The EPG Connection

Personal Information

Name: Mary Emerson

Title: Office Manager

What you do for EPG: Process Payroll, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, maintain office computers & equipment, purchase supplies.

Education: B.A. Education – Arizona State University

First Job: Swim Team Coach

Little-known fact about you: I married my high school sweetheart.

Home: Moorestown, NJ

Business Philosophy

Essential business philosophy: Treat others as I would like to be treated.

Yardstick of success: When I arrive at work each day and I’m happy to be there.

Goal yet to be achieved: To run a marathon

Mentor: My mother

True Confessions

Word that describes you: Happy

Like best about your job: The people I work with.

Like least about your job: Any computer malfunction!

The most important lesson you’ve learned: Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Life motto: Treat others with respect and kindness.

Person most interested in meeting and why: George Clooney – let’s leave it at that.

First choice in a new career: High School Guidance Counselor

Et Cetera

Most influential book: Trinity by Leon Uris

Favorite movie: Forrest Gump

Favorite restaurant: Tequila’s

Favorite vacation spot: Colorado

Favorite room in the house and why: Family Room – ESPN or Sports are always on.

Favorite way to spend free time: With family and friends.

Our April 2008 employee of the month was Barbara Edwards.  Barbara registered at our off-site job fair in Voorhees in February of 2008 and was looking for part time office work.  We immediately placed her at a pharmaceutical research company in Cherry Hill answering their phones as well as many other duties. Barbara has been there ever since…our client says she is doing a great job!  Congratulations Barbara!

Here are a few comments I hear on a regular basis… “Wow, Steve you know everybody” or, “Man, you are really plugged in” or, “How did you get your network to be so big?” I generally acknowledge the truth of the first two statements because I do, in fact, know a lot of people (and equally important is the fact that a lot of people know me). I always answer the question as to how my network became so large with the same answer… “I work my net”.

Focus for a minute on the two parts of the word network. Everybody seems to get the concept of the first part, net. The relationship net we cast over our lives hauls in folks from a wide variety of social waters. Our families, friends, co-workers, clients, prospects, townspeople, schoolmates, church members, teammates, golf buddies, competitors, the list can go on forever. Take some time and try to write down the name of everyone you know. The resulting list is your net. Even if you describe yourself as a shy person I think you’ll be surprised at how wide your net truly is.

I think it is the second half of the word where people get into trouble…work. The word is not net-standing around or net-I hope someone calls me, or net-I work from 9AM. Till 5PM. No, the word is network. In order to put your net to work it takes significant effort. I am certainly not only referring to working your net for monetary or business success, although that is certainly important. No, I am referring to working your net toward a variety of benefits; building and maintaining friendships and relationships, spiritual growth, civic involvement, health improvement, volunteer work, and of course improving your business/sales.

There is another point of clarification I need to make here. I am in no way advocating a style of networking that is rude and/or insensitive. Trying to make a business connection at church, or harassing another father on the sidelines of a youth football game, or dominating the conversation at a dinner party is not networking; its being a pain in the butt. The best net workers I know are polite, respectful, sincere and consistent in their efforts. Without ramming what they do/sell down everyone’s throat everyone somehow knows what they do/sell.

So, get out of your office and attend some networking events and, while there, make it your goal to meet five new people. Get involved! Get on the board of directors at some organizations you support. Volunteer! Give and you will receive. Extend yourself to others while expecting nothing in return. Do it all while remaining respectful, friendly and polite. Cast a wide net then…… work it!

Campfire Cake
Warm up your backyard summer birthday party with a fire kids can actually eat. Built with frosted pound cake logs, doughnut hole embers, and fruit leather flames, it’s sure to be the tastiest — and easiest — campfire you’ll ever make.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

1. With a knife, shave the square edges off the cakes to give them a log shape. Next, mix 1/4 cup of chocolate frosting into 1 cup of white to make a light tan. Place one log on a platter (a dab of frosting on the bottom will help hold it in place). Frost it with the chocolate and tan frostings as shown. To create bark and tree rings, scrape the tines of a fork across the chocolate frosting, then scratch a spiral into each tan end.

2. Pour the doughnut holes into a bowl and sprinkle them with confectioners’ sugar. Arrange 10 doughnut-hole embers in a single layer next to the frosted log, sticking them in place with frosting.

3. For the branch stub, cut a 1-inch slice from one end of the second log and trim it into a 2-inch circle; set the piece aside. Frost the bottom of the log and set it in place as shown. Use frosting to stick the stub to the second log. Create bark and rings again.

4. For flames, take a piece of fruit leather and, with the backing still in place, lightly wet half (lengthwise) of the fruit side with water. Fold it in half lengthwise and press to seal. Cut out flame shapes with scissors as shown, and then remove the backing.

5. Slice 2 doughnut holes in half. Put a dollop of the remaining white frosting onto the cut surface, and then set a flame on top. Squeeze decorators’ gel over the decorated doughnut holes, and then set them on the platter. Use any remaining doughnut holes to fill in the gaps between the logs. Decorate them with more flames and gel, if desired.

A Campfire You Can Eat
Not only is this snack fun to build and delicious to munch, but the process of preparing it also teaches campers the how-tos of safe campfire building

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

1. To make an edible campfire, first clear a space on the table to build a safe fire. Lay down a tortilla fire base and wrap a licorice rope safety circle around the tortilla about an inch in from the edge. Build a peanut rock ring halfway between the safety circle and the center of the fire base. Spread a circle of peanut butter in the center of the fire base, and then lay a small handful of fried Chinese noodles on top for kindling.

2. Lay Tootsie Roll logs around the peanut butter circle. Use mini pretzel sticks as fuel wood to build a tepee inside the ring of logs and over the kindling, sticking the pretzels into the peanut butter at a 45-degree angle.

3. Add another layer of logs, setting them across the corners of the first layer to form a box around the tepee. Lay a few more pieces of fuel wood across the logs.

4. Make sure buckets of water (glasses of grape juice) and dirt (hot cocoa powder) are nearby to put out the fire if necessary, and then light the fire by adding candy corn flames.

5. After the camp director approves the fire, throw dirt on the fire to put it out. Now, the moment the fire builders have been waiting for: Eat your fires!

Fun in the Sun

When it’s time for fun in the sun, remember to play it safe. Too much sun can lead to serious health problems, such as melanoma and cataracts. Just be sure to take the right precautions and you can enjoy summer fun—now and into the future.

Cool Ways to Beat the Heat
High temperatures increase the risks of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. To stay cool and safe this summer, just follow these tips:

Protect Your Baby
Protect babies from the sun, especially those under 6 months old. Avoid sun exposure, or dress them in hats with brims and lightweight, full-length clothing. It is generally not recommended that babies under 6 months wear sun block. But if it becomes necessary, use a small amount on areas such as the face and backs of the hands.

Water, water everywhere!
From the city’s public swimming pools to the inflatable backyard ones, summertime means beating the heat by taking a cool, refreshing dunk! But remember… even in shallow water, safety is key—especially for kids.

Stop, Drop, and Roll
The Stop, Drop, and Roll is a technique that could save your life. Here’s a review of these easy-to-learn steps:

Stop. If your clothing has caught fire, stop where you are. Don’t run
Drop. Drop to the ground and lie flat
Roll. First, cover your face and mouth. Then roll on the ground until the fire is out.
Why Stop, Drop, and Roll?
Stop, so you don’t make the fire bigger. Running creates a wind that fans the flames. Fire needs oxygen to keep burning. When you drop to the ground and roll, you deprive the fire of oxygen, putting out the flames. Cover your face and mouth to keep them from burning and from getting hurt while you’re rolling. Covering your mouth also prevents you from swallowing smoke.

Fireworks Safety

Safe, Savory Barbecues
Grilling burgers, hot dogs, and vegetables makes for savory summer fun. To keep your cookouts safe, follow these tips:

Gather Round the Campfire
Before singing “Kumbaya” and roasting marshmallows, read these guidelines for campfire safety:

Presented by Dynamic Resumes / www.dynamicresumesofNJ.com

What have you done to get ready for interviews? If your answer is focused only on the new interview suit that you bought…then you still have some work to do! Why? It’s a competitive world out there as you know…lots of candidates can “look good” but potential employers are looking for evidence that you ARE good. So…how to impress them? Try following these suggestions:

Emerson Personnel Group is helping the American Heart Association fight the nation’s leading causes of death by participating in the Start! Heart Walk. Step out against heart disease and stroke by supporting my efforts. Please make a donation so we can reach our walker dollar goal. Thank you for your support!

My wife Mary and I spent this past weekend up in the Pocono’s where I completed my first triathlon. The Black Bear Triathlon, held at Beltzville State Park, consisted of a half-mile swim, an 18 mile bike, and a 3.5 mile run. I competed in the Clydesdale division which is for men over 200lbs. Needless to say, my fellow Clydesdales and I were surrounded by skinnier, faster people all day. It was nice however, during the competition, to occasionally make eye contact with a fellow larger human being and to nod as if to say yeah, these guys might be faster today but if they toss a football into the mix we’d rule! Anyway, I chugged my way through the three legs of the race and wound up finishing with some respectability (which for me means at no time did I puke).

I share this accomplishment not to brag because without God, Mary, the employees here at EPG, and my family and friends I never would have made it. Rather, I’m sharing this because, for me, it truly illustrates the importance of goal-setting. The whole concept of setting goals has almost become cliché. Whether they be personal goals (I will lose weight), educational goals (I will make the honor role), sales goals (I will increase my sales by 10% this quarter) or any of the countless other areas requiring goal-setting, the practice of setting a goal in order to achieve has become so much a part of the fabric of life that we tend to minimize its importance. It has become a given. However, I am here to tell you that if five months ago I had not set the goal of completing my first triathlon, and had not set and met many intermediate training goals the whole idea would have simply vaporized.

Here at Emerson Personnel Group we live in an environment of goal setting. Goals are set for numbers of new clients, candidates, job orders, and many categories of sales as they relate to the bottom line. Each and every employee sets many personal and business goals which then allow them to visualize the attainment of each accomplishment and to therefore raise the bar. This is one aspect that helps to create our fun, energetic, and action packed work environment. You definitely want to work here! Of course we have one overriding goal and that is 100% customer satisfaction. The multitude of smaller goals we set throughout the year are all measured against how well we achieve the big one.

So, do yourself a favor, set some goals for yourself, your business, your family or wherever you choose. I guarantee results!