to you, and 65% felt that September is like the start of a new year. To me, September will always feel like a new start. What does this time of year mean to you?

~ Jessica Rozitis

Fulfillment at Work

I came across this captivating talk by leadership expert Simon Sinek a few weeks ago, and it still resonates with me. I must admit, the title grabbed me at first: “If You Don’t Understand People, You don’t Understand Business”  but it is the content and storytelling that pulled me in.

Although the running time is 30 minutes, I set aside the time to give it my full attention. It is definitely worth your time to watch this. You’ll be glad you did.

~ Jessica Rozitis

Take me out to the ballgame

On a warm summer evening last week, several McNakers and their famlies attended a Vancouver Canadians baseball game. It was a highly entertaining evening, and the home team won! Enjoy this video of our outing with our coworkers.

~ Jessica Rozitis

Social Media Day 2011

Happy Social Media Day (#SMDay) !!! On this day, all over the world, people are  going to MeetUps, TweetUps, and parties, all in the name of celebrating social media. Social media for me is all about connecting with people and building community. What does is mean to you?

Our lives have changed in the past few years as social media has become another way for us to interact with friends, colleagues, clients and anybody else out there who is listening.

I use social media pretty much every day. I have a fair amount of knowledge on the subject. I’ve spoken on a panel about social media for small businesses. I’ve advised business owners on social media strategy. I’ve been interviewed about social media policies in the workplace, and just yesterday I advised a business colleague about social media strategies, tools and etiquette.

In our conversation yesterday, she asked me if our company had a social media manual, a ‘how-to’. It was a good reminder for me that I haven’t written one yet. I have verbally trained staff at our company how to use certain tools, etiquette, strategy etc.  But I admit, I have not written it down on paper.

I firmly believe that companies should have a social media policy set in place. We have our new employees read and sign the policy during the onboarding process. Our employees use social media to connect and reach out to their networks. It is part of our corporate culture. Many companies still have yet to embrace social media because they don’t know where it fits in with their corporate culture.

Understanding the value of social media in the workplace is the first step. Creating a policy for existing and new employees is next. Writing a social media manual, and integrating that into the onboarding and training process is the next step for our company. I guess I better get writing.

~ Jessica Rozitis

photo credit: Lee Hopkins

Kill procrastination

I’ll never forget that day when my grade 7 teacher wrote the word ‘procrastination’ across the blackboard in thick white chalk. He requested that we all learn the meaning of the word, and then to never let procrastination get in the way of all the things we need to accomplish.  We’ve all done it. We’ve all put off the tasks we don’t want to do. But, we all love the feeling of crossing things off our to-do list.

Personally, I love the simplicity of TeuxDeux. Fast Company calls it “The Web’s Most Beautiful To-Do List”. I have the web version always open on my computer, and refer to the iPhone app all the time. It keeps me on track, and let’s me cross of the to-dos. My teacher would be proud.