Crikey

                                                                                       Edition 362 Monday 19/12/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,crikey, another ‘Upbeat’ year has whistled past already.I hope it has been a good one for you and that you have a relaxing break planned.It is a perfect time to reflect on the year that has been and look forward to another one full of amazing opportunities.I have had fun helping you all ‘keep up with the Joneses’.Christine whilst not a big fan of the Sunday afternoon/evening ‘Upbeat’ ritual does however delight in watching me laugh to myself as I recount my random stories from the week that was. I too get a huge buzz from committing this and the ‘Sales Sizzle’ to writing and for that I thank you all sincerely for bearing with!!

Fletcher reckons; seeing Santa twice in the last week was a strategic master stroke and will position him favourably when the presents are dished out next week.He was particularly grateful to his Mum for organising to pick Santa up in the Muriwai Fire Engine and deliver him to Kindy after he reckons his Reindeer broke down unexpectedly!?

Christmas is a fun family time to slow down, ease back,and spend time with the prople who mean the most to you.Families are forever no matter what so it is important to invest the time and energy required to support,love and thank them for being there unconditionally.

To this important end we are taking a month off to do just that with ours!! We cant wait to kick back at the beach, surf badly,eat sand sandwiches,sleep in with a bed full of dogs, freedom dance like no one is watching,watch old and B grade movies,and do nothing!!

Merry Christmas Upbeat team and a happy/safe New Year………Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they dance like no one is watching all the time!

 

“Being Upbeat is the key to life”. Sir David Frost

 

Crikey its been a good year for business because of this weekly catch up with you!!.

It focuses me closely on what went well and what didn’t go so well on a regular basis.

This assists me to make the changes necessary to be better at what I do and how I do it!

I think it is essential for us all to do this because no one is perfect or does it right always.

Self evaluation and feedback are powerful tools that help shape our careers and lives.

There have been some awesome examples this year and for me some valuable lessons!

None of us know everything and the sooner we accept that the better if we are to grow.

I have been fortunate to achieve success this year by perservering and believing.

Believing in my ability to grab attention, create interest and desire and then take action!

Persevering in the face of self doubt, negativity, and adversity(internal and external).

Staying true to myself and being above the politics and the show ponies !!

I have said on many occasions this year that being ‘Upbeat’ isnt easy it takes determination!

No one is ‘Upbeat’ all the time,there are times when you feel anything but and that is a fact.

The difference between us and others is we focus on attaining that state and staying there.

That means we have a higher motivation by being positive and focused on getting there.

That Ladies and Gentlemen means we have purpose and people with purpose perform!!

‘Upbeat’ performers with purpose are the top 2% of achievers where we all strive to be!

 

“If you want to be positive,upbeat and passionate you need to take responsibility for being that way”. John C Maxwell

The Show must go on !!!

                                                                                       Edition 361 Monday 12/12/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,now you know my thoughts on snails especially those running loose in my wardrobe so imagine how I felt when I saw one crossing the road when I was out running.Initially I thought that snail needs to get a move on if he/she doesn’t want to get run over and kept running.On my way back 20 minutes later I noticed the snail had not progressed very far so I picked him/her up and put them down safely on the other side of the road……don’t ask!

We were delighted to attend the grand opening of the new Hunting Lodge Winery at Matua on the weekend.We cant wait to return to our happy place during our Summer holidays the scene of many cool family picnics and World Soccer and Rugby inter family finals!!!!

Fletcher reckons; getting an ‘Avenger’ face painting at the Matua reopening party was cool but Captian America was not happy with the spelling!!!Talking Mum into adding a 4^th dog to our family was also a major coup especially as ‘Izzy’ is much cleaner,quieter and tidier than Harry and the Hendersons!!(see attached fresh from the local garden centre!!).

A wily old Steptoe told me not to worry about a little bit of borer as we were negotiating a deal on a retro foot stool recently.The deal clincher was some worldly/wily advice about using kerosene to kill the borer and treat the wood in a 2 for 1 double whammy!The deal was done and the kero duly applied much to the doubt of the team at 48!!After the initial doubts in the dodgey advice I am pleased to report the solvent fumes have cleared sufficiently to allow normal habitation of the house again trust me I know what Im doing?!

Have a festive and ‘Upbeat’ week getting plenty done……..Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon nothing will ever be as good as the real thing!

 

“Everybody is searching for a hero”. Whitney Houston

 

‘They’ say the show must go on regardless and ‘they’ are right….no matter what!!

The story goes like this……We provide waste collection and disposal services for the cruise ships visiting Auckland durng the busy Spring and Summer period.

Friday was like many others we had dropped off bins early morning as the ship docked and collected them in the mid afternoon prior to the ship sailing that evening

Then at approximately 5pm all hell broke loose as the producer of the on board musical show discovered a number of suitcases containing costumes were inexplicably missing!!!

They had been mistaken for waste and thrown into our bins for collection and disposal!!

A desperate call for help went up and the GG team swung into action intercepting the waste on its way to landfill. Several of our team went diving through the waste and eventually recovered the  missing costumes. By this time it was 6pm and we managed to get the costumes back to a relieved producer and cast before the ship sailed……whew!!

We initially won this business by working through the night to clear a ship full of waste and have continued to provide exceptional service as cruise ship tourist numbers have grown!

So through the swift efforts of our committed ‘business as usual can do’ GG team……the show did definitely go on (just)!!!....a great example of doing what it takes no matter what!

 

“Ooh Ma ooh Pa where has the feeling gone,ooh Ma,ooh Pa will I remember the songs, ooh aah ‘the show must go on’ “. Pink Floyd

Whose the Boss?

                                                                                       Edition 360 Monday 05/12/16




Hi,tis the season to be jolly well happy and how could you not be with the Pohutukawa’s blooming,holidays approaching and the sun shining.We entered into the spirit with the annual visit to the ‘pick and chop’ Christmas tree guy to select our real Chrissy tree. It has filled my car and our house with a beautifully festive fresh pine smell….ahh tis definitely the season to be jolly well happy all you potential grinches and grumps!!   
Fletcher reckons; his Mum is definitely the boss when it comes to selecting Christmas trees because none that Dad thought were any good were selected.The man at the pick and chop also secretly confided in Fletcher and Dad that it was ‘a woman thing’… and on that we all agreed (quietly)!!
On a lucky/sort of funny note I recently received an upgrade to a new I phone 6 .So you can imagine my distress when I discovered the phone was missing after arriving at the office.So on retracing my movements I remembered I had placed the phone on the roof of my car so I could unload stuff and hang up my jacket!!!I had one of those ‘you dumbo,how could you,this is not going to be good moments’ before gingerly going to the car for a hopeful look………..
I am relieved,pleased and over the moon to report that despite my best attempts to dislodge the phone in the 5km I had travelled from my last stop it was still sitting on the roof non the wiser!!
I never knew phones had 9 lives but if the do then mine may have used them all at once !!!!
So on that note, have a lucky, funny and festive ‘Upbeat’ week …..Cheers Jonesey!
Harry and the Hendersons reckon they have always known Mum is the boss!!


“Feedback is the ‘gift of growth’ ”. Ralph Smedley Founder of Toastmasters International 1924
I spoke recently about feedback I had given our local ‘big shed’ DIY Mega Mitre 10.
In a follow up to that feedback the Manager made contact and invited me to meet him.
He wanted to discuss the feedback and apologise in person for the concerns I had raised.
In an interesting/amusing twist it turns out the Manager/Franchisee/Owner and I know each other!
So we had a meeting and discussed my concerns and what he had done about them in order to ensure his team were aware of the potential impact of them on their customers.
I was pleased to discover that there is a significant amount going on behind the scenes at Mitre 10 to train and develop staff in the art of customer service.
Dave the Manager has grown his staff in 2 years of operation from 68 to over 100! He is always looking for good people to assist their customers.
He went through my feedback point by point saying that he had checked their CCTV footage and was able to follow my progress on camera on each of my visits to the store!!(Big brother is watching!).
He explained the cameras were installed to control shrinkage (shoplifting) but came in handy for checking out complaint claims like my one of waiting too long at checkouts etc.
We had lots of laughs about his staff throwing darts at my CCTV pictures on the staff café walls and me now being identified as a highly sensitive customer when next visiting!!
In another cool twist we ending our meeting talking about the opportunities that existed for both our companies to work together!!
The upshot of this was an invitation to me to quote on supplying his business with a range of Green Gorilla equipment and services!!
I am so glad I took the time to give Dave and his team feedback….I urge you to always do the same!
Feedback is the breakfast of champions”. Ken Blanchard

People like YOU !!

 

                                                                                       Edition 359 Monday 28/11/16

 KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

 

 

 

 

Hi,as a follow up to last weeks rescue run fundraising for the Westpac Chopper there have been a number of daring life saving rescues in our area since.A seriously injured local Muriwaian man was airlifted to hospital after rolling his car and then two choppers winched survivors from the swirling waters of the Kaipara bar after a fishing boat capsize.Frankly I couldn’t imagine life without them around no matter where you live!There is never a better time to save a life than NOW!

 Fletcher reckons; he would like to be a chopper pilot one day like that cool dude Ritchie McCaw the ex All Black skipper hero guy Mummy follows on Facebook ! J ! He is also happy to report Mum has forgiven Dad for last weeks pedal bike crash,grazes have healed,and he is back on the horse! Yay!

We re-energised on the weekend by staying at home and playing tourists in our own hood.The result was a renewed appreciation for the amazing backyard we have (see attached photos) Wow!

Staying on that theme I had a surreal experience last week driving toward One Tree Hill with the U2 song devoted to that iconic Auckland landmark blazing away on the car stereo,it was moving!

On a funny note I noticed people staring at me wearing glasses in a café recently?Finally I had to ask what they were looking at?,seems my +1.5 specs purchased from PaknSave recently featured an auto shade feature that dims the lenses as the light gets brighter!,the effect being darkened glasses which was obviously a source of much amusement for café guests (and my wife it turns out!!).

So on that note, have an ‘Upbeat’ week laughing at yourself…..Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they were chopper rescue pilots in a previous life!!

 
SELLING THE SIZZLE

 

“One kind word from YOU can change someones entire day”. C.B.Jones

 

I was reminded about the power of words,particularly when they are accompanied by music!

As mentioned above I was driving toward One Tree Hill when the U2 song written referencing the Auckland landmark was playing.

It was a surreal and uplifting moment that moved and inspired me on a day that had provided more than the normal amount of challenges.

I used it as a motivational sign to keep going forward with a warm feeling and a BIG smile J

Words are powerful both written and spoken,a well timed thank you or congratulatory note can make a huge difference to a friend, colleague or customer. Here is a personal recent example……

 

People like YOU

People like you inspire me

People like you set goals and work hard to achieve them.

People like you motivate others to do the same.

People like you make personal sacrifices to reach their goals.

People like you commit themselves and stay focused on getting better.

People like you make me want to get up early in the morning too.

People like you are reason I joined Toastmasters and remain as  passionate today.

People like you deserve to get better and the success they work hard for.

People like you get to the top.

People like YOU.

 

I didn’t have to do this but it is how I felt at the time so I made the effort and it made a difference!

It is the little things we do with others in mind that make a BIG impact on the giver and the receiver!

A timely reminder at this the traditional time of giving….Give and you shall receive…Good Luck!!

 

“YOU be the reason someone smiles today” J C.B.Jones