It’s EVERY individual in the company that makes coming to work enjoyable, rewarding, and the best day in and day out.
We’re truly honored.

On behalf of FurtherEd, Micah accepts the award for
#13 Best Place to Work in NY!!!

Previous post: Lucky #13 in NY (Part 1) 

The challenges are staggering, but the hope in Inocente’s story proves that the hand she has been dealt does not define her, her dreams do.

I hope through the message of my presentation, we can utilize it as motivation in our everyday lives as well as work by incorporating it under FurtherEd’s Core value of “Exuding Optimism”. By carrying these inspirational stories such as Inocente’s, and applying one of these many core values into our daily lives; we can take the company to even further heights while at the same time grow personally within ourselves! :@)

Click the picture below to hear Inocente’s story.

Close on the heels of the inspiring precedent set by Blair, Jeff dove headfirst into Videography 201 via the FurtherEd TV show. When Melissa and Blair’s schedules were such that Micah needed someone else to operate one of the cameras, Jeff took on the job without hesitation – in fact with excitement and good cheer – despite having no real background with videography while at the same time knowing that his work would be broadcasted on television to the largest city in the nation.

He was an avid student, and was completely receptive to feedback when reviewing the footage after the fact. Since then, he’s filmed four additional segments, including two on the same day as a Learn Session that he taught, and has upped his game tremendously where every aspect of the camera is concerned, from composition to movement to lighting. Thanks, Jeff!

Seeking Creative Solutions 2.Joe

Now Known As Detective Joe!

 The Case of the Disappearing Bullet Points!

GC Michele went to Dev. 2.Joe with a mystery that no team member was able to solve for a decade: the disappearing bullet points from the bundle description. Michele had tried everything: using bullets from admin, hitting alt and 7 on number pad simultaneously; cutting and pasting from notepad; and each time the bullets appeared on admin but on the live site she only saw a question mark. Desperate to make the bundle page as dynamic as possible for the launch of FurtherEd Real Estate she hired 2.Joe for the case. At first he said “no problem” until he looked at the code… he knew it would be a challenge, but he was up for the challenge.

Donning his super sleuth hat, he tried code after code and still the bullets disappeared or it could only be done through Q/A. Michele had given up and was ready to throw in the towel, but 2.Joe would not quit and finally discovered a secret formula that would allow any team member to add bullets to a bundle description. Now the bullets are on display beautifully on our new real estate site FurtherEd Real Estate Bundle and will add value to all of our bundles descriptions. Dev. 2.Joe solved the case- kudos to his ability to seek a creative solution

Taking Time to Help Others Julie

 Mo doesn’t know what core values Julie did not meet in the last month. She has gone out of her way to train and support three new staffers and to teach them to become successful in the last 3-5 weeks.

Julie is constantly working, even when she’s at home she is always thinking of ways she can improve the sales team or her role as their leader. She goes above and beyond her normal duties on a daily basis to make sure she’s doing whatever she can in her power to help this company grow.

Always taking time to help out with a sale and offering tips which helps Mike F, Mo, and Jennifer to constantly grow and improve!

She is selfless, dedicated, always learning and teaching. In short, she has absolutely been godsent.

Exuding Optimism Mo

Yes, she has a tiara. Awesome, right?

The Schnurm has never seen so many yellow sticky notes in his life. Smily faces, notes of encouragement to herself, oranges with faces drawn on them. Whatever the secret is to being optimistic Mo has cracked the code and The Schnurm want in!

From the first moment he met her she has had this positivity that has not wavered for a moment. You see her smiling, laughing, and just having fun on the phone all day. This type of optimism is infectious and it has especially meant a lot to him during the past week.

Thanks Mo for being you! Always has great energy and laugh even when having to do a double wammy of Blitz calls; making 200+ calls!!

Driven to Find a Better Way Maverick Joe

 Anyone who works around the Video Production office has surely heard the iPhone alarms going off about once an hour the last few months as reminders to start the rebroadcasts.

NO MORE! Joe worked out a system that allows us to set a schedule where the rebroadcasts run on their own, making the lives of Melissa, Micah and Jeff much easier. Jeff no longer needs to stop mid conversation to start a rebroadcast.

 Huzanga!!

PREVIOUS MONTH’S CV AWARDS

• March
• Actively Learning – Meredith
• Seeking Creative Solutions – Frank
• Taking Time to Help Others – Blair
• Exuding Optimism - Malcolm
• Driven to Find a Better Way – Rich

March 2013 Core Values Newsletter 

• FEBRUARY
• Actively Learning – Blair
• Seeking Creative Solutions – Melissa & Micah
• Taking Time to Help Others – Mark
• Exuding Optimism - Team Retention
• Driven to Find a Better Way – CPE Crew

February 2013 Core Values Newsletter

Creative solutions and the better way does not always need to be a brand-new, original idea. Some of the best ideas have come to light by applying scrutiny to the most accepted of conventions and having the bravery to break from the mold. Extra Credits, an incredibly insightful web series about video games, focuses their magnifying glass onto universally accepted methods of educating children. They claim there are “systemic flaws with how we teach kids today” and propose a better–and fun!–way to motivate and educate children: make it like a video game!

Ever played a role-playing game and got hooked on the upwards progress of your character(s)? A child’s (and anyone else’s!) motivation is stronger and more resilient when it is marked by progress and efficiency rather than the fear of failure. Extra Credits proposes: grade like a role playing game. Instead of students struggling every day to maintain an A+ grade and not fall behind, they can start 0 and grow as their education progresses–in points, in levels, in abilities and in knowledge.

This notion of progress could apply to more than just a student’s success in school but also their sense of agency. Many students, especially those from turbulent upbringings, can lose the impression that they are in control of their own choices, decisions and lives. The concepts inherent in games, where your decisions and choices result in tangible outcomes, help impart awareness that a person is in control of his or her own destiny and the choices you make do matter!

These ideas and others are presented in this video in an insightful, practical and entertaining way. A must-see for teachers, students and anyone passionate about education!

The above video went viral a year or two ago all across the internet.  It is the final speech from the Charlie Chaplin movie The Great Dictator and it is incredibly moving, especially with all of the superimposed imagery in this particular version.

There are many significant points made in the video, but I think the most important of those is that it’s important to be yourself, and simply to love one another.  This speech is an amazing reminder that every day you should be trying not only to improve your own life, but also the lives of those around you.  The best thing about working at FurtherEd is that we are given the opportunity to do just that.  We work hard every day not just because it’s a job, but to constantly grow and to make the world a better place.  We’re not micromanaged or ruled and we are generally given the freedom to work on projects at our own pace and to collaborate with other departments.

Bob Dylan once said, “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.”  I believe this is something we all get to do here at FurtherEd, and words cannot describe how proud of that I truly am.

We’re so proud of our company and know we’re number 1 in our hearts!

Frank, Micah (holding award), Chris and Julie beaming proudly!

Yesterday, four FurtherEders went to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School for a career day. David C, Malcolm, Jeff, and Trisha each had three different classrooms to speak in front of for 20 minutes each.

Malcolm, Jeff, Trish, & David

 David C
- My first impression was that the kids who volunteered to run the event, including escorting the speakers around, answering questions and providing feedback on their school experience, were extremely professional. They, rightfully so, were very proud of their involvement and in certain instances, literally wore their school pride on their sleeves.
In my first class, I allowed them to voluntarily get involved – this strategy lead to a divided class where interested parties participated and others did not. Later on, I identified those that were drifting, got them forcefully engaged and managed to proactively adjust their approach.  Upon sharing some complex concepts for career and personal molding, to see children digest, react and respond with thoughtful, insightful questions was a great sign that the message was getting through and perhaps leaving an imprint.

Malcolm
-  I provided them with a breakdown of the sales position, and what I do each day. I spoke to them then about the importance of college, and identifying a career path that the students were passionate about. There were three different classes that I presented in front of, and overall they were engaged and interested. I came away with a very positive experience. I was able to speak with a few students one-on-one about different aspects of business. They were genuinely interested in my experience and the career path I chose. It was great to be able to speak to kids who are from varying backgrounds.

Trisha
- My first classroom was a English classroom where I did my trial and error speech about myself and our company. The students, teacher and teachers assistant asked several questions which was really nice and helpful for me, since I was losing my voice for talking for 20 minutes non stop. The second classroom I was escorted to was a class of sophomores who where preparing for college. I gave my little speech and then the questions came flying in about everything under the sun. Some questions where about what is the interview process and how long does it all take, what did I find most challenging about college, can I switch majors, how many interns do we accept, what are the qualifications to internships and many more questions. My last classroom I was escorted to was known as the trouble room but I felt I did the most influence to because they asked questions through out my entire talk and I didn’t even get to say everything I wanted because they wanted to know what really happens outside of high school. I am glad that I was able to part that knowledge to the students at this school and hopefully they will not make the same mistakes I did.

Jeff F
- I thought it was an amazing experience and I fealt like I did make a difference, especially with my first and third classes.  There were young people that truly did want to gain some knowledge and perspective from what we had to say and I know they were invested by the ones taking notes.  The teachers were over the moon that we were there to help out and they showered us with praise and thanks for taking the time to speak to their kids.  A lot of them don’t have many adult role models so it was nice to do our best to impart some wisdom on the youth of America.

A proud reminder of their time given to the youths of NYC.