UPDATE: We found Lisa a match! • Do you know a 17-35 year old, who’d like to save a life?

Guest blog post by Danielle Franz.

Update August 12, 2014: Great news: we found a bone marrow match for Lisa. Please continue to encourage folks to Get Swabbed at OneMatch.ca so that we can all save more lives!

I am better for the smile that you share.

As I look at this picture, I can’t help but see the shared brow. Do you see the resemblance? Study that. It means something. It tells a story. The shared warmth behind the smile. The toothy humour, gapped in loving kindness. Yes, a smile can capture a heart. I am fascinated by this resemblance. Here, mother and son, share features and functions. This is Lisa and her son Ethan. Behind the scenes, they share a rich inheritance through their blood and in their genes. The hope is that they share an inherited genetic marker called the human leukocyte antigen (HLA). Here is why: Lisa has leukemia, a blood disease. Lisa needs a bone marrow transplant that matches her own. Lisa needs this in order to survive.

I can’t help but wonder what other common features they share. Aha! Ethan’s jacket. Yes. Another symbolic sharing. Study something long enough and you start to discover things. Can you see it? Embedded in the pattern of Ethan’s jacket is the Star of David. Lisa has shared her rich Jewish heritage with her son Ethan, who enjoyed his bar mitzvah a few years back now. This is an important part of the story.

Among the many inherited markers shared by her family, no one tested has the compatible gene that would save her life. What? I can’t believe it! In fact, fewer than 30 per cent of people who need a stem cell transplant find a compatible donor within their own family. Lisa has to rely on a complete stranger to donate stem cells in order to survive. Who is that person, I ask? Is it me? Could it be you? The answer is yes!

For this reason, OneMatch was created, a network responsible for finding and matching volunteer donors to patients who require stem cell transplants. Matching people like Lisa to people like you and I.

To determine if you are the match is simple. All it takes is a swab of your cheek to determine if your tissue type is a match. There are opportunities all across Canada, beginning Monday, July 21, 2014, when you have an opportunity to ‘get swabbed’ and be a part of this story! This swabbing event is at North Thornhill Community Centre, located at 300 Pleasant Ridge Ave. and scheduled between the hours of 2:30 – 5:30. A donor needs to be between the ages of 17 – 35 because this age group offers the greatest success rate among donors for a successful match and transplant.

Recall Ethan’s Jacket and the Star of David. A person’s best chance of finding a matching donor is within his or her own ethnic group. Lisa’s heritage connects her to a European, Jewish community in the Ukraine. Lisa is likely to find her match within this ethnic and geographic ancestry. If that’s not you, that’s ok. Come out and swab anyway. OneMatch reflects Canada’s rich ethnic diversity. You might be the match for someone else in need.

Lisa and Ethan are blood relatives: Mother and child. Yet, in order for Lisa to survive, she will need to rely on a complete stranger for a bone marrow match. It’s in the blood of a stranger that she will find life. That tells a story. A story of human connection and sharing. The stranger becomes a friend, an ally; a lifeline. We share blood. We share life. It’s in us to give.

Please Share!

Donor event:
Monday, July 21, 2014, 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
North Thornhill Community Centre
300 Pleasant Ridge Ave., Rooms A & B
Thornhill, ON L4J 9B3

OneMatch: 1-888-DONATE for further details

https://facebook.com/SwabForLisa
https://facebook.com/onematch

Swab your cheek & join the One Match registry.

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What Not To Do If You Want To Keep Your Job

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Do you crawl into your shell when at the office? Are you constantly irked by your co-workers? If your answer is yes, then you might have a problem on your hands. Let’s talk about what not to do to avoid damaging your on-the-job reputation or worse, sending your career down the pipe.

1) Don’t  Fail to Get Cultured: Do not get your nose out of joint and refuse to plug yourself into the company’s culture, daily routines and operations. Failing to familiarize yourself with what makes your co-workers tick, will put you at a disadvantage when it comes to understanding the on-the-job costumers and values. Your overall workplace attitude can render you unable to communicate effectively or make meaningful connections.

2) Don’t Ignore Your Own Mistakes: If you don’t make it a priority to own up to mistakes you’ve made while at work as quickly as possible, you might find yourself perceived as irresponsible and incapable of getting things done on time.

3) Don’t Assume Less Is More: Squeezing by doing only what’s asked of you is not the best strategy for success. It will make you come across as unambitious. By not taking the initiative to look for opportunities you will be seen as uninspired and irrelevant to the company’s bigger picture.

4) Don’t Accept Comfortable Inaction: Always do what you say you will. Every little thing counts. Right down to getting those photocopies and making that important phone call. Not delivering on promises will drastically diminish the company;s trust in your ability to follow through. This could lower your chances of being promoted in the future.

5) Don’t Dress For A Hoedown: The way you dress can make all the difference in the way you’re perceived on the job, Dressing like you’re going to a dance party or wearing slacks to the office can seriously undermine your authority. Let your style be a reflection of the position you hold and the professional status you want to achieve in the future.

6) Don’t Arrive Late:  It’s always better to be early than late to the office. Take initiative and demonstrate that you are ready and eager to work. There is nothing worse you can do for your professional career than showing up at the office late.

7) Don’t Bring Up Needing A Raise: Quite frankly, your boss does not care about your financial struggles and voes. Instead approach the manager when the time is right and be ready to substantiate  your  arguments   with real evidence about your performance and accomplishments.

8) Be Courteous & Supportive Of Your Co-Workers: Hold elevator doors and do coffee runs every now and then. You might even want to say a good word or two about the people you work with. This will generate good will and cultivate a positive karmic environment.

There you have it. Don’t hide behind your desk all day. If you follow these simple office tips everything should go swimmingly.

See you at the office,

The EntreBahn team.  

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Tweet of the Week: collective intelligence

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This is, to put it mildly, challenging.  The result however could be incredible.  Just always remember something – every one of your employees has something to contribute in their own way, and the best businesses make use of all of their employees to the best of their ability.

https://twitter.com/IBMSmtWorkforce/status/481533877584801792

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In Or Outsourcing: Which Is Right For You?

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Outsourcing has become a popular strategy for large and medium size businesses, startups and entrepreneurs. It refers to the process of transferring secondary tasks, goods and services to  third party stakeholders. The concept was first introduced in the U.S. but has since been implemented globally. It’s believed to save businesses both time and money. Like with everything else in business, there are pros and cons to outsourcing but so far it remains one of the most viable options for cost-effective operations management.

In-Sourcing is a fairly recent phenomenon that is used as a way to counteract the possible shortcomings of outsourcing such as the presumed loss of local markets, unemployment and stagnation of economic development. Its focus is on creating larger local networks, growth and employability. Insourcing is viewed by many as a way to maintain control of services rendered at lower operational costs. The manufacturing sector and service based companies are likely to turn to insourcing as a business tactic.

In Or Out With It? Planning is crucial when deciding which is right for you. You must clearly define your goals and outline an actionable plan. Carefully consider all of the options available to you when thinking about outsourcing and define the value of implementation. Insourcing is ideal for companies working on a series of short term project or temporary initiatives. If you have no previous experience with outsourcing, then in-sourcing may help get your feet wet. Small businesses in particular might benefit from insourcing as an opportunity to built a solid network of local qualified experts that will provide valuable startup feedback and advice.

Outsourcing on the other hand is the perfect solution for business ventures looking to cut corners while simultaneously soliciting professional feedback and guidance externally. Outsourcing is now readily available to all businesses regardless of background or experience. This type of tactical transaction, allows more businesses to focus on their core skillsets without compromising their competitive edge. Outsourcing can be a fantastic avenue to a whole host of connections and ideas that are simply unavailable with insourcing.

Make sure to do plenty of research before reaching the final decision on which option is right for you. Having a clearly outline plan of action with defined project deadlines can mean the difference between success and failure.

If you’re tired of staring at a computer screen and would rather learn about outsourcing in person from high profile business experts, stay tuned for more updates and ticketing information about our upcoming first in a series of unique networking events: In Near & Outsourcing Which Is Right For You? The event will take place on Saturday September 20th, 2014 don’t miss out!

Find us on Twitter or check out our blog for more exciting business tips, book reviews, expert videos, cartoons and more!

We want to know about you, 

The EntreBahn team.  

 

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It’s Time To Poke The Box Says Seth!

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Everybody loves Seth, myself included. What’s not to love? The man is a brilliant strategist, author and entrepreneur.  He’s also the guy who took it upon himself to create an entire online community such as Squidoo to connect people to ideas and businesses. Linchpin and Tribes are two of the most talked about titles in Seth’s impressive collection of published books. Even so, if you never read another book again, I suggest you get your hands on his newest gem, Poke The Box. 

In his recent interview with Bryan Elliott, the host of Behind the Brand, on Failing Until You Succeed, Godin points out that Poke The Box is like a permission slip that says, that it’s ok for you to fail and to pursue your passions. It’s all about being ready to ship. When you have a desire to stand out from the rest and continue to take appropriate risks you will succeed.

A large part of the problem is that too often in our world says Godin, somebody does something amazing and we don’t wonder how they did that? You probably have a calling that you’ve been wanting to pursue. Unfortunately as a culture, we have been conditioned to follow and take orders.You have to dare to think outside of our comfort zone; poke the box.  

It’s Time To Poke The Box: There is no time like the present to let your idea out into the open. Whether you’re running a business or are on your way to a new discovery you need to acknowledge that failure is integral to your path to success because if someone else fails more than you do, they win.

Be A Serial Starter-Upper: Never stop starting; make it a habit. Timing is everything and knowing exactly when to start and when to simply absorb the information around you. We are too used to playing it “safe” says Godin. We are live in a conformist society, where it’s assumed that not doing anything is safer than the alternative of taking action. What if you were to take every opportunity do what you want and not ask permission?

Failure Is Fatal: Society has taught you that failure is not an option. Therefore you, like many of us might be terrified of not doing something right.What if you make a mess? What if the sky comes crashing down? Fear is a real barrier says Godin, on the path to creating and implementing new ideas. By turning off the fear switch in the back of your head you too, can begin starting; confident in your ability to get things done. By poking the box, you say yes to taking action instead of waiting passively on the sidelines for someone else to tell you what to do.

Poke It With Purpose: Now that you’ve squashed your fear of failure It’s time to do something extraordinary. Take your passion; something worth changing, something worth making a noise about. What can you bring to the table that is uniquely you? No more of the same old, same old, it’s time to inject newness into the everyday. Take the initiative and make things happen. It’s ok to pursue the unexpected; in fact, it’s more than ok. You owe it to yourself and your community to stop being a follower and follow your true calling.

Go Ahead, Poke The Box: Seth Godin, is a true motivator. He’s an enabler of positive thought and a cultivator of new ideas. This book like most of Godin’s previous works is a testament of how important it really is to continue starting. It’s an encouraging reminder that failure is a kind of stepping stone on the way to success that should not be feared.

In the meantime, if you’re ready to start poking the box, let our team of experts provide you with professional feedback and advice to help you find your path to success!  You can also follow us @wizof_biz or post your comments on our blog. 

We’re here for you,

The EntreBahn team.

 

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Tweet of the Week: Innovation and a bonus tweet

TweetOfTheWeek-150x150We love innovation here at Wizof.Biz.  Great businesses are founded on great innovation.  That’s why when we come across something which helps us out building innovative businesses and communities, we have to share.  This Fast Company article via @qethanm is perfect:

As a bonus, today is election day here in Ontario, and so a little something to remind you of that fact:

 

 

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