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Meeting Gina Mulligan of Girls Love Mail

Several Sundays ago, May 20th, I attended the National Stationery Show (post to come soon!) as a guest. I was Gina Mulligan’s guest and it was and she is awesome!

For those of you who haven’t read my blog and don’t know what the big deal is about Gina and I meeting a few weeks ago, let me explain.

My relationship with Gina starts with the social network site Twitter. Yes, Twitter.

I don’t remember the specifics, but I somehow got wind of her and her non-profit Girls Love Mail, an organization seeking handwritten letters for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, via a tweet that I saw and I contacted her immediately. Our brief exchange of tweets led way to longish emails talking about our respective projects and ways we could work together. They also included stories being shared – I shared with her my stories about my grandmother’s death from breast cancer and my father’s recent death and my subsequent dream and business and she shared with me her own story of being diagnosed with cancer and receiving letters as she wrote her book. We were both moved to start a collaboration and well, a relationship was born!

Meeting Gina in person for the Stationery Show was incredible. Prior to last month, Gina and I had only corresponded via email, twitter and mail (she baked cookies and sent me some at Christmas!). While I had no worries about whether we would get along or not upon meeting, I was definitely curious to meet the woman I had spent a few hours corresponding with. We were modern day pen pals! As I knew she would be, Gina turned out to be such an amazing person-kind and goodhearted and as I told her many, times, I thank Twitter for our meeting.

Social media is a great and useful tool, but too often we reach out and talk to people, but don’t make real connections. Meeting Gina was a moment where the power of social media merged with real life. Social media can be a huge soul sucking waste if all you’re doing is looking at people’s profiles instead of living your life, but it can also be an amazing instrument in bridging gaps and spaces that you might have never otherwise known.

See, I had been itching to volunteer with a breast cancer organization that is not the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. I’m not badmouthing Komen at all. They are a great organization and have done so much in the fight against breast cancer. In fact, I used to donate and run the Race for the Cure in Washington, DC in honor of my grandmother who passed away from the disease in 1992. I no longer do and it’s not because of the issue they had with Planned Parenthood earlier this year. No, I stopped because I worked for a cancer non-profit in my 20s and I saw the mismanagement of funds and started questioning what would happen if a cure for cancer in general was found. What would organizations like my old employer and Komen would do? They operate like corporations and are constantly after money, so what would their next steps be?

I don’t want anyone to think that I have a distrust for all non-profits, because I don’t. As a matter of fact, between 2006 and 2011, I ran four marathons and raised money for blood cancers through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society ‘s Team in Training program, but looked into their spending before committing to raising money. Having relationships with children and adults who have benefited from LLS definitely made that connection stronger and more visible. I know the same can be said for Komen, but something about them and I just didn’t match several years ago and I’ve since moved away from supporting their organization personally.

Having said that, Gina does work with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, but her organization does so much more and because of that, I feel like I’m more connected to breast cancer patients and the cause. The letters written to her organization go into the hands of women who need the positive energy that comes from written words and from knowing that someone, a stranger, is supporting them through a tough time in their life. This is why I love Girls Love Mail and why I am so honored to have partnered with Gina when she first started the organization and to have a relationship with her. Her husband, by-the-way, is pretty awesome, too!

Again, I am so grateful to Twitter and for timing being on my side. (I don’t spend all day on Twitter, so having seen the tweet about her was good timing in deed!) I also also grateful to the National Stationery Show for being held in New York City – it brought me and Gina, who lives in California, together for a few days and it was wonderful!

I encourage everyone to sign up to write a letter. The stationery sheet that you can download when you sign up was designed by me specifically for Girls Love Mail.What are you waiting for? Go write a letter! Bring a smile to a woman’s face. I’m sure you’ll be smiling as well.

Oh, and Gina, if you read this post, THANK YOU! You are one rocking woman!

June Favorites

“My dad’s advice was very helpful: Be good at something. Add value to that. Don’t get distracted.” – Scott Malkin, Forbes Magazine.

This past month, I read a lot. I wish I could say I read more personal interest books, but I did not. Instead, I read both the May 23rd issue of Forbes Magazine and the June issue of Inc. Magazine from cover to cover and a ton of blog postings (see below). Under the Success category, I discuss the article in Forbes that roped me in: ” Like Father, Like Child: Is Entrepreneurial Success Inherited.” As I continued to read the magazine I became more and more enthralled with families of entrepreneurs and I discovered that my streak comes from my dad. I think. It makes sense. He opened his own trucking company and was successful until he got ill.

I followed that read up with Inc’s June issue which boldly states, “How To Be An Extraordinary Leader.” I recommend that you read the entire issue if you can get your hands on it. If you can’t, you can read the articles online. I highly recommend the cover article: “Core Values of the Top Small Company Workplaces.” I know as I start to develop my long-term business plans, the first thing is the core values of S2 Stationery and Design. After all, the values that I’ve kept to myself so far, are the reasons behind me moving in the direction I have followed and continue to follow.

With that, I leave you with the rest of my suggested reads for June. Enjoy!

YOU:

I really should just have a section that is dedicated to Chris’s articles because I post at least two every month. Here is the first one. He’s talking about his World Domination Summit that I chose NOT to attend because I thought I was going to Japan (oh Universe, how unfair you can be sometimes!), but I’m excited to see how it goes for him and everyone else who attends and maybe I can go next year? We’ll see. Maybe I should schedule it now. Alas, my favorite part is his comment at the end: “Whatever your own venture / adventure is, don’t hold back! Don’t wait until you’re completely certain. It usually works out in the end.” That’s exactly how I feel!
http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/preview-of-world-domination-summit/?awt_l=8ByzZ&awt_m=1fmi.yxmgsnt7W

Now, read Sherry’s take on the event. I love that she wrote her favorite statements down. That’s something I’d do, too. Also, most of them are great. So great, I printed a copy of the article to have in my journal/planner. http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/finding-inspiration-in-others/

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS ARTICLE! I know I’ve fallen into this trap in my younger days, but not anymore. Now I can accept when I should step out of the trap and I do so happily. I know so many people who could benefit from doing the same thing. http://zenhabits.net/trap/

CREATIVE:

THIS is an argument I’ve heard a lot about in the crafting community. I’ll write a posting about it another day, but for now, I think it’s really important to think about copying and theft of art and what it means for the art world and the artist. http://www.scoutiegirl.com/2011/06/bad-artists-copy-great-artists-steal.html

TRAVEL:

I mentioned Sherry Ott two months ago, I believe, and she’s back on this month’s list thanks to a SPECTACULAR article about your personal tipping point. I read it and completely understood where she was coming from and appreciated her experience and how it will inspire my experience. Good stuff! http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/the-career-break-tipping-point/

SUCCESS:

I finished my Forbes Magazine dated May 23rd and loved it! There is this great article about entrepreneurial success highlighting Ralph Lauren and Dylan Lauren called, “Like Father, Like Child: Is Entrepreneurial Success Inherited,” but then continues in sharing father/son and father/daughter accounts of entrepreneurship. It’s a great read! It also made me wonder about my own entrepreneurship. My Dad started his own company after years of working as a dispatcher for a trucking company and this was years after working as a bus and truck driver. He drove constantly and to the point of unhealthiness, but he did not like working for anyone, listening to anyone’s rules and restrictions, and thrived on being his own boss. Years later, I find myself in the same shoes. So maybe entrepreneurship is genetic after all? Or maybe it’s just learned behavior, but we learn to take and enjoy the risks, from the people who create our foundation, after all. Makes total sense.

I ask for feedback. I rarely ever ask for validation. This is an important article to read if you always feel the need to ask for other’s opinions about things. Yes, it’s a good idea to see how other people can help, but it’s always more important to follow with your own feelings and thoughts. It is your life after all. http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/an-important-thing-no-one-will-tell-you/?awt_l=8ByzZ&awt_m=1bO25YlBksnt7W

I hate having too many choices. Ms. Megan sums it up quite nicely here on what it takes to be a successful sales person and offer choices. http://www.craftmba.com/2011/06/09/the-paradox-of-choice-and-the-powers-of-mind-control/

This article can also fit below in Business Development, but I’ve chosen Success instead, because collaboration is key especially when you’re building yourself and your company. http://mashable.com/2011/06/23/small-business-collaboration-economy/

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:

I’m so glad Megan wrote this article! Here I am expanding and creating lines with all of these questions in my mind. I realize I’m a bit different as I’ve never had collections to expand upon before, but it was nice to read that I was headed in the right direction after all. http://www.craftmba.com/2011/06/08/5-questions-to-ask-when-expanding-your-product-line/

This is a long article, but I had a conversation on this topic last night. At the end, I was told by a fellow documentary loving woman, “stay idealistic.” Lets hope I do. I hope you make the right choice for your business, too! http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/build-company-sell/

CRAFTING FUN:

If you’re ever on the market for rubber stamps and what to do with them, check out this list courtesy of Paper Source. Some great ideas here! http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/howto/rubber-stamping-recipes.html

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Very good article about using Twitter, which I recently signed up to use and am loving! http://www.openforum.com/articles/6-ways-to-monitor-your-brand-on-twitter?utm_source=The+Mogul+Mom+Subscribers&utm_campaign=f6ce762634-6_Ways_To_Monitor_Your_Brand_On_Twitter6_20_2011&utm_medium=email

Another amazing article from Ms. Tara Gentile from Scoutie Girl about the whys behind using social media. It’s a good read and one I encourage everyone who spends time and effort developing and cultivating a social media presence and plan to look into. http://www.themogulmom.com/2011/06/why-are-you-using-social-media/?utm_source=The+Mogul+Mom+Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=13570fef9d-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN

PASSION:

I most definitely found my passion, when I wasn’t expecting it. Which I think is how things tend to happen, but in the case that you are trying to find it, you may want to read this article. http://zenhabits.net/the-short-but-powerful-guide-to-finding-your-passion/?utm_source=The+Mogul+Mom+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c31e38442d-Cash_In_On_Yo_Passion6_10_2011&utm_medium=email

Not a recent grad, but this article rings true for anyone of any age seeking for their next steps. http://www.openforum.com/articles/for-recent-graduates-many-paths-to-a-career?extlink=sm-openforum-tw

I am putting this under passion because I think what Sherry is getting at is the pros and cons to following your passion and dreams. Yes, there are success stories, but as a good friend told me the other day, it takes a truly special person to really follow your dreams and make things happen. I also add this posting in this section because I really believe that Sherry hits upon areas that sum up how I feel as well. http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/blogging-i-love-it-and-hate-it/

Following the same thread as above, here’s an article about what to do once you’ve found YOUR passion: http://zenhabits.net/passionguide/?utm_source=The+Mogul+Mom+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c31e38442d-Cash_In_On_Yo_Passion6_10_2011&utm_medium=email

That’s all for June. See you in July! Oh and have a happy and safe Independence Day weekend!

Customer Service Lessons from MTA Bus Drivers

First, what I’ve witnessed…

This morning:

Bus was stopped at light, a few feet from the stop. Someone who missed the bus, knocked on the door to be let in and asked if she could get on and the bus driver through the closed-door said, “no.” She repeated his, “no” and looked shocked as the light turned green and the bus pulled off.

Yesterday morning:

Bus driver failed to respond to any questions asked about purchasing tickets to get on the M15 X (express).

Last week:

Mom with stroller trying to get on bus before it pulled off and in the rain, pushed open stroller with child onto bus. Driver, stopped her and told her she could only get on the bus with a closed stroller and to get off, remove the child and close the stroller and then get on.

Verdict:

The MTA has some rude employees. For every one that is kind, there are at least two more that are complete a-holes!

My problem with all of these examples is a lack of concern or propriety shown to the customer. Actually, there is a very clear and decisive angst toward the customer. Almost as if the customer had done something wrong.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I get on the bus some mornings and want to strangle my fellow brethren, but I can’t. However, rather than act rude toward them, I just ignore them. Yep, I ignore the woman whose bag keeps hitting me, or the lady who is really taking up two seats instead of one. And in most cases, if I’m really pissed off and the bus is really crowded, I just wait for the next bus. Which will inevitably be less crowded, if not empty. I realize that I have a choice here. I can decide what bus to take or not take and to ignore the rude antics of my fellow human, where as a bus driver can’t, but I’m also not getting paid to provide a service.

And THAT is the golden ticket. Maybe MTA employees have a right to gripe and be unhappy (heck I am often times unhappy with my place of employment), but when it comes to the people who are paying their hard-earned money to jump on a bus or train, those employees should at the very least be polite. Why? Because the consequences can result in a loss of riders, money (MTA is always complaining about losing money) and most importantly trust and faith.

The MTA is no different from a corporation, even though it is a monopoly, and therefore should have incredible external communication. Yet they don’t. Think about the times you’ve called a number to have to go through automated prompts and then when you finally speak to someone, they aren’t helpful and are rude? I know I make it a point not to use that company any more. With all the selections out there, I can find another company to meet my needs. In the case of the MTA, the lack of respect by their employees is showing NYers that they can use alternate methods of transportation–cars, bicycles (eco-friendly, full of exercise, and inexpensive), taxis and the good old walking (I know I’ve walked on several occasions just because the bus was taking too long, or I didn’t feel like being under ground).

Every time I encounter a rude bus driver, or subway staff, my interest in using MTA declines. Yes, it’s easy, especially when you’re running late, but the fact remains that since I moved here in 2006, there have been four fee increases (I know they’re not that high, but it’s the principle), they’ve decreased service at night and staff in stations, stopped several lines, yet are still moving forward with a line on 2nd Ave (which I get will help alleviate crowds on the 4,5, and 6 lines, but that’s costing several billions of dollars they can’t afford and then you rude employees. These are all major concerns and I think any corporation would buckle down on them before they got even larger or cost them severely.

As a monthly metro card holder, I sometimes wonder what would happen if all of NY stood up and for a day didn’t use the subway or bus system. What would happen? Would our collective voices be heard? Would it change the way the MTA views it’s users? Maybe this is something we should explore…

More importantly, there’s a lesson to learn behind this: how not to treat your customers. It’s fairly simple, really. Never shut the door in someone’s face. Even if you have a schedule and you want to get going, if you have a chance to treat someone kindly, or make someone’s day a bit easier, take it. I know (from experience), that in retail, it is often, “don’t kick out your customer, even if it’s after closing because you may make a sale.” I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about helping a customer whether they buy something or not. I’m talking about going above and beyond the ordinary. That means, not forcing a mother and her child back in the rain just to close a stroller, or ignoring customers that don’t understand a new system and are asking for help. A client/customer will remember your interaction and how you treated them always. If it was bad, well, every one they know will know. If it was good, every one they know will know. Not to mention, they will come to you always, even for recommendations.

Your customer base is everything and therefore should be treated with respect and courtesy. Employees can be one of the best marketing tools if they are happy, and the worst, if they’re unhappy. When an employee is rude or shows no decency, they are essentially saying that the company does not value them and that is never a position a company seeks.

By the way, this posting is ignoring all the other ways bad customer service can be channeled; mainly through social media avenues. I’m using my examples as a way to show why bad customer service hurts, rather than complaining about how bad the MTA is, but people have taken their complaints to twitter and facebook. They’ve blogged about their complaints. Just because a company no longer responds to emails or phone calls, or for that matter has someone who works to answer these complaints, doesn’t mean that the complaint goes unexposed. This means companies have to be vigilant and work harder to watch when they not only have continuous bad customer service incidents, but don’t offer explanations, consolation, or at the very least an attempt at change. It would be cheaper for all parties if the company just owned up to it and implemented the changes necessary to fix the broken issues.

Thank you MTA for showing me what I will do, should I ever have an employee, or more even. Make sure they understand the importance of good, helpful, and solid customer service.

I’m kind of curious to know what are some good and bad customer service experiences you’ve had. If you’d like to share, please do!