Podcasts about welcome packet

Onboarding a new team member has turned into a very transactional process. In this episode, Tiff and Monica discuss how to add authenticity, connection, and engagement to the mix. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:01) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. Welcome back. I am just so happy to have all of you. know there are so many people out there that support the Dental A Team in so many amazing ways. And you guys being here downloading these podcasts and having that little, I know Apple allows the like auto download. I always love that. Cause when I'm on flights, I can just, you know, podcast. But you guys being here.   pushing those through for us, being here to just support who we are, what we do is so truly incredible, whether you're a client, a future client, or someone who's just here to listen and you're like, ⁓ you know, never gonna sign up, we don't really have a preference of how you get to us. We just love that you're here. We wanna deliver all of the most amazing information that we possibly can. You might notice we share a lot of information, a lot of tips and tricks, a lot of like, I don't know, feel like, Monica, I feel like they're like.   secrets, trade secrets, right? And people are like, gosh, I'll just listen to your podcast. I'm like, fantastic, do that, do that. When you're ready for someone like Monica, who I have here with us today, you guys, to be like, I'm gonna push you a little bit further. She's here, we're here, and we're ready to help you get to that next level. And as I said, you guys, this is a truly, truly exciting day for us. I have Monica back on the podcast with me today. I am so excited to have you here, Monica. I know.   Monica Gomez (00:57) ⁓ yeah.   The Dental A Team (01:20) Previously, I've kind of given a good spiel of who you are and how we found you. And we got to record a podcast, if you haven't listened to it yet, about this really hiring tips and strategies. But there's so much to learn about Monica, her coaching style and who she is in that episode. So if you haven't listened to it yet, go do that. And as an introduction today, Monica, welcome. I'm so excited to have you here. And I just I'm excited to pick your brain. love I love watching.   I feel like I get to watch the flow of how thoughts come to you and it's just really fun and I love our time together. Thank you for blocking out your morning and being here with me this morning and Monica, how are you? How was your weekend? How's life? How's Monica?   Monica Gomez (02:05) ⁓ Life is great and I'm starting off my week with podcasting with you ⁓ and this is so fun. This is my second podcast and I'm so excited to be here. Our first one was really, there was a flow to it, right? It was a ⁓ great little conversation, valuable. We dropped lots of gems, you guys, so go listen to that podcast and I'm excited to be sharing this space again with you, Tish. Thank you for having me.   The Dental A Team (02:21) Yeah.   Thank you, thank you. I do love this and it actually makes me think this is like a little off topic here, but just for a smidgen of time. love the podcast space with you consultant ladies ⁓ on our team because I love that this is a space where I get to, I think I get to share how much I love you guys. Like how much admiration I have, how much I look up to you guys and get to like extract so much.   knowledge and input from you. And I think this is our space of like, truly having some connection time. And we have our one on ones, I mentioned that before, but those are so goal driven and work driven. It makes me think I love relationship and community. And I think that's something that humans are learning again, we're relearning that we need that. I think we lost that for a moment of time here recently and   in the years and we're coming back to that. You kind of don't know what you have until you lose it sometimes and we lost that space. And I think this is our space of true community. We do have our weekly meetings, we have our one-on-ones, we have our data-driven, work-driven time together, but the podcasting space is actually really special to me because I do get to, I get to get to like, want, we get to put you guys out there and I get to just spend this time with you.   And it makes me think you mentioned something on the last podcast that we had recorded together. You mentioned that intentional team time together and that like just clicked. As you're talking, like it clicked for me. This is our intentional time together and instilling that into, infusing that into the workplace. It's really special. And I want doctors and owners and leaders and anyone who's here, dental assistants, treatment coordinators, I don't care who you are. I want you to...   know from the bottom of my heart, this is a really special place and you don't need to go start a podcast unless you want to. But having that intentional time, like coffee time, like go in the break room and have coffee together and talk about your weekend. Like me getting to hear about Monica's family life and Charlie, her puppy, getting to know those pieces of you personally, it changes and it shifts our dynamic. So I wanted to highlight that because as you were speaking, I was like, my gosh, this is   Monica Gomez (04:44) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (04:57) something we haven't had yet because this is only our second podcast together, but that I know I do have with the other consultants and it just totally clicked for me because we just, think, mentioned that in the last one. So Monica, thank you for being here. Thank you for letting me say all that and for giving me this intentional time today.   Monica Gomez (05:15) Yeah, thanks, Tiff. Yeah, I think ⁓ this time together, we get to peek, a little peek behind the veil, right? And yeah, we do have a lot of connection time. It's structured time, right? But the value of unstructured time is just gold. is, ⁓ it builds trust, it builds ⁓ camaraderie, it builds affinity, it builds ⁓ an endearing, right? An endearing kind of sense of   The Dental A Team (05:23) Yeah.   Yeah.   Monica Gomez (05:44) of viewing the other person in a different light. So yeah, I think this is a powerful, like meaningful time. I agree with you. I agree with everything that you said. This is definitely a special magical space. Yeah.   The Dental A Team (05:53) Yeah.   Yeah, thank you.   Awesome. Well, thank you for being here. And again, if you didn't listen to the last podcast, I know this is the third or fourth time we're saying it. You should. This is kind of I think Monica actually helped me choose today's topics that she wanted to speak on. I think they actually naturally flow together. So I would maybe even listen to this one after the last one or listen to this one. And then I don't care which order you do it in, but listen to both of them is my is my point here, because today we really we're going to talk about onboarding.   Monica Gomez (06:07) You   The Dental A Team (06:28) And you can onboard anyone, but I think maybe when we add in onboarding the right team member, because the last podcast we recorded was really how to hire the right team member and hiring with intentionality and meaning behind it. And the onboarding, Monica, I think has to flow off of that. If we're not continuously showing up as the person we wanted to hire, like we talked about in the last one.   If we show up in the interview space and we're like, this is who I want you to be, but then we're onboarding and we're like, meh, meh. We're like, this is boring person and we want somebody who's dynamic and fun and engaging and speaking to the patients, but we're like, not that person. I think it makes a huge difference. So Monica, as you've trained people, as you've onboarded, you've trained practices to do this, what are some key highlights that you like to infuse into the onboarding process?   Monica Gomez (07:16) Yeah, great topic. And I agree, this one goes hand in hand with our previous podcast. know, onboarding traditionally has been very much transactional, right? Here's your cubby, here's what you do, here's where you sit, here's how you answer the phones, right? We've got to move. Well, there's a part of it that has to be transactional because you have to learn, you know, what your job is and, you know, the daily to do's.   But I think if we lead with that, it's a mistake. ⁓ As I mentioned before, and we talked about how the workforce has changed, ⁓ and we're leading with connection and engagement and authenticity and all those components that make us unique, I think we, I really feel that we need to move.   from a transactional place to a transformational or transcendental. ⁓ It's gotta be more about behaviors, right? And how we wrap our arms around like this new person that's joining our little family, right? How would you like to be welcomed into a team that would make you feel welcome and received with open arms and warmth? That's how we have to welcome our new people.   The Dental A Team (08:19) Yeah.   Monica Gomez (08:37) You know, we've invested so much time and energy in interviewing our job post, our, you know, filtering our candidates, interviewing, that whole hiring process, offer letter, the whole nine yards. And then we just throw them in, sink or swim. We've got to add, we've got to be intentional and we've got to add more value to the onboarding piece because, you know, people sometimes are left thinking like, gosh,   The Dental A Team (08:55) Yeah.   Monica Gomez (09:06) this is not the place that I thought it was gonna be, right? Like make it the place that you post it on your job ad, right? Like create, you get to be the creator. You're the co-creator, right? This is your platform. Like what do you wanna create for your new people, right? And I think transaction.   It's always part of our industry and in the workforce, right? There is a transactional piece to working. ⁓ But again, that humanist, right? And so one great tip, I'll start with one tip and I'll turn it over to you, Tiff. ⁓ One great tip is have a welcome packet for your team, right? A t-shirt, their name tag, little, you know, if you picked up little sprinkles of who they are and what they like in the interview, like,   The Dental A Team (09:53) Mm.   Monica Gomez (10:04) put together a nice little welcome basket for them, a pen post-it, a nice little saying. I think that's, wow, I mean, that's super impactful on their first day, right? Like, welcome to the team and have everybody go around at Morning Huddle and just give a little shout out as, you know,   The Dental A Team (10:12) Yeah.   I love that. Yeah.   Monica Gomez (10:31) how valuable it is to have a new team member. I think that's super simple and important.   The Dental A Team (10:37) Yeah, I love that. think you hit on something really important there. It's really that feeling of being welcomed, coming into a new space is, I mean, we don't even like going to a party unless we know, a dinner party, unless we know everybody who's gonna be there, right? We're like, I only know two people. Like, is that enough? Right? I got a text from a friend the other day that was, know, or not the other day, it's been a bit, but for, you know, Halloween. And then she's like, I gotta go to this thing with my husband. And like, I don't know anybody. And I was like, okay, like this is, we're all coming into this dinner party not knowing.   anybody else, even if you've done working interviews, you still don't know them. So I love that really just toning in on the personal piece and the relationship, because if you can have a relationship with them, you can, you know, build that camaraderie just from the get go. I think they actually retain information and onboard quicker as well. So I love that. Yeah.   Monica Gomez (11:26) It's hard being an adult, you know? It's hard being an adult. And I think   in the practice, you know, just circling back to our topic on our previous podcast, fun is really important. We forget to have fun as adults, you know? And gosh, you know, think of it like you're in the sandbox again. See through young eyes, see through young eyes. Put those lenses on and just remember what it is to just play in the sandbox.   with your friends, right? And have like that pureness of intention and that pureness of heart and spirit. I think it's just easier when you can kind of connect to that space to welcome others in. And they'll say, I love that you're here. Welcome to the team. How can I make your week and your integration easier? I think that's a gem right there. That's...   The Dental A Team (11:56) Yeah. Yeah.   Mm-hmm.   Monica Gomez (12:23) super valuable for the person receiving and also for the person that's delivering.   The Dental A Team (12:28) I agree. I was thinking,   as you said, you said it's hard being an adult And I thought, yeah, I remember just being like, do you want to swing? Like, there's two, like, do you want to swing with me? Like, that's, we don't do that anymore. Yeah. It was easy. Now it's like, we go to, we're in the same Pilates class 10 times and I'm still like, do I talk to you? Do I not talk to you? And it's like, goodness gracious. So yeah, like just, do you want to swing? Like just, let's just have fun with it. I love that. ⁓   Monica Gomez (12:34) Yeah.   It's easier to fix ones.   The Dental A Team (12:53) And so Welcome Packet is beautiful. if you guys like put it together, it could even be like ⁓ a welcome note card. Like, hey, excited to have you. Like everybody, we write thank you cards to our patients or we write condolence cards or happy birthday or happy anniversary. Like, congrats on your wedding. We write these cards and I've seen them in multiple practices. So I know a lot of people do them. You pass them around to all the team members or the happy birthday for the team members, right? Everybody writes on the card and it's like this little message.   You could do it as simply as that. Like, hey, Monica's starting on Monday, guys. Like, it's Thursday. Let's wrap this up. Let's get this like welcome card together and a candy bar or a little ⁓ bouquet of flowers, like four carnations. Like, it doesn't have to be difficult. It doesn't have to be robust or like over the top. Just speak to who you are and who they are. I love that. And Monica, something you said was we were kind of prepping for this was you don't have to have it all together. And I loved that because we've saw many podcasts on   Monica Gomez (13:33) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (13:49) operations manual and it's fantastic. And I agree with an operations manual and practices come to us and they're like, Monica, we need an operations manual, help us build it. It's like, okay, yes. And it's super cool. Also, it's not a requirement. You can onboard, you can train, you can have them help you build the operations manual while you're training. Don't hold yourself back from onboarding someone successfully.   Monica Gomez (14:01) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (14:17) because you feel like things are missing and I love that you said that. Now, on that same aspect, a job description, super simple, to put together a job description of who they are, how they show up and what their targets are per position and then build off of that to say like, hey, in the first week, two weeks, 30 days and then kind of go from there. Now, implementally, how do you build the action out for...   for teams like that, because I'm an aggriance. I love an operations manual. I think it's great, but it's not end all be all. And just because we get through an operations manual and your consulting journey does not mean you're done. You're set for success and nothing's ever going to happen. I think there's a lot of, we could go on a tangent about operations manuals. We won't today. But how do you do that with your practices you're working with?   Monica Gomez (15:06) Yeah, I mean, I think people ⁓ absorb information and they learn differently. And I think it's really important that we hit on all three things. It's auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. The operations manual or the training manual is valuable, Because it's a resource that you can go to to reference and get a refresher. ⁓ But that shouldn't be your onboarding technique, right? That's like, OK, here you go. Here's the written. ⁓   The Dental A Team (15:31) Yeah.   Monica Gomez (15:35) proof or reference book of what you already learned, right? It is the outcome of your training. ⁓ I think, you know, onboarding can be simple and we make it complicated because everything has to be in writing nowadays and there's value to that. ⁓ But really your team, the biggest piece of ⁓ an employee staying within those 90 days is how we onboarded them.   The Dental A Team (15:49) Yeah.   Monica Gomez (16:04) Did we just give them manual or written instructions and say, okay, here it is, go do it? Or did we say, okay, this week, part of your onboarding is that you're gonna spend time with every single person in this practice in the various roles, including the doctor. You're gonna sit in and listen to the exams and the x-ray take and the hygienist. And you're really gonna understand all the makings of this practice.   it's important that we understand everyone's role and how we contribute to the entire team. So I always recommend that you hire someone and the first three days, break it up. Three, by the way, is a magical number for me. I love everything in series of threes. So three is easy to remember, three things versus five or even four, right? So three days in each role.   And have that person that's learning write down the most impact. What did you learn in these three days sitting with a hygienist? Or what do you want to know more about? This will spark their curiosity. Don't give them a script. Allow them to of grasp the topics and let their curiosity ⁓ be the lead. Take the lead on.   Here's what I want to know more about, or I don't really understand this, or gosh, I didn't know that, right? ⁓ And that goes for experienced employees or people that are new to the industry, right? That's my recommendation. Allow them to spend three days in every single role, like the journey of onboarding, right? Like, I think it's super valuable. And then... ⁓   The Dental A Team (17:33) Yeah.   Fisher.   Monica Gomez (17:53) Again, they could be kind of co-creating your manual with you because what they bring back, the knowledge that they bring back, chances are somebody else is going to have that same curiosity or those same questions, right? Yeah, I think that's a really simple tip. And those also that feedback could be part of your 30, 60, 90 day growth plans. And here's what you're really great at, right? I always like to look at   The Dental A Team (18:05) Yeah.   Monica Gomez (18:23) Think about the growth plan like a sandwich, right? Like there's the beginning, the middle, and the end. And so here's where you are, right? ⁓ Here's where, ⁓ actually, here's your role. Here's where you currently are, and here's where we would like for you to be. And like, what are the steps to get there, right? That should be part of your growth plan, your 30, 60, 90 day growth plan, along with the job description. Yeah, I think, you know,   using the job description like you mentioned as a tool, right, to guide people and also for us to understand like, what are they really great at? What are they really proud of, you know, in this job role? And what do they want to know more about? I think ⁓ I ⁓ one great way to kind of get familiar with someone's knowledge, experience and their desire to grow or learn more about is take the   The Dental A Team (19:04) Thank   Monica Gomez (19:21) the skills and ability portion of the job role and say, tell me three things that you're really great at, that you're really proud of, that you just are an expert in. And then three things that ⁓ you wanna know more about, not weak, right? Things that you don't, let's take that, negative verb out of it, just say three things that you're curious about or three things that you wanna sharpen your skills at. That tells you a lot about their qualifications. ⁓ And I'm really an advocate of ⁓   The Dental A Team (19:24) Mm-hmm.   Yeah. Yes.   Monica Gomez (19:51) eliminating the over-educating and over-matching. This exercise is a great way to kind of level set who your person is, like what's in their brain, right? Like, are you curious about? So I think that's part of like the co-creation of the onboarding and the collaboration, right? This is a partnership, we're in this together. What can I do to help you help me?   The Dental A Team (20:02) Yeah.   Yeah.   Monica Gomez (20:16) and stay. think it's intentional and it is ⁓ structured in a way that's unstructured.   The Dental A Team (20:29) Yeah, for sure. And I think that what you're saying there that co-creation also makes me think of ⁓ like collaborating and co-creating with the people who are going to be doing the training. So if you're not the one who's going to be, if you're an office manager and you're not training this person hands on 100 % of the time, then enlist the team members too. So if this person's job is   I don't know, front desk check-in and she or he has this laundry list of 20 different things that they've got to learn in the series of these 90 days or 30 days or however long you parcel that out for who's helping with those things and allow them to co-create too. And I think what you're saying, the three days, it's like, great, you're learning to answer the phones and confirm appointments. That's what you're doing for three days. You're answering the phone. So you're answering the phones and you're delivering that   patient to whomever, right? You're transferring that patient to whomever they need and you're doing confirmation calls for three days. And then stack on top of that, anything, something you said there, the co-collaborating and the kind of doing it together, but also then enlisting outside perspectives to see what flows together. Because a lot of times our job doesn't necessarily start to end flow in this perfect, beautiful space. Sometimes it's like,   well, I'm doing phones, but I'm doing emails, and I'm doing phones, but I'm checking patients out. And those are very like stark contrasting pieces. And so if we're like jumping them around or trying to do it in what a day might look like, that's very confusing. And it's overwhelming because your brain doesn't operate in that way. You can and you will and you will multitask and they will get it. But when you're learning, you've got to learn succinctly in a flow that makes sense. So you can't start with   Monica Gomez (22:03) and overwhelming.   The Dental A Team (22:18) checking a patient out if you also want them to be doing confirmation calls. Like you've got to find, like you said, your start, your middle and your end and making sure that those pieces flow together and having that outside perspective I think can definitely help. Something you mentioned was those like check-ins. So you're having those conversations with them. So that in itself right there, you guys, if you're not, I want you to pull these action items out too because that in itself, that's an action item. So make sure you've got job descriptions.   make sure you've got some semblance of flow on the pieces that they're responsible for, and then you're checking in with them. And I think frequent check-ins are really smart. We do them in our company with onboarding and we continue them kind of as long as we possibly can forevermore. We do these check-ins because I wanna know where they're at. don't, not necessarily like, did you do this thing? I wanna know like Monica, where are you at today? ⁓   Personally, who are you and where are you at today? Like are we still in alignment because that's the space I think Especially being new to a team. I'm not gonna say I'm not always gonna say hey, I Didn't get this or hey, I need help or hey I'm falling behind or I feel overwhelmed or this is a lot because I don't want to look like I can't do it But if my manager or my lead is like, hey check in how are things going? And I'm like, I think I'm getting it. I think I need more time on this   That's way better than being like, I'm overwhelmed. Like that feels better to me to be like, cool, there's space to have a conversation about this. I'm not complaining or feeling weak or looking as though I can't accomplish something. You are giving the space as a check-in to just be like, hey, tell me where you're at. Okay, great, take the space, take the time, go learn it. Or if I need to show you again, I can.   Monica Gomez (24:08) Yeah, I love that. I love everything that you said. think, ⁓ you know, words create our story, right? And so if we're asking, like, how's it going? ⁓ Are you struggling with anything? ⁓ Our minds automatically go to that negative place, right? So you get to be the creator of the script.   Right. And so if we're saying, Hey, by the way, I heard you answering the phone start, like, listen for the good stuff, right? The good behaviors. Gosh, you were amazing. Greeting that patient. my gosh. I am so proud of you. You are totally getting this and you know, how's everything else going? Right. If you start with that excitement and something positive, that person's already in that positive mindset and it's all about mindset. Right. And if we're concerned that they're not getting it, they're not going to get it.   assume that they are, assume that they are getting it. So gosh, you are, I know you're doing amazing. Tell me all the good stuff. Start.   The Dental A Team (25:10) Yeah, assume good intent, right? Always. We see that constantly. Assume   good intent. I think, Monica, you saying this right here makes me think.   Relationships are relationships, I say that all the time. They just look a little bit different. Like my relationship with Erin is a little bit different than my relationship with you, but my communication skills are gonna be super, they're gonna be the same with the right words, right? So I'm not gonna, communication is communication. And so what we do is we say, okay, this is how you sell a treatment plan. This is how you project to your patients to get them to schedule. And you always start with a positive. You don't ask for a review by saying,   how did everything go today? You say like, oh my gosh, that seemed, you how amazing was your appointment today? Like you're infusing these words in there to get the mindset, but then we don't copy and paste that always into everything that we do. And I think how you show up for anything is how you show up for everything. So show up for your team the same as you're expecting your team to show up for your patients because that's going to translate. And if you're like, oh, it seemed like a,   Gosh, today was a chaotic day, how did you do? It's always chaos, we're in dentistry. Dentistry is chaotic, your days are gonna be crazy. Life is chaotic, you're right, it's always going to be crazy. So saying that, gosh, was, woo, that was a rough day. How are you feeling? Well, I'm feeling really overwhelmed and I'm feeling like I made a really bad decision coming here. I think you're spot on is my point there. So that was beautiful, thank you.   Monica Gomez (26:22) Yeah. And life is chaotic. Period, right? Life is chaotic.   Yeah. And, you know, I when employees share difficult, like a difficult day, you know, like, ⁓ I had a ⁓ client last week share that their new hire said, ⁓ gosh, maybe we shouldn't, you know, ⁓ schedule two crowns back to back because that was really hard. And, you know, my back was hurting. And so, ⁓ you know, the doctor was like, she's already complaining. I'm like, well, okay. Well, how did you respond? Right. Because   The Dental A Team (27:13) Yeah, yeah.   Monica Gomez (27:14) Because, I mean, she's delivering something that's important. She's sharing and she feels comfortable enough to say, hey, that was really hard. That's really what she's saying. That was really hard, right? And so, you know, again, one of my favorite sayings is, you know, get curious, not furious, right? Don't look at it with the negative lens. It's a great way for you to validate, like, how important it is to be seen, and valued, right?   The Dental A Team (27:43) I agree.   Monica Gomez (27:43) And she was opening up because she wanted to be seen, heard, and valued. Like she wanted to be seen. Gosh, I like did those two crowns back to back. My back is hurting me. Are you even valuing that I sat there in fact, right? Even though they could have swapped off with another assistant, but she, you know, she followed him. And so, you know, and my advice was like, you should number one acknowledge that she's sharing, right?   The Dental A Team (27:55) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.   Monica Gomez (28:12) Thank you so much for sharing that. You're right, that was kind of hard. Let's talk about it as a team tomorrow. Let's find ways to alleviate that when this does happen, right? I mean, the patients wanted to start, like they're ready. Let's do it, right? But where were your other team members? Like, let's talk about this. And so seen, and valued. If you can make anyone new, ⁓ a new employee, an existing employee,   your legacy employees, if you can make them feel and create a space where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued, that's huge. That's like you, you will, your team will love you, your patients will love you because again, it's that invisible kind of energy that's flowing through your practice, right? That creates that great space for employees to wanna stay.   The Dental A Team (29:03) I agree. I totally agree. Thank you, Monica. I think this was ⁓ a really, this is just full of so many gems and ⁓ I love the actual pieces of job description, kind of the, I love your three days, spend three days on it and really just making sure you go through that job description. Look at the to-dos of that position.   Enlist the team to help you. Whoever's gonna be helping to train. I had people specific on my team that were like, these are the things you just, you're stellar at and it's gonna be easy for you to train these things. They trained those. So it doesn't have to be one person. It can be whatever you want it to look like. Just make sure it's built out. You have a plan. Preschedule check-ins. I always make sure we preschedule check-ins and you guys check in with yourself too. think Monica, you gave some really wonderful tips on really making sure that we're showing up the way that we should be.   or the way we want people to show up and really just gut checking and making sure that those things are there. And I loved this. Thank you, Monica. Thank you for your words of wisdom. Thank you for flowing off of it. This was perfect. This was divine. Thank you for helping set up this flow of podcasting today and for just bringing your insight and your wisdom and your years of experience of things that you've seen work and ideas. So thank you, Monica.   Monica Gomez (30:17) Thanks, thanks, Tiff. This is definitely a gem for me. I have so much to share and so much, I love sharing, I love brainstorming, I love sharing what works ⁓ and all the knowledge that we, all of us have, right? This is a beautiful space for us to, you know, share that. And this was so fun. Thanks for inviting me and everyone.   The Dental A Team (30:24) Yeah.   Monica Gomez (30:44) Go out and be fabulous and don't forget to have fun. Have fun.   The Dental A Team (30:48) Yes, I love that.   Thank you. Yes. Go be fabulous. That is like Trish's famous words. I love that she says that. always, I know it always makes it just like, yep, I will. Okay. No, questions. So I love it. Go be fabulous. I agree. Drop us a five star review. Let us know what you thought about this. Let us know what onboarding tips you guys have. is an easy place to find us and.   Monica Gomez (30:55) So these are the things.   The Dental A Team (31:12) get recommendations or share your tips and tricks. We really do love that. And also we're on Instagram and Facebook, all of those places. So watch us there. Watch out for us there. Thursdays, once a third Thursday, we have webinars. You guys, we're everywhere. So if you're only following the podcast, check us out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com, TheDentalATeam.com. We've got all of it listed there as well. Go find us, follow us and listen for more amazing tips from Monica and the rest of the consulting team. Thank you guys and go be fabulous.   Monica Gomez (31:40) you  

We believe one of the most underrated parts of a client journey is the intake process. This isn't about a boring list of preferences like if they prefer black over blue or which kitchen they like best. Instead, it's about asking the right questions to uncover how clients live, communicate, and make decisions. Our unique and customized client questionnaire goes FAR beyond aesthetics and dives deep into behavior, values, and lifestyle—ensuring a strong foundation for collaboration and killer design. This is how you can turn your 'welcome packet' into helping avoid client disconnects, set the tone for trust, and keep your projects on track. Have a question--click here to ask us.RESOURCE LINKS:Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - WebsiteThe best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today. The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - WebsiteA 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room. It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.Join our FREE Facebook GroupsSmall Business - Think Big - FacebookWhat They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook GroupFor designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need. Subscribe to our Newsletter ***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***Mentioned in this episode:The Design Paradigm

Grab your copy now at bit.ly/GetTemplatesNow Search 'recruit' and level up your recruiting game! Ready for the easy button on postcards? Check out www.GEOsential.com Join the free Mailer Bootcamp to send your first (or next!) 10X Mailer: www.MailerMomBootcamp.com I help Real Estate Agents develop BRANDED content that will position them as the AREA EXPERT through proven strategies to rapidly grow their business and position them as the area expert that everyone wants to work with to buy and sell their home! 2 bestselling books on Postcards for Real Estate Agents are available on Amazon: *Success with Real Estate Mailers *Success with Just Listed & Just Sold Postcards

Think about what your clients are experiencing. (Hint - Your clients will give you these words.). Look back at their intake forms and use their words.  This episode focuses on all things involving the welcome packet that you deliver to your clients. We will talk about how to create a professional, beautifully designed welcome packet and how to use it best as well as dive into some of the specifics of what pages to include. We will also talk about a few misconceptions surrounding the welcome packet.  In this episode we answer questions like… What is the welcome packet? What is its purpose? When should the welcome packet be delivered? What must be included in the welcome packet? Here's a glance at this episode… [03:00] How the welcome package sets the stage for what it will be like working with you and gets your clients really excited for what's to come. [03:54] I share with you 2 common misconceptions about the welcome packet. (Hint: when should it be delivered and the purpose of the welcome packet) [07:40] I break down what's included in the welcome packet and how to use each piece. [26:30] I share about my favorite ways to print and source for my welcome packets so that you can print the best product for your client facing packets! Resources mentioned in this episode:  JOIN: Interior Designer's Business Blueprint FREE DOWNLOAD: 7 Habits of Highly Profitable Interior Designers FREE Masterclass: 6 Part Framework for A Thriving Interior Design Business Canva Templates - www.designersoasis.com/shop  My Favorite Client-facing Printer Paper  Zazzle Folders  

AMDG.  Just enrolled?  Considering enrolling?  Returning but feeling overwhelmed?  Today's episode is for you.  Dean of Admissions Jeanne Anne Ford and customer support supervisor Colleen Pilon share their go-to guidance on organization and inspiration for a new school year, from answering the top questions they get on repeat to tips and tricks they recommend on the regular.  Together with Bonnie and Steven, they provide practical pointers on balancing structure and flexibility.  Relevant Kolbecast episodes  105 Not Just for Special Occasions, concerning socialization  103 Above & Beyond with Nancy Nelson from the Kolbe Academy bookstore  32 Reflections of His Light with Kolbe Academy alumnae Sister Margaret Mary and Sister Anne of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa  211 Continuity & Community with advisors who discuss ways that Kolbe advisors can help that families might not have thought of  Links mentioned & related:  The chat feature that Colleen mentions is accessible on the Kolbe Academy homepage.  Schedule an appointment with a Kolbe advisor via the Academic Advising services page  Course selection support page  Welcome Packet including how to submit grade reports  Academics & Advising articles, including Scheduling Recommendations and Organizing the School Year  Kolbe Bookstore's Buy Back Program    Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  We'd be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

In today's episode, I share what to include in your client welcome packet as a social media manager so that you can up-level your client experience & start your working relationship on the right foot.    Don't forget to join the Confessions Of A Social Media Manager Newsletter for weekly goodies every Thursday & if you are looking for 1:1 Mentoring you can check out more details HERE.  Links & Resources: Grab my EXACT ClickUp Content Calendar Template Freebie: Kickstart Your Social Media Management Business Connect with Shannon on INSTAGRAM Shannon's WEBSITE Save $50 on your Social Media Management Contracts using code SHANNON22 Get 50% off your Flodesk Subscription Save 20% off your first month or year of Dubsado

OTP: Welcome Packet/Business Card This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

A welcome packet is a must-have for any business. When you are running your own business and trying to manage multiple tasks, time management and preparation are necessities. Maintaining professionalism and organization will ensure relationships with each client. In Episode 40. What To Include In Your Welcome Packet, find out what key elements you want to include. I share some great tips and share a link for a FREE Welcome Packet Template as well. When you know what to include in your welcome packet for potential clients it builds rapport and trust and shows a level professionalism that will set you apart from your competition. Don't miss this important episode! Grab the FREE welcome packet template: https://bit.ly/3g45MSc REDEFINE BUSINESS COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/redefineyourbiz INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/brittni.schroeder/ SHOWNOTES:  https://brittnischroeder.com/podcast/episode-40/  

Think about what your clients are experiencing. Hint - Your clients will give you these words Look in their clients intake form and use their words. This episode focuses on all things involving the welcome packet that you deliver to your clients. We will talk about how to create a professional, beautifully designed welcome packet and how to use it best as well as dive into some of the specifics of what pages to include. We will also talk about a few misconceptions surrounding the welcome packet.  In this episode we answer questions like… What is the welcome packet? What is it's purpose? When should the welcome packet be delivered? What must be included in the welcome packet? Here's a glance at this episode… [03:00] How the welcome package sets the stage for what it will be like working with you and gets your clients really excited for what's to come. [03:54] I share with you 2 common misconceptions about the welcome packet. (Hint: when should it be delivered and the purpose of the welcome packet) [07:40] I break down what's included in the welcome packet and how to use each piece. [26:30] I share about my favorite ways to print and source for my welcome packets so that you can print the best product for your client facing packets! Resources mentioned in this episode:  Canva Templates - www.designersoasis.com/shop  Favorite Client-facing Printer Paper (Affiliate)  Paper Source (Affiliate)  Zazzle Folders  (Affiliate)   Hey designer! Thanks for listening. When you try something using the links we provide, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. We only provide suggestions for products we actually use and recommend. Your support helps keep the podcast going. Thank you!

Katie Hays is an author, church planter, pastor, educated at MIT, Yale and Princeton: and she taught us a new word: "Fundagelical."  That's what her and I (Joey) were, before going through the scary process of faith change.  With her new book ("God Gets Everything God Wants") as the context, we discuss a variety of topics:-How we were once both convinced of our narrow view of faith being the only right one.-Accepting the bible has multiple "takes" on a particular subject and inerrancy falls a part.-How evangelicals' "gospel news" may be incomplete- Blame the "capital C church" needs to accept-The "slippery slope" of deconstruction that led to our freedom-The humility required for deconstruction.-Rarely does  one set out to deconstruct her faith. -What the church has learned from the LGBTQ community -The relentless faith and devoutness of a "deconstructed Christian."-The pain of loved ones' misunderstandings of your deconstruction  - When Joey's mom was with child (with Joey), prophesies were made about Joey by a spirit-filled prayer group of Catholic women  On a "fun scale" of 1-10, this conversation was a 10 for me.   -- Joey Kate Hays  Website / Book / Twitter / ChurchSupport the Show / Bear W/ Community The Raffle Venmo  - each dollar you send  counts as one raffle ticketJoin the Bear W/ Community for a month, each dollar for your tier counts as one raffle ticket.Bear W// Community VideoReceive "Welcome Packet" via REMIND app (you sign up. We'll send shortly after). SIgn up for Joey's "Bear Experience" The Original, 4-week Bear Group Experience -- 12 SEATS for June.Socials  Join our mailing list to keep up with everything.Joey/PWNA Instagram and TwitterJoin the PWNA Discussion Facebook GroupWe are on YouTube. PWNAcontact@gmail.com  for correspondence.ThanksTheme song, courtesy of Derek MinorOther music originally composed by Joel Hamilton and Joel Hamilton + friends.  Support the show

{actual documentary is 30 min long, time stamp available for your convenience. Our Pleasure)Bear W// Community Video Read about all this here or get our "Welcome Packet" via REMIND app (you sign up. We'll send shortly after).  Join Bear W// Community here.  The Original, 4-week Bear Group Experience -- 12 SEATS for June. (what all participants in PODCUMENTARY are discussing)*morning and evening optionsThe RaffleRead about or take part in  here.thanksBonnie Lewis of Timshel for conducting interview.Cy Lewis for the production of this episode. The Original Bear Experiment, participants of Podcumentary, thanks:Ilse Argueta, Hayden Carr, Joe Deutsch, Peter Dimmick, Hayne Griffin, Austin Hill, Bonnie Lewis, Jerry Rosell, Jim Wilhelm, Jennifer Williamson  Opening conversation with Joey: Kelly Allison and Matt Oxley, both on the BWC team.Support the show

I get to start a lovely new campaign coming up here soon so let's talk about the welcome packet that I put together for my players and why I think it's a fantastic idea! The background music you hear was written and composed by Arcane Anthems! Find his incredible work on Apple Music, Spotify, and Patreon! Thank you so much for coming along on this journey with me and for making me part of your morning routine! TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeRxSDDM/​ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thebarnowlcreative Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebarnowlcreative​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/barn_creative 

Patient experience with Welcome Packet! Here is the link to the packet to view - https://www.drpelto.com/new-patient --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/drpelto/message

Thought of the day (TOTD): Welcome Packet --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tanitalksot/support

Thought of the day (TOTD): Welcome Packet --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tanitalksot/support This podcast is powered by JewishPodcasts.org. Start your own podcast today and share your content with the world. Click jewishpodcasts.fm/signup to get started.

EPISODE 75 Are you wondering how to impress a client from the very start of your relationship? Provide them with a professional-looking welcome packet! Today I'm going to tell you what a welcome packet is and why you MUST have one. When it comes to client onboarding, this is one of those tools that every good freelancer should have. In addition to the benefits the client will get from your package, I'll also tell you why providing one to them will benefit You. In this episode, we cover: - When to send the welcome packet to the client - Important information your on-boarding package should include - Clarifying contract particulars and setting boundaries - The impression a welcome packet gives to your podcaster If you want to chat more about this topic, I would love to continue this conversation with you, over on Instagram! https://instagram.com/laurenwrighton SHOW NOTES: https://laurenwrighton.com/episode75  

Welcome packet update --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/drpelto/message

029: The Client Welcome Packet by Timothy Murenzi

I figured it out - how to send all new patients my welcome packet automatically! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/drpelto/message

Join my friends and I as we begin to explore the history of alien sightings and abductions! There is a lot to cover, so we will be continuing this topic in the next episode as well, lets get weird! 

Fusion, by Nelson Searcy.  The book is about how Searcy, a fledgling church planter in New York City began to harness the power of first-time guests at his infant church.  He began to see their first-time visit as a gift that he should celebrate.1.  Like Searcy's first-time guests who never returned, most first-time donors never give a second gift."How you respond when you've been given a gift - and what you do with the gift itself - proves just how much you really appreciate it."- Nelson Searcy2.  Know how you will thank first-time donors before you ask them to give.Most nonprofits spend far more time asking and far less time thanking.  THE biggest giving program globally, Harvard University, has more million-dollar gifts than anyone else in the world.  The majority of those givers' first gift was less than $100. (Read More Here)HOW YOU RESPOND TO FIRST-TIME DONORS CAN DETERMINE IF THEY EVER GIVE AGAIN.  ACTION STEPS:Develop a Welcome Packet    2.  Involve your board in the welcoming processGet your board to help you write thank-you's to first time donorsEducate your board to the power of celebrating first-time giftsSix Ways To Say Thank-You To First-Time DonorsGive your board great examples of good thank-you notes they can followCheat-Sheet For Writing Better Thank-You's FREE DOWNLOAD:Just recently I gave to a local charity for the first time.  I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THEIR RESPONSE!  Kristoff Cohran and Mission 3E responded to my first-time gift with a welcome packet that made me glad I gave and inspired me to give again!!  Kristoff has given me permission to share their welcome packet with you.  FREE, a gift from me (and Mission 3E!).  Use Mission 3E's packet to inspire your own.  JUST DO IT!!  MISSION 3E WELCOME PACKET DOWNLOAD HEREMORE POPULAR POSTS:How To Write A ‘Thank You' Like A BossCovid-19, Race, Unemployment And A Bridge In Honduras: What Can Nonprofits Learn? TO LISTEN!Why Your Nonprofit MUST Be Able To Describe A World Where It Is NOT NeededJust Say Thank YouLeaders Don't Go Silent In Times Of CrisisWhite-Led Nonprofits: The Race Conversation Has ArrivedGET NEW WSD NONPROFIT POSTS IN YOUR EMAIL©2020 WorldStage Development - David Oaks

Unless you’ve built your photography business specifically around one big milestone in a person’s life, I’m looking at you wedding photographers, then client retention strategies are huge. Client retention is one of my favorite topics to talk about, so listen in to learn strategies for retaining your clients as a photographer.    First of all, first impressions make a huge difference. I love bringing on a new client and then getting to send them a welcome gift. They feel appreciated, I’m leaning into one of my own personality traits, and they know that I’m serious about our time together. The same can be said for your business. Something quick and easy that reminds your client of how much they mean to you.   Then of course follow that up with under promising and over delivering. This is true for every business. If you know that you can get the deliverables to them in 24hours then let them know that the time frame is 48 to 72hours. When they get them sooner than expected they’ll be impressed and feel like they were a priority to you.    Also, set expectations up front. This can be done in the form of a Welcome Packet and initial onboarding email (Highly Recommend!) and will establish boundaries right from the beginning. Everything from hours of operation, how to communicate with you, expectations on deliverables, etc.    A welcome packet makes it so much easier to keep everyone on the same page.    If you’ve loved these tips, then listen to the entire episode to find out my absolute favorites. Client retention is huge in photography. You want to become their lifetime photographer. If they have a big milestone you want to be the first person they think to call.    If you start implementing these ideas, then you WILL be the first one they call!   In This Episode: [00:45] Thank you for joining me! [01:13] Learn about the little things you can do to retain clients. [03:45] One of my tips is to give clients a welcome gift to let them know you are glad they are working with you. [07:22] Why you should under promise and over deliver.. [07:50] Set expectations upfront so they know what they can expect when working with you. [10:41] I like to let my clients know I am thinking about them by sending them a little something for their birthday or anniversary, and it doesn’t have to be extravagant. [11:20] The next thing you can do to wow your client is to be prepared. [13:45] Let them know that you love their business the same way they love it. [14:36] My final tip is to go above and beyond for your client. [18:20] Thank you for listening! Links and Resources   Find Jenn: Success Beyond The Lens @successbeyondthelens Instagram  @successbeyondthelenspodcast Facebook | Picbabun   Grab your Boundaries Resources Editable Welcome Packet Template Pinterest Freebies

Thanks for tuning in for another episode of #15mintipswithtruessencevae over the next few weeks we will focus on creating your New Client Welcome. As always each one teach one Kong’s Queens Remain True! DUCES!!! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mskarmplexity/message

If you're an elementary teacher and you're preparing for your first day of school, this is for you! Listen to find out the 6 things I've learned to send home with my students on the first day - and get the free template downloads here: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/blog/the-first-day-of-school-welcome-packet 

One of the biggest ways to stand out as a Virtual Assistant is through providing new clients with a client welcome packet. We’re going to talk to my guest today, Amy Demone, about the importance of a client welcome packet. She has designed marketing plans, built sales funnels, strategized webinars, acted as a customer service unicorn, created membership websites, and so much more.Creating a stellar client experience is a huge part of differentiating yourself in the virtual assistant market. Their experience with you starts way before they become a client. Once your client has said yes or has been onboarded, you want to start create an even better experience to show them how you work and what it’s like to work with you. Today, we talk about:What a client welcome packet isWhat key things to include in your client welcome packetHow to shine with your client welcome packetThe one thing you can do this week to start creating your client welcome packetHead to thelaunchguild.com/podcast for more info See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Calling all senior portrait photographers! Are you offering a boutique experience that provides a valuable and memorable experience for your clients?In episode 212 of Bokeh Podcast, our hosts and special guest, Renee Bowen discuss the opportunities that providing a boutique experience can bring to your business! Listen in to learn how she created a efficient workflow that also created value proposition in her business for her clients.The audio from Workflow Wednesday episodes is from our weekly Facebook Live videos. Tune in live on Wednesdays at 2:00PM EST, at facebook.com/photogseditThe Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.Connect:richsmithphotography.net@richsmithphoto@heathersmithrsp@nathanholritz@hayleegaffinphotographersedit.com@photogseditbokehpodcast.com@bokehpodcastreneebowen.com@reneebowenJanuary's Workflow Wednesday Theme: Client ExperienceRenee's Boutique Senior Photography Experience:1. An inquiry comes through the website into Tave.2.Renee sends out a template email to the potential client with her signature Senior Portrait Magazine that includes all the pricing and information and frequently asked questions, along with links for her site and instagram (and highlights) with all the information of how and why Renee does what she does. It’s a gateway into knowing who she is - as well as sharing pricing.3. After a few emails/follow up, they're booked. This process can be automated, but Renee prefers to have a little dialogue with the client beforehand; and helps them figure out which session would be best for them.4. Once booked, Renee sends a physical Welcome Packet (includes a digital copy as well) that includes samples announcements, branded swag, and album ordering information - the most important thing here being the How To Prep info (what to wear/what to expect with hair/makeup, etc.) - A few weeks before the session, she sends out an email preparing them for the session. This includes information on what to wear, a hair and makeup guide, and any additional session information.5. The in-person ordering session is also scheduled and on the calendar.6. On the day of the shoot, hair and makeup are provided. While getting hair and makeup done, Renee is looking through the outfits the client brought, deciding which would look best at each location.7. On the evening of the session, Renee will send out a thank you email with a sneak peak and a review request while the emotion of the day is still very fresh in everyone’s minds.8. On the day of the in-person ordering session, Renee requests the parents to be present to make the major decisions (she encourages them to be present through the whole experience to enjoy the images as much as the senior) - all this communication is via email and very detailed.9. Renee walks them through the ordering and the final order is placed that day.10. Web-sized images via an app is delivered the evening of the appointment - everything they order is available in low res form so they can post on social media. (with detailed instructions on how to tag her in the caption).11. Order goes into production; 99% of her clients buy an album, she then uses fundy to design the album. (All her prints and products are done by WHCC)12. Album proofs are sent, along with any other proofs (announcements, collages)13. Once approved, everything goes to print.14. Items arrive and she make social media posts about them or blogs; she will always do an insta story video of the album! (She has highlights on her instagram for albums and “grad swag”.)15. Everything is packaged in branded packaging and client picks up.Links:reneebowen.cominstagram.com/reneebowenTave.comRenee's Makeup GuideRenee's Facebook Group See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tony Self, Executive Director and Co-Founder of STORGY talks to me about STORGY's latest project, Shallow Creek. Shallow Creek is a short story competition running from May 31, 2018 to August 31, 2018. Entrants to the competition are provided a Welcome Packet to Shallow Creek, with information on the town, their selected towns person and more. The entry fee is £10 (approx $13 USD) STORGY Magazine is offering free entry to the Shallow Creek Short Story Competition for up to 50 low/no-income writers. We will receive applications for free entries until 31 July 2018. STORGY Magazine will grant eligible applicants free entry on a first come first-served basis. To find out more information and to enter the Shallow Creek Short Story Competition, go to: https://storgy.com/shallowcreek/ https://twitter.com/ColtMallum To find out more about STORGY, go to: https://storgy.com/ https://www.facebook.com/morest0rgy/ https://twitter.com/morestorgy https://www.instagram.com/morestorgy/

OurSimpleTraining.com MONDAY NIGHT CALL: Balancing Sponsoring & Team Care For Growth with Madison Goodyear, YL Platinum You’ve enrolled them, now what? If you’re contemplating what to put together for welcome packages and follow up mailings, we’re going to hit that on this Monday Night Call! Many sponsors will enroll a person then never contact the new member again because they do not know what to do for follow up education – instead they do nothing. Crazy! Showing people the benefits of our products and how to get the most out of what they have creates loyal customers and long term business builders. It’s not mystery, you just have to set a simple system up for your group and stay consistent. Monday night’s guest is Platinum leader Madison Goodyear, she is going to share her follow up program PLUS other success tips that will keep you in momentum towards your goals! What you’ll learn: What is the “dangerous trap of management mode” and how to avoid it. Time management hacks that keep you focused on income producing When to hire help in the office and what tasks they should do EXACTLY what to teach to keep people ordering on a steady basis vs a few times a year What is in the Welcome Packet and subsequent mailings

Why use a welcome packet What's included in a welcome packet When do you send a prospect a welcome packet How do you update your welcome packet When shouldn't you use a welcome packet How do you get started? What tools do you use to create a welcome packet?

Intro   Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect middle grade readers between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a 5th grade teacher, a mom of two girls, and enjoying a gloriously (and weirdly) warm Winter Break. It hit 70 degrees today. In Syracuse. In February. Hey - I’ll take it! This is Episode #18 and today we have a interview with genre fiction book critic Paul Goat Allen, I’ll discuss three novels featuring spunky female leads, and then I’ll answer a question about the books featured on our last episode on March Book Madness. Main Topic - Interview with Paul Goat Allen Today on the show I am welcoming book critic extraordinaire, genre fiction writing professor, writer, and my husband - Paul Goat Allen!   Here are some of the books we talking about in the interview segment of today’s episode: Fenway & Hattie by Victoria Coe Wings of Fire Series by Tui Sutherland Harry Potter Series by JK Rowlings Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson Ghost by Jason Reynolds Percy Jackson Series  by Laurel Snyder Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart Lord of the Flies by William Golding A Canticle for Leibowtiz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkein The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock The Earthsea Trilogy  by Ursula K. Le Guin The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkein The elements on the  “The Genre Fiction Book Reviewer’s Hierarchy of Needs” Readability (narrative clarity, fluidity,a coherent storyline, brisk pacing)   Immersion (focus on world building, overall description) Characters Depth ( three dimensional , interesting, and emotionally connective characters) Plot Intricacy (Impressively constructed storyline replete with plot twists) Originality & Innovation (innovative narrative element - unconventional protagonist, new twist on an old mythos, etc.)   The Message (profound, spiritual, existential enlightenment) Book Talk - Three Novels Featuring Spunky Girls In this part of the show, I share with you three books centered around a theme and discuss three things to love about each book. This week I’ll be talking about three fantastic contemporary debut middle grade novels featuring female protagonists who are full of spirit and determination. Even if, for a couple of them, it takes some time to embrace and harness that inner courage. The books this week are Gertie’s Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley, Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom by Booki Vivat, and A Rambler Steals Home by Carter Higgins. Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom This week, I’ll be going in order of release date so I’ll start with the September 2016 debut Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom by Booki Vivat. Doesn’t that subtitle perfectly capture that middle school feeling where everything seems awful but the adults in your life just blow it off as no big deal?  That is precisely the problem the main character, Abbie Wu, faces as she grapples with starting middle school. To Abbie, middle school is just another awful “middle” thing - like the middle seat in the car, the Middle Ages, and… being the middle child. She is stuck between her soccer star perfect older brother and her cute can’t do anything wrong younger sister. I knew this book was a winner when my daughter started reading it over my shoulder. Here are three things to love about Frazzled:   How perfectly this book captures the frustrations of that first middle school year. Like the awful lunches, that awkward feeling of not knowing the kids in your class, and not knowing which electives to pick. Abbie’s two best friends are Logan, genius gamer kid who joins the Coding Club. And Maxine, confident Teen Vogue reader who, of course, chooses drama as her elective. But Abbie doesn’t have a clear “thing” that’s she good at like her friends and so she gets stuck in the doldrums of Study Hall where eventually she becomes the center of a Lunch Revolution.    Frazzled is fun to read! Now, I love a heavy, deep books, but with the world as complicated as it is right now, it is a joy to jump into such a book that makes me laugh out loud. There are playful and clever illustrations on every page, and I love Booki Vivat’s hand lettered style to the drawings with different textures and patterns to the words. And the self-deprecating honesty of Abbie’s character and how she describes the personalities of her family and teachers is just perfect. This is the type of humor that adults and teachers will like, too. Well - at least I did, anyway! I guess I can’t speak for anyone else! For example, here’s Abbie describing her new Vice-Principal:  “A woman in a frumpy suit walked up to the podium and introduced herself. Mrs. Kline looked nice, but she also looked really tired, kind of like the “before” version of ladies on those makeover shows or like one those grown-ups who always complains about needing coffee.”    How Frazzled handles anxiety with a light touch. I read a statistic recently that anxiety is the number one mental health issue facing kids today. From what I observe in my own classroom - it is A BIG problem. And I appreciate that a kids’ book tackles it from a place of humor. For example, the giant “Welcome Packet” that arrives from Poindexter Middle School that has Abbie’s mom excited about school shopping has Abbie in near panic mode from information overload. Abbie has nightmares before school starts and attempts to stay home from school. Her Aunt tries to get her to meditate.  At one point, Abbie says, “Like whenever we talk about school, Mom always tells me the same things over and over again - “It’ll be great!”, “Nothing to worry about!”, “Just be yourself!” - as if saying it will somehow make it more true.”   For a worrier like Abbie, when you are surrounded by ever cheerful people telling you that “Everything will work out for the best!” it can feel like you are not even being heard.   Frazzled is a fantastic book for kids dealing with everyday middle school frustrations and anxieties. AND - I hear there is a second book coming out September 26th, 2017 so keep that on your radar!   Gertie’s Leap to Greatness Our next debut middle grade book featuring a determined female protagonist was released in October of 2016 - Gertie’s Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley. This book, and this girl, just worked their way into my heart last fall.  Gertie is one of those kids that you just want to yank from the pages and take home with you. She lives in an Alabama town with her father and her Great Aunt Rae. Her mother, basically abandoned her when she was a baby, but she still lives in the same town. However, Gertie is rocked to find out that her mother is getting married and moving away. So - she has this mission to become the greatest 5th grader ever. To show up at her mother’s door and just say, “Ha! I don’t need you anyway!” Well, obviously, things don’t go as planned. Especially when an overachieving new girl shows up - literally in Gertie’s seat - to thwart her plans. Here are three reasons why I adored Gertie’s Leap to Greatness:   Her Great Aunt Rae. This lady is gold. She is Gertie’s main caretaker since her dad is on an oil rig for weeks at a time. She lets her have Twinkies for breakfast and every day as Gertie leaves for school, she calls out “Give ‘em hell, baby!” And there’s a moment toward the end when she has Gertie’s back in such a fierce way. Every kid should have Aunt Rae! How well this book understands how kids can turn on each other - or as Gertie says, they’re “fickle”! I teach 5th grade and can attest - those social dynamics can be complicated. One day things are good and then the social landscape shifts and you are on the outs with your former friends. Even Gertie has this moment when she says an unforgivably awful thing to Audrey - the 5 year old her Aunt Rae baby-sits. And she has to come to terms with that. The Swiss Chocolate Meltdown. Oh. My. God!!  I know it was wrong, but I just wanted to cheer! I don’t want to say too much but it reminded me of the chocolate cake scene in Matilda. Oh, it’s good! Read the book just for that scene!   Kate Beasley’s Gertie’s Leap to Greatness is a fun and touching story that’s like a beautiful blend of Ramona and Raymie Nightingale.  These three girls would absolutely be friends - or drive each other crazy. Either way, there would be an adventure. I don’t think this one is scheduled to have a sequel, but I for one would love to jump back into Gertie’s world again.   A Rambler Steals Home The final book this week is A Rambler Steals Home - Carter Higgins’ middle grade debut. Even though I read it during one of the worst snowstorms we’ve had up here in New York, it immediately swept me away to hot Virginia summers filled with baseball and frog-catching.  The story centers around the traveling Clark family - the dad, Garland, the young brother named Triple, and our main character - 11 year old Derby. Their family drives around in a Rambler car, selling Christmas trees in the winter and selling hot chocolate and gingersnaps and apple cider and cinnamon sugar donuts out of an old concession stand trailer. But - in the summers, they make their home in Ridge Creek, Virginia where they set up a concession stand in the parking lot of a minor league baseball team. But this summer, Derby is confronted with some difficult changes and some secrets to uncover. Here are three things to love about A Rambler Steals Home: The sweet, homey pace of the story. Now - don’t get me wrong - I do not mean that the storytelling is slow but rather we savor the details of eating an oatmeal cookie on a front porch. We linger over sweet potato fries and a swipe of Christmas Nutmeg lipstick. This is the perfect book to read stretched out in a backyard hammock. The names are awesome! Carter Higgins has that same magical knack for naming characters as Kate DiCamillo. So, I already mentioned Garland, Triple, and Derby. Derby’s middle name, by the way, is Christmas. But we also have Goose and Scooter and Ferdie and the Skipper and Betsy and Lollie. And of course, a banjo named Twang. How perfect is that?  And not only do these characters have fabulous names, but you enjoy spending time with them. They are the kind of people you just want to surround yourself with in your own life. The gorgeous, poetic, twangy flavor of the language. Like this line describing the baseball team: “The Rockskippers scattered the field in their blue-and-whites while they stretched and spat and scratched.” This book is heart-warming and charming and one you and your kids won’t want to miss. It is due to be released Tuesday, February 28th - the day after this episode is out so tomorrow - head over to your favorite bookstore and grab yourself a copy. So if your middle grade girls - and guys! - are looking for a novel with a spunky female lead, they will really like Gertie’s Leap to Greatness , Frazzled, and A Rambler Steals Home. Q & A Our last segment of the show is Question & Answer time.   Question: After our last episode about March Book Madness was released, I posted a picture on Twitter featuring last year’s tournament bracket from my class to give an example of what a starting bracket could look like. And one of our followers, Eric Carpenter, replied “hope you talk about why only one of these 16 books in this bracket is by a POC. #OwnVoices “   Answer: So - absolutely.  And just so you all can picture what Eric was referring to, I’ll add a photo of that bracket to the shownotes and the website, but here are the list of the 16 books included on that bracket: The One and Only Ivan, The Honest Truth, I Funny, Big Nate, Hatchet, Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, Home of the Brave, Auggie & Me, The Crossover, The Hunger Games, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Smile, Flying Solo, El Deafo, Wonder, and Sunny Side Up. So - he’s right. The Crossover is the only book on that list from a person of color. So - why is that? I’ll start by describing how those books were chosen and then analyzing why there might be a lack of diversity, and then discuss some ways to change that.     First - how were the 16 books selected? Those 16 titles were nominated and voted on entirely by my students last year. I give them total control over that process, simply asking them to nominate books they’ve read and liked. Their favorites. I think kids having ownership of that is important. If I picked the books, I don’t think they’d be as excited about participating. However, I think there is a way to honor students’ choices while still including a more diverse range of authors and characters that not only reflects the community but our society. More on that a little bit.   Second - why was there a lack of diversity in those choices? Well, I have a few thoughts on that. One might be that the books my students included may reflect the general lack of diversity among the most “popular” middle grade titles. A second thought is that some of the books, like Hatchet and Wonder and Flying Solo and Home of the Brave may have been nominated because my students read them in class as part of the curriculum and book list that my school follows. And only one of them features a non-white main character (Home of the Brave) but that book, while excellent, is still not written by a person of color. Essentially, those books are not featuring enough diversity and not enough stories told by diverse authors. Another piece to that, and probably the largest one - my students are simply not surrounded with enough diverse books written by Native Americans, written by black authors, written by men and women from ethnic, cultural, and religious minority groups. Among many, many other diverse groups. And within my classroom, that is entirely on me. But taking that responsibility means that I have the power to change it.   Alright - if our students and kids aren’t listing diverse books as their favorites, how can that be changed? A couple very quick ideas knowing that this is just the beginning of a much longer conversation: As you stock your classroom library, as you make purchases for the kids in your life, pick more diverse books written by authors writing from their own experience. Over the last few years, as I have committed to having a vibrant classroom library, my focus needs to shift from just getting any books to being more aware of who is represented in that library. And making better choices. One good place to start is weneeddiversebooks.org and by following the Twitter hashtag #OwnVoices  Scholastic also has a We Need Diverse Books catalog that’s a good resource, too. Don’t just stick those books in your library - read them aloud, book talk them, and build that excitement. If you are excited about a book, the kids will often latch onto it, too. Reexamine those books that are in your curriculum. Like a lot of other districts, my school is thankfully moving away from the one-book-fits-all approach which leaves more space for student choice and for teachers to select more diverse books. Be an advocate for that in your schools. And parents - please speak up, too! Finally - bring this conversation to your students and your children. I plan on sharing Eric’s tweet with my class and asking them to think about it. And in considering March Book Madness, perhaps instead of simply asking students to nominate favorite books, I could have framed the tournament a little differently and asked them to nominate favorite books that represent the diversity of our community and society. So you are still having the books be their choice, but guiding them to be more aware. Also, I read this fabulous blog post last year on Lee & Low Books where a teacher had her students pull every book from her classroom library off the shelves and work in groups to analyze the diversity in the books they had available. It was a powerful exercise - both for that teacher and her students. So I’ll link to that in the show notes so you can check it out yourself.   Now, I acknowledge that we are really just scratching the surface of this topic and we will be chatting a lot more about it on future episodes. And I’d like to get your input and ideas about that. What do you see as the challenges to getting your students to read more diversely? And what concrete things can we do as teachers and librarians and parents to help kids develop deeper connections to more diverse books?   Closing   Okay - that wraps our show this week. If you have a question about how to connect middle grade readers to books they’ll love or an idea about a topic we need to cover, I want to hear from you. Please email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get find a transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And, if you are liking the show, if you are finding some value in them, I’d love it if you left a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks again and see you in two weeks!  Bye! Links: http://weneeddiversebooks.org   http://blog.leeandlow.com/2016/07/07/part-1-having-students-analyze-our-classroom-library-to-see-how-diverse-it-is/   http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-raise-reader/special-edition-weneeddiversebooks-scholastic-reading-club  

We celebrate episode 300 with cupcakes and listener questions. We cover everything from welcome packets to marketplace pastors to Bible Belt churches to refusing members or money. The post What to Include in a Visitor Welcome Packet and Other Listener Questions appeared first on Church Answers.

In this episode, I'm chatting with Diane Kinney. She is a web designer and developer with over 17 years of experience running her own boutique agency. We're talking all about design and how it is evolving, responsive vs adaptive, clients, SVGs and so much more. Diane shares a wealth of knowledge and experience in this episode, that will be sure to have you rethinking something. A complete transcript of this podcast is available. Let's get started. Meet Diane Kinney Yes, I’m a mega WordPress nerd and I’d love to share the things I’ve learned in the last 17 years of building both simple and complex sites in WordPress. Born and raised in Wisconsin (#gopackgo), my adult life has been spent on the gulf coast of Florida in sunny Sarasota. I delight in the sunshine and weirdly wonderful things that regularly happen in this state. I live with my husband, college student daughter, five cats and three dogs. All of the cats were rescued from certain death by my animal loving daughter and our first dog was a refugee after Hurricane Charley. It’s all very crazy and brimming with love. Show Notes Diane's Business Website: The Versatility Group Diane's Personal Website: DianeKinney.com Diane's Twitter link: @dkinney Helpful Links: Practical SVG by Chris Coyier SVG Support Plugin CodePen.io - CodePen is a playground for the front end side of the web. Using SVG Animation in WordPress Why Encrypting Your Website Is Now Something You Need to Do Val Head - Web and UI animation This episode of Rethink.fm is sponsored by: Erin E Flynn - Business help for web designers and developers. Having trouble with the business part of running a web design business? Check out Erin E Flynn for articles, e-courses, workshops, and a friendly community to help you run your web design business like a pro! Join the crew and become Unstoppable at erineflynn.com! I've tried a few of Erin's products. The Email Templates, Welcome Packet and Intro Packet - I highly recommend then - a great resource to help you run your web design and development business. -Jackie D'Elia Complete Transcript: Open PDF version of this transcript Jackie: Hey everybody, this is Jackie D'Elia with another episode of Rethink.fm for you. I have my guest, Diane Kinney, on board. Hi, Diane. Diane: Hi, Jackie! Jackie: Thank you very much for joining me. Diane: Thank for having me. I'm really excited to be here. Jackie: Our topic is very interesting to me. I know you and I had been chatting earlier for a topic for the show. We were both interested in talking about design. You had some really interesting take on how you wanted to approach that and talk about it. Diane: Absolutely. I have a thought process around design. I love graphic design. I love doing print design and invitations. I've done interpretive signage plans for large organizations. That specific skill of graphic design is something I'm passionate about, but I find to be very very different from the concept of design. When I think of the word design and I think of what we do in the context of websites, social media, and marketing, we're really designing for an outcome. We sit down and ideally think about what experience do I want to create for the user? What feeling do I want to give them? What course of action do I want them to take? That's not strictly limited to ... You know there's a whole discipline around convergent path optimization, which is to get a visitor from point A to point B when they take an action like signing up for a list or buying a product. There are other paths along that journey that build to that result that I don't think people talk about quite enough. I don't know if you are familiar with retargeting in online marketing, but it's the idea that not everybody buys on the first visit, so I''m going to connect with you and try to maintain that connection with you overtime.

The Welcome Packet for the 2015 NMC Summer Conference in Washington D.C.

Welcome to the 2014 NMC Summer Conference! This digital packet contains pertinent information about the NMC, including major projects, events, and ways to get involved. Please feel free to share this with peers at your institution or extract one-pagers about specific programs.