Life Without Lorraine

As Lorraine has become a nationally recognized speaker, she’s spending more time out of the office, traveling the country. It’s great knowing she’s out there promoting our brand across the U.S., but the change comes with challenges-and growth opportunities for those of us left behind.

Business at Roundpeg starts with Lorraine. She’s the cog in the wheel, so it’s not uncommon for us to include her on every single business decision. Our’s is a fast-paced business, and sometimes things don’t go exactly according to plan. When thingsdo  go wrong, or simply take an unexpected turn, my first instinct is to run to the boss so she can get me out of whatever mess I have created. She is out safety net, but when I depend on her, I know I am taking her time and energy away from what she’s working on and I am inhibiting my our own development.

When she is not here Taylor, Allison, and I are responsible for the success of Roundpeg. We have to trust our judgement, and make decisions. We have to be fearless. Slowly, I’m learning to figure things out for myself. I’m learning to trust my judgement and make decisions which affect our clients and our business. And I’m learning to do so without fear. ( It helps to know Lorraine will back my decisions. She may tell me later how she might have handled if differently, but she will support commitments I make to clients in her absence. )

For that reason, Lorraine’s speaking tours have been a blessing in disguise. The other VP’s and I are learning we can make the right decision most of the time. There’s a REASON Lorraine trusts us. We’ve had to grow up and realize the more ownership we each take in Roundpeg’s success, the more we will see that success become a reality.

Looking down the road, I’m excited. I can’t wait to see our entire team grow as problem-solvers, decision-makers, and eventually, corporate officers.

If anyone sees Lorraine out though…please let her know when she gets a chance, I have a couple questions…

Back to School with Roundpeg Radio

The temperatures and the leaves are starting to fall, as the kids return to school, so back to school songs are in the air.

Or are they?  You decide this week as we look for your suggestions of Autumn and back to school songs.  We’ll start off at 10 am with Van Halen’s Hot for Teacher and Pink Floyd Another Brick in the Wall, to get the day going, but the rest of the day is up to you.

As always we will be live until 3 PM today. Then play list will be up all week. So send your song requests to @roundpegradio.

NOTE: The widget takes a minute to load, and you’ll have to refresh to see the new songs. Make sure your speakers are on!

Roundpeg Radio is Old Hat…

This week our “Oldies Theme” was inspired by several completely unrelated events.

• @BgKahuna and @ChuckGose discussing the reunion concert tour of boy bands : New Kids on the Block and Back Street Boys.  An event Chuck thought perhaps was the  sign of the apocalypse: http://ow.ly/2rXPp
• A humorous video link sent from @aballstudio of how songs should be rewritten as rock stars age http://biggeekdad.com/2010/06/old-rock-stars
• And @allisonlcarter’s link to the Beloit College Mindset List – which just really made me feel old.

So this week we are looking for your favorite “Oldies” songs.  What classifies as Oldies?  You decide! We’ll start off at 10 am with a few really old style rock and roll to get the day going, but the rest of the day is up to you.

As always we will be live until 3 PM today.  Then play list will be up all week.  So send your song requests to @roundpegradio.

NOTE: The widget takes a minute to load, and you’ll have to refresh to see the new songs. Make sure your speakers are on!

Life Comes At You Fast

Since I have been out of school and employed at Roundpeg for a little over 7 months, this is an appropriate time time to look back on my first experience in the real world.  I learn something new almost every day, but some lessons stand out far more than others. Without further ado, here are the top 3 things I’ve learned in my first 7 months as an adult:

1. Assignments don’t come one at a time-As luck would have it, the real world doesn’t care  if you’re already busy doing something. At RoundpegI have the chance to wear several hats (sales, web design, customer trainer) and so I’m involved in several different projects at the same time. Learning to handle several projects at once was probably the greatest challenge I’ve faced in my first 7 months on the job. Day by day, I’m improving my project and time managements skills and my ability to set priorities and established realistic timelines.   I can’t wait to look back in December at how much I’ve improved these skills over the year.

2. Nothing’s possible without the team-I can’t think of a single project since I arrived which didn’t require the support of  my team. Taylor, Allison, and I each bring different talents to Roundpeg. This diversity is what  allows us to work so well together. For example, when I begin a web design for a client,  I know I  will NOT be able to produce what Roundpeg is capable of without Taylor’s graphic design talent and Allison’s copy-writing genius.  In this business, it’s pretty tough to do anything on your own. Luckily, I don’t have to.

3. Never Underestimate the Power of Relationships-Many of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had since hanging up my cap and gown haven’t occurred in my office. My job allows me to meet some of the coolest people and visit some of the coolest places in Indianapolis.  Those relationships (and experiences) have  helped grow Roundpeg’s business interests, while helping  me create lasting relationships with some amazing individuals.  Many I would never have met otherwise. Being part of a community is fun.

What about you? What’s the biggest lesson you learned during your first year in the “real world”?

Techno Salute!

Roundpeg Radio is possible because of advances in technology. Today, the ability to “be a DJ” isn’t limited to a few people in a radio station, anyone can be one. Especially if they have a great group of listeners like ours who are always sending us their suggestions!

So this week, we are looking for your favorite “tech” songs.  Techno music and tech themes are terrific.

We will be kicking off at 10 am with with “Blinded by Science” What should we play next?

As always we will be live until 3 PM today.  Then play list will be up all week.  So send your song requests to @roundpegradio.  And although our interns will be gone, Roundpeg Radio will live on.  So be sure to come back next Friday too, when our musical theme is technology.

NOTE: The widget takes a minute to load, and you’ll have to refresh to see the new songs. Make sure your speakers are on!

The Big Ugly Blog Post

As I sit lethargically at my desk, admonishing fans and admirers in the wake of my victory over 1 1/2 pounds of Americana, I can’t help but reflect, as I often do…

I have just eaten the famous “Big Ugly”. A  1 1/2 pound behemoth of a hamburger made famous by “Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream” in Carmel. Rather than write a tell-all bestseller of  this momentous feat, I thought I would use the experience to talk about what my battle with the big ugly taught me about business, marketing, and life. Here’s what I learned in six minutes and fifty seconds:

1. In any endeavor, preparation is key….I wish I could say I waltzed into Bub’s and handled the Big Ugly like it was any other lunch, but that’s not true. I had to respect my opponent, and I prepared for our battle. I made sure everything I did  from the moment I woke up prepared me to reach peak hunger at precisely the time the burger was placed in front of me. I think the same is true in any endeavor, especially business. A lack of preparation is one of the main reasons business ventures fail. A great coach once said  ”luck is when preparation meets opportunity” and I think there’s a lot of truth to that.

2. Don’t ever, EVER let a daunting task scare you…I’ll be honest, when I first saw the Big Ugly in person, yeah, I got a little scared. But I wouldn’t let  fear determine the outcome of the Big Ugly challenge. I looked that plate-sized burger up and down, and said to myself “let’s dance.” If you can’t control fear, fear controls you. That is true whether you’re trying to eat a massive burger or deciding  to open the sporting goods store you always wanted.

3. Don’t pay attention to anyone who says you can’t…There were definitely some people in my ear trying to use their own experiences with the Big Ugly to scare me or throw me off (cough::Kelly::cough). But to no avail! In life, many people you meet tell you that you can’t do something. People told Henry Ford he would never develop a reliable V-8 engine.  People told Elvis he’s never make money singing.  People told Helen Keller’s parent’s she would never accomplish anything.In each case, the persistence of these individuals in the face of adversity is the stuff of which success stories are made.   Have you written your success story?

4. Once you commit, stand behind your commitment.…At Roundpeg, we have spent countless hours over the last 3 months talking about my Big Ugly Challenge. (Note from Lorraine, perhaps too many hours) .

By the time the moment actually came, I really had no choice BUT to finish the whole thing. Anything less would have been a complete and utter failure.

A great general once sailed accross the sea to conquer an enemy. Once his troops had all landed on shore, he ordered all the ships burned so there was no other choice but to win…or perish trying. So OF COURSE they won.

The same thing happened today at Bub’s. I’d talked a big game, and I had to back it up. Giving yourself no other option is a pretty motivational tactic.  (That being said….a contingency plan in case of an emergency isn’t the worst idea in business. We can help you with that.)

5. Define your goal, and don’t let anything distract you from accomplishing it…Walking in to Bub’s today, I knew what I had to do; and nothing was going to stop me. With the support of the Roundpeg crew, I charged through like a champion, never stopping-or, really, even breathing.  Finally, I accomplished the feat for which I may become most well known.  And it all began three months ago with a singular goal I was determined to achieve. The FIRST step toward success is always a goal. Always.

6. And finally…

You can’t go wrong wearing pants with an expandable waistband….No-brainer.

In conclusion, I’d like to thank all my fans for there encouragement and support. And in case you are curious,  I am officially announcing my retirement so  I can be inducted into the Adventures in Dining Hall of Fame.

Until next time…stay hungry, my friends.

Roundpeg Radio – Time to Say Goodbye!

As the summer starts to wind down ( I know it is stil well into the 90′s) but it is time for kids to head back to school. And the back-to-school crowd includes three of our interns.

As Jay mentioned in his post earlier this week, these extremely talented individuals will leave their mark on Roundpeg, and I hope we will leave a mark with them as well.

So in honor of their departure, this this week Roundpeg Radio is dedicated to Kelly, Dan and Emily.  Our theme  is songs of greetings and fairwell.

We will kick off the day with American Pie, and Hello/Goodbye by the Beatles. What would you like to have us add to the list?

We will be live until 3 PM today.  Then play list will be up all week.  So send your song requests to @roundpegradio.  And although our interns will be gone, Roundpeg Radio will live on.  So be sure to come back next Friday too, when our musical theme is technology.

NOTE: The widget takes a minute to load, and you’ll have to refresh to see the new songs. Make sure your speakers are on!

Boys (and Girls) of Summer

This has been one wild and crazy summer at Roundpeg. I can’t believe it’s already August. In just a few days our interns will be back in school and things will change all over again as we move into the fall.

As my first summer (as a Vice President) at Roundpeg draws to a close, I wanted to look back at the last three months and reflect. I have learned so much about this job, myself, and the people I’m in the trenches with every day.

This summer started off with a bang. The company is growing so fast, we brought on an unprecedented four interns, each with their own unique talents:

Emily Beck was our PR intern, and a great counterbalance to all of our worrying all summer. In addition to interning here, Emily took several classes at IUPUI. Her ability to balance work and school really impressed me.

Heather Ousley, our graphic design intern, came onto the team as a highly sought-after free agent in the middle of the summer. Since joining Roundpeg, Heather has seamlessly integrated herself into the fiber of the company. She has done a fantastic job not only assisting Taylor with graphic design work, but also never being afraid to branch out and learn new things or ask questions.  (We are excited she will continue part time through the fall semester as well.)

Dan “Baby D” Lipson was a great addition to the team this year. Even though he’s only in high school, Dan was able to spearhead both video and Facebook fan page marketing efforts. We couldn’t have asked for a better “first high-school intern”.

And finally, my pride and joy, Kelly Rogers, was our marketing intern. Kelly showed up in May excited and willing to do whatever we asked, and hasn’t stopped since. She’s has take on each challenge with a positive attitude and even branched out and worked directly with our Vice President of PR, Allison, on public relations projects.

I would like to think we taught the interns a thing or two, but in the end, I think I learned much more from them than they learned from me. I learned how to teach, how to manage, and how to levy criticism with praise. I think Taylor and Allison learned some of the same things.  Neither Allison or I had much management experience before the summer, but Taylor-the consummate professional was always there to show me better ways to lead.

There were times this summer that things got crazy…really crazy. Whether it was the overwhelming amount of projects, technical failures, or growing pains which come with being part of a fast-rising company…everything brought us closer.

When my back was against the wall, Allison was at my door offering words of encouragement. When I got stressed out over a deadline, Taylor would never let me lose perspective. And that, folks, is the very definition of a team.

We’re wrapping up the summer next week with a company trip to Bub’s Burgers. Bub’s offers a one-pound burger  I will tackle in an attempt to become a Carmel legend. I’m looking forward to ending the summer with a bang. Whether it was Adventures in Dining, a Facebook fan contest, or designing a photo reenactment of Taylor’s close encounter at the State Fair, I’ll always look back fondly on this summer. And I hope the rest of the team will, too.

Sweet Dreams from Roundpeg Radio

This has been a crazy week at Roundpeg.  We have had to deal with trying to wrap up lots of projects before the end of the month, technical glitches which slowed us down, changes in equipment to run the office, and lots of interesting new assignments.  After a long week, we all need a rest coming in to the weekend

So this week we thought we would look for songs about rest, vacations and dreams.   Ok so some of us also saw Inception, so weird dreams are  in the back of our minds .

We are going to kick off with Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics to get us in the mood.  Then we will be live until 3 PM today , and the play list will be up all week.  Send send your song requests to @roundpegradio.

NOTE: The widget takes a minute to load, and you’ll have to refresh to see the new songs. Make sure your speakers are on!

Roundpeg Radio… It’s Raining Men!

It’s Friday, so that means it is time to breakout your favorite #FollowFriday love on Twitter, and send your song requests to @roundpegradio.

In honor of the amazingly creative Old Spice  promotion, today’s installment of Roundpeg Radio is dedicated to Men!  Do you have something you would like to hear?  Just tweet your song request to @roundpegradio, or to any of the Roundpeg crew, and we’ll add your song to the list.

NOTE: The widget takes a minute to load, and you’ll have to refresh to see the new songs. Make sure your speakers are on!

Next Page »