Great Expectations
Carvers of the Great Pumpkin Forehead team seem destined to win the annual Pumpkin Project this year. With representatives from all/nearly all departments, the team will no doubt benefit from a multi-disciplined approach to crafting the winning design.
The team includes Amy, Natasha, Kristin, Nihn, Betsy and Evelyn, and boasts the highest number of department heads of any team in this year’s competition. Other factors weighing-in for the win include:
Kristin has already proven her fruit and vegetable design skills. References available from Miss Ava Cado.
Evelyn brings collegiate-level carving experience to the team.
Natasha has been on every winning team since the competition’s inception.
The team members were unavailable for comment on their design strategy, but did say they were eager to live up to their winning potential.
Handicapping the Pumpkin Teams
As Laine reported in her post, the gauntlet has been thrown down for the Third-Annual Addison Whitney Pumpkin Carving Contest. The rules are a bit different this year, which means that teams are crucial … and as a completely unbiased handicapper, I can say with confidence that my team will be the group to beat.
Check out our lineup:
Clayton Tolley: Hungry for a win this year, Clayton has been part of some of the most memorable AW pumpkin teams in history, helping to create the terrifying and lifelike Jaws pumpkin in 2006, and the elaborate pharmacist “Dr. Feelgood” pumpkin in 2007.
Meredith “blades” Badinelli: A self-proclaimed whiz with the knife, Meredith has also performed extensive market research on potential pumpkin motifs, pinpointing the idea most likely to resonate with our target audience.
Vince Budd has never met a squash he doesn’t like, and his calm demeanor is sure to play a key role guiding the team through the contest this year.
Paula Weigel: A potter, artist, and fellow creative, Paula is a reigning champ with her 2006 New Year’s theme and is always strong competition. Rumor has it that Paula will be changing the name of her private venture “Plays with Mud” to “Plays with Pumpkin Guts” for the event.
And last, but not least is our rookie, Jonathan “I put the Hall in Halloween”: A fresh face to the competition . . . can anyone say secret weapon?
Contributed by: Maghan Cook
AW's Pumpkin Carving Contest Begins!
Tensions are high around the office, as the AW team is gearing up for the annual pumpkin carving contest! Teams have been assigned, and this year there will only be three days given to carve. Stay tuned for more details and may the best pumpkin win!
{View pictures of the last two years of the contest on our PHOTOS page}
Contributed by Laine Beyerl
Employee Feature: Becky Leonard
brand salsa is pleased to feature some of our finest … each week we’ll randomly select an inVentiv employee to showcase on the blog. Wanna get your mug online? Just shoot me an email and I’ll tell you how much … I mean, how.
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Name: Becky Leonard
Job Title and Company:Try and make each person I come in contact with feel like they matter on this planet! {Receptionist at Addison Whitney}
1. "On a road trip, my staple convenience store purchase is": BBQ Corn Nuts
2. "What's playing in my iPod right now": Howard Stern
3. "Big Mac or Whopper?": No to both, Now a plain double cheese burger would be the ticket! (Hate mayo onions, etc.)
Lending a Helping Hand
The other day our creative department was brainstorming ideas and activities to help keep our creativity fresh and our momentum going. We were suggesting all kinds of activities from visiting the local library to spending the day at an amusement park, when someone mentioned volunteering. What a great idea! Volunteering not only provides an outside activity for us to engage in, but it is a great team building exercise and, of course, it benefits the community.
I later came across an article on the CNN website titled, “Volunteer Work Can Be Good for Career.” The article talks about new ways in which companies are offering incentives for their employees to volunteer in the community. It also mentions an organization called VolunteerMatch which matches non-profit organizations with volunteers.
VolunteerMatch has a website on which individuals or groups can search for local volunteer opportunities. What I found particularly interesting are the Corporate Solutions that VolunteerMatch offers. Companies can join VolunteerMatch to promote volunteering in the workplace and gain access to VolunteerMatch’s resources. Several companies such as Target, Johnson & Johnson, and General Mills have already jumped on board. Companies that promote volunteer work and take an interest in the community are not only fostering a better work environment, but they are building their brand’s reputation as well.
I started thinking about ways in which our employees are involved in the community and serve as volunteers. Maghan Cook, an Addison Whitney employee spends a lot of her time volunteering for Planned Parenthood and United Family Services. Every year in December, Addison Whitney participates in the “Giving Tree,” a project sponsored by the local Department of Social Services. Employees can donate money or toys to help children in foster care or group homes have a happy holiday. inVentiv Communications employees contribute to GRACE, a charitable initiative to assist senior citizens in need access life-sustaining prescription drugs and other healthcare services.
What is the most interesting or rewarding volunteer opportunity you have participated in?
By: Jessica McGrail
Employee Feature: Bill Purdy
brand salsa is pleased to feature some of our finest … each week we’ll randomly select an inVentiv employee to showcase on the blog.......................................................................................................................................................................
Name: WC Purdy
Job Title and Company:New Business Development - Healthcare at Addison Whitney
1. "On a road trip, my staple convenience store purchase is": Yoo-hoo & Gum
2. "If I could have a super power, it would be": Invisibility & the power to heal
3. "What's playing in your iPod right now?": Beatles—Rubber Soul
The Knight and The Hare
My recent wedding presents me with a personal re-branding opportunity and a potential new revenue generating stream for Addison Whitney. I face a question that thousands of others do after marriage- Do I take my husband’s name, hyphenate or keep my current name? Could Addison Whitney solve this dilemma for me and thousands of other retired Bridezillas?
Below my current brand name and potential new brand name are run through an abbreviated review process.
Employee Feature: Enrique Porras
brand salsa is pleased to feature some of our finest … each week we’ll randomly select an inVentiv employee to showcase on the blog. Wanna get your mug online? Just shoot me an email and I’ll tell you how much … I mean, how.
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Name: Enrique Porras
Job Title and Company:Account Manager for Addison Whitney; I work directly under a Sr. Vice President.
1. "What's in your Netflix / Blockbuster Queue right now?" Lions for Lambs
2. "What's playing in your iPod right now?" The Good Life by Kanye West
3. "True or false: Elvis is really dead.” False, Tupac is the one who is still alive.
Employee Feature: Trista Thielker
brand salsa is pleased to feature some of our finest … each week we’ll randomly select an inVentiv employee to showcase on the blog. Wanna get your mug online? Just shoot me an email and I’ll tell you how much … I mean, how.
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Your Name: Trista Thielker
Job Title and Company: Project Manager- Jack of all Trades for Addison Whitney :)
Fill in the blank: If I could have a super power, it would be: to fly.
Employee Feature: Meredith Badinelli
brand salsa is pleased to feature some of our finest … each week we’ll randomly select an inVentiv employee to showcase on the blog. Wanna get your mug online? Just shoot me an email and I’ll tell you how much … I mean, how.
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Your Name: Meredith Badinelli
Job Title and Company: Research Analyst (aka - number cruncher) for Addison Whitney
Fill in the blank: On a road trip, my staple convenience store purchase is: Coke Slurpees