Monday 30 September 2013

Go With The Flow

This weekend I was in Fergus visiting my cousins, we were hosting a baby shower for my aunt.  Saturday evening after the shower, us cousins decided we wanted to get out for a bit so we headed to Guelph.  The first restaurant we went to had an hour and a half wait so last minute Ken recommended his friend's, dad's restaurant.

We headed to Manhattans, a cozy, elagent pizzeria, that happened to be hosting three comedians for a live recording on CBC radio.  There were barely 4 spots left at the bar for us, but the charismatic, welcoming host and owner made us feel right at home with the best seats in the house.

The service was excellent from start to finish, the pizza was fresh and delicious and the combination of wine and live comedy made for a perfect Saturday evening.  This comedy show was my first but I have a new appreciation for this form of entertainment and am already planning the next show I will see.

The whole point of my little story here, is that the whole evening was kind of a wonderful fluke.  We were all feeling up for anything and because we were willing to "go with the flow" we got something amazing. Emily, Nicole, Ken and I, made some great memories together on Saturday night and it was because we were open to the possibilities of a good time.  "Going with the flow" is something I have been working on for awhile now, when you trust that you are where you need to be at all times, and allow yourself to relish in it, amazing things can happen.  Open your heart and let yourself be! 

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Keep It Simple But Make It Interesting

I am the Sales Manager at CCI Studios and much of my job requires me to communicate.  I communicate face to face, over the phone, email and social platforms.  Sometimes I walk away from my day wondering if I shared what I was trying to say in an interesting effective way?  Are people understanding my message and is it enjoyable to listen to?

I am particularly questioning myself today because I have been to multiple networking events presenting my "30 second commercial" and sending out quite a few introduction emails.  These are the tasks that consumed all my days when I first started working at CCI, now that I have clients to manage my time is split between various tasks and I am feeling as though my info sharing is a little on the rusty side.  

This being said, I think these questions are something I will always consider, not only for my clients sake but also for my own, as I want to continue to grow and keep things fresh.

I need to be sure the info I share is clear enough for someone who has no familiarity with our industry to understand and for a connection or emotion to be present, I need to be able to do this in an interesting engaging manner.


I think of the above quote by Albert Einstein when I consider how to present my message, about the products and services we offer at CCI Studios.  I am confident that the more I learn about my industry the easier becomes for me to explain it and how it can benefit a business, but I wonder if my approach to simplicity is causing my information to be a snore for the person on the receiving end.

Now, to find the balance between sharing information simply and making it interesting.  I tell each of our sales people that their personalities are very important to their roles within our company and because of our variety in people, we will have the capacity to attract a variety of customers.

I think its time for me to remember my own advice and inject my corporate communication with a little Audrey storytelling flare because it has been lacking a little lately.

Time to take my story telling to the masses, I will let you know how it goes.


Saturday 14 September 2013

Autumn

Yesterday morning I woke up to a windy, cool and crisp day, I think it is officially autumn.  Fall is my favourite season, it energizes me and gives me a sense that I have opportunities to start something new and fresh or refine something I am already working on.

I like the felling of being cozy in my house, cooking comfort foods like soups and casseroles.  The rejuvenating feeling that comes with the change of any season is what is so great about living in Ontario, I think the only season I would adjust is winter, by making it a little bit shorter.

The old saying of "the older you get the faster time passes" is holding true for me and every time I am presented with another fall season I think to myself, "make sure you make the most of it".  Here are a few things on my to do list for this year:

Attend the Brigden Fair
Attend a new fall fair
Pick pumpkins from a patch
Make a couple Halloween costume for Tyler and I
Cook some new and old comfort food recipes

What do you like to do during autumn?


Monday 2 September 2013

Lessons Learned In The Storm

This week has been a little bit of a bumpy ride for me.  There was not one specific thing that was making me feel sad or frustrated but just multiple small things.  I don't like feeling uneasy or restless or out of sorts, but this week was just that.  I am learning to deal with these times in my life better than I use to and even though I didn't enjoy the past week, I feel like I have come out of it with some tools to deal with the next time a few wrenches get thrown my way.

1) I am learning to, not only pray and lean on God for everything, but also to leave the worry with Him and open my heart and mind to the path I need to take, to meet Him where He needs me to be.

2) I take time to do things that make me feel good about myself.  Right now yoga is bringing me a lot of peace and joy so I have made an effort to fit it in everyday.

3) I talk to one friend about the problem or my feelings, consider there opinion and then move on.  I find that getting the thoughts out of my head and sharing them with a best friend is very therapeutic, even if my friend can not offer advice its just nice to have someone listen to you.  Once it has been shared though, there is no need to talk to another person about it and rehash all the bad feelings again, I believe that repeatedly talking about my problems, just makes me feel worse.

4) I let myself roll with the punches, if I am exhausted from thinking about it, I rest.  I also try to have fun, when my mind is wrapped up in something that is causing a lot of thought, I often just stay in and hide from the world.  But getting out and having fun is a good break from my thought and offers me clarity or a new perspective on the issue.

5) The storm will pass.  All rough patches in life will pass and they happen for a reason.  I think the important part is to take away the lessons learned and look at it as an experience on my life's journey.