Flynn Wright

We have the privilege of working with many amazing companies, one of which is MidAmerican Energy. We don't just toot their horn because they’re a client (though that helps), but because they do some great things in the communities they serve. Plus, they are always leading by example when it comes to energy efficiency.

Appliance Recycling
One of MidAmerican Energy's latest energy efficiency initiatives is appliance recycling. As an Iowa electric customer, you can recycle any working refrigerator, freezer or window air conditioner. The best part: you don't need to lift a finger! MidAmerican Energy will haul your appliance away for you. That means, you save energy, save money, help protect the environment AND you get paid! Up to $50!

So that's it… pretty simple really. Of course there are a few details you should read in order to get that money in your wallet. Learn more about recycling your old appliance and call MidAmerican Energy to schedule your pick up.

Sometimes when I get fixated on making something happen, little stands in my way from securing it. I’m not unreasonable; I just set my sights on something and go after it. I’m not talking about summiting Mount Everest  or inventing the first and coolest online savings system. I’m talking about other things — things that might not matter to some but, well, matter to me.

Like the time about five years ago that I saw a dress I wanted to get for our daughter’s first birthday. It was perfect — but they didn’t have it in her size. I looked for something else, but somewhat obsessively wanted that dress. I spent the better part of that weekend searching for it. Nothing. Bound and determined, I ended up talking to the children’s buyer for Von Maur who LOCATED the dress for me in our daughter’s size in their WAREHOUSE. Von Maur shopper for life? You betcha.

Let’s be honest — she could’ve told me that my cause was a lost one and to move on. Wouldn’t you have? Probably a little more than a minor inconvenience on her part, but imagine how happy I was!

Now the flip side. A couple of weeks ago, we were on vacation and found the snack bars we buy our kids in a flavor not available in Iowa. We nearly bought out the local stores of their Clif Kid Organic Zbars in Chocolate Chip.

I couldn’t email my favorite local grocery store fast enough to ask if they would carry the chocolate chip version. And about 30 minutes after I hit send, they replied that they were going to ask their purchasing manager if they could get them and would let me know right away. I was really impressed that they replied so quickly and were looking into it. I thought in no time my kids would have an unlimited supply of chocolate chip Clif bars! But … that was two weeks ago, and still no word. Sigh.

Does it really matter in the big scheme of things? No, of course it doesn’t. They are busy people with busy stores and other customers who want other products. I get it. No problem-o, really. But imagine if they HAD replied. Even if their reply was, “We tried, but sorry, no.” It would’ve been better than nothing.

So, the question(s) for today is: in your busy world, with all of the customers you have, do they truly understand that you appreciate their business? Do they understand that you know they have a choice of who they do business with and you’re sure glad it’s you? Do you feel good about your internal team communicating with these people — the lifeline to your company — and ensuring their satisfaction? Do you have things in place to measure that level of satisfaction?

These things don’t need to take a lot of time or cost a lot of money. We help our clients (who we try very hard to show our appreciation) with seemingly little things they can integrate into their business that might not look like a big deal but make an impact on how their customers view them within their business, their industry and within the communities they serve.

You should take away a couple of things from this entry…first, that we should always show the people we do business with how much we appreciate them, even if it means going an extra mile (heck, half-mile) to earn a life-long customer. And secondly, if you ever need help locating an item for your kids, I’m your girl.

Julie Schneider and Quacky from Youth Emergency Services & Shelter of Iowa (YESS) stopped by Flynn Wright’s headquarters yesterday to talk about the YESS 2010 Duck Derby. While FW’ers stepped up to adopt ducks and take a spin on the wheel, we spoke with Julie about the Duck Derby and YESS’ mission.

I have always had an interest in generational studies (this probably has something to do with my fascination with birth order, but that’s another blog, another time). It’s amazing to me how we can classify millions of people based on the events, leaders, developments and trends of a certain period of time. And what’s really interesting is how we’re all supposed to “play nice in the sandbox” with all of these pre-determined judgments.

So what does this mean for the workforce? Well, let’s chat quickly about the three key generations that make up the majority of it.

Millennial or Gen Y (approx. 1984-2002) – This is me. Supposedly, we have a sense of entitlement, have never had to work for anything and have never lost…at anything. Call us the “trophy” generation because everyone’s a winner. We are peer-oriented and want things instantly because we’ve never been without technology, email, texting, IM, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook… I could go on.

Gen X (approx. 1965-1983) – I’d say the majority of the employees at Flynn Wright fall into this generation. They were brought up on television, Atari and personal computers. They are suspicious of organization, unimpressed with authority and self-reliant. But, they look for new challenges and opportunities to develop new skills and value their relationships.

Boomers (approx. 1946-1964) – Ah, the “rock and roll” generation. They are conversational, skilled vocal and writer advocates, poor on marital skills...the first divorce generation. Yet, they are optimistic, driven and team-oriented.

If all of these personalities are supposed to work together for a common goal, then here’s some advice for each generation: try to understand where your peers are coming from and take an active role in working together through your differences. Bridge the gap, folks.

Here's what you can do:

MILLENNIALS Get a mentor. Land an internship where you can prove yourself with hard work. Join a social group where you actually have to meet face-to-face. Be prepared to have to work your way up.

GEN X Take continuing education classes on new media. Get a smart phone like the iPhone or the Droid and start trying out new apps. Explore new social media sites like LinkedIn or Twitter.

BOOMERS Set up a time to meet with and get to know the Gen Ys in your company. If you’re not involved with a social media site, start with something like Facebook or LinkedIn. Attend informational sessions about new and emerging media and what it can do for your bottom line.

Being in the "brand" business, we work hard to protect the brands we've been entrusted to manage and build. But what happens when a high-profile brand implodes?

As the Toyota brand continues to be tarnished by some poor business decisions, and their PR teams flounder to repair the Toyota image, I think we've gotten a chance to see the high price a brand can pay when it has dabbled with near perfection for more than 70 years.

As a used car-purchasing junkie, I can tell you firsthand that when I am looking to buy a used car, I concentrate my efforts on a few brands – Toyota being at the top. And as I’m sure most other used car enthusiasts would agree, the brand has earned it. So much so that it's one of the toughest vehicles to find a good deal on because their near-perfect image keeps the resale value so high.

However, in recent discussions around the office and with friends about the Toyota recall fiasco, many people are now shying away from owning a Toyota. They have very quickly thrown away 70 years of good equity. To which I say, “Huh?”

I have owned multiple brands of cars (used car junkie here), and I have experienced a recall of some magnitude on probably half of those vehicles. My most recent (Kia Optima) has had two. My point is this: recalls are not an unheard of thing for car manufacturers and car owners. They happen all the time. But people just don't expect bad things from Toyota. So it's been amazing to witness a brand known for relatively few mistakes get "NAILED" for having a recall. Which begs the question: "Do brands that have higher standards pay higher prices for error?"

My answer after witnessing the recent events is an unwavering and unfortunate, "YES." But while the price for failure is high, wouldn’t you rather be known for “near perfection” in the long run?

I predict that once all of Toyota's hiccups (or in this case, loud burps) pass, and business decisions are made and enforced to prevent this from happening again, Toyota will be put back into the limelight as a high-quality brand again. It will take a lot of time, PR, advertising and fundamental brand management to get it done – but selfishly I’m okay with that. Maybe now I can finally get a good deal on an old Corolla.