Giving Thanks – The Business Way
Giving thanks and showing appreciation toward others is the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Whether it be with friends, family or complete strangers, it is important for people to show gratitude toward others that have had a positive influence in their life, the same goes for the business world. One of the most important tactics companies can take is giving thanks, being grateful for and appreciating their customer and stakeholder bases. While many look forward to a short work week and a relaxing holiday, it shows a sense of professionalism to give credit to those who have helped support your business along the way. Who The first step in showing appreciation as a business is determining who exactly to thank. The list may be long, so start in-house and show gratitude toward your employees. Without dedication and hard work from your team, a successful business is not possible. Current customers and clients are next on the list. Showing the people who put their trust in your company that you genuinely care is a huge reputation builder. Be sure that not everyone they do business with will be reaching out to them this time of year, and even more sure that they will remember you for doing so. Next is past customers and clients. Even though your company may not be currently engaged in business with former clients, it is still important to remember them for work that was done in the past. This shows that they were not just a forgotten “job” or “money-maker,” but a relationship your business gained and greatly appreciates. Colleagues are also deserving of a thank you, as they may have played a crucial part in the success of your business. Although you may not have done business directly with every colleague who has helped you, some may have acted as stepping stones to success during your company’s growth. Remembering these individuals or groups will exhibit that their help was admired, not forgotten. Lastly, reach out to other local business, whether it be restaurants, offices or even mom and pop shops. These businesses find comfort in knowing that they have the support of other local companies, and vice versa. Companies in the same community can help each other succeed in a variety of ways, and it is important to build these relationships. How After determining who to thank, you’re probably wondering how or what to thank them with. Your employees are deserving of a small token of appreciation, be it a gift or a custom gift card. Something more than just a “thank you” seems fitting for the people who directly impact the success of your business. This will be greatly appreciated, but not expected. And, in turn, makes employees want to work for your company. A small gift is also appropriate for current customers and clients. Nothing fancy; even a pen with your company’s logo will do. Reaching out to the customer base that fuels your business’ income is always appreciated. Past customers, colleagues and local businesses can be thanked with a card or picture of your company’s team with a written greeting, or even a simple email or post on their social media sites. This will remind them that your company cares, and remembers its past, present or even potential future relationships during this time of year. While it may not be expected, thanking the people who have impacted your business goes a long way. Not only does it keep the people you do business with relevant to your company, it can spark future relationships as your reputation builds. Keep this in mind as a business owner, and have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. Image by soft4portable.com
Crisis Leadership Expert Rob Weinhold and New York Times Best-Selling Author Kevin Cowherd Talk Crisis Leadership at Local Book Tour Stops This Week
Fallston Group Founder and Chief Executive Rob Weinhold and New York Times best-selling author Kevin Cowherd will make book tour stops at Catholic University and Towson Barnes & Noble locations this week. Weinhold and Cowherd will host an interactive discussion about their highly praised book, “The Art of Crisis Leadership,” and sign copies for attendees. This week’s event locations and times are listed below: Washington D.C Book Tour Stop Barnes & Noble at The Catholic University of America Bookstore 625 Monroe Street NE Washington, DC 20017 Thursday, October 6 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Towson Book Tour Stop Towson Barnes & Noble 1 East Joppa Road, Suite 100 Towson, MD 21286 Saturday, October 8 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Weinhold and Cowherd’s book hit the shelves in May and since then, has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, American City Business Journals and other prominent news outlets. Additionally, “The Art of Crisis Leadership” quickly rose to the #1 book in the PR and Crisis Management categories, while also cracking the top 100 in Leadership on Amazon immediately after its release. In today’s digital age, anyone with an internet connection and recording device can wreak havoc on your brand. It’s not if crisis will occur, but when. The real question – are you prepared to meet the leadership moment? “The feedback we’ve received since the book release has been amazing – many have said it has helped them persevere both personally and professionally. To know that we’ve already helped people is incredibly rewarding. We look forward to continuing to share the book’s value – real people, real emotion, real results. According to readers, the takeaways at the end of each chapter have been the edge they’ve needed to both inspire and help them manage their own lives,” said Weinhold. A former Baltimore police and U.S. Department of Justice executive who has been featured on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC and many other national, regional and local media outlets, Weinhold expertly discusses, among other topics, data breaches, negative press, social media attacks, natural disasters, financial distress, sex scandals and political vendettas – and how to turn short-term adversity into long-term advantage. Weinhold has conducted thousands of media interviews during his storied career and is routinely called upon by local, regional and national news outlets to lend expert crisis leadership and public safety perspective. He has recently presented at multiple Department of Justice conferences and will be presenting at the Public Relations Society of America’s 2016 International Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana later this month. Press review copies are available by request. Please contact Shannon Cooper at 410-420-2001 or shannon.cooper41@gmail.com to request a copy of the book or interview. Learn more about “The Art of Crisis Leadership” and order online at Amazon (Hardcover, ISBN 978-1627201124, $25.99) or https://www.apprenticehouse.com. Join the crisis leadership conversation online using #TheArtofCrisis, #Leadership, and #movement. About the Author After working 23 years in the private and public sectors, Rob Weinhold decided to continue his career mission of helping organizations during life’s most critical times by launching Fallston Group—a Baltimore-based crisis management and communications firm. Fallston Group works with large public companies to individuals to build, strengthen and defend their reputations, each and every day (http://www.FallstonGroup.com). Throughout his distinguished career, Weinhold worked on the core executive leadership team at all three levels of government, including the Baltimore Police Department, U.S. Justice Department and Maryland’s Governor’s Office. Privately, Weinhold worked with Ripken Baseball where he oversaw all aspects of Cal Ripken Jr.’s core amateur sports business. Weinhold maintains extensive experience in the areas of executive leadership, strategy and communications. He has been routinely recognized for his unique ability to lead by creating vision and building consensus across diverse stakeholder bases to drive real results, particularly during critical times. Weinhold has provided professional guidance to corporate executives, high-profile professional athletes, U.S. Attorney General, White House domestic policy staff, U.S. Congresspersons, state governors and other high-ranking public service officials. Weinhold earned a graduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University and undergraduate degree from the University of Baltimore, both marketing disciplined. About the Co-Author Kevin Cowherd is the author, along with Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., of the New York Times best-seller “Hothead” and five other baseball novels for young readers. Their sixth book, “The Closer,” was published by Disney-Hyperion in March. Cowherd’s last two non-fiction books for Apprentice House Press were “The Opening Act: Comedy, Life and the Desperate Pursuit of Happiness,” a look at the career of Baltimore comic Larry Noto, and “Hale Storm: The Incredible Saga of Baltimore’s Ed Hale, including a Secret Life with the CIA.” Cowherd was an award-winning sports and features columnist for The Baltimore Sun for 32 years and has also written for Men’s Health, Parenting and Baseball Digest magazines. A collection of his newspaper columns, “Last Call at the 7-Eleven” can still be found in fine remainder bins everywhere. About Fallston Group, LLC Fallston Group, LLC is a highly trusted, executive advisory firm focused on building, strengthening and defending reputations. The firm operates where leadership, strategy and communications intersect. Reputations are both positively and negatively impacted by many variables; and, whether working with clients in a proactive or reactive sense, Fallston Group engages with velocity and vision while turning short-adversity into long-term advantage. Fallston Group team members provide a blend of both executive and operational services to help leaders prepare for, navigate through, and recover from issues of adversity and crisis. Many leaders refer to Fallston Group as their “Chief Reputation Officer.” To learn more, visit fallstongroup.com.
Crisis Leadership Expert Rob Weinhold and New York Times Best-Selling Author Kevin Cowherd Talk Crisis Leadership at Local Book Tour Stops This Week
Fallston Group Founder and Chief Executive Rob Weinhold and New York Times best-selling author Kevin Cowherd will make book tour stops at Catholic University and Towson Barnes & Noble locations this week. Weinhold and Cowherd will host an interactive discussion about their highly praised book, “The Art of Crisis Leadership,” and sign copies for attendees. This week’s event locations and times are listed below: Washington D.C Book Tour Stop Barnes & Noble at The Catholic University of America Bookstore 625 Monroe Street NE Washington, DC 20017 Thursday, October 6 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Towson Book Tour Stop Towson Barnes & Noble 1 East Joppa Road, Suite 100 Towson, MD 21286 Saturday, October 8 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Weinhold and Cowherd’s book hit the shelves in May and since then, has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, American City Business Journals and other prominent news outlets. Additionally, “The Art of Crisis Leadership” quickly rose to the #1 book in the PR and Crisis Management categories, while also cracking the top 100 in Leadership on Amazon immediately after its release. In today’s digital age, anyone with an internet connection and recording device can wreak havoc on your brand. It’s not if crisis will occur, but when. The real question – are you prepared to meet the leadership moment? “The feedback we’ve received since the book release has been amazing – many have said it has helped them persevere both personally and professionally. To know that we’ve already helped people is incredibly rewarding. We look forward to continuing to share the book’s value – real people, real emotion, real results. According to readers, the takeaways at the end of each chapter have been the edge they’ve needed to both inspire and help them manage their own lives,” said Weinhold. A former Baltimore police and U.S. Department of Justice executive who has been featured on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC and many other national, regional and local media outlets, Weinhold expertly discusses, among other topics, data breaches, negative press, social media attacks, natural disasters, financial distress, sex scandals and political vendettas – and how to turn short-term adversity into long-term advantage. Weinhold has conducted thousands of media interviews during his storied career and is routinely called upon by local, regional and national news outlets to lend expert crisis leadership and public safety perspective. He has recently presented at multiple Department of Justice conferences and will be presenting at the Public Relations Society of America’s 2016 International Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana later this month. Press review copies are available by request. Please contact Shannon Cooper at 410-420-2001 or shannon.cooper41@gmail.com to request a copy of the book or interview. Learn more about “The Art of Crisis Leadership” and order online at Amazon (Hardcover, ISBN 978-1627201124, $25.99) or https://www.apprenticehouse.com. Join the crisis leadership conversation online using #TheArtofCrisis, #Leadership, and #movement. About the Author After working 23 years in the private and public sectors, Rob Weinhold decided to continue his career mission of helping organizations during life’s most critical times by launching Fallston Group—a Baltimore-based crisis management and communications firm. Fallston Group works with large public companies to individuals to build, strengthen and defend their reputations, each and every day (http://www.FallstonGroup.com). Throughout his distinguished career, Weinhold worked on the core executive leadership team at all three levels of government, including the Baltimore Police Department, U.S. Justice Department and Maryland’s Governor’s Office. Privately, Weinhold worked with Ripken Baseball where he oversaw all aspects of Cal Ripken Jr.’s core amateur sports business. Weinhold maintains extensive experience in the areas of executive leadership, strategy and communications. He has been routinely recognized for his unique ability to lead by creating vision and building consensus across diverse stakeholder bases to drive real results, particularly during critical times. Weinhold has provided professional guidance to corporate executives, high-profile professional athletes, U.S. Attorney General, White House domestic policy staff, U.S. Congresspersons, state governors and other high-ranking public service officials. Weinhold earned a graduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University and undergraduate degree from the University of Baltimore, both marketing disciplined. About the Co-Author Kevin Cowherd is the author, along with Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., of the New York Times best-seller “Hothead” and five other baseball novels for young readers. Their sixth book, “The Closer,” was published by Disney-Hyperion in March. Cowherd’s last two non-fiction books for Apprentice House Press were “The Opening Act: Comedy, Life and the Desperate Pursuit of Happiness,” a look at the career of Baltimore comic Larry Noto, and “Hale Storm: The Incredible Saga of Baltimore’s Ed Hale, including a Secret Life with the CIA.” Cowherd was an award-winning sports and features columnist for The Baltimore Sun for 32 years and has also written for Men’s Health, Parenting and Baseball Digest magazines. A collection of his newspaper columns, “Last Call at the 7-Eleven” can still be found in fine remainder bins everywhere. About Fallston Group, LLC Fallston Group, LLC is a highly trusted, executive advisory firm focused on building, strengthening and defending reputations. The firm operates where leadership, strategy and communications intersect. Reputations are both positively and negatively impacted by many variables; and, whether working with clients in a proactive or reactive sense, Fallston Group engages with velocity and vision while turning short-adversity into long-term advantage. Fallston Group team members provide a blend of both executive and operational services to help leaders prepare for, navigate through, and recover from issues of adversity and crisis. Many leaders refer to Fallston Group as their “Chief Reputation Officer.” To learn more, visit fallstongroup.com.
Meltdown in Rio: Ryan Lochte
The Timeline: August 14, 2016 [9:27 a.m.] BREAKING NEWS: Gold medalist Ryan Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers are reportedly held up at gunpoint after a party in Brazil. August 14, 2016 [5:57 p.m.] After reports of story being fabricated, Lochte tweets a statement reiterating the story was indeed true. August 17, 2016 [10:34 a.m.] A Brazilian judge orders the swimmers’ passports to be seized to prevent them from leaving the country. Lochte had already arrived back home one day prior. August 18, 2016 [5:45 p.m.] Lochte and James Feigen are indicted for falsely reporting a crime after video surfaces of the swimmers at a gas station in which they were not held up. The Response: Initially, the response to the incident was poor, at best. Lochte stuck to his story for almost four full days, lying on social media and in television interviews to family, friends, teammates and fans. Days later, Lochte sat down with Matt Lauer to discuss the incident in a bit more emotional manner, but still used alcohol and lack of memory as a crutch to his story. He admitted guilt by acknowledging his exaggeration of the incident, but never fully conceded that the swimmers weren’t robbed. He apologized to teammates, fans and the city of Rio with tears in his eyes and used words like embarrassed, ashamed and I’m sorry. His interview was unscripted and remorseful, but was it genuine? It was, eventually, but only when Lauer shaped his thinking and practically pulled it out of him. The Aftermath: Although the 32-year-old is at the tail end of his swimming career, this incident still has some very serious repercussions. Aside from the public humiliation and shame Lochte brought on himself, his family and his country, he has lost his top four sponsors, including Speedo and Ralph Lauren, surely causing his $3 million net worth to take a hit. He also must consider how close he will be able to remain to the Olympic team and the sport of swimming moving forward. Whether it be as a coach, analyst, or other industry-related position, Lochte has bridges to rebuild before his trust and reputation are restored in the swimming world and the court of public opinion. The stands in Rio were swarmed with anti-Lochte signs during the closing ceremonies, including one very recognizable image: Reputation after Swimming: As was the case with Brian Williams, Ray Rice, Pete Rose, and so on, the bad news for Lochte is that he will forever be associated with this incident. The good news is that America has proven to be a forgiving society, and with Lochte admitting fault, he can now work on turning short-term adversity into long-term advantage. We see many former professional athletes turn analyst/reporter, covering future events they once excelled in. We hope one of the most decorated Olympians of all time can take the steps needed to repair what is broken and remain close to future Olympic swimmers in 2020 and beyond shall he not return to the sport as a competitor. If not, there is always acting – just kidding. For more information on how to build, strengthen and defend your reputation, contact Fallston Group at 410.420.2001 or by email at info@fallstongroup.com.
Meltdown in Rio: Ryan Lochte
Although Ryan Lochte is at the tail end of his swimming career, the 32-year-old still has some very serious repercussions stemming from his crisis in Rio.
Active Shooter: Run, Hide, Fight
Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Follow the run, hide, fight model if you find yourself in an active shooter situation.
Second Chance Leadership with Brandon Carroll
After leading a life filled with crime, Brandon Carroll talks about how his second chance at freedom coupled with Vehicles for Change’s Full Circle Program changed his life.
Crisis: Turn Adversity into Advantage
Crisis costs time, money, customers, careers, and in the worst case of scenarios, lives. Make sure your organization has proper policies and procedures in place so when crisis strikes you can turn adversity into advantage.
Behind the Headlines With Kathy Walsh
In an interview with Cision, Fallston Group’s Director of Marketing Kathy Walsh discusses the importance of knowing what is being said about your brand, how to properly prepare for potential crises and why basic marketing principles are still relevant today.
Is Your Business Taking the Proper Steps to Minimize Digital Risk?
With technological advances, there comes a heightened technological risk. Cyber-attacks are increasing at an alarming rate, targeting almost 3 out of 4 small businesses. By putting a security plan in place, a company’s level of threat decreases dramatically. Ultimately however, leaders must take the initiative to protect their people, secure their assets and strengthen their brands!
