A Living Doll Making Dolls–Overcoming Adversity w/Dignity

I saw Ariel’s story on the news Saturday morning – Teen Uses Talent to Try to Overcome Obstacles – and that young lady’s resilience in such a tough situation (she has an inoperable cancerous brain tumor, her dad has prostate & bladder cancer, her mom has lupus & diabetes, her brother has autism) struck a nerve.

iCANT not help some way. I can get me one of those dolls.

 

Ariel started making custom dolls to help support her family. I went to the Women’s Industrial Exchange to see her dolls Saturday afternoon and they are more than dolls, they are works of art, just like they said in the news report. I decided I had to have one to help support her.

 

Ariel had sold out of the 50 dolls she had already made! She had made $3000 in a day and was now taking orders. Custom orders. Give her a theme and she will make something for you. I, of course, requested a TriGirl/Fitness Guru theme. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.

 

Just loved it…and The Women’s Industrial Exchange…what a wonderful place. Since the late 1800’s, the exchange has been helping women in need earn a living discretely. Today, The Exchange continues to serve its non-profit mission as an outlet of hand-crafted goods made by women and men intent on supporting themselves with dignity.

 

If you are looking for quality handcrafted gifts  - Shop Local – Shop Green – then you might just want to check out The Exchange. You will have to call the shop if you want to order a doll as Ariel’s website and links in the online store are not up yet. They were not prepared for the wonderful response, but are diligently working to get it up and running.  Don’t want a doll? She is also accepting material/fabric, old clothing, props- large doll furniture, buttons, hair (put that bad weave hair and raggedy wig to good use) to keep the cost of making the dolls down yet able to use most of the profit to help her family. Box it up and send it to the shop c/o Ariel – The Living Doll or drop it off.

 

My prayers are with Ariel and her entire family.

Steptoe Group, LLC - Mission: Small Business

9 DAYS LEFT TO VOTE. 160 VOTES STILL NEEDED!

 

Steptoe Group would appreciate your support and vote to help us qualify for a $250,000 Grant from Chase and Living Social.

 

The Steptoe Group is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business started in 2008 by Ronald and Lisa Steptoe, West Point Class of 1987 and a select team of partners committed to working in partnership with government agencies and private organizations to ensure access by all citizens to evidence based quality healthcare and health education services. The firm is nationally recognized and acclaimed by leading health care, academia, and the government organizations for its innovative solutions in education, training and assessment platforms. The firm’s pioneering work and focus is in systemic improvements to the quality care and support services provided to the nation’s service members, veterans, and their families impacted by war and / or service.

 

Please go to www.missionsmallbusiness.com, click “Support”, find us by entering in Business: Steptoe Group  - State: Maryland – City: Clarksville, and VOTE!

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

To learn more about Steptoe Group, LLC, visit www.thesteptoegroup.com

Meeting Madness

…The random stuff that goes through my head about the shyt that happens/is said at meetings.

Why do they always thank you for coming to the meeting…”I appreciate you coming. Thank You.” As if it was optional to attend. Seriously.

 

That blond, slim (almost anorexic) look for a pharma rep is still alive & well.

 

I’m not JUST a sales rep…I’m a Change Agent. *insert eye roll*

 

“Hyper Focused Strategy”…Explain to me how to be HYPER and FOCUSED at the same damn time. SIGH.

 

I can already tell from the way my District Manager is looking at me that I have not fixed my face enough to “look engaged.” Oh well. I’m a work in progress.

 

What exactly is the point of being “very” knowledgeable about the disease state and process if you are not allowed to EVER use that knowledge to compare & win (competitively sell vs. competitors)? Anybody can be taught to read a damn script and saying “I dunno” get’s real old…even to your clients. Just sayin’.

 

Us old school change agents are one sentence away from being a compliance/HR nightmare, but we are some change agent sell our azz off mofo’s though. WINNING!

 

Only a half day in on the two day meeting and I’m already losing the “give a shit” battle.

 

I love team building activities.

 

When all methods of persuasion fails…inserting fear, doubt, uncertainty into the the mix works. Really..it does (but it probably isn’t “compliant”).

 

It’s funny how you all of a sudden become like E.F. Hutton when your sales numbers are kicking the AZZ off of every body else in the district.

 

Best get your umbrella cause I’m raining KNOWLEDGE down on ya’ll. (But only the “compliant” stuff mind ya.)

 

…and just when I thought I was fakin’ the give a shyt funk, my Regional Manager sits down next to me.

 

Look engaged. Look engaged. Look engaged. Look engaged.

 

It's 5 o’clock in the PM

Meeting nuttin’ but mayhem

You said it’d be over soon

So I snuck out to the break room

And I thought I’d just wait there

Until time for the team dinner affair

I’d pretend I was interested and I was dreaming…

 

What psychedelic drug was the marketing team on when they came up with the name for our new combo product? I can’t even pronounce that mess. SMDH.

 

It’s 5 o’clock in the morning…

 

We are going to do a “DEEP DIVE” into the data. o_O …vs. a shallow one?

 

WTF is a Secret Sauce (Best Practice) Mentor. These names for shit is NOT cute.

 

Recognition/Award Time!!!

-Biggest jump in regional rank #35 to #6 (TRx MS .3 to 3.5) post launch

- Top TRx product volume in District

- Tied for Top Overall NRx product volume

- Most strategic approach with routing & teamwork coordination

- Managed care lead

 

HOW BOUT THAT PLASTIC TROPHY! I got a hug too!

 

 

 

Nothing makes the day go by faster than to get a call for the final interview on a dream job/opportunity.

 

THANK YOU JESUS for that text from Ms.Pattey…it came just as my forehead was about to dent the table.

 

Holy Smoke! The President might stop by the resort for the DNC Meeting also being held here! WHAT! Oh, I can’t go down that hallway. Oh okay. Yeah. Those Se.c.r.et Service people are NO JOKE. They look like if you even breathed in their general direction I would have an appointment with a marble floor, gun muzzle and some latex.

 

Yep. I’m moving along. Nothing to see.

 

AST (Advanced Sales Training)…okay…good info. SOOOOOOoooo, when your trainer AND DM admit they were “poor sales people” until they went through the training (AS A TRAINER & DM) o_O, does that mean that poor performance is how you get promoted in these streets? {{{{O_O}}}} HARD DAMN STARE.

 

Seriously!? So now we are Change Management Consultants?

 

I think I’m bleeding from my eyes.

 

Only things worth “taking away” from the meeting:

- Be interested NOT interesting.

- Stay in the moment.

- Seek First to Understand.

 

Do you ever want to drink straight from the bottle after company meetings?

Steptoe Group, LLC–The Why

I have always been proud of my husband. ALWAYS. He is a man of vision – of purpose. He is driven. A man of character & principle. When I first met him, he told me of his dreams – of one day being the CEO of his own company – of building something big, something with meaning. He was talking about social entrepreneurship before we even knew what that meant.

 

…And he is DOING IT! I have been on this journey with him for almost 25 years. Though thick & thin, mountain’s & valleys. We have put everything – and I mean EVERY SINGLE THING- into this venture…and so haven’t a lot of our friends & family. We absolutely love and hold dear to our hearts all of those that believe in us – in him. And Ron WILL make this happen. We are still struggling, but we are starting to see the fruits of our labor.

 

Here is just one blessing that has come out of all the hard work the Steptoe Group team has put in:

On September 19, 2011, The American Alliance of Healthcare providers (AAHCP) awarded the Steptoe Group the Choice Award for Excellence in a Medical Specialty. This video is a recap of the event with an interview with Ronald Steptoe, CEO of the Steptoe Group.

Shot and edited Damone Brown of Grace Lens Multimedia.

 

If you want to know more, invest or help in some way…you know how to reach us.

I Know My Ship Is Coming In

The FireMarshall is one of the hardest working men I know. Ambitious, strategic...a visionary. I have been on a journey with him for almost 22 years now...actually, we sat down and made a plan for our lives, what we envisioned it would look like, where we would be and then we started marching hand in hand; side by side towards that plan. If something got in the way or doing something was going to get us off track, we simply didn't do it. Life happens. It happens to us all, but if you have a plan/a mission and stick to it, then you won't let "Life" get in the way.

This last year (or two) have probably been the most stressful of our lives and things just didn't seem to be going our way. I've had to be stronger than I ever wanted to be. I have had to keep working for someone else, I've had to give up a lot of major things, I have to invest a lot of things that I didn't want to give up to keep us on the path. We have had to sacrifice a lot, yet managed to keep a smile on our face, head up, shoulders back. I thought, for a moment, that our ship would never come in...that all these years of work and sacrifice were for naught.

This morning, Ron got a call & a couple of emails. Then he came into our room, looked me in the eye and said, "It won't be too long." I knew he meant it...and then this song came on and as I listened to the words, I knew that they were true..."It won't be too long...I know my ship is coming in."

Do you have a plan; a vision for your family? Are you doing whatever it takes to make it happen? I hope so, because dreams really do come true.

On The Ocean (K'Jon)
It won't be too long
Now the tide is coming near
I see the waves flowing
Out there on the ocean.
I know my ship is coming in....

Just pass the horizon
And right where te sky ends
Cause out there on the ocean
Knowing my ship is coming in

Are You Serious?

If you have never before considered the consequences of your asinine behavior at your place of employment, then perhaps you should start watching the news, listening to the current unemployment/layoff numbers and getting your ish together. One thing my father taught me regarding professionalism in the corporate & business world was to NEVER burn bridges. He also taught me that if you plan on taking someone out at work, messing with their reputation or just trying to hamper a co-workers upward mobility, then you best just outright "kill" em. Never just wound your enemy...they tend to recover (even if just a little bit), get pissed and return to reek havoc right back at you. If you are gonna play that back stabbing, passive aggressive, sabotaging mess at work...FINISH IT. Put that person down for good, lest they come back to haunt you.

I have managed to survive 2 layoffs in a little under 3 years - not just cause I'm fabulous and just down right brilliant (which I am) - but because I have managed over all these years to cultivate & nurture my network AND I have never burned a bridge that I thought I might (even in an alternate universe) need to cross at a later time. I am finding out in this here very difficult economy, with layoffs happening left and freakin right to some of the best people I know, that there are a few of those AZZHOLES who actually think I (and some of my friends) have forgotten their pissy behavior and believe we are just going to hand over our network, give them rousing recommendations and help them prep for their interviews at our current companies.

ARE YOU FREAKIN SERIOUS? You see the Prince Side-Eye look above. YEP. That's me, when I get these calls. ARE YOU FREAKIN SERIOUS?

You tried to get me put on a performance plan by implying that my "work ethic" was suspect...and now you actually thought you could use me as a reference?

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

You constantly took credit for my work, my achievements and you want me to forward your resume onto my network of recruiters?

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

You bum rush my girl, bad mouth her so bad that you get picked for promotion over her because of "perceived" inconsistencies that you created and then you have the audacity to call her husband for help with an interview at his company?

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

I could go on, but you get the gist. If you have been behaving like an azz at work to everyone around you...Backstabbing, undermining, gossiping...If you are a manager, and you have spent your time finding ways to put certain people on performance plans, trip them up, hinder their ability to get promoted and/or refuse to develop that person...I just want you to know that God don't like ugly & Karam is a byatch.

Thought you were immune & impervious to bad ish happening to you? HA! Whole lot of MF'rs are finding out that their ignant azz can be out on the street just like the rest of us. Guess what...those of us who have had to pull a knife outta our back are helping each other and those bridge burners are getting a little taste of their medicine. Karma is a Byatch.

I'm just saying. So...you back stabbing bridge burning byatches (and you know who you are) STOP CALLING ME & EMAILING ME asking for help, referrals & hook ups. I'm not calling you back & I'm hitting the red x in my email box. I have enough to do with helping myself and my real friends & colleagues.

*Giving you the Prince Side-Eye* ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Learning to Care for Those in Harms Way

I'm so proud of the FireMarshall...Check out the press release below that went out today.

Uniformed Services University
of the Health Sciences
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, MD 20814-4799
Release No.09-01-02
January 16, 2009

News Release

USUCHD Enters Educational Training Partnership with Steptoe Group

BETHESDA, Md. — Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) Center for Health Disparities Research and Education (USUCHD) and the Steptoe Group, LLC have entered into an agreement to research, develop and implement a culturally competent interdisciplinary educational training program for mental health providers and practitioners. The program is designed for health providers with the expertise and capacity to deliver high-quality services that are patient-centered, evidence-based and address the mental health needs of vulnerable populations within the military community.

The partnership will address the lack of health care provider and practitioner training, educational resources, uniformity and systemic impediments that exacerbate cultural, economic, familial, and regional geographic challenges contributing to disparities in health and health care. This is generally applicable when applied to mental health and mental health care issues found among military and veteran populations.

Dr. Tracy Sbrocco, USUCHD Director of Research (center), President and CEO of the Steptoe Group, LLC, Ronald Steptoe (right); and C.J. Jordan, sign a partnership agreement to develop an interdisciplinary educational training program.

The Steptoe Group, LLC and USUCHD shall work in concert with each other to research innovative solutions to the health care challenges facing the military and veteran provider and practitioner communities, including but not limited to the ability of health care providers and practitioners to adequately screen, diagnose, treat, and manage service members, service member’s families, and veterans in a culturally competent and patient- centered manner when implementing evidence-based best practices.

This includes managing and sharing information, delivering a standardized and effective mental health provider and practitioner training throughout the military and veteran communities. The programs will include, but are not limited to the following tools: DVD, Web Based Training, Web Based Certification, and Train- the-Trainer workshops.

Located on the grounds of Bethesda’s National Naval Medical Center and across from the National Institutes of Health, USU is the nation’s federal school of medicine and graduate school of nursing. The university educates health care professionals dedicated to career service in the Department of Defense and the U.S. Public Health Service. Students are active-duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service, who are being educated to deal with wartime casualties, natural disasters, emerging infectious diseases, and other public health emergencies.

The USUCHD has renowned expertise in systemically assessing reasons for health and health care disparities and expertise in developing and implementing educational initiatives that aim to teach providers the key tools and skills to deliver high quality care to diverse populations grounded in patient centered methodologies to significantly enhance health care education, research, and practice.

The Steptoe Group, LLC and its strategic partners have developed expertise through successful past performances in Concept Refinement, Technology Development, System Development, Demonstration, Production and Deployment, as well as Operations and Support.

For more information, contact the Office of External Affairs at (301) 295-1219 or visit the USU Web site at: www.usuhs.mil.

I'm so Proud

I am so proud of my man. Always am. He is an entrepreneur, a business man, a make it happen kinda man. Always has been, always will be. When he sees a business opportunity that will compliment or accent what we have already built, he seizes it. When he sees a way for us to make additional income utilizing our skill sets, that man works it out. Ron is a master networker, a shrewd business man...a man that takes care of his family.

This time he has taken what we have done in the private sector and leveraged those assets in the government sector. I'm proud of him, of his insight, and of the way he always includes me as his partner, as one of his advisers, as the keeper of the moola. The trust and respect he has for me, just makes me continue to want to be a better person, wife, business partner.

I put together our website for us. It's plain, but it has been working for what we need to do. Have a peek....

The Steptoe Group, LLC

Pray for our continued success and blessings.....

Dare to succeed,

Think About It...

As ya'll know, I went to a business conference last week. In addition to the over abundance of fun that I had with my peeps, there were a lot of great workshops and lectures. I take notes when I'm at these kind of events so that I can remember what was said, go back and review & reflect...so that I may grow professionally. You've always gotta be "Sharpening Your Saw". When you let your blade get dull, that's when you get passed over for that promotion, hit the ceiling, get poor reviews, get put on a performance plan....all the while standing there looking like a deer in headlights, wondering what had happened.

Here is some things that I jotted down in my "handy, dandy notebook". I'm not going to expound on them much (if at all). Most of them will speak for themselves. I hope you will take a moment and think about them, but application is what sharpens your saw:

• If you don't network, and you don't relate to people & share information/resources - then you just don't get it.
• Invest in Key Relationships - "Solo - Oh, No!", Watch who you spend your time with and what that relationship is doing to you.
• Navigate beyond obstacles, distractions and small thinking. Get out of the box you build for yourself.
• Watch who you share your vision with.
• Figure out the game and learn how to play it.
• Be Mentally Prepared, Be spiritually Prepared, Be visible
• Maximize your Brand - What's Your Brand
• Stop hanging around people who "glorify ignorance"
• Do a scathing self-inventory. - find out what your are doing to get in your own way.
• Your checkbook & calendar will tell on you. -Think about it. What you spend your money & time on will tell loads about you. Are you saying one thing and conducting yourself another.
• Monitor your Conversation - What does your conversation say about yourself.
• People who talk about people are smaller than people who talk about ideas.
• Performance is the great equalizer

Commit to Self - Improvement - Constant & Never Ending Improvement.