APRIL 15TH, 2010
Last week Friday, Lauren and I attended the the Fred Pryor mistake-free grammar & proofreading seminar. The class was a great refresher on grammar basics. It’s always nice to take time to stretch the old grammar muscle every now and then.
If you know me, then you know that I love when presenters have entertaining anecdotes that tie into the their lessons, and Dr. Faye Fulton was full of them. The story that stuck with me the most was a multi-million dollar lawsuit that was decided by a comma.
An extremely wealthy man passed away and left his estate to be divided evenly among his two nephews and one niece. In his will, it clearly stated that “Bob, Andrew and Leslie” would all receive an equal share of his estate. Bob contested the will stating that because there was no comma between Andrew’s and Leslie’s names, they were legally one entity. This means he would inherit 50 percent of the estate and the other two siblings would split the remaining 50 percent. The court ruled in favor of Bob.
Now obviously this judge was not aware of the Associate Press Stylebook, and I have no way of verifying the validity of this story - I wasted a full 30 minutes searching for it on Google - but, it still goes to show how important it is for our written work to be grammatically correct. A simple punctuation error could completely change the meaning of a sentence. And if a comma is the difference between $15 million and $30 million, you darn well better have it in the right place.
APRIL 5TH, 2010
Today, another EOS goddess donned the pink crown and boa in celebration of her birthday. The team surprised Amber , whose birthday was Saturday, April 3, with cupcakes from A Piece of Cake and a spirited rendition of the ”Happy Birthday” song. What could be better than being serenaded by your colleagues while munching on cupcakes?
MARCH 24TH, 2010
Today is Susan’s birthday, and to celebrate, we have made her head goddess for the day at EOS! Doesn’t she look chic in her pink boa and crown? This afternoon, the team will treat her to a special birthday lunch. Don’t forget to Facebook, tweet or email her you birthday well-wishes.
MARCH 3RD, 2010
Margaret and I went to Cliff Oxford’s Entrepreneur Advisors event last Friday, February 26th at the Ritz-Carlton. We are founding members of the Entrepreneur Advisor’s group, but our hectic schedules make it difficult to attend the continuing education events it offers. Going to this symposium was time well-spent, and reminded us of the importance of “sharpening the saw” every now and then. We were excited to have our newest client, Janice Howell, co-owner of MODA Floors & Interiors, join us as our guest.
The day was filled with discussions on strategies that entrepreneurs can use to develop and improve their businesses. For me, there were several topics that reinforce the EOS business model, and the marketing advice that we provide our clients.
I found Cliff Oxford’s Three Steps of Change Management to be very intriguing, especially in the Atlanta’s current economic climate. These steps include:
- When tackling a major project or problem, find a bright spot then clone it. In other words, find something that’s working and do it over and over again.
- Change comes from doing, not knowing. Sometimes you just have to start moving even before you have all the facts - clarity will come with action.
- Simplify the problem to its core essence and it will be easier to identify the right course of action.
We also spent some time talking about lead nurturing & management - especially online leads. The presenter used this New Yorker cartoon to highlight some of the positives and negatives of interacting with people on the internet.
The positive aspect of “no one knows you’re a dog” is the level playing field created by anonymity of Internet - small companies can have the same impact and presence as large ones. However, on the negative side, if you don’t use your online presence to clearly communicate who you are and the value you bring to your customers, you might as well be a dog.
We’ll keep you updated on the next Entrepreneur Advisor’s event. We hope to see you there!
FEBRUARY 19TH, 2010
This has been an exciting week for AMA-Atlanta Collegiate with two major events taking place, the Banana Republic Dress for Success Mixer and the 24th Annual Collegiate Conference. As the vice-president of communications, I am responsible for developing the pre- and post-event communications to spread the word and garner registrations for both events.
Yesterday, we held the Dress for Success Mixer at the Hudson Grill. Some of the members of the Collegiate team were given the opportunity to stroll down the catwalk in the Spring 2010 Fashion show, including yours truly. The fashion show gives future grads the opportunity to see what appropriate business attire is - from client meetings down to casual Friday.
Today is the 24th Annual Collegiate Conference. Students, advisers and staff from 12 schools in five states across the southeast will gather at the Biltmore Hotel to network, attend workshops and gain insight to the current marketing landscape. We are also holding a recruitment fair where students will have the opportunity to have marketing professionals, such as myself, critique their résumés and meet with over 12 businesses that are currently hiring. This will be one of the best conferences that we’ve done to date!
NOVEMBER 9TH, 2009
Hear ye! Hear ye! Tombow is holding an illustration contest through the end of the year and the winning entries will be featured on their new Dual Brush Pen set packaging. Plus, there’s no entry fee and the composition is completely up to you. Imagine this: you’re cruising through the aisles of your local art store and all of a sudden BAM! You see your own creation staring back at you from the shelf! A far cry from the days when mom would tape your masterpieces to the fridge.
For more info, click here.
NOVEMBER 2ND, 2009
Margaret and I are in Philadelphia this week managing an Equipment Expo for Coca-Cola Immediate Consumption team and during the 2009 World Series no less! In addition to coordinating the expo itself, we also designed several graphic wave walls, posters and highlight reels to showcase the many types of equipment present. We’re excited to be part of this event and hope to have the chance to enjoy an authentic Philly cheese steak while we are here. Go Phillies!
OCTOBER 16TH, 2009
EOS partners Margaret Gearing and Susan Frost attended the Executive Women of Goizueta 2009 Conference today. The conference, hosted by the Goizueta Business School of Emory University, brought together executive women for day of professional development and networking. This year’s theme was Managing Change, Managing Challenge, which focused on achieving professional and personal success through unstable times. Through keynote speakers and breakout sessions, Margaret and Susan learned valuable tools that will help them further build their leadership and motivational capabilities.
SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2009
Today, in association with The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, The FIFA World Cup announced that EOS’ client, the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), will develop a program to serve as the organization’s Legacy Project. The program, entitled RAIN Water for Schools, focuses on supporting healthy watersheds and providing clean water to schoolchildren in 15 African countries. Read more »
SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2009
EOS partners Margaret Gearing and Susan Frost attended the Georgia Women’s Business Council’s 4th Annual “The Power of Partnering” today. During the all-day event, the ladies discussed procurement opportunities with other certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), corporations and local government officials. This year’s marketplace was particularly exciting because GWBC® hosted its first ever “Match Me Up” session, where attendees were matched up for one-on-one networking sessions. Both Margaret and Susan learned valuable information that will help EOS expand its reach in the marketing and communications realms. CNN correspondent, Susan Lisovicz served as the luncheon keynote speaker.
