Get to Know ME with Bob Graham
It’s time to Get to Know ME with our Co-CEO and Co-President, Bob Graham. Read below to learn about Bob’s work motivation and philosophy on integrity. Thanks Bob for participating in our monthly segment!
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
As of January 2025, I became the CEO & President. I was the VP, Client and Technology Solutions before that, and I’ve been with the company for more than 22 years.
What does your job entail?
Understanding all the great talents and resources Motivation Excellence has to apply toward clients’ business needs and using those to develop solutions to accomplish them. The other aspect is helping our team members to grow in their positions, overcome the unexpected and enjoy their work life. Having fun sprinkled in helps.
What’s something special about working at Motivation Excellence that you’d like to share?
Being part of a group of people who enjoy what they do, are good at it and are dedicated to giving Motivation Excellence’s best to each client. Creativity, flexibility and developing solutions that address each clients’ needs keeps the day to day fresh and stimulating. I also feel fortunate the company is focused on community, charity and the wellbeing of its employees.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life?
I am competitive and I want us to be the best at whatever we are doing. At Motivation Excellence, that means giving each opportunity our best every day. Away from work, it is enjoying our family and friends.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Anything outside.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
This is a weird answer. Working in this industry is a thousand jobs within a job. We get the honor to work with every industry, many, many companies and create many, many solutions that can better a lot of people’s lives. It is fascinating to see how each company operates, their issues and working with them to improve their business.
This month, our theme for social media is Integrity. What does integrity mean to you?
For me, it is a high goal to focus on. We have choices hundreds of times a day and each action accumulates to create a level of integrity. It is doing the right things in the right way, through caring, personal attention, empathy, and a moral compass.
Get to Know ME with Staci Wand
This month’s Get to Know ME features Staci Wand, a longtime member of our travel department. Read below about her drive to meet challenges and her awesome sense of humor! Thanks, Staci for letting us get to know you a bit better.
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
My journey began 21 years ago as a Program Coordinator in the travel department. After many years in that position, I was promoted to the Program Manager position. As the needs of the company have shifted, I am once again assisting in Program Coordination.
What does your job entail?
Managing the participant database and registration process for incentive travel programs for 50 – 1400 people. I handle many logistical components such as hotel accommodations, ground transportation and activity confirmations, as well as the preparation of on-site supplies.
What’s something special about working at Motivation Excellence that you’d like to share?
Motivation Excellence offers a flexible work environment. The company recognizes us as individuals, which allows employees to balance personal commitments, while still maintaining a high level of work.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I can do a comedic impression of Shakira…for close friends and family only. ☺
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
When I’m presented with a challenge that is identified as nearly impossible, that motivates me to figure out a way to make it happen. I’m also motivated by chocolate.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Playing chauffeur for my children and going for walks.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
The movie Jumanji (the new version).
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
Our family had a lot of game nights and movie nights. We also tie dyed a lot!
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
I worked in a coatroom for many years if that qualifies as unusual.
This month, our theme for social media is “Devil’s in the Details.” What does attention to detail mean to you?
My current position requires a keen eye for detail, which I personally thrive on. Attention to detail requires you to not only dissect and analyze what’s in front of you, but also to be proactive and consider different outcomes based on all possible avenues of action.
Get to Know ME with Brad Hecht
It’s time to get to know our Vice President, Travel, Brad Hecht, a little bit better! He’s a long-timer with Motivation Excellence. He’s got a lot of frequent flyer miles and he shares his destination picks in the linked video. Take a few minutes and watch that and read his answers to our questions below. Thanks Brad for sharing!
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
Vice President, Travel – 22 years.
What does your job entail?
Responsibility for all facets of our travel business including travel presentations, purchasing, contracting, sourcing, Program Management and Coordination, client facing travel technology, and onsite operations.
What’s something special about working at Motivation Excellence that you’d like to share?
Our employees are amazing!
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I can hold a handstand in a pool in perfect form for a long period of time. Wow, that’s really odd, isn’t it (maybe random)?
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
To be a positive person for myself and everyone around me. That energizes me.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Golf, pickleball, hiking, biking, attempting to be a wine snob.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
The TV show “Two and a Half Men.”
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
Getting outside every day to free my mind, exercise or hike to do a refresh.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
As a high schooler, I was a lifeguard at a Holiday Inn near Six Flags over Mid-America. They didn’t have room service but the celebrities coming in to perform all wanted it, so I was the person to handle all room service when celebrities came to stay. Boy, do I have some interesting stories!
This month, our theme for social media, metrics for measurement. How do you measure success (could be on the job or personally)?
Exceeding the expectations of everyone around me as often as I can, including family, friends and clients.
Get to Know ME with Susan Rizzi
We’re excited to have you Get to Know Susan Rizzi this month! She has longevity when it comes to her careers, that’s for sure! Read below to find out how she helps our participants and her family thrive. Thanks for sharing Susan!
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
Customer Service Representative; in 3 weeks it will be 20 years!
What does your job entail?
All aspects of Customer Service, such as answering phone inquiries, email inquiries and Concierge Shopper requests. I also work with suppliers to resolve issues, review invoices, and obtain merchandise quotes for concierge shopper requests.
What’s something special about working at Motivation Excellence that you’d like to share?
What makes ME special is the family atmosphere, the willingness to help each other out at any time.
What’s your favorite part of your job at Motivation Excellence?
Working in Customer Service is a very rewarding position. What I enjoy the most is working on an issue and being able to turn it around into a positive experience for the participant.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
Storytelling. I can make a simple walk on the beach into an exciting adventure for my grandchildren. A hike in the woods can be more interesting with my crazy imagination. I also have a great talent for playing practical jokes on the family.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
Work: knowing that I can make a difference in the experience our participants have when they contact ME. Personal: teaching my grandchildren that they should embrace who they are and that they can be and do anything they want to do in life! This motivates me to be a positive and supportive person in their lives.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Spending time with my most Awesome grandchildren, and their parents of course. Gardening, fishing, vacationing in the OBX.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
Spending time with my family. We refuse to let little things upset us, and with so many different personalities, it becomes very amusing!
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
Played board games with my family through Zoom. Worked on home projects, painted, decluttered and organized family photos…bins of family photos. Binge watched documentaries on Netflix. Hoarded toilet paper, Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer!
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
It was not an unusual job, but being a Hair Stylist for 38 years definitely was the most interesting. Oh, the stories I could tell.
This month, our theme for social media is EQ, or Emotional Intelligence. How do you relate to this theme?
Emotional Intelligence is an ongoing learning experience. In my years, I have learned that it is not what is said to someone, but the way in which it is said. A voice inflection, a condescending remark, or even a physical stance can give off the wrong impression. It is an individual’s choice on how they respond. We need to keep in mind that we do not know what is going on in a person’s life or what causes them to be “on guard.” Be patient, be a good listener, sometimes all a person needs is to have someone listen to what they have to say and acknowledge that they are heard. Good thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds!
Medical Supply Distributor
GENERATING $17M FOR A MEDICAL SUPPLY DISTRIBUTOR IN A PROGRAM FUNDED BY THEIR SUPPLIERS
The Big Picture
Our Medical Supply Distribution client wanted to drive sales with a dynamic incentive for their preferred, non-competitive suppliers that would be completely funded by their sales efforts. The suppliers — 6-10 participated in various years — were initially reluctant to participate due to a lack of confidence in their return on their investment. We knew we needed to overcome their skepticism.
Research & Analysis
A thoughtful and fair ROI rule structure and tracking system was needed. In the initial analysis stage, we examined the previous two years of sales by rep, and then set individual growth goals for each of the six suppliers.
Our Solution
We created an incremental growth program for each supplier so that together, they would fund the program on our sponsoring client’s behalf.
After we created incremental goals by supplier, we set up a system to provide reporting so they could clearly see the growth being generated. This solved the funding issue that initially made the distributors reluctant to participate; They were happy to fund the program when they could easily see the growth it was fostering.
Since the client’s existing system did not communicate in silos, we sought to isolate communications specific to each supplier and connect directly with the sales reps that sell those products.
This program was points-driven. We set goals for each supplier and assigned point values to those goals. Each sales rep was able to use our online portal to view their performance and their status at any time.
Quantifiable Results
ROI
Participating suppliers increased sales by 11.75% over plan.
Volume was up more than $17M for selected suppliers.
Equity
At program end, participants were awarded their points as a one-time payout and were able to redeem for name-brand merchandise, travel options or experiences from our expansive online catalog.
Data & Analytics
Getting 6-10 different suppliers to work together in an equitable arrangement is the kind of data-driven, personalized work that sets Motivation Excellence apart.
Get to Know ME with Tom Betley
Tom Betley is our East Coast Director of Business Development, based in the New Jersey/Philly area. He has many passions and loves to chat about sports, travel and family the most! He’s quick with a joke and loves to razz his coworkers whenever he can. Read below for more insights and be sure to watch Tom’s Get to Know ME video embedded too!
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
Director of Business Development – two stints totaling 15 years.
What does your job entail?
Calling on existing clients and prospecting for new clients. Helping each of them address specific business issues that call for a behavior change to impact performance.
What’s something special about working at Motivation Excellence that you’d like to share?
From the owner down through the organization we all work together in a customer-first way to ensure creative solutions based offerings but exceed expectations delivery.
What’s your favorite part of your job at Motivation Excellence?
We have an exercise called “where in the world” that we go through when we have a new or existing client and we are making suggestions on a travel experience. We usually do it over a cigar and try to match a destination with the demographics, budget and preferences of the client. FUN!
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I make 9 out of 10 foul shots with my eyes closed. Still to this day.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
Competing. I love competition whether at golf, a board game, work achievement, or an NCAA pool.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Travel, golf, spend time at our campsite, spend time with our kids and grandkids.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
Rodney Dangerfield
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
Lots of stuff around the house with my wife leading the charge. Stuff I used to address by saying “I gotta a guy that can do that”, I am now doing myself.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
Machine shop in HS. We drilled holes in metal that would eventually become heart machines. Can you spell BORING!
This month, our theme for social media is self-awareness. How do you apply self-awareness principles to your life? (you can read my blog to get info on self-awareness)
I guess the biggest change I’ve made regarding self-awareness is not reacting emotionally to something I hear or see. I am definitely more aware of listening and not reacting right away. I think my daily cigar is one of the great ways to take time to reflect.
Get to Know ME with Dave Bunge
Dave Bunge is celebrating an anniversary with Motivation Excellence this month! Read below and watch the video to learn some fun facts about our game-loving web developer. Anyone else out there broken the same bone multiple times? We’re glad you’re all healed now, Dave!
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
Web Developer/Programmer, 7 years (as of 12/12/2020)
What does your job entail?
I support clients by building websites to support the programs that we run for them.
What’s your favorite part of your job at Motivation Excellence?
Relationships with coworkers.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
Feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
I play various games on my PC and watch videos on Amazon Prime & Disney+.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
Watching videos of my niece and nephews and hearing their cute laughs.
What have you done that’s helped you get through 2020?
Some of my normal weekly activities went digital through Zoom and Discord, so I’ve been able to keep in touch with people. I also joined a new Meetup group for D&D Newbies and played some one-shots with strangers.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
I don’t consider any of my jobs to be unusual. I worked at Hollywood Video in high school for a while, and I worked at Culver’s. Apart from that, I’ve been working as a web developer, which I do not consider unusual.
Motivation Excellence Celebrates Back to Back Honors
It’s with great pleasure we announce being honored with the Best and Brightest Companies to work for® in the Nation distinction again in 2020! Motivation Excellence is one of 147 national winners among 1,300 applicants. We hold 2019 honors for this national category, as well as for Companies in Chicago for 2019 and 2020.
The Best and the Brightest Companies to Work For® celebrates achievement and success in empowering employees’ lives through rich heritage and culture. Its mission is “Better Business, Richer Lives, Stronger Communities.” Each winning company has demonstrated a positive impact on its employees resulting in happier and more productive work environments.
“It’s a long, all-encompassing application process that includes an anonymous survey for each of our employees to fill out. Even though it takes a lot of time to apply each year, I’m thrilled with the results! It’s great to have the outside world see Motivation Excellence the way we all see it: A wonderful place to work and thrive!” says Diane Kelly, VP Finance & Admin, who takes on the task to apply each year.
Motivation Excellence recently premiered its new corporate headquarters.
This new space was designed to embody its mission to Inspire Extraordinary Performance. The office is filled with a lot of bright color, natural light and collaborative work areas. Materials used, from the carpeting to the furniture, are eco-friendly. Due to COVID-19, employees are splitting their time between the new office and remote working.
“I can’t wait for the day that we can be at full capacity in our new headquarters, but having the flexibility for each person here to be able to work from home is a real blessing. During COVID-19 this spring when everyone was remote, our events committee worked hard to continue to engage our team with activities like virtual meeting bingo, meet my furry coworker pictures and Friday happy hours. That we all remained connected during a stressful time points to the positive culture we’ve carefully nourished at Motivation Excellence with the guidance of our senior leadership, Bob Graham, Brad Hecht, Diane Kelly and Rhonda Brewer,” says David Jobes, Owner and President.
Besides flexible working arrangements, other perks of working at Motivation Excellence include receiving two days off each year to help a favorite charity and a work anniversary holiday. Employees often comment how they see their coworkers as part of a family. Almost a third of our nearly 30 employees have been with Motivation Excellence for more than 20 years!
This is the 10th Annual Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® award announcement.
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.
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Contact us today to recognize your top performers! me@motivation.redefinedcreative.com
