TERRA Staffing Group’s Post

Happy 20th Anniversary to Alex (Alejandro) Martinez! Alex began his career at Accord in the Chicago 940 building as a Finishing Operator, thanks to a referral from his brother who also worked at the company. He recalls that when he started, his department had only seven people, which required him to learn and master everything in his role. We asked him a few questions about his time with Accord Carton. Q. What do you like the most about your job?  A. I love what I do and like to think about how my co-workers and I can do a better job. Q. What has kept you at Accord for so long? A. Opportunities to grow. Q. What are you the proudest of at work? A. Working with the team. Q. What superpower would you like to have if you could choose one? A. Help my fellow coworkers figure ways to do things the best.

Let's give a round of applause to this month's Shield Spotlight recipient, Carly Tessmann! 🎉👏 Carly has been making a huge impact at EcoShield with her dedication and hard work. Want to know more about Carly and her incredible contributions? Keep reading below! 👇 🔹 When did you join EcoShield & what’s your position/role? I joined our “OG” Chicago branch in 2017 when I was just a little 21-year-old baby looking for a place to settle! I started out as a Start Tech and worked my way up to a Reg Tech, Field Manager, Service Manager, Operations Manager, and now a General Manager of the Chicago North Branch! 🎉 🔹 What is your favorite part of your job? Everyone thinks it’s cheesy when managers or employers say this, but it truly is the people I work for. 🛡️💙 I love coming in each day with the goal to genuinely help my employees. I pride myself on creating as diverse and inclusive atmosphere as possible at my branch and our employees truly feel it! 🔹 What's one thing you would tell someone who was thinking about working at EcoShield? Do it. Even if you have some doubts, push those away and just do it. 💪 🔹 If you could pick just one, what would your "spirit bug" be? Hmmm. I would have to choose a honey bee! 🐝 I am super docile and just want to do my job all day every day! I won’t sting, as long as you don’t come after me or my people. 😜 🔹 Who would win in a fight: you or a Tarantula Hawk Spider Wasp? Pshhh it only sounds scary. Just give me a 25-foot pole and I’ll knock their nest right down no sweat. 😅 Maybe give me a bee suit first... or at least a can of wasp freeze. 😂 🔹 What's your secret talent/a fun fact about you? I have an identical twin sister! We are both managers in pest control. 🐜🚫 Not only is it rare to have women in pest control, but two identical twins is crazy! To be a fly one the wall at our family gatherings... it’s quite entertaining so I’ve been told. I guess it runs in the family! 👯 🔹 What is one word you would use to describe EcoShield? Life-Changing. 🙌

Lucky 7! I'm probably due for a post, so here's 7 things that have made me feel pretty lucky in the last 7 years... 1. Invaluable exposure. I have a front-row seat to watch business leaders of all ages and maturity levels as they approach the same question: how can we solve this business problem with software? 2. Having chances to learn from mistakes. I am not the same professional I was 7 years ago! 3. Having advocates in leadership that have mentored me to a seat at the leadership table. 4. Getting to spend a lot of time at the Denver office! Shoutout to Catalyst. 5. The financial stability and work-life balance to have creative hobbies. 6. Finding a passion in age-tech and being supported by ForytAU to organize a pitch competition. 7. Having a license to build my network. I've made some great friends along the way. Once upon a time, a dear friend, who was much older and smarter, said to a much younger me, who was lamenting the difficulties of adulting: "you have the hardware, you just need the software!" Isn't the universe cheeky?

Click the link below to read more about our Managing Director, Anna Sills 10 year anniversary at ADVANCE | Trust the Experts.

Happy one-year anniversary to Reggie Renfro 🎉  Your hard work and dedication haven't gone unnoticed, and we're happy to celebrate your milestones! Here's to your first year of the STL revolution, with many more to come! 🤝 #ExpediteAll #STL #SmallTruckNetwork #SmallTruckLoad #shipping #logistics #supplychain #expeditedshipping

"𝑳𝒍𝒆𝒈ó 𝒍𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒂 𝒅𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒈𝒂𝒓 𝒍𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂" Today, a few days late, is a day of farewells, as well as one of gratitude and reflection. After almost a year and a half, as part of ZKTeco (ZKTeco Europe) as 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, the time has come to close this chapter and, literally as explained in Spanish, 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘡𝘒 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 to face new challenges. I want to take this opportunity to deeply thank the company and this position for everything they have offered me, although I have already personally thanked each of you for your part in my professional journey. Over this time, I've had the honor of working with an amazing group of professionals from whom I've learned not only about products, technologies, services, and the company's ecosystem, but also, I've gained invaluable 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴. Of course, it hasn't always been an easy road: like any experience, I've had my share of difficult moments, faced complex process, and overcome differences... But the lessons taken from each challenge, whether positive or not, are something I carry with me and greatly value. It's also true that, when challenges are faced with your colleagues and even friends, it always becomes more memorable. As I mentioned in my internal farewell: ✉️ "𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵. 𝘐 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮. 𝘐𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺: 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘉𝘜𝘐 (𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮). 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵." Thank you, ZKTeco Europe, for this unforgettable chapter, and thanks to so many names that come to my mind Now it's time for what's next; I'm ready to take on new challenges and experiences. #Despedida #NuevosRetos #CrecimientoPersonal #Agradecimiento #Farewell #NewChallenges #ProfessionalGrowth #Gratitude #ZKTeco #TechnicalSupport

Cheers to 17 YEARS, Spartan Surfaces!! So proud to be part of this Winning, and Growing, Team! Can’t wait to see what another 17 years will bring. Hang on to your seat, y’all!!! ;) #bestplacestowork #growingbusiness #growingstrong #commercialflooring #nationwidecoverage #constructionmaterials #partnersinsuccess #developertools #interiordesigners #healthcaredesign #educationdesign #flooringindustry #multifamilydevelopment

As I celebrate my 11 year anniversary at ITA Group, Inc. today, I’m thinking about two recent instances where our 11 year old daughter was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up and her reply was “Sales, I want to be an Account Executive.” (Cue the big smile from me!) I told some of my colleagues this and they were amazed that someone so young wanted to be in sales or do what I do. I do have moments where I feel like this type of amazing career is a bit of a secret. It made me wonder if kids know how great a career in sales can be, if they know what is needed to be successful and the benefits? Here are 11 thoughts (please add to the list), and here’s also a picture of “back in the early days” when my daughter pulled up a chair, desk, and computer to help me with my work. 1. Rewards outweigh the risks (creates wealth in a number of ways) 2. Relationships, results for clients, being of service 3. Leadership and expertise 4. Confidence, passion, and grit 5. Problem solving, consultative 6. “Get oxygen” from those big wins and great meetings 7. Strong communicator and sense of humor 8. Solution selling, each client is different 9. Both individual and team success 10. Quick with numbers, handling objections 11. Recognition and rewards as a Top Perfomer (financially and opportunity to travel the world) *Start ‘em young! If you love what you do, they will want to do that too!

Celebrating Steve’s 9th year in my agency! Way to go Steve! I appreciate all you do. #paulmajorinsuranceagency;#statefarmagentpaulmajor;#AgentStateFarm;#smallbusinesssupportingsmallbusiness;#anniversarycelebration;#autoinsurance;#LifeInsurance;#teamwork

My first anniversary with Fortellar was a couple of days ago. The company, people, and the work I get to do has far exceeded my expectations. The best part has been the learning and growth. Here's a few of my learnings being new to a small and fast growing consulting and BPO agency. For the internal part of my role: ✳ Growth in a small consulting agency requires serious time in building a pipeline of awesome talent. There's no waiting until the ink is dry on a contract; attracting and vetting talent has to come long before the SOW is drafted. ✳ Selling and contracting stages never move at a predictable pace and we have to be ready for any speed and ready to go once the contract is signed. ✳ Team member engagement requires significant intentionality. Our team members spend most of their days with their clients, in their client networks, and engaging in the client culture. This can result in a detachment from their first team and a lack of alignment with our company's goals. For the external part of my role: ✳ It is incredibly rewarding to help organizations of all sizes with a variety of challenges. I thought this work would keep me at arms length and disconnected from the client team but my experience has been quite the opposite. I have built strong connections and get to take part in the impact of my work. This is in large part due to our company's strong values of client collaboration and client success. It's just not how we roll and I love it. ✳ Another misconception I had was that I would have to be a sales master - something I have never quite nailed. But in fact what I realized is that our growth is often predicated on doing great work and showing results. It requires listening to the needs of the client and providing potential solutions. These are things that I have always done with my teams. I am selling, but not in the way I had defined sales previously.