The Birth Of A Movement - The "i Factor"

Last week I wrote a post in a hurry late one night about something I could only think of calling the "i Factor" and it turned into something altogether different!

(Back round) At work I am a member of a whole new type of team. We specialize in Social Media and are carving out a brand new methodology in the contact center world. Where we're taking our insane amount of skill, knowledge, creativity, and drive for success is still a bit of a secret! (I mean seriously, I can't just give away all of our secrets!) But one thing's for sure, we will not let anything stand in our way.

(Now moving forward again) Enter Tim..... Tim is what I would call a lead by example power player. He dives straight into a pile of work and doesn't let up until all expectations have been blown out of the water. Tim's become a good friend of mine and he FLIPPED when he read the post I put up about what I just started calling The "i Factor" and what I thought it meant for Incept.

In that one post I managed to turn the tables in a sense and just put out there that not only did we (the Incept Social Media Team) know that we were on the right track, but much more, we weren't afraid to let it show. We found a winning combination and with all the creativity in our team we are going to change the face of our industry.

Now all of that might seem a little bit, well..... arrogant? But that wasn't how I had meant for it to come across. An interesting result is that people latched onto the idea of the "i Factor" and it now has the capacity to become a movement.

That's a completely different purpose than what I had intended my blog post to create. But sometimes you have to know when to go with the flow and play the hands you're dealt when the good cards come up!

So make sure you're staying tuned into the following.....

the Incept Blog

@InceptSaves on Twitter
@InceptResults on Twitter

and the Incept Page on Facebook

"Ready, Steady, Go" get out of our way or pay the price of being left in our dust. The Millennials are here, and we only know two speeds, stop and FAST FREAKING FORWARD!!!!

The "i Factor" (What Incept Is Doing Right On Social Media)

I just created in my head an equation. It goes a little something like this:

The "i Factor" + (Company Facebook Page + Employees Engaging Company On Their Own Time) + Unique Company Culture = Recipe For Social Media Success

The "i Factor" is what I'm calling the "Incept Factor" which basically means to me the actions we take as social media specialists (or in Incept terms, an Online Conversational Marketing Expert) to make our social media interactions special.

I can't fully explain it, but there's just something about how we interact with our employees and the fans on our facebook page that build a strong relationship! This week alone we've seen a burst of activity on our page from people who literally just started working with us this week. New trainees who only know a dozen or so people in the company (most of them are in the new hire training class with them) are commenting on our facebook page.

It's amazing to see how people are taking their free time to engage in conversations online with us. And even more amazing how quickly people want to feel like they belong to our family.

This Post Is Worth 4000 Words (Well Kind Of)

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words..... then that means that this post is worth about 4000 words. I just had this collection of pictures in my phone and had to share them with you guys! Here they are.....

Quaker Steak & Lube bathroom wall poster, read the line on the bottom..... if you can't manage to read because it's too small, it says: "WARNING: ATOMIC WING EATERS SHOULD WASH HANDS BEFORE USING THE RESTROOM" Great idea!

Next up, the "Ghost Market" this one is a true sign of the times. A local grocery store closed because of poor sales stands with it's empty shelves, abandoned checkout lines, and lights on 24-7 (wonder who's flipping the bill for that!?) What's best, there's still jazzy elevator music playing all along the concourse outside all day and all night long! (Great site on a related topic - deadmalls.com)

Now we have the wall in the training room at Incept. I love how the first thing our new trainees see when they walk in their first day of work is what our values are. And therefore, what we stand for! (Three part post from the Incept Blog where I talk about our values in a different light. 1 2 3 )

And to finish off with, the best of the best..... what I am calling, "The Semi-Scare." This one's great, I saw this "coming at me" on the highway one evening. In reality I was driving at it faster than it was moving away from me..... I'll leave this one up to your imagination to figure out just what's happening!

So there it is, four pictures worth a thousand words each! What a post folks, what a post! :D

Where Did You Think You Would Be 5 Years Later?

A few years ago this month I walked across the stage at the Canton Memorial Civic Center as a part of the GlenOak High School 500+ student graduating class of 2005. At the time it seemed like an end to one story and the beginning of the rest of my life. Now I look back and see it as more of an end to the preface of my story......

If you would have asked me where I planned on being in 5 years my response would have been something like, "Graduating from The University of Akron with a degree in Music Education and looking for a teaching job at a local high school." Today I stumbled across my diploma in a box buried in the back of my closet. I thought to myself, "I wonder what that kid all those years ago was thinking?! Was he nuts?!" Because I have checked off none of the above yet.... and I won't be checking them off.... well, ever. I quickly realized that music education wasn't for me, that I wanted to add a high priority item to my goal (getting engaged) and found out what kind of person I really wanted to become.

Now I think to myself, where do I want to be in 5 years? And my answer is kind of complicated..... I want to be married to the love of my life. I want to have a house. I want to start back to school to get a degree in Organizational Communication. I want to continue working for Incept. (hopefully making a huge success of our social media team!) And I want to start a family.

It's strange how a few years can change ones priorities. Maybe, conditions willing I will still be writing on this blog (or some blog for that matter) in 5 years. And when that day comes, I'll make sure to revisit this list before I attend my 10 year class reunion and see just how much my priorities have changed again.

Who knows where a decade can lead you, but I'm right in the middle of that trip. And I don't really know where my "life's GPS unit" is taking me. "How do I get this darn thing to stop giving me directions in French!?!?" :P

Surreal Feeling Of Blogging On The Job

It's a really surreal feeling to get paid to do something you love, especially when that something really doesn't feel like work! The company I work for, Incept, recently launched a social media team that I'm one of the core members of. And we've taken off..... and quick! I've been blogging for them in combination with a whole team of our staff members. But it's really surreal reading my work on a blog that isn't my own. It's awesome!

But I have to admit.... it makes me feel kind of humbled... soooo much more exposure on the Incept blog then on mine. But hey, you take what you can get right?!

I love working in collaboration with the people on my team, Rebecca, Tim, Sam, Dave, Billie, & Julia. Everyone shares thoughts and the stuff we're cooking up at Incept is growing to pave the way for the Conversational Marketing industry.

And on the front lines of everything we do is our blog.... and there I am... being published and getting paid to do something I'm really passionate about! It's awesome!

Unlike Any Other Job

I'm very proud of the work I do at Incept. I hold the title of Conversational Marketing Expert. And I specialize in the field of blood donor recruiting.

Everyday I make phone calls for top level blood centers all over the country. The work we do affects lives from California to New Jersey and everywhere in between. On a daily basis I talk to hundreds of donors, and I schedule as many of them as I can to come in and donate blood at their local blood center.

Every time a donor goes through with at least a whole blood donation (we'll just call that a "normal" donation) the blood that goes onto the shelves of their donor center can save up to three lives. I ran my numbers for last week today. At a minimum (assuming everyone showed up for their appointments) I saved 213 lives in one week of work. That's 1/4 of my friends list on facebook......


My fiance is a nurse, specializing in cardiac care. She maintains between 4-7 patients health on a daily basis. But only has to "save" the lives of maybe 1 or 2 in a really bad week. (of course the goal at a hospital is to not let them get to that point)

So literally, I save more lives than she does each week, hundreds of times over! Where else do you get to do that?! What other job gives you that kind of opportunity?! I've never heard of one. I LOVE the feeling of accomplishment my job gives me at the end of a good days work.

Do you get that feeling from your job? If not..... maybe you should think about making a change? If you believe in what you do everyday it makes those dreaded hours of 9am Monday morning, and 4pm Friday afternoon a lot more bearable. Think about it.

"Find something in your life worth fighting for and never let go of it!"

My Other Sides

Obviously, if you're reading my blog you have a pretty sound idea of what I do in my time at work, and at home when I'm thinking about work. I'd like to take a few minutes to share what else I do..... my "other sides."

I find inspiration in the hard work and dedication of the young men and women that march every summer in Drum Corps across the country. I have too many favorites to list, but the place I find the most inspiring is a group called the Cavaliers. "The Green Machine." These guys (they are an all male Corps) are absolute machines, they work harder and longer than anyone I've ever met. Here's a clip from one of my favorite shows of theirs, The Cavaliers, 2006-The Machine (Part 2)

I used to march snare drum at the University of Akron, and you can still find me at InfoCision Stadium on any given Saturday during the fall cheering on my Zips and proudly sporting my "Akron Zips Drum line" hat. That's something I'm proud of!

I find peace and relaxation in fishing. I spend as much time as possible Bass fishing. If I can catch a bass in a body of water, no matter what the conditions or time of day, you can bet I'll be out there with a rod & reel chasing little green fish around the lake! Yes, I'm obsessed.....

spend most of my time with my lovely fiance, Beth. Planning our wedding and watching movies, just doing whatever we can together. I've had her at my side since we were both 12 years old and I don't know anyone else I can trust to help keep my happy than her.

I found my moral code and a lot of the rules I live by from my time in Tau Beta Sigma. I am a proud alumni member of the Epsilon Iota chapter at the University of Akron. The code we live by is something I take a great deal of pride in. And I love to spend time with these people any chance I get.

If possible, I find time to just slow my life down and go back home to Canton, Ohio to see my family. But the real reason I'm there is to see my mutt, Otis. He's my West Highland White Terrier who I miss everyday. Great pup!

And besides that, I just spend time working on becoming a better person by surrounding myself with the great team of people at work. Incept! It's gotten to the point where I don't really consider it "work" anymore. It's someplace I want to spend my time constructively accomplishing great things....

So there you have it. A long post, with very little content, but more insight into how I work..... my brain is a strange thing, but it's worth looking into it once and a while. Thanks again for always reading.

The Changing Of The Guard

It's come to my attention that the tides have shifted, a new order has begun to form, and there's something just under the surface waiting to break into the spotlight at Incept. It's time for a changing of the guard, it's time for a group of talented young thinkers to make their mark.

I love the company I work for, I love it most because "it" has a personality. And Incept is growing up. Moving into the next stage of it's life. And driving that move forward is a talented group of young people, focused only on producing results beyond any ones highest expectations.

Yesterday I watched as our company held its monthly Employee Of The Month ceremony..... a veteran CME of many years was awarded the title of Most Improved. And then a young lady named Allison was honored to receive the title of Employee Of The Month & also win our "Life Saver Award." Allison has been with the company for only a fraction of her life, but she's already made a huge impact. In under a year, she's earned a place in Incept history and accomplished a first..... and I wish I could work with her more.

I look around while I'm at work, and see enough potential in such a small group of young people that I KNOW we can change not only the way that our company works, but the world. For no other reason but to give them credit, Chris, Tim, Allison, Jason, and again back to TIM!

We may be a some of the youngest employees at our company, but we are the next in line to make the difference.
The moral of the story, work hard, play harder, fight for what you believe in.
Now for the fair warning......
The Milennials are here...... and we're going to change the world. So either catch up, or move over! Because our generation won't be slowed down, much less stopped!

Sharks Find A Way To Catch Their Prey

I had a conversation with Sam Falletta, the President and Chief Results Officer for Incept, the company I work for sometime last week. (Having productive conversations is what we do best ;-) at Incept) The basis of the conversation was me asking for help with a communication problem I was having. Long story made short, I had a problem with how to approach someone above me in the company with a problem I foresaw and how I felt to best approach it. (I'm a firm believer in always having an idea of how to fix something before you start complaining about it.)

I told Sam something along the lines of how I'm a "Shark personality type." Meaning if you put me in a situation where I can get things done, be sure to get out of my way, or I'll work straight around you to get to the best results possible! I thrive on clearing things off of my to do list at work. Put simply, I attack things in front of me to get to the best results I can. (I should note that this isn't always the best way to do things. Often times I need Sam, or someone else above me to wrangle me a little and make sure I'm doing things the best way possible, logistically that is.)

What Sam told me took a few days to really sink all the way in. But I absorbed the bulk of it pretty quickly. He looked me square in the eyes and said, "Sharks always find a way to catch their prey Steve."

Think about it for the next ten seconds as I did standing there in his office, mute & blinking at him. [count to 10 slowly then continue!] He smiled a wide grin and I walked out of his office. A few days latter I dove straight into the fish tank, attacked my prey head on, and the results were WAY more than I ever could have wished for.

So I ask you this, do you dive straight into the tank when life throws prey faster than you are into your path? Or do you give up, and go in search of an easier meal? I know which one I'd do.... (I don't like giving up.....)

And by the way, TGIF!

Signing off for the work week....

~Stephen~