Everyday Ash

Most days I go into the office for work. My job is a sales job and can be done from home or the road. Sometimes I have meetings near my house and will work from home for the day. I think it can be difficult to work from home since there are tons of distractions i.e. the TV, pets, mindless snacking.

Here are some ways I have found to make working from home more productive:

1. Set-up a work-space. If you don’t have a separate office set-up your space at a dining/kitchen table. Do not sit in front of the TV or on your bed/couch.

2. Take planned breaks. Do not get up every five minutes to see what’s to eat or take your dog out.Schedule time for a coffee break or to take a stroll around the block. Fresh air is a good way to regroup.

3. Get dressed. This may seem silly but coming from someone who worked exclusively from home, it’s easy to stay in your PJs all day. I promise, if you shower and at least put on jeans and a t-shirt you’ll feel better and more productive.

4. Schedule meetings out of the “office.” Meet a friend or better yet a client for lunch. If you’re an outside sales rep you should be on the road a majority of the time. If not, use social media and other online tools, like Skype to connect with the outside world.

5.  Leave work at the office. This is difficult to do since your office is your home. Do not work while cooking/eating dinner or spending time with your family. It’s good to have time when you’re not working!

We had a vendor come in yesterday to share some of his new items for 2013. One of things I like about the business is how cute some of the products are – like let me steal that sample and use it for myself cute.

Here are some items I would like to add to my closet:

I always like to purchase a new beach/pool bag for the summer. And, I love the fact that you can use these beach bags for overnight trips or the gym. I think the stripes are super fun and the cottony material is a plus.

If you’ve seen one baseball cap you’ve seen them all, right? The nice thing about caps is you can really get creative with customization: embroidery, stitching, tags etc. I really like the style of this cap! It’s tonal plaid. The picture doesn’t do it justice – you would have to see a sample.

My IPad case is looking pretty worn these days. So I wouldn’t mind taking home this 360 degrees rotating case. It works well for presentations, typing, or watching movies. I like the suede material – fashionable yet high-tech.

Did you know the first day of spring is this month? Are you ready for warm weather, flip-flops and Spring Training?

Here are some of my favorite items to ring in spring!

Bright colored headphones are so fun for spring! This triangle case is a great size to travel with, and it keeps them from getting tangled up.

As the temperatures rise, so should your water intake. Why not encourage employees to drink more water in style with this Contigo water bottle? It has an easy grip handle and push button opening.

Sunglasses are always popular items to hand out at fairs/concerts or employee functions. Who doesn’t enjoy sporting shades with a little pizzazz?  Awesome!

Looking for a more retail gift? How about this portable Bluetooth speaker? While it’s a great item for the beach or pool, your sales team can also use it for presentations! A fun and productive item – you can’t beat that!

I thought this was a great article to share with you today:

Best Advice: Down But Not Out

The article discusses the importance of losing and more importantly your attitude toward losing. We are so focused on doing our best, when something goes wrong we often dwell on the negative. It’s so important to remain positive and continue to look forward. When I think about sales, it’s so up and down, and very easy to focus on the times when sales are slow. The article references a basketball game and how Peter Guber, the owner of the Golden State Warriors received great advice from the President of the Miami Heat, Pat Riley. The Warriors were losing a game, and Peter Guber was visibly upset on TV.  Riley called Guber and said “don’t do that; losing is part of the game” and told him how important it is to remain positive for your team even when you’re losing.

Since it’s the first day of March, I think it’s something I will focus on for this month. Let’s also remind ourselves that “failure drives success.”

I’ve never been very good at getting the recommended 8 glasses of water per day. We all know the benefits of water but for some reason we reach for coffee, soda,  or juice first.

The best way to get enough water is to have a full water bottle with you at all times. Especially for people who are always on the go.  The problem is that I always have to purchase new bottles of water because the tap water in Arizona is not so tasty. I recently started using the Bobble and it’s awesome! Why you ask?

• It filters your water  - nasty water be gone!!!
• I save $$ by not purchasing a new water bottle every day
• They’re fashionable – they come in a variety of trendy colors
• They’re flexible – they’re easy to throw in your carry-on when you travel

And most importantly….

• You can brand them!

I think they make great wellness items. One of the best ways to get employees to start their wellness journey is to have them drink more water! And what a fun item to give out! Wouldn’t you want one?