Get to Know ME with Jen Hurley
There are some people who just have a knack for numbers! Jen Hurley is one of those people who happens to work in our accounting department – how fortunate for us! Read and watch Jen tell us some inside info on the joys she has at Motivation Excellence and at home.
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
My title is Project Accountant, and I’ve been with Motivation Excellence for 6 ½ years.
What’s something special about working at Motivation Excellence that you’d like to share?
One thing that makes Motivation Excellence stand out is the unwavering support I have received. In the 6+ years I have been here I have been through more ‘situations’ than most people go through in a decade. Through it all, everyone at Motivation Excellence, from my co-workers to management, has supported and encouraged me.
What’s your favorite task as an accountant for Motivation Excellence?
There are so many favorite tasks! I’m always up for a good puzzle so reconciling accounts or programs is always fun.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I have an uncanny knack for remembering useless information and used to do bar trivia every week with friends.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
I always want to make a difference. Knowing that I can have a positive impact on someone else’s day, be it my husband, kids, co-workers or a stranger, helps give me that extra boost to get things done.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
I’m an avid reader, I enjoy surfing around Pinterest and creating (and often failing) projects and spending time with my family.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
I have an odd sense of humor and often laugh at inappropriate times. Once I get going, it is really hard to get it under control. My kids make me laugh every day without fail.
What’s the most interesting former job you’ve had?
I’ve always worked in accounting, so every job I’ve had has been interesting! No, really! But, if you need an example, my first job was as a billing clerk for the trucking company that shipped Tootsie Rolls for Knights of Columbus fundraisers and Terri Lynn peanuts for Kiwanis fundraisers. So, if you ever donated a buck to the guy in the intersection in the 90’s and got a Tootsie Roll or bag of peanuts in return, odds are I had something to do with it.
MAXRewardsYourWay: Show appreciation for stellar work in a challenging year
Generate excitement among your target audience with customizable reward packages.
MaxRewardsYourWay allows you to select the award value, while inspiring your potential recipients to work toward an instant lifestyle upgrade! Each package is filled with great items that can be adjusted to fit the award winner’s desire. It’s all about making your most valued talent feel appreciated!
Benefits:
- The prebuilt lifestyle packages can be easily customized to your recipients’ needs.
- There are no set-up costs.
- You only pay for the packages your employees choose.
- The reward is immediate!
It’s an easy way to show appreciation for stellar work in a challenging year. 2021 will be here before we know it!
Contact us today to recognize your top performers! me@motivation.redefinedcreative.com
Get to Know ME with Jayne Schmitt
We love to see when people evolve in their roles at Motivation Excellence. Jayne Schmitt is a perfect example of someone who started in one area and shifted as the company grew and changed. It’s also her anniversary month, so wish her a happy 26th year at ME!
What’s your title and how long have you been at ME?
Travel Operations Supervisor. It will officially be 26 years on 9/29/2020. I started with ME 2 days a week at the reception desk and worked my way through the company to find that the travel department was where I wanted to be!
What’s something special about working at ME that you’d like to share?
People care about what they do and go above and beyond and they care about each other. Everyone works hard and plays hard! We actually enjoy time together.
Have a special story about a client interaction that you still smile about?
I have a few…but the weddings and engagements that I was a part of were some of the best! I helped to plan a surprise wedding in Vegas for one of my clients, watched a couple get engaged and hold their wedding on an incentive program in Hawaii and a couple of other engagements. So fun to be a part of people’s special moments.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I have a smoker and find that I love to try smoking new foods, during quarantine I smoked some great salsa, which pairs well with my excellent margaritas!
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
Helping my clients have the best program and see the participants enjoy themselves and their reward. I also enjoy doing things for my family and spending time with them!
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
I love being outside, hiking, boating, kayaking and just relaxing around a fire with friends and family!
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
Well, maybe not always, but my husband…it’s nice after 40 years that we can still find humor in situations!
If ME didn’t stand for Motivation Excellence, what could it stand for?
Most Excellent!
What’s the most interesting former job you’ve had?
I worked as an assistant in a Real Estate Appraising office. Not that the job sounds so interesting….but it’s where I met my husband.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Click my heels and transport to any destination!!! I love to travel but the time it takes to arrive sometimes frustrates me. I would love to be in Germany right now with my kids and granddaughter!
Get to Know ME with Rebecca Steiner
Rebecca Steiner joined our team four years ago and has made a name for herself at Motivation Excellence! Read and see/hear more about her in our Get to Know ME blog and video chat. Then let her know if you want to learn how to water ski!
What’s your title and how long have you been at ME?
Business Development Director – a little over 4 years.
What’s something special about working at ME that you’d like to share?
It’s like a 2nd family we have fun, work hard and we thrive on helping our clients.
Have a special story about a client interaction that you still smile about?
Helping a client with a community service event to rebuild a playground for a school.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I love to teach kids to water ski and see their excitement when they master it.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
In my work life, helping my clients and positive energy…outside of work, family and enjoying time together. For both, the experiences we share together.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Family and friends, being outdoors, exercise, swimming, kayaking…
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
My husband’s dry sense of humor – well maybe not always.
If ME didn’t stand for Motivation Excellence, what could it stand for?
Maximize Engagement
What’s the most interesting former job you’ve had?
Working at Wrigley Field in college.
Announcing MAXRewardsNOW: Say “Thank You” to Your Essential Employees
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary action, which is why we are proud to announce the launch of the MAXRewardsNOW program. We want to help you implement an easy-to-set-up rewards program, with high perceived value to your employees. It will save you time and resources–all while giving back to those who go above and beyond for your business.
Introducing: MAXRewardsNOW
It’s an immediate, cost-effective way to show appreciation for the individuals in your organization when they may need it the most. Instead of only saying thank you, attach a reward to it, and make their day.
Say “Thank You” in Three Easy Steps:
- Purchase a block of rewards valued at $25, $50 or $100 each
- Give them out to show your appreciation
- Team members redeem and feel rewarded!
Benefits:
- No set-up costs
- Low investment
- High-engagement rewards
- Immediate and practical
The best part is, MAXRewardsNOW is highly-flexible to meet the needs of your most valued team members. Your recipients can choose from more than 50 restaurants and retailers.
Your team steps up for you every day. Give back to them. Contact us and we will help you to implement MAXRewardsNOW at your organization today.
Get to Know ME with Shannon O’ Shaughnessy
Shannon O’ Shaughnessy is our Get to Know ME spotlight employee this month. It just so happens it’s her anniversary month working at Motivation Excellence! Shannon is a wizard with data and helping our clients set and track goals that tie back to a company’s bottom line. Take a few minutes to get to know Shannon in her own words.
What’s your title and how long have you been at ME?
My title is Senior Program Manager, and my 9th anniversary is this July.
What’s something special about working at ME that you’d like to share?
I couldn’t pick a better group of people to work with. Not only do we treat each other like family, but this is a group of hard-workers who pride themselves on going above and beyond.
Have a special story about a client interaction that you still smile about?
I had a participant who wanted to send me flowers, to thank me for helping him figure out an issue with his account.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
Not sure if it’s a talent – but I can read and write backward and upside down!
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
In my work life, what motivates me is knowing that our clients and participants are happy and a program is successful.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Reading, astrology, hanging out with my pets, watching documentaries
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
My silly dog, Billy.
If ME didn’t stand for Motivation Excellence, what could it stand for?
Masters of Engagement
What’s the most interesting former job you’ve had?
Coaching pee-wee soccer at a park district.
Why You Should Make Charity a Priority at Your Company in 2024
How can you encourage charity in the workplace? Here are a few suggestions we practice ourselves.
5 Reasons to Not DIY Your Meeting & Events Planning
If you have a company-wide or customer event or conference to organize, you may be looking to save a few dollars by handling the event internally. If you’re a small-to-medium business, it may be easy enough in-house: pick a local venue and coordinate with on-site staff. But it might not be so easy when you have multiple locations, sites, or people to deal with. “What could go wrong?” you ask.
Turns out, a lot.
Here are five reasons a DIY-meeting idea might not be the best option
1. There are only 24 hours in a day
Planning a conference, meeting, or launch event quickly becomes a full-time job in and of itself. There are so many aspects to consider: what location or venue? Have you sourced the hotel? Who’s attending? What’s the budget? What vendors are you using? How about contracts? Concessions and attrition clauses?
You also need to think about your audience, coordinating with the team, and how you can balance their needs while being mindful of cost. It’s no easy feat, especially if that’s not your only responsibility throughout the day.
2. Going over budget
If you’re planning and managing the event yourself, it’s easy to get lost in and overwhelmed by all the details. This has the potential to lead to confusion among employees and customers and – inadvertently – a blown budget. If you’re new to event planning, the little details add up. You may think you’re getting a great deal, only to find surprises in the venue’s small print which can add up to hundreds or thousands more in other fees and add-on costs you didn’t expect. Having relationships with vendors will help, but they will not necessarily help you find the best deals.
3. Problems at the venue
Even for seasoned professionals, it’s inevitable that something will go wrong once you’re at the venue – but it’s all in how you prepared you are and how you handle it. Since you don’t own the place, you can’t control every little thing – and this is where having a professional to take away those problems come in handy. It’s also a good idea to have an emergency plan in place, especially in terms of weather – what happens if the venue you’ve selected was hit by a hurricane just weeks before your event?
4. Disengaged employees
This is a fact. A Google search for “corporate” or “office events” shows hundreds of articles answering the question, “Must I attend that dreaded company event?”
Unless it’s a very well organized and engaging event, employees will find any reason they can to excuse themselves. Or if they attend, they may not participate at all. It takes experience and a good understanding of what motivates employees to put together an event that will keep them engaged and will help them come back to work re-energized and ready to contribute more.
5. Not seeing the forest for the trees
When organizers get into the weeds of organizing and managing an event, they often run the risk of forgetting who it is for. With customer-focused events in particular, you may be so focused on the details meant to make them feel welcomed and appreciated that you won’t have the bandwidth to connect in a personal way.
Customer appreciation events are a great opportunity not just to entertain but to listen and learn from your customers. What are some of the problems they are facing, what has changed, what are they looking forward to? Don’t miss this important opportunity to connect and show you care about them.
Done for you means less stress, happy employees – and your time back
At the end of the day, having an event planned for you instead of trying to manage it yourself is worth it for the stress reduction alone. And let’s admit it, no one wants to expend so much effort only to hear later, “I’m so glad it’s over.”
Having an experienced team to work alongside you to iron out the details will not only save you time and money but will also lead to a memorable experience your audience won’t soon forget.
Motivation Excellence Named One of Chicago’s 2019 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For!
We are honored to win this award! Read the full press release below.
Motivation Excellence, an award-winning sales and channel engagement firm, specializing in sales growth, building market share, creating channel loyalty and enhancing meeting engagement was named one of Chicago’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® in 2019 by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR).
Each year, companies throughout Chicago compete to be named one of Chicago’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. Only organizations that distinguish themselves as having the most innovative and thoughtful human resources approach can be bestowed this honor.
An independent research firm evaluates each company’s entry, based on key measures in various categories. They include Compensation, Benefits and Employee Solutions; Employee Enrichment, Engagement and Retention; Employee Education and Development; Recruitment, Selection and Orientation; Employee Achievement and Recognition; Communication and Shared Vision; Diversity and Inclusion; Work-Life Balance; Community Initiatives; and Strategic Company Performance.
Motivation Excellence CEO & President, David Jobes said, “We live by our mission statement, Inspire Extraordinary Performance, where we pride ourselves in offering an innovative and empowering environment with a focus on community involvement for our team.
“Our culture centers around how we impact people’s lives for the better and that starts with our own colleagues. Winning this award is a validation of that, we remain committed to focus on how we can inspire people to achieve greatness, however they define this.
“The war for talent is raising the bar each year. Team member expectations continue to grow and our clients continue to evolve. Each of our solutions and services leverage our clients’ organizational culture, target specific goals, create unique experiences and build best practices for engaging their top performers and channel partners. It is all about achievement, relationships, and putting people first. That is how we define excellence at Motivation Excellence.”
Over 1,200 companies participated in the competition. Motivation Excellence and 175 other organizations were selected.
How to Escape the Commodity Trap
Commoditization, a lack of meaningful differentiation, drives products to have razor thin margins that are differentiated and bought only on price. Unfortunately, we see it far too often:
- Supply Chain/Sourcing driving for a low price
- Contractors don’t see product cost/benefits
- Amazon making it easy for customers to compare prices and availability without picking up the phone
Distribution companies are recognizing the world is dramatically changing and are finding ways to escape the commodity trap by de-commoditizing and differentiating themselves beyond price:
- Segmentation: Driven by market research and analytics, segmentation serves as the foundation of where to focus time and investment
- Determination: A mind shift and attitude to de-commoditize by saying “no” to less profitable customers/markets and “yes” to new higher profit markets. The decision of where to compete accounted for 80% of the differences in growth in a McKinsey & Company study of the 100 largest U.S. corporations
- Product, brand and service differentiation: Expanding the markets served such as MRO, safety, fluid power, power transmission and the industrial market
- Innovation: Being positioned as the market leader for innovative new products and technology then adding value via knowledge and expertise
- Bundle: develop a package of complementary products and services around commoditized products to provide long-term value
- Customer Experience: Maybe most important, create an environment that serves the customer, empowers and enables employees to deliver and finally, drive a customer-centric culture
If you have not read it and are looking for a practical approach to get above the commodity business, check out Blue Ocean Strategy. Recently updated with fresh content, the book discusses how cutthroat competition results in nothing but a bloody red ocean of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool.
